Friday, April 10, 2009

Luncheon at Sea.

We are another day closer to New York, this Sunday April 10, 1927, aboard SS ‘Arabic’ of the Red Star Line. We had such a fine breakfast yesterday, didn’t we? Another day of difficult decisions is upon us. What to have for lunch?

S.S.Arabic Sunday, April 10th, 1927
Luncheon Menu
HORS D’ŒUVRE
Canapés Niçoise Norwegian Brisling Croutes Ivanhoe
Rollmops Cod’s Roe
HOT
Consommé Floriale Potage Paysanne
Fried Whiting, Remoulade
Spaghetti à la Crème
Sauté of Beef Bourgignon
Roast Leg of Mutton, Onion Sauce
Mashed Turnips Dressed Cabbage
Braised Jacket, Boiled, & Saratoga Potatoes
-
GRILL TO ORDER: (10 to 20 minutes)
Grilled Lamb Kidneys on Toast
COLD BUFFET
Codfish Mayonnaise
Ribs of Beef Braised Chicken Wiltshire Ham
Ox Tongue Roast Lamb & Pork
SALADS
Windsor Lettuce
SWEETS
Rusk Pudding Eccles Cakes
Ice Cream & Wafers
CHEESE
Canadian Gruyère Camembert Edam Cheshire Gorgonzola
-
Biscuits          Coffee

What did you choose?

I was disappointed with the singularly uninspiring selection of ‘sweets’, although the Eccles Cakes took me back to my childhood in the north of England. Eccles Cakes are sort of currant pasties/biscuits – the local variation from the town in Lancashire of the common theme of pastry wrapped around dried fruit (as in Chorley Cakes and Banbury Cakes)

From Miss Tuxford’s Cookery for the Middle Classes (9th ed. C1920’s), I give you this recipe for these lovely pastry treats.

Eccles Cakes.
½ lb Rough Puff or Puff Pastry; 2 oz candide peel, 2 oz. raw sugar, ¼ lb currants, 1 oz butter, 1 whole egg, little nutmeg or mixed spice, if liked.
Roll out the pastry to a quarter of an inch in thickness, and cut into rounds with a plain cutter. Put the cleaned currants, chopped candied peel, sugar, and butter into a pan, and stir over the fire or stove until the butter melts. Allow the mixture to cool, and put a little upon each round of pastry. Fold over and roll into a flat cake. Brush with egg and bake quickly for 20 minutes.

Quotation for the Day.

Pastry satisfies where art is unavailable.
Anon.

4 comments:

  1. Over here, "rusks" are those hard, dry, twice-toasted crackers that are given to teething children. I wonder if, on this menu, they are something closer to biscotti?

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  2. So what is "croutes ivanhoe". The name implies it involves bread of some sort, but beyond that I'm stumped.

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  3. Hello Shay - I think rusks in this context are something like a cracker or maybe biscotti - but not sweet.
    Kate - I havent looked up croutes ivanhoe, so I dont know if it is a "classical" dish or something obscure from the chef on this ship. I'll look it up - might make a good blog post!

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  4. Thankyou for the eccles cake recipe! I love eccles cakes, and local cake shops don't seem to do them any more.

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