Monday, October 11, 2010

A Dickens' Kitchen, Bubble & Squeak and Treacle Tart

One of my favorite authors is Charles Dickens. This hasn’t always been the case. I fell truly in love with his classics as I reread them with my kids as they were reading them for their English classes in Junior and High School. One of my sisters called a few weeks ago to see if I would be interested in teaching a class to a couple of students that are having a semester of home school English devoted to the novel, David Copperfield. I jumped at the chance to have a “Dickens’ Kitchen”.

One of the things I enjoy about Dickens’ writing is the high contrast between good and evil, happy and sad and in his description of food we can find the same thing, huge contrast. The very poor in his books live on a meager menu, even the description often comes off sounding gray and dull (think gruel here) in small portions. Where the well off seem to have an abundance of food dishes with color, variety and flavor (goose, chestnuts, puddings, raisins, etc).

In class we talked about the history of “plum pudding”, the process of how it is made and the interesting traditions that accompany this dish. I do have a recipe for a plum pudding (which has no plums in it), but it takes much effort to make they way they would have made it in 1835. It is interesting to note that in England, at least at one time there was an official day called “Stir-Up Day” on which Christmas puddings are made. Each person in the family would take a turn stirring in a clockwise direction, with eyes shut while making a secret wish. Silver charms were also traditionally used in the pudding. The baker would place them in before the steaming process later to be found by the guests. The charms were of a variety of shapes and gave a specific message for the future. A thimble might mean spinsterhood, a silver sixpence a good fortune, a boot for travel, a ring for an impending marriage, the wishbone for granting of one wish, etc. I would love to get my hands on a vintage set of these charms, I find them well, charming.

click to enlarge

The fun part of class was making and eating the food that might have been eaten during Charles Dickens time period, Bubble & Squeak and Treacle Tart. Bubble and Squeak is an old dish that is made from leftover potatoes, cabbage and meat. You can still get it today at local eateries and pubs (at least when I was in England a few years ago it was available). My students enjoyed the process of cooking and eating it, and of course it came together quickly. It could almost be described as “fast food”.

The Treacle Tart on the other hand is not fast, but it is tasty. I have been hearing about this dessert for sometime, but never had the pleasure of trying it until this class. I used a recipe from Emma of Poires Au Chocolat who had this tart growing up as a child. I followed her recipe exactly, using Golden Syrup as suggested (found at a local market, a bit pricey but worth every cent). It was delightful and the clotted cream on ours was made from 3 parts mascarpone cheese, 2 parts whipping cream, a bit of vanilla extract and powder sugar to taste. It got wonderful reviews from all who tried it, including my fabulous students.


If you want to step back into time, try one of these recipes while picking up your favorite Charles Dickens novel up. Which book is your favorite?

27 comments:

  1. oh wow you made treacle tart my Mum made this all the time, I bet you will make it again love it, sorry i don't get to visit as often as I would like always enjoy your blog Rebecca

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  2. Your recipe for clotted cream is quite interesting. Will have to try it.

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  3. I must admit I love a Christmas Carol all year long. I have a can of treacle in my pantry that I haven't known quite what to do with. This will be it's home. Such great fun to work with the children.

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  4. I love Charles Dickens and what a wonderful opportunity for you to teach this class and cook period food with the class too.

    The Treacle Tart looks delicious!

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  5. My aunt always puts charms in her pudding cake on First Night. They sure are fun! You just have to be careful that the more sensitive guests get a charm, otherwise if you're like our family, you'll wind up with lots of people in tears!

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  6. I've lived in england for about 10 years now, and do you know, I've never seen a plum pudding yet! Treacle tart and bubble and squeak yes, but no plum pudding.
    I'm going to try making bubble and squeak one of these days.
    *kisses* HH

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  7. Cristie, what a fantastic idea to combine literature and cooking in class! I wish I would have had teachers who were so creative and inspiring. The treacle tart looks delicious!

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  8. I love Charles Dickens. I have read many of his books. They depict a period of time when most of people lived in such neediness, poverty and misery that it is pretty hard for us to understand. I think is very innovative connecting food to literature. I like it a lot.

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  9. The only Dickens I ever read all the way through was a Tale of Two Cities and I really enjoyed it. Cooking with a Dickens theme sounds like so much fun! I love British food names...bubble and squeak...treacle tart. So much fun to say...and to eat!

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  10. I absolutely LOVE Charles Dickens - his books, any movie about the books, and all things that remind me of them - like these recipes! Great post and wonderful background... Thank you! My family always loved Nicholas Nickleby, a sweet story about family and sticking together.

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  11. How fun for you, and the students! That clotted cream sounds scrumptious! My son-in-law is a first year teacher of H.S. English...I'll have to check out the reading list:) Love "A Christmas Carol!"

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  12. That's a good way to make leftovers yummy again! Love your blog too...Thanks for sharing.

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  13. Great post, Cristie---and what a great class you are teaching! We had British neighbors who always invited us over Christmas night for plum pudding They had a variation on the tradition you describe--they'd light the pudding, and a person would carry it, circling the dining table, while everyone sat. When the pudding passed over your head, you'd make a wish.

    great expectations!

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  14. Thank you all for your wonderful comments. Rebecca, you are so lucky to have had a "Mum" that made you such tasty things! Paula, the clotted cream recipe was something a stumbled upon and we think it's pretty tasty. Julia, I hadn't thought about dealing with the aftermath of tender hearts being broken after getting an unpleasent charm- maybe I won't look for those vintage charms after all. HH--- it's true, plums are not in plum pudding! I think they were originally, but over the years they were replaced by what others thought were tastier (candied fruit?!?) And Nancy, thank you so much for sharing the story about your neighbor and their tradition. I love it, a living tradition. I do hope you flame up a pudding and circle around your table once in a while. I'm going to do that this Christmas. Honest I am.

    Thanks everyone for your favorite books and thoughts!

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  15. This was just about my favorite thing i have ever eaten! Thanks again for the class!

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  16. What a fun idea for a lesson to really bring a book to life. I'm sure it was just as much fun for you as for them. It looks scrumptious.

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  17. I'm so impressed that you are bringing this aspect of Charles Dicken's writing to life! Food is a great way to engage people with another time period. I've heard of Bubble and squeak while visiting England, it actually looks like a great recipe, especially if you have leftover mashed potatoes.

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  18. A delicious Brit dinner. Love the bubble and squeak!

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  19. Thanks for doing this Cristie! You really are a master at so many things! Dickens and bubble and squeak to name just 2! love you!

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  20. oohhh, I love it when people ask me which is my favorite Dickens! David Copperfield has always been my fave, but then a few years ago I tackled Bleak House and now I can't decide... Treacle has always felt a little scary to me... probably from Alice and Wonderland (a treacle well?!)... you make it sound delicious.

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  21. Hey there, you've been so quiet lately. Hope all is okay.
    Just stopped by to wish you and your family a wonderful thanksgiving. May you always have much to be thankful for daaaahling!
    *kisses* HH

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  22. I think we need a new post Cristie :) We miss you!!

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  23. IM ON YOUR BLOG!!!!!!!!!!! I feel special.

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  24. I have always wanted to try a treacle tart - yours looks wonderful!

    Donna

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  25. Christie is just about the best cook on the planet!!!!!!! Thank you so much for the class, the cast iron pan, and everything else!!!!!!

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  26. So glad you enjoyed the treacle tart! I love that you used it in relation to Dickens.

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  27. In England the cabbage used is a dark green strong flavoured babbage called Savoy Cabbage and is normally prepared from left over potatoes and cabbage cooked to accompany the traditional "Sunday Roast" - usually a joint of beef. It is most often prepared in a large cast iron skillet as one large "cake" which is then cut up into a slice per person. This is then served with slices of cold roast beef and either hot gravy or a cold spicy pickle such as picallili or mustard pickle.The name is derived from the bubbling and hissing noise that is made as it is slowly cooked in the skillet.Top and bottom of the "cake" should have a thin, brown crispy crust.It will be a more authentic dish if the potatoes and cabbage are prepared the day before and refrierated overnight. Best potatoes to use are a floury boiling potatoe that mashes well.

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