I’ll admit it, I’m fascinated by the history of food. I’m a buff. I’m curious about what people ate, and how they cooked it. I’m curious about how people discovered that food acted in certain ways when it was cooked – that some things melt and some things solidify. I’m curious about the things that people ate every day, and the elaborate dishes they created to impress people, for holidays and celebrations. I love to see pictures of ornate, inticately detailed jellies and creams, and pies bigger than my dinner table. I like to think about the care and craziness that went into these productions, which we still exhibit today when we make something special. I like to read about the foods people believed to be restorative, the meals they fed their children when they were sick; the cakes that contained a bit of soul; the gold-flecked cordials that held the power of the sun. Food is so much a part of who we are and where we live, such an elemental and intimate way to understand a person and the way in which he or she lived. It’s fascinating to see how things have changed, and how much they’ve remained the same. If we are what we eat, and the food that we’ve eaten has changed drastically over the centuries, have people fundamentally changed, too? It boggles my little mind. The history we read about in books may have been made in war rooms and battlefields, but surely a more profound and human understanding of the past can be gleaned from the larders and kitchens.

I stumbled upon this website, recently, called Historical Food. It’s a treasure trove of recipes and stories! Some outlandish, some delightful. Recipes for quince and gooseberries, asparagus ices, medlar cheese and the queen’s potage. One recipe is very similar to my version of Jane Austen’s white soup, right down to the pomegranate seeds and pistachio kernels. (Red and green for christmas!) And one was very similar to my version of soup meagre, except that it had little decorative savory custards floating in it. I read about this when Malcolm was sick and craving brothy foods, and it seemed such a sweet and simple preparation that I decided to try it. I don’t have the fancy punches to cut out the custard that they had at the time, so I made diamonds, but I made them red and green with smoked paprika and spinach. I made a broth and added baby spinach, green peas and tarragon. I wanted it to be simple and green. I thought it was quite good!! The little pieces of custard were a bit like pasta, I suppose, and the whole effect was very comforting. I should say that my kids liked the savory custard, but once it was floating in their soup they decided it was weird. Oh well!! I also thought I’d take this opportunity to post my recipe for vegetarian broth. I’ve been making broth every week, this season, and adding it to soups, stews, and risottos as I go along. I’ve provided my simplest version, and you can add vegetables, spices and herbs to suit your finished dish. And that’s that!

Here’s Linton Kwesi Johnson with Making History.

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