Category Archives: Bread

Ship’s Biscuit Recipes

Many recipes in the 18th century use biscuits as an ingredient in other foods. Now I’m a biscuit fan. I’ll take mine hot with a dab of butter and a little honey. It just so happens that my bucket list … Continue reading

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Standing-Crust Pie Recipes

In my last (rather lengthy) post, I shared a recipe for a large standing crust from Mrs. Frazer’s 1791 cookbook, “The Practice of Cookery.” Rather than leave you standing there with an empty pie shell, I thought it would be … Continue reading

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A Quire of Paper

Here’s one more recipe for 18th century pancakes from John Farley’s 1783 cookbook, “The London Art of Cookery“: A variation of this recipe can also be found in Mary Randolph’s 1824 cookbook “The Virginia Housewife.” A “quire” is a term borrowed … Continue reading

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How to hold your pancake…

It’s pancake week on our picture reference blog, SiftingThePast.com, and I couldn’t help but notice how people were holding their pancakes in a couple of the paintings . Notice, below, the man in the background holding his pancake as well … Continue reading

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Pancakes: They’re Not Just for Breakfast

While I look forward nearly every day to going to work, every now and again, I’ll look forward with greater anticipation to the drive home. I know of no job that is void of any stress of one sort or … Continue reading

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A Rare Glimpse and a Unique Resource

Here at Jas. Townsend & Son, we’re presently researching, of all things, the history of pancakes.  We noticed a broad range of various pancake recipes as we perused the numerous period cookbooks in preparation for our video series, but we … Continue reading

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Lobscouse

Ship’s bread or hard tack as it was known in the 19th century was a staple of the sailor’s diet in the 18th and 19th century and was also frequently issued to soldiers and used by other long distance travelers. … Continue reading

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Another Fine Resource

Here’s a link to an excellent resource for best (and worst) cooking, food-preparation, and home-remedy practices of southern England, compiled and published by William Ellis in 1750.

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Pan Perdu (or as we call it “French Toast”)

Who doesn’t like a nice big plate of French Toast? For me it brings back fond childhood memories of Saturday mornings — usually during the holidays when no one seemed to be in a hurry to change out of our … Continue reading

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Recipes Using Bread Crust Chips and Raspings

In response to our last post on 18th Century No-Knead “French” Bread, a reader asked us to share some original recipes that included crust chips and raspings as an ingredient. If the typical 18th century diet could be reduced down … Continue reading

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