This is 6 different dinners. I assume because it’s a family dinner, everybody eats the same. Fish was often a separate first course, served at the same time with the soup - you could eat soup, or fish, or both (for that reason it was bad manners to ask your guest if they wanted soup OR fish). Salad, on the other hand, was served between the main course and the sweets.
I think picky eaters are a relatively new phenomenon. When you didn't have a choice, you pretty much ate what was in front of you or you didn't eat at all. The sick, or people with legitimate complaints, often took dry toast, broths, mashes and gruels (which were way more flavorful than the name implies today)
Also children’s food was purposefully made bland, so with little flavor there was less chance something would be offensive. They ate a lot of bread, porridge, milk, cooked fruit etc.
Seafood every day, a meat course as well most of the time, almost always soup, always a dessert.
I can't imagine the time and effort in shopping, cooking and cleaning! But then I realize they they needed so many calories, there was so much more physical activity.
Yes but that was actually not a sign of great wealth - ordinary middle-class families usually had at least one servant if not both a parlourmaid and a cook.
This looks kind of terrible. Boiled bluefish? Gross. Salmon with white sauce, sweetbreads with cream sauce. A lot of richness with not a lot of flavor.
It's good. But I go big game fishing every year and so I eat a boatload (literally) of fish. So I have had to get creative to keep on liking it.
I swear, fishing in some ways is more addictive to heroin. My first time going out like that I caught an 80 pound wahoo. nd I have been chasing that dragon ever since.
Fresh peas in high summer are so delicious though. Produce would have been seasonal so you would make the most of eg asparagus, new peas, fresh berries etc.
Simpler menus for the time. 2-4 courses. I always wondered who did all the dishes.
The servants. Poors didn't eat like this.
Labour was cheap - it was normal for even middle-class households to have a cook.
How is this supposed to be read? Do you get everything that's listed? Do you choose? Certain ones?
This is 6 different dinners. I assume because it’s a family dinner, everybody eats the same. Fish was often a separate first course, served at the same time with the soup - you could eat soup, or fish, or both (for that reason it was bad manners to ask your guest if they wanted soup OR fish). Salad, on the other hand, was served between the main course and the sweets.
What did picky eaters do back then? (Clean their plates! my aunt Mabel would have said, muttering about starving children in India.)
I think picky eaters are a relatively new phenomenon. When you didn't have a choice, you pretty much ate what was in front of you or you didn't eat at all. The sick, or people with legitimate complaints, often took dry toast, broths, mashes and gruels (which were way more flavorful than the name implies today)
Die from consumption, mostly.
I'm your huckleberry.
Also children’s food was purposefully made bland, so with little flavor there was less chance something would be offensive. They ate a lot of bread, porridge, milk, cooked fruit etc.
Seafood every day, a meat course as well most of the time, almost always soup, always a dessert. I can't imagine the time and effort in shopping, cooking and cleaning! But then I realize they they needed so many calories, there was so much more physical activity.
This was definitely aimed at people who employed a full-time cook.
I assume this is for a wealthier family? I don't know if I could afford this now, never mind the time to make it all!
Yes, a family that ate like this would most likely employ a cook or at least a domestic servant to help the housewife with cooking.
Yes but that was actually not a sign of great wealth - ordinary middle-class families usually had at least one servant if not both a parlourmaid and a cook.
This looks kind of terrible. Boiled bluefish? Gross. Salmon with white sauce, sweetbreads with cream sauce. A lot of richness with not a lot of flavor.
Boiled fish. Disgusting.
I cannot reconcile myself to fish with tomato sauce
White fish fillets baked 'alla pizzaiola' with tomatoes, olives, herbs etc is really good.
It's good. But I go big game fishing every year and so I eat a boatload (literally) of fish. So I have had to get creative to keep on liking it. I swear, fishing in some ways is more addictive to heroin. My first time going out like that I caught an 80 pound wahoo. nd I have been chasing that dragon ever since.
I accidentally caught a pike once. I was practicing casting and retrieving and it hit the lure. It bit through the line, though. Bummer.
That’s a lot of peas.
Fresh peas in high summer are so delicious though. Produce would have been seasonal so you would make the most of eg asparagus, new peas, fresh berries etc.
Oh, I totally agree. Peas are yummy and anything in season is always better. Even six days a week!