Monday 6 May 2019

Regency era cookbooks on my bookshelf.

I'm going to be reviewing these again, as I'd started but haven't picked enough for my afternoon tea plans.  I'm thinking of "cheating" by buying pre-made gluten free mini pies.  I know they weren't likely to have been set out in the afternoon back then, but I'm not really bothered. I've made them in the past with white wine sauce (mmh, some for me some for the white sauce) so I should really reconsider that.

What I have are :


The first book I bought, I'd originally borrowed from the library and really wanted a copy for myself. Cooking with Jane Austen by Kirstin Olsen is from a Feasting with Fiction series and only now am I thinking that I should see what else was in the series. I found a copy overseas - and was thankfully not underemployed in 2010 so could afford to buy it.


The second book I managed to track down was a copy of Margaretta Acworth's Georgian Cookery Book. It was published in the 1980s and the Prochaska's (who are the authors) list the original receipt, followed by a modern translation. It wasn't cheap, mainly cos few copies were available at the time, but now it's very affordable. Especially if posted from the UK.  The recipe I've made a couple of times is what I call Cardiac Apple Pie. The pie filling includes double cream and brandy and OMG it's so rich but so good. I'm thinking of trying to make a gluten free version, for which I need so GF digestive biscuits.


My third and last (so far) of my books covering this era is Lobscouse and Spotted Dog: Which It’s a Gastronomic Companion to the Aubrey/Maturin Novels by Anne Chotzinoff Grossman and Lisa Grossman Thomas. I didn't get the hardback,  cos I didn't even think to look for one.  This series of Patrick O'Brian's books is set in the Navy (military not merchant) and food gets mentioned a lot. I'm assuming he researched the food of the era, and these authors have done an amazing job of researching and publishing them.

There are possibly others, but I'm a bit of a nerd, and want original era recipes not things that are thought to be Austen-ish.  You do you and I'll do me.

BTW the third isn't the only fiction inspired recipe book on my bookcase. I also have A Feast of Ice and Fire - because yes I'm a huge GRRM fan.

Oh, another regency era clothing book that I got last year at the Jane Austen Festival in Louisville (Kentucky) was the catalogue from the DAR exhibition An Agreeable Tyrant: Fashion after the Revolution.

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