Vintage Holidays

I decided that since I have four kittens in the house this year that I would be crazy to put a Christmas tree up.  Even if it is an artifical tree, I wasn't sure I wanted to wake up every morning/come home from work every evening/run a few errands and come home to 1) ornaments rolling across the floor; 2) kittens balanced on branches; 3) the tree laying on its side, a few times over the season or every day.

What I did do was stop at Lowe's one Saturday morning and ask the fellows trimming trees if I could raid their cut branches bin and take an armful.  I made a swag for the front door and dug out a vintage Mason jar where I have half a dozen or so boughs draped in vintage red velvet ribbon and a handful of ornaments.  All out of kitten range, of course, on top of a small bookcase.

The 'no Christmas tree' was a wise decision as I discovered that within seconds of taking the photo below, I heard the first ornamnent hit the floor and a walnut go 'swoosh' out of the bowl and onto the tile.  Kitten paws have impressive batting power.  The attention a makeshift tree garners from out of kitten sight to within kitten range is huge.

There was not a huge amount of baking done this year.  Enough to get treats out to family and friends and a very small handful left for myself, though I'm thinking a half recipe of bourbon balls might be coming to fruition in the next few hours.  Every year, I try to make something new, something different among the many batches of biscotti and other sweets made.  I picked up a slim cookbook a couple of months ago, 'Treasured Honey Recipes' from the California Honey Advisory Board. The Honey Walnut Date Bars was this year's new recipe.  I've made them four times this month.  And each time they've been devoured.  I'm always so happy when a vintage recipe still works after 40+ years.

Merry Christmas!

1861 Carrots in the German Way

I promised to start a Throwback Thursday series, where once I week I'll cook a recipe from one of my vintage cookbooks, covering each decade of the 20th century through the present.  Within a few hours of making this declaration, I discover that I have nothing to cover 1900-1910.  Granted, my 1914 copy of The Boston Cooking School Cookbook has copyrights from 1896 to 1914, but I'm leaving that book in the second decade.

What I do have is a 1968 edition of Beeton's Book of Household Management, which was originally published between 1859 and 1861.  Yes...we're throwing it back to the 19th century for the first #tbt!  The 1968 edition is a facsimile of the original 1861 version, it's small in stature--just about 5 x7 inches--and comes in at a whopping 1100+ pages.  The Table of Contents covers everything from the duites of a home's mistress, what is expected of the housekeeper, the arrangement and economy of the kitchen, and 'observations' and recipes for every game bird you can think of, boiled calves heads, and veal cake (promised to be a convenient dish for a picnic).

I began flipping through the desserts sections, but figured that with half a cake still in the fridge, I should probably opt for something that wasn't  a cake, cookie, or pudding.  Maybe something a little healthier, but not a venture into how to stew pigeons or roast a haunch of venison.

Vegetables seemed a safe route to travel and after bypassing 'Artichoke Pudding',' 'Potato Snow,' and a few other recipes, I settled on 'To Dress Carrots in the German Way.'  Honestly, I'm not sure what makes this the 'German Way'...maybe the nutmeg?  I don't use nutmeg too often and usually it's in sweets, but this...this is a great dish even after 150 years.

I'm going to spend a little more time in this book.  An explanation of the duties of the laundry-maid.  Advice on child rearing and dealing with infantile fits.  And where else would you learn about a mesurement called a gill?  (And then have to Google to find the answer.  It's a quarter pint!)

To Dress Carrots in the German Way
Adapted from 'Beeton's Book of Household Management'
Serves 2-4

3 medium to large carrots, washed and cut into short pieces
3 tbsp butter
1/4 tsp nutmeg, freshly grated
1 tbsp parsley, minced
1 tbsp onion, minced 
1 1/2 cups veetable or chicken stock
1 tbsp flour
salt

In a large skillet, melt 2 tbsp of the butter over medium heat.  Add the carrots, onions, parsley, and nutmeg.  Stir to coat the carrots and cook until onions begin to turn translucent and carrots begin to soften.  Pour stock into skillet and simmer until carrots continue to tender.  In a small saucepan, melt the remaining tablespoon of butter, then add the flour, stirring until mixture begins to brown.  Add the liquid from the carrots and bring to a boil for a minute or two.  Return stock to skillet and simmer until sauce reduces and thickens.  

A perfect side for roast chicken or over a bed of rice.

From Those Who Know

You may or may not know this, but I have a problem with cookbooks.  Collecting  cookbooks, to be more precise.   There are some of you out there who may be afflicted with the same malady.  It used to be worse...much worse.  Dozens and dozens of them taking up space on the bookshelf.  I would buy them willy nilly because one recipe, maybe two, caught my attention.  They languished on those shelves, rarely being used.  Every once in a while I'd halfheartedly weed through the collection and put a couple in the Goodwill box, but invariably replace it with at least one more...and the cycle continued.

A couple of years ago, I was brutal in cleaning up the collection, keeping only those that I thought I would really use.  On occasion, I did come home with another cookbook, but I made sure that it would be a book that would be consulted over and over again.  Then the vintage collection began.  I can probably pinpoint that fateful moment to a weekend trip to Palm Springs about 5 years ago.  It was an old paperback from the 1950's in really poor condition, but I loved the graphics, and for less than a dollar, how could I leave it?  A year or so ago, I had the notion to make notecards with recipes from old cookbooks.  That justified the purchase of more cookbooks...more raw materials needed.  After I brought the books home, I realized that I loved looking through them...for the pictures, for the copy, for the sheer enjoyment of recipes that you don't see today.

Where it all began.

I starting wondering about how well those recipes would hold up today.  I was thinking about how great it would be to find a book of tried and true recipes.  Then it hit me...you know those cookbooks that are put out by churches, women's groups or schools for fundraising?  Spiral-bound, Times Courier font, no-frills books full of recipes handed down from grandmother to mother to daughter, passed from neighbor to neighbor with all the kinks worked out over the years.  So...guess what I did.  I bought myself a few.  A lovely little lot of five.  I've perused them over and over again since I received them last week.  I love seeing each recipe credited with its contributor.  I love seeing the occasional mention of 'oleo' in the ingredients list and the sage advice in the directions:  'Allow plenty of time for this.'  Know what?  I can see myself making a lot of the recipes in these books.  It took me no time to try the first one.  A recipe for bread that seemed so easy, I had to make it.  I was not disappointed in the outcome.  It was easy and delicious and no doubt will be in rotation regularly.

So...I want to say 'thank you' to the Dinwiddie County Junior Women's Club for gathering their winning recipes together, and especially to Ann H. Jarvis for her English Muffin Loaf.  This is fabulous right out of the oven, slathered with butter, but I actually think I liked it better the next day.  You can slice this really thin.  Think about it for a cocktail party...use it as you would cocktail rye bread.  I also topped it with a spread of cream cheese, feta, and roasted red pepper.  This is a keeper.

Next time you find yourself at a yard sale or flea market, don't turn your nose up at these books.  They may not have the splashy color photos or be written by the latest Food Network star, but I'll bet you'll use it over and over, because, well...they know.

English Muffin Loaf
Courtesy of Ann H. Jarvis
Makes two loaves

6 cups unsifted flour
2 pkg dry yeast
1 tbsp sugar
2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
2 cups milk
1/2 cup water
corn meal

Combine 3 cups flour, undissolved yeast, sugar, salt and baking soda.  Heat milk and water until very warm (120-130 degrees).  Add to dry ingredients and beat well.  Stir in remaining 3 cups flour to make a stiff batter.  Spoon into two 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 2 1/2 inch loaf pans that have been greased and sprinkled with corn meal.  Sprinkle tops with corn meal.  Cover; let rise in a warm place, free from draft, 45 minutes.  Bake 25 minutes at 400 degrees.  Remove form pans; cool.  Slice and toast.  Freezes well.  

The Source

The Result

A Sampling of 'The Collection'

The Note Swap

I love food.  I love art.  How cool is it to have the opportunity to bring the two together in a medium that has to fit in an envelope?  That's the objective of the Art House Co-op's 'The Note Swap.'  Art that fits in an envelope.  Thanks to my friend, Greg, who posted a link to the Note Swap on his Facebook page, I decided to check it out and signed up for it.

You should also check out Greg's artwork.  He does incredible mixed media and collage work.  Find him at Greg Ephemera Trout.  I know my life is richer with him (and his art) in it.

I have become a vintage cookbook collector.  Remember, more than three of anything becomes a collection.  Don't ask me how many vintage cookbooks I've amassed over the past couple of years.  I especially love the ones from the 1950's and 60's.  The graphics and photos are great, as are some of the foods.  I like seeing how tastes have changed over the years, and to see what a hostess could have made for a cocktail party or Christmas dinner.  Some recipes stand up over time, others not so much.  French Endive Salad, yes...Turkey-Tomato Aspic Ring...doubtful.  I sometimes make note cards from the cookbooks, especially those that are in less than decent shape from time.  This is what my contribution for The Note Swap came to be:

My love of stag imagery included, I can only wonder if the lucky recipient of the Indian Tapioca Pudding recipe will actually attempt to make it.  Hmmmm...'Indian meal.'

Stop by for coffee later...the Luncheon Cake will be ready.