Food History

I ought to be struggling with international finances ($130 worth) and instead I’m writing a blog entry. This means I’m conceding defeat on the international finances issue, I guess. I’ve written an email asking for help at the US end of payments for several encyclopedia articles, since the Australian bank has already said “Of course we can cash a cheque – we’ll take most of it in the process, of course.” My scanner refuses to communicate with my computer, so I can’t scan contracts and send then – the publisher will have to wait for the post, and I will then get another cheque that will fuel my banks prosperity. I’m kinda hoping the publisher will be gentle and nice and decide it’s possible to pay me using paypal, but I bet they don’t have that facility.

Anyhow, all this is why I have no food history to tell you about. Instead (once all the forms get back to the publisher) I will have a lovely and rather controversial big article in a new encyclopedia.

The closest I can come to food history tonight is a stray remark that a stranger made to me when we were queuing for pancakes at the market this morning. She said that the pancakes were for the solstice.

I wanted to ask her what kind of background she had and if it was a regional custom or had to do with New Ages stuff. We got talking and it sounded very much as if she meant it to be one of those ancient customs that were invented in the last twenty years. Except… what if I’m letting my biases get in the way of me learning a new bit of food history? If anyone out there ahs a history of eating pancakes on the morning of the solstice, please tell me! I would especially like to hear if your traditions can be clearly attested back at least a hundred years.

I’ve been reading again. I can’t remember if I blogged about this particular book and I’m too lazy to check, so you get to know all about the current book that resides in my handbag.

I was following through some thoughts on the Franklin Expedition. I blogged about it ages ago, focusing on the purely shockworthy. I mentioned the possibility of the lead solder in the tin cans leading to botulism and I might have mentioned cannibalism. What I didn’t say is that expeditions are a great deal more than speculations as to the sad fate of the souls therein. And that, however much fun there is in whispering ‘cannibalism’ with a note of slight terror, finding out about the food realities of a successful polar expeditions are even more interesting. Not as capable of providing frissons, but entirely fascinating in their own right.

That’s what I’m reading right now. McClintock was the leader of one of the expeditions that found out what happened to Franklin and his men. Possibly the most successful expedition, too. It was funded mainly by Franklin’s widow, though it appears to have attracted a lot of support from elsewhere. McClintock turned a yacht into an icebreaker and did some amazing stuff.

I’m totally in love with the food history elements of his report. Pemmican, hunting parties on the ice, keeping scurvy at bay. Reports of food and where it was obtained and how it was prepared lard his report. He talks about how he took his ship westwards late in the season and what food was on board for period when the ship could not travel. There’s so much stuff I don’t know what else to tell you. Except that this little volume will be inhabiting my handbag for the next few weeks. I could read it in a day, but where would be the fun in that? I’m saving it for cold winter bus trips, so that I feel wimpish when the cold bites. Canberra, you see, is far, far warmer than the Arctic.

If there’s a lot more food later in the book, I might do another post. While you wait, let me tell you how to make pemmican.

Air-dry your beef and then shred it as finely as you can. Pound it and mix it with generous amounts (I think McClintock said 50%) of pure beef fat. Now you’re ready for an Artic winter. Or maybe you’re just ready to read Swallows and Amazons.

If you are left to your own liberty, with the rest, to carve to your self, let not your hand be in the dish first, but give way to others; and be sure to carve on that side of the dish only which is next you, not overcharging your plate, but laying thereon a little at a time. What you take, as near as you can let it be at once; it is not civil to be twice in one dish, and much worse to eat out of it piece by piece; and do not (for it favours of rudeness) reach your arms over other dishes to come at that you like better. Wipe your spoon every time you put it into the dish, otherwise you may offend some squeamish stomacks. Eat not so fast, though very hungry, as by gormandizing you are ready to choak your selves. Close your lips when you eat; talk not when you have meat in your mouth; and do not smack like a Pig, nor make any other noise which shall prove ungrateful to the company. If your pottage be so hot your mouth cannot endure it, have patience till it be of a fit coolness; for it is very unseemly to blow it in your spoon, or otherwise.

Do not venture to eat Spoon-meat so hot, that the tears stand in your eyes, or that thereby you betray your intolerable greediness, by beraying the room, besides your great discomposure for a while afterwards. Do not bit your bread, but cut or break what you are about to eat; and keep not your knife always in your hand, for that is as unseemly as a Gentlewoman who pretended to have as little a stomach as she had a mouth, and therefore would not swallow her Pease by spoonfuls, but took them one by one, and cut them in two before she would eat them.

Fill not your mouth so full, that your checks shall swell like a pair of Scotch-bag-pipes; neither cut your meat into too big pieces.

Gnaw no bones with your Teeth, nor suck them to come at the marrow: Be cautious, and not over-forward in dipping or sopping in the dish; and have a care of letting fall any thing you are about to eat, between the plate and your mouth.

It is very uncivil to criticize or find fault with any dish of meat or sauce during the repast, or more especially at another’s Table; or to ask what such a Joint or such a Fowl cost; or to trouble your self and others with perpetual discourses of Bills of Fare, that being a sure sign of a foolish Epicure.

It is very uncomely to drink so large a draught, that your breath is almost gone, and are forced to blow strongly to recover your self: nor let it go down too hastily, lest it force you to an extream cough, or bring it up again, which would be a great rudeness to nauseate the whole Table; and this throwing down your liquor as into a Funnel, would be an action fitter for a Juggler than a Gentlewoman. If you sit next a Person of Honour, it will behove you, not to receive your drink on that side; for those who are accurately bred, receive it generally on the other.

It is uncivil to rub your teeth in company, or to pick them at or after meals, with your knife; or otherwise; for it is a thing both indecent and distastful.

Thus much I have laid down for your observation in general; wherein I am defective as to particulars, let your own prudence, discretion, and curious observation supply.”

Some who esteem themselves the Virtuosi for rarity of diet and choice provision, esteem (in Fish) the head, and what is near about it, to be the best: I must acknowledg it in a Cods-head, with the various appurtenances, drest Secundum artem, sparing no cost; such a dish in Old and New Fish, street, hath made mmany a Gallant’s pocket bleed freely. As also, I approve it in a Salmon or Sturgeon, the Jowles of both being the best of the Fish; likewise in Pike or Carp, where note, the tongue of this last -named is an excellent morsel; but in other Fish you must excuse the weakness of my knowledg. In Fish that have but one long bone running down the back (as the Sole), the middle is to be carved without dispute; there is none so unacquainted with fare, to contradict it.

If Fish be in paste, it is proper enough to touch it with your knife; if otherwise, with your fork and spoon, laying it handsomly on a plate with sauce, and so present it. But should there be Olives on board, use your spoon, and not your fork, lest you become the laughter of the whole Table.

All sorts of Tarts, wet-Sweat-meats; and Cake, being cut first in the dish wherein they were served to the Table, are to be taken up at the point of your knives, laid dextrously on a plate, and so presented: and whatever you carve and present, let it be on a clean plate; but by no means on the point of your knife, or fork, not with your spoon. If any one careves to you, refuse it not, though you dislike it.

Where you see variety at a Table, ask not to be helpt to any dainty; and if you are offered the choice of several-dishes, chuse not the best; you may answer, Madam, I am indifferent, your Ladiships choice shall be mine.

Be not nice nor curious at the Table, for that is undercent; and do not mump it mince it, nor bridle the head, as if you either disliked the meat, or the company. If you have a stomach, eat not voraciously; nor too sparingly, like an old-fashion’d Gentlewoman I have heard of, who because she would seem (being invited to a Feast) to be a slender eater, fed heartily at home (before she went) on a piece of poder’d-beef and cabbage; by chance a steak thereof fell on her Russ, and not perceiving it, went so where she was invited; being observed to eat little or nothing, a Gentlewoman askt her why she did not eat; Indeed, Madam, said she, I did eat (before I came forth) a whole pestle of a Lark to my Breakfast, and that I think hath deprived me of my appetite. The witty Gentlewoman presently replaied, I am easily induced to believe you fed on that Bird, for on your Ruff I see you have brought a feather of him with you. Thus your nicety may be discovered by means you dream not of, and thereby make your self the subject of publick laughter.

On the other side, do not bawl out aloud for any thing you want; as, I would have some of that; I like not this; I hate Onions; Give me no Pepper: But whisper softly to one, that he or she may without noise supply your wants.

If you be carved with any thing (as I said before) which you do not like, conceal (as much as in your lieth) your repugnancies, and receive it however: And though your disgust many times is invincible, and it would be insufferable tyranny to require you should eat what your Stomach nauseats; yet it will shew your civility to accept it, though you let it lye on your plate, pretending to eat, till you meet with a fit opportunity of changing your plate, without any palpable discovery of your disgust.

I have been invited to Dinner, where I have seen the good Gentlewoman of the House sweat more in cutting up of a Fowl, than the Cookmaid in roasting it; and when she had foundly beliquor’d her joints, hath suckt her knuckles, and to work with them again in the Dish; at the sight whereof my belly hath been three quarters full, before I had swallowed one bit. Wherefore avoid clapping your fingers in your mouth and
lick them, although you have burnt them with carving. Take these more especial Rules, according to the newest and best mode for Carving.

If Chicken-broth be the first dish, and you would help your principal Guest with a part of the Chicken, the best piece is the breast; the wings and legs are the next;; and of them, the general opinion of most is, That in all boil’d Fowl the legs are look’d on as chief.

As to all roasted Fowl, those which are curious in the indulging their pallats, do generally agree, that flying Wild-fowl are much tendered than Tam-fowl, and quicker of concoction; such as scratch the Earth, and seldom use the Wing, the Legs are to be preferr’d before any other part, the wings and breasts of wild-fowl are best.

The ordinary way of cutting-up a roast-fowl, is by dividing the four principal members, beginning first with the legs; and be not tedious in hitting the joynts, which you may avoid by well considering with your eye where they lye, before you exercise your knife.

The best piece to carve to the best in the company, oft the larger sort of Fowl, as Capons, Turkies, Geese, Duck, and Mallard, Pheasant, Dottril, Cock of the wood, etc. Is the piece on the breast, observing always to cut it long-ways towards the rump. But do not cut your Oranges long-ways, but cross.

Since in Butchers-meat there are few ignorant of the best pieces, it will be to little purpose to give you an account of them in this place; for my design is to treat of that which is not commonly known: However, without deviating from my intention, take these remarks which follow.

In boiled or roasted Beef, that which is interlin’d or interlarded with fat, is most to be esteemed; and the short ribs being most sweet and tender, is to be preferred before any other.

Cut a Loin of Veal in the middle, and the present the Nut or Kidney as the best part in the whole Joint. Thrust your knife into a Leg of Mutton a considerable depth, above the handle, to let out the gravy; and begin to cut on the inside, as if you intended to split it; in the joint on the other side, is a little bone fit to be presented, and in great estimation among the Curious.

I heard of a Gentleman coming from hunting, and falling into a friend’s house, complained he was extreamly hungry; the Mistris thereof replied, That she was very sorry she had nothing to accomodate him with but a cold Leg of Mutton. His appetite being very sharp, made him commend that Joint beyond any other; whereupon it was brought: But finding that choice bone remaining still untoucht, refused to eat a bit: Being demanded the reason, Madam, said he, the sharpness of my Stomach shall never make me feed uncleanly; for I am confident they must be Bores and Clown that first handled this leg of Mutton, or else their breeding would have taught them not to have left untoucht the choicst bit in the whole joint. I cannot but applaud the jest, but I must condemn the rudeness of the Gentleman.

A Shoulder of Mutton is to be cut semicircularly, between the handle and the slap; the Pope’s eye (as it is commonly called) is a choice bit both in Leg and Shoulder.

In a roasted Pig, the dainty most approve the ears and divided jaws, the neck and middlepiece, by reason of the crackling. In Hares, Leverets, and Rabbets, the most esteemed (called the Hunts-mans piece) is by the sides of the tail; and next to that, is the back, legs, and wings, improperly so termed.

I didn’t mean to make a second series of posts so close to the last. This is quite different to the biscuit and scones posts, though, and I found the thought of presenting it as a short series more than somewhat irresistible. It’s the dedicatory epistle (or, as the title has it “The Epistle Dedicatory” to Hannah Woolley’s 1675 The Gentlewoman’s Companion: or, A Guide to the Female Sex. I’ve kept the spelling and grammar unsullied and am trying to post it in reasonable amounts. The posts will last until I run out of epistle. If you have any questions, I’ll do a post trying to answer them at the end.

Advice to young women:

“Returning from School, make haste home, not gaping on every idle object you meet with by the way. Coming into the house, apply your self immediately to your Parents, and having saluted them according to your duty, acquaint them with what proficiency you have made in your learning that day, be not absent when Dinner is on the Table, but present when Grace is said, and sit not down before you have done your obeisance to your Parents, and the company then present. Keep your Clothes from greasing, by pinning or keeping your napkin rite about you; and receive what is given you, thankfully. Be not talkative at Table, nay, nor do not speak, unless you are askt a question. Eat not your meat greedily, nor fill your mouth too full; and empty your mouth before you drink; and avoid smaking in your eating. Grease not your fingers as those that are slovenly up to the knuckles. You will show yourself too fancy by calling for fawce or any dainty thing. Forbear putting both hands to your mouth at once; nor gnaw your meat, but cut it handsomely, and eat sparingly. Let your nose and hands be always kept clean. When you have dined or sup, rise from the table, and carry your trencher or plate with you, doing your obeisance to the company; and then attend in the room till the rest rise.”

“Gentlewomen, the first thing you are to observe, is to keep your body strait in the Chair, and do not lean your Elbows on the Table. Discover not by any ravenous gesture your angry appetite; nor fix your eyes too greedily on the meat before you, as if you would devour more that way than your throat can swallow, or your stomach digest.

If you are invited abroad, presume not on the principal place at the Table, and seem to be perswaded with some difficulty to be seated, where your Inviter hath chosen in his opinion the most convenient place for you. Being a Guest, let not your hand be first in the Dish; and though the Mistress of the Feast may out of a Complement desire you to carve, yet beg her excuse, though you are better able to do it than her self.

In carving at your own Table, distribute the best pieces first, and it will appear very comely and decent to use a Fork; if so, touch no piece of meat without it.

Anghara asked for my medlar liqueur recipe the other day. Since she’s not the first and probably won’t be the last, I thought I would save myself a lot of repetition by posting it here. I hope everyone who makes it enjoys it as much as my friends are.

When I adapt recipes (and this one was adapted from my family liqueur recipes) I tend to not use regular weights and measures. I was trained by my mother in the “By guess and by God” cooking method, you see. What this means is that this is very much based on instinct, so I don’t know if a recipe will help, but here it is.

Get as many medlars as will fill a jar. Last year I didn’t prick them, this year I did. I won’t know till next year if pricking makes a difference, but the unpricked medlars are the ones that made the really yummy liqueur, so if you’re in doubt, just wash the fruit, dry it and pack it in a bottle.

How bletted (softened in the middle, like old fashioned persimmons) should the fruit be? The liqueur I’ve been tasting was made from unbletted medlars, but I have some to taste that’s made from bletted and some from half half bletted. It was so nice to have a wonderful recipe for unbletted medlars and that first liqueur was so fragrant and delicious that I made all my drinks this year from the unbletted. No waiting around, no careful judgement, just shove the fruit in the bottle, add the rest of the ingredients, hide the whole lot in a dark place, and wait and wait and wait…

I guess you want the other ingredients. Sugar (I’m guessing about 60% of the weight of the medlars but it might be a bit more). When the sugar and the medlars mostly fill the bottle, use as much brandy as you can squeeze in. Get rid of all the air bubbles.

And that’s it!

One last word from Dr PRice. Or rather, several last recipes.

COOKIES

3/4 cup shortening
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or grated rind of 1 lemon
4 cups flour
3 teaspoons Dr. Price’s Baking Powder

Cream shortening and sugar together; add milk to beaten eggs and beat again; add slowly to creamed shortening and sugar; add nutmeg and flavoring; add 2 cups flour sifted with baking powder; add enough more flour to make stiff dough. Roll out very thin on floured board; cut with cookie cutter; sprinkle with sugar; put a raisin or a piece of walnut in the center of each. Bake about 12 minutes in hot oven.

COCOA COOKIES

4 tablespoons shortening
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 egg
2 cups flour
3 teaspoons Dr. Price’s Baking Powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cocoa

Cream shortening and sugar together; add milk and beaten egg; mix well; sift flour, baking powder, cocoa and salt together and add. Roll out 1/4-inch thick on floured board; cut with cookie cutter. Bake in hot oven about 12 minutes.

FILLED COOKIES

1/3 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3-1/2 cups flour
4 teaspoons Dr. Price’s Baking Powder

Cream shortening; add sugar, beaten egg, milk and vanilla; add flour, salt and baking powder, which have been sifted together. Roll out thin on slightly floured board and cut with cookie cutter. Place one teaspoonful of filling on each cookie, cover with another cookie, press edges together. Bake in moderate oven 12 to 15 minutes.

FILLING

2 teaspoons flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup chopped raisins
1/2 cup chopped figs

Mix flour and sugar together; add water and fruit. Cook until thick, being very careful not to burn.

MARSHMALLOW COOKIES

Follow recipe for cookies. Roll slightly thicker. After removing from oven, cover with marshmallow icing page 17.

May things have improved since the first batch of biscuits!

More comfort food from the estimable Dr Price. May you all use it well.

BRAN BISCUITS

1/2 cup bran
1-1/2 cups flour
5 teaspoons Dr. Price’s Baking Powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons shortening

Mix thoroughly bran, flour, baking powder, salt, sugar; add sufficient water to make soft dough; add melted shortening; roll out lightly to about 1/4 inch thick on floured board; cut with biscuit cutter. Bake in hot oven 12 to 15 minutes.

CHEESE BISCUITS

1-1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons Dr. Price’s Baking Powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon shortening
6 tablespoons grated cheese
5/8 cup milk

Sift together flour, baking powder and salt; add shortening and cheese; rub in very lightly; add milk slowly, just enough to hold dough together. Turn out on floured board and roll about 1/2 inch thick; cut with small biscuit cutter. Bake in hot oven 12 to 15 minutes.

EGG BISCUITS

2 cups flour
3 teaspoons Dr. Price’s Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 egg
2 tablespoons shortening
1/3 cup water

Sift together flour, baking powder, salt and sugar; add well beaten egg and melted shortening to water and add to dry ingredients to make soft dough. Roll out on floured board to about 1/2 inch thick; cut with biscuit cutter. Bake in moderate oven about 25 minutes.

SCONES

2 cups flour
3 teaspoons Dr. Price’s Baking Powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons shortening
2 eggs
1/3 to 1/2 cup milk

Sift together flour, baking powder, salt and sugar; add shortening and rub in very lightly. Beat eggs until light; add milk to eggs and add slowly to mixture to make soft dough. Roll out 1/2 inch thick on floured board; cut into pieces 3 inches square and fold over, making them three-cornered; brush with milk; sprinkle with sugar. Bake about 25 minutes in hot oven.

I have a couple of friends whose lives are very tough right now. What we do in my family when things get tough is make a big pot of tea and a fresh batch of biscuits. A good cuppa and a batch of delicious biscuits don’t drive the fears away, but they do settle the soul a bit.

You know who you are – but you need to know that this batch of biscuits for the biscuit and scone collection is specially for you. It’s three days long because that’s how many batches of biscuits I’d be making if I lived in your vicinity.

These recipes come from The New Dr Price Cook Book for use with Dr Price’s Phosphate Baking Powder, 1921. It’s from the US, which means that some biscuits are scones and some are US biscuits and some are biscuits. I’d need to cook them all to be certain which is which, however.

BISCUITS

2 cups flour
4 teaspoons Dr. Price’s Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons shortening
3/4 cup milk or half milk and half water

Sift together flour, baking powder and salt, add shortening and rub in very lightly; add liquid slowly to make soft dough; roll or pat out on floured board to about one-half inch in thickness handling as little as possible; cut with biscuit cutter. Bake in hot oven 15 to 20 minutes.

EMERGENCY OR DROP BISCUITS

Same as recipe for biscuits with the addition of more milk to make stiff batter. Drop by spoonfuls on greased pan and bake in hot oven 15 to 20 minutes.

WHOLE WHEAT RAISIN BISCUITS

2 cups whole wheat flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons Dr. Price’s Baking Powder
2 teaspoons shortening
1 cup milk
4 tablespoons cut raisins

Mix well flour, salt and baking powder, or sift through coarse strainer; add shortening and rub in very lightly; add milk; mix to soft dough, add raisins. Drop with tablespoon quite far apart on greased baking tin or in greased muffin tins. Bake in moderate oven about 25 minutes.

Today is another report on my attempt to turn everyone I know into an alcoholic. In other words, it’s time to update you on the testing of drinks for our Prohibition banquet.

I’m still waiting for the last few drinks testers to report in. There’s one that was on its way but got detoured by illness. That report will be all the champagne-based drinks and the verbal summary was “they’re all good.” I’m now very curious about which drink was what and how they tasted.

Today’s drinks don’t fuel the alcoholic soul. In fact, it’s the second report of the non-alcoholic drinks. I want to sing “Second verse, same as the first,” because the two groups testing these came up with very similar results. I need to introduce them to each other at Conflux, so they can admire each other’s taste. Todays report si from Rachel.

Drink One:
I couldn’t get hold of proper carbonated water, so used soda water instead. This is boring as all get out. Perfectly palatable, but it’s just lemonade. Don’t bother.

Drink Two
I wasn’t sure how much a “bottle” of ginger ale is, so I used a highball glass and that worked well, proportions-wise.

This is my new favourite drink. Yum, yum, yum. And flexible! I can see it served very cold, on ice during summer, or in a tall glass with a straw for winter. Different garnishes would also change its personality - berries to emphasise the sweetness or a twist of lemon for extra “bite”. Can you garnish drinks with ginger? Because that would work too. The ginger ale is warming, but tempered by the sugar and the lemon gives a lovely twist. On pouring it develops a fun foam which quickly disperses - looser bubbles than a beer head, but more dramatic. It must also be medicinal as I am using it as a cold remedy at the moment. At the very least it improves one’s mood. A must have!

Today is another report on my attempt to turn everyone I know into an alcoholic. In other words, it’s time to update you on the testing of drinks for our Prohibition banquet.

I’m still waiting for the last few drinks testers to report in. There’s one that was on its way but got detoured by illness. That report will be all the champagne-based drinks and the verbal summary was “they’re all good.” I’m now very curious about which drink was what and how they tasted.

Today’s drinks don’t fuel the alcoholic soul. In fact, it’s the second report of the non-alcoholic drinks. I want to sing “Second verse, same as the first,” because the two groups testing these came up with very similar results. I need to introduce them to each other at Conflux, so they can admire each other’s taste. Todays report si from Rachel.

Drink One:
I couldn’t get hold of proper carbonated water, so used soda water instead. This is boring as all get out. Perfectly palatable, but it’s just lemonade. Don’t bother.

Drink Two
I wasn’t sure how much a “bottle” of ginger ale is, so I used a highball glass and that worked well, proportions-wise.

This is my new favourite drink. Yum, yum, yum. And flexible! I can see it served very cold, on ice during summer, or in a tall glass with a straw for winter. Different garnishes would also change its personality - berries to emphasise the sweetness or a twist of lemon for extra “bite”. Can you garnish drinks with ginger? Because that would work too. The ginger ale is warming, but tempered by the sugar and the lemon gives a lovely twist. On pouring it develops a fun foam which quickly disperses - looser bubbles than a beer head, but more dramatic. It must also be medicinal as I am using it as a cold remedy at the moment. At the very least it improves one’s mood. A must have!

Our conception of food and its availability has been shifting for nearly two centuries. Refrigerated carriages in trains so that produce could be carried across the continental United States, canning, bottling plus older preserving methods such as candying, slating, drying and smoking – these have all expanded our ideas of what food can be eaten when. The biggest changes are those from the last two hundred years. And yes, I just repeated myself. It must be swelling on it severely, so say something twice!

This last few years, it has been fresh food that has changed. We have longer seasons for our favourite fruit and vegetable as new varieties have extended seasons and as slow freight is replaced by air travel for chunks of the market.

What I was thinking today, though, was that for some of us, we’re taking careful steps backwards. If we don’t take those steps backwards then we’re in danger of losing favourite apples or bananas with real flavour. This is because the newer varieties have been bred to travel and for size and for ease of handling. A few varieties can dominate the market in a given area. Here, it’s four varieties of oranges: seville (for maybe two weeks every summer), navel, valencia and blood. So our food choice diminishes.

Until recently, too, the land was reshaped (in Australia at least) to fit our new society. Lots of fine quality produce. Not sustainable, but quite amazing. Now we’re beginning to look at sustainability and feeding people in a hundred years time and dealing with the resources we have rather than trying to push the land beyond its limits. I don’t know what the wider effects of that it, but I do know that where I can I’m buying meat that is produced using a form of farming that helps the land rather than killing it slowly.

Where does this leave us?

In food history terms. We’ve reached one of those pivotal moments when things are going to change. I don’t know if the change will be increased problems with food supply, increased or diminishing varieties, or something quite different. Right now, what we’re seeing is lots of approaches. One is new types of farming. Others include genetic engineering.

I don’t know if living during interesting times is good, but these time are most certainly interesting.

I was doing fine tonight until a moment ago. I have a half dozen interesting topics to choose from for posts. And my neck is close to better. And life was looking pretty good. Then the last two days caught up with me and I need medicine and an early night. Which means you need more recipes from 1950s Melbourne. You can tell just how tired I am by the fact that I’m not even tempted to make the chocolate cake, and when have I not been tempted by chocolate?

Strawberry Tea Cake
1 tablespn butter, 1 cup sugar, 1 egg ¾ cup milk 1 ½ cups flour,2 level teaspoon baking powder, pinch of salt 1 cup strawberries, extra sugar. Cream together butter & sugar when very light add beaten egg & then milk, sift flour & BP & salt. Add & beat well. Crush strawberries which have been washed & dried with flour & fold them into the batter. Sprinkle with sugar & bake in patty pans.

Steamed Fowl
Put foul onto steam add carrot parsnip & onion. When cooked have white sauce & boiled egg (hard) chopped. Place fowl on platter & pour white sauce all over it seeing all is covered, then sprinkle egg over. Cut carrots & parsnip in rounds and arrange on edge of platter.

Ginger Pudding
1 tablespn butter, 2 tablespns each of sugar & treacle or syrup, 1 ½ cup p flour, 1 teaspn soda (small) 1 teaspn each ginger & spice & a small ½ cup milk. Beat butter, sugar & syrup, dissolve soda in milk & then add to butter mixture, add flour which has been sifted with ginger spice. Put in a greased steamer for 2 hrs. Serve with sweet white sauce.

Chocolate Bake
1 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon butter, 1 cup of milk, with ½ teaspoon soda 2 teasp cocoa, 2 cups SR flour. Mix sugar & butter add milk & soda then flour & cocoa. Same for ginger omitting cocoa add 1 teaspn ginger & teaspn cinnamon.

Yesterday I started talking about a cookbook and ended up with a short excursus (drabbit, I’m turning into an academic! forget you saw ‘excursus’ in blogland. In this case shortness of memory can only improve your quality of life. Though, if you liked ‘excursus’ I can scatter ‘deconstruct’ and other fun words through my prose until it is very, very dense and the occasional recipes are the only thing that makes sense) into to historical relativity. All of this was fun, but exhausting.

The thing is, I don’t dare look at the last book until my brain has recovered. The trouble is that my first and deepest university training was in historiography (how people write about the past and include it into their literature) and when I open that door, it’s hard to close. Like a school cookbook, it brings me home, or near home.

The trouble with being near home is I don’t want to write theory stuff today. What I want to do, in all honesty, is to contemplate the bowl of chicken in my refrigerator. I had it hot and fresh roasted last night, and tonight another portion will be warmed and then shared with tabbouli. Tomorrow it will be shredded further and eaten as part of a salad lunch.

Since I can’t get my mind off it, maybe I should just give you a recipe.

Slice lots and lot of onion and place in the bottom of a slightly oiled roasting dish. Make a sauce of 3 tablespoons (or so) of herbes de Province, juice of a lemon (I used a Myer lemon and cut a second one to place in the chicken’s cavity – I like lemon, I’m afraid. Add some salt, a generous amount of extra virgin olive oil, and the same amount of balsamic vinegar. Roast. Eat. Spend the next day contemplating the joys of leftovers. This chicken is actually better as leftovers than as roast, and it makes a delightful roast. Now you know why I’m distracted.

‘Excursus’ vs roast chicken: the chicken wins, every time.