I have a corker for you this week. It is an oldie and a goodie from 1929: 'Tried Favourites Cookery Book with Household Hints and Other Useful Information' by Mrs E.W. Kirk. It is a fabulous book, there are so many different recipes and tips. This is an Edinburgh book so very familiar to me and I love its history. I find the adverts fascinating. All of these will have been there to pay for the publication, with OXO advertised as the mighty atom, and Bovril, Ovaltine and Bisto the big names of the day. The first page of the book is an advert for Lunans Indian Curry Powder, made up for you at the chemist of all places, with a simple recipe recommended by gentlemen resident in India for over 30 years.

I am becoming fascinated with the paper cuttings found in old recipe books. Some are odd, some are for Christmas cake, some cuttings from newspapers and many are frugal recipes like mock this and meatless that, I guess from the wartime era. It is fascinating reading the names of old puddings here. Crystal Palace Pudding, a kind of gloopy milk thickened with cornflour and decorated with cherries, or Swiss Jumble which seems to be an odd mix of flour, lard, sugar, baking powder and sweet milk. I am going to try this. Snowdon Pudding looks like a rice pudding and Rothesay Pudding is like a Queen of Puddings. My top one so far is Hygienic Pudding, made with coconut and chestnut flour, walnuts and hazelnuts, not sure what makes it hygienic. But the one I have just come across which speaks for itself is Half Pay Pudding. Times must have been hard. What a beautiful book, put together so well and a real slice of Edinburgh food history.