Here’s the recipe directly from “The Picayune’s Creole Cook Book”:

And here’s a rearranged version:

Pineapple Fritters.

Beignets d’Ananas.

½ a Pineapple.
Fritter Batter.
½ Cup of Sugar.
1 Gill White Wine.

1. Slice the pineapple, and cut the slices in halves.
2. Sprinkle with sugar and White Wine, and let them soak for an hour.
3. Then proceed as in Apple Fritters:

a. Make a batter à la Créole and have ready a deep saucepan of boiling lard.

b. Drain the pineapple.

c. Dip the slices, one at a time, into the 
batter, lift out with a large kitchen
s poon, drop into the boiling lard, 
and fry to a golden brown.

d. Then
 lift out with a skimmer, and set on
 brown paper, in the mouth of the
 oven, and drain.

e. Sift powdered white
 sugar over them, and serve hot, piling high in pyramidal shape, and
 sprinkling again with powdered
 white sugar.

4. Or, simply sprinkle with sugar, let them stand one hour, add the juice to the fritter batter, and proceed as above.

Ana’s notes:
A Gill (sometimes called a “teacup”) is equal to a quarter of a pint.

Here’s the recipe for the batter à la Créole:

1 Cup Flour.
2 Eggs.
2 Tablespoonfuls Brandy.
14 Teaspoonful of Salt.
Cold Water.
1 Tablespoonful Butter, Melted.

1. Beat the yolks of the eggs well, and add the flour, beating very light.
2. Now add the melted butter and the brandy, and thin with water to the consistency of a very thick starch.
3. Add the whites of eggs, beaten to a stiff froth.

George Brookshaw (1751-1823)

Just in case you’re still looking for that perfect dish for your Thanksgiving table…this week, I’m going to be posting some of my favorite turn-of-the-century recipes from New Orleans!

First up, your appetizer–Cream of Asparagus Soup.

Here’s the recipe directly from “The Picayune’s Creole Cook Book”:

And here’s a rearranged version:

Cream of Asparagus Soup.

Creme d’Asperges.

1 Large Bunch of Asparagus.

1 Tablespoonful of Butter.

1 Quart of Milk.

3 Tablespoonfuls of Rich Cream.

2 Even Tablespoonfuls of Flour or Corn Starch.

Salt and Pepper to Taste.

1. Wash the Asparagus, tie it in a bunch and put in a saucepan of boiling water.
2. Let it boil gently for about three-quarters of an hour, or until perfectly tender.
3. Take it from the water, cut off the tips or points and put them aside until wanted.
4. Put the milk on to boil in a farina boiler.
5. Press the Asparagus stalks through a colander, and add them to the milk.
6. Rub the butter and cornstarch or flour together until perfectly smooth, and add to the boiling milk, stirring constantly till it thickens.
7. Now add the Asparagus tops, salt and pepper.
8. Serve, without Croutons, as the Asparagus tips form a beautiful garnish.

Ana’s Notes:

STEP FOUR requires a “farina boiler”, which I think is the same as a “farina kettle” which looks like this:

Although STEP SIX might sound like you’re making a roux, a roux is always made with exactly equal parts of butter and flour.

I’m Ana Brazil, author of Fanny Newcomb and the Irish Channel Ripper. How to introduce myself? Let me just say that I’m curious about many, many things.

First of all, I’m fascinated by the exploits of bold and audacious women, especially the women who followed their strong hearts to challenge and improve American society during the Gilded Age (1870s to 1900).

Women like photographer Frances Benjamin Johnston and settlement house pioneer Jane Addams and “around-the-world-in-72-days” journalist Nellie Bly and Presidential candidate Victoria Woodhull.

I love the stories of courageous and clever heroines. How about you?

I also love New Orleans, a Gilded Age city beset by hurricanes, riots, lottery swindles, and yellow fever epidemics. But also a city celebrated for new educational institutions, the 1884 World Cotton Centennial, and the glow of electric lighting.

And finally, I admit to a healthy curiosity about London’s brutal butcher, Jack the Ripper.

All of my fascinations come together in Fanny Newcomb & the Irish Channel Ripper. In my Gilded Age New Orleans, the city is overrun with prostitutes, pornographers, and a malicious Jack the Ripper copycat. And there’s also Fanny Newcomb, an intelligent and ambitious typewriting teacher. But is Fanny clever and courageous enough to capture the fearful menace known as the Irish Channel Ripper?

Let’s find out here….

• Curious about Fanny Newcomb and 1889 New Orleans? Read the first chapter here.
• Want to know what the Gilded Age looked like? Visit my Fanny Newcomb1889 tumblr blog and pinterest pages.
• Eager to read what I’m up to every month? Sign up for my newsletter here.

Once again, Welcome!