tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57569794724765371842012-01-24T12:07:51.404-08:00Renee Sheltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13813357322534891715noreply@blogger.comBlogger411100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756979472476537184.post-1682700652166130992012-01-13T21:21:00.000-08:002012-01-13T21:21:50.857-08:00

Here is a recipe for Rusks, from The New Royal Cookbook (Royal Baking Powder Company, 1920). Rusks 2 1/4 cups flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons maple or brown sugar 4 teaspoons Royal Baking Powder 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon 1 egg 1/3 to 2/3 cup water 2 tablespoons shortening Sift together flour, salt, sugar, baking powder, nutmeg and cinnamon; add beaten egg and melted

Renee Sheltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13813357322534891715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756979472476537184.post-45286903888961989572011-11-21T00:17:00.000-08:002011-11-21T00:18:41.609-08:00

Steamed or baked fruit dumplings filled with sugared and spiced apples make a nice holiday dessert for modern times. They also made nice desserts in the early 1900's. The Royal Baker and Pastry Cook from 1911 had many dumplings listed. This one uses suet and the dumplings are tied with a cloth before being steamed. English Dumplings1 pint flour, 1 cup finely chopped suet, 1 teaspoon salt, 1

Renee Sheltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13813357322534891715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756979472476537184.post-26885321320168638522011-11-08T06:56:00.000-08:002011-11-08T07:49:25.678-08:00

Moonshine - you know, that clear, strong, distilled spirit with a high alcohol content generally made from backyard stills. Just reading the word conjures up images from prohibition times, backwoods stills, and cases of unlabeled bottles being carted around in beds of pick up trucks. It doesn't bring to mind a dainty dessert made from egg whites. The image at left is of John Bowman and his garage

Renee Sheltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13813357322534891715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756979472476537184.post-50604221726994034042011-10-15T20:54:00.000-07:002011-10-15T22:02:12.061-07:00

My latest find at the library's 'Friends of the Library' store - an older cookie recipe book from the sixties. The Art of Making Good Cookies Plain and Fancy (Annette Laslett Ross and Jean Adams Disney, Doubleday, 1963) is a hardback covered recipe book with many different cookies, or cookies for special events like party cookies. The substitutions chapter lists things still being applied today

Renee Sheltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13813357322534891715noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756979472476537184.post-25814204374060678482011-10-09T19:16:00.000-07:002011-10-09T19:32:13.808-07:00

Lady fingers go by a variety of names: ladyfingers (one word), cat's tongue, and langue de chat (French for cat's tongue). They are a plain cookie that can be used for lining dessert molds and can handle soaking up liquids without simply falling apart. They can be purchased from gourmet shops, but just as easily be made up at home with a piping bag and sheet pan, or using a special pan made

Renee Sheltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13813357322534891715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756979472476537184.post-87435273519591713752011-09-16T06:25:00.000-07:002011-09-16T06:25:00.425-07:00

Whale apparently was, at one time, fashionable (or at least available) to eat in the United States. This recipe comes from the United States Fisheries Association (U.S.F.A)  is from the book Fish and Sea Food Recipes: Covering the Entire Industry, published in 1927. The recipes are "approved by Good Housekeeping Institute." I guess whale meat was extremely tough, because I've never heard of

Renee Sheltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13813357322534891715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756979472476537184.post-65466317805809742952011-09-09T09:00:00.000-07:002011-09-15T10:36:17.933-07:00

Woman sipping a warmed chocolate beverage. Chocolate as a beverage. This could mean hot chocolate or something cool to sip on during the hot summer months. Chocolate used in beverages is as popular now as it was in the early 1900's. Here are some recipes for chocolate drinks that are cold, hot, made for a large group or an individual cup. Recipes come from Chocolate and Cocoa Recipes by Miss

Renee Sheltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13813357322534891715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756979472476537184.post-63555480108119626832011-09-05T08:33:00.000-07:002011-09-05T08:37:45.357-07:00

Chocolate and breads go hand in hand, as evidenced by the typical breakfast breads chocolate pain au chocolat (one of my favorites - croissant dough rolled around a stick of chocolate), nutella and toast, and chocolate chip muffins. It was also popular at the turn of the 20th century, as written in Chocolate and Cocoa Recipes published in 1909 by Walter Baker & Co. All the recipes use one form or

Renee Sheltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13813357322534891715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756979472476537184.post-73723849514887222182011-08-27T21:41:00.000-07:002011-09-05T09:29:11.184-07:00

Morguefile - User: Bandini Many older community cookbooks had advice recipes, like How to Preserve a Wife, and How to Preserve a Husband. This one is how to preserve children, or ways to keep them happy. The recipes change and evolve, and different 'ingredients' are added and subtracted, depending on where the readers of the poem or recipe lived. This one is geared toward children with areas to

Renee Sheltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13813357322534891715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756979472476537184.post-48523860212293756842011-08-27T21:18:00.000-07:002011-08-27T21:43:50.414-07:00

 A happy couple. Morguefile - User: Jdurham  This is another old-fashioned advice recipe, this time - how to preserve a wife, or ways to keep her happy and satisfied. How to Preserve a Wife Forget not to say, "I Love You." Even if love is constant, all wives yearn to hear the words. Remember the approval of thy wife is more precious than admiring glances of strangers. Forsake all others.

Renee Sheltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13813357322534891715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756979472476537184.post-10257793088845345832011-08-27T20:50:00.000-07:002011-08-27T20:50:05.961-07:00

Morguefile: User Jdurham Old community cookbooks are fun to read. They were printed to share recipes of family favorites in order to support a charity, community project, church, or even a hospital. Some were also there to share helpful advice. Whether these advice recipes were actually 'tested' or written for actual use, many are entertaining to read in any case. Here is one such recipe:

Renee Sheltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13813357322534891715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756979472476537184.post-51147564695639455482011-08-26T06:18:00.000-07:002011-08-26T06:18:00.263-07:00

Another unusual recipe from A Modern Manual of Cooking by Marion Harris Neil. This recipe is for an oyster shortcake using a quart of oysters. It's really large shortcake biscuit served with an oyster and sauce filling. The recipe is as it was printed in 1921. Oyster Shortcake 2 cupfuls flour 2 teaspoonfuls baking powder 1/2 teaspoonful salt 3/4 cup milk 1 quart oysters 1/2 cupful Crisco 2

Renee Sheltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13813357322534891715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756979472476537184.post-43188237787566711102011-08-24T01:10:00.000-07:002011-08-24T01:10:53.113-07:00

Apples. Morguefile.com. I've never heard of Apple Amber (the dish) until I flipped through older cookbooks. Apple amber is a pudding, or pudding-like baked dish using fresh, thinly sliced tart apples that are layered together with sugar, or other ingredients, and baked. At its most basic, and apple amber contains nothing but apples and sugar together, and baked slowly to resemble a sweetened

Renee Sheltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13813357322534891715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756979472476537184.post-21576005557539309132011-08-19T06:46:00.000-07:002011-08-19T06:46:00.182-07:00

Perfect for Old School Pastry on a Foodie Friday: make a gateau of fish! This recipe comes from A Modern Manual of Cooking by Marion Harris Neil, published in 1921. The original recipe for the oyster sauce called for chopped eggs but none were included in the ingredients, so I omitted them. Gateau of Fish For Fish: 1 1/2 lbs. cooked white fish 1/2 cup breadcrumbs 1/2 cup milk 3 tablespoons

Renee Sheltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13813357322534891715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756979472476537184.post-7380208194384061912011-08-15T01:27:00.000-07:002011-08-15T07:48:12.852-07:00

Many old cookbooks have one or more different versions of a 'war cake' or depression cake'. These cakes were specially created to bake without eggs, butter, milk, and sometimes even sugar, as all these ingredients were saved for the soldiers during the war. It may seem like such a sacrifice now (image us now going without any of these items), but very patriotic all the same. In my trusty The

Renee Sheltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13813357322534891715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756979472476537184.post-79348863064772794892011-08-14T09:58:00.000-07:002011-08-14T09:58:09.455-07:00

My perfect pie crust recipe is one I use most frequently for pies. It makes a big batch, rolls out easily, and is practically foolproof. There are lots of different versions out there for a 'perfect pie crust'. Most generally have the same ingredients: a pie dough recipe with an egg, an acid, and a bit of sugar. It has a lot of fat in it, and it produces a tender crust that's flaky. The one

Renee Sheltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13813357322534891715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756979472476537184.post-60025660165413670442011-08-03T13:15:00.000-07:002011-08-03T13:15:00.376-07:00

Miss Leslie, in her book Seventy-Five Receipts, gives great tips for fruit pies still applicable today. Her book's fourth edition (printed in 1832) has these tips:Stone peaches and plums by cutting in half first, not cutting around the pit. Same with cherries. (Although modern kitchens will use a cherry pitter.) Use the reddest and ripest of cherries in pies. Cut apples in thin slices. Apple pies

Renee Sheltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13813357322534891715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756979472476537184.post-10196970441735985862011-08-03T08:39:00.000-07:002011-08-03T08:39:41.415-07:00

AbeBooks is an awesome place to come hang out. I've found both rare ichthyology books and collective old cookbooks. While none of these top last month's list, the top 10 include works of Paris, from Picasso, and about the body, the ubiquitous medical book Anatomy: Descriptive and Surgical by Henry Gray, or 'Gray's Anatomy'. July 2011 List of Most Expensive Sales on AbeBooks is fun reading all

Renee Sheltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13813357322534891715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756979472476537184.post-52317813305063117512011-07-29T01:14:00.000-07:002011-07-29T01:14:00.315-07:00

Okay, this is a combo pastry-savory item. It uses organ meats, and is heavily spiced with cloves, mace and cinnamon, and is even laced with both white wine and brandy and perfumed with rose water. This recipe is from Miss Leslie's book Seventy-Five Receipts for Pastry, Cakes, and Sweetmeats, published in 1832. Alter your favorite mince meat pie by using some of the ingredients here: Using freshly

Renee Sheltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13813357322534891715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756979472476537184.post-10855187017105518412011-07-24T13:11:00.000-07:002011-08-10T22:23:00.861-07:00

Here's a good tip from Miss Leslie's book Seventy-Five Receipts for Pastry, Cakes, and Sweetmeats, published in 1832:There can be no positive rules as to the exact time of baking each article. Skill in baking is the result of practice, attention, and experience. Much, of course, depends on the state of the fire, and on the size of the things to be baked, and something on the thickness of the pans

Renee Sheltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13813357322534891715noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756979472476537184.post-9542332400013800602011-07-21T09:25:00.000-07:002011-07-21T09:25:07.642-07:00

I just posted links to favorite old time candy that have been discontinued for various reasons by their manufacturers. Let's see if you remember any of these: Bar None Clove Gum Marathon Bars Carefree Sugarless Gum Reggie Bars Tart n Tiny Wonka Bars I also listed my top candy that I've never tried but would love to now simply for its name: Chicken Dinner Candy Bar. I couldn't find a picture of it

Renee Sheltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13813357322534891715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756979472476537184.post-57704120573493790702011-07-15T16:31:00.000-07:002011-07-15T16:31:04.609-07:00

This Foodie Friday is all about the Barbeque. If you're looking for a good mopping sauce, one from 1913 may inspire you to create your own. What is a mopping sauce? It is a sauce that is brushed or 'mopped' on the meat as it barbeques to both season it and keep it moist. Martha McCulloch-Williams in her book Dishes & Beverages of the South, published in 1913, gives a spicy and rich version that

Renee Sheltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13813357322534891715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756979472476537184.post-30683069673173614412011-05-17T11:57:00.000-07:002011-05-17T11:57:16.009-07:00

A long time ago, there was no such thing as a push button or dial setting for getting just the right temperature for your home oven. It was a gas oven, and once there was a portable oven thermometer in place, you had to regulate your gas flames to ensure even temperatures. If you didn't have an oven thermometer to help you out, you had to either use an educated and experienced guess, or use a

Renee Sheltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13813357322534891715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756979472476537184.post-36969562422654455472011-04-24T13:39:00.000-07:002011-04-24T13:39:29.996-07:00

Think fruitcake as the base for wedding cake is old fashioned? You would be very correct. But it is also very much en vogue, as the reported for the royal wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton is to be made of traditional fruitcake. The cake decorator for the cake will be Fiona Cairns.

Renee Sheltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13813357322534891715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756979472476537184.post-5898844873691574752011-04-15T13:47:00.000-07:002011-04-15T13:51:35.526-07:00

Blue food coloring came from indigo, or from Prussian Blue. Prussian blue originated in the early 1700's, and the name is said to have come from the actual dye used to color the Prussian military uniforms. (Prussian Blue has been approved to help rid the body of radioactive contaminants, but the CDC has noted that the Prussian Blue coloring is not the same as the FDA approved compound Prussian

Renee Sheltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13813357322534891715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756979472476537184.post-490321955860811922011-04-15T13:19:00.000-07:002011-04-15T13:19:59.313-07:00

Some recipes still stand the test of time, simply because they use ingredients that are used across different time periods or because the flavor combinations are still favorable years later. Here are such recipes, dating almost a hundred years ago. Some of the recipes from Dishes and Beverages of the Old South by Martha McCulloch-Wulliams are really dated to that time period of when it was

Renee Sheltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13813357322534891715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756979472476537184.post-40079989545400945152011-03-20T14:53:00.000-07:002011-03-21T10:23:20.429-07:00

The chocolate themed cookbook from 1909, Chocolate and Cocoa Recipes by Miss Parloa has many great recipes all revolving around chocolate products such as chocolate blocks, cocoa powder, baker's chocolate squares and German sweet chocolate. The book also contained Home Made Candy Recipes by Mrs. Janet McKenzie Hill, and was produced 'Compliments of Walter Baker & Co., Ltd'. In the book, there are

Renee Sheltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13813357322534891715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756979472476537184.post-32871039285232590762011-02-23T12:23:00.000-08:002011-02-23T12:40:44.205-08:00

Think angel food cake is a recent invention? Well, you'd be thinking wrong. Angel food cake has been around a very long time, and the author of The American Pastry Cook, Jessup Whitehead, who goes into detail about its origins way back in 1894, and makes you appreciate this gem of a cake. His tips, which are still put to use in today's kitchens:Deep molds are best for angel food cakes Molds

Renee Sheltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13813357322534891715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756979472476537184.post-85996339282620577862011-02-11T23:19:00.000-08:002011-02-27T13:08:25.211-08:00

I don't think squirrel soup would make as nice a dish now as it did back in the late 1800's. This recipe is from The White House Cook Book. Squirrel Soup - Was and quarter three or four good sized squirrels; put them on, with a small tablespoon of salt, directly after breakfast, in a gallon of cold water. Cover the pot close, and set it on the back part of the stove to simmer gently, not boil.

Renee Sheltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13813357322534891715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756979472476537184.post-14010467119297307552011-02-07T20:19:00.000-08:002011-02-07T20:22:42.048-08:00

I'll admit - there are those recipes that I'll never try to replicate, that were made way back then. Here are some of them. Will you recreate them? This pie is from American Cookery, by Amelia Simmons from 1798. Tongue Pie: Made with tongue, apples, sugar, raisins & currants, and spices. Foot Pie:Made with calf's feet that was first placed in a vessel of water for a week, then boiled until

Renee Sheltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13813357322534891715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756979472476537184.post-15015150996340796042011-02-04T13:08:00.000-08:002011-04-15T13:40:51.463-07:00

For this Foodie Friday, here are some homemade seasonings and spice mixtures that were used in cooking. From The New System of Domestic Cookery, by "A Lady," from 1807 - Recipe for Kitchen Pepper. Kitchen Pepper: a mixture was used to flavor meats, sauces and soups. Kitchen Pepper: Mix the finest powder, one ounce of ginger; of cinnamon, black pepper, nutmeg, and Jamaica pepper, half an ounce

Renee Sheltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13813357322534891715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756979472476537184.post-84108692046276435992011-01-28T11:35:00.000-08:002011-02-02T14:06:25.050-08:00

Of all the food colorings that were produced, red is the most unusual for me. When I think of red food coloring I think of a red velvet cake, sweet hummingbird food, and Valentine's day treats. I don't think of insects. Dried Female Cochineal Insects Cochineal is the red coloring produced from the manufacture or process of the Cochineal (Dactylopius coccus), a scale insect that produces and

Renee Sheltonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756979472476537184.post-79641741125070426002011-01-28T11:05:00.000-08:002011-02-02T14:07:08.348-08:00

Saffron is used to both flavor and color a dish. Yellow food coloring is easily made through the use of saffron, and different shades of yellow uses different strength, or a mixture of saffron and other other colors. These authentic food color recipes come from The Complete Confectioner, Pastry-Cook and Baker, from 1849. Yellow - Infuse saffron in warm water, and use it for colouring any thing

Renee Sheltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13813357322534891715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756979472476537184.post-65198470913965475192011-01-28T10:47:00.000-08:002011-02-02T14:07:25.702-08:00

Green food coloring is important in confectionery work, as with all the other colorings. There are many different ways to make a greed food coloring, using vegetables and other ingredients. These authentic food color recipes come from The Complete Confectioner, Pastry-Cook and Baker. Sap Green - This is prepared from the fruit of the buckthorn, and is purgative.Spinach Green - This is prefectly

Renee Sheltonnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756979472476537184.post-86633348755583466522011-01-28T10:37:00.000-08:002011-01-28T10:37:48.252-08:00

Here is an entry in Foodie Friday - non-pastry recipes and food info from archival and historical cook books.  Ketchup Condiement - Image courtesy Morguefile  Think ketchup is something that Heinz made up? The tomato preserve called ketchup, or catsup, or any other variation to the name, has been around a long time. Here are two versions from an 1890's cookbook. By the way they are spiced,

Renee Sheltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13813357322534891715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756979472476537184.post-88851120179566839512011-01-24T21:08:00.000-08:002011-02-02T14:07:52.835-08:00

Blanched and ground almonds are used in many pastry applications. They provide crunch in cookies, and the base to many desserts. With the recognition of celiac disease, it has even help bakers create crusts for cheesecake and pies without the use of flour. How to blanche them? The procedure in a cook book from 1864 is remarkably similar to now. From The Complete Confectioner:  My method:

Renee Sheltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13813357322534891715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756979472476537184.post-57184103401973243922011-01-23T22:42:00.000-08:002011-01-23T22:43:22.211-08:00

Lemon pies are a favorite at my house, and for good reason. They are sweet and tart at the same time, and leave the kitchen with a nice fragrant smell of citrus once you grate or squeeze the fruit. The following recipe comes from The Model Cook Book, by Mrs. Frances Willey, from 1890. Apparently lemon pies were a favorite of the author as well, as there are seven different lemon pies in the book,

Renee Sheltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13813357322534891715noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756979472476537184.post-62896007153908996462011-01-15T12:12:00.000-08:002011-01-15T23:34:29.635-08:00

Sometimes an old recipe isn't so hot, especially when it contains an ingredient that could be harmful to your health. It is in the case of old recipes using 'Imitation Vanillin,' 'Coumarin,' and 'Vanilla and Tonka Flavor.' I was intrigued by these flavors I found in an old Perfection Recipe Book by Avon Products, Inc. I'm not sure when it was printed, but on the inside had this interesting note

Renee Sheltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13813357322534891715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756979472476537184.post-54770394887768653942010-10-21T10:16:00.001-07:002011-02-02T14:09:19.788-08:00

Ratafias are liqueurs made by the infusion of ingredients in spirits (alcohol), filtered and sweetened. They were a very popular ingredient in confectionery and pastry work, and came in many different flavors, and thus, colors. From Wikipedia: "Ratafia is a liqueur or cordial flavored with peach or cherry kernels, bitter almonds, or other fruits; many different varieties are made. The same name

Renee Sheltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13813357322534891715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756979472476537184.post-7745972309649090802009-09-01T19:59:00.000-07:002011-02-27T13:13:35.078-08:00

Little Chocolate Cakes This recipe is adapted from 'The Royal Baker and Pastry Cook: A Manual of Practical Receipts for Home Baking and Cooking' by the Royal Baking Powder Company. This paperpack was published in 1911, and here is a picture of my copy. The paperback book also includes (at least my copy) a flyer entitled 'Facts Worth Knowing' that describes in detail the three different types

Renee Sheltonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756979472476537184.post-79423160582303212352009-08-25T13:32:00.001-07:002011-02-27T13:14:58.185-08:00

Patty-pans, patty pans -Cups used for baking, usually paper. Items used to bake in them: muffins, cakes, quick breads, etc. Also made of other materials such as tin.Other Links for Patty Pan History:This link shows a selection from the Patty Pan collection in the La Trobe Collection, State Library of Victoria, black & white picture showing what some old-time patty-pan cups looked like: http://

Renee Sheltonnoreply@blogger.com0