Corsets

Uncomfortable, a method of torture, binding, sexy...I've never worn one, but I am tempted. I think they are so pretty! There are many books on the history of this garment. Valerie Steele's book is particularly good.

Un Poème

Carlisle Wall (The Lovers) by Dante Gabriel Rossetti, 1853
 

Read Dante!  So romantic, so tragic....

La Vita Nuova

In that book which is
My memory . . .
On the first page
That is the chapter when
I first met you
Appear the words . . .
Here begins a new life

by Dante Alighieri, 1295

Black Cake Anyone?

Emily Dickinson 1830-1886

I love the color black, I love poetry and I love cake. Therefore it was inevitable that I would discover a black cake recipe from the poet Emily Dickinson. Apparently Emily was not only a great poet, but a good baker, too. The following recipe, adapted by Margery K. Eagen, is heavy on dried fruits (very British) and calls for 13 eggs! A large fruitcake, indeed.

You will need 1/2 c. brandy to pour over fruit plus approx. 1 cup more for cake-soaking syrup. Two large cardboard cake boards will be helpful if you are making a large cake.

The day before baking the cake, if possible, prepare brandy syrup: In a 2 qt. saucepan over medium heat, mix 3 c. sugar with 2 c. water until sugar dissolves. Let cool and add brandy (approx. 1 cup) or to taste. The brandy can be a Cognac-type by itself, or a combination of flavors including amaretto or hazelnut liqueur. Your taste buds can guide you here. (See notes about storing any leftover syrup.)

1 3/4 lbs. raisins

8 oz. currants

8 oz. dried apricots, cut in 1/2" pieces (size of raisins)

8 oz. pitted prunes, cut in 1/2" pieces

2 oz. dried pears, cut in 1/2" pieces

4 oz. pitted dates cut in 1/2" pieces

In a large bowl, toss fruit with 1/2 c. brandy. Let stand overnight, preferably, or an hour, or just while you get the other ingredients together.

Preheat oven to 350°.

Butter a 13" X 18" X 2 1/2" pan and line with wax paper or parchment: butter paper or parchment. (See notes about using different pans--you don't have to make just one cake.)

1 1/2 lbs. soft butter (salted or un: if salted, don't add salt to dry ingredients)

1 1/2 lbs. granulated sugar

13 eggs at room temperature

3/4 c. molasses

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

Sift together:

1 1/2 lbs. unbleached flour

4 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 1/2 tsp. soda

1 1/2 tsp. salt (or none if using salted butter)

1 1/4 tsp. each cinnamon, cloves & mace

1 1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1/4 tsp. cardamom

1/4 tsp. ginger

In a very large bowl, cream the butter and gradually add the sugar, keeping mixture light. Add eggs 3 at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping sides of bowl several times to keep mixture uniform. Add vanilla. With mixer going, pour in molasses. Mixture might look broken, but that's ok. On low speed, gradually add sifted dry ingredients, mixing just until flour is incorporated. Place fruit on top of batter, leaving any liquid at the bottom of fruit in the bowl. (Save the liquid and add to the brandy syrup.) Fold fruit into batter, taking care not to overmix. (Note: with this much batter, make sure your spatula is sturdy; otherwise, your hands are your best folding tools.)

Turn batter into pan, smooth the top, and bake for at least one hour, or until the middle top of cake is firm to the touch. The cake will be very dark on top and slightly sunken.

Let cake cool in pan. (Note: if you want to present the cake with a smooth top, level the top of the cake with a serrated knife. It will be inverted later, making the bottom the top.) Invert cake onto large wax paper-covered board and back again onto another board. The paper should prevent the top of the cake from sticking to the board. With a skewer, poke several holes through the cake at 1" intervals. Begin brushing/tapping the brandy-sugar syrup evenly over the cake, allowing a few minutes for the syrup to soak in before brushing on more. If the cake seems moist enough, it may not be necessary to use all the syrup.

Wrap cake well in plastic wrap (or slide it into a large clean plastic bag) and allow to stand for at least 1 hour—or, preferably, a day or two, in a cool place. Slide cake carefully onto a large serving platter. (Or, for a smooth top: invert onto platter.) Keep the cake covered until presentation time. Fresh greens and flowers around the cake add a festive touch.

Notes:

This recipe makes about 20 cups of batter. Since an average loaf pan uses between 4 and 5 cups of batter, this recipe would make about 4 large loaf cakes. In 9" round pans: probably 5 or 6 layers. Or, in a 12 x 2" round, perhaps 2 layers. You get the idea, though: you can bake the batter in any size and shape. Butter and paper the pans, and fill them about 2/3 full for proper baking.

If freezing cakes: Remove cooled cakes from pans and wrap well. After thawing, and at least 1 hour before serving, brush/soak with brandy syrup.

Leftover syrup: Tightly-covered, the syrup will keep, refrigerated, for several weeks. If you've made small cakes and have frozen them, use the syrup as you need it.

For those who prefer a less dense, more modern "black" cake, you might try a Black Velvet Cake. Delicious!

Un Poème

The Marriage of Oberon and Titania by John Anster Fitzgerald (1819-1906)

The Song of the Wandering Aengus by W. B. Yeats

I went out to the hazel wood,
Because a fire was in my head,
And cut and peeled a hazel wand,
And hooked a berry to a thread;
And when white moths were on the wing,
And moth-like stars were flickering out,
I dropped the berry in a stream
And caught a little silver trout.
When I had laid it on the floor
I went to blow the fire aflame,
But something rustled on the floor,
And some one called me by my name:
It had become a glimmering girl
With apple blossom in her hair
Who called me by my name and ran
And faded through the brightening air.
Though I am old with wandering
Through hollow lands and hilly lands.
I will find out where she has gone,
And kiss her lips and take her hands;
And walk among long dappled grass,
And pluck till time and times are done
The silver apples of the moon,
The golden apples of the sun. 

A Belly Dancer, A Snake Charmer...

The costumes, the jewelry, the tattoos, the makeup, and most importantly, the dancing! No one does it better than the fabulous Rachel Brice:

Poem For A Friday

excerpt from The Lady of Shallot, 1842

by Alfred, Lord Tennyson

But in her web she still delights              
To weave the mirror's magic sights,             
For often through the silent nights              
A funeral, with plumes and lights            
And music, went to Camelot:             
Or when the moon was overhead,              
Came two young lovers lately wed;             
"I am half sick of shadows," said             
The Lady of Shalott.

*The above painting is by William Holman Hunt. Titled "The Lady of Shallot," it was begun in 1886 and exhibited in 1905.

Four Thieves' Oil

 

According to legend, during the 15th century, a band of four thieves from Marseilles roamed the streets stealing valuables from the dead and the dying victims of the Plague without contracting the much feared and dreaded scourge of humanity themselves. When captured and asked how they protected themselves, in exchange for leniency, they told of a special blend of aromatic herbs that they rubbed on themselves before plundering their victims.

The blend they described contained a mixture of rosemary, eucalyptus, clove and cinnamon bark, all of which contain antibacterial, antiviral and antiseptic properties, mixed in a vinegar base. 

Doctors of the period wore a special mask (see above picture) with a beak that contained various herbs, spices and essential oils that apparently afforded some protection. Perfumers, too, experienced some immunity, ostensibly through the use of various aromatics including those mentioned above.

Whether the Thieves' Oil was effective or not against the Plague (it seems to have worked!), the fact remains, its ingredients are all natural. As such, it would be a valuable addition to any medicine cabinet to combat modern microbial elements.

Recipes, legends and lore abound on the Internet. But if I've piqued your interest in a natural remedy, you might try "Thieves Oil Blend". Or, if you're ambitious enough, and love the idea of concocting your own, possibly less expensive, brew, I would suggest my favorite site, Mountain Rose Herbs, where you can find many herbs and essential oils. DIY anyone?

Poem For A Friday

Sudden Light

By Dante Gabriel Rossetti 1828–1882 
 

I have been here before,

But when or how I cannot tell:
I know the grass beyond the door,
The sweet keen smell,
The sighing sound, the lights around the shore.

You have been mine before,—
How long ago I may not know:
But just when at that swallow's soar
Your neck turn'd so,
Some veil did fall,—I knew it all of yore.

Has this been thus before?

And shall not thus time's eddying flight
Still with our lives our love restore
In death's despite,
And day and night yield one delight once more?

*Painting by Dante Gabriel Rossetti, "A Christmas Carol," 1857

Roses are black, violets are blue?

As she walked into the forest of the black roses...

Stood for everything she had ever loved

And each fold in her long black dress...

Was just as soft as the petals of a rose...

from Forest of the Black Roses by Stevie Nicks

 

I wish this beautiful song by the ethereal Stevie Nicks would be published so I could purchase it and download it to my iPod for random listening. Alas, you can only hear a bootleg demo version on Youtube, and it's just not the same.

Anyway, my post is about black roses (hence the song) and that I am going to attempt
to grow black roses this year. I've researched via the internet and found several varieties of roses that I can purchase, and have settled on two varieties that I like.  But, yet, dear reader, you tell me there are no such things as actual, real, black roses and I tell you, yes, you are correct. The closest color to black you will find are dark red, very dark red and purple. The types I found have names such as "Black Magic," "Black Baccara," "Deep Secret," and "Midnight Blue." Yet none are truly black. You can research them yourself and find several photographs. In each photograph the roses vary in intensity and darkness.  After much deliberation, I settled on the varieties "Black Baccara," due to texture and fragrance (very important to me in my selection), and "Black Magic." 

I'm surprised how little information is available on black roses. There is much more information on black lillies, pansies and tulips, which are very beautiful in their own right.

When I mention growing black roses to friends they seem very interested and somewhat intrigued at the idea. Perhaps the image of black flowers is somewhat dark, verging on the macabre. Or maybe that is their allure. I'll keep you posted....