by Kristin Holt | Oct 29, 2015 | Articles
Many reasons contribute to our immigrant ancestors’ penchant for pie-baking. Simple, honest, historic ingredients. Traditions of European countries. Affordability. And many more.
I had the superior benefit of a mother-in-law who’s a skilled baker and taught me the mysteries of pie crust nearly thirty years ago. I’ve slowly refined my methods, skills, and comprehension of how to make the best pastry. While researching and writing The Drifter’s Proposal I stumbled across a vintage pie crust recipe that fully changed everything I’d previously believed about pie crust.
OK… not quite everything. But this recipe impressed me. It’s flaky, tender, easy to work with, and yields a spectacular taste and presentation.
by Kristin Holt | Oct 26, 2015 | Articles
Old West homemakers churned their own butter as part of a time-intensive process. Churning butter depends upon much more than simply agitating cream–temperature matters. Can you imagine trying to churn butter on a bitterly cold day or in the heat of the summer when the process depended upon a narrow range of temperatures?
by Kristin Holt | Oct 19, 2015 | Articles
At the Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Charles Louis Fleishmann offered pieces of freshly baked bread made with the world’s very first commercially prepared yeast from an exhibit modeled after a Vienna Bakery. An increase demand for Fleischmann’s yeast soon followed, bringing about the building of Fleischmann plants in New York. In this article, I share five key concepts about 19th century bread baking that stood out as surprising key concepts–and I’m a bread baker…so finding myself caught off guard by such research was really something.
by Kristin Holt | Sep 29, 2015 | Articles
This book review of an historic cookbook illuminates my reasons for a 4.5-star review. This vintage cookbook is so much more than a collection of historic recipes–it provides a peek into the homemaker’s roles, available ingredients, methods of food preparation and attitudes about waste, as well as regional favorites. Small elements–such as reference to measuring salt with a dessert spoon–explains much to amateur historians about the way things once were. Article includes one of the recipes from the book: cream pie with a rich pie crust.
by Kristin Holt | Jun 28, 2015 | Articles
Historic recipes are a valuable link to our immigrant ancestors (whether the actual recipe is a family heirloom or not). This recipe for shortbread and Pebber Nodder (Danish Butter Cookies) put me in mind of my great grandmother. I include the Top 5 Reasons why I care about old fashioned cookie recipes.
