Mrs Beeton…
September 13th, 2004
…knows how to organise a picnic (but gets no Doing Less points).
Things not to be forgotten at a picnic.
2151. A stick of horseradish, a bottle of mint-sauce well corked, a bottle of salad dressing, a bottle of vinegar, made mustard, pepper, salt, good oil, and pounded sugar. If it can be managed, take a little ice. It is scarcely necessary to say that plates, tumblers, wine-glasses, knives, forks, and spoons, must not be forgotten; as also teacups and saucers, 3 or 4 teapots, some lump sugar, and milk, if this last named article cannot be obtained in the neighbourhood. Take 3 corkscrews.
Mrs Beeton’s Book of Household Management, Mrs Beeton, 1861
She’s quite right about the four teapots of course, but what about some sandwiches…?
September 13th, 2004 at 11:20 pm
HAHAHA! Sure glad we aren’t living in the 1800s!
September 14th, 2004 at 12:43 am
…don’t forget several servants. Ever so helpful for pouring the tea, etc.
September 15th, 2004 at 11:13 am
Did you know that most of Mrs Beaton was written by her husband a magazine publisher. She died incredibly young either around or under thirty. Read a biog a million years ago!
Dont forget the wine…
September 15th, 2004 at 8:57 pm
Hey Michael, that looks like a really interesting book. I would love to see more. I often browse my grand mother’s cook book, wondering over the strange recipets, using a “warm oven” as a temperature setting and other very pecular directions, when I visit my parents. It’s fun to imagine what they might have done with these bits of information in those old books that seem so strange to us now.
Frederick