Saliere ou Poivriere

Just in from France on the Spring canoes …Item 30 [Planche II, Diderot, attelier de fayancerie.] Une saliere ou poivriere à l'usage des tables, faite pour contenir l'un & l'autre. A salt box or pepper plate used at table, made to contain both.

Cabarets - a footed tray

Footed trays were called cabarets and were used in the service of coffee, tea and chocolate. The Chocolate Girl, Jean-Etienne Liotard, 1745 Le bon usage du thé, du caffé et du chocolat,Blegny, Nicolas de (1643?-1722), p.168.

The Way of Ordering a Dessert or Regalio

A Banquet of Sweet-meats is said to be dress'd upon a Level, when disposed of upon China-dishes, and Machines made of Wood, or Osier-twigs, having a great Board in the middle, in form of a Square, or Hexagon, … or else it may be fill'd with altogether with China-dishes; that in the middle being rais'd higher than the others; upon which several small Pyramids are to be erected, of an exact Proporti

Chopped Meat Pie - The Beginning of Tourtière

Another manner of making a chopped meat torte. Choose the flesh of calf or capon, or another good Meat, remove the skin, the nerve, & the bones, then chop this flesh well & fine, & pound in a mortar; add there a little fresh cheese, & as much old cheese which is rasped or cut very finely, add approximately six well beaten eggs, & as much as needed ox marrow, or fat which is cut thinly, mix these

Serving Plates

A dish of hors-d'oeuvre used at table, funished internally with roots or other artificial similar things, among which one intersperses some natural [foods]. Diderot, Fayencerie, Ouvrages, Pl. III, Fig. 55: Un plat de hors- d'oeuvre à l'usage des tables, garni intérieurement de racines ou autres choses semblables artificielles, parmi lesquelles on en mêle de naturelles. It would appear that our mo

Blanket Prizes - Copper Cup Classic Invitational

Michigan Treenware was pleased to be included in prize choices for the annual Copper Cup Classic Invitational shooting match at the Eastern Primitive Rendezvous. Two of our small cherry bowls/trenchers were purchased by participants as their contribution on the blanket.****Image Source Granny Lin

18thC Reproduction Pewter Cutlery

David Ledoyen's beautiful reproduction cutlery/utensils as seen in Diderot's Encyclopedie.

Reproductions for Reenactments

A poêlon is a ceramic frying-pan, a smaller version of a poêle documented in Diderot on the section on faïence and as seen in Chardin's painting, Poêlon et Oeufs, 1733. This is a reproduction by Michel Nichol, Collection Nouvelle-France, made for my friend, Sarah.

Plum Tarte

A little crackling crust and a custard of eggs, sugar and cream to bake the few plums I could find this year … miam, miam.

Pets de Putain, de Nonne & Old Farts

Since mostly men wrote cookbooks of old, I assume the scandalous names of Pets de Putain [farts of a whore 17thC] or Pets de Nonne [farts of a Nun 18thC] can be chalked up to little boy humor, AKA old farts. They've even titled a lovely jacket or demi-robe as Pet-en-l'air [fart in the air]. Bad jokes aside, these tender and crusty pastries are a real treat.Farts of whore.Make your fritter paste st

Butterflied Chickens - Poulets en chauvres-souris

I can understand how one could see these flattened whole chickens as Bats--today we call it butterflied, spatchcock [if the breast bone is removed, not just flattened].Butterflied Chickens. You have hen chickens which you draw [disembowel] and clean [pluck and singe], the head above the stomach, the legs on the inside, you beat them & break the large [breast] bone, put them in a pan with oil, swee

Campain-oven or Toutière

The Campain-oven is a portable Oven made of red Copper, three or four Inches igh, of a convenient length, and raised a little upon Feet, so that a Fire may be kindled underneath, as occasion requires: The Cover or Lid of it ought to have Ledges, to hold Fire likewise, when it is necessary to put some on the top, or on both sides: This Cover must be taken off from time to time, to see whether that

Asperges confites. Pickled Asparagus

Hors d'œuvre were such a popular appetizer in the 18thC that special faïence plates were created for their service. Here you see an interpretation of the plate[*] from Diderot's Encyclopaedie, 1762-1777. Pickled asparaguses. Take smallest; cut the white; & cut them in several pieces. Have coarsely crushed salt & cloves; make a layer in a well glazed pot. Make various layers of asparaguses, & the s

Duties of the Cook

In some kinds of houses there is sometimes a cook, & often there is only one cook which must know all about meat, because it is she which goes to the valley, with butchery & for the grill room, and the market for fast days, it is also necessary that she knows how to make a good soup, to disguise all kinds of viands, to make of them ragouts, in the same way fish & eggs; & all kinds of vegetables fo

Stag in a Ragoo

When I cleaned out my freezer today, I found one last package of venison--freezer-burned, and before my husband could find out, I also withdrew a package of fat, frozen from when we last made pickle [corned] beef. I chopped the fat into cubes, added a splash of oil to the marmite and began rendering the fat for flavor and moisture. After browning the venison very well, I deglazed the pan with verm

Omelets of green Beans and other Things, with Cream

Let your Beans be shell'd, slipt out of their Skins, and fried in good Butter, with a little Parsley and Chibbol: Then, having pour'd in a little Milk-cream, let them be well seasoned, and soaked over a gentle Fire. Let an Omelet be made with new laid Eggs and Cream, and let some Salt be put into it according to discretion. When it is ready, dress it on a Dish, bind the Beans with one or two Yolks

Winter - de l'Hiver

December, January & February, Winter months, can only be enjoyed with stockpiles from the Fall, by the provisions & the abundance of all that it provided us for the necessities of life; like Bread, Wine, Vegetables, & all kinds of Fruits; Meat, Poultry, Game & Fish, all are the same. These two last seasons, which can be good times, should not be separated by change, because we have in the Winter a

Joseph Murray (Marie) Blanc

Today is my grandfather's birthday.

Bread With Chocolate - BBD#47

Limonade de Vin

I managed to grow just two lemons on my Meyer Lemon tree this year. And here is the perfect recipe for this bounty--I shall have a taste of summer in this very cold month.Wine lemonadePut in a pot two pints of wine, a wine bottle of water, Zests of two Lemons, & also the juice which you express: Then put in nine or ten ounces of Sugar, more or less according to whether you like it sweetened, or ac

10 Years - 10 Days

Image Source Total immersion, ten days of living history to mark the tenth anniversary of a dedicated band of reenactors in a truly magical place, Louisbourg. Cooking, dancing, fishing, praying - you name it - they did it. Enjoy the photos and relive with them an 18thC colonial seaport.

Assembling Pastry-making Tools

My order is in--I'm just waiting for the boat to arrive with provisions. I will be perfecting my technique by comparing modern instructions with 18thC recipes using the following books: Mastering the Art of French Pastry, by Healy and Bugat and Nouvelle Instruction pour Les Confitures by Massialot.

Swiss or Dry Meringues

«For Swiss Meringue, egg whites and sugar are combined at the outset and whipped over low heat. … Swiss merignue is much heavier than French and Italian merignues. At one time it was considered quite versatile, and some chefs preferred it over French and Italian meringues for many purposes because it is very stable.» The Art of the Cake, Bruce Healy and Paul Bugat. William-Morrow, NYC, NY, 1999,

Bread Baking Day #40 - Baking with Curds

This month the theme is bread with curd. With curd I mean the dairy product obtained by curdling milk with rennet or an edible acidic substance such as lemon juice or vinegar. You don't need to make curd yourself, but you are invited to do so, if you like. Otherwise just buy it. You can use curd, cottage cheese, quark and paneer and the bread can be sweet or savory. How to participate: •Bake a ye

Baby Lemons

It's been a dreary Winter. The calendar says it's now Spring. I've been busy hand-pollinating my lemon tree and it appears I shall be rewarded with some lemons one of these Spring days.

Biscotins

Another manner of BiscotinsTake a half-pound of sugar; cook it to the feather stage. Once cooked, remove it from the fire, & weigh three-quarters [pound] of flour which you will put inside your sugar syrup, reserve some flour that you will keep to handle it on the table. Having put your flour in your syrup, you will stir it well with a spoon: when your paste is well done [all your syrup has been a

Arroche Fraise - Strawberry Spinach

Strawberry Spinach [Chenopodium capitatum, also known as strawberry blite] (available from Heirloom Seeds) turned out to not only be a spectacular plant, but a delightful eat, served here with one of my tiny green climbing melons(vert grimpant seeds available from Baker Creek) after mascerating with a touch of sugar on a bit of yogurt.

Thanksgiving Bounty

May this day of Thanksgiving find you truly blessed.Pictured are Galeux D'Eysines squash, our own cross of a pumpkin-squash, Marina Di Chioggia squash and Rouge Vif D' Etampes & Musquee De Provence pumpkins. Aah, the pies and confitures that await … Seeds available from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds.

Court & Country Cook

A 1702 translation of François Massialot's Cuisinier royal et bourgeois of 1691, is now available hand bound, 18thC style with marbled boards and 1/4 leather binding, by Paul McClintock, Common Hands Studio, for $100.00. Please contact Paul for shipping details and payment.Massialot's book was reissued and updated often in French during the 18thC, but only once in English. The book is full of savo

Poirée - Chard - White Beet

Chard - use the chopped, blanched or wilted leaves in fillings for ravioli, tarts or pan-pies. The stalks can be sliced and used like celery. Another use of stalks is to cut them in finger lengths, blanch, dip in beaten egg and dredge in bread crumbs and fry in oil - sprinkle with salt and freshly grated nutmeg and serve as a side dish.WHITE BEET, otherwise called chard, in Latin beta, pot herb wh

Cooking for Geeks

If you've ever wondered how to adjust the taste of something you're cooking to give it the WOW factor or to add what's missing, this book is for you. With the added factor of umami (savory), along with salty, sweet, sour and bitter tastes explained by cuisine/country and ingredients, you're sure to find an explanation of «why» this or that ingredient is or isn't the one to add to mask or enhance y

Ail - Garlic - A Favorite for Millenia

We remember the fish we ate in Egypt that cost nothing, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic. Num 11:5 ESVNous nous souvenons des poissons que nous mangions en Égypte, et qui ne nous coûtaient rien, des concombres, des melons, des poireaux, des oignons et des aulx. Nombres 11:5 (Louis Segond)GARLIC, is produced by the offshoots which are formed out of the ground around

Arroche - Orache - Bonne Dame

BONNE-DAME, ou arroche, est une herbe potagere qui dure peu; elle ne vient que de graine, qui est extrêmement plate & mince, ronde & roussatre; on la seme fes premieres au printems en rayons sur planche, ou elle ne reste guère de tems, parce qu’elle leve fort vite, & qu’elle monte en graine dès le mois de Juin. Sa feuille est fort agreeable à manger en farce: on en met aussi dans les potages; elle

Dandelion Fritters - A Spring Tonic

Dried up [left over from winter storage], shredded turnips and fresh chopped dandelions make a tasty fritter with the addition of an egg, some milk and flour, maybe some flavoring herbs or spices, a pinch of salt. Beets, carrots, parsnips, rutabaga, even shredded pumpkin or squash will work. Serve with a dollop of crème fraîche.

Dandelion Root - Coffee Substitute

For those of you who think dandelions are the bane of your lawn, dig them up, scrub the roots, slice the tops off then chop all of the roots, including the hairs finely and roast in a very slow oven, stirring often so they don't burn.My husband does not drink wine, he says he doesn't like the aftertaste, but later in the day when he walked through the kitchen, he asked me why he smelled carob. Eve

Œufs pochez à la Princesse - Princess Poached Eggs

Princess Poached Eggs.Start by dissolving sugar [simple syrup], cooking until it takes a consistency of syrup; break eggs, using only the yolks, put each one in an eating spoon, & hold in the syrup, until they are cooked; make as many and as cooked [hard or soft] as you like, & when your dish is filled, sprinkle with sugar, and when they are served, pour a little Orange flower water over them and

Fricassée de Poulets & à la Bourdois

Chicken fricassee.Take two fatty chickens which you singe, then remove the skin and entrails; cut them into pieces and rinse in tepid water; blanch for 1 minute in boiling water and plunge immediately into ice water, drain and pat dry with a towel; barely color them in sizzling butter, on medium heat, and add some mushrooms and a tablespoon of flour, stir to coat and add two ladlesful of good [chi

Chicken Galantine

Galantine.The nature of an Intermess of Galantine shall be hereafter explain'd in the Article of Suckling-Pigs, under the Letter P. and there also shall be shew'd the Manner of Garnishing it and Serving it up to Table: We shall only intimate here, that it may also be garnish'd with its Skin well breaded and brought to a fine colour, by means of the red-hot Fire-shovel; for the rest, the Reader is

BizYmoms Interview

Bizymoms.com has recognized me as a Top Blogger. Read my Interview on Classic French Cuisine. Top BloggerInterview onClassic French CuisinePowered by Bizymoms Food and drinks

Marinade de Poulets - Batter-fried Chicken

Fried chicken, with and without batter--the original chicken tenders--and period-correct, too!Chicken Marinade.Cut your Chickens in pieces, & marinate them with the juice of lemon & verjuice, or vinegar, salt, pepper, cloves, Welsh onions [scallions] & bay leaves. Leave them in this Marinade the space of three hours: then make a batter in a bowl with flour, salt, an egg, & a [walnut-sized] piece o

Period Hot Sauce! Cayenne en Vinaigre

1. Take cider vinegar and add pepper and other spices to excite fermentation.Nouvelle Maison Rustic 1702 and 1777 p.85. 2. Capsicum3. Piment de CayenneRough translation of the third citation:«Guinea pepper is also called coral gardens, Spanish pepper, pepper of India,called in England the whole fruit chillies ground pepper, Cayenne. Generallycultivated in America, in Europe, Spain, Hungary & South

Marinade - Mariner

Marinade.Est une sausse dans laquelle on met tremper les choses aux quelles on veut relever la saveur, & les rendre plu agréables au goût. On met differentes choses en Marinade, ou pour garnir d'autres plats, ou pour en faire de cela même. On garnit des Fricassées de Poulets, d'autres Poulets en Marinade: la Marinade de Veau sert à garnir des Poitrines de Veau farcies, ou Longes de Veau rôties; &

Crackling Crust for Marmelade and Cheese

Crackling crust another way used to form a rustic tart baked on paper and filled with a jar of very old plum jam I couldn't bear to throw away. I seasoned it with a few grinds of black pepper to cut the cloying taste of the jam. As you can see from the crumbs on the plate, my husband had more than one piece. Pepper with sweets is an old taste, but a very interesting one and very good. The crust wa

Calissons - part of treize (13) desserts

Calissons, a very old sweet, is usually only seen as a professionally manufactured candy, not a homemade treat and is a regular part of holidays and fêtes, especially le gros souper followed by treize (13) desserts. A mixture of 40% almonds and 60% fruit and syrup is sandwiched between a layer of wafer/host and a topping of royal icing and is then cut into an almond shape. The history of calisso

Preparing for treize desserts …

The 13 Desserts is my entry for Bon Appétit's Blog Envy Bake-Off, a collection of holiday desserts from food bloggers across the country—and I'm asking you to help us pick the best. Groaning holiday tables, after le «gros souper», reflect the special treats, a little something for everyone, known as treize (13) desserts, one for each of the 12 apostles and Christ. Now is the time to begin to gath

Raifort - voyez Rave

Horseradish was used in Alsace in many ways and was taken to New France. Grated fresh it is used as a preventive against food poisoning, scruvy, tuberculosis and colic; cooked it's used in sauces with meats and soups. It is considered a bitter herb and has been used medicinally for centuries. Depending upon how young your horseradish patch is, it is best gathered in Spring. If your patch is old, d

Raifort - Horseradish

Cool, brisk weather means it's time to dig the raifort - horseradish roots to grind and preserve in white wine vinegar. After several weeks, the vinegar makes a wonderful liquid to deglaze fond and to flavor vinaigrette. The root itself flavors soups, sauces and roast meats.Scrub and peel the roots; grind and store in a jar covered with vinegar--lasts virtually forever!

Calville Rouge d'Automne

Well, I finally harvested the one apple that has been hanging on my little tree. The tag said just Calville when I planted it early in 2008. This spring the flowers were double and white, not pink as the print suggests. The skin is pale red with a tinge of yellow. Its taste is sweet, slightly strawberry or tart in flavor; its flesh crisp and juicy. Its texture would make great baked apples. There

World Day of Bread - 2009

… in the hands of the cook …

«The strength of the nation is in the hands of the cook. Feed a man well, he will work well, he will fight well.» Handwritten inscription, Célestine Eustis, 1911, from Cooking in old Créole days. La cuisine créole à l'usage des petits ménages. Eustis, Célestine.