England’s flourishing economy under the four King Georges (1714 – 1830) spilled over to the kitchen. Culinary delights were in demand. The number of pastry chefs and confectioners increased by almost 20,000 from the late Georgian period to middle Victorian era. Recipe books abounded. Inventors tinkered with refrigeration as early as 1755. The first gas stove was developed in the 1820s (and patented in 1826). Was cooking then the same...

My Midnight Meetings series books work their way through 1768, heading toward Christmas Eve in the novella, Meet My Love at Midnight and a light dip into Twelfth Night in Meet a Rogue at Midnight. Part of the fun has been researching what Georgian England ate and drank during this festive time. One interesting fact was naughty pudding–once outlawed under Cromwell’s rule. Puritans and Quakers alike considered the dish “lewd” and...

  Georgian Christmases were a gorgeous celebration of pastoral England. Christmas was truly a season, beginning on Saint Nicholas Day (December 6th) and ending on Twelfth Night (January 6th). Parties, balls, and family get togethers marked the time. Feasting flourished—especially during the holidays. But one must look at England’s past to understand this period of the four King Georges. Why limit the fun to one day? The Twelve Days...

    Christmas pudding was one of the most controversial foods in history. Really! The harmless dish is most often associated with desserts, and it also comes as heartier fare in blood puddings. But did people hotly debate the morality of pudding? Yes. The popular Christmas treat was served up readily in Medieval England. Christmas then took on Mardi Gras proportions. Think an excess of everything. Gambling. Sex. Drunkenness. Fun games...