Eat like a Peasant?

[GillyBee]

Stepping back a bit further in time and with the Scottish oats comments in mind has anyone else read 2the Garden and Cottage Diaries - a year in the 18th century" by Fiona J Houston?

It has some gems in it. Apparently shoes were not comonly worn by poorer Scottish women until the 20th century even in cities!

She also logs all food purchased or gifted. The rest came from her garden or was foraged and she kept hens. The hungry gap was very real and she reported a brush with early scurvy.

The recipe for Scotch broth notes a story of a marrow bone being passed around several Glasgow households to make the broth and the 8oz of mutton needed is listed as being well out of financial reach for most people in the 19th century. I dont think we have much clue about the level of poverty involved.

[jansman]

Income inequality doesn’t go away. We are seeing , now, a massive upcoming polarisation of incomes. No political slant here; it’s fact. Food is a basic ,human necessity. Food banks are now part and parcel of UK life. My wife is a primary school teacher,and she sees a lot of poverty these days- and hungry children.Private rents have a LOT to do with this, but I digress.

These inequalities mean that folks have to find simpler,cheaper ways to eat.Perhaps like modern peasants? I really don’t think Tudor Pottage will cut it with the way we eat today.Here is a link to a site I like a lot,and she is a huge campaigner against food poverty.

https://cookingonabootstrap.

[diamond lil]

Stepping back a bit further in time and with the Scottish oats comments in mind has anyone else read 2the Garden and Cottage Diaries - a year in the 18th century" by Fiona J Houston?

She lived in Traquair, my son did a lot of work in her house. She actually lived in the big house and used the old wee outbuilding in the yard to live in for the year of the book. She walked around in period costume in shops and people got used to it

[Arzosah]

Stepping back a bit further in time and with the Scottish oats comments in mind has anyone else read 2the Garden and Cottage Diaries - a year in the 18th century" by Fiona J Houston?

It has some gems in it. Apparently shoes were not comonly worn by poorer Scottish women until the 20th century even in cities!

Sounds a good book! Shoes weren't automatic in Liverpool either before WWI, there are family stories there.

[ForgeCorvus]

Income inequality doesn’t go away. We are seeing , now, a massive upcoming polarisation of incomes. No political slant here; it’s fact. Food is a basic ,human necessity. Food banks are now part and parcel of UK life. My wife is a primary school teacher,and she sees a lot of poverty these days- and hungry children.Private rents have a LOT to do with this, but I digress.

These inequalities mean that folks have to find simpler,cheaper ways to eat.Perhaps like modern peasants? I really don’t think Tudor Pottage will cut it with the way we eat today.Here is a link to a site I like a lot,and she is a huge campaigner against food poverty.

https://cookingonabootstrap.

Thats my point (or at least one of them), people seem to believe that they have to eat meat every day (even if its ghastly crap you wouldn't feed a dog) unless they've decided that they're now Vegetarians or Vegans.

[Mad Scientist]

I remember my Dad telling me about his upbringing. He was one of 9 children. Grandad was a slaughter man and would steal a couple of birds and swap them with a friend for stolen vegetables! It was the only way they ate sometimes. Grandma grew veg in a small garden. Water from a well in the garden. A bath was once a week in the metal tub in front of the fire. Dad and his brother would go to the town dump and take wood to carve into toys. Mum grew up in a small house with a coal shed outside and the toilet shack was down the road!

[Lemne]

I'm definitely going back in time on my cooking journey. I can make most things from scratch but don't always do it like butter, I can make it but it's not cheaper or beneficial so I don't. I always look for old recipes or traditional versions that haven't been changed to something unrecognisable over time. Last year I made the original mince pie recipe at Christmas with meat in and they were really nice for a change. Family life has changed and mum doesn't stay at home anymore so cooking skills are not passed down as they used to be. That's just the way it is. I had older parents and we were all taught to cook, knit, sew and service and work on vehicles (when they were much simpler) irrelevant of gender. In a SHTF situation I think it is important to be able to have the ability to feed yourself. I'm going to go more in depth with my foraging this year. I know the popular ones but have always wanted to know what is edible and what is not as well as medicinal properties.

[hobo]

If you can find a copy, the first part of this book (set in the '20's) by my Uncle is shocking by modern standards. https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/b ... ving-stan/
I'll transcribe some choice bits if you like...

[diamond lil]

I'd love to hear more hobo. My dad was born in 1921, my mum in 1916. They married late and had me late, but that still makes me feel old

[Arzosah]

Hobo, I'd like to read any transcription you can do too, please, I'm similar to Lil, and my people are from Liverpool, Sefton and Manchester/Bolton, in Lancashire at any rate. Very kind offer, thank you.