Mrs. Salisbury's Stove

This week, my kitchen dearies, I’ll share a recipe. This is my most famous and most delicious beef steak pie, eaten by generations of the B---- family, made by my mother and her mother before for family and service alike. Enjoy, poppets!

For your beef steak pie

Steaks you must, of course, buy.

Only the finest of cuts

A shoulder, a loin, perhaps even butt

On a board lay them flat.

Beat them well with a pin.

Salt and pepper – add that!

To your tastes be they seasoned.

Make a good crust.

If you can’t then you must

Leave the kitchen this minute;

No fools allowed in it.

Lay that crust in a pan.

Fill with water – half full.

Place the steak in by hand.

More seas’ning! (never dull)

Add one tablespoon butter right into the dish.

(one spoonful more if you like your pie rich)

Some parsley, some thyme, added right in.

Lay down the crust, to cover the tin.

Bake one hour, or two

Depends on what size you’ve got.

Don’t dally, just chew,

It’s best while it’s hot!

Correspondence Etiquette

Although I presume that the majority of our readers have the ability to correspond gracefully through letters, I do not find it amiss to offer a few reminders of habits in writing that are considered bad form. I shall refer frequently to the highly informative book “Good Form” in England.

First, it is ill-mannered not to mention the name of a recipient in a letter’s address. Simply calling someone a friend is not enough. The actual name of the person you are writing to absolutely has to be included. Similarly, letters should not be signed using titles, including “Mrs.” Only your actual name should be used.

I have encountered the occasional lady who, though possessing great intelligence, fails to use proper spelling and grammar in her personal letters. No matter what the level of formality is, proper use of language is indispensable.

Some may be surprised to hear that including an R.S.V.P. on invitations is certainly not proper. It is actually offensive because it suggests that the recipient does not have the manners to respond without being told to do so. It is much better to demonstrate through invitations that you think highly of your friends.

An American Physician: Elizabeth Garret Anderson

Elizabeth Garret Anderson, the first American woman physician, has founded the New Hospital for Women in London. Anderson’s close friend and mentor, Elizabeth Blackwell, assists Anderson as a professor of gynecology. Anderson expresses the difficulties of trying to make it in the medical field as a woman. Anderson is determined to pave the way for women and pass an act permitting women to enter medical professions. 

A Dress Befitting A Refined Lady

The next time someone has the courtesy to invite you to a ball, make sure that you are properly doffed up in an extravagant dress made to perfectly accentuate your feminine lavishness! Whether it’s the latest muslin imports, a heavenly tarlatan, or the purest white lace your eyes have ever laid upon, you absolutely must be keeping with the times! No lady should dare go to a party wearing what she has worn when she was not yet mature! So go to your nearest tailor, and get your new dress this hour!

The Two Strongholds

           A good and true gentleman ought to be a reflection of his house. The two ought to echo one another. Take, for example, the Gothic homes outside of London. They are much like a man of our time should be. Both are simple, yet elegant and refined on the outside. But on the inside, we find them to be simple, yet elegant and refined. And like the layout of the House, so should the mind of a man be organized. At the top of the house, at the surface, one should keep one’s family. This is the priority of any good man and the surface should reflect the health and financial well-being of the family and home. Of course, below, in the pockets (and pocketbooks) are the real matters of money, the servants, the running of the house. Those things should indeed be kept below, not visible to all who pass. After all, a good man must keep his family’s air of simple elegance intact without ever seeming like a braggart.  

Seeking Position as a Maid

To whom it may concern,

     I have long been searching for a position as a lady’s maid. My tale is a sad one, for I was dismissed from my former position without reason. How ardently I cared for my lady! How fervently I sought her best interests! I was treated with the most despicable ingratitude and was heartlessly replaced by a young gulping fool. I wish to serve as I did previously. I only ask that someone give me a chance. Anyone who does would never regret the decision, for a better servant could not be found if one searched the entire world a thousand times. I can assure you that I would be wholeheartedly devoted to any lady I serve.

         Sincerely,

             Mademoiselle Hortense

Victorian Did You Know

       Did you know that servants in Victorian times used parts of the house that were specifically designed to be used by them alone? Maids and servants used special back staircases, while the family and guests used the main staircase. Maids were expected to work invisibly, that is perform duties while the family was asleep or tend to a room that was not meant to be used at the time. Most maids didn’t even see any of the family members that they worked for in their years of service. In a sense, these servants were the ghosts of the house, keeping it impeccably clean and prepared without anyone acknowledging their individual existence.