Mrs. Beeton's recipes

Julia Altshuler <[email hidden]> wrote in
news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

I saw Mrs. Beeton on Masterpiece Theatre last night. As Masterpiece
Theatre productions go, that one wasn't the best, but it did bring up a
question. You know when you see a recipe in a cookbook or when you
write one yourself, the standard way is to list the ingredients first,
then the method in numbered steps? The show suggested that that was an
innovation of Isabella Beeton. I'm wondering if it was. (As is usual
for television and movie biopics, they take liberties with the real
story. I got interested and looked for more information on the web
after turning off the t.v.)

I'm thinking about old cookbooks and the quaint way they have of writing
the recipe in paragraph form with the steps, ingredients, explanation,
and equipment all mixed together. Newer cookbooks keep the ingredients
and method separate. (Joy of Cooking is an exception, and I found it
confusing until I got used to it.)

Mrs. Beeton's "The Book of Household Management" came out in 1858, I
think. The show suggested and web sources agree, that she took most of
the recipes from other sources available at the time. It could be that
her real contribution was the way she formatted recipes.

--Lia

I enjoy the newer method better. It allows me to see what I need before I
start more readily, that could just be me. But it can determine if I'll do
that recipe if I'm missing an ingredient or see a dispised ingredient i'll
need to sub for. Having to read the entire recipe before I decide to make
it isn't a good thing in my books.

Of course you need to read the recipe completely before you start it at
least once....But deciding to cook it depends on more on ingredients than
when you add this or stir that.

--

The house of the burning beet-Alan

It'll be a sunny day in August, when the Moon will shine that night-
Elbonian Folklore

"hahabogus" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Julia Altshuler <[email hidden]> wrote in
news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

I saw Mrs. Beeton on Masterpiece Theatre last night. As Masterpiece
Theatre productions go, that one wasn't the best,

I was bored witless after 20 minutes. After "Bleak House" (which was
magnificent), I was most disgruntled.
I turned it off and went to bed to read.

Quoted message said:

but it did bring up a

Quoted message said:

question. You know when you see a recipe in a cookbook or when you
write one yourself, the standard way is to list the ingredients first,
then the method in numbered steps? The show suggested that that was an
innovation of Isabella Beeton. I'm wondering if it was. (As is usual
for television and movie biopics, they take liberties with the real
story. I got interested and looked for more information on the web
after turning off the t.v.)

No clue. I just wanted to whinge about Masterpiece Theatre :-)

TammyM

ObFood:
Cherry Chocolate Cobbler

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup white sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup butter

1 cup chocolate chips

1 egg

1/4 cup milk

1 (21 ounce) can cherry pie

filling

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Coat a 2 quart
casserole dish with vegetable cooking spray. Melt chocolate chips in a
measuring cup in the microwave, stirring every 20 seconds until smooth. Let
stand for 5 minutes to cool slightly.

2. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and
salt. Cut in butter until the dough is a uniform crumbly texture. Beat the
egg into the melted chocolate chips, then stir the milk in. Pour the
chocolate mixture into the dry ingredients, and stir until well blended.

3. Pour the cherry pie filling in an even layer in the bottom of the greased
casserole dish. Drop spoonfuls of the chocolate batter over the cherries in
a random pattern.

4. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes in the preheated oven, until top crust is not
doughy when lifted. Serve warm.

TammyM said:

I was bored witless after 20 minutes. After "Bleak House" (which was
magnificent), I was most disgruntled.
I turned it off and went to bed to read.

I should have done the same, but I stuck it out. I haven't been so
disgruntled since they screwed around with Sherlock Holmes.

Quoted message said:

No clue. I just wanted to whinge about Masterpiece Theatre :-)

I couldn't stand the camera work in "Bleak House." When I can't focus,
I get seasick. My recent favorite was "Casanova" with David Tennant.
Mmmm, David Tennant. Yummy.

--Lia

I watched it too. Thought it was well done and to think they are still
publishing her book!

--
Helen
in
FERGUS/HARLINGEN
http://www.mompeagram.homestead.com/index.html
"Julia Altshuler" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I saw Mrs. Beeton on Masterpiece Theatre last night. As Masterpiece
Theatre productions go, that one wasn't the best, but it did bring up a
question. You know when you see a recipe in a cookbook or when you write
one yourself, the standard way is to list the ingredients first, then the
method in numbered steps? The show suggested that that was an innovation
of Isabella Beeton. I'm wondering if it was. (As is usual for
television and movie biopics, they take liberties with the real story. I
got interested and looked for more information on the web after turning
off the t.v.)

I'm thinking about old cookbooks and the quaint way they have of writing
the recipe in paragraph form with the steps, ingredients, explanation,
and equipment all mixed together. Newer cookbooks keep the ingredients
and method separate. (Joy of Cooking is an exception, and I found it
confusing until I got used to it.)

Mrs. Beeton's "The Book of Household Management" came out in 1858, I
think. The show suggested and web sources agree, that she took most of
the recipes from other sources available at the time. It could be that
her real contribution was the way she formatted recipes.

--Lia

Julia Altshuler said:

I saw Mrs. Beeton on Masterpiece Theatre last night. As Masterpiece
Theatre productions go, that one wasn't the best, but it did bring up a
question. You know when you see a recipe in a cookbook or when you
write one yourself, the standard way is to list the ingredients first,
then the method in numbered steps? The show suggested that that was an
innovation of Isabella Beeton. I'm wondering if it was. (As is usual
for television and movie biopics, they take liberties with the real
story. I got interested and looked for more information on the web
after turning off the t.v.)

I'm thinking about old cookbooks and the quaint way they have of writing
the recipe in paragraph form with the steps, ingredients, explanation,
and equipment all mixed together. Newer cookbooks keep the ingredients
and method separate. (Joy of Cooking is an exception, and I found it
confusing until I got used to it.)

Mrs. Beeton's "The Book of Household Management" came out in 1858, I
think. The show suggested and web sources agree, that she took most of
the recipes from other sources available at the time. It could be that
her real contribution was the way she formatted recipes.

--Lia

I'll try to drag out a couple of her books, assuming I can
find them. That will at least show whether or not she was
doing that when they were published. I have some other older
books and repros I can check, also assuming I can find them.

--
Jean B.

Jean B. said:

I'll try to drag out a couple of her books, assuming I can find them.
That will at least show whether or not she was doing that when they were
published. I have some other older books and repros I can check, also
assuming I can find them.

Yes! Thanks. If you're into the idea, also check other cookbooks from
that time period. I'd be curious to know if recipes started coming out
in that format after Mrs. Beeton.

--Lia

I couldn't get into "Mrs. Beeton" either and turned it off and watched
something else that I can't recall. I did watch "Bleak House" all the
way through the first time it was on a few months ago. Wasn't
impressed with it either, thought it would get better and stuck it
out.

Julia Altshuler said:

Jean B. said:

I'll try to drag out a couple of her books, assuming I can find them.
That will at least show whether or not she was doing that when they
were published. I have some other older books and repros I can check,
also assuming I can find them.

Yes! Thanks. If you're into the idea, also check other cookbooks from
that time period. I'd be curious to know if recipes started coming out
in that format after Mrs. Beeton.

--Lia

I'll drag out Mrs. Beeton. At least it's obvious where THAT
is because it's enormous.... (Would you believe I got it
FREE! It's kind-of falling apart, but still...)

Okay, the one I can find is from 1861, and ingredients are,
indeed, listed first. They are run on with commas and not in
the order in which they are used. Now to figure out where I
put some of my other early ones.... Of course, we can look
online at some books in the (IIRC) Feeding America project.
That may be a quicker solution. :-)

--
Jean B.