Posted on 12/15/2017 4:39:44 PM PST by Jamestown1630
While enduring a ‘bug’ this week that left me unable to do much but sleep or sit in front of the TV, I happened upon Clarissa Dickson Wright’s series, ‘Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner’, which you can find on YouTube, and which is a really interesting history of how our 'three squares', and the ways we partake of them, have evolved over time.
In the Lunch episode, she featured a pasty (yes, no 'r') crust design, executed by food scholar Ivan Day. This was so beautiful, I had to find the design, and know more about it.
On the way, I found some interesting stuff – including Day's great website on historic food:
http://www.historicfood.com/portal.htm
The pasty design seems to have been derived from Edward Kidder’s ancient ‘Receipts of pastry and cookery, for the use of his scholars’, published in 1720 (you can still buy a copy on Amazon ;-):
http://www.historicfood.com/Edward%20Kidders%20Lamb%20Pasty.htm
I’m not personally a fan of British pasties; but it seems to me that we could decorate our sweet or savory pies just as beautifully – it just takes practice, and starting small! And you don’t need cutters to do this; just find a design, make a cardboard cutout of it, and find a sharp knife to cut the pastry to each of the shapes; then do some detail on the pieces.
Food52 has a lot of starter ideas for ‘fancying up’ your pie:
https://food52.com/blog/8744-9-ways-to-fancy-up-your-pies
-JT
Hi Freepers!
Wondering if anyone has good (and easy!) recipe for eggnog bread.
I usually buy several to have on hand for unexpected gift giving, snacking, etc. However, I called Great Harvest Bread and they are wanting close to $9 for a loaf! Spouse just took an early retirement (somewhat unexpected) so every purchase** is being scrutinized, and if I can make a good one myself for less, I would like to try. I don’t have a lot of time to experiment and I am not a huge bread baker, but thought perhaps some of you might have suggestions.
**I am still keeping instant pot on my Christmas list ~ not sure if I have been naughty or nice, but I sure would lke one of those pots! I think making yogurt in it would pay for itself in no time :)
Just got The Walking Dead cookbook. The jerky marinade looks pretty good. Let me know if you would like me to post it.
Thanks for the food history links! Love food history.
Have a British food history book that goes back to B.C. times. The Tudor period food is very similar to the recipes Martha Washington used.
I love meat pies... especially homemade chicken pot pie with vegetables, cheese and chicken marinaded in pineapple juice, orange juice and rum...
Those little houses are so cute! I could see ‘painting’ them in colors with icing...
Nordic Ware makes a train cake mold that looks like fun for a kid party:
The Hairy Bikers sound fun.
I love the British documentaries on food - I’m on a jag watching them. Some of them bring together all kinds of experts, food historians, archaeologists, botanists, etc. It’s fascinating listening to brilliant people who are so passionate about their subjects.
I grew up with gas, and I like it. The one reservation I have is that there have been three gas line explosions near me in the last twenty years - something I never even thought about growing up. Two houses blown up completely (nobody hurt, as the people were away) and one at an apartment complex where I believe people did die.
It all made me feel a little safer living, as I do now, in an area that’s all electric.
That reminds me of what my grandmother did. We had friends who would bring us a bushel of peaches in Summer, and Granny would layer them in containers with sugar, and freeze them.
In the middle of winter we’d have them over ice cream and it was wonderful. They’d thaw-out like peaches in syrup, but fresh-tasting, not like canned.
That sounds like a very interesting chicken pot pie!
For dessert, ground nuts, sugar, cinnamon and butter is an ok crust. For savory, I haven’t really found any substitute I like as yet.
It’s really ok, because I rarely get in a mood to exert myself on cooking these days. About 8 months ago, I made some homemade noodles, meat sauce, and layered it for lasagna.
Haven’t had the urge since then. LOL
Please let me have the recipe. I’d like to keep it for the next time - picky grand daughter might eat it.
It’s hard to find something she likes. This type of ham is the only kind she likes. The boneless hams, or the deli hams, or the canned hams are a no go. So for the holidays, I usually make up a ham and slice it for her.
Soup sounds good. We went out with the kids for Birthday dinner, and I almost ordered soup. Instead, I ordered appetizers and brought most of it home with me.
The café gave me a free big dessert, so I wound up eating about 2 days of carb rations at one setting. LOL
That’s a cute one. There’s also a classic car Lani thought hubby would like.
I especially like the little village because a sifting of powdered sugar is enough for decoration if that’s the limit of one’s abilities ( that’s me)
I’ve never made it but it sounds good. Some rum or rum extract seems mandatory.
I like your tag line bw!
Eggnog Quickbread with Eggnog Glaze
POSTER SAYS: The most delicious and moist eggnog quick bread— recipe is PERFECTION! You will not find a better recipe out there. I was blown away by how amazing it baked and how moist and perfect and so easy to throw together, maybe 5 minutes to mix and get it in the oven. A delicious baked eggnog bread ready in no time at all! A favorite part was the glaze on top. If you love eggnog you will love this.
INGREDIENTS 2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 cup dairy eggnog
½ cup margarine, melted
2 teaspoons rum extract
1 teaspoon vanilla
2¼ cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon cinnamon
Eggnog Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
2-3 Tb eggnog
METHOD beat eggs. Next add sugar, eggnog, melted margarine, rum extract, and vanilla. Mix/combine. Add flour, baking powder, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Stir until moist. Pour into a greased loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes until lightly brown and toothpick comes out clean. Let cool for about 10 minutes and remove from pan.
GLAZE Whisk powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons eggnog. Add additional eggnog for thinner glaze. Pour over the top of bread.
We had work friends who had a house fire. Having lived through one ourselves we gave them a laundry basket filled with items they would need and use, things like paper towels, wipes, toiletry items, trash bags, socks, some small things for their kids. It was much appreciated.
Ps - Happy Hanukkah!
Nothing in this world is perfect. We are under a foot of snow right now. So beautiful, but we are having plow problems.
I still have the dehydrator my hubby, then fiancé, gave me for one Christmas. 39 years later and I still use it nearly every summer mostly to dry roma tomatoes. I made a lot of jerky - mostly turkey jerky. We used turkey tenderloins. slice them thin, if you freeze them first you can slice more easily and thinly. Also slice lengthwise so you are cutting with the grain. I marinated overnight with any kind of homemade thrown together marinade. I used soy sauce, maybe a splash of BBQ sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, pepper, whatever you like. Spray the racks with an oil spray, just not olive oil. Lay out the strips. Depending on the dehydrator I would go 5 or 6 hours, then flip and another 5 or 6 hours. You want it leathery not brittle. Take out the strips that are ready - they will not all be ready at the same time. Had no trouble with bacteria but then again I always kept it in the fridge in a ziploc.
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