Bites of Food History

Tie It On

hearttohearthcookery — Sat, 25 May 2013 13:10:13 +0000

After the cavity of the shad was filled with good forcemeat and sewn up, it was tied on a board of proper size. My fish plank has nails and linen twine is used to lace the shad to the board.

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Sew it Up

hearttohearthcookery — Fri, 24 May 2013 09:38:28 +0000

The shad was filled with a good forcemeat (see previous post) and sewn up with linen thread.

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Good Forcemeat

hearttohearthcookery — Thu, 23 May 2013 11:12:53 +0000

The receipt (recipe) for To Roast a Shad begins with the words: Fill the cavity with good forcemeat. The forcemeat (pictured) was prepared by taking half a pound of veal, and half a pound of suet cut fine, and beat in a wooden bowl; add a few sweet herbs shred fine, a little mace pounded fine, a small nutmeg grated, a little lemon peel, some pepper and salt, and the yolks of two eggs.

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Class with Experience!

hearttohearthcookery — Wed, 22 May 2013 11:43:32 +0000

This group of students had both “class” and experience. Every student had taken at least one of my hearth cooking classes and the range was from one class to more than ten! I actually could sit down and watch during a class! It is exhilarating to pass on the old skills! Presented at table from left to right: Cheesecakes, To Roast a Shad with Forcemeat, Fricasee of Chicken, Spinach improved with Sorrel and Indian Muffins.

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Sorrel for Raspberries

hearttohearthcookery — Mon, 20 May 2013 12:41:36 +0000

These two hand-blown glasses are filled with To make Raspberry Cream with Sorrel. Take a pinte of cream & boyle it with 3 whites of eggs beaten well with warme cream, put in a blade or 2 of mace & some leamon pill, & when it is pretty well boyled take it off & season it with sugar & put in some juice of raspberries, stir it well together & when it is cold serve it up, thus you may make curranberrie, sorrel, or leamon cream. I made sorrel cream by substituting the juice of sorrel for the juice of raspberries. The early spring sorrel leaves have a lemon flavor.

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Spring Sauce

hearttohearthcookery — Sun, 19 May 2013 11:52:00 +0000

The receipt (recipe) for To make Green Sauce states that this sauce is for hen or veal or bacon. The sauce (pictured) made with the juice from the new spring sorrel leaves and spring eggs went very well with the anadromous spring shad.

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Upon the Coals

hearttohearthcookery — Sat, 18 May 2013 13:59:31 +0000

All the ingredients for the receipt (recipe) To make green sauce (sorrel juice, vinegar, sugar, two hard cooked eggs minced small, a little butter and grated nutmeg are set upon the coals till it is hot. The redware skillet with the sauce is being heated on a burner of embers.

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Eggs Minced Small

hearttohearthcookery — Fri, 17 May 2013 19:49:42 +0000

Two hard cooked eggs minced small are being prepared to be added to the butter and nutmeg for To make Green Sauce. The green liquid is the juice of the sorrel.

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First the Butter and Nutmeg?

hearttohearthcookery — Thu, 16 May 2013 11:23:00 +0000

Read an old receipt (recipe) in its entirety prior to starting as they are not like modern recipes written in order of addition of ingredients always. The receipt, To make a green sauce, states to put thereto (to the juice of sorrel), a little vinegar, sugar and two hard eggs minced small, a little butter and grated nutmeg. In the redware skillet, I started with melting a little butter and adding grated nutmeg to infuse the flavor to the butter.

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As Spring as Sorrell

hearttohearthcookery — Wed, 15 May 2013 12:05:11 +0000

Common or garden sorrel (Rumex acetosa) is a perennial herb or leaf vegetable whose appearance in the garden is a sign of spring. The smaller leaves are tender and have a fruity, pleasant lemon flavor from a high oxalic acid content.

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