The provocation that prompted my interest in reading Pride and Prejudice may be a bit unusual, it was my love of sewing! I became aware of Jane Austen Festivals ( here & here) through reading this Threads magazine article. A seamstress and Jane Austen fan, Katrina Holte, was interviewed about the making of her Regency Period gown entirely by hand using couture sewing methods (she goes into further detail on her blog). I was so enchanted by the idea of making a fancy historical dress, that I thought to myself “well if I want to make a Regency Period dress like this, I want a Jane Austen Festival to go to. And, if I want to go to a Jane Austen Festival, I need to not be a “poser”, I need to read one of her books”. So while Jane Austen’s book certainly deserve to be read for the literary classics that they are, I am thankful that sewing is what got me to pick up the book Pride and Prejudice.
I am going to be honest, when I bought the book and read the first few pages, I put it down and started surfing my phone. My initial thought was, I just don’t think I am going to like this. You see, the writing style is reflective of the time it was written (1813), and at first I thought it was not going to be enjoyable to read. However, I stayed committed, and after a few hours of reading the book, I realized I highly enjoyed reading Pride and Prejudice. In fact, the old writing style really grew on me because I realized that if I just relaxed, my mind easily made the old language clear to understand. It is like exercise for your mind. I was pulled into the plot of the book because although these characters were written into existence over 200 years ago, human nature is the same, so their story was relatable. By the time I finished reading Pride & Prejudice I was sad to see it end. I think I would like to read another Jane Austen novel soon.
Additionally, this podcast about Jane Austen from The History Chicks, was a nice supplement for me to learn about the life of Jane Austin.
So naturally, upon completion of “Pride & Prejudice” I desired to watch a movie adaptation of the book with my husband (after all, if we ever do get a chance to go to a Jane Austen Festival, I will want him to attend with me!) On a separate, but not totally unrelated note, I thought it would be fun to make some of the recipes in the book, The Ritz London Book of Afternoon Tea for tea sandwiches, and throw a little “afternoon tea (movie viewing) party for us. Mine may have not turned out as elegant as the Ritz, but they were tasty nonetheless. Below I will share the recipes I used.
Cucumber Sandwiches
Peel a cucumber and slice it into very thin and transparent discs. (You can use the slicing side of a grater).
Sprinkle these see through discs with a little vinegar and salt, let soak for 30 minutes, then drain.
Cover a slice of lightly buttered brown bread with 2 layers of cucumber, and then another piece of bread on top.
Lightly press the sandwich with palms of hand. Slice off the crusts, and cut it into 3 rectangles.
Special Egg Sandwiches
Ingrediants for the Mayonnaise
2 medium egg yokes
2 tsp dry English mustard
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp lemon juice
scant cup of olive oil
Ingredients for the Egg Mixture
5 medium hard boiled and shelled eggs
dash of hot sauce
To make the mayonnaise stir all of the ingredients on the list except for the oil and lemon juice, in a mixing bowl. Whisk and add a few drops of oil at a time. Slowly but surely the mixture will thicken. Add lemon juice to adjust the consistency and add flavor. I personally did not find the mixture to thicken to a consistency that I liked, so I added ready made mayonnaise to it, and then it was excellent. Chop the hard boiled eggs, and combine with the mayonnaise dressing to achieve desired consistency. You can add hot sauce to taste. Spread onto thinly sliced buttered white bread. Remove the crusts, slice into rectangles.
Devilled Ham Toasts
Ingredients
1/3 cup finely chopped lean ham
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
cayenne pepper dash
2 tsp French mustard
4 slices of toast
1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
Cut circles from the toast using the lip of a cup as a template. Combine the ham, Worcestershire sauce, cayenne, and French mustard. Melt the butter, then add it s well. Heat the ham mixture in a pan until it start to sizzle, then pile it onto the toast circles. Top with parsley, open faced, and serve immediately.
Tomato Sandwiches
Skin hard firm tomatoes by steeping them in boiling water for a minute, draining them, and sliding them out of their jackets. Slice them thinly with a sharp knife. Arrange the slices on think buttered brown bread. Grind some pepper on top, then add another slice of bread. Cut off crusts and cut into rectangles.
