Food related conversation

So lately I've been doing tons of research. Looking mainly at Sourdough recipes, and "authentic" non processed foods from the latter years. And honestly if you search Google books, there are tons of cookbooks from the 1800's-present. Honestly yes, most of the recipes will have to be tested out and experimented with as amounts in these aren't exactly clear, but the basis of most of these is something great. Most are written almost in the same sense as a persons diary. A lot of times the way they are written makes me think of a little old lady in the kitchen with me walking me through and telling me what needs to be done. :)

But I've come across some, that I must chuckle about just a smidge. There is one Three Hundred Things A Bright Girl Can Do by Lilla Elizabeth Kelley (1903). Obviously the title shows us how much the times have changed, but the title still sparked my curiosity, and I must say I was amazed at the amount of detail that was put into that book. Not only does it have recipes, but many many different crafts. Honestly I believe it should have been called a bible of some sort. But that is just my own opinion.

Another one would be The Belgian Cook-book by Mrs. Brian Luck (1915). As I was reading through the Preface about different dishes and items I absolutely burst out laughing. "VEGETABLES: Nearly all these are at their best (like brunettes) just before they are fully matured." Now, honestly I would have never EVER thought of a comparison as such, but this woman obviously hit the nail on the head, even if it is her personal opinion. Then as she ends her preface she states "And lastly, the good cook must learn about food what every sensible woman learns about love--how best to utilize the cold remains." My personal opinion, this is the perfect line.

Obviously in these days, women worked in the home, thus they took much pride in their cooking. And that is the reason for my "days of the past" recipe searching. With all of the processed foods on todays market, and our rushed environments, we've lost our ability to actually taste and savour our foods. So what better way to rediscover the ways our grandmother's grandmother cooked then to read their cookbooks. :)

As I venture further into my research of "ye olde day" cuisine, I will surely be posting recipes and pictures of the results. But as we are moving this next month, I will probably not be posting much. But I will surely be back up and running for fall season of cooking. I can't wait. Soups, stews, squashes, pumpkin....yummy. I'm not much on the cold whether when it comes, but the food, that makes it bearable. Oh, and I suppose I'll have to start my Thanksgiving and Christmas cooking plans. Goodness, so much fun, so little time.