A is for Asparagus, Arrowroot and Artichoke

A is for Apple: An Encyclopaedia of Food & Drink

In today’s episode we will be discussing what many a child dreads encountering on their dinner plate. So prepare yourself for a wrinkled nose or two, an impromptu visit to the sick room and a few prickly surprises as Allie, Neil and I explore the verdant world of vegetables.

Useful Links

Sam’s Recipe for William Verrall’s Sweetbreads With Asparagus (1759)

Sam’s interpretation of Hannah Glasse’s Asparagus in a French Role (sic) on Instagram (essentially a quiche in a loaf of bread)

Neil’s Butter Sauce (a classic accompaniment to asparagus)

You can also find Neil’s talk on 'Navigating 19th Century English meals through Worcester porcelain' for the Museum of Royal Worcester onYouTube

Lindsay Middleton’s project Dishes for the Sickroom examines the links between food, health, education and international ingredients in the culinary collections of the Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU) Archive Centre.

Suggested Reading

Emma by Jane Austen (1815)

The Diner’s Dictionary by John Ayto (1993)

Mrs Beeton’s Book of Household Management by Isabella Beeton (1861)

The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter (1993)

The Fruit, Herbs and Vegetables of Italy by Giacomo Castelvetro (1614)

‘Crumbs! A history of biscuits in 15 fantastic facts – from flatulence cure to phenomenal fuel’ by Lizzie Collingham in The Guardian, 18 October 2020

The Art of the Asparagus by Daisy Dunn in the Spectator, 15 May 2021

Acetaria. A discourse of sallets by John Evelyn (1706)

Meat: A Natural Symbol by Nick Fiddes (2015)

A Plain Cookery Book for the Working Classes by Charles Elmé Francatelli (1852)

Giovanna Garzoni

English Food (1998) by Jane Grigson

A Treatise of All Sorts of Food Louis Lémery (1745)

Caravaggio’s Artichokes by Jesse Locker in Gastronomica, Vol. 19, No. 4 (Winter 2019), pp. 20-27

Scots kitchen, its traditions and lore with old-time recipes by F. Marian McNeill (1935)

Notes on Nursing by Florence Nightingale (1859)

In Search of Lost Time by Marcel Proust (1913)

The Experienced English Housekeeper by Elizabeth Raffald (1769)

Food in Art by Gillian Riley (Reaktion Books, 2015)

Caravaggio: fury, food and fine art by Gilian Riley on artuk.org 29 September 2017

La Varenne's Cookery. The French Cook; The French Pastry Chef; The French Confectioner. A modern English translation and commentary by Terence Scully. (Prospect Books, 2006)

Le cuisinier françois by François Pierre de la Varenne (1680)

You can follow the A is for Apple Podcast on Instagram and X (Twitter).

Sam Bilton also hosts the Comfortably Hungry Podcast and is the author of First Catch Your Gingerbread, Fool’s Gold: A History of British Saffron and The Philosophy of Chocolate. You can find her on Instagram and X.

Dr Neil Buttery also hosts the British Food History Podcast and is the author of A Dark History of Sugar and Before Mrs Beeton: Elizabeth Raffald Britain’s Most Influential Housekeeper. You can find him on Instagram and X.

Dr Allie Pino hosts the Fear Feasts Podcast with Vanessa Baca and is the co-author of A Gothic Cookbook. You can find her on Instagram and X.