My Word with Douglas E. Welch

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As the following directions were intended for the conduct of the families of the authoress’s own daughters, and for the arrangement of their table, so as to unite a good figure with proper economy, she has avoided all excessive luxury, such as essence of ham, and that wasteful expenditure of large quantities of meat for gravy, which so greatly contributes to keep up the price, and. is no less injurious to those who eat than to those whose penury obliges them to abstain. Many receipts are given for things which, being in daily use, the mode of preparing them may be supposed too well known to require a place in a cookery-book, yet we rarely meet with butter properly melted, good toast and water, or well-made coffee. She makes no apology for minuteness in some articles, or for leaving others unnoticed, because she does not write for professed cooks. This little work would have been a treasure to herself when she first set out in life, and she therefore hopes it may prove useful to others. In that expectation it is given to the public ; and as she will receive from it no EMOLUMENT,* so she trusts it will escape without censure.

* The Authoress, Mrs. Rundell, sister of the eminent Jeweller on Ludgate-hill, was afterwards induced to accept the sum of Two Thousand Guinaes from the Publisher.

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** Many of these books may be available from your local library. Check it out!
† Available from the LA Public Library

PREFACE.

In offering this little book to the public, I am aware that there are many good cook books in the market already. But I trust that this will supply a want which has always been felt by young housekeepers. The great trouble with all the cook books which I have known (and I am constantly hearing the same complaint) is, that they are too expensive, and that they use weight instead of measure, and also that they take for granted that the young housekeeper knows many things which she really does not This want I have endeavored to supply in this little volume. Hav- ing had years of experience as a cook in private fam- ilies and hotels, I know the wants of the masses, and feel competent to supply them.

 

* A portion of each sale from Amazon.com directly supports our blogs
** Many of these books may be available from your local library. Check it out!
† Available from the LA Public Library

OXO Good Grips Sleek Pepper Mill

I like to cook, but I am not an overly fussy chef. I have a collection of regular dishes I make, occasionally experiment with new recipes, and often make do with tools that are less than optimal. So was the case with our pepper grinder. I had purchased a cheap wooden one years ago but it never worked very well. There was no way to adjust the grind. It often had trouble feeding in the peppercorns and was too much effort to use, so I fell back on ground paper for my cooking. I knew freshly ground pepper was always best. but replacing this grinder was just one of those things that we never “got around to.” Until a few weeks ago.

My wife discovered we had a gift card from Bed, Bath, and Beyond that, we had never used. While we were out running other errands, we figured we might as well replace this pepper grinder. They had a good variety of grinders, at various price points, but I needed up choosing this Oxo grinder. I have had a great experience with Oxo kitchen tools in the past and this grinder is no exception.
It works! It works well! It has an adjustable grinder setting that works. Fine ground for our bowl of popcorn and coarse for steak or a crockpot pot roast. The pepper grinds out the top of the grinder, instead of the bottom like the old one. This keeps the counter cleaner and prevents any moisture from getting to the pepper should there be a stove side liquid spill.

Yep. Simple. Straightforward. Robust. Just what I wanted. Could I have gone fancier and more expensive or cheaper and barely an improvement? Sure, but like Momma Bear’s bed, this one is “just right!”

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I love love love Cacio e Pepe. Cheese and pepper with pasta, it’s like the pasta version of grilled cheese. Simple and delicious, and you don’t really need to mess with it. We however decided to slightly mess with it. We made it into pasta pie. I love this because you get some crispy pasta on the top, but on the inside you still get all that gooey cheesy sauce. It’s a pretty great combo. Enjoy!

 

INTRODUCTION

Vacation time brings to many the desire for out-door life, as a refreshment for mind and body. There seems to be a strain of wild blood in the most of us, that impels us to leave the haunts of man, occasionally, and getting out into the wildwood, to live close to nature for awhile. The expense of summer hotels and camps deters many, and the cost of hiring professional guides for those who wish to get rid of the formalities of such resorts and do not know how to care for themselves, prevents others.

There are many who like to leave their work for a few weeks and go to the woods or lake- side. They have neither the time nor the in- clination to adopt the life of the professional trapper who lives by the chase and sleeps on the soft side of a slab. They want rest; they wish for pleasure; they require three square meals a day, and they want the food well cooked, not too full of ashes, and not too different from that to which they have been accustomed for the other forty-nine or fifty weeks of the year. To this class, the business man, the clerk, the mechanic, to every one who wishes to camp out and does not know how to do it and still keep his self-re- spect, this book is addressed.

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** Many of these books may be available from your local library. Check it out!
† Available from the LA Public Library

Papa Figos, Douro Valley Wine

We brought back this bottle of Portuguese wine from our trip to share with our friends. It is excellent and well balanced. Despite being in Porto I didn’t pick up any port wine except for a small bottle we were given as a gift. Although I did taste port several times while we were there.

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* A portion of each sale from Amazon.com directly supports our blogs
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Archive.org has a host of old cookery books (from mid-19th to mid-20th Century) available in many formats and on a host of topics. I happened across a few in my Pinterest feed and gone completely down the rabbit hole in this treasure trove of information. Sure some ideas might be out of date, but you never know what you might find when you explore these books. I’ll be sharing more books as I find them in the coming weeks. –Douglas

 

PREFACE

A long time ago, an estimable lady fell at the feet of an habitual publisher, and prayed unto him:–

“Give, oh! give me the subject of a book for which the world has a need, and I will write it for you.”

“Are you an author, madam?” asked the publisher, motioning his visitor to a seat.

“No, sir,” was the proud reply, “I am a poet.”

“Ah!” said the great man. “I am afraid there is no immediate worldly need of a poet. If you could only write a good cookery book, now!”

The story goes on to relate how the poetess, not rebuffed in the least, started on the requisite culinary work, directly she got home; pawned her jewels to purchase postage stamps, and wrote far and wide for recipes, which in course of time she obtained, by the hundredweight. Other recipes she “conveyed” from ancient works of gastronomy, and in a year or two the _magnum opus_ was given to the world; the lady’s share in the profits giving her “adequate provision for the remainder of her life.” We are not told, but it is presumable, that the publisher received a little adequate provision too.

History occasionally repeats itself; and the history of the present work begins in very much the same way.

 

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** Many of these books may be available from your local library. Check it out!
† Available from the LA Public Library

A late lunch after a long walk

Caffe Latte, Jamon and Queso and, Most importantly…water!

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* A portion of each sale from Amazon.com directly supports our blogs
** Many of these books may be available from your local library. Check it out!

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* A portion of each sale from Amazon.com directly supports our blogs
** Many of these books may be available from your local library. Check it out!

My typical European breakfast

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