Customer Reviews

Mrs. Charles Darwin's Recipe Book: Revived and Illustrated

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Most cookbooks are simple compilations of recipes. But every once in a while one comes along that is so much more! Such is the case with the newly revised and illustrated edition of "Mrs. Charles Darwin's Recipe Book", a brilliantly presented compendium of recipes, culinary instructions and personal anecdotes about the every day life in the Charles Darwin household as recorded by his wife Emma Wedgwood Darwin. Culinary enthusiasts Dusha Bateson and Weslie Janeway have teamed up to recreate and test every one of the 55 recipes that Emma Darwin had recorded for her own use and for her posterity. Combining superb recipes with Victorian era commentaries on dining at the Darwin household, "Mrs. Charles Darwin's Recipe Book" offers a an series of dishes ranging from Fish Croquettes; Celery Sauce; Potato Rissoles; and Stewed Mushrooms; to Vegetable Soup; Nesselrode Pudding; Quince Jelly; and Scotch Cake. The beautifully rendered drawings of plants and the full color photography of finished dishes, as well as the occasional reproductions of Mrs. Darwin's handwritten entries, makes "Mrs. Charles Darwin's Recipe Book" a welcome and unique addition to personal, professional, and community library cookbook collections.

This wonderful account of history and recipe book is beautifully designed and has real recipe's right out of Emma Darwin's personal cookery notebook. I was able to learn about the Down House, where Charles and Emma Darwin lived. There are also pictures and illustrations of the Darwin's residences along with photographs of the delicious recipes. I have a sweet-tooth myself, and this book is filled with the most decadent and luxurious deserts ever! The deserts are great to make while entertaining. Overall, I give this book 5 stars!

MRS. CHARLES DARWIN'S RECIPE BOOK
Revived and Illustrated

By Dusha Bateson and Weslie Janeway

A review by Marty Martindale

Emma Darwin was the wife of the eminent nineteenth-century English naturalist, Charles Darwin who gave us natural selection based on his evidence that all species evolved from common ancestors. His epic work, On the Origin of the Species, followed.

When Mrs. Darwin's husband was not aboard his work ship, the HMS Beagle, Mrs. Darwin saw to it he ate very well, so much so, she compiled a cookery notebook, sometimes referred to as her manuscript. It contained recipes with knowledgeable commentary, text and botanical drawings. Bateson and Janeway through the notes of Mrs. Darwin, describe the couple's comfortable Victorian lifestyle. The recipe book contains fifty-five selections most appropriate for this period in time.

Recipes from the collection were not highly spiced and most contained few ingredients. Some spicier accompaniments of the era were curry powder, mushroom ketchup, essence of anchovy, soy also Universal and Harvey's sauces. Though the Darwins were somewhat younger than Thomas Jefferson, the recipe simplicity along with the muted favorings were themes from both. Pudding desserts were highly favored by each in a time before ice cream. However, Jefferson was in a position to do something about bringing ice cream into reality.

The authors have started each recipe with helpful, sometimes historical, headnotes. In the appendix, you will be able to find copies of some of Emma's recipes as entered in her notebook.
Below is an overview of some of her recipes:

CHEESE STRAWS
Simply Parmesan cheese, flour, butter, cayenne pepper and milk

BAKED CHEESE CUSTARD
Butter, flour, milk, grated cheese, eggs and a little dry mustard, also grated nutmeg

SCOTCH WOODCOCK
White bread, butter, anchovy paste, heavy cream, egg yolks and cayenne pepper Emma Darwin wrote: "Chop some anchovy very fine; anchovy paste will do as well, spread it on buttered toast. Beat up the yolks of two eggs. Melt a little butter in good cream, thicken it with the yolks to the consistency of a good custard, and pour it over the toast which is cut in slices."

TURNIPS CRESSELLY
Young, white turnips, butter, heavy cream and cayenne pepper

BAKED APPLE PUDDING
Apples, sugar, lemon peep, butter, flour, milk and eggs
The entry from Emma Darwin's recipe notbook: From Emma's notebook: "Peel the apples, take out the core, fill the holds with sugar and a little lemon peel chopped very fine. Put them into a dish in the oven and when nicely done, pour on them a nice batter not too thick. Bake in a steady oven for an hour."

BURNT RICE
Medium grain rice, milk or cream, butter, sugar and eggs

GINGER BISCUITS
Honey, brown sugar, butter, powdered ginger and flour

ITALIAN CREAM
Heavy cream, lemon juice, sugar and brancy

ORANGE POSSET
Orange, sugar, sweet wine, orange extract and cream

Emma's life spanned 88 years, and as was not uncommon in those days, her husband, Charles, was her cousin. Each were the grandchildren of Josiah Wedgewood, a famed pottery manufacturer. As to their married life, Bateson and Janeway found in Emma's letters where Charles Darwin had written of Emma, she was "as good as twice refined gold."

You can reach Marty Martindale at FOOD SITE OF THE DAY.

I have read a great deal about Charles Darwin and his incredible mind. But, as they used to say, "behind every successful man" ... and here is Emma Darwin brought to life. She made the home life that allowed Charles to thrive ... to do his experiments, his writing and most importantly his thinking. He worked at home all his life and Emma was there overseeing the hearth and heart of the home. The way of life portrayed in this beautifully put together history and cookbook is fascinating to one who lives our 21st Century fast-paced life. The recipes are not complicated (modernized by the authors) and the glimpse into this particular home is well worth the trip.

What a breath of fresh air! This is so much more than just a recipe book, the perfect combination of historical exploration, unpretentious and thoughtful writing, with gloriously photographed dishes to tempt the geneticist/scientist/explorer in all of us! Highly reccomended for both professionals and novice alike!

Emma Darwin, granddaughter of Josiah Wedgwood, married her cousin Charles Darwin, also Wedgwood's grandson. While Charles became world famous as a 19th century scientist and intellectual, and was author of many books on evolution, including 'On the Origin of Species', Emma was giving birth to their ten children and running their household. Responsible for feeding the family and entertaining at their comfortable country home, Down House, in Kent, she also directed the kitchen staff.
In this beautifully illustrated and photographed book, we are not only immediately absorbed by the story of this happy and famous family in the brilliant introduction, we are also privy to viewing Emma's original recipes handwritten in her small book. It is not known how much cooking Emma did herself, but her knowledge of the way a kitchen was run was very good. Her recipes are what we Brits call 'good plain cooking', but the chapter titled Puddings and Sweet Things shares marvelous rich desserts loaded with cream, eggs and fresh fruit, apparently loved by Mr. Darwin!

Mrs. Charles Darwin's Recipe Book is a great book for cooks interested in the Victorian era kitchen, recipe book collectors, and those who enjoy British history and stories of famous families.