A blog dedicated to Early American History Lovers, Civil War Reenactors, Living Historians, and people that love the past. Lots of Historical Recipes and Patterns!
"There's rosemary, that's for remembrance; pray, love, remember: and
there is pansies. that's for thoughts. There's fennel for you, and columbines: there's rue for you; and here's
some for me: we may call it herb-grace o' Sundays:
O you must wear your rue with a difference. There's a daisy: I
would give you some violets,
but they withered all when my father died: they say he made a
good end..." Ophelia in Hamlet
Common Rue is a small shrub native to Europe. It is a strong, bitter, herb and has been used for culinary and medicinal uses for hundreds of years. In Medieval times it was thought to ward off the plague, witches and lice and was used to treat snakebites. Later it was said to improve eyesight and creativity; it is said that many famous Renaissance artists ate it to improve their skills.Too much rue can poison a person but in the 1600s it was used as an antidote for poison. It was also used to cure arthritis. If you are cut, and touch it, blisters will form. It used to be used sparely in Middle Eastern foods and is currently used in Ethiopian dishes. It currently seen in European gardens as it creates neat hedgerows and is cropped easily.
I am writing about rue today because, while at the living history farm a few weeks ago, someone handed a bunch of it to us ladies in the kitchen. He told us to hang it to deter mosquitoes.We both smelled it and touched it, wondering what it was and we hung it without a second thought. Later that day, one of our friends said "What is this doing in here where people can touch it?" in a surprised tone. He told us what it was and we ladies looked at each other in fear as we remembered all of the handling and smelling of the rue. None of us were harmed. It is said that some people are more apt to be affected by it than others. It's good to know we are a relatively hardy pack of women.
It was so hot today that Andy and I happily made some homemade ice cream. We made two kinds: a currant ice cream made from a recipe from 1819 and a modern coconut ice cream that we plan to serve in miniature pie shells.
In the 1800s, ice cream was typically served at parties in the form of an intricate mold. These molds were frequently in the shape of vegetables and bouquets of flowers. There were tons of different flavors, most using fruit flavors and mixes of fruit flavors. Can you imagine digging into ice cream that was molded so perfectly? During the Regency period, ice cream was put into small, shallow glasses and licked out like modern day edible cones. Some period intricate molds can be seen here.
Ingredients:
-1 pint pureed currants
-1 pint heavy cream
-1 cup powdered sugar
We decided to take a modern shortcut on "pass them through a sieve" and decided to put them in a blender. What happens when we take modern short cuts? It doesn't work. :D For some reason the currants would not blend. After prodding at them enough and trying to blend them for a while, we noticed we had crushed them to a pulp anyway and used them as they were.
We mixed the currants, sugar and cream and put it into our modern ice cream maker which works exactly like an 1800s model in practice, the only difference is that the maker is not hand cranked but uses electricity--thank goodness you'd have to have a lot of willing helpers to hand crank that long!
We waited until the ice cream couldn't mix anymore and then poured the ice cream in a plastic container and put it in the freezer.
This was the end result. It doesn't look as good in the photo but it tastes very sweet and is similar in taste to raisins. Now tomorrow I will put scoops of this ice cream into little glass dishes and I shall sit on the patio and pretend I'm Jane Austen. I would recommend this recipe because it is very simple. It only has three ingredients and doesn't require you to cook anything. Who wants to cook when its so hot out?
We came across a really good ice cream recipe from 1855 if anyone wants to begin to make ice cream. It is more detailed than most period directions and offers alternative flavorings.
We also came across a few flavors that we weren't anxious to try:
I hope you all stay cool tomorrow, it is supposed to be another hot, lazy day. I encourage some period ice cream desserts to help prevent heat stroke. :D
I came across the depressingly titled “Ugly-Girl Papers” This
seems like something my mother would have given an awkward, gangly, thirteen
year old me if we lived in the 1870s. I assume this book would be given as a
gift because I can’t see any girl picking this up in a bookshop and not feeling
a rush of embarrassment. She would then keep it, not on a bookshelf but wrapped
up in a rag, tucked under her bed or hidden in a pantry, only to sneak peaks at
it when her family is out. Most of the recipes and suggestions in this book
include toxic chemicals such as ammonia, nitrate of mercury, sulfurous
acid (a chemical found in acid rain,) and borax.
As much as this book tries to reassure the “ugly
reader” that there is hope for her, it perpetuates a lie that is all too
familiar to us today: “you are ugly and need products to fix you.” Makeup is
fun and that is all it ever should be- no one should feel that they are not
able to leave the house without caking pounds of makeup on their face. It
really is upsetting to read this book; you can imagine the ladies of low self-esteem
who heard enough lies that they put numerous poisons on themselves.
It reminds me of the poem by Marge Piercy entitled “A
Work of Artifice":
“The bonsai tree
in the attractive pot
could have grown eighty feet tall
on the side of a mountain
till split by lightning.
But a gardener
carefully pruned it.
It is nine inches high.
Every day as he
whittles back the branches
the gardener croons,
It is your nature to be small and cozy,
domestic and weak;
how lucky, little tree,
to have a pot to grow in.
With living creatures
one must begin very early
to dwarf their growth:
the bound feet,
the crippled brain,
the hair in curlers,
the hands you
love to touch”
Some of excerpts from Ugly Girl Papers, some are sad to read, others are interesting to see how they used items:
Books are unlike other antiques. Many people think that just
because a book is old, that it is “worth something.” While I am one of those
people who think books are always “worth something,” to collectors and
potential buyers of your book, being old does not make it more desirable.
Unlike other antiques such as furniture, toys, and clothing, which are used a
lot over the years, the majority of books only get read a few times over the
years and spend most of their time unharmed on a bookshelf. Books from the
1700s and before are prized by collectors, as well as 1st editions
of books and books signed by the author. Many of us wish to preserve our books
for their information and beauty, despite their lack of collector value.
If you have a historical book or book of importance, it's best to leave this to a professional. (I mean it.)
Before you start preserving your book, decide if it is a
book that you want to read a lot or not. If it is a book you will want to read
a lot, consider making a digital copy of the book. You can photograph each page
with a digital camera or use a photocopy machine that is designed for old books
(the ones that have 2 panels to scan instead of one flat one, these can be
found in large research libraries.) Once you have a digital book, you can keep
it digital or print it out and put the pages into a binder.
Before you touch your book, wash your hands and make sure
they are very dry. The oils on our hands can break down the paper and inks. Some
people like to wear white cotton gloves but I think that it is harder to turn
pages and you are more likely to cause damage to your book.
Open your book carefully. Find two spare books and lay
towels on them to hold your book slightly closed so you don’t put stress on or
break the spine or binding of the book.
Go through the book and remove anything that should not be
in there such as book marks, newspaper clippings, bugs, dust and dirt. You can
very carefully vacuum the dust and dirt out but I find that a clean feather or
never before used paint brush work very well. Be careful when turning fragile
pages. You can use a loose leaf of paper to turn the pages if your book is too
delicate.
Unfold any folded pages; this can be very tedious because
sometimes a lot of pages are “dog eared.” If you leave these pages bent, the
bent part will weaken the paper and eventually fall off. You may see some of
the page corners in your book already broken off.
Decide how often you will need the information in your book. If you
will be using your book often and did not want to make a digital copy, wrap
your book like you would a school “book cover” only make sure you use acid
free, archival paper. This can be bought at craft stores in the scrap booking
section or from an office supply store.
If you will not be using the book much,
wrap your book like a present; again use acid free, archival paper. Be sure to
label your book cover in pencil. I write the title and copyright information on
an index card and tape it to the front of it to avoid ruining the book cover
while pressing to hard on it with a pencil. Your book can then be placed in a
zip-lock bag.
If your book is very important (diaries, family bibles, a book with high collector value), make a box for it, out of
archival cardboard; make sure the book is a tight fit. If your books aren’t very
important, like mine, I place three or four books in a shoe box.
Store the books or boxes, lying flat on a surface in a dry
dark place. Inside drawers or on bookshelves are good places. Make sure that
bugs will not eat your books by putting bug traps on top of and behind your
shelf.
Some other problems you may have:
Mildew Stains-- The greenish
brown stains in books are not mildew but what is left behind after mildew has
been there. There really is no cost effective way to remove these stains. There
is not danger of the mold returning if it is only stains.
Mold or Mildew—If your book has mold or mildew
currently, you may wish to make a digital copy (outside) and discard the book.
Books with mold or mildew can infect other books. It is very hard to remove
mold and mildew because touching them only spreads the spores. A good rule is
to never buy books with mildew on them in the first place, no matter how cheap.
Oxidation or "Foxing"—Rusty looking stains in books. These can
only be removed by a conservationist but will not hurt the book.
Crinkling of the pages or Tears—These can only be
repaired with great care. Try to flatten out crinkles the best you can. Do not
tape tears; it only leads to more problems in the future. If you need to repair
a tear learn how to repair it the proper way with Japanese rice paper and a
rice based glue. I will probably post a short tutorial on fixing tears sometime
in the future.
*Note: Look at the Godey's Lady's Book Lithograph at the beginning. There are two children using an umbrella in the snow. :D I hope you all enjoyed and can make use of this information.
I came across this article in the New York Times Archive Database. I was originally looking for a recipe for naval hardbread. I was unsuccessful in finding the recipe but I came across a fun little article: I think the subheading says it all "Kitchen Ga-ley Resounded with Death Threat Over
Slice of Pie." The article tells of what was probably a small incident but it is covered it as though it were a romanticized, full fledged Mutiny. The article is charming and picturesque, it gives images of angry sailors storming the deck with belaying pins (those wooden clubs on the inside edge of old ships, used to tie the ropes to,) and sailors chanting the old sea shanty "Leave Her, Johnny," while the captain stands aloft with his pretty daughter. It's so rainy today, grab a cup of hot chocolate and a cozy blanket and read a newspaper clipping, that is probably older than your grandma.
This article was so cute I couldn't help but post on it, and since the article is really hard to read a typed version can be read below:
"WEEVIL IN BUISCUIT
ROUSE SAILOR’S IRE
Fued Rages Between
Fidor, the Cook and Seamen as the Mashona Reaches Port.
POLICE QUELL A
“MUTINY”
Magistrate Told How
Kitchen Ga-ley Resounded with Death Threat Over Slice of Pie.
Four able seamen, Anton Vaneik, Alexander Lemberg, John
Andersen, and John Paulton, were arrested yester-day afternoon on board the
four-masted bark Mashona. Incoming from Buenos Aires.
They were locked up in the Stapleton Police station on warrants sworn out by
Ernest W. Fidor, the cook, who charged that they had threatened him with bodily
harm after the vessel had arrived inside the three-mile limit and was under the
jurisdiction of the United States.
The seamen said they were glad to be brought ashore and in-carcerated, because
they would have a chance to get some food fit to eat, which they had not
experienced for the last seventy-five days, they told the Police Lieutenant.
When the
Mashona arrived in Quar-antine yesterday forenon with 3,4000 tons of linseed
from Buenos Aires and Montevideo, Captain Gunderson told the Health Officer
that four of his crew were mutinous and had given him a great deal of trouble
on the voyage. He wanted a police boat to come and take them off, he said.
After the bark had anchored off Stapleton a police patrol boat went alongside
and two of the Harbor Squad went on board to look the situation over. The
vessel was flying the Uruguay flag and had a Scandinavian crew of twenty men
for-ward nad [sic] a Captain, two mates, car-penter, sail maker, and cook aft.
When the
police officers climbed on deck they found that the Mashona was in a state of
siege, but there was no signs of violence. The Captain and his mates stood on
the poop shouting to the men that they were “a bunch of beachcombers” and other
unkind things, while the crew stood in a group around the capstan on the
foc’sle head growling out the old sailor chant, “It’s Time for Us to Leave
Her.” With the Captain on the poop stood his fair-haired, tall daughter,
Ggatha.
The sailors
told the police that they all had their certificates for ability in their
duties. What they complained of, they said, was bad food. Fidor, the man who
was doing the cooking, they declared, did not know how to cook salt water. The
beans were so mouldy, they added, and the biscuits were so full of weevils, the
seamen said, that they had to be nailed down to prevent them running all over
the deck. Weevil steeplechasing was their only sport the men said. The bark was seventy-five days on the voyage,
and they did not get any meat fit to eat until the vessel was within four days
of Sandy Hook.
Captain
Gunderson said the men had not attempted any violence, but that they had
threatened him at various times, and Earnest Fidor, the cook, who said he
hailed from Milwaukee, declared that one of the able seamen had threat-ened to
slice his liver out if he did not give him a piece of pie. After listening to
both sides the police told Captain Gunderson they could not take any action and
suggested that he should go on shore and search New York
City to find the Consul for Uraguay.
When the
Captain and his daughter had gone ashore, Fidor, the cook, took a boat and
landed at Stapleton, where he went to the police station and asked for a
warrant for four of the crew, who had threatened him. He said that these men
had pretended to be ill a month ago, and when the Captain and his mates went
forward with the carpenter and sailmaker to carry them to the hospital, where
they could give them more attention, the rest of the crew, armed with belaying
pins and sheath knives had showed fight, and forced the captain and his
officers to retreat aft.
Fidor was
taken to Ninth Branch Detective Bureau at St. George’s
Ferry House, after swearing before
Magistrate Hanry at Stapleton that the four seamen had threatened to kill him
after the bark had passed inside Sandy Hook. The
detectives said goodbye to their families and looked well to their revol-vers,
expecting to have to deal with a piratical crew, on board the Mashona, but they
have had no trouble in taking the men ashore.
The cook
said that even when the Captain had three pigs killed on Sunday, the crew had
complained that the porkers were too fat to eat. He told the reporters that he
was the only American on board and that in 1900, for a wager, he had rowed
alone in a lifebzoat [sic] from Galveston to San Juan, Porto Rico, which took
him three months, but he would not allow that to appear in the uapers [papers.]
He disliked publicity, the cook said.
Fidor told
the Magistrate that he would hace Captain Gunderson in court this morning to
appear against the four seamen. The skipper and his daughter were reported to
still be looking for the Consul to Uruguay
when the sun sank below the horizon last night. The men cannot sue the Captain
under Uruguay’s
laws for giving them bad food, as they could if the vessel was sailing under
the American Flag."
