This week we can attempt a project that allows for multiple layers of creativity. Building an earthen over takes some design and construction skills, but then also allows for the additional creativity that comes from cooking. It also provides a creative way to learn about history.
Annikee tipped me off to this video series by Jas. Townsend & Son in which historical recipes and cooking methods are revealed. In 2016, cooks are spoiled. We have refrigeration, ovens with constant temperatures, and machines to help us do the heavy work.
I once made a key lime pie with a hand-made meringue. I wasn’t trying to be creative. It was early in my adult life and all I had was a hand-operated egg beater. It took a long time. My grandmother asked me how I made it, and I told her. A week later an electric mixer arrived in the mail.
If historical recipes sound like a fun challenge, you can also explore their historical recipe blog at Savoring the Past
nothing like a little personal experience
to give a kind grandmother a great deal of empathy!
End times skills
I can just imagine if had I told her I made my own oven to bake the pie…. : )
I like this video in that it provides us with what I like to call an “end-times skill” – something that could be useful if everything goes haywire at some point. If the power went out for multiple weeks, for example, I’d like to know that at least we could bake some bread and pies.
(I keep my old Underwood typewriter around, too. Just in case I need to type up Selecboard meeting notes and post them to a tree.)