Dinner with Dickens Recipes Inspired by the Life and Work of Charles Dickens | Pen Vogler

Recipes and menus from the novels and the household of Charles Dickens, one of the world's favourite authors.

The characters who throng Dickens novels are forever offering one another punch or seed biscuits; arranging a nice little supper of pickled salmon, salad and tea; showing concern with a roast fowl; or sisterly love with a painstakingly made beefsteak pudding. And, of course, there is the great feast of Christmas, celebrated in glorious style even by the impoverished Cratchits. At home, Dickens' wife Catherine helped him entertain, and published (under a pseudonym) her own book, What Shall We Have for Dinner?, with pages of menus or "bills of fare" for different sizes of party and the changing seasons.

In Dinner with Dickens, Pen Vogler has fully updated recipes from contemporary Victorian cookbooks, including Catherine's own book. Clear instructions enable you to recreate mutton stuffed with oysters, Betsey Prig's Twopenny Salad, Dickens' own recipe for punch and the Dickens family's Twelfth Cake. In addition there are features on topics such as Dickens Abroad, Shopping for Food and Eating Out, with fascinating insights into housekeeping, entertaining and social history.