Sue's Diner: Cinnamon Lozenges

 The following recipe appears in the cookbook Memories in the Kitchen: Bites and Nibbles from "Bryony."

Background on where this week's recipe falls in the BryonySeries novel Bryony:

 When Melissa develops a crush on Henry, she boldly approaches him for a date. Henry seizes his chance to enlarge Melissa’s world and gives her a kaleidoscope evening of theatre, historical landmarks, and peasant food. 

This recipe is modified from the Bohemian-American Cookbook by Marie Rosicky, published by the Automatic Printing Company (www.autoprintomaha.com). 

The version of the cookbook I had was published more than one hundred years ago. The Automatic Publishing Company is still publishing it today.

Try this recipe on the Sue's Diner page on the BryonySeries website.

But try the fish salad recipe this week. It will be gone next week. A new recipe will take it's place. 

By the way, Sue's Diner is only real in the BryonySeries world. But didn't Timothy do a great job making the page look like a real menu at a vintage diner?

All proceeds from Memories in the Kitchen: Bites and Nibbles From "Bryony" benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters of Will and Grundy Counties at bbbswillgrundy.org.

Order the cookbook at bryonyseries.com.

Chocolate Potato Cake with “Irish Potato Candy” Frosting

Last weekend, Rebekah baked a 19th-century style Irish chocolate cake that featured an ingredient not often found in chocolate cake: riced potatoes!

The result was a very soft cake (even though she hadn't used cake flour) with a nice, dense crumb.

Here is a picture she took and the recipe if you'd like to try it - which includes a very brief history of Irish Potato Candy (which contains no potatoes) and it's very vintage American history.

Enjoy!

BryonySeries Throwback Thursday: How Victorians Used Leftovers: Three Recipes

It's a fair bet that you have all these items in your home or can easily acquire them. 

Thursday, April 4, 2013

How Victorians Used Leftovers: Three Recipes

I can't imagine the cooking staff at Simons Mansion serving up any of these dishes, but it's totally plausible Bryony ate them as a little girl growing up in a parsonage with Mrs. Bertha Parks as housekeeper.

The following recipes are adapted from Miss Beecher’s domestic receiptbook: designed as a supplement to her Treatise on domestic economy.


Pork and Potato Balls

Take chopped ham and combine with chopped cold potatoes; mix in egg, a little salt and pepper. Shape into balls and cook in a skillet.


A Good Way to Use Cold Rice

Heat rice in milk and then add a well-beaten egg or two, a little salt, butter, and sugar. Boil it up once and then grate on nutmeg.


A Good Pudding

Line a buttered dish with slices of wheat bread, first dipped in milk. Fill the dish with sliced apple and add sugar and spice. Cover with slices of bread soaked in milk, cover, and bake on low heat for three hours.

Four Winter Vegetables, Victorian-Style

All three appeared on the buffet table at John and Bryony Simons' Christmas Eve wedding reception.

Adapted from Miss Beecher’s domestic receiptbook: designed as a supplement to her Treatise on domestic economy

Boiled Cabbage

 Take off the outer leaves of a cabbage, cut the stalky part in quarters, down to the center, put it in boiling, salted water, and boil from half an hour to an hour. Cabbages, like turnips, must have a good deal of water, or they will taste strong.

Winter Squash

The neck part of the winter squash is best; cut it into slices, peel it, boil it in salted water till tender, then drain off the water, and serve it without mashing, or, if preferred, wring it and season it with butter and salt.

Boiled Parsnips and Carrots

Parsnips and carrots must be split or else the outside is done too much before the inside is cooked sufficiently. Salt the water, and boil them 30 minutes when young, and 2 hours when old. Boil enough to have some to slice and fry for the next day’s dinner or breakfast, as they are much the best cooked in this way.

From "Memories in the Kitchen: Bites and Nibbles From 'Bryony'"

All proceeds benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters of Will and Grundy Counties. Visit www.bbbswillgrundy.org.

Order the cookbook at www.bryonyseries.com.

Leftover Easter Ham?

Try this authentic Victorian recipe from the BryonySeries cookbook and one that often appeared on Bryony Simons' breakfast tray.

Ham Pieces

Flour

Water

Eggs

Salt

3 great spoonfuls butter or lard

Thin slices ham

Make quite a thin batter of flour, water, eggs, and a little salt. Pour the batter over the bottom of a Dutch oven or frying-pan, which has a very little hot butter, or lard in it; say 3 great spoonfuls. Let the batter be no thicker on the bottom than a straw; let it fry for a couple of minutes and then cover the batter with very thin slices of ham, and pour a thin layer of batter over them. Let it fry till the bottom looks a yellowish brown (have a hot fire), then cut it into squares, or into triangular quarters, or eighths, and turn it with a knife, and let it fry until the other side is browned.

From "Memories in the Kitchen: Bites and Nibbles From 'Bryony'"

All proceeds benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters of Will and Grundy Counties. www.bbbswillgrundy.org

Order the cookbook at www.bryonyseries.com/Dalton_s_Dry_Goods.html