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by: Pen Vogler

“So I hope you will enjoy rustling up some ‘rout cake’ for your card parties, or impressing your own Mr. Darcy with venison and roast partridges and, above all, that you will enjoy tasting your way into Jane Austen’s England,” Pen Vogler.

My favorite novel is Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. When I saw this cookbook online I immediately wanted it to make the meals myself. I was surprised by the wide variety of meals in Dinner with Mr Darcy from mutton to veal to muffins and cakes.

Some of the recipes were very simple and easy to make, however, some of the recipes have very hard to locate ingredients.

Spiced Mushrooms

Mushrooms are one of my favorite things to cook. I have made many versions of them and have loved all of them until now. The recipe called for field mushrooms and ground mace which were really hard to find. I decided to make the recipe with button mushrooms and without the mace or the optional wine.

The recipe in my opinion calls for too much ground cloves. The cloves are so overpowering it is all you taste and I am not a huge fan of ground cloves. The mushrooms and shallots were really soft and I may try this recipe again without the ground cloves to see if I like it better.

English Muffins

English muffins are a staple in my household. They are perfect for breakfast or a quick snack. I have come across many recipes for them over the years but they are normally overly complicated and time consuming. This recipe had very little hands on time and was mostly resting time.

All of the ingredients were pantry and fridge staples so it was easy to make them. I cooked them in my large cast iron skillet. The recipe recommends low to medium heat I tried that with the first half of my English muffins and it was too high so they burned a little on the bottom. I turned my burner down to low and the rest of my English muffins cooked perfectly. I loved how they looked and tasted. These English muffins will be something I make on a regular basis.

Overall I liked the Dinner With Mr Darcy cookbook. There are a few more recipes I want to try. I would note that there are a decent amount of recipes in the cookbook that require specialized items that aren’t available in most American grocery stores. If you have access to a traditional butcher shop you would have a lot easier time find some of the meats. I would recommend this cookbook for a more seasoned home cook who isn’t afraid of the unusual ingredients.