Happy Birth Anniversary, Regency!

Saturday, February 5 or 6, 1811 was the day the Prince of Wales, popularly known as Prinny, who was to become King George IV in 1820, officially became Prince Regent, thereby launching the nine-year Regency era.

The date in question is debatable. Some researchers claim it was the 5th, equally vocal dissenters claim it was the 6th. The Regency Act, known officially as the Care of King During his Illness etc. 1811 Act was passed by both houses of the parliament on the 5th. On the 6th the Prince of Wales took the oaths by which he became Regent. He was also required to provide the required certificate of church service attendance and communion participation.

Harlequin is celebrating the event with blog posts all month long by various Regency authors.

Author Diane Gaston blogged about it on the Risky Regencies. Kathryn Kane wrote about it in superb detail on Regency Redingote.

From author Nicola Cornick: "If you are in the UK, the Brighton Pavilion is running an amazing exhibition for the rest of the year called Dress for Excess, which displays fashions of the late Georgian period, exploring themes from the Regent’s life and the stylistic influences on the period. The exhibition shows items of dress the Regent wore, including ... George’s extravagant coronation robe, on loan from Madame Tussauds."

Riskies Meme

Author Carolyn Jewel posted a blog meme on the Risky Regencies on February 4th. I'm posting my answers here:

Answer or complete the following questions in comments, or at your blog and leave a link to your blog in a comment:

1. When I think of Mr. Darcy, he...
is smiling tenderly at Lizzie as she frowns while reading in full concentration.

2. Lord Masterful greets YOU at a ball. You look down to see what he's staring at and discover...
your right sleeve's fallen down and a lot more of your bosom's on show than you'd intended.

3. One of my favorite Regency-set novels is...
An Arranged Marriage by Jo Beverley.

4. If you could meet Lord Byron, what would you ask him?
How does licentiousness aid in beautiful meter for poetry?

5. You wake up and find yourself in a Regency historical novel. What's the plot?
I've time-traveled to the Regency and am attempting to introduce computers and intranet networking to a team of nobles at Oxford. Our lab is the IT department. Of course, the son of a duke falls in love with me. Duh.

6. A Regency fairy-godmother grants you three Regency wishes. What are they?
I take the aforementioned duke back to my time period. He retains his beautiful Regency manners in the modern world. And we remain blissfully happy for 70 short years.

7. If you could change ONE fact about the Regency what would it be?
Soft toilet paper

8. Napoleon writes you a letter. What does he say?
I'm madly in love with your magnifique rack. Marry me?

9. How many exquisite slippers are in your wardrobe?
25

10. How do you take your tea?
Hot with sugar and cream

Picture Day Friday

Shabbat Shalom! Thanks to Smart Bitch Sarah for the link.

Emotions and Emotion Coaching of Children

My comments on the book What Am I Feeling? by John Gottman, PhD has been published by the Los Angeles Chronicle.

Commentator

In the spirit of transparency, I'm writing to say that I'll be commenting on books, not romance and most likely nonfiction books, for the American Chronicle family of online newspapers. I shall not be reviewing the books or critiquing them (in the full sense of the words), instead, I'll be offering my opinion of the books. In addition, I'll be contributing narrative nonfiction pieces and other commentary to the American Chronicle. Occasional commenting on friends' romance novels will continue here on Cogitations & Meditations, including giveaways.

Boke of Cookry: Rose Sauce

Last year, I blogged HERE about Þe Bors Hede Boke of Cookry and the recipe for Frytor of Erbys. In keeping with the food theme for this week, here's another recipe...

Rosee Sawse

Middle English

Anoþur mete þat hatte rosee • Nym a poyne of rose leues oþer two & grind in an morter wel & soþþen wyþ milke of alemauns tempre • oþer wiþ milke of cow • & do a lutel wastel bred & lye wel wiþ speces & ayren icolored wiþ saffroun & cast a lef oþur two & soþþen adres

—"Diuersa Cibaria", London BL Add. 46919 and Anglo-Norman recipes from early 14th century

Modern Translation
Another food called rosee: Take a handful or two of rose telas and grind them well in a mortar, and then mix with almond milk or cow milk, and add a little fine white bread, and season is well with spices and eggs colored with saffron, garnish with a petal or two, and then send it forth.

Working Recipe

1/2 cup rose petals, lightly packed
1/2 cup soft breadcrumbs
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 egg, beaten
pinch saffron, crumbled in almond milk

Almond Milk
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup finely chopped blanched almonds
2 Tbsp honey

Garnish
rose petals

In a medium saucepan, whisk almond milk together. Warm slightly. Dissolve saffron. Rinse and dry petals; remove white base from each petal. Chop finely. Mix chopped petals with the almond milk and all the remaining ingredients. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until thickened. Serve over roasted salmon garnished with additional rose petals.