There's a wikipedia article on the author which references the book, but no wiki entry for the book itself. Searching online for 'The Cooks Oracle' turns up references to the Works of Thomas Hood. Be warned - The "recipe" is pretty horrific & NSFL.
Was this actually published? Was this sort of preparation at all popular?
Many thanks
Scroll down in that article on Kitchener, and there are multiple links there to online versions of the text of The Cook's Oracle:
But the most extraordinary of all the culinary receipts that have been under my eye, is the following diabolically cruel directions of Mizald, “how to roast and eat a goose alive.” “Take a GOOSE or a DUCK, or some such lively creature, (but a goose is best of all for this purpose,) pull off all her feathers, only the head and neck must be spared: then make a fire round about her, not too close to her, that the smoke do not choke her, and that the fire may not burn her too soon; nor too far off, that she may not escape free: within the circle of the fire let there be set small cups and pots full of water, wherein salt and honey are mingled: and let there be set also chargers full of sodden apples, cut into small pieces in the dish. The goose must be all larded, and basted over with butter, to make her the more fit to be eaten, and may roast the better: put then fire about her, but do not make too much haste, when as you see her begin to roast; for by walking about, and flying here and there, being cooped in by the fire that stops her way out, the unwearied goose is kept in; she will fall to drink the water to quench her thirst and cool her heart, and all her body, and the apple-sauce will make her dung, and cleanse and empty her. And when she roasteth, and consumes inwardly, always wet her head and heart with a wet sponge; and when you see her giddy with running, and begin to stumble, her heart wants moisture, and she is roasted enough. Take her up, set her before your guests, and she will cry as you cut off any part from her, and will be almost eaten up before she be dead; it is mighty pleasant to behold!!”—See Wecker’s Secrets of Nature, in folio, London, 1660, p. 148. 309.33-
“We suppose Mr. Mizald stole this receipt from the kitchen of his infernal majesty; probably it might have been one of the dishes the devil ordered when he invited Nero and Caligula to a feast.”—A. C., Jun.
This is also related in Baptista Porta’s Natural Magicke, fol. 1658, p. 321. This very curious (but not scarce) book contains, among other strange tricks and fancies of “the Olden Time,” directions, “how to ROAST and BOIL a fowl at the same time, so that one-half shall be ROASTED and the other BOILED;” and “if you have a lacke of cooks, how to persuade a goose to roast himselfe!!”—See a second act of the above tragedy in page 80 of the Gentleman’s Magazine for January, 1809.
That is, the text in Kitchener is (pretty much?) identical to the one in Hood. But supposedly comes from yet another source: Johannes Jacob Wecker. Mighty pleasant to behold.
The mentioned 'mr. Mizald', is presumably Antoine Mizald (or Mizauld), a 16th century French doctor, who wrote a number of books, such as this one about "medicines, diverse remedies and secrets".