  Rhubarb, how do I love thee, let me count the ways…
Rhubarb crisp
Rhubarb compote
Rhubarb ginger jam
Strawberry rhubarb pie
Rhubarb fresh from the garden dipped in a bit of sugar…
and of course, this Rhubarb Cake recipe from my Grandpa.
This is a really simple cake recipe studded with pieces of fresh, tangy rhubarb. Grandpa grew up in Iowa during the depression, and remembers his mother making this cake for him as a boy. Apparently it’s an old pioneer recipe from much earlier days in America. I remember eating big squares of this cake with coffee while visiting him at his farm.
Continue reading Grandpa’s Rhubarb Cake
  Not long after mastering the art of making tinctures with herbs, I started acquiring quite a supply of little herb-infused-alcohol on my shelves. What to do with them? I know you can add tinctures to body/beauty products like creams, lotions, body scrubs, facial toners etc. Also, you can use them as part of your kitchen first aid kit. But with my love of food, I wanted to find a more tasty way to use the tinctures.
Enter Rosemary Gladstar. Her book is brilliant if you’re inspired by Harry Potter’s Potions class, and want to start concocting things in your own kitchen.
I adapted this recipe for a chocolate liqueur that uses the herb ‘damiana’ (ok, admittedly, I had to go buy this herb especially for this project, but it just sounded too delicious to pass up!)
Damiana is a restorative herb that is a gentle anti-depressant, helps you deal with stress/anxiety, and is also supposed to be an aphrodisiac! Sounds perfect for an after dinner drink.
Continue reading Chocolate Temptation Liqueur
  Knowing how to make great soup is a key element of having vintage savoir-faire in the kitchen.
Short on time? Make a big pot of soup on the weekend, for easy weekday lunches and dinners. Soup also freezes really well in individual containers, for those nights when you just can’t cook.
Want to eat healthier? Homemade soup has no preservatives and much less sodium than the store bought kind. Plus, you control what goes into it – so it can be loaded with veggies and nutritious homemade chicken stock.
Saving money? Soup can feed a crowd. It can be a starter or a main course. And best of all, it is the easiest, sneakiest way to use up leftovers and random vegetables.
This Split Pea and Ham soup is thick, hearty and comforting. Perfect for the last chilly nights of early spring. It’s also a great way to use leftover easter ham! I made this low maintenance recipe in a slow cooker (crockpot), but you can just as easily make it on the stove.
Continue reading Split Pea and Ham Soup Recipe
  Finally, after a long winter, the air is getting soft, the snowdrops are pushing through the ground and I’m getting spring fever! Spring makes me think of asparagus, new potatoes, baby spinach, salmon… and an Easter Ham.
Growing up in the US, we always bought hams that were pre-cooked, and just needed glazing and baking in the oven. When I arrived in the UK, I found that hams aren’t called ‘hams’, they’re called ‘gammon’, and they’re completely uncooked. I was a bit intimidated by this at first since it requires boiling and then roasting – but the big benefit is that you can flavor the meat much more than just putting a glaze on a pre-cooked ham.
If you’re looking for vintage cooking skills, a ham roast is another easy, impressive main course. And much like the classic roast chicken, gives you a lot of options for leftovers!
Continue reading Ginger Glazed Ham for Easter
  I learned to cook from my mother. She is the original inspiration for vintage savoir faire. Mom is a country girl transplanted to the east coast with a bit of 1960′s organic/crunchiness about her. I grew up with homemade baby food, weekly bread baking, lots of playing in the woods and garden, and an endless supply of creative crafts and projects. Mom also has a big love of old things. At one point in my life (oh, between age 11 and 17) I thought this was just totally embarrassing, and that she should modernize things! Every summer we’d go back to my grandparent’s farm in Iowa, and come home with assorted old books, glass bottles, fabrics etc from the local fairs. I thought it was such a waste of time and energy when we could be doing fun things – like going to the Mall! (*Groan*) But everything comes full circle, doesn’t it? And now I wish I still had the chance to talk with my grandmother about her earlier life on the farm and sort through the treasures in the attic.
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Friendly Reminder Please remember that I'm not a doctor or expert practitioner of anything we discuss here on Vintage Savoir Faire. I'm still learning and trying these traditional skills and remedies like you are. So please, speak with your doctor or a qualified herbalist before trying any traditional remedies. All the information on this site is provided on an as-is basis. Thanks!
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Rhubarb, how do I love thee, let me count the ways…
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