Savoury Balls

Look at these merry flappers laughing at a pie. They are laughing because the pie is rank and they are about to serve it to someone they hate.

These 1920s Jack Monroes (We heart Jack Monroe) have compiled a selection of 'thrifty' recipes for the harried housewife. (The definition of thrifty, like bully, awful, and villain has changed over the years and originally meant 'evil'.) My favourite was a tempting mixture of salt, suet and white flour with the evocative name of 'Savoury Balls'. But then I read about the exquisite combination of wet toast, veal, egg and lemon rind that is 'Veal Moulded'. Eventually, I decided I admired the straight forward approach of the vegetable section most:

Boil stuff. For ages.

Why not treat your other half with a plate of boiled onions tonight?

I am also filled with jealousy for the recipients of this special dinner served in 1899 at the Kirkwall Free Church. The menu begins with 'Brown Soup', continues with non-specific 'fowl' and yummy tapioca pudding all followed by a mound of raisins washed down with some delicious water. MMmmmmmmmmm....

Orkney Archive Reference D133/5

Happy pancake tuesday!

It's that time of year again when we all put back on any weight that we've managed to lose since Christmas by consuming large amounts of syrupy pancakes. "No!", I hear you cry, "I cannot because I don't know how to make pancakes". Well worry no more because you can find a lovely recipe for Orkney pancakes on the Scottish Council on Archives notice board at http://www.scottisharchives.org.uk/ediblearchive/cards/orkney-pancakes-recipe-card.pdf

The recipe is taken from an early 18th century cookery book in D14/7/1: Traill-Dennison papers. A note on the cover states that it belonged to Margaret Traill, daughter of John Traill of Elsness, who married James Traill of Woodwick in 1712. The recipe shown is a modernised version of the original, so if you would like to follow the original:

Take a mutchine of Sweet Cream 10 Eggs keep out some of the whites thicken it wt flower melt half a pound of sweet butter mix it among the batter wt a gill of Seck or half a Gill of brandy 3 ounces of Sugar half a grated Nuttmug let your pann be hot when you pull in the batter to make them and serve them up Nicely.

There's some other "lovely" recipes in this book which we might feature in the future. Anyone for Cods Head the Scots way? No, then maybe A Hash of Calves Head? Ok, maybe not.