Ox-tail in cooking refers to the tail of cattle. An ox-tail can weigh weigh 7 to 8 pounds, is jointed and bony, and each section has some marrow in the center. When sold, it is skinned and cut into short sections. Ox-tail is rich in gelatin and takes a long time to cook; therefore, it’s usually used for soups, braising, or stews. You could also use a pressure cooker if you wanted to save time. INFORMATION BELOW FROM 1800s COOKBOOKS OX-TAIL Cut…
You may have recently heard of eating “nose to tail,” meaning to eat the whole animal, not just cuts of muscle meat like we usually see at grocery stores. These parts of the animal are usually called “offal,” which includes the intestines, liver, heart, lung, kidneys, brain, etc. In the 1800s, there were many recipes for cooking brain, usually beef brain. But brain from other animals can be used. INFORMATION BELOW FROM 1800s COOKBOOKS TO PREPARE BRAINPut the brain in…
When I was young, the fruitcakes my mother bought were in round tins. They had small, red, green, and yellow hard square pieces of something in them, which I didn’t like. I don’t know what they were, but I doubt they were actual fruit. I’ve since eaten homemade fruitcake, and liked it. Most commercially-made fruitcakes are alcohol-free, but traditionally, some fruitcake recipes included alcohol; both for the flavor and as a preservative. That way, fruitcake could be made months ahead…
In the 1800s, rice was grown in the states of South Carolina, Georgia and Louisiana. Of course quick-cooking “minute” rice or packaged rice mixes weren’t available yet. Recipes below include Rice with Cheese, Rice with Cabbage and Cheese, Rice-Water, Rice Croquettes, Rice Soufflé, and Rice Milannaise. INFORMATION BELOW FROM 1800s COOKBOOKS TO BOIL RICE Wash half a pound of rice in water and drain it. Put it in a saucepan with one quart of broth taken from the top of the…
Cooks in the 1800s often made soup stock and used it for a base, adding various ingredients. Making homemade soup was a necessary skill because commercially prepared soups weren’t readily available until 1869. That’s when Joseph Campbell and Abraham Anderson began a company to produce canned foods (including soups). This was certainly a convenience! INFORMATION BELOW FROM 1800s COOKBOOKS White stock is an especially nice broth having a delicate flavor, made from veal and fowl. If allowed to remain…
Celery is valuable for its mineral salts and bulk. The chief use of celery is as a relish when it is eaten raw, but it is also valuable for flavoring soups and making salads, pickles, and various other dishes. When celery is in season and can be purchased at a reasonable price, it should be cooked to give variety to the diet. INFORMATION BELOW FROM 1800s COOKBOOKS BAKED CELERY Cut two bunches of celery, the best stalks only, into inch-lengths,…
A canape is half of a sandwich. Slices of bread are cut into fancy shapes, toasted or quickly fried in hot oil, or they may be spread with butter and browned in a quick oven. One slice only is used for each canape. The mixture is spread on top, the top garnished, and the canape used at once. INFORMATION BELOW FROM 1800s COOKBOOKS Cold canapes are placed always among the appetizers and served before the soup. They are made of…
When I was a child, my mother bought small cans of potted meat and spread it on bread to make sandwiches. I didn’t think much of it at the time, but I should buy some to try again, or make my own. In the days before electric refrigeration, if meat couldn’t be eaten right away, it had to preserved somehow. One way of preserving meat was by potting it. Essentially, to pot meat, cook it, cut in small pieces, pound…