Whew. Finally, a few moments of down time! Seems I’ve been running non-stop
since my last post. I’ve done everything from transport a few pieces of cooking
equipment and food supplies out to Wyckoff, to printing up my “Receipts Sheets,”
to finishing the bread (more on that later), to cooking up some hasty pudding,
and so on.
Last night, of course, was the first Fireside Feasts of the season. It was fantastic!
A combination of gorgeous weather, an attentive eager-to-participate audience,
and fantastic cooked-over-the-open-fire food made for a highly successful event.
I think everyone enjoyed it. I know I did!
Fireside Feasts 7/9/09; Photo courtesy of Edwin Bergmann
The theme of yesterday’s cooking (and eating!) was “Is it breakfast or supper?”
The verdict by program’s end? It could be either! You see, in the early 1800s,
and even the centuries before then, the three daily meals were breakfast, dinner,
and supper. Breakfast would’ve been eaten (or “taken,” as folks then would say)
around 10 or so in the morning. Now, for a farm family such as the Wyckoffs,
this would mean waiting until after early morning chores were completed.
The main meal of the day, dinner, would take place in the middle of the day,
say around 1 or so. In fact, it soon became “fashionable” to eat later and later,
at 3 or 4 or even later! And lastly, supper came at the close of the day; which
for people like the Wyckoffs probably meant about sundown, when natural
light ceased to exist.
So at last night’s Fireside Feasts workshop we attempted to re-create via food
a typical summer day in the life of the Wyckoff family. Starting with the premise
that yesterday’s mid-day meal (dinner) consisted of sappaen (hasty pudding). Quite
a bit was made, of course, so the leftovers, along with some freshly-caught perch,
were eaten for supper. Any leftover fish and sappaen, which has now set, been sliced,
and fried, were then eaten for breakfast the following day.
But wait. What if there hadn’t been any leftover sappaen after the mid-day meal?
What would that day’s supper, or for that matter, tomorrow’s breakfast, be? Both
would be something fairly simple, using whatever was on hand. Perhaps some eggs,
whether boiled, poached, fried, or done up in an omlet (omelette). Maybe some
pancakes. Or, using slices of a day-old loaf of bread, a “made dish” of French
toast (pain perdu). We could even just take some of today’s loaf and have
bread (or toast) and butter.
And so, that was the basis for the dishes we prepared, and ate, during this first
Fireside Feasts. We had “leftover” perch and fried sappaen/hasty pudding/mush,
an omelette, pancakes, toasted bread, and pain perdu (French toast). All of it
prepared over the open fire. Hmmmm…delicious!
For those who couldn’t attend, the receipts (recipes) for the dishes we prepared
will be posted shortly on the “Receipts” page.
The next Fireside Feasts, is “Let them eat cake”! Come on out and
join the fun!
