BS: Hobbit Question - Food in LOTR

Subject: RE: BS: Hobbit Question - Food in LOTR
From: Sorcha
Date: 03 Jan 03 - 10:18 AM

Seed Cake recipes

Subject: RE: BS: Hobbit Question - Food in LOTR
From: Willie-O
Date: 03 Jan 03 - 09:58 AM

Not sure if I should condemn OR THANC you for starting this, Brett. I mean, ever read anything by Rohan Mistry? Geez, the mental Smaug's getting thick around here.

W-O

Subject: RE: BS: Hobbit Question - Food in LOTR
From: Naemanson
Date: 03 Jan 03 - 08:32 AM

Thanks to all for your contributions. I appreciate them all. The earlier references are for recipes that are "modern" but the cooks gave them Middle Earth type names. That wasn't what I was looking for.

Raedwulf got it right. I believe Tolkien was trying to recreate an English country environment in the Shire. I am looking for those recipes as pointed out by Sorcha and Sonnet. I don't know what is meant by seed cake. What goes into it? Why is it good with ale?

Julia's mention of the pre-potato Celtic recipes is not intended to be an answer to my question. And I certainly would be interested in those recipes, Julia, when is the dinner party?

And I want to know why this might be hobbit forming, OR Couldn't you say? I wouldENT want this thread to disolve into a pun fest. Then you'd really be SORRY MAN.

Subject: RE: BS: Hobbit Question - Food in LOTR
From: MMario
Date: 03 Jan 03 - 07:34 AM

'taters and 'maters were both present in Middle Earth -

Subject: RE: BS: Hobbit Question - Food in LOTR
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 03 Jan 03 - 06:47 AM

Julia, pre-potato Celtic recipes may not be suitable. I don't have the books to hand, but I'm sure I remember Sam refer to " 'Taters" as "Gaffer's delight"

Nigel

Subject: RE: BS: Hobbit Question - Food in LOTR
From: Julia
Date: 02 Jan 03 - 10:38 PM

Watch out, Naemanson- it could be "hobbit"- forming (Heehee)
singing- "Getting to be a hobbit with me"
snarkle snarkle
happy new year- Julia

PS I have been putting together a collection of pre-potato Celtic recipes that might interest you

Subject: RE: BS: Hobbit Question - Food in LOTR
From: Sorcha
Date: 02 Jan 03 - 10:07 PM

I was thinking that Seed Cake would be Poppy Seed cake..........very easy to make.

Subject: RE: BS: Hobbit Question - Food in LOTR
From: Sonnet
Date: 02 Jan 03 - 07:59 PM

Would seed cake be caraway seed cake? (Known as toenail cake in our house.)

Jay

Subject: RE: BS: Hobbit Question - Food in LOTR
From: Little Hawk
Date: 02 Jan 03 - 07:47 PM

Well, GUEST, if what you really want is to make Kevin shut up...I suggest that you come up with something creative of your own that is so extraordinary, fascinating and beautiful that he, and all of us...are simply struck dumb with admiration.

*

*

*

*


We're waiting.....

- LH

Subject: RE: BS: Hobbit Question - Food in LOTR
From: GUEST,Q
Date: 02 Jan 03 - 06:30 PM

Bull crappies and baldersquash! Imaginary beings eat imaginary food.

Subject: RE: BS: Hobbit Question - Food in LOTR
From: GUEST
Date: 02 Jan 03 - 05:29 PM

Could anyone offer ways of making Kevin shut up?

Subject: RE: BS: Hobbit Question - Food in LOTR
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 02 Jan 03 - 05:26 PM

That's perhaps the main flaw in the films, the food is given much less important a place than in the books - and I'm sure any hobbit would agree with that.

But agreed about it being straightforward food - fry-ups and stews and boiled mushrooms and so forth. Fancy cakes for occasions perhaps, but hardly fancy recipes. And beer, of course.

But give Oi Boiled Parsnips,
and a Gurt Dish of Taters
and a lump of Fatty Ba-acon
and a Pint of Good Ale.

That's the style, I suggest.

Subject: RE: BS: Hobbit Question - Food in LOTR
From: GUEST,Raedwulf
Date: 02 Jan 03 - 05:06 PM

"Southfarthing BBQ Chile wings" - oh purleeeze! Without wishing to be disrepectful here, there seems to be a rather obvious American 'flavour' for most of these recipes, which I'm pretty sure is not what was in the Prof's mind!

If you want to know what hobbits would have been eating, go find a (UK) Country cookbook, preferably from the earlier part of the 20thC. The Shire is, basically, an idealized English county with happy yokels & middle class squires, etc, etc, so food as appropriate.

Subject: RE: BS: Hobbit Question - Food in LOTR
From: MMario
Date: 02 Jan 03 - 12:38 PM

see this ad for cook book

Subject: RE: BS: Hobbit Question - Food in LOTR
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 02 Jan 03 - 12:34 PM

Apart from those listed in the link by Guest,

"Twice baked cakes": surely these are biscuits. The dictionary gives :
biscuit: a small thin crisp cake of unleavened dough....[O.Fr. bescoit (mod. biscuit) - L. bis, twice, coquere, coctum, to cook or bake.]

Subject: RE: BS: Hobbit Question - Food in LOTR
From: MMario
Date: 02 Jan 03 - 12:33 PM

recipe for lembas

who ate what in the middle earth

Subject: RE: BS: Hobbit Question - Food in LOTR
From: Don Firth
Date: 02 Jan 03 - 12:28 PM

Cony or Coney, unless I'm badly mistaken, is rabbit.

Don Firth

Subject: RE: BS: Hobbit Question - Food in LOTR
From: GUEST
Date: 02 Jan 03 - 12:28 PM

Click here

Subject: RE: BS: Hobbit Question - Food in LOTR
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 02 Jan 03 - 12:14 PM

Or Cony stew?

Dave Oesterreich

Subject: BS: Hobbit Question - Food in LOTR
From: Naemanson
Date: 02 Jan 03 - 11:48 AM

I am re-reading The Hobbit and recently realized that some of the foods mentioned by Tolkien should have recipes. I would be very surprised if someone came up with a recipe for LEMBAS or Ent draughts but I'm guessing that seed cakes, twice baked cakes, etc. are actually foods Tolkien may have known.

So, does anyone have any recipes to offer for such foods as are mentioned in LOTR?