1 lbs flour. 6 oz sugar. Little more than 1 oz of ginger. Third of nutmeg 1 tsp pre ground for heretics. About 6 oz of butter About 1 tsp baking soda. 1 cup cream. 2 eggs
I was blessed to get to know some van tassel family descendants who lived the next county over from tarry town/ sleepy hollow. They were my late in-laws! I will make some of these ginger cakes in their honor!
Aha! Ichabod prolly swiped a few of those tasty cakes and put them into his pocket. This, no doubt, is one of the reasons why he was rejected by Miss Katrina. ;)
@@viktoriaironpride4977 true, it sticks closely to the original story and is a pretty enjoyable watch even today, definitely the best version of Sleepy Hollow out there.
This is mind blowing for me! My Great-Aunt (married in so not as much information about her family) was Dutch and Jewish. Her recipe book was passed on to my mother then to me. This IS the same recipe she has labeled as “Harvest Cakes”! Added fun, my maiden name is Crane. I now have to go read the original story. Thank you for this lovely video!
Washington Irving, the original author of this tale, wrote about his own countryside and modeled his characters after folks and places he knew. North Tarrytown, New York has always claimed to be the town of Sleepy Hollow, and changed its name in the 1990's in honor of the tale. The old Dutch church still stands with its old 17th century graveyard, and given the nature of the place it would be easy to imagine this spooky tale taking place there in 1790. Thank you Jon for the lovely Dutch ginger cakes, it was just the right touch to an equally lovely homestead episode.
@@brooklyngal6334 The original "Sleepy Hollow" is indeed a real place, but it's an actual *hollow* inside Tarrytown proper, rather than the name of a town. North Tarrytown changed its name to promote tourist interest, even though it has no connection to Irving's tale.
Now, gather 'round while I elucidate On what happens outside when it gets late 'Long about midnight the ghosts and banshees Get together for their nightly jamborees There's ghosts with horns and saucer eyes And some with fangs about this size Some short and fat, some tall and thin And some don't even bother to wear their skin I'm tellin' you brother, it's a frightful sight To see what goes on in the night When the spooks have a midnight jamboree They break it up with fiendish glee Ghosts are bad, but the one that's cursed Is the Headless Horseman, he's the worst When he goes a-joggin' 'cross the land Holdin' a noggin in his hand Demons take one look and groan And hit the road for parts unknown And there's no wraith like a spook that's spurned They don't like him, and he's really burned He swears to the longest day he's dead He'll show them that he can get a head So close all the windows, lock the doors Unless you're careful, he'll get yours Don't think he'll hesitate a bit 'Cause he'll flip your top if it'll fit And he likes 'em little, likes 'em big Part in the middle, or a wig Black or white or even red The Headless Horseman needs a head With a hip-hip and a clippity-clop He's out lookin' for a top to chop So don't stop to figure out a plan You can't reason with a headless man So after dark, you kids be good Stay at home, the way that you should 'Cause right outside, and waitin' there Is the Headless horseman Beware! And I'm gettin' out of here Sorry I know this is supposed to be historical , but come on everybody’s thinking it . Happy Halloween 🎃☠️👹😈🤡👻
Cecily Erker Disney may be a bit iffy when it comes to adaptions but when they get it right , they get it right . Disney’s version is the best and honesty that will probably always be the case . The animation, the humor and especially the music are on point .
It's not much different than John's ginger cookie recipe. Only it has cream, eggs, and sugar instead of molasses. Also nutmeg instead of allspice, and it's missing cinnamon.
Laura Orta This isn’t really on topic, but do you guys still celebrate William of Orange (William the Silent’s great grandson) over in the Netherlands? I know for a fact that the Northern Irish love him!
@@justanotherbaptistjew5659 ehh celebrate not really. At least not in the form of a party or something. He is called the father of our country tho. I live about 15 min from where he lived en died and it’s still there. Like a museum. You should come see it. Even the hole in the wall made by the bullet that killed him is still intact.
Laura Orta I know that William the Silent is celebrated, but what about his last descendant who ultimately conquered the British Throne? I know he used to be admired, but is he still?
Sleepy Hollow is such a great little town to visit. Great food, friendly people, fun little shops, and SO MUCH to do and see from October through Christmas.
If he gets enough it is actually a hallucinogen that comes from chemicals in the veins you see running through it. It is also addictive so that and access is why I am not surprised they put it in everything.
@@nathanlynn4929 www.webmd.com/mental-health/addiction/news/20010222/spicing-things-up-nutmeg-abuse-lands-girl-in-hospital. I thought it wasn't much of a thing; some people I knew in college did a "nutmeg challenge" and all that happened was vomiting and a long nap 😂 thanks for sharing that historical aspect.
When I was young (15?) the church parish house I belonged to in Virginia, had a restored 18th Century kitchen on the property and it had a great fire place that we would sit by after sleigh rides and drink hot cocoa. Seeing you sitting by that fire with the pumpkin brought all that back to me.
@@Fr_87 I’m conservative and I love Holland and The Netherlands, I have no reason not to since so many Americans are their descendants and we’ve always been allies.
@@cecilyerker so the rampant drug use, legal and encouraged prostitution, complete lack of moral homogeneity and quasi-anarchistic social structure don't disuade you at all? That being true, you might not be a conservative, but a libertarian.
I lived in Tarrytown 30 odd years ago. Every Halloween we would go to an old cemetery that was rumored to be where the headless horseman was first imagined!
I thought it was pretty cool that the old Dark Shadows movies were shot there, and one of the mansions was used for exterior shots of The Old House on the original tv series.
You should do readings of different legends and stories during different holidays from the 17th and 18th centuries. Scary stories around halloween, cheerful stories around Christmas, etc.
Seth “Scary ghost stories, and tales of the glories of Christmasses long, long ago.” There’s a reason there is ghosts in Dickens’ “Christmas Carol.” Scary stories used to be a common Christmas tradition.
Awesome post for the season! We can also credit Washington Irving for documenting Christmas traditions pre-Charles Dickens. Check out Irving’s food-rich descriptions in his Christmas stories in his “Sketchbook”.
Here in Greece especially in Christmas make melomakarona its a tradition.... Soft cookies with honey syrup and walnuts.... In these grandmas used to put the water from boiled ashes.... It needed to be clear though... Helped with the consistency....
Last year at this time I visited Sleepy Hollow and Tarrytown. We toured the cemetery and the old Dutch church. Toured Lyndhurst, (the mansion from the original Dark Shadows movies) and visited the historical sites related to Major Andre's capture. It is still quite easy to picture the events portrayed in the Legend of Sleepy Hollow happening there. Thank you for another wonderful episode.
Every video just gets better in quality across all facets (delivery, production quality, syntax, cinematography) especially when looking back in your older videos. Keep it up, Mr Townsends and team. I look forward to every video every Monday
My wife and I truly love your work and the way you help bring the past back from a lost time. We also enjoy most of the recipes you have shown in different videos although we alter it slightly so it is more in line with Louisiana cooking. Please keep up the amazing work. Also if you ever find a recipe or process to turn pecans and acorns into traditional flour to be used as a a bread or rue that would be awesome video to see.
Acorn flour can be really difficult, depending on what kinds of oak you have nearby. Where I live, the local oak trees produce acorns with extremely high tannin content, and processing those into flour requires a LOT of water in order to leach out the tannins. This is why folks used to bury the acorn meat in the creek for a couple weeks. Leaching indoors, it can require a lot of water changes. It's not worth it unless you know you have a 'sweet' acorn species nearby, which will require the least amount of leaching. More info can be found here: honest-food.net/how-to-eat-acorns/
Alton Brown taught me to never use pre-ground nutmeg and this man only strengthens that belief. There truly is no substitute for grinding your own into freshly made egg nog
Always loved the intense detail and accuracy of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. The feast scene is spot-on vivid ,but the most amazing thing is the incredible accuracy of the nature Washington Irving describes. From the type of native trees he writes about to the variety of birds and their behavior , one can tell that he actually lived in the natural world and not just writing about it as filler .Most are so disconnected these days.
Sounds really good. Reminds me of my grandmother and mother’s recipe. My mom is eighty-four, she received a large cookbook from her mother as a wedding gift. It has recipes for wild game (raccoon, opossum, deer, as well as pork, chicken, and beef). It has recipes for everything you would ever need!
With the season upon us, and also being my birthday month, I really want to bring the feel of harvest festivities from the past. It's honestly a bit difficult to find some idea when there are so many videos about making coffin-shaped meatloaf or some sweet that looks like cartoony spiders. I want that atmosphere of autumn that my ancestors had or as close to it as I can come. Even dabbling in kitchen witchery (what herbs protect from spirits, which ones promote prosperity for the coming year) to give it that extra layer of magic in the air. Thank you, John, for making this. It will most certainly help me lay the groundwork for the right dishes to serve. ❤
I was honestly surprised! But then again, you have to imagine the nutmeg of that era was probably a lot older and less potent, having to travel so far on ships. So it probably comes out the same.
I love this story so much! I used to live in a very old rural town in New Hampshire and when I was a child, there was always a beautiful Halloween display at the town center, and every year there would be a headless horseman chasing Ichabod Crane down the street, in front of very old old houses with beautiful displays. It was the best part of living in such a rural place lol.
I’ve always been fascinated by Dutch influence in America; everyone knows of it vaguely, but upon researching their foods, customs, laws, architecture, and words... one begins to see how they influenced the English colonies also. My understanding is that words like “cookie” “coleslaw,” and “pickle” were all borrowed from Dutch New Yorkers in the 17th & 18th century; now ubiquitous in America. I’d love more videos like these. Terrific channel!
I only recently found your RUclips, after a crossover with Max Miller. Have to say, this is the best thing I've found on RUclips. Thank you for the wonderful vids. ❤️
Thank You. I love the short stories, "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" and "Rip Van Winkle". Every Fall on a dark and dreary night, I pour an adult beverage, light a fire and settle in to read these stories. They only get better each year. (Luckily I kept my college American Literature Books!)
I feel at home in your videos. I see much comfort, like you are my far away uncle from the States, providing shelter from this cold winter, entertaining my dreams of forgotten tales from the southern lands.
Awesome episode guys!!!! I loved seeing/hearing reading from the story by the roaring fire 🔥📖 such ambiance for the opening 🎃 I have yet to read this tale, my interest is piqued 🤔 Also, I must try these glorious ginger cakes! Cheers guys! Well done! And thank you for the Patreon only sneak peek! What fun knowing the back story of all the work that goes into making the recipes on the shows!
A little history, a little culinary art, and a connection to my all time favorite Halloween time story? 2020 may not be giving us much. But that does make the few truly good moments all the more special. :)
Another autumn gem, freshly cut and polished from culinary history. Thank you for giving us a memorable taste of this celebrated legend, it really spices up the story. Cheers!
Thank you for all the episodes where you read stories. I go to sleep on most nights listening to you read…the Legend of Sleepy Hollow, the Christmas Carol, Rip Van Winkle…I have rarely gotten to the end because I peacefully go to sleep listening to you, so whenever you want to read more stories I’d love for you to do that. You have a wonderful reading voice and a good choice of subject matter. Louise Jacobs
As a former resident of Ossining, NY (just a few miles north of Sleepy Hollow), I just had to catch this video. Turns out, that as a senior citizen retired to a small town in northern Vermont and far away from delicatessens and fancy stores, I find baking and "cooking from scratch" essential. I love your recipe for ginger cakes! I may just bake from your recipe to treat my family to ginger cakes during the Christmas/Hannukah holidays. Thanks for posting this!
Jon is like that super chill uncle that has a cool hobby and will calmly and kindly answer all of your questions and then cook you the most amazing treat youve ever had.
I was a young boy in the early 80's growing up in rural Iowa. In a old countryside of rolling hills scattered with church steeples. My school played a old cartoon on projector of Sleepy hollow. I remember Ichabod loving the meal and listening to the ballad in the tavern. I remember shortly after walking home in the fall leaves scared of the headless horseman. This video was a treat. Brings the feeling of fall. These would be good with raisin or fig with some icecream and a cap of dark rum.
I'm so looking forward to this! Washington Irving's Sleepy Hollow tale is absolutely my favourite this time of year; along with Hawthorne's "Young Goodman Brown"!
Y’all probably won’t see this in the snow storm of comments. Your work and period accurate sets and cinematography are just a joy to watch. Great work guys
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow will forever be one of the greatest pieces of American literature and most iconic stories ever written. I become obsessed with the headless Horseman every autumn
“Shame on you” I AM DEAD. Yes, I paused the video to write this comment because I totally lost it. But.... why so little nutmeg? Also Mr. Townsend, I am a high-end professional chef and I would like to officially dub thee Chef Townsend. I absolutely love this channel ❤️
@@realetreasures6443 yes, but if you watch his videos regularly you will see he usually goes a bit heavy on the nutmeg because he loves it so much. Which is why everyone is commenting on it.
brom bones was framed, ichabod crane was the true villain of that story. i'm like an amateur irving scholar, his work is some of my favorite writings ever, his "dietrich knickerbocker's history of new york" is on par with gulliver's travels as far as scathing silly political satire is concerned.
I would argue that there's no true villain of Sleepy Hollow. That doesn't mean anybody was without thin either, the three main characters all had their ups and their downs neither good but neither malicious. It's one of the things that makes Irving's story so captivating.
I don't see it as Brom being "framed", exactly. I see it as Irving very deliberately setting us up for one of two choices. Either we believe that the incident at the bridge is the culmination of a petty rivalry between two deeply flawed people, in which case it's kind of boring and practically grounded but also senseless in the bigger picture--or we can choose to believe in magic and make it make "sense" in a different way. I suspect that this is Irving's own commentary on why magic is such a strong part of rural American life.
I realized I had all the ingredients for this on hand so whipped up a batch of them last night. Really tasty! Didn't really have the space to roll them out and cut to shape so I just spooned them out like drop cookies/spoon biscuits and the recipe still worked out fine.
Of course you’re aware that Sleepy Hollow is between Tarrytown, NY and Ossining, NY on the Hudson River. Close by is Washington Irving’s home, Sunnyside and is a delight to visit.
“Throughout all the neighboring country.....” Many many times have I enjoyed the glowingly powerful words of Washington Irving. I recommend his writings on the subject of “Old Christmas,” which also obsesses on the foods and customs of the holiday season. But old Ichabod Crane’s fascination with spooks and “twilight tales” makes him a very memorable scoundrel - he’s a devious schoolteacher, but wisely respectful and fearful of the unknown, too. Yes, this fear is used against him by the tale’s end. It’s such a richly painted story, and Ichabod is a lovable, humorous villain.
I need some good tall serving of excellent hot chocolate with a bit of milk, and some delicious home bsking, bread or cookies or anything nice. A nice warm quilt and a big comfy couch. Ready to hear a nice episode.....
I rarely comment, but as has been said many times before, your production value and clarity is off the charts! I feel like we're in front of the fire too. Great job, great content, probably the most entertaining history lessons I've seen. I'm from Ligonier PA where we have a fort and museum, any chance you would ever come here? What would have to happen to get you here?
Absolutely awesome to watch and listen to! I recently made the simple apple pie recipe you did a video on, and it turned out wonderfully! I’ve also just begun work on the roof of my log cabin, which I begun after watching your series on the build. Thank you so much for all the videos!
God love this channel, now .i remember why I fell in love with cooking and why history holds a dear spot in my heart. Thanks man, keep up with the good videos, these means the world to me.
I asked about this during a live stream, but you didnt have an answer. I'm glad you made a video on it. Happy Halloween, and dont let me catch you out late!
Have you ever seen a 'Double flue' chimney? A second smaller flue is built alongside the usual one and stops a couple of feet short of the top of the main flue. Then an opening is made at the bottom to join the two. When a fire is built the updraft draws cold air in from the smaller flue to feed the fire instead of pulling all the warm air out of the cabin. A low 'wall' of stones or bricks in front of the fire helps to radiate heat and reduce the loss of room air... I built one to feed into the glass and steel doors on my fireplace and had to put fans up to blow all the heat into the rest of the house...
Love this! I grew up in North Tarrytown (now Sleepy Hollow) and lived near where the Headless Horseman Bridge used to be. I went to Sleepy Hollow High School. Our mascot was the Headless Horseman. It was a great place to grow up. Great on Halloween!
Found it! No. 1. Three pounds of flour, a grated nutmeg, two ounces ginger, one pound sugar, three small spoons pearl ash dissolved in cream, one pound butter, four eggs, knead it stiff, shape it to your fancy, bake 15 minutes.
1 lb for the large batch and 1 1/3 sticks butter for his. I made these and they are off a bit. I would add an extra half cup of sugar. Cook at 300 and just watch till they look good. Goog luck!
Thank you. I can't believe how lucky I have been these last few years watching your channel. The legend of Sleepy Hollow is one if my favorites. I intend to make this recipe as soon as I get home tonight from work. Thank you for weaving history, cooking and literature so seamlessly.
I have always said if it weren't for the presence of the Headless Horseman, this story would fit much better as a Thanksgiving tale than a Halloween one.
This channel deserves 5 times the amount of subscribers! Thank you for bringing some of history's most wonderful and interesting time to life. Love and support from South Wales, UK.
1 lbs flour.
6 oz sugar.
Little more than 1 oz of ginger.
Third of nutmeg 1 tsp pre ground for heretics.
About 6 oz of butter
About 1 tsp baking soda.
1 cup cream.
2 eggs
Only the village idiot would use pre ground nutmeg 🤫
Fortunate for me, I just discovered whole nutmeg, so I'm no longer the village idiot! XD ;)
Thank goodness I’m not a heretics! Haha!
Can I use fresh ginger?
I'm definitly a heretic, but can I also use the whole nutmeg? Pleeeease?
I would love for a Halloween episode where jon just reads us the legend of sleepy hollow in front of this fireplace
Stay tuned...
That's a great idea
Great idea! All while baking another delicious food in the oven!
Brilliant!
YES YES YES!
The “shame on you” about killed me, and also made me realize something about myself. I don’t want to disappoint Mr. Townsend
I lost it on that one.
I was going to say shame on him for not using fresh ginger. :P
@James I'm not sure of the time, but it's when he says the measurements for pre-ground nutmeg.
It’s like disappointing colonial mr Rogers
I feel bad because all I have in the house is ground nutmeg. I've failed as a Townsends follower!
How do I get invited to a Van Tassel feast?
You need to be as plump as a partridge and ripe and melting as a peach. Basically be Katrina Van Tassel☺️
@@cecilyerker Who says I'm not all of those things?
@@TastingHistory well, we didn't want to tell you, but you look more like Ichabod....
@@UtahSustainGardening 🤣 I’ll take it.
Someone needs to hold one!
I was blessed to get to know some van tassel family descendants who lived the next county over from tarry town/ sleepy hollow. They were my late in-laws! I will make some of these ginger cakes in their honor!
A close friend of mine was born in sleepy hollow in 1942. No joking here.
The Headless Horseman was chasing Ichabod Crane for one of the ginger cakes.
Can't say I blame the Horseman for that motive. :)
Aha! Ichabod prolly swiped a few of those tasty cakes and put them into his pocket. This, no doubt, is one of the reasons why he was rejected by Miss Katrina. ;)
But...with no head he can't enjoy them!
Understandable and justified
Aidan Coleman - ...and they were no doubt generously spiced with nutmeg which the Hessian was especially fond of...
It’s such an iconic American story, and SO fitting for the season.
Anyone else remember the old Disney cartoon where Ichabod over-salts his boiled egg? Always loved how they depicted food in that
IMO, that Disney version was the best of TLoSH that has ever been made.
That was pepper.
Hahaha, yes, it was!!!! @@Dragon1813
@@viktoriaironpride4977 true, it sticks closely to the original story and is a pretty enjoyable watch even today, definitely the best version of Sleepy Hollow out there.
This is mind blowing for me! My Great-Aunt (married in so not as much information about her family) was Dutch and Jewish. Her recipe book was passed on to my mother then to me. This IS the same recipe she has labeled as “Harvest Cakes”! Added fun, my maiden name is Crane. I now have to go read the original story. Thank you for this lovely video!
Washington Irving, the original author of this tale, wrote about his own countryside and modeled his characters after folks and places he knew. North Tarrytown, New York has always claimed to be the town of Sleepy Hollow, and changed its name in the 1990's in honor of the tale. The old Dutch church still stands with its old 17th century graveyard, and given the nature of the place it would be easy to imagine this spooky tale taking place there in 1790. Thank you Jon for the lovely Dutch ginger cakes, it was just the right touch to an equally lovely homestead episode.
That is so interesting, for some reason I always thought the town was called Sleepy Hollow. I just read it changed the name in 1996.
And in the graveyard, you will find the names Irving borrowed for his characters.
@@brooklyngal6334 The original "Sleepy Hollow" is indeed a real place, but it's an actual *hollow* inside Tarrytown proper, rather than the name of a town. North Tarrytown changed its name to promote tourist interest, even though it has no connection to Irving's tale.
@@TheSaneHatter Thank you for the information.
Apparently a guy from my regiment (recreated) cut the head off the headless horseman.
The tale of Sleepy Hollow is good, sure. But it definitely needed more nutmeg & I refuse to hear otherwise.
How much nutmeg? The answer is yes.
All of the nutmeg....
😀
Add nutmeg until you hear the spirits of your ancestors whisper "that's enough child".😁
@@connorandrews2859 You must be new here, lol.
Now, gather 'round while I elucidate
On what happens outside when it gets late
'Long about midnight the ghosts and banshees
Get together for their nightly jamborees
There's ghosts with horns and saucer eyes
And some with fangs about this size
Some short and fat, some tall and thin
And some don't even bother to wear their skin
I'm tellin' you brother, it's a frightful sight
To see what goes on in the night
When the spooks have a midnight jamboree
They break it up with fiendish glee
Ghosts are bad, but the one that's cursed
Is the Headless Horseman, he's the worst
When he goes a-joggin' 'cross the land
Holdin' a noggin in his hand
Demons take one look and groan
And hit the road for parts unknown
And there's no wraith like a spook that's spurned
They don't like him, and he's really burned
He swears to the longest day he's dead
He'll show them that he can get a head
So close all the windows, lock the doors
Unless you're careful, he'll get yours
Don't think he'll hesitate a bit
'Cause he'll flip your top if it'll fit
And he likes 'em little, likes 'em big
Part in the middle, or a wig
Black or white or even red
The Headless Horseman needs a head
With a hip-hip and a clippity-clop
He's out lookin' for a top to chop
So don't stop to figure out a plan
You can't reason with a headless man
So after dark, you kids be good
Stay at home, the way that you should
'Cause right outside, and waitin' there
Is the Headless horseman
Beware!
And I'm gettin' out of here
Sorry I know this is supposed to be historical , but come on everybody’s thinking it . Happy Halloween
🎃☠️👹😈🤡👻
What fun!! Thank you!!!
The classic Bing Crosby narrating and singing as Brom Bones in Disney’s Ichabod and Mr. Toad!
@@cecilyerker Loved it! There will never be another Bing.
Cecily Erker Disney may be a bit iffy when it comes to adaptions but when they get it right , they get it right . Disney’s version is the best and honesty that will probably always be the case . The animation, the humor and especially the music are on point .
I was listening to this song recently😁
The Van Tassel feast and Fezziwig’s Christmas party are two of my favorite meals in literature!
I'm actually born and raised in Sleepy Hollow, NY! Love that you highlighted my hometown!
North tarrytown…. (I was born at Phelps)
@@tjlovesrachel And I was one of the last babies born in the Tarrytown Hospital on Main Street.
So glad you have the Dutch recipe. So many people ignore our Dutch heritage, since Britain ultimately took over New Netherlands. Bravo!
As I am dutch I would love to see him do more dutch recepis.
It's not much different than John's ginger cookie recipe. Only it has cream, eggs, and sugar instead of molasses. Also nutmeg instead of allspice, and it's missing cinnamon.
Laura Orta
This isn’t really on topic, but do you guys still celebrate William of Orange (William the Silent’s great grandson) over in the Netherlands? I know for a fact that the Northern Irish love him!
@@justanotherbaptistjew5659 ehh celebrate not really. At least not in the form of a party or something. He is called the father of our country tho. I live about 15 min from where he lived en died and it’s still there. Like a museum. You should come see it. Even the hole in the wall made by the bullet that killed him is still intact.
Laura Orta
I know that William the Silent is celebrated, but what about his last descendant who ultimately conquered the British Throne? I know he used to be admired, but is he still?
Sleepy Hollow is such a great little town to visit. Great food, friendly people, fun little shops, and SO MUCH to do and see from October through Christmas.
It’s okay … very yuppie in the last 15 years or so
Haha, “...pre-ground nutmeg, shame on you!” Good one!
I had to keep that one in haha - The editor
SHAME...SHAME...SHAME
Sheesh, I hoped to be the first one ;-)
@@townsends lol Perfect 🤩
Nutmeg has infused with his system. He no longer requires the full amount to achieve the desired effect.
The original Spice. Have his eyes turned blue?
If he gets enough it is actually a hallucinogen that comes from chemicals in the veins you see running through it. It is also addictive so that and access is why I am not surprised they put it in everything.
@@nathanlynn4929 www.webmd.com/mental-health/addiction/news/20010222/spicing-things-up-nutmeg-abuse-lands-girl-in-hospital. I thought it wasn't much of a thing; some people I knew in college did a "nutmeg challenge" and all that happened was vomiting and a long nap 😂 thanks for sharing that historical aspect.
@@k8eekatt lol. Love the dune reference
He made a one third sized recipe he says so when he starts...
Looking at that list of desserts, my guess is that the reason Sleepy Hollow was sleepy was due to diabetic comas. It sounds delicious.
They're not as sweet as you might imagine
Lol the headless horseman was probably due to halucinations from critical nutmeg poisoning
Lol
@@fellow8085, yeah, our modern concept of sweet would probably make old timey folks sick to their stomachs.
When I was young (15?) the church parish house I belonged to in Virginia, had a restored 18th Century kitchen on the property and it had a great fire place that we would sit by after sleigh rides and drink hot cocoa. Seeing you sitting by that fire with the pumpkin brought all that back to me.
The “shame on you” was great, but the look on his face was priceless! 😊
As a dutch person this was fun to listen to!
usa loves holland !
@@larchlarch9851 The conservative ones don't though, that's a good 150,000,000 people lmao
@@Fr_87 I’m conservative and I love Holland and The Netherlands, I have no reason not to since so many Americans are their descendants and we’ve always been allies.
@@cecilyerker so the rampant drug use, legal and encouraged prostitution, complete lack of moral homogeneity and quasi-anarchistic social structure don't disuade you at all? That being true, you might not be a conservative, but a libertarian.
As a Dutch person I am saddened he didn't use a whole nutmeg😂
I lived in Tarrytown 30 odd years ago. Every Halloween we would go to an old cemetery that was rumored to be where the headless horseman was first imagined!
I thought it was pretty cool that the old Dark Shadows movies were shot there, and one of the mansions was used for exterior shots of The Old House on the original tv series.
The old Dutch church?
You should do readings of different legends and stories during different holidays from the 17th and 18th centuries. Scary stories around halloween, cheerful stories around Christmas, etc.
I agree!
Christmas has scary ghost stories.
Seth
“Scary ghost stories, and tales of the glories of Christmasses long, long ago.”
There’s a reason there is ghosts in Dickens’ “Christmas Carol.” Scary stories used to be a common Christmas tradition.
Awesome post for the season!
We can also credit Washington Irving for documenting Christmas traditions pre-Charles Dickens. Check out Irving’s food-rich descriptions in his Christmas stories in his “Sketchbook”.
There's a really good scary folk tale regarding Christmas, translated it would be something like the Christmas mass of the dead
Here in Greece especially in Christmas make melomakarona its a tradition.... Soft cookies with honey syrup and walnuts.... In these grandmas used to put the water from boiled ashes.... It needed to be clear though... Helped with the consistency....
Reading in front of a roaring fire is an autumn dream. The whole scene looks wonderful.
Last year at this time I visited Sleepy Hollow and Tarrytown. We toured the cemetery and the old Dutch church. Toured Lyndhurst, (the mansion from the original Dark Shadows movies) and visited the historical sites related to Major Andre's capture.
It is still quite easy to picture the events portrayed in the Legend of Sleepy Hollow happening there.
Thank you for another wonderful episode.
Every video just gets better in quality across all facets (delivery, production quality, syntax, cinematography) especially when looking back in your older videos.
Keep it up, Mr Townsends and team. I look forward to every video every Monday
Thank you, thank you, thank you!!
"I'm going to use a little less nutmeg." --- Quick! Someone ask John if he's feeling well.
Ikr
I just got this cookbook! And, I have pearl ash! I'm off to the kitchen, it was the double ginger and soft, light, airy texture that got me.
The English version of that cake is called a Parkin. Or more specifically, a Yorkshire Parkin.
I love Parkin!
Yay for Yorkshire. 😉
Ehh, that would be like chocolate cake compared to a brownie same ingredients but different ratios.
I just made a batch of these cakes. Being out of ground ginger l used fresh grated and a whole nutmeg.
WONDERFUL!!!
How much fresh ginger did you use? I would love to know please. :)
My wife and I truly love your work and the way you help bring the past back from a lost time. We also enjoy most of the recipes you have shown in different videos although we alter it slightly so it is more in line with Louisiana cooking. Please keep up the amazing work. Also if you ever find a recipe or process to turn pecans and acorns into traditional flour to be used as a a bread or rue that would be awesome video to see.
Acorn flour can be really difficult, depending on what kinds of oak you have nearby. Where I live, the local oak trees produce acorns with extremely high tannin content, and processing those into flour requires a LOT of water in order to leach out the tannins. This is why folks used to bury the acorn meat in the creek for a couple weeks. Leaching indoors, it can require a lot of water changes. It's not worth it unless you know you have a 'sweet' acorn species nearby, which will require the least amount of leaching. More info can be found here: honest-food.net/how-to-eat-acorns/
@@00muinamir Thanks alot. I will have to read into it more from the link.
You do such a good job setting the mood with that foggy view of the cabin, and you set by the fire, reading the story. Just amazing!
Alton Brown taught me to never use pre-ground nutmeg and this man only strengthens that belief. There truly is no substitute for grinding your own into freshly made egg nog
The nice thing is that it is not hard to grate your own, especially if you have a microplane grater.
Wait...
He used LESS nutmeg than the recipe calls for?
WHO IS THIS IMPOSTOR AND WHAT HAS HE DONE WITH JOHN TOWNSEND!!!!?
John Sus.
Lol.
I agree with purple. John Sus.
I was gonna say, he, he who says he won't put nutmeg in something and the camera catches him, he? I think a doctor's appointment is necessary.
He used the whole 1/3 of the nutmeg the cut down recipe called for, he just doubled the ginger....it IS ginger bread you know, not nutmeg bread.
Wonderful, evocative video. I got a bit misty thinking of how pleased Amelia Simmons would be, knowing we are still using her recipes 220+ years on.
I makes cookies for Christmas gifts every year and these cookies just made the list because of the “whole grated nutmeg”
Always loved the intense detail and accuracy of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. The feast scene is spot-on vivid ,but the most amazing thing is the incredible accuracy of the nature Washington Irving describes. From the type of native trees he writes about to the variety of birds and their behavior , one can tell that he actually lived in the natural world and not just writing about it as filler .Most are so disconnected these days.
Seasick Mike
If you ever get the chance, visit his house up in Tarrytown. It sits right on the Hudson River and is absolutely beautiful.
Sounds really good. Reminds me of my grandmother and mother’s recipe. My mom is eighty-four, she received a large cookbook from her mother as a wedding gift. It has recipes for wild game (raccoon, opossum, deer, as well as pork, chicken, and beef). It has recipes for everything you would ever need!
I liked your alacrity when mentioning Amelia lived near Sleepy Hollow. A pure honest emotion. One third of two ounces is two thirds of an ounce.
You take my breath away, Mr.Townsend.
Jon Townsend has that effect on people!
With the season upon us, and also being my birthday month, I really want to bring the feel of harvest festivities from the past. It's honestly a bit difficult to find some idea when there are so many videos about making coffin-shaped meatloaf or some sweet that looks like cartoony spiders. I want that atmosphere of autumn that my ancestors had or as close to it as I can come. Even dabbling in kitchen witchery (what herbs protect from spirits, which ones promote prosperity for the coming year) to give it that extra layer of magic in the air.
Thank you, John, for making this. It will most certainly help me lay the groundwork for the right dishes to serve. ❤
I didn't come here to be shamed for using preground nutmeg, but you know what... You right, I deserved that.
Nutmeg shaming is his kink
Oh my gosh you made me laugh when you took that bite. I actually salivated! I’m making these! Thank you again for all you do. You are all amazing!
Him: "Let me add some extra ginger and a little less nutmeg. . "
Me: 😲
Blasphemy! Heresy! The Devil has bewitched his senses!
Deceptions! Lies!
More nutmeg, I say. Always more, in everything. I put nutmeg in my Jello.
@@Peter7966 Who doesn't???
I was honestly surprised! But then again, you have to imagine the nutmeg of that era was probably a lot older and less potent, having to travel so far on ships. So it probably comes out the same.
Your best episode, wonderfully blended story and recipe.
I love this story so much! I used to live in a very old rural town in New Hampshire and when I was a child, there was always a beautiful Halloween display at the town center, and every year there would be a headless horseman chasing Ichabod Crane down the street, in front of very old old houses with beautiful displays. It was the best part of living in such a rural place lol.
Wow! So fun and enchanting.
I’ve always been fascinated by Dutch influence in America; everyone knows of it vaguely, but upon researching their foods, customs, laws, architecture, and words... one begins to see how they influenced the English colonies also. My understanding is that words like “cookie” “coleslaw,” and “pickle” were all borrowed from Dutch New Yorkers in the 17th & 18th century; now ubiquitous in America. I’d love more videos like these. Terrific channel!
I only recently found your RUclips, after a crossover with Max Miller.
Have to say, this is the best thing I've found on RUclips.
Thank you for the wonderful vids. ❤️
Shoutout to another Tasting History fan!
Welcome! So many videos to enjoy.
The Van Tassel feast was simply... *breath taking* ☠️🎃☠️
Thank You. I love the short stories, "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" and "Rip Van Winkle". Every Fall on a dark and dreary night, I pour an adult beverage, light a fire and settle in to read these stories. They only get better each year. (Luckily I kept my college American Literature Books!)
I feel at home in your videos. I see much comfort, like you are my far away uncle from the States, providing shelter from this cold winter, entertaining my dreams of forgotten tales from the southern lands.
Thank you for putting the ad in a place that didn't abruptly interrupt your video. I notice those little things, and I appreciate them immensely.
Awesome episode guys!!!! I loved seeing/hearing reading from the story by the roaring fire 🔥📖 such ambiance for the opening 🎃 I have yet to read this tale, my interest is piqued 🤔 Also, I must try these glorious ginger cakes! Cheers guys! Well done! And thank you for the Patreon only sneak peek! What fun knowing the back story of all the work that goes into making the recipes on the shows!
Yum,nothing like a warm,sweet, spicy smelling kitchen in the fall and winter...a cup of tea and a comfy chair,and ginger cakes,that's living!!
Imagine if you didn't like nutmeg in the 18th century! I never imagined that it would be such an essential spice back then :)
You would have starved. True fact.....
A little history, a little culinary art, and a connection to my all time favorite Halloween time story?
2020 may not be giving us much. But that does make the few truly good moments all the more special. :)
One of my favorite episodes yet. Very informative and I really enjoyed the way you brought together several facets of history. Keep it up!
Another autumn gem, freshly cut and polished from culinary history. Thank you for giving us a memorable taste of this celebrated legend, it really spices up the story. Cheers!
Thank you for all the episodes where you read stories. I go to sleep on most nights listening to you read…the Legend of Sleepy Hollow, the Christmas Carol, Rip Van Winkle…I have rarely gotten to the end because I peacefully go to sleep listening to you, so whenever you want to read more stories I’d love for you to do that. You have a wonderful reading voice and a good choice of subject matter. Louise Jacobs
Well, he used less nutmeg, but nearly double the ginger, so it might be John after all.
That low-key, passive-aggressive "shame on you" regarding using pre-ground nutmeg, lol.
As a former resident of Ossining, NY (just a few miles north of Sleepy Hollow), I just had to catch this video. Turns out, that as a senior citizen retired to a small town in northern Vermont and far away from delicatessens and fancy stores, I find baking and "cooking from scratch" essential. I love your recipe for ginger cakes! I may just bake from your recipe to treat my family to ginger cakes during the Christmas/Hannukah holidays. Thanks for posting this!
Jon is like that super chill uncle that has a cool hobby and will calmly and kindly answer all of your questions and then cook you the most amazing treat youve ever had.
Thank you for making this video! I wasn't expecting a Halloween episode, but it makes so much sense!
You've inspired me to dig out the story again. It's been a few years. Wonderful episode!
I was a young boy in the early 80's growing up in rural Iowa. In a old countryside of rolling hills scattered with church steeples. My school played a old cartoon on projector of Sleepy hollow. I remember Ichabod loving the meal and listening to the ballad in the tavern. I remember shortly after walking home in the fall leaves scared of the headless horseman. This video was a treat. Brings the feeling of fall. These would be good with raisin or fig with some icecream and a cap of dark rum.
This guy is without a doubt the most interesting cook on RUclips. Everything he does on this channel is top notch. Happy Halloween. 🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃
I'm so looking forward to this! Washington Irving's Sleepy Hollow tale is absolutely my favourite this time of year; along with Hawthorne's "Young Goodman Brown"!
Why is it the fall makes me crave your channel.
After all these years you've become so much a part of our season.
Thank you.
Y’all probably won’t see this in the snow storm of comments. Your work and period accurate sets and cinematography are just a joy to watch. Great work guys
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow will forever be one of the greatest pieces of American literature and most iconic stories ever written.
I become obsessed with the headless Horseman every autumn
“Shame on you” I AM DEAD. Yes, I paused the video to write this comment because I totally lost it. But.... why so little nutmeg?
Also Mr. Townsend, I am a high-end professional chef and I would like to officially dub thee Chef Townsend. I absolutely love this channel ❤️
Because the cakes he's making are 1/3 of the original recipe. He's actually using the correct amount of nutmeg.
@@realetreasures6443 yes, but if you watch his videos regularly you will see he usually goes a bit heavy on the nutmeg because he loves it so much. Which is why everyone is commenting on it.
I just relistened to The Legend of Sleepy Hallow the other day. The Van Tassels sure do know how to throw a party.
5:45 James Townsend shaming pre-ground nutmeg gave me more joy than it should have. I love this channel.
You seemed so much more comfortable and familial in this episode (not that you're not normally!) Thanks for brightening up a rainy grey day!
brom bones was framed, ichabod crane was the true villain of that story. i'm like an amateur irving scholar, his work is some of my favorite writings ever, his "dietrich knickerbocker's history of new york" is on par with gulliver's travels as far as scathing silly political satire is concerned.
I would argue that there's no true villain of Sleepy Hollow. That doesn't mean anybody was without thin either, the three main characters all had their ups and their downs neither good but neither malicious. It's one of the things that makes Irving's story so captivating.
I don't see it as Brom being "framed", exactly. I see it as Irving very deliberately setting us up for one of two choices. Either we believe that the incident at the bridge is the culmination of a petty rivalry between two deeply flawed people, in which case it's kind of boring and practically grounded but also senseless in the bigger picture--or we can choose to believe in magic and make it make "sense" in a different way. I suspect that this is Irving's own commentary on why magic is such a strong part of rural American life.
So awesome you were able to include this iconic American ghost story into the show!
I realized I had all the ingredients for this on hand so whipped up a batch of them last night. Really tasty! Didn't really have the space to roll them out and cut to shape so I just spooned them out like drop cookies/spoon biscuits and the recipe still worked out fine.
Sounds good a nice fall cake/cookie. Makes me thinks I haven't made molasses cookies in some time. Yummy!
Of course you’re aware that Sleepy Hollow is between Tarrytown, NY and Ossining, NY on the Hudson River. Close by is Washington Irving’s home, Sunnyside and is a delight to visit.
“Throughout all the neighboring country.....”
Many many times have I enjoyed the glowingly powerful words of Washington Irving. I recommend his writings on the subject of “Old Christmas,” which also obsesses on the foods and customs of the holiday season.
But old Ichabod Crane’s fascination with spooks and “twilight tales” makes him a very memorable scoundrel - he’s a devious schoolteacher, but wisely respectful and fearful of the unknown, too. Yes, this fear is used against him by the tale’s end. It’s such a richly painted story, and Ichabod is a lovable, humorous villain.
I LOVED this. I really enjoy making foods from my favorite stories. The cooking and eating really puts a reader in that world for a little while.
Eating foods from stories and tales really adds to the experience! This was a uniquely fun episode and I enjoyed it a lot!
I need some good tall serving of excellent hot chocolate with a bit of milk, and some delicious home bsking, bread or cookies or anything nice. A nice warm quilt and a big comfy couch. Ready to hear a nice episode.....
5:41 "If you're using pre-ground nutmeg, shame on you." LOL!! That's our Jon.
I rarely comment, but as has been said many times before, your production value and clarity is off the charts! I feel like we're in front of the fire too. Great job, great content, probably the most entertaining history lessons I've seen. I'm from Ligonier PA where we have a fort and museum, any chance you would ever come here? What would have to happen to get you here?
Absolutely awesome to watch and listen to!
I recently made the simple apple pie recipe you did a video on, and it turned out wonderfully! I’ve also just begun work on the roof of my log cabin, which I begun after watching your series on the build. Thank you so much for all the videos!
God love this channel, now .i remember why I fell in love with cooking and why history holds a dear spot in my heart. Thanks man, keep up with the good videos, these means the world to me.
I asked about this during a live stream, but you didnt have an answer.
I'm glad you made a video on it.
Happy Halloween, and dont let me catch you out late!
Have you ever seen a 'Double flue' chimney? A second smaller flue is built alongside the usual one and stops a couple of feet short of the top of the main flue. Then an opening is made at the bottom to join the two. When a fire is built the updraft draws cold air in from the smaller flue to feed the fire instead of pulling all the warm air out of the cabin. A low 'wall' of stones or bricks in front of the fire helps to radiate heat and reduce the loss of room air... I built one to feed into the glass and steel doors on my fireplace and had to put fans up to blow all the heat into the rest of the house...
That background of a big fireplace with lantern and pumpkin, excellent aesthetics for Halloween.
Love this! I grew up in North Tarrytown (now Sleepy Hollow) and lived near where the Headless Horseman Bridge used to be. I went to Sleepy Hollow High School. Our mascot was the Headless Horseman. It was a great place to grow up. Great on Halloween!
Wait, how much butter?
It's funny, because I was planning on making gingerbread cookies today. And here you are!
Ive been looking for it too. Its not on the vid.. :(
Found it!
No. 1. Three pounds of flour, a grated nutmeg, two ounces ginger, one pound sugar, three small spoons pearl ash dissolved in cream, one pound butter, four eggs, knead it stiff, shape it to your fancy, bake 15 minutes.
1 lb for the large batch and 1 1/3 sticks butter for his.
I made these and they are off a bit.
I would add an extra half cup of sugar. Cook at 300 and just watch till they look good. Goog luck!
And more flour they were quite sticky.
John pinned the recipe at the top of the comment section.
Best set of close ups of any (cooking) video, of yours that I have seen. Kudos to the cameraman. Same goes for the editing!!
Thank you. I can't believe how lucky I have been these last few years watching your channel. The legend of Sleepy Hollow is one if my favorites. I intend to make this recipe as soon as I get home tonight from work. Thank you for weaving history, cooking and literature so seamlessly.
Just an absolute fantastic video as always! Top notch content, you definitely deserve a tv Show, or at least a much MUCH larger audience!
I have always said if it weren't for the presence of the Headless Horseman, this story would fit much better as a Thanksgiving tale than a Halloween one.
This channel deserves 5 times the amount of subscribers! Thank you for bringing some of history's most wonderful and interesting time to life. Love and support from South Wales, UK.