While researching this story on corned beef hash, I stumbled on some interesting history. The Historic American Cookbook Project’s Feeding America website has done an excellent job at not only preserving historic texts, but making them available online via PDF. Check out Mrs. Lincoln’s Boston Cookbook for the historic hash recipe I’ve pasted below. Throughout the book there are interesting tidbits. Check out this pic of her stove, or a list of kitchen tools. In the back of her book there are hand written recipes.
Browsing through these old time books makes me want to dust off some of my grandmothers old recipes and see if I can take myself back in time. I love how they’re written. Simple text instructions that assume the cook following them is not an idiot, details left to interpretation. It’s great stuff. I’d love anyone who’s reading this to dust off an archaic recipe, make it, and if the dish be good, report back to me thusly.
Hash.
Equal parts of meat and potatoes, or two of potatoes to one of meat. Remove all the bone, gristle, and skin, and have only one-fourth part fat meat. Chop very fine, and mix well with the potatoes, which should be hot and well mashed. Season to taste with pepper and salt. Put in enough hot water to cover the bottom of the spider; add one large tablespoonful of butter. When the butter is melted, add the hash, and let it simmer till it has absorbed the water and formed a brown crust. Do not stir it. Fold like an omelet. Use corned meat or roast beef. If the potatoes be cold, chop them with the meat.
Hash Brunch
