Category: food
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A Trifling Little Dessert
To quote Mrs. Bennet, people don’t die of trifling little colds. Serve this to your holiday guests and they may well expire from delight. We’re going to get serious and have a little fun with the English trifle, an antique dessert of fruit, custard, cake, and booze. Lots of booze. People have been enjoying trifles…
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Jane Austen and Thanksgiving
As an American who lives in Ireland, I miss Thanksgiving. It’s not a national holiday here, so the day after Halloween, the scary ghosts and witches are replaced by all things Christmas. I do love Christmas, but I long for the interlude of gratitude that Thanksgiving represents. It can be tricky for expats who want…
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Thomas Jefferson’s Influence on “Mr. Darcy and the Designing Woman”
Thomas Jefferson is best known for writing the Declaration of Independence, but what other “credits” might we attribute to him? He was also a scientist, an inventor, an architect, and even a philosopher. “The papers of Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826), diplomat, architect, scientist, and third president of the United States, held in the Library of Congress…
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You Say a White Soup Served…Cold?
I am certain many dishes, much like revenge, are best-served cold. I can readily think of two: fruit salad and cucumber sandwiches. I cannot, however, force my brain into thinking that soup is best served cold. A mug of homemade soup or stew on a cold winter’s day is a favorite choice. Therefore, I wince…
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Estate Owners Welcomed Cats to Roam!
For all the amusing comments of those who enjoy reading books from the Regency era (both men and women) suggesting they’ll end up alone with only a house full of cats to keep them company? In the Regency era, cats were not kept as pets, coddled, or snuggled as attempted today. Instead, cats ruled an…
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One Meal Away From Starving
Hi there. Hope all of you are doing great. Well, it is time once again to hear the ranting from my brain. This time, I am going to talk about food. If you didn’t already know this, I am president of a nonprofit farmers/artisan market, so I am dealing with fresh, local food items all…
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We are so very spoiled
Hi everyone. Yes, it is time once again for the ramblings from my mind. I grew up in central Illinois and had the honor of being raised with both sets of grandparents in my life. It was fun, as my dad’s parents collected antiques, and, having been raised with them and having respect for them,…
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Food, Glorious Food . . .
“Food, glorious food!Hot sausage and mustard!While we’re in the mood — Cold jelly and custard!” – The orphan boys of “Oliver” Well, I have had this summer’s “AHA!” moment. While other authors are busy having their “aha’s” over love and relationships, deep-seated family concerns, and even stuff like money and estates, I have been visited by…
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Make a Fool For Yourself
One dessert that Darcy and Elizabeth must have enjoyed was the artless and simple fruit fool. People have been making fruit fools since the 1500’s, and there aren’t too many lovelier ways to enjoy summer’s bounty of fruits and berries. Back in time, the fruit was served with a “boiled” custard, a simple combination of milk,…
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After Dinner Drinks
With many sources of water known to be unsanitary and thus unpotable in times of yore, one would have been safer choosing an alcoholic beverage such as wine, port, or mead during and after a meal. For the upper classes, wines were served throughout dinner, while middle and lower classes would substitute expensive wines for…