Mealtimes were in the kitchen, with the family crowded around a wooden table. This was a time to share stories from the day – playing in the old gold vaults, creeping upstairs to the Governor’s office, or the early morning trips with Father to the Victoria Markets on the horse and jinker.
Home cooked food of the 1920’s was quite different to today’s meals – Stuffed Mutton, Pigeon Pie, Broiled Steak, Jugged Rabbit and Boiled Calf’s Feet. Fat and dripping were used for frying, and meat was often boiled or stewed. This was a time before the immigration of many different people from all over the world. They brought with them their recipes, ingredients and cooking methods that we take for granted today. Imagine what it was like in Australia before pizza, pasta, hamburgers and noodles!
A week of food
Leach’s menus for breakfast and supper (what we call dinner or tea) – a snapshot of what the Maynard’s had on their plates.
| Breakfast | Supper | |
|---|---|---|
| Sunday | Porridge Grilled bacon Baked apples | Tomato soup Cornish Pie Potato and beetroot salad Fruit in jelly Cheese and biscuits |
| Monday | Beef rissoles Fried potatoes Marmalade Oat cakes | Curried haddock in a Ring Grilled steak Chip potatoes Macedoine of vegetables Fruit royale Special cake |
| Tuesday | Porridge Brain cutlets Potted beef Compote of oranges | Roast chicken with bread sauce Brussels sprouts Potatoes Steamed sponge pudding Cheese and biscuits |
| Wednesday | Fried bacon and chickens’ livers Boiled eggs Bannocks Gooseberry jam | Mutton cutlets with tomato sauce Fried potatoes Apple tart with Devonshire cream |
| Thursday | Porridge Kippers Brawn Scones Lemon marmalade | Giblet soup Sheep’s head jelly mould Mixed salad Ginger pudding Cheese straws |
| Friday | Toasted bacon Poached eggs Scones Honey | Braised veal and ham Baked potatoes Tomatoes stuffed with spaghetti Cabinet pudding Anchovy toast A ‘Crestona’ cake |
| Saturday | Porridge Pork sausages Fried apples Currant jelly Cornmeal cakes | Mulligatawny soup Savoury eggs Salad Plum pudding Cheese and biscuits |