We may live without poetry, music and art, We may live without conscience and live without heart,

We may live without friends, we may live without books,

But civilized men cannot live without cooks.

I have really neglected this blog.  So sorry.  I took some time and enjoyed it with my family.  Worked a few writing contests and now it's time to get back to work.  Fall is my favorite season.  I really meant to get back to this blog weeks ago, but it's been hard to make myself concentrate again on all the things I've had to do/want to do.  There is just not enough time in the day.  Anyway, since it's already November (can you believe it!) and Thanksgiving it just around the corner, I decided to focus on food (one of my favorite things) and all that goes with it.  So over the next couple of weeks I will post about foods, drinks and eating habits found in the Regency and later periods. 

This first post comes from The Young Lady's Book, A Manual of Amusements, Exercises, Studies and Pursuits.  It was published in 1888.I found the little poem I posted at the beginning of this post in this same book. 

 

You need to entertain and you have a party of six?  This book will help with that.  It breaks down what to serve for which season, and for the amount of people being served. 

 

Bill of fare for four to six persons--Autumn

Italian Paste Soup

Fillet of Turbot with Cream Sauce

Savory Rump Steak

Fried Potatoes

Stewed Kidneys

Spinach Wall

Grouse

Fried Crumbs

Whitefriars Pudding  (see recipe below)

Lobster Bashaws

Cheesekins

 

Whitefriars Pudding

Boil a good size carrot till tender, then rub it through a hair-sieve, chop fine one small apple and a half a pound of suet, wash and rub dry a quarter pound currants, stone a quarter of a pound of raisins; mix these ingredients together, and then add two tablespoons full of treacle, half a salt-spoonful of mixed spice, and, by degrees, half a pound of flour, and a little cold water if necessary.  Beat the mixture into a stiff dough; put into a basin rubbed with butter, tie a cloth over it; put it into boiling water, and boil fast for four or five hours.  Turn it onto a hot dish and sift loaf sugar over it.  Serve at once. 

 

That meal seems like a lot of work for a beginner, since this is a beginner cookery book, but then what do I know.

I try to get the right people assembled, give them right-sounding names and then I'm off and running. The characters have to interact. Sometimes, when there's a confrontation, I don't know which way it's going to turn out -- which character is going to come out of the house alive. Eventually, the character has to tell me." --Elmore Leonard 

I try to get the right people assembled, give them right-sounding names and then I'm off and running. The characters have to interact. Sometimes, when there's a confrontation, I don't know which way it's going to turn out -- which character is going to come out of the house alive. Eventually, the character has to tell me." --Elmore Leonard  

So what's in a name? How do you choose the right name and traits appropriate for your time period and setting?  Do you whip them out of thin air or have a favorite web site or book you visit when getting everyone assembled?  Because like the quote said they have to have "right-sounding names" before you can get off and running. 

 

Here are a few web sites for naming characters and finding the right character traits:

 

http://www.jobev.com/regname.html

Regency names

 

http://www.jobev.com/webnames.html

Medieval names

 

http://www.babynamer.com/

Baby namer.  Find the best name for your baby.

 

http://www.gurusoftware.com/gurunet/personal/factors.htm

Traits of Human Consciousness

 

http://cte.jhu.edu/techacademy/web/2000/kochan/charactertraits.html

Scroll through the list of character traits.  If you need to read the definition, just click on the word to link to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary. 

 

http://www.teachervision.fen.com/writing/resource/2669.html

A lengthy list of character traits to help students understand and discuss literary characters. 

http://www.teachervision.fen.com/writing/resource/2669.html

A lengthy list of character traits to help students understand and discuss literary characters. 

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/572719/the_name_generator_for_writers_list.html?cat=15

The Name Generator for Writers List - Serious and Funny Random Name Generators from Fantasy, WOW, & DND to Celebrity Babies and More

Jane Austen's World has a very informative blog about privies and water closets during the Regency.  If you have ever wondered you should pop over there and take a peep.

feud1 (fy›d) n. 1. A bitter, often prolonged quarrel or state of enmity, especially such a state of hostilities between two families or clans.

Admit it—the word alone can bring a delightful rush of warm tingles.  We love watching enormous egos clash and two people ripping each other to shreds.  Although some of us like to deny it, it is human nature.

Often feuds are the centerpiece that shapes our plots.  The opposition between our characters is what motivates them into action.  Our fiction wouldn’t be the same without feuding friends, clans or lovers.

Feuds have been ongoing for centuries. The history books are littered with stories.  And most of the brawls were fought literally to the death.  They’re a much better read than any contemporary tabloid.  But during the American Revolutionary period, a new nation was being forged and it was definitely not a time for the faint-hearted.

Take Burr vs. Hamilton for instance.  What drove these two men to meet on the New Jersey shores early on the morning of July 11, 1804 and draw pistols upon each other?

It all began in 1791. Alexander Hamilton’s father-in-law, General Schuyler, was ousted from the post of New York senator.  The position was then offered to Aaron Burr.  Hamilton thought Burr had staged the coup and he never forgave him.  There had long been an unspoken hostility between the two men.  However, after this instance, whatever enmity they shared broke into open warfare.

Then in 1793—Burr’s senatorial career was lackluster.  Hated by Hamilton, Hamilton enlisted all manner of unlikely allies.  Hamilton soared and Burr suffered a jolting setback.

1794—Burr’s wife died, shaking him to the marrow.  He drew closer to his daughter (same name as his wife) and became a horrible philanderer.  Hamilton reached the pinnacle of his power and influence.

1795—mounting debts forced Hamilton to resign from the Treasury Dept. and resume his law practice.  The power he so carefully pursued, waned.

1796—Hamilton’s influence declined, while Burr made the transition from local to national figure.

1797—Allegations were made against Hamilton that while he was treasury secretary (summer of 1791) he had colluded with a financial schemer in a string of highly dubious business ventures.  Hamilton denied all claims as false.  In fact, he claimed his real crime was an amorous affair with the man’s wife—with his connivance—brought on by a combination between the husband and wife with the design to extort money from him. 

Hamilton paid the man $1,000 to keep the affair quiet.  After much reflection on the matter, he believed he had fallen victim to a trap laid by the abominable Aaron Burr.  Discretion demanded that he not broadcast his suspicion on the matter, so for years he kept his shameful secret buried within.  Hamilton’s quick admission to adultery, but not to professional misconduct allowed him to emerge from the unsavory episode with his reputation in tact.

1799—Burr’s financial dealings also came under the microscope.  Burr challenged a businessman with whom he had dealings to a duel.  The two men met on the NJ side of the Hudson on the morning of September 2.  Shots were fired, but the ball from Burr’s opponent's pistol only passed through Burr’s sleeve.  No harm, no foul and honor was duly settled. 

1800—Burr tied Jefferson for President.  The decision of the next president now lay in the hands of the House of Representatives.  Alexander Hamilton organized cabals, whispered in ears, wrote scorching letters, anything to destroy his nemesis.  After many votes, Jefferson was voted the third President.  Burr automatically assumed the rank of VP.

He came within a hair-breadth of attaining full power only to have it snatched away by one man—by his tormentor—Alexander Hamilton.  Nothing could stop them from their course now.


1804—July 11, Weehawken, New Jersey side of the Hudson. Both parties took aim & fired in succession, the intervening time is not expressed, as the seconds do not precisely agree on that point.  The pistols discharged within a few seconds of each other and General Hamilton almost instantly fell.

 

Colonel Burr then advanced toward General Hamilton with a manner and gesture that appeared to General Hamilton’s friend to be expressive of regret, but without speaking turned about and withdrew . . .

 

Aaron Burr outlived Hamilton by 32 years.

It is perfectly okay to write garbage -- as long as you edit brilliantly." --C. J. Cherryh

  I'm entering another contest.  My story, No Place For Love, will be entered into the Maryland Romance Writers:  2010 Reveal Your Inner Vixen Contest, Historical category.  And I hope to get Winds of Betrayal ready for the Northwest Houston Writers: Lone Star Writing Contest by the first of next week if time permits.  Hopefully one (or both ) can place again--wish me luck!