A Dish of Roman Lentils
A few weeks ago we were besieged by snow and freezing temperatures which inevitably drove me to cook something warming and sustaining....
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sjfbilton
Mar 8, 20183 min read
Sticky Fig Cake
There is something about figs even in this day and age that causes people to titter. With their curvaceous exterior and fleshy pink...
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sjfbilton
Jan 26, 20183 min read
Educating Marmalade
Apparently, the British are the only Europeans to differentiate orange marmalade from other fruit jams. On the continent marmalade can be...
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sjfbilton
Dec 15, 20174 min read
The Mince Pie Antidote
The appearance of the first mince pies in our shops seems to get earlier every year. I spied a small display in my local supermarket in...
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sjfbilton
Dec 4, 20172 min read
Spiced Medlar Loaf
I made my annual batch of medlar mincemeat last week. As always I picked far too many medlars and as a consequence ended up with more...
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sjfbilton
Nov 15, 20172 min read
Carrot Pudding with Caramel Sauce and Buttermilk Ice Cream
Despite living in the intense heat the Victorians who had settled in India were still partial to a traditional British pudding after...
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sjfbilton
Nov 13, 20173 min read
Apician Prawns with Chickpea & Saffron Mash and Artolagana
The story behind this dish is as follows. Apicius, the renowned Roman gastronome to whom the most famous book on Roman food is...
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sjfbilton
Oct 5, 20172 min read
Tafferty Tarts with Earl Grey Ice Cream
The Accomplisht Cook by Robert May (1660/85) is rather like those ‘antique’ shops you find in towns like Lewes stuffed with a fascinating...
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sjfbilton
Sep 21, 20173 min read
Pumpkin, Apple & Hazelnut Crumble Tart
Robert May’s Pompion Pie (The Accomplisht Cook c.1660) Take a pound of pumpkin and slice it, a handful of thyme, a little rosemary, and...
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sjfbilton
Sep 15, 20172 min read
Spiced Ale Pancakes with Applemuse & Sherry Sauce
This recipe is adapted from the early 17th century recipe notebook kept by Elinor Fettiplace. Spiced Ale Pancakes Ingredients (makes...
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sjfbilton
Aug 31, 20171 min read
Spiced Courgette Marmalade
This recipe is based on one provided by Mrs Beeton for vegetable marrow jam. The only changes I have made to the original are the...
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sjfbilton
Aug 25, 20173 min read
All Courgettes Great and Small
It’s been a while since I last grew courgettes (or zucchini as our American and Italian cousins like to call them). Despite being a...
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sjfbilton
Jun 8, 20172 min read
Elderflower & Pistachio Cheesecake
Cheesecakes are something of a stalwart in the dessert stakes. In their various guises they have graced culinary manuals for centuries....
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sjfbilton
Mar 24, 20172 min read
Feeling Frumenty – Part 2
This version of the classic frumenty takes on a sweeter guise than my previous offering. Frumenty could be made with stock or almond...
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sjfbilton
Mar 17, 20174 min read
Feeling Frumenty – Part 1
Frumenty or fermity is an ancient form of wheat pottage (it appears in the Form of Cury from 1390 but probably has much earlier origins)....
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sjfbilton
Feb 24, 20172 min read
Pancakes of Sorts
Pancakes and fritters must surely be amongst the most ancient recipes going. Nor should they be restricted to Shrove Tuesday (neither are...
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sjfbilton
Dec 19, 20163 min read
Nesselrode Pudding (Chestnut Parfait)
Not everyone is a fan of Christmas pudding. Whilst tradition may dictate that the festive meal should conclude with a flaming cannon ball...
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sjfbilton
Dec 12, 20162 min read
Potage à la Saxe-Coburg
It’s been a while since my last post. I’ve been rather preoccupied with my supper club, Repast. But whilst my blogging may have been lax...
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sjfbilton
Sep 22, 20165 min read
Rice Bread
Bread has taken a battering in recent years. A host of ‘experts’ have been encouraging us to eschew the yeasty stuff in order to cleanse...
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sjfbilton
May 20, 20162 min read
Erbolate
Baked Parmesan Custard (Serves 1 or more if you multiply the ingredients) Take parsel, myntes, sauery, & sauge, tansey, veruayn, clarry,...
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