A Year of Victorian Puddings

I bought this cookbook for fun. Also on the back cover there was the mention of the classic Bakewell Pudding and Apple Charlotte which captured my eyes... and intrigued my stomach. This is a charming little book, only a 186 pages, this copy is a reproduction of the original from 1862. Still it is comprehensive and gives one a glimpse into the life of the Victorian Pudding. With current shows such as Downtown Abbey I can see this book having a bit of a revival. However, for me I enjoy adding all sorts of cookbooks to my collection regardless of how popular a TV show may be. 

The recipes are organised by month and consists of cheesecakes, pies, pancakes, tarts, fools, fritters, omelettes, custards and of course steamed puddings. The recipes are traditional English and seasonal for every day and month of the year. The author adds her no-nonsense advice as well as her musings on ingredients and their appropriateness. Fun as this cookbook may be, the other reason I bought this book is because it offers a bit of ease when planning a dessert. Look up the month, pick a dessert, prepare, bake and then serve. A pudding that is most appropriate and suitable for the weather outside.        

Georgiana 'Browning' Hill was an acclaimed cookbook author of the late 1800's. Her  three infamous cookery books are The Gourmet's Guide to Rabbit Cooking published in 1859, The Breakfast Book and How to Cook Apples were both published in 1865. Her early cookbooks were geared more towards the middle class and offered simple recipes. Whereas later on her cookbooks became more adventurous with recipes from Spain and France. 

Fun, no-nonsense and great little cookbook. - JW 

Copper Kettle

Lately everything copper has been catching my eye. So when our demure yellow kettle started showing it's age I went searching for a replacement. Kettle choices are abundant and can leave one reaching for a pot to boil water in. 

During our search we came across Simplex Kettles. Beautifully crafted and Victorian by design I was completely enamoured! I can get that way about kitchen wares. They are a bit on the pricey side. However when you factor in the use, every day 2-3 times a day 365 days a year, it becomes deeply justifiable. Deeply justifiable with much consideration. Until deeply justifiable given to you as a gift! 

It was exciting receiving this. And looks ever so smart on the black cooker. It boils leisurely and the whistle is a low modest one. Unlike the unassuming yellow kettle which would scream like a banshee. There are special care instructions due to the copper. The water seems to retain the heat better and even the tea we make seems to taste a bit better. Who knows what other copper items may show up in the kitchen. Enjoy your weekend! - JW       

Dining with Sherlock Holmes

It has been a while since I posted a book and I have been itching to review this cookbook. Dining with Sherlock Holmes: A Baker Street Cookbook by Julia Carlson Rosenblatt and Frederic H. Sonnenschmidt; pp.239; first printing, 1976 is concentrating on British food with a Sherlock twist. Trying to recreate the Victorian appetite spins a culinary yarn of breakfast, morning tea, luncheon, afternoon tea, high tea and dinner. Factor in Sherlock Holmes and well all the rest becomes quite elementary! 

The idea for the book came about when more than a hundred Holmes enthusiasts participated in "a grande Sherlockian repast". There was a casual remark made about a cookbook. And the two author's took it from there. Gathering from the research, Holmes and Watson probably ate more than three meals a day. Except if Sherlock was deeply involved with a case. When dining there was not to be any talk regarding evidence. Leaving Sherlock Holmes to openly digest. Nothing was to interrupt digestion.    

Apart from the Acknowledgements, "The Gastronomic Holmes and the Cuisine of His England" is a very well researched chapter. Other chapters are as follows: "Elementary, My Dear Watson", "Breakfast at Baker Street", A Singular Set of Recipes, Watson", "The Sideboard", "On the Chase" and "Horrors of a Country Inn" provide some delicacies to satisfy the your inner super sleuth. Each chapter has an introduction and references the stories of Sherlock Holmes. With 6-16 subtitles within each chapter that offer a set 3-5 course meal. Which makes piecing together a satisfying feast from start to finish, chronologically logical. With dinner titles such as Baskerville Breakfast, The Cornish Horror, A Cold Supper for Burglars and The Game Is Afoot one can certainly relish the morsels set about them.   

This cookbook is one I admire. -JW