Very Old Cookery Book

the beer revolu

I'm not really sure where to post this thread but:
Edit: thread here and here too.
I'm going to put future drink related recipes in the Beer Wine and Spirits forum.

While reading this thread I was reminded that I own a very old cookery dictionary (1899) so I looked up Orange Brandy and found a recipe.
I always end up spending hours leafing (very carefully - condition isn't great) through this book and I thought some boardsies would be interested too so I took some photos.

Here's the cover page.



And here's the Orange Brandy recipes



There's loads of stuff in this. There's principals of cookery including chapters wine, beer, coffee, tea, management etc. and then thousands of recipes.
I find it fascinating and I will post more if people are interested.
I'm pretty sure there is no copyright issue here due to its age.


Anyway here's the first instalment.
I'll only post more if people are interested as there is a bit of work in photographing, resizing and posting everything.
If anyone has requests for any old recipes, do ask.

baby and crumble

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH!

I'm the OP from the other thread, and this is really interesting, to me anyway! I'd say keep 'em coming, OP!

Ophiopogon

That is cool, my oldest cookbook is from the 70's but I love looking through it. It's great for recipes of using all parts of an animal as well as just simple, cheap meals.

Don't like brandy though so looking forward to more installments.

the beer revolu

Ophiopogon wrote: »

Don't like brandy though so looking forward to more installments.

How about a Gin Sling - Drink through a reed!

dancingqueen

this book looks awesome!!! Can you post each page

the beer revolu

I thought what they had to say about curry pretty interesting :

Honey-ec

I do love a good calf's-head curry, me...

Darkginger

Oh wow - please, please do some more of these, they're fascinating. Just think - in 1899 they were better at making curries than we were in the 1960s (erm, and 70s and 80s, maybe!).

"As a spice, ginger is best suited for persons of relaxed habit". This is wonderful stuff!

chucken1

Honey-ec wrote: »

I do love a good calf's-head curry, me...

I was just going to say that.

9000 recipies...my idea of heaven :cool:

the beer revolu

Honey-ec wrote: »

I do love a good calf's-head curry, me...

chucken1 wrote: »

I was just going to say that.

9000 recipies...my idea of heaven :cool:

Well as you both asked!



and so you know how to carve it properly:

the beer revolu

Darkginger wrote: »

Oh wow - please, please do some more of these, they're fascinating. Just think - in 1899 they were better at making curries than we were in the 1960s (erm, and 70s and 80s, maybe!).

"As a spice, ginger is best suited for persons of relaxed habit". This is wonderful stuff!

And knew more about brewing good coffee !!

chucken1

Yum Yum calf head :pac:

Im vegetarian. anything there for me?

the beer revolu

chucken1 wrote: »

Yum Yum calf head :pac:

Im vegetarian. anything there for me?

Ok , here's the Principles Vegetable Chapter

The Sweeper

The bit about the smell of green water down the sink had me in stitches.

This is ace. Any old-time dessert recipes?

the beer revolu

The Sweeper wrote: »

The bit about the smell of green water down the sink had me in stitches.

This is ace. Any old-time dessert recipes?

There are hundreds of dessert recipes!

How about some trifle and treacle?

chucken1

Well now I know why I put the spuds in cold water to cook!
Must remember about the green water though

This is excellent,keep em coming

Oh...what about Christmas dinner??

Fajitas!

That's pretty great! Particularly interested in the beer, coffee and game recipes!

The brewing guide you posted on the Tea & Coffee section was great.

Ophiopogon

The gin sling actually does look good... although with a wine glass full of gin I'd be on the floor after a couple of them but sure.

Just on the calfs head thing I do remember seeing a recipe that called for brain sauce...yum.

Anything on starters or dinner party planning?

the beer revolu

Ophiopogon wrote: »

Anything on starters or dinner party planning?

Again, there's probably a few thousand starters. Here's the chapter on Entreés.

the beer revolu

chucken1 wrote: »

Well now I know why I put the spuds in cold water to cook!
Must remember about the green water though

This is excellent,keep em coming

Oh...what about Christmas dinner??

No Christmas dinner as such but how about some cake and pudding?

the beer revolu

Fajitas! wrote: »

That's pretty great! Particularly interested in the beer, coffee and game recipes!

The brewing guide you posted on the Tea & Coffee section was great.

Ok some beer soup and some very interesting stuff on porter and a few hops recipes.

Faith

The pictures in those last 3 posts aren't working for me .

the beer revolu

Faith wrote: »

The pictures in those last 3 posts aren't working for me .

Me neither. I think it's a problem with wthax

I've tried reposting them but they come up the same.

Edit: Dunno what was going on there - posted twice last night with no success but works fine today but I did nothing different!

sponge_bob

jesus thats deadly stuff alltogether ted:D
keep them coming

you should probably look into getting each page laminated so as they don't get damaged anymore. would be a shame if it were to disintegrate.
lovely to see how they prepared and cooked food back in the day.

kerash

would there be a recipe for Cinnamon sauce by any chance?

the beer revolu

sponge_bob wrote: »

jesus thats deadly stuff alltogether ted:D
keep them coming

you should probably look into getting each page laminated so as they don't get damaged anymore. would be a shame if it were to disintegrate.
lovely to see how they prepared and cooked food back in the day.

What all 1200 odd pages:eek:

the beer revolu

kerash wrote: »

would there be a recipe for Cinnamon sauce by any chance?

There just might be.
Specific requests are good;)

JohnK

I wonder would some organisation like Google be interested in scanning it for their online archive? They might be willing to give you hi-res scans of the book for yourself

the beer revolu

JohnK wrote: »

I wonder would some organisation like Google be interested in scanning it for their online archive? They might be willing to give you hi-res scans of the book for yourself

Well a bit of research tells me that there are copies of it in the London, Edinburgh and Oxford museums.
Also seen ones on Ebay in good nick selling for £50 or so.
Not particularly rare or valuable (except to me). Think I'll just enjoy it as it is !

the beer revolu

Fajitas! wrote: »

That's pretty great! Particularly interested in the beer, coffee and game recipes!

The brewing guide you posted on the Tea & Coffee section was great.

There are 9 pages on venison - seemed a sham to leave any out.
Any other game? - let me know.



















Phew!!

Eviledna

TheBeer, you're only a star, this is really fascinating. Thanks for all the effort!

Now see this is only going to fuel my obsession with old cookery books...sure who needs to buy food when you've got recipes to read?

The Black Oil

This is great. If only there was nostalgia like this on our screens. Some Dick Warner of chef world bringing old cookery books back to life.

Thanks for sharing.

Cardinal Richelieu

Black Oil wrote: »

This is great. If only there was nostalgia like this on our screens. Some Dick Warner of chef world bringing old cookery books back to life.

Thanks for sharing.

The BBC did touch upon some of these old recipe books in the Victorian Farm series.

Another book to look out for is Farmhouse Kitchen from Yorkshire TV. While the show is from the 70s-80s, often viewers would write in with family recipes handed down by the generations which were then published in the Farmhouse Cookery Books. No nonsense cooking!:)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7M8ljDl9B4

barnacle

the beer revolu wrote: »

No Christmas dinner as such but how about some cake and pudding?

Made the 1st christmas pudding recipe there today. Makes 8 liters of pudding :O will throw up a pic later. Very very expensive to make in that quantity

Fajitas!

The beer revolu, that's absolutely fantastic stuff - Thanks for posting it!!

FTGFOP

Oooh I've got a request. Muffins (as in for toasting) and Crumpets.

the beer revolu

FTGFOP wrote: »

Oooh I've got a request. Muffins (as in for toasting) and Crumpets.

Crumpets, Muffins and Pikelets

FTGFOP

Thanks, TBR. That's a good reference to have.

they are rather like a blanket soaked in butter; and are nearly as indigestible

Thought that was funny. I have more love for crumpets than she does.

emeraldstar

FTGFOP wrote: »

they are rather like a blanket soaked in butter; and are nearly as indigestible

Thought that was funny. I have more love for crumpets than she does.

Anything hot and buttery can only be utterly loveable!

the beer revolu

FTGFOP wrote: »

Thanks, TBR. That's a good reference to have.

they are rather like a blanket soaked in butter; and are nearly as indigestible

Thought that was funny. I have more love for crumpets than she does.

That was the bit that stuck out for me too!

Keep the requests coming everyone - I'll eventually have the whole book photographed!