My mother found this book somewhere, and it's fairly hilarious. It's a collection of Falkland Islands recipes, submitted by individual islanders. Many of the recipes sound distinctly bizarre and/or unappetizing. Lettuce Soup, Smelt Roll Mops (fish salted and left in vinegar for a week), Brain Fritters, Penguin Egg Pavlova, Bosworth Jumbles, Scurvy Wine.
Bosworth Jumbles have the best story. "Bosworth Jumbles, A.D. 1485. According to a well used recipe and handy hints book (Published around 1925) belonging to Joanna Summers' Nan, Mrs Dorothy Newman, this recipe was picked up on the battlefield at Bosworth, having been dropped by the cook of Richard III."
Cures for various common difficulties are also advised. "To Alleviate Rheumatic Pains. Bathe the parts affected in very hot water in which potatoes have been boiled." "Remedy For Boils. Place 1 teaspoonful of gunpowder in a good thick fig. Eat one 3 times a day before meals till the boils disappear." "How To Tell the Age of an Egg. Put in a glass of water. When fresh the egg will sink to the bottom. When 3 weeks old the egg will be nearly on its side, broad end up. When 3 months old it will stand straight up, wide end just showing. When very stale it will rise much higher above the water."
These are so clearly real people's recipes with their real stories attached, and it's such a random find. I don't know how it made its way to Seattle, but I like that it did. It provided very good fun, reading out the recipes.
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