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…
Bread raised with what is known to bakers as a “sponge,” requires more time and a trifle more work than the simpler form. But it keeps fresh longer, is softer and more nutritious, and a second-rate brand of flour thus treated produces a better loaf than when mixed up with yeast and water only. Sponge-making is therefore, an important if not an essential accomplishment in a cook, be she novice or veteran. INFORMATION FROM 1800s COOKBOOKS TO MAKE A BREAD…
People in the 1800s usually ate a hearty breakfast because they worked hard physically. And they didn’t waste any food, either. Food left over from the night before was often used for breakfast. Most recipes in cookbooks from this time were vague, only had general directions, and assumed you knew how to heat your wood stove or fireplace to the proper temperature. INFORMATION BELOW FROM 1800s COOKBOOKS DURING the early part of the autumn, and indeed until late in the…
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…