An Experimental Cook

Welcome to Jane Austen's food and beverages where I will be working from several cookbooks of the Georgian period including my interpretation of the Knight Family Cookbook.

I am a food and nutrition consultant and a member of the Jane Austen Detectives team. My fascination with the food and drink of the Austen period began in 2008 when my fellow detective Gwynneth Ashby and I were researching the food, drink and medicine for a short, television pilot in and around Jane Austen's home and the many places she visited.

With the kind permission of former Chawton House Librarian Jacqui Grainger, we were introduced to the original Knight Family Cookbook dating back to 1794. In Chawton House Library, we spent some time researching and preparing a script for the television pilot that was latterly filmed in the library and kitchen of Chawton House. There, we presented several recipes and medicinal remedies that were well known to Jane and her family.

Upon further investigation of the Knight Family Cookbook since filming, I have been inspired to further translate, cook and re-write some of the original recipes adapting them so that these can be easily made at home using more familiar ingredients and modern day cooking techniques.

Jane Austen Video

 

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Posted: May 18th 2015

Blog tags: Jane Austen Video, The Knight family cookbook

Category: Written by Jane Austen

Harrico of Mutton recipe

This was a very popular dish and enjoyed by Jane. The basis of this original recipe involved the preparation of a stock which...

Posted: April 30th 2015

Blog tags: An Experimental Cook, Food and Beverages, The Knight family cookbook

Categories: Interviews, Social History, Written by Jane Austen

Pound Cake recipe

The original Pound Cake recipe is a rather heavier cake compared to my recipe which features self-raising flour, allowing the cake to have...

Posted: April 30th 2015

Blog tags: Food and Beverages

Category: Social History