The Bakers’ ABC: Y is for Yorkshire pudding

A baked, very light, pudding, made from a batter consisting of flour, eggs, and milk, beaten with a whisk. It is served with roast meat. In restaurants of the cheap sort, small puddings of the same nature, baked in the oven, in small pans, well greased, with a few currants sprinkled in the pan before the batter is poured in, are called ‘fritters’ [and sound absolutely delicious. Why don‘t cheap restaurants sell these anymore?].  These have a ready sale. In the oven they swell up, then collapse. They are crisp at the sides, and soft at the bottom part.

From The Baker’s ABC by John Kirkland, formerly Head Teacher of National School of Baking, published 1927 by Gresham

Oeufs Mollet or Soft Boiled Eggs Mornay

Another book bought on last year’s Highland trip was Lady Barnett’s Cookbook by Isobel Barnett, a successful, educated middle class woman who married a successful middle class, educated man who was knighted and whose title was used by his spouse to further her career. Yes, this is a celebrity cookbook, 1960s-style.While the airbrushed version of her life appears on the dust jacket in CV form (click on image to enlarge). The internet tells a story which induced my co-bloggeuse to exclaim ‘Oh, she’s tragic!’  (though far more sympathetic than Premiership footballer who pinch supermarket doughnuts).

This book is something of a mixed bag. It’s a guide to entertaining for people who already have a large encyclopedia-type cookbook and are now seeking to bless others with their efforts. I wonder how much it owes to the personal tastes of its author and her guests? Some dishes seem like a genuine treat, others are more along jelly, cream and bananas lines. (Actually, what am I talking about? If someone served me jelly, cream and bananas, I would probably kiss them.)

(The ‘more out-of-the-ordinary’ way of using them ‘a l’Indienne’ i.e with curry sauce. No.)

According to my (admittedly limp) grasp of food hygiene, eggs should either be hot or cold, so please don’t keep them in warm, salted water. Salmonella is a real downer, or so I’ve heard.

This dish may seem like something one might put together from bits found at the back of the fridge (a couple of eggs, a bit of bechamel, some greens where it doesn’t matter if they’re a bit old because they’re going to be wilted, chopped and covered in hot cheese) but it results in something filthily delicious and incredibly filling. I had it as was, but you might want a triangle or two of crisp toast on the side. Recommended now the nights are miserable.

Mollet’ed by Elly

ETA: I have just only just realised that I could see her in her prime – voila! A clip of What’s my Line from 1955. Enjoy!

The Bakers’ ABC: W is for Whortleberry

A wild berry which grows on short stems, with egg-shaped short stalk leaves. When ripe the berries are round and black, with a bluish bloom. The plant belongs to the cranberry family. It is common on heaths in most parts of the British Isles, except in the south-east. Has a pleasant flavour, is juicy, and much appreciated in tarts and preserves. In the north of England this fruit is called a ‘bilberry’ and in Scotland ‘blaeberry’.

From The Baker’s ABC by John Kirkland, formerly Head Teacher of National School of Baking, published 1927 by Gresham

The Bakers’ ABC: V is for Vauxhall slice

A slice of ham cut extremely thin, to increase yield to the seller. The name was given because of the association of very thin slices with the catering at the Vauxhall gardens in London. It seems that in the Gardens there was a restaurant which acquired a reputation for its “plate of ham”. The ham had to cover the plate, and was, of course, extremely thin.

There was a tale told of a chef who applied for an advertised situation with one of the Vauxhall caterers, and gave as one of this qualifications that he could carve a ham so that the slices would cover an acre. He was rejected. The requirements were that the slices from a ham must be thin enough to cover two acres, The term Vauxhall slice came to be used for any thin piece of meat.

From The Baker’s ABC by John Kirkland, formerly Head Teacher of National School of Baking, published 1927 by Gresham

Arni Ttavas – oven roast lamb and onions

I bought Cooking from Cyprus in the excellent secondhand bookshop on Clarence road in Hackney, which I used to go to fairly often when I lived  there a few years ago. (It was different then – there was an ASBO on the entire street.) Anyway, genial proprietress Rose sells fiction, poetry, arts, politics, health, lots of childrens books and a small selection of cookery books, with a focus on Black authors

I rather like this book because the author is as excited as hell about the recipes. In an attempt to convey the hospitality of Cyprus, he comes across like someone who’s had a good go at at the grappa and a followed it with a couple of cups of strong καφές. Luckily most of the recipes seem to warrant this level of enthusiasm – well marinated grilled meats (the full gamut of ruminants, poultry, game and swine), several pilau, flat breads and mezze.  Choosing to cook this stew was entirely based on what I already had in the house (and had taken out of my freezer to defrost). Fans of Turkish food will note the word ‘ttavas’ as similar to ‘tava’.

Straight forward to assemble, the only change I made a half portion of the recipe and use tinned, not fresh, tomatoes. The smell while cooking was reminiscent of brown bread. I ended up with 3 portions (by my standards), not sure what that says about my eating habits (um, I like stew.)

Results

Apologies for the blurry photo – low blood sugar and dying batteries meant I only had the chance to wave the camera over the bowl before it conked out/I did.

As you can see, I ate the fruity, savoury stew with some mashed potato and will definitely be adding this dish to my (unwritten) rota of excellent week-night dinners.

Ttavased by Elly

The Bakers’ ABC: U is for Unsaturated compound

Compounds the affinities of the consituents of which are not completely satisfied. The process of hardening oils to make them into fats depends on the fact that the oleic acid of the oil is an unsaturated compound, but, in the presence of pure hydrogen and a catalyst – generally a nickel plate – the oleic acid is changed by the absorption of hydrogen into stearic acid, which is a saturated compound.

From The Baker’s ABC by John Kirkland, formerly Head Teacher of National School of Baking, published 1927 by Gresham

The Bakers’ ABC: T is for Twelfth cake

A special rich cake made for the festivities of Twelfth Night, which is the twelfth day after Christmas, or the Epiphany. According to Brewster, this cake is a relic of the Roman saturnalia. At the close of the festival the Roman children drew lots with beans to see who would be king. This cake is now made of richest mixture, dark in colour and close in texture. The recipe varies, but it is proper to mix as much fruit – currants, sultanas, peel and almonds as the mixture will carry. It is spiced with nutmeg and cinnamon. As a rule it is made of the same mixture as rich wedding cake.

From The Baker’s ABC by John Kirkland, formerly Head Teacher of National School of Baking, published 1927 by Gresham

Peach cream

E Phyllis Clark  is described as “Former lecturer in Domestic Science, Government Training College for Teachers, Trinidad and Tobago, and Department of Education, Uganda”. This book was published for The Government of Trinidad and Tobago by Thomas Nelson, with the first edition out in  1945, (my copy is the 6th reprint from 1964). The price on the slip cover is 7/6 and is stamped in blue ink “Bought from The Voice Bookshop, St Lucia” – the kind of detail that sets the mind wandering.

There is a preface by R Patrick, Director of Education “No pains were spared in making the book essentially West Indian and practical, and much valuable advice was received from local medical officers, dieticians, and teachers and other in the various West Indian Islands. To all of these ladies and gentlemen, the Compiler would desire to tender her grateful thanks”

Clark authored several books and I assume they’re all written like this one – clipped tones and with an emphasis on nutrition, food storage and cooking techniques. This reader describes it well as providing “instructions on how to build a meat safe and how to construct a protected hanging basket for dry goods, as well as how to clean fish, pick fresh vegetables, identify vitamin deficiencies, and more”.

More being recipes for pregnant and nursing mothers, toddlers, invalids, ‘East Indian’ and Chinese dishes. The majority of recipes are divided method of cooking – frying, grilling, steaming. Irish potatoes are recommended throughout.

Writing up this recipe now is making me a little sad, I actually cooked this nearly three  months ago, on a beautful summer evening, warm enough to buy fresh peaches jammed full of flavour and then sit on the terrace drinking Pimms (n.b. not my terrace or Pimms), while the milk set in the fridge beyond what was recommended and then had to be whipped up before adding the sweet, sweet peach juice. Our pudding ended up a little less homogenously textured and a little less firmly set, more of a fool, less of a cream.

Results
Despite lax timing,  it was a success – very simple, light and refreshing without being spartan and as the recipe states, you can vary the fruits and the sugar content (we skipped the sugar entirely).

Is it dark at 4 o’clock where you are? I’m 95% sure my next post will be a stew.

Peached by Elly

The Bakers’ ABC: S is for Savarin

A light cake made of fermented dough, rich in butter and eggs of the same kind as that used for Baba au Rhum. The savarin is made generally in a ring mould, well proved and baked. After cooling it is steeped in hot sugar syrup, strongly flavoured with rhum and maraschino, or other flavouring liqueur, and then masked in clear pulp, and then the bottom covered with fine coco-nut or almonds. A savarin is garnished on top with split blanched almonds, angelica or half cherries.

From The Baker’s ABC by John Kirkland, formerly Head Teacher of National School of Baking, published 1927 by Gresham

The Bakers’ ABC: R is for Rissole

A mixture of cooked meat, chopped fine, and bound together with potatoes, breadcrumb and egg, or other binding material spiced and reheated. Usually shaped round or oval, and rolled in breadcrumb before cooking. Certain shapes, formed like rib chops, and with a piece of macaroni in each to represent the bone  are designated cutlets; thus chicken cutlets, fish cutlets, &c.

[ I couldn’t make this up if I tried.]

From The Baker’s ABC by John Kirkland, formerly Head Teacher of National School of Baking, published 1927 by Gresham