Colonial recipes and holiday fare

November 28, 2002 6:04 AM

Thanksgiving Bill of Fare - "If you will boile chickens, young turkeys, peahens, or any house fowl daintily, you shall, after you have trimmed them, drawn them, trussed them, and washed them, fill their bellies as full of parsley as they can hold; then boil them with salt and water only till they be enough." When sated with peahens and house fowl you might have enjoyed a taste of Pumpion Pie. Early colonial cuisine probably borrowed heavily from the New Booke of Cookerie from London and were no doubt greatly influenced by native recipes and cooking customs.
posted by madamjujujive (7 comments total)

fry them like a froize??
Uhh, sure, whatever you say.
posted by Fabulon7 at 6:32 AM on November 28, 2002

Yabbut did they have succotash, pumpkin pie, and cranberry sauce in London?
posted by alumshubby at 7:24 AM on November 28, 2002

Oops, they had "pumpion" pie. My bad. But they didn't have the Cowboys and Lions on TV either.
posted by alumshubby at 7:25 AM on November 28, 2002

What prosaic times we live in.

'Take their weight in sugar, and
stick a whole clove in every piece
of them, and put in pieces of whole
cinnamon, then put in all your sugar,
with a slice or two of whole Ginger:

sprinkle rosewater on them before
you close your pie: bake them, and
serve them in.'

I can't imagine Delia Smith writing like that
posted by Summer at 7:31 AM on November 28, 2002

I loved these, from under the section of who attended the first thanksgiving:

Oceanus Hopkins (boy) approx. 1 --(born on the way?)

Among other probable attendees are Hobbamock, Quadequina (Massasoit's brother), and Tokamahamon (mentioned in Mourt's Relation in June 1621, as a "special friend"). --(hmmm-special friend???)

enjoy everyone!
posted by amberglow at 9:06 AM on November 28, 2002

what a coincidence! I had roast Neates tongue, in the French fashion of course (pchah! how else?), for luncheon today.

there is one recipe that may be of particular interest in the New Booke of Cookerie:

To make Pancakes so crispe that you
may set them vpright.
MAke a dozen, or a score of them in
a little frying pan, no bigger then
a Sawcer, & then boyle them in Lard,
and they will looke as yellow as golde,
beside the taste.
posted by gravelshoes at 9:46 AM on November 28, 2002

Gold links, madam! Thanks!
posted by sir walsingham at 11:15 AM on November 28, 2002