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Cakes

A Very Gingerbread Christmas

A Very Gingerbread Christmas

by Sam Bilton, December 14, 2020

Gingerbread is synonymous with Christmas. From houses and lattes to lebkuchen and gingerbread Santas...

Golden Pumpkin Cake

Golden Pumpkin Cake

by Sam Bilton, November 2, 2019

‘Sturdy’ is not a terribly complimentary adjective when applied to a person’s figure or...

Victoria & Albert Biscuits

Victoria & Albert Biscuits

by Sam Bilton, May 3, 2019

When is a cake a biscuit? This question was raised in 1991 regarding the...

Nan’s Almond Tarts

Nan’s Almond Tarts

by Sam Bilton, March 10, 2019

This post has been more difficult to write than I imagined. The past few...

Orange Cardamom & Walnut Slices

Orange Cardamom & Walnut Slices

by Sam Bilton, February 23, 2019

Great minds think alike… Or so the adage goes. Even so when you ask...

Pumpkin Cookies with Hazelnuts & Chocolate

Pumpkin Cookies with Hazelnuts & Chocolate

by Sam Bilton, October 14, 2018

Pumpkins and squash are surely the antidote to dull and gloomy autumn days? Their...

TOPSY TURVEY

TOPSY TURVEY

by Sam Bilton, October 14, 2018

The quince is the trickster of the fruit kingdom. The scent and colour of...

THE ORIGINAL SUFFRAGE COOK BOOK BY MRS L O KLEBER (BOOK REVIEW)

THE ORIGINAL SUFFRAGE COOK BOOK BY MRS L O KLEBER (BOOK REVIEW)

by Sam Bilton, August 29, 2018

If you were given a copy of The Suffrage Cook Book (published in Pittsburgh, 1915) by...

Sticky Fig Cake

Sticky Fig Cake

by Sam Bilton, March 8, 2018

There is something about figs even in this day and age that causes people...

The Mince Pie Antidote

The Mince Pie Antidote

by Sam Bilton, December 15, 2017

The appearance of the first mince pies in our shops seems to get earlier...

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ABOUT THIS BLOG

Sam Bilton is an established Food Historian, Writer & Cook with a penchant for the edible delights of yesteryear. This is the home of her blog Comfortably Hungry and supper club Repast.

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RECENT POSTS

  • The Biscuit by Lizzie Collingham (Book Review)
  • Seville Orange and Chocolate Tart
  • Scoff: A History of Food and Class in Britain by Pen Vogler (Book Review)
  • Roasted Squash Salad with Lentils & Feta
  • Runaway Ginger Cocktail

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  • ‘...we’ve had it drummed into us as children that “vegetables are good for us”. And so we eat them, if at all, as a kind of duty to our physical well being.’ (Peter Pirbright, ‘Off The Beeton Track’, 1946) . The message may be the same 75 years on but I hope most of eat veg now because we enjoy them (I certainly do). . Love these illustrations in this little book. . @thegfw #thegfw2021 #thegfw22 #vegetable #postwarcookbooks #offthebeetontrack #mrsbilton #foodhistory #instagramchallenge
  • Winter veg ‘fritto misto’ inspired by ‘Leaves From A Tuscan Kitchen’ by Janet Ross (1899) . I know I’ve already posted today for the @thegfw #instagramchallenge but I couldn’t resist sharing this. I dipped some of the veg received from @chefs_farms (broccoli, cauliflower, carrots and celeriac) in a light batter then fried them in veg oil. Served alongside is a bowl of #janegrigson Maltese mayonnaise made with blood orange. . #thegfw22 #thegfw2021 #lunch #tellingtales #frittomisto #bloodorange #mrsbilton #foodhistory
  • I did my best to encourage everyone to eat gingerbread rather than banana bread before Christmas so this is my compromise - banana gingerbread and butter pudding. . Loosely based on a @marcuswareing recipe I used slices of pain d’epice (instead of brioche), bananas and a rum spiked custard. Baked in a loaf tin it’s easy to slice when cold and only takes a few minutes to reheat in the oven (a sprinkling of Demerara sugar adds a pleasant crunch). . @thegfw #thegfw2021 #thegfw23 #bananabread #bananabreadday #forgetbananabread #eatgingerbread #paindepice #breadandbutterpudding #bananas
  • I’m afraid I really detest having my picture taken so here is me channeling my inner Giuseppe Arcimboldo for today’s @thegfw #instagramchallenge . The ‘channeling’ may need some work... . #selfportrait #thegfw24 #thegfw2021
  • Posted @withregram • @hattie.e Medium eggs good; large eggs bad. A useful Guild of Food Writers workshop on the chicken and the egg. Hens are given calcium-rich feed to make them lay larger eggs but it’s a welfare issue (you can imagine ladies -oooufff!). The yolk is the same size in both and most recipes will work with either - if in doubt add one more egg (for a sponge I weigh the eggs and use equal sugar, butter and flour). The best standard egg has an 0 (organic) on the shell for more space, smaller flocks and better feed.
  • Twice baked soufflés are much better lunch companions than their freshly baked cousins (if a little more unkempt). They are less apt to lose enthusiasm for the main event remaining puffy and pert as opposed to morose and deflated. . This is a celeriac variety made with @sussexcharmer and @hallgatefarm eggs topped off with a mustardy sauce. . #tellingtales #sussexproduce #sussexfood #localfood
  • I think bread would have to be one of my hero ingredients. It’s so versatile and even stale it has its uses. I made some brown bread ice cream (a Victorian favourite) today with the remnants of the @sodtbakery rye & wheat loaf I had. . Toast 75-100g ‘fresh’ brown bread crumbs at 180C for 10-15 minutes, turning every now and then, until crisp. . Make a custard using 4 egg yolks (any size eggs will do), 100g soft light brown sugar, 1 tsp vanilla bean paste and 300ml whole milk. Allow to cool then refrigerate. (These 2 stages are
  • Here are my lovely egg laying ladies (L-R): Leia, Crystal and Nigella (guess which one I named?!) . I much prefer chicken leg meat over breast (not that we’ll be eating these girls, obvs). It has far more flavour in my opinion. I’m looking forward to my delivery of chicken thighs from @cottenhams_craft_butcher later today destined for a hottentot pie. . @thegfw #thegfw2021 #thegfw26 #legs #chickens #hens #poultrypose

ABOUT THIS BLOG

Sam Bilton is an established Food Historian, Writer & Cook with a penchant for the edible delights of yesteryear. This is the home of her blog Comfortably Hungry and supper club Repast.

RECENT POSTS

  • The Biscuit by Lizzie Collingham (Book Review)
  • Seville Orange and Chocolate Tart
  • Scoff: A History of Food and Class in Britain by Pen Vogler (Book Review)

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