July 16, 2011

Godey's Lady's Book Recipes for July

 We have finally had some perfect weather days this summer. Most of the days this July have just been too hot to want to cook.  Godey's Lady's Book was one of the most popular ladies magazine in America during the Civil War. Below are some recipes taken from the 1864, July issue.  


Historical Recipes Civil War Recipes


SNOWBALLS.-- Place some rice in milk to well ; strain it off ; put the rice round apples pared and cored, with a bit of lemon-peel, a clove, and a piece of cinnamon in each ; tie in a cloth, and boil well. (81)

SCOLLOPED TOMATOES.--Take fine, large tomatoes, perfectly ripe. Scald them to loosen the skins, and then peal them. Cover the bottom of a deep dish thickly with grated bread-crumbs, adding a few bits of fresh butter. Then put in a layer of tomatoes, seasoned slightly with a little salt or cayenne, and some powdered mace or nutmeg. Cover them with another layer of bread-crumbs and butter. Then another layer of seasoned tomatoes ; and proceed thus till the dish is full, finishing at the top with bread crumbs. Set the dish into a moderate oven, and bake it near three hours. Tomatoes require long cooking, otherwise they will have a raw taste, that to most persons is unpleasant. (81-82)

YOUNG CORN OMELET.--To a dozen ears of fine young Indian corn allow five egg. Boil the corn a quarter of an hour ; and then, with a large grater, grate it down from the cob. Beat the eggs very light, and then stir gradually the grated corn into the pan of eggs. Add a small salt-spoon of salt, and a very little cayenne. Put into a hot frying-pan equal quantities of lard and fresh butter, and stir them well together, over the fire. When they boil, put in the mixture thick, and fry it ; afterwards browning the top with a red-hot shovel, or a salamander. Transfer it, when done, to a heated dish, but do not fold it over. It will be found excellent. This is a good way of using boiled corn that has been left from dinner the preceding day. (82)

Historical Recipes Civil War Recipes* A salamander is an iron tool that is heated up and used to brown the top of dishes. When cooking over a fire, a small frying pan or coal shovel can be heated up and used like a salamander. 
*Indian corn  is not the ornamental "Indian corn of today." Indian corn was edible corn that could come in white, yellow, red or mixed.

RASPBERRY WINE.--Bruise the finest ripe raspberries with the back of a spoon ; strain them though a slannel bag into a stone jar ; allow one pound of fine powdered loaf sugar to one quart of juice ; stir these well together and cover the jar closely. Let stand for three days, stirring up the mixture everyday ; then pour off the clear liquid, and put two quarts of sherry to each quart of juice or liquid. Bottle it off, and it will be fit for use in a fortnight. By adding Cognac brandy, instead of sherry, the mixture will be raspberry brandy. (83)

SPRING ROLL.--Four eggs, one cup of sugar, one cup of flour, half a teaspoon of soda, one teaspoon of cream of tartar, add any flavor to suit the taste. Stir well, and spread thin on bread pans ; bake quickly, and when thoroughly baked turn it out on a cloth, and spread with jelly and roll it up.(83)
 

 
*My grandmother used to eat a similar dish when she was a child. She made a plain eggs, spread jelly on them and rolled it up. It is a different taste than we are used to.


Recipes from: 
 Hale, Sarah Josepha. "Receipts, &c." Godey's Lady's Book. July 1864, 80-84.

5 comments:

  1. The corn omelet is interesting. The "snowballs" sound good though.

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  2. I just found your blog and I love it! Thanks for these I want to try the egg with the jelly. I love history and historical foods.

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  3. I haven't wanted to cook either.

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  4. I just found your site. Nice info.

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