More Smock Repair

Faire would be starting this weekend, so I did some much-neglected repair work on my other smock (removing the sleeves and felling the raw side seams). While I don't find felling the interior seams necessary to comfort (the usual reason I hear for doing so), linen just tends to ravel along the cut edges over time. At one point I overcast much of these seam allowances (which did keep things together), but when a hole recently developed along one underarm gusset, it was time to secure everything more permanently and neatly.

Not much to look at, but still feeling accomplished
(= a good 90" of running and felling).

HFF 4.15: Tea Party

The Challenge: Tea Party-- A delicate refection for teatime, and/or party food.

The Recipe: To Make Wigs from Mrs. Corwen's American Lady's Cookery Book (page 289)

The Date/Year and Region: American, 1866

How Did You Make It: I made this no a 1/3 scale, with 1 1/6 lb flour, 1/4 lb butter, 1/3 lb sugar, 1/6 nutmeg (grated), 1/3 tsp ground ginger, [1 egg (beaten very light)], 1/3 gill baker's yeast, and 1/3 teacup brandy, enough warm milk to make a dough. Not having baker's yeast, I put 3 1/4 tsp of active dry yeast into 1/4 cup warm water and let it start to wake up. 

Per the instructions, I started out by rubbing the butter into the flour until it was worked into small pieces ('like grated bread'), then added the sugar and seasonings, and when they seemed well-mixed, make a well in the center and added the yeast-water and brandy (forgetting the egg 'beaten very light' that should have been included). As I worked those in, I added milk to make a smooth dough, and let it rise 2 hours 'in a warm place' (the oven, on its 100F "bread proof" setting).  

It has risen nicely in that time, so I shaped it gently into 8 fairly large rolls (6-8 in the instructions), brushed the tops with milk and egg white, and baked them for 25-30 minutes at 375F. The rolls browned very quickly, so I pulled them just before the half hour to avoid burning. The very of some of the rolls was a touch soft still, so next time I'd try leaving them in the oven for the fulll half-hour.

[Yeast math: 1 gill = 1/2 cup, 1/3 gill ~ 8 tsp; 8 tsp baker's yeast compares to ~3.2 tsp active dry yeast]

Time to Complete: ~3 hours

Total Cost: Uncertain, ingredients all on hand

How Successful Was It?: Tasty, and with good, light texture. I didn't really notice the sugar when I was eating the wigs, but the nutmeg and ginger came through with a delicate but distinct flavor. The texture and appearance was that of plain rolls, and I could see them working very well with jam, and possibly even with cheese/meat/savory relishes (if my brain can get past associating the ginger and nutmeg with sweets). At any rate, the wigs were very tasty served hot with butter, and remained palatable cold the next day without (they didn't get stale overnight). Overall, they reminded me a lot of hot cross buns, but less sweet and a bit lighter. 

How Accurate Is It?: I forgot the egg, but otherwise think I followed the recipe fairly closely. As usual, I ended up substituting active dry yeast for baker's yeast, and using skim milk.

Wigs: Light, Tasty Rolls With A Hint of Spice.

Bonus Original: Plaid Boots c.1860

It's not the first of the month, but these are too fabulous not to share.

Plaid low-heeled boot, c. 1860. From Cora Ginsburg.

I can't decide whether it's the bright red of the plaid or the fringe that has stolen my heart (both, it's both). I think I need to try making another pair of plaid shoes...

Summer Tea Party for One

Summer Tea Table for One

"Let a pure white cloth be neatly laid; let the tray be covered with a white napkin; and on it, as for breakfast, the sugar, cream, and slop basin containing, the spoons and the cups and saucers within them. Let it be placed in the middle of one side or at one end. Put around the tables as many small plates as may be wanted, with a small knife in front of each, or at its side; at the other end or side, opposite the tray, let the dish of ripe or stewed fruit be set, with a large spoon and a pile of small saucers in front or at the side of it. On either side, at some little distance from it, let there be plates, with bread sliced about the eighth of an inch in thickness; or let one dish be of hot wigs, or rusk, or tea biscuit. Let a fine mould of butter occupy the centre of the table; let its knife be beside it; and on each side a small plate, the one with cold meat, ham, or tongue, sliced thin, (and a fork to help it; ) the other with sliced cheese, or a fresh pot-cheese. A pitcher of ice-water with small tumblers surrounding it, may occupy one corner, and a basket or plate of cake the other.  

Or a glass-dish of custard may occupy the place mentioned for the fruit and it (the fruit) be distributed in small saucers, with fine white sugar heaped on the centre of each, and placed upon each plate : this gives the table a very pretty appearance. Or, the custard baked in small cups, may occupy the places of the saucers of fruit. 

Smoked beef, chopped thin, or Bologna sausages, sliced, may be served at tea ; also, cheese this may be sliced or grated."

--Mrs. Crowen's American Lady's Cookery Book (1866)

HFF 4.14: Fresh Start

The Challenge:  Fresh Start: Half-way through the year, make something 'fresh'. If you've fallen behind on challenges, take this as a chance to re-start.

The Recipe: Cucumbers in German Style from Mrs. Shaw's Receipt Book and Housekeeper's Assistant (page 61)

The Date/Year and Region: 1878, Portland, Maine

How Did You Make It: I did this one on a quarter scale (still cooking for one, and wasn't sure I'd like it).

I sliced half a cucumber and set the pieces to soak in white vinegar with salt. I forgot about it, so it ended up soaking for 8 hours rather than 1 hour. Fries the slices in ~1 Tbsp butter, added 1 Tbsp flour, then 1/2 cup broth; turned down the heat from medium to low, then added the yolk of 1 egg, and 1/8 tsp each of sugar, salt, and pepper, along with ~ 1/4 tsp of fresh parsley, then brought the mixture back up to a boil.

Time to Complete: Less cucumber curing time, about 15 minutes.

Total Cost: All items on hand, so unsure.

How Successful Was It?: Not successful. It tastes like vinegar. Hopefully this was just because the cucumber soaked too long, but...vinegar. It didn't even have even enough salt (or any dill) to make a nice pickle flavor. The sauce worked texture-wise (I had worried about the egg yolk), but it might have been a little bland. I honestly couldn't tell that for certain, because the vinegar-cucumber taste so predominated. I couldn't even decide if the combination of 'hot + cucumber' was too unusual for my tastes, because of the overwhelming vinegar.

The cucumber pieces got very soft as they cooked, so if I try making this again, I'll need to remember to be very gentle with stirring and plating the cucumbers. 

How Accurate Is It?: I'm still not entirely sure that the egg yolk was meant to be raw rather than boiled and crushed (as I've seen in a few salad dressing recipes), but by stirring it in fast while the broth was between boilings, it managed to get incorporated without leaving chunks of solid yolk in the sauce.

German-style cucumbers, 1878

HFF 4.13: Summer Sun

The Challenge: Summer Sun. Try a food suitable for summer, or involving the sun.

The Recipe: Summer Salad (#1754) from Warne's Model Cookery and House-Keeping Book

The Date/Year and Region: 1879, London

How Did You Make It: I started by making some terragon vinegar (small hand full of fresh terragon in ~2 Tbsp of white wine vinegar, left overnight to steep).

Next, I boiled two small beets and three eggs. While those cooked, I started on the salad "mixture"/dressing. Since the receipt gave a choice of salad mixture/dressing, I opted for #1745, which is an oil and vinegar combination. [#1747 is nigh identical to the one from Beeton's chicken salad, so I'm sure it would be lovely here as well.] I combined 3 Tbsp of olive oil ("salad oil") with 1/2 Tbsp each of the terragon vinegar and plain white wine vinegar, then added 1 tsp of salt and a pinch of ground black pepper. I poured this into the bottom of the salad bowl. 

I then washed and chopped half of a head of green lettuce, 1 bunch of mustard greens, and a generous handful of watercress. I also sliced two small radishes and mixed them with the greens, and placed them all in the bowl, mixed together.

*Since it didn't specify radish greens, I thought I'd finally found a 19th century recipe that uses the root rather than the pods or greens. Having made this, I think the greens were actually meant.

I cut up some leftover chicken breast and piled it in the center of the greens.I then sliced half of a cucumber, as well as the boiled eggs and beets, and arranged them around the top. I finished by garnishing with borage flowers. 

Time to Complete: Excluding the vinegar steeping, about 30 minutes, including boiling the eggs and beets.

Total Cost: Don't want to think about it. I bought greens (since I wasn't making this as a demo in the middle of a historic kitchen garden), and it was pricey.

How Successful Was It?: Perfectly adequate salad. It reminds me a lot of the salad I usually make from Beeton's, so I found it interesting to try a slightly different take on it. In a way, I think it's helping me to understand how a period chicken salad works and what components are considered to go well together. Here, instead of endive or nasturtiums, the cress and mustard are taking the 'spicy kick' role, while the lettuce/chicken/egg/cucumber/boiled beet remains the same.

The oil and vinegar dressing was perfectly fine, though I think I prefer the version with cayenne and mustard mixed in. Putting it the bottom mostly worked for getting the dressing on the lettuce when served, but there were dry spots.

I think I prefer the golden beets to the red for these sorts of things, and that I'm not a huge fan of the mustard greens (cress is ok, nasturtium is better). The borage was pretty and tastes a lot like cucumber and was still used in salad in the 19th century, so I figured it was an adequate 'vegetable flower' option. 

How Accurate Is It?: I didn't get heirloom vegetables, and the salad is basically just prettily arranged vegetables, so using heirloom varieties is worth exploring in the future. I already noted my reasons for using borage, and while I didn't look up the terragon vinegar specifically, other flavored vinegar recipes I've seen are basically "soak X in vinegar for so many days, then remove the plant and bottle the vinegar." The type of vinegar was not specified, so I choice to use the white wine version.

The tricky process of making flavored vinegar.

Summer salad, c.1879.

July 4th

What, to the Modern Black American, is the 4th of July?

I had the privilege of hearing Cheney McKnight present at the final Ladies and Gentlemen of the 1860s conference back in 2018. Her work continues to impress and inspire me.

Original: First Empire Hat, c.1811

Hat, French, c.1811. From the Met.

This hat is perfect. I love the contrasting colors, the helmet shape with tiny brim, the plume-like fabric rosettes, and especially that chin-strap. It's trying so hard to be a military hat, and makes me want to assemble a Regency/Empire-themed marching band. I very much want to see hats like this appear in more Jane Austen adaptations: it's just too much, and I love it.