Taste of Kiwi: Blog of Author Shelley Munro

I picked up a copy of A History of English Food by Clarissa Dickson Wright from the library last week. The history of food fascinates me, and I enjoyed the way this author told an interesting story instead of throwing facts at me.

Here are thirteen things I found interesting:

1. The Georgians had a huge impact on food, the way it was cooked, served and consumed. They even influenced the times of dining.

2. Advances in the fireplace and accessories made cooking less laborious. Roasting and baking became much easier due to new designs of ovens and flues.

3. Some of the poorer families didn’t own ovens and sent their pies, stamped with their initials, to their local baker.

4. The English started making porcelain from which to drink tea.

5. Tea became a very common drink for all classes. Tea was drunk weak and sweetened without milk. It’s assumed that they drank their tea black because the milk was often sour, had nasty additives or was thinned down.

6. The introduction of more lighting was one of the reasons meals became later and taken at times more familiar to us in 2011. In Medieval times people would go to bed when it became dark, but now people stayed up much later.

7. Seating was done according to station, although gradually this changed to alternative seating with men and women. They say behavior improved on the introduction of this new seating method. The women obviously kept the men in line!

8. Turtle soup wasn’t actually a soup but more a stew. It contained chunky bits of turtle. Turtle soup was so popular that people who couldn’t afford turtles made mock turtle soup out of calves’ heads. Personally, I say yuck!

9. It was deemed vulgar to sniff the meat on your fork or plate because the activity implies the meat was tainted. People didn’t take their own cutlery with them any longer. Instead the host provided it.

10. The ice house was another new innovation. A small stone outbuilding containing a deep pit for ice helped keep food fresh. Blocks of ice were sawn from rivers to provide the necessary ice.

11. In 1762 John Montagu, the 4th Earl of Sandwich sent for two slices of bread and some meat, inventing the sandwich. Job well done since I like sandwiches for lunch.

12. Viscount Townshend, known as Turnip Townshend, introduced a system of four-field crop rotation. This involved a strict order of plantings and improved the fertility of soil and crop production.

13. The staples of the English diet – meat, bread, and vegetables were readily available and affordable during the first half of the century. Toward the end of the century with the industrial revolution taking hold and growing populations, the laboring classes started to suffer.

It’s interesting to note that around this time England started sending convicts to Australia. One of my ancestors was sentenced for receiving stolen goods in 1801 and sent to Australia. His wife and two children went with him.

Tonight I came across an old magazine article titled Why Men Find Your Food Angst So Unsexy. Written by a man, the article described a restaurant visit he experienced in the company of his mother and sister. When the waiter came around to take dessert orders, he ordered a sticky toffee pudding with butterscotch sauce and vanilla ice-cream. The women passed on dessert, but requested that the waiter bring three spoons.

The man lost it and bellowed at the waiter. “Don’t bring three spoons. If they want dessert they can order their own.”

The restaurant grew quiet, and he turned around to find everyone staring at him. He thought to himself – was it his imagination or did most of the men look as if they wanted to clap?

Some women pilfer food off their boyfriends/partners’ plates. Seemingly, the theory is that if the food isn’t on their plates then the calories don’t matter.

I remember watching an episode of Friends where Joey’s date helped herself to his food—I think it was fries from memory. A big no-no in his book, because he was very serious about his food. He didn’t think it was right and became very upset. Joey dumped her after the food stealing incident.

I have to admit that I’m very territorial about my plate of food. If I order a dessert, I don’t want to share. Call me selfish, but I think people should order their own desserts. This extra spoon business sucks big time, and I don’t subscribe to it at all.

The article goes on to discuss fussy eaters who interrogate wait-staff about the menu and practically starve themselves, embarrassing their dates big time. It finishes with this advice to make peace with food.

1. Don’t starve yourself. Eat when you’re hungry and stop when you’re full.

2. Forget diets. Munching on bits of lettuce will not make you happy. It will just make you crabby, and everyone around you will suffer too.

3. Get real. Eating a piece of cake now and then isn’t a crime.

According to the article, the truth is that most men don’t like super skinny women. They prefer a little padding to hold on to and to spend time with a woman who is happy. And they hate women who pilfer their food, especially desserts.

Source: Cleo Magazine, Damon Syson

What do you think? Are you a food pilferer?

Picnic (1748) ~ an excursion or outing with food, usually provided by members of the group and eaten in the open.

I have lots of fond memories of family picnics. During the summer months we’d go to the beach, agricultural shows, rodeos and sports days. My mother would make delicious sandwiches with egg and lettuce, ham and mustard or salmon. There were club sandwiches and sometimes rolls filled with salad. We’d have bacon & egg pie and fresh fruit, usually apples or oranges. For drinks there would be a thermos flask of tea and sometimes fresh lemonade. The food always tasted better when eaten outdoors.

When my husband and I visited Yellowstone National Park a few years ago we also had a picnic. We stopped at one of the park stores and purchased a salad each. Yellowstone has so many beautiful picnic spots and we found one to eat our meal. There are signs everywhere about not feeding bears and other wild life and disposing of rubbish correctly in the bear proof bins. We were both hoping for a glimpse of Yogi and Boo Boo, but it wasn’t to be, although we did see a grizzly bear later in the day. We did come across one of the downsides of eating in the outdoors. Bugs!

Do you like picnics? What are your favorite picnic foods? Do you have a favorite picnic spot?

Experience wolves and the wildlife in Lone Wolf, an m/m romance coming from Samhain Publishing on 23 August. Available now for pre-order at a discounted price.

This recipe is taken from one of Jo Seagar’s cookbooks called Jo Seagar Cooks and as the title states, the quiche is very easy to make. It’s the perfect thing for a summer picnic, unexpected guests or a quick weekend dinner.

4 eggs
1 1/2 cups grated tasty cheese
1 small onion peeled and chopped
6 rashers of rindless bacon chopped
1/2 cup self-raising flour
1 1/2 cups of milk
1/4 cup of chopped parsley
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups of your choice of vegetables (chopped mushrooms, peppers, cherry tomatoes, zucchini, corn, peas, beans, grated pumpkin etc) – your imagination is the limit when it comes to vegetables.

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. Spray a medium – to large size lasagne dish with no stick baking spray. Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Pour into the prepared dish and bake for 40 – 45 minutes until set and golden brown. If your oven is a fan one reduce the cooking time accordingly. It takes around 30 -35 minutes in a fan oven. Serves 6 people.

Note – if you prefer a vegetarian option just leave out the bacon. That’s what I do.

What is your favorite food to take on a picnic?

I’ve always wanted to make gingerbread men and finally got around to it this weekend. They were surprisingly easy to make and, once the dough is made, children of all ages would have fun rolling out the dough and cutting out the gingerbread men. The perfect activity for a spring break.

Ingredients
3 tablespoons golden syrup
75g caster sugar (about 3 oz)
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon mixed spice
1 1/2 teaspoon ginger
75g butter (about 3/4 of a stick)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
225g plain flour (8 oz)

Method
Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F) Gently melt syrups, sugar, water an spices in a large saucepan. Bring to the boil, stirring well. Remove from heat, add butter and baking soda. Add enough sifted flour to make a firm dough. Sit aside to cool. Roll out dough and cut into shapes with cookie cutters. Decorate with currants or chocolate bits as desired and bake for about 12 minutes or until golden and crisp

Source: www.foodlovers.co.nz

Shelley’s notes: The recipe made nine gingerbread men, although if I hadn’t kept nibbling at the dough, it would have probably made ten. I cooked mine for ten minutes, but if I made them again I think I’d cook them for eight minutes because my oven cooks fast. The final result was yummy, but I need more practice with my piping. Use raisins, currants, M & Ms or plain icing for decoration. You could even use something like dried cranberries. Your imagination is the only limit!

Have you made gingerbread men before?

I’ve told you before about the love-hate relationship I have with the little Wii Fit character. Yesterday, I did a weight test, and he scolded me. Here’s how the conversation went:

Him: stand on the wii board. Relax. Measuring. Measuring. Finished.

Him: Why do you think you gained weight, Shelley?

and he gave me a multi-choice list of possible answers. You ate too much. You drank too much. You didn’t exercise. There were a couple of other choices and the final answer was You don’t know.

Me: I don’t know.

Him: Try harder, Shelley and you might make your goal weight.

Yep! The cheek of him. Mr. Wii-Fit Character and I aren’t speaking today. And notice how he had the last word???

I’m guest blogging at Leah Braemel’s blog today about food and romance, both subjects that I really like. Here’s the link to Leah Braemel’s blog.

Author Adrienne Kress has an interesting post called It’s Not About the Odds. She talks about the luck required in getting a publishing contract and how you can slant those odds in your favor by doing a great query letter.

Rebecca at Dirty Sexy Books has a tongue in cheek post about urban fantasy stories. If you’re not really sure what an urban fantasy is read the Ten Commandments of Urban Fantasy.

Margie Lawson has a guest post at Routines for Writers. It’s all about writing body language and verbal cues–an important thing in good characterization.

And finally, You Are What You Eat, Foods That Improve Your Sex Drive is an article by Elizabeth Black that makes for very interesting reading. Stay about from fried foods and rich cream sauces – that’s all I’m saying!

I’m reading a book called The Wolf Almanac by Robert H Busch. It’s research for a new idea I have, and you might have guessed from the title that my story will feature wolves.

What are you reading at the moment?

Today’s topic is food. I always think food scenes are a lot of fun and love writing them. I think they’re fun for the characters too. My scene today is taken from Assassin, book four in my Middlemarch Mates series featuring feline shapeshifters.

Assassin by Shelley Munro

“I’m feeling fine. You don’t need to treat me like an invalid.”

“But you were unconscious.”

“I’m not now. Do you have something sweet to eat in the picnic basket?”

“Probably,” Leo said.

“Good. Then that’s all I need to get my blood sugars up again. If you have coffee, that would help.”

Leo studied her closely. She certainly looked all right now with a definite sparkle in her eyes. After a brief hesitation, he decided she probably knew best. He stood and strode over to the picnic basket. When he checked the contents, he found two portions of a rich chocolate gâteaux. That should do the trick. He pulled out the gâteaux plus a spoon and returned to Isabella’s side. She’d arranged the blanket to screen her body and Leo smiled inwardly. Too late. He’d already had a good look.

“Here you go.” After he opened the plastic container for her, he held out the dessert and spoon, knowing Isabella would need to loosen her hold on the blanket in order to eat. Difficult to rake up even the faintest hint of guilt when he couldn’t wait to stare at her luscious body some more. “Eat as much as you need. I don’t mind sacrificing my portion for a good cause.”

Somehow Isabella managed to rearrange the blanket and accept the gâteaux without a hitch. While he watched, she dug into the dessert and lifted a spoonful to her mouth. Her eyes closed briefly when she tasted the gâteaux, and she let out a faint moan when it hit her taste buds. Fascinated, Leo couldn’t take his eyes off her. He watched her swallow and saw her tongue come out to rasp against a piece of icing sticking to the spoon. She quickly spooned more into her mouth, the sheer carnality of the move and the tiny sounds of appreciation she made, jolting his body to full awareness.

“Are you going to share?” The husky cadence of his voice grabbed her attention immediately.

Her brows arched. “Do you want some?”

Oh yeah, baby. He wanted some big time, but for now he’d have to make do with gâteaux. “Please.” Suddenly Leo stilled, panic stirring inside. Every muscle in his body tightened, his bones ached, his body instructing him to shift. A fine time for his feline senses to tell him to pounce. Wouldn’t that just cap off his day? After sending his date into an unconscious state, he turned feral and jumped her. They’d probably hear her screech of horror in Middlemarch if he gave in to the impulse to shift to cat.

Leo strained for control, a fine tremor passing through his muscles. He sucked in a deep breath and gave his feline a mental push. Down kitty.

“Here you go.”

Leo glanced up to see a spoonful of chocolate gâteaux float in front of him. Instinctively he opened his mouth and closed his lips around the sweet confection. His pulse rate jumped like a startled rabbit when the chocolate flooded across his taste buds. His gaze met Isabella’s and he was lost.

Leo pounced.

Available from Ellora’s Cave: Purchase link

Follow the Snippet Saturday trail and read other excerpts:

Cynthia Eden
Lauren Dane
McKenna Jeffries
Michelle M Pillow
Moira Rogers
Sylvia Day
TJ Michaels
Taige Crenshaw
Vivian Arend
Victoria Janssen
Marissa Scott
Maura Anderson
Shelley Munro
Jody Wallace
Eliza Gayle
Kelly Maher
Lacey Savage
Mark Henry
Shelli Stevens

As you can see from the photos above, we’ve ridden our camels all morning and now it’s time for a lunch stop. It’s a chance to sit out the worst of the day’s heat and relax. I’m sure our heroine, Lady Charlotte will get out her sketchpad and sketch some of the sights. Her stepbrother William and his friend Justin are probably whispering together in a shady corner and checking their maps.

Delicious scents are wafting through the makeshift camp. There’s flat bread and the local white cheese. Today we’re having Fuul, which is mashed fava beans and another dish with eggplant, tomato, garlic, oil and spices. There’s some sort of meat—it looks like strips of lamb. Oh, and there’s fresh oranges and juice along with bottled water and the usual hot tea served with mint.

I tend to have a cast-iron stomach and have only had a stomach bug once during our travels. I was very sick in Turkey and spent an entire night running to the loo. I struck up a friendship with the night guard, and he had the cheek to tell me the next morning that I looked much older than he thought. I ask you – who looks great after running to the loo all night and getting no sleep?

I eat the local food, as long as it’s vegetarian. I’ve eaten some delicious food from little roadside stalls in India, Pakistan, Turkey and of course, Egypt. The trick is to pay careful attention to their cooking and get freshly cooked food. Watch your food being cooked and make sure it isn’t reheated. A good hint is to buy from stalls that the locals frequent.

Do you like to try the local food when you’re visiting an unfamiliar place? Do you prefer to eat food you’re familiar with? Do you travel armed with anti-diarrhea pills? (Don’t forget – every comment on an Egypt post puts you in the draw to win an ARC of Lynx to the Pharaoh.)

I saw a Miss Piggy quote in a newspaper insert that came through our mailbox this week. Aha! I thought. That’s a perfect topic for a Thursday Thirteen. So, THIRTEEN QUOTES ABOUT FOOD

1. “Never eat more than you can lift.” ~ Miss Piggy

2. “Food is our common ground, a universal experience.” ~ James Beard

3. “I am not a glutton – I am an explorer of food.” ~ Erma Bombeck

4. “An old-fashioned vegetable soup, without any enhancement, is a more powerful anti carcinogen than any known medicine.” ~ James Duke, MD

5. “As with most fine things, chocolate has its season. There is a simple memory aid that you can use to determine whether it is the correct time to order chocolate dishes: any month whose name contains the letter A, E, or U is the proper time for chocolate.” ~ Sandra Boynton

6. “My mother’s menu consisted of two choices: Take it or leave it.” ~ Buddy Hackett

7. “My wife dresses to kill. She cooks the same way.” ~ Henny Youngman

8. “The primary requisite for writing well about food is a good appetite.” ~ A.J. Liebling

9. “Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four essential food groups: alcohol, caffeine, sugar, and fat.” ~ Alex Levine

10. “If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, talks like a duck, it probably needs a little more time in the microwave.” ~ Lori Dowdy

11. “It’s important to watch what you eat. Otherwise, how are you going to get it into your mouth ?” ~ Matt Diamond

12. “One of life’s mysteries is how a 1kg box of candy can make a woman gain 2kg.”

13. “The older you get, the tougher it is to lose weight, because by then your body and your fat are really good friends.”

And an extra one because it made me laugh:

“Inside some of us is a thin person struggling to get out, but she can usually be sedated with a few pieces of chocolate cake.”

I’ll admit I love food. I eat a varied diet with dishes influenced from different parts of the world. Italian food is one of my favorites but I also enjoy Pacific Rim food, which is often seafood with Pacific or Asian influences. Pacific Rim food is like a melting pot of New Zealand ethnic groups combined with our fresh produce. Like most Westerners, I probably eat too much, but some of my happiest memories involve food and meals with friends. I’m a capable cook and enjoy it when I’m in the mood.

What is your favorite type of food? Do you like eating and cooking?