Notes From Madras

by Colonel Wyvern

BOOKS

Genres: Food, India, Cooking, Food History, Food and Drink, History, Nonfiction

79 pages, Paperback

Published April 1, 2011

Reviews

[Kaye · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another one of this series I didn't really enjoy. Colonial Britain at its arrogant worst.

What this series really misses is a brief introduction in each book telling us why this book is part of the series.

[Dave · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short but interesting read written by an arrogant Victorian. A very different world.

[Ape · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one has proved to be a bit of a mixed bag for me. Some of the chapters are interesting - and it is good to read something written by someone who knows and enjoys what they're talking about. One even made me want to mix up a batch up my own curry mix, so there's got to be something there! On the other hand there were moments when it felt like, oh, get off your pompous colonialist horse and return to the ground! But then this was written in the 1800s by a Brit in India, so I suppose a lot of people were riding around on their pompous, colonial horses. But as a modern reader, hearing about the barbaric and ignorant natives gets a little tiresome. At least, I suppose, the Colonel is promoting the eating of Indian food, local veg and so forth rather than nasty little cans of things shipped across the world.

The first couple of chapters are about curries and the preparation thereof, as well as soups. He then goes on to discuss eating and cooking whilst out on camp (following these instructions, everyone has a handy servant - not today, chum! But it's interesting to read about what was going on then); and the final chapter is very lengthy and about how you should set up your kitchen properly (obviously western and not Indian).

Well, I'd not heard of Colonel Wyvern before, so if nothing else, this little excerpt book has been an education.

[Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short and rich. The recipes sounded absolutely dreadful (the past is clearly more of a foreign country than India for your average 21st century westerner), but the basic tenets of good cooking he offers are the simple, timeless ones: local, fresh ingredients, a well-stocked and clean kitchen, and familiarity with the effects of different kinds of preparation.

The main pleasure to be had from these notes is derived more from their style than their substance. He writes in the High Victorian Colonial Officer register, a happy mix of rotundity and brisk declaration:

Many of the dishes detailed in the previous chapters will be found practicable in the camp; in short, if the pilgrim be blessed by the possession of an intelligent cook, and provided with a judicious assortment of culinary necessaries and stores, his tent life should never fail to possess amongst its many attractions that indubitably important one - a really good dinner.

Col. Wyvern is the sort of observant, critical, yet sympathetic commentator that makes for an ideal dinner guest.

[AngryGreyCat · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is part of the Penguin Great Food series, a set my daughter bought me for Christmas. I love British style Indian food and that is what this is all about, the development of this style of Indian cooking from the British Colonial Days. Many recipes interspersed with anecdotes and discussion about foods. Colonel Wyvern seemed to be ahead of his time with his advocacy for “shopping local”, he urges readers to forsake tinned foods for the local produce and ingredients. I have so far enjoyed this entire series and Colonel Wyvern’s selection was no exception, an intriguing glimpse into the history of British colonialism inspired cooking that continues to today.

[Ria · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating little volume based on the culinary experiences of the author Colonel Wyvern.
He talks of the perfect curry and how to make it, soups and in general Indian cuisine and ingredients also he deplores the lack of suitable kitchens and food preparation of that time in India.
First published in 1878 its a fascinating glimpse into the "foodie" lives of the Victorian and social customs.
A great read and a must for all foodie fans or just generally if you have an interest in social / culinary history.

[Rebeccah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. For being such a short book (79 pages) it seemed a slog to read. Unfortunately it is just recipe after recipe. Which initially is okay: having had the privilege of watching Indian chefs making Indian curries from scratch, it was fun to see that the essentials are the same today as they were in the 1800s. However after a while all the recipes just run together in a blur. I would love to eat every recipe in here, but reading them all is tiresome.