“A Taste of Honey” bibliography

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If you have any questions about any of the historical background of the book, feel free to comment or e-mail me! I love talking about this stuff. This is only a partial bibliography with some of my favorite sources.

1. The Complete Confectioner; or, HOUSEKEEPER’S GUIDE: To a simple and speedy Method of understanding the whole ART OF CONFECTIONARY; The various ways of PRESERVING and CANDYING, dry and liquid, All Kinds of Fruit, Nuts, Flowers, Herbs, &c. And the Method of keeping them FRESH AND FINE ALL THE YEAR ROUND; THE DIFFERENT WAYS OF CLARIFYING SUGAR; With Directions for making Fruit Pastes, Bomboons, Pastils, Compotes, Fruit Ices, Cream Ices, Marmalades, Jellies, Jams, Cakes, Puffs, Biscuits, Tarts, Custards, Cheesecakes, Sweetmeats, Fritters, Creams, Syllabubs, Blanc-mange, Flummeries, Ornaments for grand Entertainments, Dragees, Syrups of all Kinds, Nicknacks and Trifles for Deserts, Strong Cordials, Oils, Simple Waters, Milk Punch that will keep 20 Years, and ALL SORTS OF ENGLISH WINES. ALSO, THE ART OF MAKING ARTIFICIAL FRUIT, with the Stalks in it, so as to resemble the natural Fruit. TO WHICH ARE ADDED, SOME BILLS OF FARE FOR DESSERTS FOR PRIVATE FAMILIES, by Hannah Glasse and Maria Wilson, 1800. Exactly what it says on the tin. Almost everything served at the Honey Moon Confectionery is based on a recipe in this book.



2. A Glossary of the Provincialisms in Use in the County of Sussex by William Durrant Cooper. Originally compiled in 1834, I used this to try to give the Lively St. Lemeston series a sense of place.

3. Ivan Day’s website. It’s a little hard to navigate but it’s full of amazing information and the pictures are phenomenal. You can see sugar sculptures like the one Mr. Moon creates for the Lively St. Lemeston assembly, and the page on ice cream is a revelation.

4. Colonial Williamsburg also has a ton of great information on making ice cream (including how long it took!). This video shows a reenactor using a sabotiere.

5. Smart Podcast, Trashy Books #254. “Reframing History, Crime, and Women – Exploring True Crime Stories with Elyse and Amanda.” I’m not a true crime fan myself and this really helped me with figuring out how Betsy and Jemima relate to it.


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