I have a confession, I have never (until recently) watched English Heritage’s videos and I didn’t know about Mrs. Avis Crocombe. It wasn’t until I saw How to Cook: The Victorian Way with Mrs Crocombe cookbook that I became intrigued. Basically, the YouTube channel English Heritage has created a subsection of cooking the “Victorian Way.” Watch Victorian recipes brought to life by Mrs. Avis Crocombe, head cook at Audley End House and Gardens in the 1880s. She is now played by a historical interpreter Kathy Hipperson. This series is beautifully filmed and relaxing to watch, more so, leaves you hungry!
I am thrilled to share this new cookbook How to Cook: The Victorian Way with Mrs Crocombe.
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Here you can see how this book is divided up. Inside, you will get a look at what it is like behind the scenes for the “Victorian Way” and English Heritage. More so, we can get to know the real Mrs. Avis Crocomb and the ins and outs of her life. This is also where we get an idea of what life would be like at Audley End and potentially other places in England at the time.
It’s fascinating to see what traditions we have kept and ones we have almost forgotten. I would love to see the original manuscripts and recipes written down by the real Mrs. Crocomb! I believe that is the last section in the table of contents!
If you’re like me and have a curiosity for the origins of certain dishes, this cookbook is a keeper! Almost every recipe has an excerpt on the why’s, how’s, and when’s. Another fascinating aspect to this book is its simplicity, believe it or not. It is a family friendly and mostly gadget free cookbook! Even though I love my cooking tools, going back to the basics is really enjoyable. This means it will be easy for you and the kids to cook together and share experiences.
There is a lot we can learn from history lessons, such as the techniques our ancestors used to create beautiful food. All of this is included in this cookbook, which is such a delight.
Can you imagine being able to cook puff pastry by hand knowing why each and every ingredient needs to be handled a certain way? Surely we will be masters of Victorian cooking by the end of this cookbook!
I would love to have a Victorian-esque get together with some friends and family during the holidays. Even having a small get together, baking pies, dressing up, and drinking tea would be lovely!
Learn from history with How to Cook: The Victorian Way with Mrs Crocombe cookbook. You can also watch the YouTube channel English Heritage to learn more about the Victorian period. Including watching Mrs. Crocombe! I’m excited for the cookbook though, because at the end I get to eat like a queen!
~Kaiti
