(no subject)

One of my favourite books as a child was called "A Dictionary of Practical Receipts", dated 1848. My mother gave it to me, earlier in the year. This means I get to share bits from time to time. The time is winter, so crumpets are a good idea.

"Mix a quart of good milk with water to make a batter, add a little salt, an egg, and a table spoonful of good yeast, beat well, cover it up, and let it stand half an hour in a warm place to rise. Clean the muffin plate, or not having this, a frying pan, while warm over the fire, and rub it with a greased cloth, or a little butter tied up in a piece of muslin, pour a cup full of the batter into the pan or on the plate; as it begins to bake, raise the edge all round with a sharp knife. When one side is done, turn and bake the other side. Crumpets are generally now poured into proper-sized rings of tin, which makes them all of the same size and thickness. A little rye-flour is an improvement."

(no subject)

One of the big issues in my life is who takes from whom and where and when and why. Cultural appropriation and adaptation is such a complex field. This article by Margaret Drabble has some interesting insights: http://www.the-tls.co.uk/this_week/story.aspx?story_id=2111531

I haven't sorted out what I think. I know where a lot of cultural adaptation happens, because it is part of Gillian-the-historian, and I am right now looking into a couple of mechanisms, but I am not even nearly to the stage where I feel I understand it and can talk about it unconfusingly. Much learning ahead.