shire_kitchen | Entries tagged with recipes

First up is a vid from Jonathon Townsend:

The variation with honey would work especially in the Shire. I think switchel or "swizzle" (love that variation on the name) would go down well during harvest time, or at a Lithe-day celebration, or really any celebration that might include youngsters.

Here is a recipe that was posted with my Shire Kitchen Recip!Fic entry, Spring Quickening:

SHIRE HEALER’S MINT THIRST QUENCHER

Dissolve 4 cups sugar in 2 1/2 cups of water; when it comes to a boil add 1 cup wine vinegar. Simmer 1/2 hour. Add a handful of mint, remove from fire, let cool. Drain out the mint leaves. Dilute the resulting syrup to taste with ice water (5 to 10 parts water to 1 part syrup). The syrup stores without refrigeration.

[AUTHOR’S NOTE: If this looks familiar, I’ve posted the recipe once before. It is actually an ancient Middle-Eastern drink called “Sekanjabin”. This recipe comes from Cariadoc's Miscellany. I've seen several other recipes for it as well, but they are all mostly the same. There are a good many great recipes on this page:
http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/cariadoc/drinks.html#2

And I know it might sound funny to make a drink out of vinegar and mint, but it really is a very good thirst quencher, and no more tart than lemonade. It‘s also very pretty; depending on which kind of vinegar you use--red wine vinegar makes a lovely pale pink, while white vinegar looks a bit like pale limeade.]

These sorts of drinks might make a welcome change from tea for those who don't wish to have their characters drinking nothing but beer, ale, mead or wine all the time!

Do any of you have recipes or ideas for non-alcoholic drinks that might work in Middle-earth?

dreamflower

Often when I am writing a hobbit story, I look for historical recipes that might possibly have been made in the Shire.

Recently, I came across an amazing series of vids made by Jonathon Townsend, of Jas. Townsend and Sons, a company that caters to historical re-enactment groups. Each recipe is explained clearly and concisely, and is prepared in a historically accurate reproduction kitchen, the host wearing period clothing. Even so, he explains how to make it in a modern kitchen as well, and how to substitute hard to find ingredients or where to find them if they cannot be substituted.

Also, Mr. Townsend (IMHO) looks to me very hobbity!

Here's his recipe for "White Pot", a recipe for a sort of bread pudding:

I can't wait to try this one myself!

dreamflower

I've been having a good deal of fun with my herbs this summer, as well as my cherry and grape tomatoes that are growing in pots. I came up with a couple of recipes I thought folks might like:

Recipes behind the cut--( Read more... )

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