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…
It took more time and work to make sandwiches in the 1800s. People often made their own bread but they could also buy it from markets and bakeries if they could afford it. However, it wasn’t until 1928 that bread was pre-sliced by machine. And although people sometimes used jelly and marmalade for sweet tasting sandwiches, they usually used dried or fresh fruit and nuts, which took more time to prepare. INFORMATION BELOW FROM 1800s COOKBOOKS Sandwiches that have fruit…
Homemade stuffing was a great way to use up stale bread and other ingredients and provided a nice dish to accompany poultry. The recipes below will give you some good ideas for stuffings, and you can make changes to suit your taste. INFORMATION BELOW FROM 1800s COOKBOOKS It is necessary to know the difference between fowls and birds. A fowl always leads its young ones to the meat and a bird carries the meat to its young. So our common…
Settlers from Europe brought gingerbread recipes to the U.S. colonies. Molasses cost much less than sugar and became a common ingredient. American Cookery, the first American cookbook, published in 1796, contained seven different recipes for gingerbread. Since there is so much variation in the different woods used in a wood burning stove, cookbooks usually just said to use a slow, moderate, or quick oven. And cooking times weren’t always provided, since they weren’t very accurate. But old recipes are still interesting…
When I was young, my mother only made biscuits that came in a can. I’ve since eaten real homemade biscuits, and I can sure tell a difference. There were no canned biscuits or boxed mixes in the 1800s, though. Biscuits, breads, and other bakery items were made from scratch. INFORMATION BELOW FROM 1800s COOKBOOKS BISCUITS The word biscuit means twice baked, from the old way of cooking the cakes which is now no longer in use. Plain biscuits are said…
When I was growing up, we mostly ate buttered toast, Raisin Bran and Cheerios cold cereal before we went to school. On weekends, my mother usually cooked eggs, French toast, or pancakes. Now, as an adult, I like bacon or sausage with eggs, adding cheese, chopped green onion and mushrooms if I have it. But I’ll eat anything, even leftovers from lunch or dinner. In the 1800s, people often ate eggs for breakfast if they had them, and most of…
“Never waste stale bread, as it may be used to advantage in many ways. The economical housewife carefully inspects the contents of her bread box every morning before planning her meals for the day.” INFORMATION BELOW FROM 1800s COOKBOOKS SAVORY FRIED BREAD Cut slices of stale home-made bread about half an inch thick. Soak the slices in a rich, well seasoned vegetable stock until nearly saturated with it, but don’t allow them to become too soft. Then dip them in…