Eve’s Pudding

If you want a good pudding, mind what you are taught;

Take eggs six in number, when bought for a groat*;

The fruit with which Eve her husband did cozzen**,

Well pared and well chopped, take at least half a dozen;

Six ounces of bread – let the cook eat the crust –

And crumble the soft as fine as the dust;

Six ounces of currants from the stalks you must sort,

Lest they husk out your teeth, and spoil all the sport;

Six ounces of sugar won't make it too sweet,

And some salt and some nutmeg will make it complete.

Three hours let it boil, without any flutter,

And Adam won't like it without sugar and butter.

I will have more to say about this rhyme a bit later on.

*n.

An English silver coin worth four pence, used from the 14th to the 17th century.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition by Houghton Mifflin Company.

** Variation of v. coz·ened, coz·en·ing, coz·ens v.tr. 1. To mislead by means of a petty trick or fraud; deceive. 2. To persuade or induce to do something by cajoling or wheedling. 3. To obtain by deceit or persuasion. v.intr. To act deceitfully. [Perhaps from Middle English cosin, fraud, trickery.] cozen·er n.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company.

This recipe came from the Clements Library at the University of Michigan, Janice Bluestone Longone Collection and was retrieved in 2005. It appears in a number of charity cookbooks from the late nineteenth century.

 

Grandma's Gumbo

Something cold, something hot –
Put it in my big black pot.

In my pot that’s oh so jumbo,
Just the size for Grandma’s gumbo.

Now it’s time to make the roux.
That’s the first thing we must do.

A little oil, some flour too –
Let it simmer; now it’s through.

Two cups of rice will be just fine.
We’ll set it aside until we dine.

Don’t forget the pinch of salt.
The boiling we don’t want to halt.

Sauté’ some celery until it’s tender.
An excellent flavor it’s sure to render.

Add an onion; don’t shed a tear.
It’s just the next ingredient, dear.

Just the thing to make it yumbo,
All a part of Grandma’s gumbo.

A green bell pepper for the reason
Of bringing out the perfect season.

Okra and tomatoes will be just great.
The flavor we want to regulate.

Just the thing to make it yumbo,
All a part of Grandma’s gumbo.

Jumbo shrimp, the seafood creature –
Add some to this Creole feature.

In go oysters by the bunch.
They’ll give the dish an extra punch.

Just the thing to make it yumbo,
All a part of Grandma’s gumbo.

The crab into the pot must go.
Make it fast so he won’t know.

Then come onions, chopped just right.
Add some garlic, a cook’s delight.

Just the thing to make it yumbo,
All a part of Grandma’s gumbo.

Toss some parsley in the mix,
To help make sure the flavor kicks.

Shake in some hot sauce; don’t be shy.
It’ll be so good you’ll want to cry.

Come and get it while it’s hot.
Scoop it right out of the pot.

Top it off with a dash of file’.
“Oooh ya-ya” is what we’ll all say.

Just the thing to make it yumbo,
All a part of Grandma’s gumbo.


From Grandma’s Gumbo, D. O. Kadair
Pelican Publishing Co.: Gretna, LA. 2003.

Chutney

In my grandmother's cookbook

This recipe I found.

In her old-fashioned writing

So neat and so round.

Contents

8 lbs ripe tomatoes, 3 lbs. onions, 1 1/2 qts. cider vinegar, 1 dozen red and 1 dozen green peppers, 1 lb. prunes, 1 lb. seeded raisins, 2 lbs. brown sugar, 2 oz. ginger, 2 oz. allspice, 1 oz. cloves, 1/4 lb. mustard seed, 6 or 7 cinnamon sticks.

Cook tomatoes until soft,

Then through the grinder run

The raisins, prunes and onions

And cook again til done.

In vinegar the spices boil

When in a bag they're tied, 

For this will bring the best results

Though others have been tried.

When all are cooked together

An hour I think is right

Then put this into earthen jars

And seal them good and tight.

"They say" that chutney alone's required

To give cold meats a touch inspired.

This recipe comes from the collection of the San Francisco Public Library, Women's City Club Magazine, December, 1927, p. 50-51.

Steamed Prune Christmas Pudding - Better Late Than Never

I don't expect to post recipes in any particular order, only as they appeal to me and/or become available through my periodic research into this area. In addition, I may comment on the recipes as I have opportunity to try them out which should be fun.

Martha Jane's Rhymed Recipes

Steamed Prune Christmas Pudding

California's prunes, they say, 

Can nowhere else be beaten.

And here's a steamed prune pudding

The best you've ever eaten.

Contents

One cup molasses, one teaspoon soda, one half (1/2) cup suet, one cup water, one teaspoon each of cinnamon and nutmeg, two cups flour

To me a yellow bowl for cake

Is really inspiring.

My efforts of the very best

And thoughtful care requiring.

So put within a yellow bowl

Molasses, water, spice,

Stir until it's very smooth

If you would have this nice.

Sift flour in, add suet,

The cut-up prunes and when

Your soda's mixed with water 

You add the soda then.

Pour into mould and steam,

At least for full three hours.

I'll guarantee this pudding then

Would pacify the powers.

This recipe comes from the collection of the San Francisco Public Library, Women's City Club Magazine, December, 1927, p. 50.