Historical Food Fortnightly Challenge #9: Mock Food

This is late, but it couldn't be prevented - we've had no internet service for over a week! I did actually do the cooking and the photography on time, just couldn't do my write up.

So what exactly is a "mock food"?

Basically, something edible intend to mimic something else edible, either in taste or appearance.

And why would you want a "mock"food?

Maybe the real thing was just too expensive; mock turtle soup was created in the mid-18th century as a cheaper imitation of green turtle soup.  It often used such as calf's head or a calf's foot to duplicate the texture and flavor of the originals turtle meat.

Substitutes in times of scarcity might be needed, for instance, during the Civil War in the southern states, coffee was seldom procurable and when it was available, was outrageously expensive. People tried a variety of "alternates", including acorn, chicory and okra coffees.

Faux food was/is often created for religious or other ethical reasons, such as the fake meat served at Lent throughout the ages.

I was able to find many, many receipts for mock foods in mid-19th century cook books; almost all had examples of mock turtle soup, but not having ready access to a calf's head (ewww!), that wasn't an option.

I also found numerous listings for mock oysters; I was very tempted by those, but again was limited by ingredient availability - no fresh corn right now. I may have to try them this summer though.

Another intriguing receipt, for mock ice cream, which sounded more like a jello mold than anything else - might have to try this one at some future point also.

I had made a "Methodist" mincemeat previously (no booze) and when I came upon a recipe for mock mincemeat, I decided that was what I would try.

The Challenge: #9 Mock Food

The Recipe: No. 108. How to make Mock Mince-Pies from:

600 Miscellaneous Valuable Receipts , Worth Their Weight in Gold: A Thirty Years Collection, to which is Added Two Simple Gauging Tables, to Enable Merchants to Take Inventory of Their Stock by John Marquart

Mix 1 cup sugar, 1 cup molasses, 1 cup breadcrumbs, with 1 cup good cider-vinegar, 4 cups water and 3 eggs; add 1 cup raisins, 1 ounce cloves, 1 ounce soda. This quantity will be sufficient for 3 pies. Bake.

The Date/Year and Region: 1860 Philadelphia

How Did You Make It:

We have no need for three pies, so I cut the receipt down to a third, which resulted in enough filling for 1 modern sized pie; if I had used my period pie plates, it would have filled at least four, if not five.

I was a little worried by the amount of cloves (almost a tablespoon!), they have such a strong flavor, but they didn't overwhelm the finished pie surprisingly.

The filling foamed to an amazing height when I added the soda - I knew it would, but didn't expect quite so much!

Time to Complete: Mixed it together in just over 5 minutes, baked for 45 minutes.

Total Cost: As usual for this time of year, all pantry items used, so approximately $5.00

How Successful Was It?:

When I first opened the oven, I was sure I had burnt it to a crisp - it was VERY dark. But it wasn't burnt at all; that's just how the filling comes out.

The taste was rather interesting, not too heavy on cloves and not too sweet. The texture was also interesting, but not necessarily in a good way; sticky, lumpy, just off by modern standards. I've never actually tasted true mincemeat, but Robin assured me that it wasn't even close to the real thing, but again, it wasn't unpleasant.

How Accurate Is It?:

I totally cheated on the crust and used pre-made refrigerated pie crust purchased at the store. Everything else was fairly accurate, except for the modern pie dish and use of the electric oven.

The "Methodist" mincemeat I made a number of years ago was much better in both flavor and texture, much more nuanced.

I'm glad I made this, it was a great experiment, but I won't make it again - in fact, there are a number a squirrels with a sugar buzz running amuck in the neighborhood right now!

Historical Food Fortnightly: Challenge #7 Pretty as a Picture

I just have to start by saying EPIC FAILURE!!!!!!!!!!

Not only is NOT "Pretty as a picture", it tastes like paste!

I decided to attempt to recreate a mid-19th century molded dessert: jellies, cremes, blancmange or flummery. They are just so pretty!

However, I don't have easy access to either isinglass or calves feet to make my own gelatine, so I decided to try a flummery.

The original flummery was a kind of oatmeal broth or porridge. Over time, other grains came into use, in particular, rice - probably as the resulting flummery would be a pristine white.

The Recipe: Rice Flummery from The Female's Friend, and General Domestic Adviser: Including a Complete Alphabetical Receipt Book. Instructions in Dress Making, &c.

RICE FLUMMERY

Boil with a pint of new milk a bit of lemon-peel and cinnamon; mix with a little cold milk as much rice flour as will make the whole of a good consistence; sweeten, and add a spoonful of peach-water, or a bitter almond beaten; boil it observing it does not burn; pour it into a shape,or pint basin, taking out the spice; when cold, turn the flummery into a dish, and serve with cream, milk or custard, round, or put a tea-cupful of cream into a half a pint of new milk, a glass or white wine, half a lemon squeezed and sugar.

The Date/Year and Region: 1837 America

How Did You Make It:

I looked at many, many receipts for rice flummery; one suggested that rice ground in a hand-mill worked better than purchased rice flour. Another suggested allowing the rice and milk to soak overnight before boiling. Only one suggested using specifically "Carolina" rice.

I had several kinds of rice in the cabinet, plain white, jasmine, arborio, brown and even green; I decided to use the arborio, as the point seemed to be extract as much starch as possible.

I soaked it overnight and then boiled it, which resulted in a saucepan of goop. I strained it to remove the lemon peel, cinnamon and larger bits of ground rice.

Then into a fancy mold and the refrigerator, until well chilled. My attempts to unmold it failed utterly, so I scooped it into the bowl and surrounded it with cranberry sauce (receipt below) - I found many references to combining flummery and fruit.

Time to Complete: Hands on time, maybe 30 minutes. Complete time, 24 hours.

Total Cost: Unknown, everything came from the pantry or freezer, but probably less than $2.00.

How Successful Was It?: HORRIBLE! It looked bad and tasted worse, like lemony paste.

Will NOT be making this again. The cranberry sauce was fine.

How Accurate Is It?:  Well, my hand-mill was my blender and, of course, an electric stove and refrigerator. The choice of rice type was a guess, I've not spent any time researching 19th century rice.

Mrs. Ellis's Housekeeping Made Easy, Or, Complete Instructor in All Branches of Cookery and Domestic Economy : Containing the Most Modern and Approved Receipts of Daily Service in All Families, circa 1843, provided the following receipt for cranberry sauce.


"Cranberry Sauce.—Wash a quart of ripe cranberries, and put them into a pan with about a wine-glass full of water. Stew them slowly, and stir them frequently, particularly after they begin to burst. They require a great deal of stewing, and should be like a marmalade when done. Just before you take them from the fire, stir in a pound of brown sugar."

Historical Food Fortnightly: Challenge #5 Roasts

The Challenge: Roasts

 

The obvious direction for this challenge was meat, but I wanted to do something different. I've always enjoyed baked apples, and decided to look for roast apple receipts; I found a few, but they weren't much different from a modern recipe.

The Recipe: To Roast Apples Another Way from Practice of Cookery and Pastry, Adapted to the Business of Everyday Life by Mrs. I. Williamson

The Year and Region: 1862, United States

How Did You Make It:

"Take as many baking-apples as you require, and with an apple-corer core them half way through, beginning at the top; then fill the hole thus made with fresh butter and sugar, previously mixed together. While roasting, be sure to keep the top up in order to keep in the butter and sugar. Serve on a table-napkin".

Time to Complete: 5 minutes prep time, 30 minutes in the oven.

 

Total Cost: All ingredients on hand, approximately less than $2.00.

 

How successful Was It?

 

 

 

Quite tasty, the butter bastes the apple skin and makes it tender.

 

How Accurate Is It?

 

Granny Smith's are definitely not period correct, but were all I had - we haven't been off Island in over a month, and these were the last two apples we had in the frig. I did NOT serve these on a table-napkin.

 

As roast apples weren't really much of a challenge, I'm doing a "two-fer" again this month.

The Challenge: Roasts #2
The Recipe: To Roast Cheese from "Mrs. Hale's New Cook Book: A Practical System for Private Families in Town and Country with Direction for Carving and Arranging the Table for Parties Etc., also, Preparations of food for Invalids and for Children" by Mrs. Sarah J. Hale

The Year and Region: 1857, United States

How Did You Make It: 

 

"Mix two ounces grated cheese with the yolk of an egg, two ounces of grated bread, and about an ounce of butter; beat them in a mortar, with mustard, pepper, and salt, to a paste, which spread thickly on toast, and warm and lightly brown in a Dutch oven."

 

 

 

 

 

Time to Complete: About ten minutes prep time and 20 minutes in the oven.

Total Cost: Again, everything in the pantry or frig, maybe $1.50 total?

How Successful Was It?: It was...interesting. Not bad, but not what I expected; the paste stayed thick - I had expected it to melt and become saucier. It would make a good light supper or a nursery meal.

How Accurate Is It?: Purchased, sliced bread; I had planned on making bread, but it didn't happen. Not having a mortar, I smashed it all together with a spoon.

Found Another One!

I have a somewhat odd obsession: attempting to match surviving mid-19th century stitched artifacts to period published patterns.

And I've found another one!!!

The ubiquitous "Mrs. Jane Weaver" has presented us with a "Head-Dress for Breakfast" in the October 1864 Peterson's Magazine, described as follows:

Take a simple square of white tarleton, trim with narrow black ribbon, and pin it quite forward on the front of the head; and you have the head-dress complete. 

And I've previously created my interpretation, based on the original artifact, several years ago.

This is a case of finding something completely off topic while researching a specific topic; it seems to happen nearly every time I leaf through my Godey's and Peterson's, one of the reasons I prefer to take the time to go page by page, as opposed to doing an online search.



Here's the original artifact, the resemblance to Mrs. Jane Weaver's depiction is striking, although not identical; the maker altered the materials and colors to suit her needs.



And here's my interpretation, again altered a bit to suit my needs. Complete details here.

"At Your Service" - International Society of Experimental Artists 2015

I was very pleased to have a piece accepted into the 2015 International Society of Experimental Artists show, being held this year at the Dennos Museum Center in Traverse City, Michigan.

And, as this is my third acceptance, I've earned signature status!

My piece is titled "At Your Service". It was created for submission to the annual Manoogian museum here on Mackinac the year that the theme was People of Mackinac, but alas it was rejected for that show.

My art has many influences, but a very frequent influence is my participation in living history and the necessary research for that participation. "At Your Service" was directly inspired by a book I read called Working Stiffs: Occupational Portraits in the Age of Tintypes by Michael L. Carlebach.

I was familiar with occupational images, but had never given them a great deal of thought. The advent of inexpensive photography methods allowed working men (and women) to document their lives and their pride in their skills, often while holding the tools of their trade.. Previously, only the wealthy could document their lives via portraiture, but the new technology made it possible for a much larger portion of society.

I decided I wanted to celebrate the people of Mackinac Island who truly make this place function: the laborers.

My piece began by photographing a variety of people: a street sweeper, a plumber, a maid, a chef, a nurse, a farrier, a bike mechanic, a porter, and, yes, a fudge maker. Each is holding the tools of their trade. I used these photos to create 21st century versions of tintypes via the use of the computer - converting them to black and white and reversing the images, just as happened with the original tintypes. I asked my models to be very solemn and straightforward, just like the 19th century sitters.

 

These images were than transferred on to sheets of tin roof flashing.

Each image was mounted on an antique piece of a silver-plate tea service, which was very intentionally left tarnished; just as the concept of "service" is rather tarnished these days.

The piece is intended to hang on the wall, causing you to look the workers right in the eye.

These are the people who keep Mackinac going and it would not exist without them, please spare them some thought the next time you visit.

The show will be hanging until November 29th, if you will be in the Traverse City region, please do consider visiting.

2014 Conference Fabric - The Gentlemen's Fabric

One of the annual highlights of the Ladies & Gentlemen of the 1860's conference is the Saturday morning reveal of the "conference fabric" - each faculty member receives a piece, a dress length for the ladies and a different fabric for the men, typically enough to make a vest. It's always amazing to see how different the same fabric can look made up, depending on the choice of trims, placement, etc.

This year, the men received the above fabric - I don't remember the exact textile makeup, wool and silk? Wool and linen? 

Regardless, it had a lovely hand and was enjoyable to work with. But the big question was how to use it? Robin has several vests now, in a variety of fabrics and a vest just doesn't have as many options as does a dress.

This pattern has been floating around in my brain for several years now:

It's from Peterson's, circa 1857. No instructions are given, just the diagram. Looking at the design, it seemed to be intended for braidwork - the pattern is continuous for the most part, with few stops or starts. But I have not yet encountered an original trimmed in such a manner - so time to do some research!

First I reviewed all my photos of originals: embroidery but no braidwork. Then I started on the reference books and in Nineteenth-Century Costume Treasures published by Shippensburg University, I found my first clue - the same pattern as above, with the note that it had been previously published in the Ladies' Cabinet of Fashion (an English publication) in 1852.  

A bit of online searching, and success!

This time instructions were included:

GENTLEMAN'S WAISTCOAT, IN APPLICATION.

Materials :—Black Cloth sufficient for a Waistcoat; black Velvet, Albert Braid, and Gold Thread.

The design given is equally adapted for braiding and application. The latter term is applied (as most ladies are aware) to any sort of work in which the pattern is formed in one fabric, and laid on another, which is the ground. The edges are finished in various ways. When muslin and net are used, the edges are sewed or button-holed over; for velvet, cloth, and satin a braid of some sort is usually laid over the edge, and sewed over. The Albert braid, recently made in this country, is especially adapted for such a purpose; it looks much richer than the flat silk braidings; and when edged on each side with gold thread, it has a very rich effect.

To prepare the work, draw the pattern the full size, on bank-post paper, and mark all the outlines by pricking them, at equal distances, with a coarse needle. Place the pattern over the velvet, keeping it in its place by means of weights, and apply fine pounce all over the surface with a large flat stump. When the paper is removed, the design will be seen clearly marked on the velvet. By laying the paper on the other side, the other half of the waistcoat can be marked. As these outlines are, however, easily effaced, it will be necessary to mark them over again with a solution of flake-white and gum-water, applied with a fine sable brush.

As in all else, there is a great improvement in the mode of marking patterns of late years. These prepared patterns, with a powder which u very adhesive, and a large stump, made for the purpose, can be readily obtained. The composition of the powder is a secret; but where 'he work is to be either cut out (as in applique) or braided immediately afterwards, this powder is sufficiently adhesive to enable the worker to dispense with the second marking.

The velvet should be cut out very accurately, and with sharp fine scissors. Then fine size, made of the best glue, being slightly applied to the hack, the velvet is laid on the cloth, in its proper place. When dry, the edges are to be finished first with Albert braid, then with a gold thread laid on at each side of it.

The scrolls are worked with the braid and thread only, and the veining of the leaves are done in the same way. The ends are to be drawn through the cloth, and fastened in the back.

If the waistcoat is to be braided only, without the application, a colour different from that of the material itself may be chosen for the braid. Narrow flat silk braid, commonly known as Russian or French braid, may also be substituted for the Albert; and the gold thread may be dispensed with. The design I have given is the newest style; and the shape of the enlarges pattern very good.

As I happened to have a large spool of pale blue soutache or "Russian" braid, my decision for this particular vest was made!

I typically use the Martha McCain Simplicity vest pattern - it fits Robin well and is accurate. But a couple problems quickly became obvious - the braiding pattern did not leave space for the pockets and did not fit on the lapels.

So back to the photos of originals, and as I suspected, original embellished vests always left room for the pocket welts. So I chose to split and separate the motifs. I considered designing some type of "bridge" embroidery to connect them again, but after completing the two separate motifs, I decided it would be too busy.

As for the lapels, turning the motif upside down fixed that problem. Changing fashion, over the decade between 1852 and the mid-1860's  probably accounts for the change in lapel shape.

I put in the darts and the pockets (I loath doing welt pockets!) before starting the embroidery and stitched through the paper pattern, pulling it away later. I found a beading needle worked very well, as it's important to stay in the center ditch of the soutache braid.

I had a set of buttons in my stash that I had intended to use, but didn't like them once the embroidery was finished. So I made a set of perfectly matched to the fabric grindle buttons, tutorial available here.

And here's the final result:

The above two photos were taken during the "grand reveal". Unfortunately, we failed to take any "posed" shots - must remember to do so this summer.

I'm quite pleased with the results, although I so see all the flaws, and Robin has been sternly cautioned to avoid any spillage - those results would not be pleasant!

Moving With the Times - Battledore and Shuttlecock, Part 2

As promised, here's our experiences in creating a pair of battledores and shuttlecocks, following the instructions provided in The Boy's Own Toy-maker, published in 1854. I provided the full text in my previous post, available here.

The first step was to create the hooped top. 

The instructions called for lance-wood, a tough, heavy, elastic, straight-grained wood obtained from several different trees of the custard-apple family (Annonaceae). True lancewood, Oxandra lanceolata, of the West Indies and Guianas, furnishes most of the lancewood of commerce in the form of boat spars. Lancewood was formerly used by carriage builders for shafts. The smaller wood is used for whip handles, for the tops of fishing rods  and for various minor purposes where ever an even grained, elastic wood was desired.

We used pine, in the provided dimensions, and started by marking off the "nicks" to be cut, which allow the curve.

We discovered that it is necessary to leave an un-nicked section in the center, to prevent breakage.

First we soaked the pine strip in the tub, for about a half hour, to start the softening process:

Which then allowed us to bend it enough to fit in my largest stock pot. We allowed it to boil for 8-10 minutes.

Prior to starting, we had cut a form in our desired shape and size, again from pine. Working quickly, we removed the strip from the boiling water, lightly nailed to the form in the center and gently bent it to shape, clamping it in place.

This is what it looked like after it had dried overnight:

Next the handle was glued in place - no picture, sorry!

Then it was time to cover the hooped area in parchment - true parchment, not parchment paper.The term parchment refers to any animal skin, particularly goat, sheep, or cow, that has been scraped or dried under tension. Sourcing the parchment was the most difficult part of this whole project; I found it on eBay for $10 for a 7" x 10" sheet - the pair of battledores required for sheets.

Covering the hoops is much like covering the lid of a bandbox:

Except the the parchment should be dampened first.

I used a modern, artist product - Golden's Gel Medium to glue the parchment, but hide-glue would have been a more period adhesive.

I did one side at a time, allowing them to dry in between applying each side. Once dry, the parchment shrinks, providing a drum like tension. I then finished the edges with blue velvet ribbon and bound the handle top with black cord.

On to the shuttlecocks - a champagne cork is an excellent starting point, requiring only a bit of reshaping.

We did not have any grey goose feathers - we found a source, but they had a minimum purchase of one pound of feathers! Far more than we needed, so we substituted packaged feathers available from most craft stores. Try to pick feathers as close in size to each other as possibly for better aerodynamics.

The last step is to weight the shuttle-cock - we used a common tack, the instructions call for a short brass-headed nail. This step is very important, the shuttlecock will not fly properly without it.

One thing the period reference does not mention, is the sound produced by the shuttlecock hitting the battledore - the 2117 hits mentioned in the previous post would have driven me crazy!

Overall, these are really not at all difficult to create - the provided directions actually work, unlike some of the projects in Godey's and I anticipate them being a great deal of fun at events this summer, as well as a really good way to interact with the public.