It was a damp day for Kew yesterday but although I only live 10 minutes away, I've never managed to visit while they're cooking in the royal kitchens. I browsed through this book - new to me - by a 1780s tavern cook - filed away a few ideas that I really must try - and watched as two chatty cooks prepared a royal supper tray of chicken curry, meatballs, 'Turkish' lamb, asparagus made to resemble green beans, ale-barm bread and homemade cheese, syllabub and raspberry cream. I'm definitely going to make that cream cheese though I'm not too confident about making a yeast starter by leaving a bowl to stand under an apple tree. If only I had an apple tree, I'd give it a try.
Ooh, doesn't it all sound delicious! I've seen Ruth Goodman place a bowl outside in the garden to collect spores, or whatever, to get a starter going. I'm imagining all sorts of mammals and insects stopping by for a lick....perhaps it's no wonder people rarely reached the stage of elderly. We do live in a germaphobe world now though, don't we.
ReplyDeleteThat was my thought, Darlene - squirrels/bird poo/cats, you wouldn't really fancy it by the time it came out of the oven!
ReplyDeleteI did that natural yeast collection method once. Never again. It was grey and smelly and most unappetising.
ReplyDeleteI was at Kew on the 17th. We must stop not meeting like this.
Thanks for the warning, Lucille. Fancy just missing you, I was there on 15th. Think it was actually my first visit this year.
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