Literary Feast  ·  Read the passage. Cook the meal.
A bill of fare

The Four-Pools Mystery

by Jean Webster

THE FOUR-POOLS MYSTERYJEAN WEBSTER
Our binding, not the publisher's

“"Well, the roast chicken, a box of cigars, some shirts off the line, a suit of Rad's pajamas, a French novel, some brandy, quite a lot of things to eat--fresh loaves of bread, preserves, a boiled ham, sugar, coffee--oh, any amount of stuff! The niggers simply helped themselves and laid it to the ha'nt. One of the carriages was left out one night, and in the morning the cushions were gone and two lap robes. At the same time a water pail was taken and a pair of Jake's overalls. And then to end up came the robbery of the safe."”

From a cookbook of 1806

A cook of roughly the same moment, setting down the same dish.

1806  ·  Rundell
To preserve Grapes in Brandy

Put some close bunches, when ripe, but not over ready, into a jar: strew over them half their weight in white sugarcandy pounded: prick each grape once with a needle; fill up with brandy, and tie close. They look beautifully in a dessert.

Sources: The passage is from Jean Webster, The Four-Pools Mystery, free to read in full at Project Gutenberg. The recipe is from Rundell, New system of domestic cookery, formed upon principles of of 1806, also free in full. Both are in the public domain in the United States. The binding above is ours — forest cloth, boar stamp.

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