When Karl left Newcastle, he made his way toward Brisbane, stopping in Muswellbrook. Karl wrote to the local Truro News from Muswellbrook, saying:
“I am getting along splendidly at present, though the wheeling is not very good in Australia, owing to sandy roads and mountainous country. The weather is very warm at this time (end of April), with hot wind blowing from the north. The Easter season marks a gay period in this country, and everything is celebrated in lively English style—horse races are a feature. I notice that they celebrate more holidays out here than in Canada, for instance the Prince of Wales’ Birthday, Boxing Day (December 26), and numerous other feasts. The Australians are very easy-going people and do not believe in working too hard. They talk of England as 'Home' and appear to look upon Australia as merely a temporary place of residence…”
And while Karl was writing from Muswellbrook, the journalists in Muswellbrook were writing about Karl. As noted in the April 25, 1900 edition of the Chronicle:
“Round the World on a Bicycle. On Friday last (April 20), a young man named Karl M. Creelman, a Canadian cyclist, arrived in Muswellbrook. He is travelling the world on his bicycle and has already covered about 6,000 miles by bike, plus an additional 7,000 miles by boat. At only 20 years old, he’s not riding for a wager but simply to see the world. His bicycle, including his luggage, weighs in at 52lbs. Karl spent the weekend here, watching a cricket match between the True Australians and Muswellbrook, as well as a boomerang-throwing demonstration. The locals, impressed by his confidence and determination, are sure he will safely complete his journey and make it home to Toronto.”
While Karl’s actually from Truro, not Toronto, I’ve enjoyed reading these old newspapers. For my dedicated readers, you’ll know Karl is rather silent regarding food. He rarely mentions what he eats, only noting the fresh fruit or meals he sees others enjoying along the way. I’m much the same—I’m an “eat to live” person. I’ll happily enjoy local food, but it’s never my primary goal when travelling. I’m all about the sights, the history, and the experience.
That said, I thought exploring what Karl could have been eating during his travels in Australia might be fun. I came across this excerpt from The Table, a regular column in the Muswellbrook Chronicle, featuring these seven recipes:
The Table
An Economical Plum Pudding Soak stale bread in cold water for an hour, then squeeze out every drop of moisture. Use two cups of this, and mash it up with a fork. Add a cup of finely-minced suet and one and a half cups of raisins, currants, sugar, and spices to taste. Stir in half a cup of molasses and a pinch of salt. Stir two teaspoons of baking powder into two tablespoons of flour, and add to the other ingredients. Mix well, put into a buttered mold, tie in a cloth, and place in boiling water. Boil for four hours.
A Savoury Tomato Pudding Take four or five small round tomatoes, remove the stalks, and scoop out a little of the fruit. In the cavity, place a small amount of a mixture of minced parsley, minced onion, grated cheese, and a seasoning of salt, pepper, and cayenne. Place the tomatoes in a buttered basin and pour over a batter made with 6oz of flour, one beaten egg, and half a pint of milk. Tie in a scalded and floured cloth, place in a saucepan of boiling water, and boil steadily for two hours. If preferred, this pudding can be made in a pie dish and baked for an hour.
Swiss Eggs Poach eggs, keeping them soft. Place them in a flat, buttered dish sprinkled deep with breadcrumbs and grated cheese. Cover with a sauce, sprinkle with cheese, and put in the oven until the cheese melts and browns. Serve immediately.
Stewed Figs Carefully examine a pound of figs, inside and out. Put them in a pan with two tablespoons of Demerara sugar, one and a half pints of water, and the thinly-pared rind of a lemon. Simmer gently until perfectly soft, then lift out the figs. Add one teaspoon of lemon juice to the syrup and boil quickly for about three minutes. Pour the syrup over the figs and serve cold. A little milk or custard eaten with them, or any stewed fruit, is excellent.
A Rich Cake Take half a pound of butter and half a pound of sugar and beat them together to a cream. Add one egg at a time, until you have added five. Mix in three-quarters of a pound of flour and a quarter of a pound of orange peel or raisins. Beat well together and bake in a moderate oven.
Currant Buns Take 1lb of flour, ½ lb of sugar, ¼ lb of butter, ¼ lb of currants or sultanas, half a pint of milk, and three teaspoons of baking powder. Melt the butter in the milk, but do not let it get too hot. Rub the baking powder into the flour, add a pinch of salt, and then mix in the sugar. Combine with the butter and milk, then add the fruit. Divide the dough into small pieces and shape into buns. Bake on a greased tin in a moderate oven.
Plain Tea Cake Mix one pound of flour with 2oz of butter and one teaspoon of baking powder. Add one egg and enough milk to make a dough. Roll out and bake in a moderate oven, then cut in half, toast it in front of the fire, butter it, and serve.
As tempted as I was to try these recipes myself, I’ll leave that culinary adventure to you. If you do give any of them a whirl, I’d love to hear how they turn out—especially any insights you might have on what exactly qualifies as a “moderate oven” and how long some of these dishes actually take to bake in one!
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