Eggs Bourgeoise - An American Civil War recipe

Recently I participated in a Civil War reenactment as a cook.  I did my homework and found a cookbook from 1833, which was clearly still in use 30 years later.  How did I know that?  I had been sifting through Godey's Lady's Book, a popular magazine at the time, for relevant recipes (they called them "receipts") and realized that some of them were copied directly from the 1833 book.

It is also reasonable to believe that recipes from 30 years previous could still be in use when considering how people passed cookbooks through generations and how favorite recipes are recalled even without a written reminder.  

The book I used is called The Cook's Own Book, written by Mrs. N. K. M. Lee.  Click here to see an 1854 reprint of her book.  It is quite complete with advice on food items and their health benefits (or detriments) as well as a focus on confectionery and extra recipes from Eliza Leslie, born in the late 1700s and wrote many cookbooks and other works.  Click here to see Project Gutenberg's list of her books.

The recipe I tried is on page 70, called Eggs Bourgeoise.  It seemed like just the right thing to cook over charcoal to add to the group breakfast menu.

For this blog post, I tried it at home in a modern kitchen.  In my notes below, I'll comment on the changes I made for the reenactment.

My Redaction

1 tablespoon butter (more is okay)

4 large slices of sourdough bread

4 slices of swiss cheese

10 eggs, beaten with

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

(I forgot to use nutmeg)

Alas, no nutmeg.

Using a 9-inch diameter cast iron skillet, warm the butter over low heat until it melts.  Coat the bottom and the sides of the pan with the butter.   Having some extra butter in the bottom of the pan is a benefit.

Arrange the bread to cover the bottom of the pan, tearing the pieces as needed to fit.

Arrange the cheese to cover the layer of bread, tearing the pieces to fit.

Pour the eggs, salt, and pepper mixture over the bread and cheese.

Set the pan over low heat (I started at 3 of 10).  Allow to cook until eggs are puffed and firm and they pull away from the pan's sides, about 25 to 30 minutes.  

If the eggs smell "done" but are not fully set, turn the heat down to finish cooking.  Tilt the pan as needed to move the liquid eggs from the center to the sides.  

The eggs might settle after removing them from the heat.

Slice and serve (or use a big spoon to scoop out what you want instead of slicing into wedges).

Bread and butter

With cheese.

And eggs.  Notice how the cheese is floating.

My Notes

At the reenactment, I removed the crusts from the bread in case someone didn't like that.  I also used shredded mozzarella cheese instead of sliced swiss.  

At first I used 8 eggs but that did not look like enough, so I added 4 more eggs.  That was too much!  At first it fit in the pan but when the eggs started to puff, they almost overflowed the pan.  That is why I used 10 eggs at home.  

My charcoal was gentle enough at the reenactment.  At home, the stove setting of 3 seemed too high after 15 minutes, so I put it down to 1 of 10 to finish cooking.  I think 1 or 2 from the beginning would have been fine, although it might have taken longer to cook.  I don't know how long it took over charcoal.

Pretty!

The Verdict

I served it for breakfast, but honestly, it can be served as a luncheon or supper dish.

In both cases, it was good.  As in, "Wow, this tastes great!  I want more!" as a reaction from all who tried it in both locations.  

I noticed the bread and cheese floated in the eggs when I poured in the eggs at home than what I recall at the reenactment.  Not that it mattered or made any difference in the final product, just an observation.

It looked like the bread formed a sort of crust, which I believe protected the eggs from overcooking.  At the least it added bulk and a lovely chewy aspect to the dish.  (Except for the very middle of the home version, where something overcooked a little and it was harder to cut through the crust.)

The mozzarella cheese melted into the eggs as they cooked.  The swiss floated on top and melted across the cooked eggs.  Both worthwhile results.  

The amount of salt and pepper was just right.  I wish I had remembered the nutmeg!

It was a robust main dish, creamy and chewy and savory.  Success, both times.

The leftovers (at home) were good reheated, too.

If I didn't want quite so much, I would use a smaller pan to achieve the same results.  Just use enough bread to cover the bottom, a generous helping of cheese (shredded was easier, I thought), and fewer eggs.  Reduce the amount of seasoning.  Leave enough room for the eggs to puff.

You could also bake it in the oven, like a fritatta.

This is clearly a good meal for camping.

I think a fresh salsa would be good over the top.  Try it!

How to Judge Good Flour -- advice from Encarnación Pinedo

Today I am taking a different approach to my blog post.  It is the 15th of the month, so I am posting something from Pinedo's book, but instead of a recipe, I wanted to test her advice on how to know if the flour you are using is of good quality.

In case you aren't already aware, in 2021 I translated Encarnación Pinedo's 1898 book El Cocinero Español in its entirety, and I am trying out her recipes and advice on this blog.  

In her introduction, on page x, she wrote: 

Which I translated as:

            Flour, when it is good, is known by taking a handful of it in the hand and squeezing it tightly; if it compacts and unites in a mass, it is of the best quality and the mixture that is made of it will be soft, ductile, and elastic; while adulterated flour is much heavier than fine and laborious to knead. If it is tested as said above, it will not give the same result.

            Second--A small amount is taken and [with] the fingers are kneaded; if it is soft and flexible it is good, and if it is sticky and rough it is bad.

            Third--Put a little bit on the table and blow gently with your breath; if there are little piles on the table that have resisted the action of the breath, it is good, and if it is completely scattered, it is bad.

            Fourth--A thimbleful is taken in the palm of the hand and rubbed gently with the finger: if the flour flattens and is slippery, it is of inferior quality, and, on the contrary, if rubbing it feels rough in the hand as if it was fine sand, it is good.

I tried these tests and took pictures to show the results.  

Keep in mind that I expect my flour to be good.  We have the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906 - and subsequent legislation - that requires food additives and adulterations to be reported, pushing businesses and manufacturers to sell us food we can rely on to be what the label says it is.  

This is so very different from what Pinedo, and the rest of the United States, experienced in 1898.  No one was held accountable for what they did to food, and adulteration with alternate ingredients and even poisonous additives was widespread.  Milk was "kept fresh" with embalming fluid; what was labeled as olive oil often contained no or little oil from olives; "strawberry" jam was made from apple pulp, sugar, red food coloring, grass seed, and strawberry flavoring; and more.  Manufacturers wanted to make money, so they cut costs wherever they could and didn't worry about the consequences.  

If your stomach can take it, take a look at Leon Landone's 1906 book Foods that are drugged.  (Click here for the link to it.)  Be astonished at all the food products, including baby food, that it lists.  Now when I see labels that use the word "pure," I have a better understanding of why that has been important.

So was my flour of good quality?  Keep in mind that proper labeling doesn't mean good quality, just that my flour wasn't mixed with chalk or Plaster of Paris.  It was worth the test.

Test #1

I took a handful of flour and squeezed it tightly.  

Before squeezing

After squeezing.

Uh oh.  My flour did not compact and unite into a mass.  It failed the first test.  

Test #2

I kneaded a little flour with my fingers.

She did not say to get it damp at all; I just used the flour from the bag.  It did not feel sticky and rough, but I was not sure it was "soft and flexible."

Test #3

I spread a little on the counter and gently blew on it.  

Before blowing

After blowing

If you look very carefully, you can see that some of the flour moved when I blew on it.  But very little.  I actually started blowing harder to get it to move, and I couldn't without making a big mess.  This was encouraging.

Test #4

I estimated a thimbleful into the palm of my hand, and I rubbed it with my finger.

Before rubbing

After rubbing

I think the rubbing flattened it, but it did not feel slippery at all.  It did feel like very fine sand.

The Verdict

While not every test gave me a clear result, I feel my flour was at least good quality and not adulterated.  I appreciated that she gave several tests so I could have options, otherwise the first test and maybe the second would have convinced me my flour was bad. 

What I used was a house brand flour, which may not have been as high quality as, say, a name brand.  Often house brands are made by the name brands but not labeled as such in order to reduce the price.  It would be informative to try these tests on other brands, especially the ones that advertise their high quality, and compare them.  

Success!  

Now I have to go clean all the flour off of my camera.  : )

Apple Snow-Balls - A recipe from the American Civil War

In 1830 in Philadelphia, Louis Antoine Godey began publishing Godey's Lady's Book offering advice for women regarding fashion, current events, popular culture, and more.  

In 1837, Sarah Josepha Hale took over as editor where her high standards and willingness to publish original works from women writers, as well as her advocacy for women's rights and responsibilities, helped to expand readership.  When she took over, it was at 10,000 and, by 1860, it was over 150,000.  

The most popular features of the magazine included hand-tinted fashion plates in each issues, patterns for women to use in making garments at home, sheet music for piano, and short stories by authors like Edgar Allan Poe (1809-49), Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-64), Oliver Wendell Holmes (1809-94), and Washington Irving (1783-1859), among others.  It also included news and features. (click here for citation)

Godey's also contained recipes, as listed under the general heading of "Receipts, &c."  This section included advice on running and maintaining the kitchen, and sometimes on health and medicine, because often the woman of the family was responsible for treating the family's ills.

Last year I participated in a Civil War reenactment as a cook, and I was in charge of desserts.  One that I prepared was such a hit - and easy! - that I wanted to share it on my blog.  It was published in the January 1863 edition, found on page 90.

I did not have the room in my kettle at the reenactment or at my home to make six of these.  My recommendation is to make up to as many apples as will fit in the pan that can hold the boiling water.  Think 2 to 3 servings per apple to help you plan for your meal.  

My Redaction

Per apple:

1 apple

1 long slice of lemon zest

1 to 2 inch long piece of cinnamon bark or 1 to 2 whole cloves

1/4 to 1/2 cup rice

1 large cloth napkin, big enough to wrap around the apple and still have some room

1 piece of string long enough to tie up the napkin

One big kettle of hot water

Don't forget the cloth!

Get the water to boiling (it takes a while), then keep it at a simmer until you put the apples in.

Dampen the cloth and spread it out on the counter.  It should be moist, not dripping.  Set the string nearby.

Cut each apple into fourths, cutting from the top down.  Remove the core, stem, and flower end.  Start reassembling the apple, placing the zest and spice into the space left from the core.

Pour the rice into the middle of the cloth, then spread it around in a circle with a radius about the same as the height of the apple.

Holding the parts of the apple together with one hand, set the apple in the middle of the rice layer.  Use your free hand to start pulling the corners and sides of the cloth up over the apple.  Work around the cloth; after doing half the cloth, use the free hand to hold the apple and cloth together and the other hand to pull up the rest of the cloth.

Bring the corners and edges together over the top of the apple.  Do not pull them snugly around the apple, but don't make them too loose.  Tie them with the string.  Make sure all the edges are above the string.

Set the bundle into the simmering water.  After all the bundles are in, make sure the water reaches to the top of the apples (where the tie is).  

Bring the water to a gentle boil and set the timer for 45 minutes.  About halfway through, turn the bundles over.

They are done when you poke the side with your finger and you can feel that the rice is soft.

Pull a bundle out of the water, letting it drain for a few seconds.  Place on a plate and remove the tie.  Open the cloth about halfway off the apple, then place another plate or bowl on top.  Flip the two and then remove the cloth.

With luck, the result will look just like a snow ball.

Quartered.

Cored.

Nice long lemon zest.  Use more cinnamon.

Spread that rice.

Reassembling the apple.

Hold it while bringing up the sides of the cloth.

A nice bundle.  

Get the water up to the ties, if possible.

Put the entire bundle in the water!

My Notes

It does take a while to heat up the large amount of water, so start early.  I recommend filling it to a bit less than you think you'll need to cover the bundles, because the level will rise when they go in.  Then add more hot water as needed when starting to cook.

I used one red (Gala) and one green (Granny Smith) apple.  Green apples tend to be tart.

The first time I did this, I just used zest as I didn't have whole cinnamon quills and not everyone likes the bold taste of cloves.  This time I used zest and cinnamon.

The amount of rice is up to you.  I didn't measure it the first time; for a reenactment, I just scooped and poured until it looked "right".  This time I used 1/2 cup.

Make sure the cloths are completely inside the kettle in the water, not hanging over the edge as one picture shows.  You don't want to set the cloth on fire.

I used my hand to pull the bundle out of the water.  It is hot.  You could use tongs or a slotted spoon instead.  

Out of the pot.

Start opening it up.

Flipped!

The Verdict

I served them with these garnishes:  butter, cream, maple syrup, and a cardamom-sugar mix.  My guest taster and I could put any or all of these on our servings.

At the reenactment, they looked just like perfect snowballs.  At home, they were close but had broken open around the apple.

Not perfect, but so what?

The rice was cooked through and the apples were tender.  It was easy to use a serving spoon to scoop up a piece of apple and some rice.  Then we added toppings as we liked.

One serving (of many)

We both tried both apple bundles separately.  My guest liked the tartness of the green apple best, and I liked the sweetness of the red apple.

The first thing I noted was that if you don't put the butter on right away, it won't melt into the rice.  We both agreed that it didn't need butter anyway.  We liked adding a little cream, and we especially liked the maple syrup.  The cardamom-sugar mix was also very tasty.

We loved the texture and the flavor of apple mixed with rice.  The lemon was lightly persistent throughout, as was the cinnamon.  Adding more toppings just made it better.

Success!

At the reenactment, people enjoyed it very much.  One person came back for seconds and then for another helping for a family member.  

We found it to be a "wholesome and satisfactory food" for everyone!

A thought I had later was that you could season it differently - using more savory spices such as black pepper - and serve it as a side dish to roast meat.  

Final note:  I have been going through Godey's to collect the recipes in one place.  Then I discovered that many of their recipes are word-for-word copies of recipes from N.K.M. Lee's The Cook's Own Book, published in 1832/1833.  That is another good source of period recipes.  Lee's book has several versions of snow balls.

Pudin de arróz - Rice Pudding, a Pinedo recipe

I’ve mentioned before that I have a sweet tooth, and it kicked in when I was choosing the Pinedo recipe for this post.  I’ve been eyeing her rice puddings recipes for a while.  Today I chose one that takes a long time to prepare because, well, I had the time!

On page 216 she lists two rice pudding recipes, and the first one intrigued me.  The rice is cooked in milk for three hours.

  My Translation

So, let’s get started. I chose to make a half quantity of her recipe.  At the beginning I wasn’t sure if she wanted the rice to be cooked first and then simmered for three hours, or if the rice was only simmered in the milk for three hours.  I chose the latter.

My Redaction

¼ pound white rice

1 quart whole milk

about ½ tablespoon butter (plus more to butter the dish)

½ cup raisins

½ cup sugar

4 egg yolks

2 egg whites

½ tablespoon orange blossom water

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Put rice in a sieve and rinse it well.  Add the rice to the milk in a large saucepan.  Cover the pan and bring the milk to just a bare simmer – bubbles were forming and it looked “foamy.”

Remove the cover, stir the rice well, reduce the heat to the lowest possible, and set the time for 1 ½ hours.  Stir occasionally. 

When the time is up, add the raisins, butter, and sugar.  Stir them in well and set the timer for 1 ½ hours.  Watch the rice carefully, stirring often, especially after the first hour when the mixture starts getting thick.

When the total of three hours of cooking is over, remove the rice mixture from the saucepan and into a big bowl.  Allow it time to cool, at least 30 minutes. 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (325 degrees if using a glass or ceramic pan).  Butter an 8 x 12 inch baking dish.

While the mixture is cooling, separate the eggs.  Beat the yolks well.  Beat the whites to stiff peaks.

Once the mixture is cool enough not to cook the eggs, mix in the yolks, cinnamon, and orange blossom water.  Stir them in well.  Then fold in egg whites.

Spread the mixture in the pan.  Bake for about 30 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned and the center is somewhat firm.

Serve warm.

My Notes

I chose to cook the rice slowly in the milk because I couldn’t see how to boil the rice to “done” without overheating the milk.  I believe that Pinedo wanted the milk to be cooked very slowly the entire time and never brought to a boil. 

After I brought the rice and milk to a simmer, I noticed the rice was sticking to the bottom of the pan.  So I stirred it with the intent to break the rice away from the bottom.  I was successful.

I first put the saucepan on a simmer mat over the lowest flame on my stove (1 of 10).  After the first 1 ½ hours, the rice was barely cooked and a “skin” was on the surface.  So I removed the simmer mat.  That cooked the rice a lot faster, which is why you need to watch it closely in the second 1 ½ hours so it doesn’t overcook.  Feel free to remove it from the heat earlier if the mixture is very thick and threatening to stick to the pan.

When the mixture went into the bowl to cool, it smelled good.  The white milk, rice, and sugar had all changed to a lovely golden color.  That long, slow cooking gave the sugars in the milk and sugar a chance to caramelize. 

I didn’t wait until the rice mixture to be completely cooled, just cool enough to “not cook the eggs.”  It was comfortably warm to the touch.

Finally looking like it is cooking!

Done.  Needs to cool.

With everything in it.

Ready for the oven.

Ready for my mouth!

The Verdict

I served it warm as dessert after dinner. 

Not too thick, not too thin.

The first thing that I noticed was how very delicate the rice pudding was.  Most rice puddings that I have tried are served cold and are creamy and somewhat heavy because they are thick.  I expected this baked rice pudding to be similar in texture to a bread pudding.  I think folding in the egg whites “in a snow state” made the pudding soft, fluffy, and delicate because the egg whites act as a leavening agent.  (Similarly, the second rice pudding recipe on that page uses “yeast powder,” which is baking powder, also a leavening.)

I also thought the pudding was surprisingly sweet.  Not overwhelmingly sweet, but I only put in ½ cup sugar, and it tasted sweeter than what I expected from that quantity.  Was it the caramelization?  Was it the raisins?  I don’t know, but I thought the sweetness level was just right.  The cinnamon amount was right, too, because I think if there had been more added, it would distract from the delicate texture. 

I did not think the orange blossom water was very noticeable, but my guest taster identified it immediately.  When I focused on my tastebuds, I could get a sense of it.  It was a subtle support flavor that was quite appropriate. 

It was also moist without being wet or cloying.  I appreciated that.

Overall, success!  It was tasty warm from the oven, cold the next day, but even better the next day warmed up slightly.

If I did it again, I would add more raisins.  I love raisins!

If you put it into a smaller baking dish, you would get a thicker pudding.  That might affect the baking time.  I liked the thickness.  I think it emphasized the delicate aspect of the pudding.

We who cook on a stove instead of a fire like Pinedo did and live our lives faster than I think she did don’t generally think of cooking something for hours on end.  I found it easy – once the milk and rice were cooking, I could do other things nearby and I just had to walk over to check on it occasionally.  I recommend trying this recipe.  It is different from a standard cold rice pudding, and I think you will enjoy it.

 

To Make a Creamapple Pie

Much of my historical cooking demonstration experience revolves around the Elizabethan period, that is, food from the reign of England's Queen Elizabeth I in the late 1500s.  It is acceptable to cook medieval recipes for this time period, but it really helps to have resources that match up with that era.  

One very good resource is Elinor Fettiplace's Receipt Book:  Elizabethan Country House Cooking as brought to us by Hilary Spurling.  Ms. Fettiplace was married to Sir Richard Fettiplace of Appleton Manor in Oxfordshire.  You can read more about her here.  Ms. Spurling is an author who cooked from the book for ten years before publishing it.  You can read more about her here.

Ms. Fettiplace wrote her receipt book (we use "recipe" instead of "receipt") by hand, passed it on to other family members who added to it and then passed it on.  Ms. Spurling acquired the book when it was inherited by her husband, John Spurling.

What I like about it is that the receipts are closer to what "ordinary" people would have made, keeping in mind that the Fettiplace family had more wealth than the average lower class worker.  When you read the recipes, you see many simple and tasty dishes and not the elaborate ones used by the very wealthy to impress at feasts.  

I chose a receipt on page 58, To Make a Creamapple Pie.  There are so many other receipts I want to try!

ISBN 0-670-81592-6

The way to format receipts in the Elizabethan times was in paragraph form.  This uses less space than our modern format.  It also gives few (if any) measurements and cooking times.  Measurements depend on the quantities you have available and cooking times depend on the size of the oven and the size of the fire that heats its.  Ms. Fettiplace assumes you have, or will get, experience in judging all this.  Fortunately, Ms. Spurling gives us her redaction, which I used but organized to our modern standards.

Original Receipt

Take your apples, & slice them, & put some butter & sugar to them, & so put them in the paste, & bake them, when they are baked cut open the pie, & put in a great deal of sweet cream, & stir it well togither, & then let it stand a little, till it bee somewhat cold, & so serve it to the boord.

Redaction

2 pounds tart cooking apples (see notes)

4 rounded tablespoons brown sugar

"a good-sized knob of butter" (I used nearly 1/4 cup)

1/2 pint cream (I used more)

dough for a two-crust, 9-inch pie

Two pounds apples is just four of these.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (or 350 degrees if the pie pan is glass or ceramic).

Line the pie pan with the bottom crust.

Quarter and core the apples, then slice thinly, leaving the peel on.  Spread in pie pan, piling it up higher in the middle than at the edge of the pan knowing they will settle while cooking.

Sprinkle the brown sugar over the top of the apples.  

Cut the cold butter into chips and slivers, and sprinkle them across the top of the apples.  I just held the knob over the pan and chipped away at it, letting the pieces fall onto the pie.

Cut several holes in the top crust then place on the pie.  Seal the top and bottom edges together.

Bake for 45 minutes.

As soon as the pie is out of the oven, use a funnel to help pour the cream into the holes.  Pour in as much cream as it will hold without overflowing.

Let cool to room temperature.  

Notes

I live in California, so the apples Ms. Spurling recommends, Bramley, are not available.  The internet told me that Granny Smith, Braeburn, Cortland, or Winesap are good substitutes, so I got Granny Smith.  These are green, tart cooking apples and are known to hold their shape when cooked. 

I bought 2 pints of cream and was glad because the pie took 1 1/4 pints until it was full.  Maybe because I used a 9-inch pan and piled the apples up so high?

I wanted to try Ms. Fettiplace's idea of cutting open the pie, but modified the idea to baking the top crust with parchment paper along the edges to keep it from sticking to the bottom crust.  You will see the paper in the pictures.  This idea did not work out as the top crust stuck to the apples and started to break when I attempted lifting it.  So I used Ms. Spurling's idea of using a funnel to pour the cream into the vent holes once I pulled the paper strips away.  The top sealed to the bottom anyway while cooling.

This crust experience makes me think that Ms. Fettiplace used a more robust and/or flexible pie crust than the store-bought one I used.  She felt you could cut it open and not have it break up at all.

Use this many apples

With sugar and butter

Skip the paper strips.  Just add the crust with vent holes.

Beautiful!

Now it is a creamapple pie.

The Verdict

It looked beautiful out of the oven and cooled.  

Cooled and ready to eat.

It sliced wonderfully.  The cream had set during the cooling process and did not pour out of the crust once it was cut.

No runny cream!

My regular guest taster and I loved it.  It was not an apple pie as our taste buds expected as it didn't contain the spices such as cinnamon that our tastebuds expected.  But the apple flavor was there and the cream added a richness and, well, creaminess to the experience.  The crust delivered a nice crunch, too.

I felt I should have sliced the apples thinner.  Not that they were bad, but I felt that some needed a little more cooking.  So perhaps I could have left it in the oven another 10 minutes or so, but I worried I would burn the crust.

We both tried to imagine if cinnamon or cardamom or other spices would be a good addition.  Maybe.  But the pie as it was had a unique flavor, and I'm not sure I want to change that.

Two more guest tasters tried it.  One did not like it because she tasted a "tang" that reminded her of sour cream, which she dislikes.  The other enjoyed it but noticed that it was not the "usual" apple pie - she missed the spices she expected.  So she wasn't thrilled as we were but she liked it.

Ms. Spurling commented that the pie should not be served cold as the butter coagulates and is not pleasant to eat.  We warmed our refrigerated leftovers in the microwave for just long enough to remove the chill from the pie.  That worked out well.

Success!  Give it a try but be prepared for something different than what our tastebuds have been trained to expect from an apple pie.  You might use red (less tart) apples instead of the Granny Smiths.