food history
Through the Seasons – Peas
Mary Randolph, The Virginia House-Wife Peas To have them in perfection, they must be quite young, gathered early in the morning, kept in a cool place , and not shelled until they are to be dressed; put salt in the…
Easter and my special copper pot
Forty-six years ago I received this lovely Bazar Français double boiler as a gift. Over the years it has taken pride of place in my many and various kitchens (a stunning twelve moves over the years since 1966 now that…
Through the Seasons with The Virginia House-Wife: Asparagus
Mary Randolph, The Virginia House-Wife Asparagus Set a stew pan with plenty of water on the fire, sprinkle a handful of salt in it, let it boil and skim it; then put the asparagus prepared thus: scrape all the stalks…
Through the Seasons: Cauliflower
Mary Randolph, The Virginia House-Wife, pg 123 Cauliflower. Choose those that are close and white, and of a middle size, trim off the outside leaves, cut off the stalk flat at the bottom, let them lie in salt and water…
In Which Leni Journeys Through the Seasons with The Virginia House-wife: January
Over the next while I am going to continue to explore my fascination with the Mary Randolph’s cookbook. When we read her recipes we get a glimpse into the skills and daily cooking styles practiced by African American cooks/chefs in…
Illness, Archaeology, and the Garden: an update
Query: Is it an homage to the 18th century humeral notions of medicine (puke, purge, and scare the hell out of the illness) that liquid medicines are still being formulated to taste like rotten fruit mixed with pigeon shit and…