The other night I had supper that Jane Austen would have approved of: toasted cheese – in all its simplicity.
In 1805, Jane Austen wrote, "We were greatly surprised by Edward Bridge's company...It is impossible to do justice to the hospitality of his attentions towards me; he made a point of ordering toasted cheese for supper, entirely on my account."
To make toasted cheese in period style, I used the following recipe by Martha Lloyd, Jane Austen’s dear friend, who lived with her at Chawton.
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Toasted Cheese
Grate the cheese and add it to one egg, a teaspoonful of mustard, and a little butter. Send it up on toast, or in paper trays.
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I added some salt and pepper, poured the lot on the bread and roasted the bread in the grill. Voila! A tasty supper was ready - similar to what Jane Austen would have enjoyed having at Chawton.
Interesting to know that Regency people will have enjoyed simple comfort food as much as we do now…
References:
Quote and recipe from: The Jane Austen Centre Online magazine
The recipe is originally from: Hickman, P. (1977). A Jane Austen Household Book. David & Charles, Ltd.
