Austrian Chestnut Cake

Today, a guest post by Martha (her others are here, here, here and here.)

This recipe comes from Robert Carrier’s Kitchen part 17 (series published by Marshall Cavendish 1980-81). I bought this gem from a market stall in Camden Passage, Islington, just metres from where its author opened his eponymous restaurant in 1959. The stall boasted several titles from the series and I have to confess it was hard to choose only one. My goodness, the pictures! The chicken apparently roasted in candle wax! The prawns as garnish! The tomato skin roses!

Celebrity chef and ‘bon viveur’* Robert Carrier OBE (1923-2006) was the first to print his recipes on practical wipe clean cards. So indirectly we have him to thank (?) for Alison Burt. Good work Bob!

Pommes à la Crème

Yet another apple recipe. I’ve never fried fruit, nor have I flamed booze before. I was quite nervous about this, all the other times I’ve had fire in my kitchen, it’s been unintentional and thus rather panic-inducing. Still, I thoroughly dampened a tea-towel, put it in arm’s reach of the cooker and steeled myself. (I don’t have any pets or small children, but we should all practise safe flambé.)

Courgettes with cream and rosemary

I wanted to serve this with the cream crust pastry, as courgettes goes so well with tomatoes and peppers, and I thought the cream would balance the acidity of the tomatoes and peppers. From Jane Grigson’s Vegetable Book (Penguin, 1976):

Courgettes with cream and rosemary
A dish that can be served on its own, or with veal, chicken and lamb. Use fresh rosemary from the garden. Other herbs can be substituted – parsley, chives, tarragon, fennel – but rosemary gives the best flavour of all.

Cream crust

The lovely Quadrille books sent Alix and I their two most recent publications which include Eliza Acton’s Modern Cooking for Private Families, first published in 1845.  Acton had one volume of love poetry published in 1826 and was advised by her publishers when she submitted a second volume ten years later,  to write a cookery book  instead.

This 656 page giant is divided into chapters for  meat, bread, vegetables etc,  written in Acton’s deft, frank style.  I’ve never had the urge to make stuffing before, but the forcemeat chapter has made me quite excited by the idea. Many of the recipes look temptingly well-seasoned (cayenne pepper and shallots feature heavily) and there are at least four recipes for ridiculously named biscuits.

Sienisalaatti or Fresh Mushroom Salad

This was from the Time Life Scandinavian cookbook, and was one of my healthy vegetable based dishes for Eurovision. Healthy, plus cream. Of course.

Jansson’s Frestelse

Aka Jansson’s Temptation. This dish was mentioned on the comments to this post and although I was not overly enthusiastic about it then, when I found a recipe for it in the Time Life Scandanavian cookbook (1969)  I felt obliged to give it a go.

 

 

Cucumber Salad

And…another from Salad Days. I think I shall try to work my way through the entire book. Including the Heringsalat. This was served with the Plaice in Savoury Custard, it cut through the rich custard but wasn’t quite right.

Cucumber Salad

This beautifully juicy salad with a taste of spring is very smooth on the palate, and is ideal with rice dishes or new buttered potatoes. The addition of dill gives it a slightly sweet and very delicate taste. A favourite with children.

Eggs a la Suisse

This comes from the oldest of my cookbooks – a recent score from Help The Aged. It’s C.E Francatelli‘s Cook’s Guide, first published by Richard Bentley of London in 1860 (as far as I can tell), and this edition is from 1864. Part of me is incredulous  that I would find a  145 year old book for £1.50, but it appears I did. It’s a fascinating read, the vast majority of the dishes look like they would be pretty hard to make, for want of obscure or obsolete cuts of meat, brands of seasoning or kitchen equipment.  The end of the book does have a series of adverts, including one for Adams and Son, Kitchen Outfitters of Haymarket, and one for Crosse and Blackwell (‘Purveyors in Ordinary to Her Majesty’), both merchants advertising a staggering array of goods unfamiliar to modern cooks (see Flickr for images from the book).