Eliza Acton wrote what was probably the first basic cookbook for the housewife rather than the trained chef with a full kitchen staff, 'Modern Cookery for Private Families' (London, 1845). She was 46 years old when she wrote it, and had spent years testing the recipes. The recipes were well written and easy to understand, and for the first time ingredients were listed separately, rather than in the body of the recipe. This helped make the book an immediate success.
