Lobscouse and Spotted Dog
Posted: Tue Dec 29, 2009 11:30 pm
I don't know if there would be any interest in this among this crowd, but I just obtained a copy of a fantastic cookbook that is specifically designed for nerds like me. It pertains to the Aubrey/Maturin novels by Patrick O'Brian, hence the title: Lobscouse and Spotted Dog: Which It's a Gastronomic Companion to the Aubrey/Maturin Novels of Patrick O'Brian.
As a bit of background for those that are unfamiliar, the Aubrey/Maturin books are a fictional series based on historical accounts from the records of the Royal Navy, set in the era of the Napoleonic Wars (early 19th century). Jack Aubrey is a captain in the the RN, Stephen Maturin a ship's surgeon and British intelligence agent, and they are the two main recurring characters throughout the series. For those that remember it, the movie Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World was based on these novels. I'm not a huge fan of Russell Crowe at all, but having read sixteen of these books so far - holy s**t did he NAIL Jack Aubrey's character.
Anyhoo...food is prominently mentioned throughout the books, and two completely insane women have combed through all of the novels (there are 21 of them) and come up with recipes for many of the foods and drinks that are mentioned in them. I've not yet tried to cook anything from it yet, and I'm not even sure if I can. The recipes are all based on contemporary early 19th century cooking methods, and can be fairly complex - especially considering that simple things like baking soda weren't in widespread use at that time. It is an insanely interesting book, nonetheless, as the history and entomology of all of the foods are meticulously researched by these two women (did I mention they are totally insane?). Plus, the thing is just hilarious - at one point the authors lament the fact that ingredients like dogs and human hands are not readily available.
I am keenly aware of the fact that this is all way more information that anyone ever wanted to know. So, I'll close with a link to the book's site and two huge nerd thumbs up:
http://www.wwnorton.com/pob/SpottedD/welcome.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
As a bit of background for those that are unfamiliar, the Aubrey/Maturin books are a fictional series based on historical accounts from the records of the Royal Navy, set in the era of the Napoleonic Wars (early 19th century). Jack Aubrey is a captain in the the RN, Stephen Maturin a ship's surgeon and British intelligence agent, and they are the two main recurring characters throughout the series. For those that remember it, the movie Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World was based on these novels. I'm not a huge fan of Russell Crowe at all, but having read sixteen of these books so far - holy s**t did he NAIL Jack Aubrey's character.
Anyhoo...food is prominently mentioned throughout the books, and two completely insane women have combed through all of the novels (there are 21 of them) and come up with recipes for many of the foods and drinks that are mentioned in them. I've not yet tried to cook anything from it yet, and I'm not even sure if I can. The recipes are all based on contemporary early 19th century cooking methods, and can be fairly complex - especially considering that simple things like baking soda weren't in widespread use at that time. It is an insanely interesting book, nonetheless, as the history and entomology of all of the foods are meticulously researched by these two women (did I mention they are totally insane?). Plus, the thing is just hilarious - at one point the authors lament the fact that ingredients like dogs and human hands are not readily available.
I am keenly aware of the fact that this is all way more information that anyone ever wanted to know. So, I'll close with a link to the book's site and two huge nerd thumbs up:
http://www.wwnorton.com/pob/SpottedD/welcome.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
