January 25

01-25

Pimiento Soup
Marshmallow Fudge
Salted Almonds
Roast Quail, Rice Croquettes with Jelly
Brussels Sprouts
Lettuce Nests, *Alberta Mayonnaise
Toasted Crackers
Coffee Ice Cream
Swedish Rolled Wafers

In 1914 January 25 was a Sunday.

I have no idea what is going on with this menu. Dessert seems to come right after the soup course, but we also have dessert after the salad course. I guess I can see salted almonds as a crunchy accompaniment to soup, but marshmallow fudge?

M2This project is supported by my Patrons on Patreon and donations from other enthusiasts of historic cookery. With your help I can acquire the unusual ingredients and equipment and do the research needed to continue my culinary adventures. Thank you so much!

January 24

01-24

Hot Boiled Corned Beef
Boiled Potatoes
Smothered Cabbage
Mashed Turnips
Grape Fruit Salad
Wafer Crackers
*Coffee Sponge
Café Noir

In 1914 January 24 was a Saturday.

Corn beef and cabbage — a classic!

M2This project is supported by my Patrons on Patreon and donations from other enthusiasts of historic cookery. With your help I can acquire the unusual ingredients and equipment and do the research needed to continue my culinary adventures. Thank you so much!

January 23

01-23
Chicken Soup with Rice
Baked Halibut, Hollandaise Sauce
Shredded Potatoes
Cabbage and Celery Salad
*Escalloped Apples

In 1914 January 23 was a Friday. Guess what? Fish again!

M2This project is supported by my Patrons on Patreon and donations from other enthusiasts of historic cookery. With your help I can acquire the unusual ingredients and equipment and do the research needed to continue my culinary adventures. Thank you so much!

January 22

01-22
Creamed Cauliflower Soup
Crisp Crackers
Ox Joints en Casserole
Dressed Lettuce
*Keswick Pudding
Marguerites

In 1914 January 22 was a Thursday.

Keswick is a market town in the Lake District in England, associated with a number of poets. Maybe that’s why the pudding is named after it.

The Marguerites may be left over from the formal dinner on the 20th.

M2This project is supported by my Patrons on Patreon and donations from other enthusiasts of historic cookery. With your help I can acquire the unusual ingredients and equipment and do the research needed to continue my culinary adventures. Thank you so much!

January 21

01-21
No menu today, just the recipe from the day before. Maybe we’re supposed to eat leftovers.

This happens throughout the year — one day has a big, festive menu and the featured recipe is on the following day without a new menu. So the claim of 365 menus and 365 recipes is slightly exaggerated.

M2This project is supported by my Patrons on Patreon and donations from other enthusiasts of historic cookery. With your help I can acquire the unusual ingredients and equipment and do the research needed to continue my culinary adventures. Thank you so much! To become a Patron, go to my Patreon page or donate here.

January 20, Formal Dinner

01-20
Finnan Haddie Canapés
Potage d’Avignon
Bread Sticks
Celery
Olives
Broiled Trout, Maître d’Hôtel
Dressed Cucumbers
Bouchées of Sweetbread
Roast Crown of Lamb, Currant Mint Sauce
Potato Balls
Oyster Plant au Gratin
Sautéd Quail à la Moquin
Grape Fruit and Pepper Salad
*Vanilla Ice Cream, Fruit Sauce
Marguerites
Crackers
Cheese
Café Noir

In 1914 January 20 was a Tuesday. Why are we having a formal dinner on Tuesday? It’s my sister’s birthday and that’s a good enough reason for me.

There is a lot going on in this meal…

Finnan Haddie is cold-smoked haddock. Our local butcher shop carries it, so I should give it a try.

Bouchées are small pastry cases.

The Potato Balls are shaped with a French vegetable cutter. They were used to cut fruits and vegetables into ball shapes, but I have yet to find an image of one, let alone an actual cutter. Let me know if you’ve ever seen one!

Oyster Plant is a common name for salsify and according to Fannie Farmer “Oyster plant is in season from October to March.” I haven’t found a recipe for Oyster Plant au Gratin, but you could probably make Potatoes au Gratin and substitute salsify root. Fannie Farmer says to cook it so: “Wash, scrape, and put at once into cold acidulated water to prevent discoloration. Cut in inch slices, cook in boiling salted water until soft, drain”.

Quail à la Moquin is presumably named after restauranteur Henri Mouquin. Mouquin came to New York from Switzerland, via Paris, and began his career as a waiter at the famed Delmonico’s. Mouquin opened three restaurants in New York, with his wife, Marie Granjean as chef. She is credited with introducing French onion soup to the United States.

There are two recipes for Marguerites in The Boston Cookery-School Cook Book. Both look like sweet little treats. One is a pastry and the other is more like divinity, but baked on saltines!

M2This project is supported by my Patrons on Patreon and donations from other enthusiasts of historic cookery. With your help I can acquire the unusual ingredients and equipment and do the research needed to continue my culinary adventures. Thank you so much!

January 19

01-19
French Tomato Soup
Duchess Crusts
Cold Sliced Roast Beef
*Potato Salad
Dinner Rolls
Steamed Fruit Pudding, Brandy Sauce

In 1914 January 19 was a Monday.

We’re having the leftover beef from last night as simple cold meat. Very thrifty!
M2This project is supported by my Patrons on Patreon and donations from other enthusiasts of historic cookery. With your help I can acquire the unusual ingredients and equipment and do the research needed to continue my culinary adventures. Thank you so much!

January 18

01-18
Caviare Canapés
Rump Beef Roast, Brown Gravy
Creamed Potatoes
Glazed Silver Skins
Lettuce and Radish Salad
Peanut Brown Bread Sandwiches
*Canton Cream
Raised Loaf Cake
Café Noir

In 1914 January 18 was a Sunday.

Silver skins are another name for pearl onions — small onions often creamed or pickled.

Canton ginger is ginger preserved in syrup. The Canton Cream  uses both the ginger and its syrup.

The Raised Loaf Cake is made with bread sponge, a mixture of yeast, liquid, and flour that’s allowed to ferment before the rest of the bread ingredients are added.

M2This project is supported by my Patrons on Patreon and donations from other enthusiasts of historic cookery. With your help I can acquire the unusual ingredients and equipment and do the research needed to continue my culinary adventures. Thank you so much!

January 17

01-17
Fried Pork Chops
*Beets Piquant
Boiled Potatoes
String Bean Salad
Brown Bread Sandwiches
Chocolate Cream
Café Noir

In 1914 January 17 was a Saturday.

The brown bread for the sandwiches “is best steamed in one-pound baking-powder boxes”. I might need to acquire some reproduction 1914 baking-powder boxes, so I can properly make brown bread.

Chocolate Cream starts as a standard cornstarch pudding, but has beaten egg whites added in at the end, making it lighter and airier.

M2This project is supported by my Patrons on Patreon and donations from other enthusiasts of historic cookery. With your help I can acquire the unusual ingredients and equipment and do the research needed to continue my culinary adventures. Thank you so much!

January 16

01-16
Celery Soup
Dinner Biscuits
Boiled Halibut, *Huntington Sauce
Mashed Potatoes
Tomato Soufflé
Fig Custard
Café Noir

In 1914 January 16 was a Friday. Fish again!

I am guessing the Huntington Sauce is in honor of Ralph Huntington, who was instrumental in the creation of Back Bay (for those not local, it’s a neighborhood that was built the 19th century on what was once a tidal bay) and for whom Huntington Avenue was named.

Perhaps today’s Mashed Potatoes are made from leftovers from yesterday’s Riced Potatoes.

M2This project is supported by my Patrons on Patreon and donations from other enthusiasts of historic cookery. With your help I can acquire the unusual ingredients and equipment and do the research needed to continue my culinary adventures. Thank you so much!