Being mildly obsessed with all things Georgian/Regency at present (I should never read Jane Austen), while also planning for once to stick by my plan of a homemade Christmas, I have discovered The Complete Confectioner, written by Hannah Glass and Maria Wilson in about 1800. I believe that Mrs Glass was something of a celebrity chef in her day. Yesterday I tried Orange Bomboons. Essentially, they are sugar and orange zest melted together in a heavy saucepan, left to cool and then cut into whatever shape you like. I am not thrilled with the result but my tasting team here (the DH, Mum and Dad) have pronounced them to be very good. Perhaps they are just being nice to me! Anyway, if you care to take a look - http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Complete_Confectioner_%281800%29
The wonderful Supersizers team (Giles Coren and Sue Perkins) also went Regency...(and by the way if you are not strong of stomach, do not watch the segment with the cheese)...
Images above and below from http://supergraphicstratergies.wordpress.com/
I am quite in love with 1970s interiors at the moment. I have been finding 70s interior design magazine here and there on my op-shopping travels and rather than being slightly alarmed and revolted by the 70s as people now tend to be, I find them quite inspiring. I was thinking about this last night as I flicked through the 1973 edition of Simplicity's Sew-it-all for the Home. What is it that I love about these rooms? Am I simply being wooed by familiarity since I am a child of the 70s? No, I realised that I love the way they used colour and pattern with complete abandon. And, surprisingly, not (often) to bad effect. The rooms are warm, interesting, inviting and full of life. No restrained minimalist whites and greys here. Oh no. The repeated use of one colour or one pattern in a room is especially great.
Image from http://houseofhackney.com
Image from http://supergraphicstratergies.wordpress.com/
Image from http://weloveit.com
Image from http://britishblogs.co.uk [though I don't think this room is a 70s original]
In this clip from Supersizers go: Seventies, Giles and Sue talk about exactly this idea in relation to 70s food - there was a sort of wonderful exuberance to it but an endearing, characterful exuberance, not the ugly excess of the 80s.
We are enjoying some exuberant weather here at the moment with bright sunshine, clear blue skies and soothing warm sun (as well as quite fierce gusts of spring wind). For some reason, it put me in mind of this cheerful song...from the 70s.
Lots of baking over the weekend. First up, this lovely fudge from Tiny Happy (http://tinyhappy.typepad.com/). So easy.
200-250 g dark chocolate 1/2 tin of condensed milk 2 tsps vanilla extract
Line baking tin with waxed baking paper. Combine chocolate and condensed milk in a double boiler (I used the microwave to melt the chocolate and then added the condensed milk afterwards). Stir continuously. When chocolate is melted, remove from heat and add vanilla extract. Pour into baking tray. Set for 1-2 hours. Cut into squares.
Thanks Melissa at Tiny Happy!
And then I made Elizabethan Fine Cakes. They are surprisingly good. I am always a little sceptical about very old recipes, thinking that things (ingredients, implements) have changed so much, there is not a huge chance of them turning out ok. These have changed my mind. I found them just by googling after having watched The Supersizers Go Elizabethan and feeling that I fancied some Elizabethan sweeties. This recipe is from http://www.seatofmars.com/index.htm
6 ounces of butter (1 and half sticks) at room temperature Half a cup of sugar 1 egg yolk - beaten 1 and three quarter cups of sifted flour Half a teaspoon of mace (can be replaced with nutmeg) A Pinch of ground saffron (can be replaced with tumeric) Egg white
1) In a bowl cream the butter. Add the sugar and beat until fluffy. 2) Add the egg yolk and beat until thoroughly blended. 3) In another bowl combine sifted flour and spices stirring to distribute evenly. 4) Sift dry ingredients into a bowl containing butter and sugar mixture. Combine by stirring with your hands. 5) Press mixture into a 9 inch square baking pan. 6) Bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes or until the cake feels firm when pressed lightly in the center. 8) Cut into squares while the cake is still hot. 9) Cool in pan on wire rack. Yields 25 small cakes
If you can find what the egg white is used for, let me know. I couldn't! Of course, not all Elizabethan food may be worth revisiting...
