The 1874 soiree sounded lively, with a guest ranting about “blood lickers” and demanding to know where everyone stood on eggs and fish. Mainly, though, the Guardian’s coverage of food in the 19th century was about hunger and malnutrition. The first recipes did not appear until 1913, sent by “a correspondent … as being a little out of the common”. “Restaurant food is undergoing a genuine revolution.” But revolutions never go smoothly. Heston Blumenthal, “the Willy Wonka of modern British cooking”, started offering readers recipes for fish ice-cream, to appalled and delighted responses on the letters page.

Source: The Guardian May 08, 2021 06:56 UTC