Tuesday 31 October 2017

Mrs Beeton and pine-apple: Episode 3

Mrs Beeton’s Cookery and Household Management: The World’s Greatest Cookery Book, 1961 England







Pineapple Cream (1) Crème à l’Ananas
Two 1 pt. pineapple jelly tablets (I used 1 packet pineapple jelly); ¼ pt water and ¼ pt pineapple juice (I used 200ml pineapple juice and 250ml boiling water); 1 pt thick custard (I used 570ml); 4 oz chopped pineapple (I used 1 cup canned); ½ pt double cream (I used 250ml)
Melt the jellies in the water and juice. Make the custard and stir into the jelly when both are slightly cooled. Stir in the chopped pineapple. Whip the cream and fold in. Setting time 1 – 2 hours.
8 helpings.

Pineapple Cream (2)
Two 1 pt. pineapple jelly tablets (I used 1 packet pineapple jelly); ¼ pt water and ¼ pt pineapple juice (I used 250ml boiling water and 200ml pineapple juice); 1 family size 12oz block ice cream (I used 1 ½ cups ice cream); 1 cup milk; lemon juice to taste
Melt the jelly in the water and juice. Stir in the ice cream quickly and if the mixture sets at this stage, place the bowl over a pan of hot water and stir until liquid again. Add lemon juice as required as this mixture will be very sweet. Stir in the milk, and pour into a prepared mould. Turn out when set.
8 helpings


More stylish interiors from "The World's Greatest Cookery Book" 1961


Sunday 29 October 2017

Mrs Beeton and pine-apple: Episode 2

The Best of Mrs Beeton’s Easy Entertaining, updated in 2007 London

"The Best of Mrs Beeton's Easy Entertaining contains a selection of reliable, delicious recipes, fully updated, that will encourage beginners, while inspiring those who are practised cooks." The Editors.



Desserts: Pineapple Buttermilk Whip

400ml/14 fl oz unsweetened pineapple or orange juice; 15ml/1 tblsp gelatine; 150ml/¼ pint buttermilk

Place 60ml/4 tblsp of the fruit juice in a small bowl and sprinkle the gelatine on to the liquid. Set aside for 15 minutes until the gelatine is spongy. Stand the bowl over a saucepan of hot water and stir continuously the gelatine until it has dissolved completely.

Combine the gelatine mixture with the remaining fruit juice. Pour a little of the mixture into each of 4 stemmed glasses.

Chill the rest of the mixture for about 1 hour. When it is on the point of setting, whisk in the buttermilk until frothy. Spoon into the glasses and chill.



Desserts: Pineapple and Kirsch Salad
2 small pineapples; 100g / 4 oz black grapes; 1 banana; 1 pear; 15ml / 1 tblsp lemon juice; 30 – 45 / 2 – 3 tblsp kirsch; sugar
Cut the pineapples in half lengthways. Cut out the core from each, then scoop out the flesh, using first a knife, then a spoon, but taking care to keep the pineapple shells intact. Discard the core, and working over a bowl to catch the juice, chop the flesh.
Add the pineapple flesh to the bowl. Halve the grapes and remove the pips. Add to the pineapple mixture. Peel and slice the banana; peel, core, and slice the pear. Put the lemon juice in a shallow bowl, add the pear and banana slices and toss both fruits before adding to the pineapple and grapes.
Mix all the fruit together, pout the kirsch over and sweeten to taste with the sugar. Pile the fruit back into the pineapple shells and chill until required.
Serves four.

And for an anachronistic touch I thought I'd go with a Pacific look!! Anne


Friday 27 October 2017

Mrs Beeton and pine-apple: Episode 1

Mrs Beeton’s Every Day Cookery and Housekeeping Book UK 1893, reprint 2011
Pine-apple Ice Cream

Ingredients for ices for 8 persons: ¼ lb of tinned pine; the juice of a small lemon; 1 pint of cream; 1/2 pint of milk; ¼ lb of white sugar

Average cost, 2s

Cut the pine into dice, bruise it in a mortar, then add the lemon-juice, sugar, cream and milk. Mix them thoroughly, press through a hair-sieve and freeze.

Time: 25 minutes to freeze the ice.

Seasonable at any time.






From an original 1893 Mrs Beeton's:

"Young girls generally enjoy a morning in the kitchen devoted to the task of making pretty dishes; and might we suggest that their culinary education should not end with these. It is far more important to know how to boil a potato, to roast a joint, or to fry fish, than to be able to clear a jelly or decorate a cream; yet many girls will not try to learn the homely useful division of cookery." Mrs Beeton









Who was Mrs Beeton?

Well according to http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/beeton_mrs.shtml

"Beeton was a Victorian writer whose 'Book of Household Management' is one of the most famous cookery books ever published.

Isabella Mayson was born on 12 March 1836 in London. She was educated in Germany. In 1856, she married Samuel Beeton, a wealthy publisher and began to write articles on cooking and household management for her husband's publications.

In 1861, the first instalment of her famous 'The Book of Household Management' was published. It was an immediate success, selling over 60,000 copies in its first year of publication and nearly two million by 1868. As well as recipes the book contained advice regarding household management, childcare, etiquette, entertaining and the employment of servants. It was illustrated with coloured engravings on nearly every page and was the first to format recipes in the layout still used today.
Beeton died on 6 February 1865 (aged 28!) of an infection following the birth of her fourth child."



By Maull & Polyblank - National Portrait Gallery, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=45334839

And here,  
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0815233, I discovered a television movie "The Secret Life of Mrs Beeton" 2006 which I'll have to track down! Anne

Monday 23 October 2017

Barcelona piña

My Barcelona Kitchen: Eating, living and dreaming in Spain, Sophie Ruggles 2012 Sydney



Macedonia tropical con pétalos de rosa
(Tropical fruit salad with sugared rose petals)



“Sugared rose petals are an exquisite edible garnish but beware that the ones you use have been cultivated for human consumption and have not been treated with any pesticides.” Sophie Ruggles


Serves 4
½ pineapple; ½ papaya; 2 kiwi fruit; 12 lychees; 12 strawberries; 1 mango
For the dressing: juice of 1 lemon; 2 tsp orange blossom water; 2 tsp lavender sugar
For the sugared rose petals: 1 – 2 handfuls fresh rose petals; 1 egg white (free range); small bowl caster (superfine) sugar
To make the sugared rose petals, wash and dry the petals very carefully with paper towels ten whisk the egg white until a little frothy.
Use a small artist’s paintbrush to paint the egg white onto each petal, making sure to coat both sides. Put the petal into the sugar and pile some more sugar on top. Press down lightly to make sure the sugar sticks to both sides of the petal. Lift out and shake off any excess then gently place the petal onto a tray lined with baking paper and leave to dry.
Continue this process until you have painted all of the petals (Make sure the petals don’t touch each other or they will stick together), then leave in a cool pace for 24 hours.
To make the salad, peel and slice the fruit as desired and put it all into a large bowl. Combine the dressing ingredients in a separate bow and stir to dissolve. Add the dressing to the salad, mix and set aside for 30 minutes.
Serve the salad garnished with the sugared rose petals.
Note: The sugared rose petals can be stored at room temperature (not in the fridge) in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.




Arroz con leche de coco acompañado con frutas escalffadas
(Stewed fruits with coconut rice pudding)

“It’s always best to stew fruits when they are in season, not only because they’re at the their best but also at their cheapest. This recipe has an Asian edge to it and is my variation on the all-time favourite Spanish arroz con leche.” Sophie Ruggles

Serves 4
1 pandan leaf or vanilla bean; 1 pineapple, peeled and chopped; 6 pears, peeled and chopped; 1 lemongrass stem; 1 knob ginger; 200g/7 oz/1 cup pitted prunes; 100g/ 3 ½ oz red raisins; 200ml/7 fl oz water
For the rice pudding: 310g/11oz /1 2/3 cups cooked brown medium-grain or white short-grain rice; 375ml/13 fl oz/1 ½ cups coconut milk; 1 pandan leaf (optional)
Tie the pandan leaf in a knot or scrape the seeds out of the vanilla bean, then put all the ingredients for the stewed fruits into a large heavy-based saucepan over high heat. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer with the lid on for 40 minutes. Transfer the fruit and stewing liquid to an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
To make the rice pudding, put the cooked milk and pandan leaf, if using, into a heavy-based saucepan over high heat. When boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 5-10 minutes.
Serve the rice pudding topped with the stewed fruits and some stewing juice.
Note: Alternative fruits and flavourings include apple, peaches, berries, plums, figs, apricots, almonds, orange zest, lemon zest, Chinese five-spice and cloves





I took these photos in Barcelona in 2005 illustrating just how into fruit they are in that fabulous city. Note the delicious pineapples in the top right hand corner, Anne


Un ejecutante de la calle sin una piña !

Tuesday 17 October 2017

Pineapple "Indian-style"

Excite the Appetite, Recipes from Sydney’s Top Restaurants Chefs and Celebrities, 1970s



Entrée Recipe from Channel 9’s Midday Show, Glynn Christian


Maharajah’s Gilded Fruit Pulau


Ingredients: 6 tblspn butter; 6 whole cloves; 6 cardamom pods, lightly crushed; 1 tspn mustard seed; 1 tspn cumin seed; 1 tspn coriander seed, lightly crushed; ¼ tspn or more saffron threads; 1 cinnamon stick; 2 tspn salt; 350g basmati rice; 500ml stock or water; 750g trimmed weight fresh fruit – peaches, plums, apples, pineapple, etc; edible gold leaf (optional)

Method: Put the butter and spices into large casserole with a tight fitting lid. Cook on high for 3 minutes. Stir in the salt and the rice until evenly coated. Pour on the stock or water, stir, cover and cook on high for 9 minutes.

The fruit should be in big generous pieces, no less than eights for apples, peaches, for instance. Put these on top of the rice, cover again and cook on high for 6 minutes. Let rest 3 minutes or more, then spoon out onto a large platter, mixing in the fruit without breaking it up. Add edible gold leaf if you wish and serve with any sort of Indian meal. Serves 6 – 8


Thanks for tracking down the edible gold leaf Ky !! He found it in Essential Ingredients.



Cooking with Fruit, compiled by Mary-Lou Arnold,1985 Sydney






Mixed Fruit Raita


2 cups yoghurt; 2 tblspn cream; ½ mango, diced; ½ banana, diced; 1 slice pineapple, diced; 1 tblspn finely chopped mint; salt


Whip yoghurt and cream together until smooth. Mix in remaining ingredients. Chill thoroughly.


Serves 6

Encyclopaedia of Creative Cooking, a step-by-step guide to the world’s best cooking, Volume 5 Vegetables, Sydney 1979
Lamb & Pineapple Curry, India
2 ripe bananas; 1 sweet potato, peeled and diced; juice 1 lemon; 1 large onion, chopped; 1 green pepper, deseeded and chopped; 1/8 cup oil; 1 tblspn curry powder; 2 tblspn flour; 1 tspn turmeric; 1 clove garlic, chopped; 2 tblspn fruit chutney; ¾ cup pineapple cubes; 1 medium cooking apple, peeled, cored and diced; 1 large tomato, skinned and coarsely chopped; 1 cup corn kernels; 2 cups meat stock; 2 cups, diced cooked lamb; salt and freshly ground (milled) black pepper; 1 1/4cups long grain rice, uncooked;
For the garnish: parsley sprigs; few lemon slces
1 Mix the banana, sweet potato and lemon juice in a bowl and set aside for 10 minutes
2 Lightly fry the onion and green pepper in the oil
3 Add the curry powder, flour, turmeric, garlic, chutney, pineapple, apple, tomato, corn kernels, and the banana and sweet potato mixture
4 Pour in the meat stock, add the cooked lamb, and season to taste. Simmer gently for 2 minutes
5 Meanwhile, boil the rice in salted water until cooked. Drain and arrange in a circle on a heated serving dish. Spoon the curry into the middle of the rice ring, and garnish with sprigs of fresh parsley and quarters of lemon slices
Serves 4

Curries from the Sultan's Kitchen: Recipes from India, Pakistan, Burma and Ceylon, Doris M Ady, illustrations by Inge Fernando, 1976 Sydney


Pineapple Mustard Relish

Ingredients: 1 small tin crushed pineapple; 1 tblsp Indian or Ceylon ground black mustard; 2 cloves garlic; 1cm piece of green ginger; 1 ½ tsp sugar; ½ tsp salt; ¼ cup vinegar

Preparation: Pound, or put through a mouli, the garlic and ginger.

Combine all ingredients, except the pineapple. Mix well and taste for salt and sugar.

Put the drained pineapple into a dish, and pour the mustard dressing over.

Serves 8


Encyclopaedia of World Cookery, Elizabeth Campbell, London 1958


Pineapple Balls (Anglo-Indian)
2 eggs; 4 tblsp sifted flour; a pinch of salt; ½ cup milk; 2 tblsp finely chopped pineapple; fat for deep frying; castor sugar
Make a thick batter of the flour, eggs, salt and milk, add the pineapple, mix well. Have the fat smoking hot, drop in the mixture a dessertspoonful at a time. Fry until golden brown, drain well and serve with castor sugar sifted over them. They should puff up into golden balls.

Saturday 7 October 2017

4 of the same: Pineapple and Tomato Jam


HB's Guide to … Fruit Preserving – Jams, Jellies too! The Australian Home Beautiful Centre Section, December 1959 by Jen Bowring





Jams: Tomato and Pineapple

Ingredients: Eight lb. ripe tomatoes, four and a half lb. sugar, one large pineapple, one level tsp citric acid

Method: Scald and peel tomatoes and cut up. Cut pineapple into small pieces, remove centre and boil together with one lb. sugar for 20 minutes. Heat rest of sugar and add when hot to boiling jam. Boil quickly for one hour, then add citric acid and boil for a few minutes longer.


Laurel Recipe Book and Household Guide, 5th Edition 1951,Vacuum Oil Company Pty Ltd, Melbourne


Jams, Jellies, Pickles, Sauces: Tomato and Pineapple Jam

6lb tomatoes to 1 pineapple; 4 1/2lb sugar; 1 level tsp citric acid

Scald and peel tomatoes, cut up and remove hard piece near stalk. Cut pineapple into small dice. Boil together with 1lb of sugar 20 minutes. Heat 3 1/2lb of sugar in oven, add to biling jam and boil for further ¾ hour. Few minutes before taking jam off, add citric acid.



“Carry On” Cooker Book Tenth Edition, Mrs King, Proceeds in aid of the Totally and Permanently Disabled Soldiers’ Association NSW, Sydney 1949



Jams, Jellies and Preserves: Tomato and Pineapple Jam

Grate 4lb pine and peel about 4lb tomato. Boil till pine is cooked, adding gradually 8lb sugar. The proportion of tomato may vary according to taste. Yellow tomatoes are very suitable for this jam.



Sydney Harbour Bridge Souvenir Cookery Book 1932 Mr John Morgan (Pastrycook)

Pineapple and Tomato Jam

Take 6 large pineapples, peel and cut into small pieces, take 15lb of tomatoes, plunge into boiling water, so that the skins come off easily; mix with the pineapple and stew gently till the latter is soft, then add ¾lb sugar to each lb of the mixture, and boil till it is done. If liked omit the tomatoes, but the above are very nice mixed.
Some advice from Mr John Morgan (Pastrycook):