HFF 5.4: First Fruits

The Challenge: First Fruits

The Recipe: Apple Fritters from the Royal Baker and Pastry Cook

The Date/Year and Region: New York, 1902

How Did You Make It: I started by pealing and cutting up the singular apple [at 1/4 scale, because I'm still leery of fritters]. I cut it into quarters as directed, but then decided to divide thre of them into smaller slices, since I personally don't like chunky apple in pastries. I set the apples to soak in 1/4 cup of sweet white wine (moscato) with 2 Tablespoons of sugar, and some grated nutmeg (replacing the nutmeg extract).  I let these soak for about an hour, then melted some lard on the stove top while I made up the "plain fritter batter" right above the apple fritter recipe. This is the same one I used for the filet of eggs, and again used it on a half-scale. I mixed together 1/2 cup flour, 1/4 teaspoon baking powder, and 1/8 teaspoon salt; then beat together 1 egg with 1/2 cup milk; and finally mixed the wet and dry ingredients, stirring to make a smooth batter. I then dipped the apple slices in the batter, and fried them in the lard. I sprinkled granulated sugar over the fritters before eating them.

Time to Complete: About 5 minutes to prep the apples, an hour to soak them (should have been 4), and then another 5-10 minutes mixing up the batter while the lard heated up. Approximately 20 minutes to cook.

Total Cost: All ingredients were on hand, so I didn't tally the cost.

How Successful Was It?: Better than I feared, but not really worth the work. The thinner slices cooked all the way through, and were alright. The quarter-apple was still hard in the center, which I do not like in my apple pastries (pie apple should be thinly sliced, not left in thick cubes!). I ate several of the fritters, but the egg-flavor of the batter was still quite strong, which made these a little weird at times with the sugar/fruit/nutmeg flavors. I didn't really taste the wine, but that might have been because I didn't soak the apple slices as long as I should have.

How Accurate Is It?: I didn't source an era-appropriate wine or heritage apple to use, and already noted my substitutions with the fresh ground nutmeg instead of extract, and slicing the apples thinner. Also, I probably I just need to find someone who can teach me how to make fritters.

Apple Fritters: Not Worth the Effort

HFF 5.3: Keep It Simple

The Challenge: Keep it simple.

The Recipe: Squash, another way (stewed) 

The Date/Year and Region: New York, 1866

How Did You Make It: Peeled one butternut squash, removed the seeds, and cut the squash into pieces. Boiled the squash until soft, then stewed it in butter with parsley, nutmeg, salt and pepper.

Time to Complete: ~30 minutes total

Total Cost: $0 [Was gifted a squash and needed to do something with it]

How Successful Was It?: Perfectly palatable. I'm not sure how often I'll make this, but it's a nice little recipe for when I have squash to use, or need another vegetable-based side dish for a dinner.

How Accurate Is It?: It's certainly simple, so the most I can say for accuracy could be improved by using appropriate heirloom squash. [Which I certainly tried to grow this year, without success.] I ended up making this a second time before posting it, using an unknown-variety of squash, and cooking it on a period-style woodstove. Even without the nutmeg and parsley that time (pure oversight), it proved an adequate little dish.

Original: 16th Century Waistcoat

 In honor the Faire I'd be attending but for the plague, a 16th century woman's waistcoat:

Embroidered linen waistcoat, 16th century, Art Institute of Chicago

The description says it's a plain-woven linen with silk and metallic (silver) embroidery. I suspect from the wings over the sleeves, that it's from the end of the century. I would love to get a closer look at those gusset seams (are they corded or just embroidered?).