From the Victorian Kitchen – Balmoral Tartlets
A Recipe to Celebrate a Royal Jubilee As the nation looks forward to the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations to mark her 70 years on the throne, we in the Victorian Kitchen look back at other…
From the Victorian Kitchen – Simnel Cake
Just a few questions to see if you need to read any further! What’s the difference, historically, between Mothering Sunday and Mother’s Day? What food is traditionally associated with Mothering Sunday? How did Simnel Cake…
From the Victorian Kitchen – Irish Plum Cake
17th March is St Patrick’s Day. St Patrick is the Patron Saint of Ireland and to celebrate this event we, in the Victorian Kitchen, thought that the Taste of History should reflect this. Nowadays, this…
From the Victorian Kitchen – Imperials
When researching recipes each month, Eliza Acton’s and Isabella Beeton’s books, along with several others, are trawled for possible “Tastes of History”. The choices available are both many and various. However, sometimes when looking for…
Mincemeat and Mince Pies – History, Recipes and More – from Mrs Bird
Mincemeat and Mince Pies – History, Recipes and More . . . It would appear that mincemeat has its origins in the Middle East. Returning Crusaders brought back the idea that meat, dried fruit and…
November’s Recipe from the Victorian Kitchen – Cattern Cakes
A Recipe from The Victorian Kitchen for St Catherine's Day 25th November is St. Catherine’s Day and she is the patron saint of lacemakers. On this day special rituals happened and special food was cooked.…
December’s Recipe from the Victorian Kitchen – Three Christmas Puddings!
Christmas Puddings from The Victorian Kitchen for Stir-Up Sunday There’s still time . . . . .. . . . It’s not too late . . . . . . . . . . .…
Jumbles – A Recipe for the Half Term Holidays
This recipe has a very long history. Many authorities state that Jumbles came from the Middle East and were brought back to Europe by returning Crusaders, OR some say they originated in Italy or France…
October’s Recipe from the Victorian Kitchen – Grantham Gingerbreads
A Recipe from the Victorian Kitchen Many of the recipes (or to be correctly English, I should call these receipts, because the word recipe is French) on offer in the kitchen have been gleaned from…
Mrs Bird’s Victorian Fruit Candied Peel
This is something I would never have envisaged doing but it was the research into the history of Shortbread which started me on this culinary experience. It is an experience I don’t regret at all.…
Mrs Bird’s Victorian Shortbread
Sometimes when deciding what the next ‘Taste of History’ is to be, it is easy to overlook some of our traditional items. After all, how many of us have not moved the humble Shortbread to…
Mrs Bird’s VE DAY
Mrs Bird's VE Day Memories and Recipes Homemade Beef Roll 8oz (250g) minced beef 4oz (125g) ham or bacon - very finely chopped or minced 3oz (75g) fresh breadcrumbs 1 egg Seasoning Mix all the…
Mays VE Cake – Dorset Apple Cake
A Wartime Recipe from The Victorian Kitchen VE Day 1945 was a time of national celebration; it was seen as a time of togetherness. So, it does seem rather ironic that 75 years on, the…
February’s Recipe from the Victorian Kitchen
Our visitors to the museum for Steaming Sunday this month will have the opportunity to sample a real favourite of the Victorian times. Caraway Seed Cake. This was a must on most tea tables. And…
January’s Recipe from the Victorian Kitchen Celebrates Australia Day with Anzac Biscuits
January’s Recipe from the Victorian Kitchen Celebrates Australia Day with Anzac Biscuits It seemed appropriate to start 2020 by widening our net of Victorian recipes to include one from the Commonwealth, particularly as January 26th…
The Victorian Kitchen Celebrates – The Chinese New Year
The Victorian Kitchen Celebrates – The Chinese New Year Visitors to the museum this Saturday were able to celebrate “The Year of the Rat” by taking part in a Tea Tasting. Some even had a…
September’s Recipe from the Victorian Kitchen – Grantham Gingerbreads
September’s Recipe from the Victorian Kitchen Many of the recipes (or to be correctly English, I should call these receipts, because the word recipe is French) on offer in the kitchen on Steaming Sundays have…
August’s Recipe from the Victorian Kitchen – Treacle Tart
August in the Victorian Kitchen So far, all the dishes produced for each Steaming Sunday have been made from recipes common in the early years of Victoria’s reign. This month is different, and its name…
July’s Recipe from the Victorian Kitchen – Geneva Buns
July in the Victorian Kitchen July’s Recipe from The Victorian Kitchen This month’s Steaming Sunday’s ‘A Taste of History’ is called by Eliza Acton – Geneva buns, and by Isabella Beeton – Plain buns (she…
June’s Recipe from the Victorian Kitchen
June in the Victorian Kitchen Steaming Sunday this month coincided with our fabulous Steampunk Extravaganza weekend. So, the Victorian Kitchen had as a ‘Taste of History’ samples of all the recipes on offer so far…
May’s Recipe from the Victorian Kitchen
Acton Gingerbread This month’s Steaming Sunday recipe contained a very Victorian product - Treacle. It comes in many different forms ranging from light through to very dark. And it is this ingredient which has caused…
April’s Recipe from the Victorian Kitchen
As April’s Steaming Sunday came hard on the heels of the Bank Holiday, I thought I would continue the Easter theme for this month’s recipe. These Somerset Easter Cakes or Sedgemoor Easter Cakes are “homely”…
A Recipe for Easter from the Victorian Kitchen
A Recipe for Easter from the Victorian Kitchen Question – When is a cake not a cake? Answer – When it’s a biscuit! Intrigued? . . . . . Read on . . . .…
Mrs Bird’s Yeast Cake
A Recipe from The Victorian Kitchen This latest recipe from the Victorian Kitchen has a rather unimaginative series of names attached to it. In Eliza Acton’s book, Modern Cookery for Private Families, it is called…