Sliced Apple Pudding

After browsing for recipes for a cooking workshop, I came across this wonderfully easy recipe. Mary Randolph's Sliced Apple Pudding looked easy and tasty.

The Virginia Housewife, 1838

I started by peeling and slicing my apples- I chose two Granny Smith and Two Gala (maybe?)- they were what I had on hand from a mixed box. Next-six eggs- I had whisked them for around five minutes to get them "very light"- added two cups of whole milk. Adding flour is always a trail for me- I added one cup at a time, mixing the batter very well between, I ended up with four cups- it seemed to be the thickness of a cake batter. Adding a small cup of melted butter (around 1 1/2 sticks) mixing well. Then poured in the apple slices, mixing them in well. Four apples seemed to be just the right amount for this dish. I added some sugar, butter & nutmeg to the top.

Pudding before going into the oven. (I am such a messy cook!)

This recipe is large- so be prepared to use a very large dish (I ended up with a Pyrex mixing bowl). Into a 350* oven. It baked for around 40 minutes.  I found out when dishing it out that the middle had not set very well, longer in the oven, or a slightly  higher temp would have helped. Top each serving with some butter, sugar, and nutmeg as suggested. 

Hot Apple Pudding! 

The pudding was very good, the apples were still a little crisp as well. If you do not like a very sweet dessert this would be great for you since the only added sugar is on top. If you would like a sweeter pudding, add some sugar to the batter before adding the apples- a cup or so should be enough. Overall I do think that this will go in the index to try again! 

Chicken Pudding, A Favourite Virginia Dish

 I have seen this recipe  a few times while flipping through my copy of "The Virginia Housewife" and have read over it, but never felt inspired to make it,until now. My DH has a thing for puddings & meat pies, so this incorporates both.
So here from Mary Randoldph's The Virginia Housewife, 1838. 

I halved the recipe since making a pudding of four chickens seemed a bit large! For my version I used 4 large eggs (modern eggs are larger), 1 1/2 cups of milk with 1/2 cup of cream (richer flavor), and about a half a stick of butter. 

The recipe suggest four chickens, four....no. I used two large chicken breasts with three legs, this gave me plenty of meat for the pudding. I boiled the chicken first as directed with a bundle of fresh thyme & parsley. 

Let the chicken cool while beating the eggs/milk/butter. Add flour to thicken the batter, I am not sure how much I used, I spooned it in, but it was less than half a cup. When the batter is combined, take the meat from the bones in small pieces and add to the batter, stir once to incorporate.  It looks like a thick soup! 

Put the pudding in a 350* oven. Depending on the heat of your oven, this could be anywhere from 30-50 minutes. I took mine out after 35 minutes, and it maybe could have stayed in a few minutes longer. Let it sit for a few minutes to cool & absorb any liquid that may be left. It will be a nice golden brown! 

Chicken Pudding right out of the oven!

I made a nice chicken gravy to serve with the pudding, as suggested, but I didn't think I was going to need it. I served the dish with a side of oven-roasted root vegetables (yummy!). It was still a bit runny when I cut into it, so it could have cooled a while longer. 

There have been a few great successes with my period cooking experiments, and this one seems to be a great hit! DH at almost half of the pudding himself! The gravy was a great addition. The pudding is a bit on the bland side, but I should have added more salt. Overall, this is a great meal! I may have to try it next time I'm cooking in the field! 

Pumpkin this, pumpkin that

Now that fall is here I have pulled a compilation of pumpkin reciept's to try! I have found a variety of pie & pudding reciept's over the past few days. Here is a sampling of what I have found from a few go-to books.

Confederate Receipt Book, 1863

I did make this pumpkin bread a few years ago for a shortages program. I used canned pumpkin & not fresh. The result was a heavy, "gummy" bread that received mixed reviews. 

The Housekeeper's Encyclopedia, 1861

The Virginia Housewife, 1838

The Practical Cookbook, 1850

"Not When It's Hot!"- No Fire Food

As Spring rolls through, we know that summer will be just around the corner. While we do look forward to the warmer temperatures and the blooming flowers, most of us do not want to bend over an open fire all day in order to feed our living history crowd. So what do we do?
Luckily there are options!
Bread- Try to pre-bake ahead of the event- Bread, Biscuits, cakes, cookies, etc. These can be made in the off-season and stored in the freezer until the even (this will also keep your house from getting hot)
Fruit-Fresh, seasonal fruit is a great option for summer months. Apples, oranges, watermelon, peaches, berries- these will also help keep hydration levels up!

The Virginia Housewife, 1838

Vegetables- Fresh produce is a wonderful thing to have a basket of. Pick & chose what is wanted at a time- eat cucumbers, tomatoes, celery alone or on sandwiches. Try some salads with a nice vinaigrette  These are nice alternatives to "heavy foods" and will keep you full without that "sick" feeling. Also, keep some pickles around! These are also great to throw in a salad or to snack on, plus the vinegar content keeps electrolytes happy!
Meats-Cold ham, cold roast chicken, summer sausages. Pre-cook ham & chicken before the event, then enjoy it cold as a main dish, on a sandwich, or as a topping on salad.
Beverages- Water, water, water!!! I can't say it enough! Drink water! Try to stay away from the sugary alternatives (Gatorade,etc.). Drink even when you do not think you need it, start hydrating before events. Start drinking plenty of water a few days before the planned summer event.  Lemonade is also quick & easy to make at events. Fruit waters were also found in the period (strawberries, mmmmmm). Another option is Switchel- (1 gal. of water, 2 cups sugar, 1 cup molasses  1 cup vinegar, 1 tsp ginger). Switchel is used to replace & replenish what the body has lost (think modern sports drinks), but the ingredients are all natural!
Ice Cream- There are numerous references to "ices" and "creams". Enjoy a nice fruit-flavored ice cream to keep cool!

Macaroni

Macaroni and Cheese?!?! Really?!? Who knew it was that easy in the 19th century? Well, sorta. This Macaroni recipe is taken from The Virginia Housewife, 1838.  And if you are looking for something easy and yummy for a crowd, this is the perfect recipe!

There are no exact measurements for this one, which does make it easy and a good "go-to".  Boil your noodles (you really want to use a straight noodles like "macaroni" or "penne" not elbow macaroni, this is a later invention).  This macaroni is built in layers. After draining the noodles, place enough in the bottom of the pan to cover, then add cheese and butter,  and repeat. I chose a 9 x 13 baking pan at home, since it was easiest in the oven.

I used a whole box of noodles and a block of sharp cheddar, sliced thin. You want to keep the slice fairly thin so they melt well. The amount of butter is up to the individual, you want enough to give a flavor, but not too much, I almost used too much.

Place the dish in a nice hot oven (350 to 400) for about 15 to 20 minutes. I left mine in for about 15 minutes, I was hungry :)

There is really nothing  bad to say about a nice hot bowl of mac & cheese! This would be great as a side dish with a nice meat at an evening meal or as a bring-a-long dish for a potluck!

To Fricassee Eggs

I have been wanting to make these for a while, they sounded so easy. This recipe comes from The Virginia Housewife, 1838, pg. 89. There are few ingredients needed, eggs, bread crumbs, and that's really all.

So you start by boiling the six eggs, and letting them cool before peeling them. After peeling the eggs, I must admit that I forgot the flour & egg part, and just rolled them in bread crumb mixture.  I did not use lard to fry the eggs, instead I opted for vegetable shortening (its a little bit healthier).
They are fried until a nice golden brown. Use your judgement on how brown you would like them. I served mine with a bit of melted butter with parsley as I did not have any gravy, and did not make any.

They turned out great! DH stated "They're delicious!" Since this is essentially a soft boiled egg that is then deep fried, I was not going to try them as I am not a soft-boiled egg eater. But I braved them and tried one, and well, my taste stayed true and I did not like the soft boiled egg part. However, it is a quick easy recipe that can be cooked & served almost anywhere, kitchen or camp!

Sweet Potato Buns

This recipe comes from the ever faithful- The Virginia Housewife, 1838. This was THE book to have in the kitchen in the 19th Century.   In light of the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, I thought this would be a festive recipe to try. It sounded easy enough & tasty!

I cut & peeled one sweet potato, and boiled it until tender. Drained & mashed with a fork. I added some pumpkin pie spice & a nice portion of sugar- it says to taste  right? I added the flour, and added more flour, and it looked like a bread dough. I had proofed a package of dry yeast & added some (about a tablespoon or so).  And set it in the bowl to rise.  About 20 minutes later, it looked the same.  So I added a little more yeast. About 30 minutes later, the dough looked the same..... hmmmmm, curious.

Dough ready to rise

Oh, well I put it on the baking sheet & into a 350 degree oven. The dough was a little sticky, and not really like bread dough, and maybe that should have been my warning.  In the oven they went for about 20 minutes.  They looked done. So I served them hot with butter as suggested. And well, not so good. Yes, recipe failures are normal.  I am not sure if I should call this one a failure or not. The taste was not that bad, but the consistency of the "bun" was a little gooey.

"Buns" out of the oven

So this led me to think about the taste differences between us and our 19th Century ancestors. Today we think of a bun as something light & fluffy.  I have previously made pumpkin bread that had about the same gooey heavy texture as these buns. So, maybe they were not a failure?