The rain is falling, again. Time to browse my bookshelves before I have to do the evening meal.
It is far too long since I last opened my very old recipe books - they are packed with outdated and old-fashioned recipes, but I love reading them.
Cookery was very different then. I don't just mean that our attitude to food has changed, I mean that ovens didn't come with temperature gauges and electric mixers, food processors, etc were a long way off.
| Image borrowed from cookingwithmavis |
Mix 2ozs of each, raspberry jam, redcurrant jelly and castor sugar with the whites of 2 eggs stiffly whipped. OK so far? Beat for 3/4 hour. Serve piled in custard glasses.
Can you imagine standing there beating the mixture for 45 minutes?
How to Select Flour:
In selecting flour first look to the colour. If it is white, with a yellowish, straw-coloured tint, buy it. If it is white, with a blueish cast, or with black specks in it refuse it. Next examine its adhesiveness. Wet and knead a little of it between the fingers. If it works soft and sticky it is poor. Then throw a little lump of dried flour against a smooth surface. If it falls like powder it is bad. It is perfectly safe to buy flour that will stand all these tests.
I wonder how well this would go down in the supermarket!
Use for Old Curtains - Old curtains well washed make excellent poultice cloths, also for tying cauliflowers and asparagus in when cooking. It prevents them breaking, and is easy to try if done. I wonder how long they were being boiled for...
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| Image by Delicious Magazine |
Talking of Vegetables...
"Young carrots take about an hour to boil, those which are older from an hour and a half to two hours..."
It makes me wonder whether, perhaps, the varieties of carrot which they used to have were more fibrous than modern ones.
I searched for the method of cooking Brussels Sprouts, expecting to be told to boil them for three hours, but was pleasantly surprised to find the recommended time was 13 minutes.
A 1796 recipe for Parsnips Fried to Look Like Trout
Why would you want to, was my first thought. Then I wondered whether they could look like trout, seeing this image makes me think that perhaps it would be possible...if you squint and look through one eye... perhaps? Or do they look like baby stingrays?
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| Image borrowed from offthespork.com |
...and finally... a 'fish' recipe.
Mackerel Bones Grilled
Sprinkle the bones with pepper and salt. Broil over a clear fire, but don't burn. Serve on hot buttered fingers of toast.
Bon appetit!
I think they were cooking all day long *smile*. Have a nice evening.
ReplyDeleteHugs
Elna
Hello Elna, I think you are right - thank goodness things have changed.
DeleteLabor intensive cooking. I think I will check my flour and see if it measures up to these standards.
ReplyDeleteHello Susan, Labour intensive indeed, I don't mind doing some things the long way (when I am in the mood for it) but some gadgets I would hate to be without.
Deletehehehehe...I had always wondered where my Nan learned to cook...she boiled everything for a good hour or more :o)
ReplyDeleteHello KittyKittyWeaselFish, This was probably the book your Nan referred to! I love reading these old recipe books.
DeleteWhat a fabulous book. I love the way that recipies can tell stories about the world around them. Jx
ReplyDeleteHello Jan, It is such a pleasure to read these old books, although it makes me very happy that some things have changed in the kitchen.
DeleteThat was really interesting, what a precious book. Definitely saw a trout! xx
ReplyDeleteHello Cheryl, Phew, that is a relief, I thought I was on my own then. I'm still not sure why you want a parsnip to look like a trout, though!!
DeleteI have a few of these books and wonder what else they did sometimes. I think they spent days cooking! How nice of you to remind us how lucky we are with all our gadgets and quick methods that we sometimes take for granted. XOXO
ReplyDeleteHello Susan, Aren't the old books just wonderful! We are lucky indeed, I would hate to be parted from my stick blitzer, or my hand-held blender. I am far too lazy to drag the large versions out every time I need them.xx
DeleteIt's amazing what a housewife had to know in the those days!
ReplyDeleteHello Ms Sparrow, I am always impressed - but then again we have to have knowledge and do so many things which they didn't have to do ... driving cars, using computers, living life at the much faster pace.
DeleteI bet Arnold would cheerfully save the cook from boiling a lot of carrots.
ReplyDeleteHello Joanne, Arnold was more than happy to much through a couple of raw ones and his apple, this morning. He sends his regards.
DeleteMackerel bones on toast? Asparagus boiled in old curtains? I think I'll stay with my usual diet, thank you!
ReplyDeleteHello Cro, Yes, they sounds rather disgusting - the very thought of them is rather vile.
Deletemmm... stingray on toast!
ReplyDeleteHello Dom, Is that something you tried on holiday? ;-)
DeleteGrilled mackerel bones and hot buttered fingers. Sounds very British to me!
ReplyDeleteI was just at the local market and tried to follow the "selecting flour" instructions. I'm writing this from jail.
Hello Mitch, Old English, perhaps (we have be careful of Owl's sensibilities). ;-) Oh dear, sorry about that... could I stand bail?
DeleteMy O/H's auntie used to have a thing about putting the carrots on at 9 am and boiling them for 4 hours, I only boil mine for 15 - 20 minutes. Perhaps they don't grow carrots like they used to :(
ReplyDeleteHello Molly, Thank goodness for modern methods - or is it down to the modern varieties? I really do wonder.
DeleteHello Elaine....Maybe fun to read, but I wouldn't want to be the cook, standing in one spot, mixing for 45 minutes! We are lucky women with all our modern cooking gadgets!
ReplyDeleteHello Meggie, We are lucky, indeed. I really enjoy doing the occasional bit of hand beating for cakes or, occasionally, double cream - but mostly I rely on gadgets. I really do enjoy reading about the old methods though.
DeleteWhat a wonderful way to get some insight on how cooking was done - and by implication on social and cultural conditions. I wonder if people in the future will read our blogs and emails and smile with amusement about how we do things and what we think?
ReplyDeleteHello Evlyn, Isn't that a wonderful thought! Your comment has made me realise just what a valuable resource our blogs really are. I love the idea of someone from the future getting as much enjoyment from reading them as I do from my old books.
DeleteHow fun. Are your old cookbooks from family, or did you find them somewhere?
ReplyDeleteHello Amy, I have a couple of old, handwritten, family recipe books, plus a number I bought at auction. I also really enjoy the small pamphlets and softback recipe books from almost a hundred years ago which don't look pretty - but hold a wealth of fascinating reading.
DeleteI love old cook books and the glimpses they give us into the kitchens of our ancestors. What an entertaining post!
ReplyDeleteHello In My Wild Eden, I'm delighted that you enjoyed it. I love these old books and I really do spend much more time poring over them than I ever spend on my new, glossy cookery books.
DeleteHi Elaine,
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful old book. Some of the recipes gave me a chuckle......but then I started to think of my Grandma.
She would literally spend all day in the kitchen preparing food when we stayed with her during the summer holiday....now I understand why :)
I love cooking and preparing food BUT I like the modern conveniences that go with it.
Enjoy your summer, look forward to catching up in September.
Hello Cheryl, It very much depends on the day, and my mood. Sometimes I am perfectly happy to do things the 'longhand' way - like beating cream until it thickens. I don't use cream very often, but I do find that process so satisfying. The small things which amuse!
DeleteEnjoy spending time with your family - the sun is shining this morning and I don't know about you, but I find I feel much brighter and so much more energetic when it does.
Take some time to smell the flowers!!
Oh that caldonian cream looks wonderful and parsnips shaped like trout, how unique, what a fun post. Living on the edge though is nice for the quiet and solitude I bet.
ReplyDeleteHello Linda, I'm so glad you enjoyed it. Life out here is peaceful, although it is never quiet. We have sheep, geese, hens, pigeons, peacocks, lots of wild birds all living very nearby - and when I stop to listen to the silence it is remarkably noisy! I hope you have found that trailer and are ready for your travelling! Have fun.
DeleteGreat post
ReplyDeleteCaledonian Cream - yes please! and the parsnips shaped like trout, don't know why but food made to look like other food intrigues me.
Hello Viking, Do you think Dom will make it the slow way, or will he use a blender? I suppose if I were in the right mood with, perhaps, The Archer's Omnibus Edition on the radio, then perhaps I could beat something for 45 minutes. No, where's the blender!
DeleteI do love roasted parsnips. I actually will add them to stews in place of potatoes. I loved seeing your handwritten recipes (or as my mother would have said "receipts").
ReplyDeleteHello Bonnie, Those old books are little treasure troves, although it takes me some time to adjust to reading the old fashioned writing. The food served back then was very different, but always interesting to read about.
DeleteSuch a fun, fun post! I enjoyed it so much! Yes, how things have changed!
ReplyDeleteHello Marie, I am delighted that you enjoyed it. My big, modern, glossy recipe books just don't hold the same appeal to me. I can read the old ones quite happily - just thankful that I don't have to eat the food!
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