THE LAIRD'S KITCHEN - 300 YEARS OF FOOD IN SCOTLAND

THE LAIRD'S KITCHEN

THREE HUNDRED YEARS OF FOOD IN SCOTLAND

by OLIVE M, GEDDES

THE NATIONAL LIBRARY OF SCOTLAND

110 LARGE PAGES

EXCELLENT CONDITION USED BOOK

Slight edge wear to dust jacket; price clipped

ILLUSTRATED

Sheep's Head Broth, Haggis, Crappit Heids: these are the images conjured up by the mention of traditional Scottish food. But what did the Scots really eat?

This highly illustrated book, based on diet books, household accounts, inventories & recipes books in the national Library of Scotland, explores the eating habits of the wealthier members of Scottish society over a period of 300 years. From the kitchen & the buttery accounts of the Earl of Angus's household in Glasgow (1608) tp the papers of the dramatist James Bridie (1905-10), a wealth of evidence is to be found in the domestic archives of the privileged.

The book charts the development of dishes using an increasing range of ingredients & cooking methods. It notes the importance of preserving surplus produce against times of scarcity, the arrival of new foodstuffs such as potatoes & tea, & the change from a starch-based to a sugar-based diet. There are many unusual & interesting recipes given, including those for marmalade, beef collops, stewed haddocks, florentine of apples, rhubarb soup & shortbread.

The Laird's Kitchen covers 3 centuries of innovations & culinary experiments, considering traditional Scottish food alongside shifting foreign influences. In doing so, it paints a fascinating picture of the public & private eating habits of the nation.