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Across the Fence:  "Fannie's Last Supper", PBS, anyone?  |
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FebruaryViolet
True Blue Farmgirl
4810 Posts
Jonni
Elsmere
Kentucky
USA
4810 Posts |
 Posted - Jan 21 2011 : 05:45:58 AM
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I caught this last night by accident, flipping through channels trying to get away from "snowmaggedon" coverage and WOW, do I feel lucky!
Christopher Kimbal (the very austere America's Test Kitchen guy) and his wife bought a 5 story brownstone in Boston, specifically with the idea of restoring the house to it's original Victorian splendor, then paying homage to Fannie Farmer and her Boston Cooking School cookbook by making a 12 course meal from scratch, EXACTLY as she would have done it. That meant even making gelatin boiling calves feet. They hired a chef that he trusted (a gal) who then hired her kitchen staff and off they went on a 2 year adventure, testing these recipes, trying to find ingredients, studying the old techniques and at last, cooking them (and re-cooking them over and over) on a HUGE Victorian wooden cookstove installed in the kitchen. The original stove was found in an old men's club, somewhere across town and the Kimbal's bought it on the spot. The stove, stocked with wood at times reached a temperature of 600 degrees or more. Can you imagine cooking on that??? If you have a local PBS station, I would see if they are showing it or have already. If not, request it. Amazing, amazing tv, for all of us who love cooking, who love to make it from scratch and who, of course, love Fannie Farmer!
http://www.cetconnect.org/Television/TVSchedule.html
Musings from our family in the Bluegrass http://sweetvioletmae.blogspot.com/ |
Edited by - FebruaryViolet on Jan 21 2011 07:40:19 AM |
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nubidane
True Blue Farmgirl
2859 Posts
Lisa
Georgetown
OH
2859 Posts |
Posted - Jan 21 2011 : 05:53:32 AM
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I saaw that was on last night Jonni, but I was upon a ladder painting a ceiling in our laundry room & couldn't watch it.
I am hoping they replay it sometime. I love that cookbook. Jim's mom gave it to me. |
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Laila
True Blue Farmgirl
273 Posts
Laila
Kutztown
PA
USA
273 Posts |
Posted - Jan 21 2011 : 05:56:16 AM
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This sounds really great. Thanks for letting us know Jonni. I'll keep my eye out for it.
Laila |
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FebruaryViolet
True Blue Farmgirl
4810 Posts
Jonni
Elsmere
Kentucky
USA
4810 Posts |
Posted - Jan 21 2011 : 05:57:48 AM
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The show rocked. I love Chris Kimbal, anyway, he's so New England quirky. It was a really amazing undertaking and made me realize how difficult it might have been to be a cook or housewife in Victorian times. They had JUST started buying convenience foods, but most, if not everything, had to be made from scratch and meals WERE 12 courses in most prominent households, with some recipes taking 6 hours to complete.
I have a copy that I found at the thrift because my mom wasn't ready to give her's up :) I love it, too. Justin and I joked last night about the book--he said, "You have a copy, don't you?" "Yes, that's where my cream sauce comes from..." "THANK YOU, FANNIE!!!" he said, loudly from the kitchen :)
Musings from our family in the Bluegrass http://sweetvioletmae.blogspot.com/ |
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FebruaryViolet
True Blue Farmgirl
4810 Posts
Jonni
Elsmere
Kentucky
USA
4810 Posts |
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CountryBorn
True Blue Farmgirl
1545 Posts
Mary Jane
New York
USA
1545 Posts |
Posted - Jan 21 2011 : 07:34:32 AM
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Jonni, wasn't that a great show? I loved it. I watch Chris Kimble and Americas Test kitchen all the time. I also get the Cook's Country magazine. I got it through a pledge to PBS. $35. and when you pledged that amount you got a years subscription to it. That Fannie Farmer's show was awesome. I was cleaning at the time and kept sitting on the arm of the couch watching it instead!! What a home he and his wife have! That stove was something else. The prep that went into those dishes was so involved. The gelatin moulds were so beautiful and delicate.I really enjoyed seeing the looks of joy and accomplishment on those chef's faces. Oh, sorry, I am going on and on here lol! But, I was so happy to see someone else enjoyed it as much as I did!!
MJ
There can be no happiness if the things we believe in are different from the things we do. Freya Stark |
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FebruaryViolet
True Blue Farmgirl
4810 Posts
Jonni
Elsmere
Kentucky
USA
4810 Posts |
Posted - Jan 21 2011 : 07:39:09 AM
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I'm so glad you got to see it, too, Mary Jane! I feel like I want to shout it from the rooftops! Even my husband was enthralled and couldn't stop saying, "wow!" "Whoa!" The jelly molds were incredible, right? I could go on and on, too. I think I loved the satisfaction and determination of the kitchen staff--it was a really impressive display of technique that had to be learned. We simply don't cook that way anymore, nor do we have the ingredients available to us.
Mary Jane, did you catch what Chris said about Victorian Boston being a far better place to grocery shop than present day Boston? I can totally see it. Oysters were a cheap meal, now they're not--and geese and fowl of all types were available fresh, in the markets, not to mention it was a port city with tons of spices things from far away lands. Now get all these muddled down versions in Publix or whatever...VERY thought provoking and makes you really think about our food sources.
Musings from our family in the Bluegrass http://sweetvioletmae.blogspot.com/ |
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Melina
True Blue Farmgirl
435 Posts
Melina
USA
435 Posts |
Posted - Jan 21 2011 : 09:02:09 AM
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I watched it during the holidays and was in awe! I then had a thought, went to my cookbook shelf and discovered I have a copy of Fanny's cookbook that I inherited from my mother-in-law. It's not an original edition, but still fairly old and well-used. Women were tough back then, or at least the help was!
The morning breeze has secrets to tell you. Do not go back to sleep.
Rumi |
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FebruaryViolet
True Blue Farmgirl
4810 Posts
Jonni
Elsmere
Kentucky
USA
4810 Posts |
Posted - Jan 21 2011 : 09:27:47 AM
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I've had a copy for a long time, Melina, but always used my mom's as a girl. Love it--a great basic cookbook with good techniques.
Musings from our family in the Bluegrass http://sweetvioletmae.blogspot.com/ |
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buffypuff
True Blue Farmgirl
1183 Posts
Claudia
Deer Park
WA
USA
1183 Posts |
Posted - Jan 21 2011 : 10:08:26 AM
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There is a 1918 copy of Fanny Farmer Cookbook on line for those who may not have a copy. It is: http://www.bartleby.com/87/. It really is fun to read. It was published the same year my Mom was born. We sure have it easier today than yesteryear! ;0)
Buffypuff/ Claudia
Farmgirl & Sister #870
"Half of success is the assurance of support along the way." cr
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graciegreeneyes
True Blue Farmgirl
3107 Posts
Amy Grace
Rosalia
WA
USA
3107 Posts |
Posted - Jan 21 2011 : 6:41:13 PM
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I'll have to look for this, I love Cook's Country magazine and particularly Christopher Kimball's letters. Plus anything to do with vintage recipes etc.
Amy Grace
Farmgirl #224
"use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without"
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melody
True Blue Farmgirl
3305 Posts
Melody
The Great North Woods in the Land of Hiawatha
USA
3305 Posts |
Posted - Jan 21 2011 : 9:33:11 PM
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Yes! Just found this on the PBS website-I am not going to miss this. The Packers will be playing the Bears on Sunday and I will be watching this in the parlor!
Fannie's Last Supper
Sunday, January 23, 4:03pm
48.1[D] (CET )
The origins of American cooking are explored as the "America's Test Kitchen" team re-creates a 12-course feast from historical culinary expert Fannie Farmer's "Boston Cooking School Cook Book."
Melody
Farmgirl #525
www.lemonverbenasoap.etsy.com
www.bythebayhandcraftedsoap.blogspot.com |
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SherBear
True Blue Farmgirl
77 Posts
Sherri
Mukwonago
Wi
USA
77 Posts |
Posted - Jan 22 2011 : 12:04:59 AM
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I watched it when it was on around the holidays too. It was really interesting to watch! I think I'll have to find myself a copy of the cookbook sometime this year. I really love the recipes in older cookbooks, they're just so much better!
http://sherrileesgarden.blogspot.com/ |
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ddmashayekhi
True Blue Farmgirl
4712 Posts
Dawn
Naperville
Illinois
USA
4712 Posts |
Posted - Jan 22 2011 : 8:12:28 PM
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I saw this program a few weeks ago. It was great. I wish I could have tasted the recipes. It looked like a ton of work, but wow did everything look superb when they were done.
Dawn in IL |
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MsSadie
True Blue Farmgirl
80 Posts
SD
Texas
USA
80 Posts |
Posted - Jan 23 2011 : 10:44:07 AM
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Cool to see these comments. I work for a PBS station and most times they re-air shows several times.
http://www.pbase.com/sadie04 |
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Melina
True Blue Farmgirl
435 Posts
Melina
USA
435 Posts |
Posted - Jan 23 2011 : 3:41:45 PM
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I went and checked my copy; it's from 1941 and still has the recipes Chris Kimball mentioned.
The morning breeze has secrets to tell you. Do not go back to sleep.
Rumi |
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SherBear
True Blue Farmgirl
77 Posts
Sherri
Mukwonago
Wi
USA
77 Posts |
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Across the Fence: "Fannie's Last Supper", PBS, anyone? |
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"Fannie's Last Supper", PBS, anyone?
