Recently, I have been super into trying out old recipes, you know, the ones from way back when. So, I got my hands on this Victorian-era cookbook, and let me tell you, it’s been quite the adventure in my kitchen.
First off, I flipped through the cookbook and decided to start with something that seemed doable – a simple meat stew. The book talked a lot about using mutton, which is not something you find at every grocery store these days. I ended up settling for beef since it was easier to get. I chopped up the beef, along with some root vegetables like carrots, potatoes, and turnips. The recipe called for everything to be cooked in a big pot over a fire, but I just used my regular stovetop.
Next up, I wanted to try making a dessert. The Victorian folks were big on puddings, so I picked a recipe for a bread pudding. It involved soaking stale bread in a mix of eggs, sugar, and treacle. Now, finding treacle was a bit of a challenge, but I managed to get some online. I mixed everything together, poured it into a dish, and baked it in the oven. It came out all golden and smelled amazing.
Kitchen Tools Are Different
One thing that really struck me was how different their kitchen setup was back then. They had these iron ranges with an oven on one side and a hot water tank on the other. They even used something called a trivet, which is like a stand you put over the fire to hold pots. I just used my regular oven and pots, but it made me appreciate how much easier cooking is now.
What Did They Eat?
The eating habits of the Victorians were pretty interesting too. People with more money ate things like mutton, bacon, cheese, eggs, and sweets. Those living near the sea had a lot of fish. I also read that they ate way more fruits and vegetables than we do today, like eight to ten servings a day, and all organic! Plus, they had more nuts, whole grains, and omega-3s from seafood.
Here is what I ended up making:
- Meat: Instead of mutton, I made a beef stew.
- Vegetables: I used a bunch of root veggies like potatoes, carrots, and turnips, mostly mashed or in the stew.
- Dessert: I baked a bread pudding with that hard-to-find treacle.
Trying out these Victorian recipes was a real blast. It was like taking a little trip back in time through food. Sure, it was a bit of work, especially without all the modern kitchen gadgets we’re used to, but it was totally worth it. The stew and pudding turned out delicious, and it was cool to get a taste of what people ate over a hundred years ago. If you’re into cooking and history, I’d definitely recommend giving these old recipes a try!
