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Kay
Colonial Settler
USA
Bumppo's Patron since [at least]:
January 06 2009
Status: offline
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 Posted - October 27 2009 : 10:41:44 AM
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A couple weekends ago I was down in Middletown, VA for the 145th anniversary of the Battle of Cedar Creek. The living history group I am with always takes over a mansion house located in the middle of the battlefield that is called Belle Grove Plantation. It was built by a Major Isaac Hite in the 1790s for his wife Nelly Madison Hite. Nelly was the sister of our President James Madison. It is a beautiful house and continues to become even more amazing as it is restored to it's original glory ( they've installed reproduction wall to wall carpeting in the parlor and dining room, painted the walls, gotten new drapes, and the original faux wood graining is being reproduced on all the woodwork). I'll try to post some pics if I can. Anyway- our group spends this weekend "living" in the mansion and sharing with the public life in the mid-victorian household. I had the privilege of working in the large winter kitchen this year. I am not a cook at home so I don't know much of anything cooking wise but, along with a great friend who knows lots about hearth cooking, I prepared meals to be enjoyed by our fellow group members over the expansive open hearth. I was soar and filthy by the end of the day but it was a blast! The meals came out great! We had a roast that was cooked in one of our dutch ovens, green beans, fried potato balls, onion custard, fried sausage and apples, glazed carrots, and squash. All of it prepared by us over the hearth. It was tough keeping the fires going on Sat because it was very wet outside and the air flow wasn't great but I learned how to maintain a good hot fire, create coals for cooking in the dutch oven, and create mini fires on the hearth for frying- I fried lots of onions for that custard! Since many of you are very enthusiastic about period cooking and sound like really great cooks I thought I'd share my experience as a "newbie" I'd like to post some period recipes for you guys soon too. I know you guys will enjoy them as much as we do!
Kay
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Wilderness Woman
Watcher of the Wood
USA
Bumppo's Patron since [at least]:
November 27 2002
Status: offline
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 Posted - October 27 2009 : 3:06:13 PM
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Yum! That all sounds wonderful, Kay. Congratulations on your success.
Open hearth cooking is hard work, yes, but it is fun for us, because it is different from what we are used to. Just imagine our ancestresses cooking like that all day long, nearly every day. Gives you a lot of respect for them, doesn't it? |
"It is more deeply stirring to my blood than any imaginings could possibly have been." |
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Belle Grove Plantation
