A New Beginning

Hi. I've been really stuck in a rut blogwise, pretty much because I haven't been cooking all that much. Lisa and I have salads for dinner almost every night of the week. I know that's primarily because it's summer, but I haven't made anything picture worthy, or that isn't something about which I have already enlightened you.
So...I've been thinking about things I want to do with my life, how to combine my passions. I've been reading and watching a lot of historical fiction-type things recently, and it's gotten me interested in knowing more about what people ate, and how it got from field to table during these time periods. In other words, Culinary History. Now, since most colleges and universities don't have a culinary history department (not even culinary schools) I'm pretty much limited to blog posts. Consider that a win for you! I hope you find it as interesting as I do. And if you don't, please let me know.
Here we go.
My recent guilty pleasure is Outlander. I am both reading the books and watching the program on Starz. Once you get past the thick, almost unintelligible Scottish accents, it's a good show. Nothing heavy, just entertainment, with a smattering of history thrown in for good measure. And Jamie, the male lead, is seriously easy on the eyes. There are lots of scenes shot in the kitchen showing the food prep, and dinner being served. Very quick synopsis: a British nurse and her husband are having a second honeymoon in Scotland right after the end of WWII. They happen upon a circle of stones, and witness a Druid ceremony. Claire, the female lead, returns to the stones the following morning, and is somehow sucked through one of the stones and transported back to 1743. She is an Englishwoman trapped in a Scotland that is on the verge of the Jacobite rising of 1745, trying to return a Stuart king to the throne of Great Britain. Suffice it to say, they don't trust her very much. Ok, enough of the show. Start watching it. It's good.
Let's get to the food. Scotland itself is has a wide variety of meat, fish and fowl. Because of the damp climate, wheat doesn't grow well, so the basic grain staples are oats and barley, which were the base for bread and porridges. In the 18th century, lands were controlled by the feudal lords, or Lairds, so you were pretty well limited to hunting, foraging and farming only on those lands. Those who lived at the manor house were obviously eating better than the peasants. (Ain't that always the way) In addition to the farmed meats (beef, poultry), there were wild boar, stag, grouse to hunt. If you lived along the coast, there was fish and shellfish, and the rivers were full of salmon. Spices were exclusively used by the wealthy.
The kitchens of these great manors were staffed by a cadre of cooks, exclusively female. The fires were burning in the hearth 24 hours a day. Food was cooked on a spit over the flames, or on a "girdle" or griddle. Breads were baked in wood burning ovens. Meals consisted of many courses, and utilized all the available produce, dairy and meats of the area. Meanwhile, the poor folk were boiling oats and root vegetables with milk or weak broth...
Ok, let's talk about the elephant in the room. HAGGIS. Yummers. Don't know what haggis is? Oh...can't wait to tell you! It's oats, sheep's liver, heart and lungs, suet, spices and broth, combined and stuffed into a sheep's stomach, then roasted or boiled. For those of you who are Philly born people, it makes scrapple look like foie gras. Would I try it? Probably. Here's a picture:

On second thought, I would probably have to be well lubed with some single malt whisky to eat that mess...

Scottish cuisine has become much more elegant since the 1700's, but the Scots retain a fierce pride in their tradition. The Scottish breakfast is still a tribute to cholesterol, full of eggs and a variety of meats and sausages. Haggis is still made whenever there is any sort of tribute to Burns. Oats still abound in recipes.

Scotland is pretty far up on my bucket list of places to visit. The food, the drink, the countryside. I have very dim memories of a family trip when I was about 14. All I can really recall is that it was incredibly windy and chilly. Of course, I couldn't warm myself up with whisky then...

So, was this interesting? Educational? Let me know. I think we're going to wander off to 15th century England next, since I have read all of Philippa Gregory's books, and just finished watching "The White Queen". See you soon.