Skip to content
Hestia's Kitchen

Exploring worlds, stories & history through food & stories

  • Blog
  • Folklore, Food & Fairytales Podcast
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
Search
Hestia's Kitchen

Exploring worlds, stories & history through food & stories

Menu
Stone Soup or the Lohikeitto Confusion

In which we discover that without soup there would be no restaurants, that sharing can be joyful and that meeting a friend from the circus in an underground cask beer bar is one of the few things worth leaving a  Finnish meal for.

We also find out that we were making soup long before we had invented pots to cook it in and when recipe books made the move from potage to soup.

This tale for this episode is Stone Soup, a wonderful and joyful folk tale with a moral that slaps you round the face rather than whispering in your ear but it seems like an appropriate one in these tricky times.

The episode recipe is Lohikeitto, a wonderful yet fast & simple Finnish Salmon & Potato Soup.

If you want to find out anything about the books or links I mentioned in the podcast you can find them in Further Reading. This is also where you would find more information about the history of soup.

You can also find out more at Hestia’s Kitchen which has all past episodes and the connected recipes on the blog.  If you’d like to get in touch about the podcast you can find me on Twitter or Instagram at @FairyTalesFood.

Stone Soup or the Lohikeitto Confusion
Stone Soup or the Lohikeitto Confusion
13 April, 2021
The Golden Castle That Hung In The Air or The Secret of The Sandwich
30 March, 2021
Isabelluccia or An Astonishment of Apricots
16 March, 2021
Dear as Salt or A Fascination of Figs
2 March, 2021
The Clever Girl or the Capon Conspiracy
16 February, 2021
The Punishment of Fairy Gangana or The Cream Cheese Imperative
2 February, 2021
Two Little Pizzas or The Parsnip Problem
19 January, 2021
Just the Stories – Clever Women
12 January, 2021
Just the Stories – Here Come the Girls
5 January, 2021
Just the Stories – A Compilation of Jack Tales
29 December, 2020
A Trio of Festive Tales or the Trouble with Trifle
22 December, 2020
Snow White & Rose Red or The Festive Drinks Furore
15 December, 2020
The Cailleach and the Mince Pie Mystery
8 December, 2020
Morozko or The Great Cheese Cornucopia
1 December, 2020
Eisenkopf or The Problem of the Pogácsa
24 November, 2020
Cat Cinderella or The Macaroni Cheese Conspiracy
17 November, 2020
The Cunning Thief or The Disappearing Goose Conundrum
10 November, 2020
A Royalty of Princesses or The Secret Toastie Ingredient
3 November, 2020
The Poor Widow's Son or The Pomegranates in Question
27 October, 2020
Legend of Knockmany or The Soda Bread Saga
20 October, 2020
The Fish & The Ring or The Great Fish Pie Suprise
13 October, 2020
Jack the Giant Killer or Death by Pudding
6 October, 2020
The Buried Moon and the Big Plum Conspiracy
29 September, 2020
Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves or the Question of the Missing Salt
22 September, 2020
Jesper & the Hares with a Smidgen of Apricot Flapjack
15 September, 2020
Search Results placeholder

About Me

Fascinated though sometimes alarmed by vintage cookbooks, enjoys traveling around the world and through time via the medium of food, stories & books. Loves history, stories, cheese, cocktails, photography and cats (not necessarily in that order).

Search

Calendar

April 2021
M T W T F S S
 1234
567891011
12131415161718
19202122232425
2627282930  
« Mar    

Tag Cloud

andrew lang bulgur cherry brandy chicken cinderella dill donkeyskin eggs fairies festive figs fish folklore grapefruit horse huguenots Italo Calvino Jack jack tale kebabs lamb lentils literature magician medieval recipe middle-eastern midwinter oxen oxtail pie pomegranate princess quotes regency roast potatoes shrub Solyanka soup soyer tarragon Turkey usquebaugh vodka winter wise-woman

Meta

  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org

fairytalesfood

On the Isle of Man there used to be a superstition On the Isle of Man there used to be a superstition about not using irons in the fire on Good Friday.  A stick of rowan tree was used instead and to avoid a spark hitting a griddle, bread on that day was formed into a large bun with three corners and baked in the hearth. 

📚 British Popular Customs, Present and Past - T. F. Thiselton-Dyer

#goodfriday #bread #goodfridaybread #foodfolklore #foodways #folklore #isleofman #coldiron #iron #fireplace
Cakes & loaves baked on Good Friday are believed t Cakes & loaves baked on Good Friday are believed to have interesting properties including curing disease & pest control. It is said that 3 loaves baked on that day and placed in a heap of corn would deter ‘rats mice, weevils or worms.’

📚 Something for Everybody or A Garland for the Year - John Timbs 

#goodfriday #bread #goodfridaybread #foodfolklore #foodways #folklore
Good Friday eggs were also said remain as fresh as Good Friday eggs were also said remain as fresh as the day they were laid for a year. Some people also preserved all the eggs laid on Good Friday as they had the power to extinguish all fires into which they were thrown.

📚 Something for Everybody or A Garland for the Year - John Timbs 

#goodfriday #eggs #easter #foodways #foodfolklore #folklore
It is believed that a hot cross bun baked on Good It is believed that a hot cross bun baked on Good Friday will never mould or stale and one hidden in the eaves will protect the house from fire. I’d probably still make sure the smoke detectors had batteries though, just in case. 

📚 Something for Everybody or A Garland for the Year - John Timbs 

#hotcrossbuns #goodfriday #easter #foodfolklore #foodways
It’s new episode day! In which we discover that It’s new episode day! In which we discover that castles can move, unicorns can be vicious, trolls aren't cautious and that you should always be prepared to give away a sandwich. 

A tale of stolen princesses, moving castles of precious metals, trolls, ravens, jealous brothers, waters of life & death, dragons, a unicorn, a lindworm, wild creatures and a golden ball.

There is also an excellent sandwich recipe as well as my very firm opinions about unicorns and bread rolls. 

You can find me wherever you listen to your podcasts. There are also links in my bio to the podcast and to the further reading and the episode recipe.
I forgot to tell you all about New Episode Day! Is I forgot to tell you all about New Episode Day! Isabelluccia or An Astonishment of Apricots in which we discover that betrayal is occasionally inevitable, sometimes  all you need is a magical new frock & a talking fish and that apricots can be the key to overcoming misfortune. 

A tale of magical  fruit, horror, betrayal, disguise, posh frocks and a King who is not  easily fooled but fairly easily persuaded.

Link in bio or wherever you get your podcasts
If you have a weekend full of nothing to do and a If you have a weekend full of nothing to do and a lot of spare cucumbers this might be an option from the Compleat Housewife by E Smith from 1773. 

Alternatively on picture 2 there is a lovely recipe for cauliflower cheese from 1825 as well as advice on cooking potatoes. 

The Georgians did not believe in stinting themselves when it came to book titles and this one revels in the following: ‘French Domestic Cookery combining 
Economy with Elegance and Adapted to the use of Families of Moderate Fortune by an English Physician Many Years Resident on the Continent’

Roman mythology states that cauliflower grew from the tears of Lycurgus of Thrace, when he attacked the God Dionysus to stop the deity from teaching mortals wine-making. Well they mentioned cabbage but that’s where cauliflowers began anyway. I don’t know any folklore about cucumbers, not with even some heavy stretching of a myth. However historically they were valued more as a medicine than as a food. 

#folklore #foodfolklore #foodways #historicrecipes #georgianengland #cucumber #cauliflowercheese #steamedpotatoes #frenchrecipes #pickle #foodhistory
It’s new episode day- Dear as Salt or A Fascinat It’s new episode day- Dear as Salt or A Fascination of Figs - In which we discover that you shouldn’t ask questions if you don’t want the answer, a shared love of food is an excellent foundation for a relationship, figs can definitely surprise you and you can fit quite a lot in a candlestick.

The story in this episode is 'Dear as Salt', an Italian folktale with a vain and arrogant king, 3 princesses, 1 prince, 2 clever queens, an inheritance battle and a giant silver candlestick.  There are also adventures, delicious banquets, food theft, a wedding, jewels, excellent advice and finally an apology.

The episode recipe is Baked Figs with Gorgonzola, Walnuts & Honey Sauce

There is also extended fig folklore, fig history, fig based ecosystems and historic fig based healing remedies.  If you want to know more about anything discussed on this podcast you can visit the Episode web page via link in bio.

#storytelling #storyteller #salt #folktales #fairytales #folklore #foodhistory #foodways #figs #figtrees #lovelikesalt #cinderella #italianfolktales #bolognafood #bolognaitaly #prosciutto #mortadella #tortelliniinbrodo #parmagianoreggiano #princess #candlestick #bread #wine
It’s new episode day! The Clever Girl or The Cap It’s new episode day! The Clever Girl or The Capon Conspiracy - in which we discover that you can’t have a mortar without a pestle  especially if it’s gold, that kings make mistakes, the importance of clever queens and that even a capon can be symbolic.

This is the glorious story of how a clever peasant girl attracts a prince, loses a prince, gains a king, loses a king and then outwits him.  It's an Italian folk tale but has variants all over the world. There are fairies (well one possibly), a golden mortar, capons, pasties and cake as well as a cart that gives birth to a foal, a man who can fish in the street. 

If you want to know how you can travel without walking or on animal back, be neither naked or clothed, hungry or fed or arrive by neither day or night then this is the story for you.

If you would also like to know how capons fit in and how three cockerels are going to bring about the end of the world then stick around after the story for some fairytale analysis, folklore and a recipe for ambrosia.

There is also this episode's recipe which is Stuffed Capon and comes from a 15th Century recipe book adapted for modern cooks.

You can find a list of books, articles and web pages which contain more information about things contained in today's podcast in Further Reading - link in bio. 

#storytelling #foodways #foodfolklore #historicrecipes #italocalvino #italy #italianfood #folktales #fairytales #folklore #folkloreandfairytales #capon #riddles #clever #storyteller #cockerel #rooster
Vintage cheese recipes for Friday afternoon, from Vintage cheese recipes for Friday afternoon, from Pot-Luck or The British Home Cookery Book by May Byron in 1914. They’re looking good considering that its 107 years old. In case of questions a British teacup is around 150ml and a quick oven roughly 190 degrees C.

#vintagerecipes #historicrecipes #cheese #cheesepudding #lunchrecipes
It’s New Episode Day - The Punishment of Fairy G It’s New Episode Day - The Punishment of Fairy Gangana or The Cream Cheese Imperative - In which we discover that fairies have some scary punishments, kings can have strange priorities and that you can be queen and still make excellent cream cheese.

We also explore the world's smallest kingdom, find out what happens when fairies go bad and why you should always reward any household helpers even if you don't know who they are. The story in this episode is both whimsical and bizarre in the grand extravagant French style.

Listen via link in bio or via your favourite podcast app. There is also a link for this week’s recipe - Hot Spinach & Artichoke Dip

#storytelling #nationalstorytellingweek #folklore #foodways #foodfolklore #foodhistory #fairytale #folkloreandfairytales #french #fairies #creamcheese #dip #artichokedip #spinachdip
The humble parsnip is the culinary star of this we The humble parsnip is the culinary star of this week’s podcast. Apologies to those who were excited about possible pizza, that’s just the title of the story 😋. 

Folklore & medicine first: it is said that parsnips contain aphrodisiac qualities and that the old woody ones can induce madness. The leaves bear a close resemblance to poisonous hemlock.

Now to their culinary uses: 

Parsnips have fallen out of favour a lot now here except for roast parsnips and the occasional spiced parsnip soup. It wasn’t always like that, they’ve been upstaged by cheap sugar and potatoes. 

They were once an important way to add sweetness and carbohydrate to a meal when potatoes hadn’t even been heard of in Europe and sugar was like gold dust in cost and scarcity. Honey was also pricey so parsnips were useful and could often be used as the base of a sweet pudding as well as a savoury accompaniment. 

The name comes from the Latin pastinaca but I should mention that the ancient writers didn’t differentiate between parsnips and carrots. This isn’t as odd as it sounds as your ancient carrot had not yet achieved its splendid orange colour as was more often white or occasionally purple.

If you’d like to know more see link in bio for my podcast or the web page for Ivy’s Roast Parsnips & Green Sauce. 

#parsnips #folklore #herbalmedicine #carrots #hemlock #foodfolklore #foodways #herbal #herbillustration #illustration #roastparsnips
It’s New Episode Day! Two Little Pizzas or The P It’s New Episode Day! Two Little Pizzas or The Parsnip Problem - In which we discover what happens if you don’t share your pizzas, that singing ducks make excellent messengers and how perfect parsnips can keep memories alive.  This is another fantastic story from Giambattista Basile’s Tale of Tales.

You can hear more of the podcast via my link in bio or your favourite podcast provider.

The recipe in today’s episode is Ivy’s Roast Parsnips & Green Sauce. It can easily be made completely plant-based by swapping the dripping for an oil of your choice. Recipe is via link in bio or the link in the podcast show notes. You can also find the further reading list there if you are interested in finding out more. 

#giambattisabasile #taleoftales #pentamerone #naples #parsnips #greensauce #historicrecipes #vintagerecipes #storytelling #storyteller #fairytale #foodways #folklore #folkloreandfairytales #foodhistory #historicfoodways
It’s new compilation episode day! This is a com It’s new compilation episode day! This  is a compilation episode of just the stories from the podcast. We travel to the enchanting lands of Persia and Armenia in these stories based around two very clever women who manage to save the day for themselves and their families even though they are not the ones who caused the problems in the first place. 

There are also exciting adventures, stomach turning horrors and jewels of great beauty, almost beyond price. Thieves & Kings are outwitted, Giants are charmed and cleverness wins out. 

The stories in this episode are The Poor Window's Son from the The Golden Maiden and Ali Baba & The Forty Thieves from 1001 Nights

This is the last compilation episode of this season and I hope you'll join me on 19 January for a brand new episode and season containing folklore, food and not just fairytales!

🎨 Edmund Dulac 1001 Nights

#storytelling #storyteller #1001nights #scheherazade #alibaba #sesame #pomegranate #armenia #persia #40thieves #edmunddulac #illustration #vintageillustration #fairytale #folktale #folkloreandfairytales #goldenmaiden
It’s New Episode Day! This is a compilation epis It’s New Episode Day! This is a compilation episode of just the stories from the podcast.  The stories in this compilation are based around heroic girls from three different story traditions! They all triumph either through bravery, magic, cleverness or loyalty or all three. These are not your traditional stories between them they contain a talking, magical doll, a princess with a sheep’s head, fairies who can stop stop ships, nine stepsisters, three stepmothers, a fairy castle, a plant based wardrobe and a pagan goddess of the woods.
The stories in this episode are Cat Cinderella, Vasilisa the Fair and Kate Crackernuts. 
There will be one more compilation episode to follow: "Clever Women" released next Tuesday and I hope to return on 19 January with a brand new episode containing folklore and food and not just fairytales!

🎨 Circe the Enchantress with Leopards - Edmund Dulac

#storytelling #storyteller #fairytale #folkloreandfairytales #literaryfairytales #wondertale #folktales #catcinderella #katecrackernuts #vasilissathefair #babayaga #fairytaleillustration #illustration
Load More… Follow on Instagram

Folklore, Food & FairytalesFollow

Folklore, Food & Fairytales
FairytalesFoodFolklore, Food & Fairytales@FairytalesFood·
12h

I’ve realised that most of my vintage soup references in this week’s podcast are horrid so here is a gentler one from The English & French Cook from 1674 to prove they can sound quite nice. (a chibbal is a historic 🧅 somewhere between an onion & a leek in appearance)

Reply on Twitter 1382375683507294220Retweet on Twitter 1382375683507294220Like on Twitter 13823756835072942209Twitter 1382375683507294220
Retweet on TwitterFolklore, Food & Fairytales Retweeted
bjorn_stjerneNatalja Saint-Germain@bjorn_stjerne·
13 Apr

It's said water spirits resided so comfortably in Olonetsky District, that they even had their own livestock: back in the old days, they were grazing smooth black cattle on the shores of Karelian rivers and lakes.

Read more:
https://ginnmilkmagazine.com/2021/04/13/the-mermaid-cows/🧜‍♀️

#FairyTaleTuesday

Reply on Twitter 1381960086667542530Retweet on Twitter 138196008666754253014Like on Twitter 138196008666754253050Twitter 1381960086667542530
Load More...

Copyright © 2021 Hestia's Kitchen

  • About
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Folklore, Food & Fairytales Podcast
  • Home
  • Newsletter
  • Privacy Policy
Twitter Instagram
  • Blog
  • Folklore, Food & Fairytales Podcast
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy