I love this, Jolene! I grew up eating marmalade because my dad was raised in Bermuda from the time he was a little boy -- so he had (has) a lot of British customs and preferences that might not have otherwise shown up in our Wisconsin household -- and of course, because anything Paddington loved as much as marmalade was something I wanted to eat, too 😉
My favorite marmalade now is the Mackay's Dundee Orange Marmalade from World Market. (My kids love Paddington as much as I did, so a jar lasts maybe two days in my house, if I'm lucky.)
Oh, wow, Sarah — your Dad growing up in Bermuda (it’s one of my favorite places:) I thought of you when I was writing this, I didn’t know Fleming had written Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang! I’m going to check out the Mackay’s, I used the Cooper’s Oxford, loved it, need to expand my repertoire! :)
I just love the deep dive into marmalade in literature and from fellow bloggers in this fascinating post. It brings up so many memories, including the bottle of Dundee marmalade that my Glaswegian mother often placed on the breakfast table, along with the porridge and kippers--and toast, of course. So fun to learn about marmalade history (and the errors in accepted versions) from the incomparable Annette Laing. I’ve also loved Annotated Alice ever since discovering it in college long ago. I’m sure I worked it into an essay or two. Love your rabbit holes, Jolene! Keep ‘em coming! (Easter egg guess: toast?)
Always love hearing about your Mom, Ruth, (and your breakfast!) Yes, Annette makes history come alive with her writing :) Love all things Alice! No toast next week (I should do something about French Toast someday!) but something to go with it - coffee from a Chemex coffee ☕️ maker! :)
It must be Chemex. My parents were early adapters in the 1970’s. I say early adapters but don’t know when it was invented! I hope you’ll write about it.
They did love it actually, I thought it was so unusual ( and cool ) because my friends families all had percolators. It made the morning coffee ritual very soothing to observe, even though I wasn’t drinking much coffee at the time.
Dear Jolene--I LOVED this post and I am so inspired by all the food marmalade references in books. It was so much fun to learn about Ian Flemming's breakfast! You are such a gift, and I learn so much from you. Right now, in my novel, I am writing about Pain Perdu (or The Lost Bread). It's the original French version of French toast. Not a breakfast, but a dessert--a way to salvage stale bread. I would be so excited if you dug into the history of French Toast one of these days. And in the meantime, I pasted below what I think is the Easter Egg clue: And with that, we can again touch the wonder of their stories. 💫. Is this it? Anyway, Love you, Jamie
Thank you, my friend! I can’t wait for the novel, Jamie, and I’d love to interview you about it and French Toast! I’ll send you an email! Did you attach something? I don’t see it, let me know! 🤗
Hello Jolene--Thank YOU!!! I would love to be interviewed by you, but the publication of the novel is a long way's off. Actually, I do talk about the pain perdu in Parisian Charm School. Anyway, I really just wanted to tell you how much I'm enjoying your newsletter. Love, Jamie P.S. I didn't attach anything. xo
Ahh! Thank you, Jamie - you reminded me of perhaps the best use for good marmalade, to turn sadly-no-longer-fresh bread (I can identify) into awesome toast, because the sweetness/bitterness of good marmalade works brilliantly there, in a way where a simple buttering doesn't.
(And YES to French toast and all its variants for for doing the same thing. This is a thing we British really need to learn from our Continental European cousins, especially the Italians: the art of recognising that when bread is stale it isn't useless - it's just moved to a different category of ingredient. Italy has really nailed this - eg. https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/tuscan-style-ribollita - but it's a thing everywhere...except the UK, I think? Which is daft when we have such a great breadmaking tradition here...)
So fun and educational to read, as always Jolene! Coincidentally, I just made marmalade this week with Meyer lemon, orange, and grapefruit-delish! I love the thread found in these literary classics. And how interesting that Fleming created Bond with such intimate detail, right down to his breakfast preferences. So, based on what you've written, I'm thinking you may be planning to write about either the classic breakfast, British tea, or something having to do with quince. Happy New Year!
Happy New Year, Ellen, and thank you! I thought the same thing about Fleming’s detail about Bond — so interesting. You’re on the right track, my friend: next week is about the Chemex coffee maker! ☕️ ❤️
What a charming and well-researched read this was, Jolene! You have a knack for taking a simple, mundane item that most of us wouldn’t give a second thought to and drawing the most interesting connections. ❤️
What a great read, Jolene. Orange marmalade is actually my favorite to put on my weekend croissant.
But what your post also sparked for me is how authors have used food and food preferences to describe characters and set the tone for a story. As a kid I read and reread the Enid Blyton books - and even as a kid - recognize the importance of those meal times to weld the five friends together.
I am going to get a croissant tomorrow and put marmalade on it, Claudia! Thank you for this comment, food is like another character of its own sometimes! 🤗
What a great way to begin the new year! I love marmalade, and Paddington is dear to my heart! Thanks for all of this today, Jolene! You have added warmth and cheer to this winter day.❤️
Sweet words! My mum’s adoration for all things British included a daily dose of marmalade, which I have yet to embrace. That marmalade crock was practically a member of the family.
Thank you, Jillian! I was just over on your page reading your preview of Butler — so moving! and what amazing access you had! Glad you enjoyed the post, reading Alice as an adult is a WHOLE OTHER experience! And you are in the right place with your guess: writing about Bond’s favorite coffeemaker, the Chemex 😊 ☕️
This makes me want to go back and read Alice in Wonderland again, and Paddington. I loved both when I was growing up. I do remember one of those Dundee jars hanging around my mom's pantry for many years, the marmalade long gone. She used it as a storage container. Lovely post, Jolene.
Jolene - you are, as always, an absolute treasure, and I will petition our new British King to arrange for Paddington Bear to send you a handwritten (paw-written) note of thanks on behalf of British culture.
But - ah, marmalade. As usual, as Annette said, we've stolen it from someone else and cooked up a new origin story for it to hide that fact. Marmalade may be British nowadays, but I believe (I think?) it's taken from what the ancient Romans did with their fruit (ie. turning it into quince).
With that segue, it gives me great pleasure to point you towards one of my favourite food-related places on the Web:
Farrell Monaco is an archaeologist who has made it her speciality to rediscover the ways ancient food was made, then teach it to folk today. Her site is amaaaaaaaazing (I would urge anyone to spend days browsing through the recipes, rolling pins etched with Latin blessings and curses - and bread! https://www.goldbelly.com/pistrinum-by-tavola-mediterranea/ Bread made in the way it was made in Ancient Rome, deliverable within the States. Quite amazing, all of it.
But my point is: we Brits stole it, then pretended it was our idea and thoroughly & completely British (while using ingredients that *can't even be grown in Britain*, which is whole other level of shameless).
All this said, of course, I will defend British Orange Marmalade with my last dying breath. One has to take a stand for one's country, of course. *flares nostrils, twirls cane experimentally*
Thank you so much for the kind mention, Jolene. :)
Thank you, Mike, can’t wait for the paw 🐾 written note! 😂 And thank you for your very kind words, the wonderful links, and for always jumping in with enthusiasm and great good humor! ☺️
I love how you put this: "Food in fiction is a particular kind of special. Its mere presence in a story can carry worlds of memory for the reader."
Thank you, Leigh!
I love this, Jolene! I grew up eating marmalade because my dad was raised in Bermuda from the time he was a little boy -- so he had (has) a lot of British customs and preferences that might not have otherwise shown up in our Wisconsin household -- and of course, because anything Paddington loved as much as marmalade was something I wanted to eat, too 😉
My favorite marmalade now is the Mackay's Dundee Orange Marmalade from World Market. (My kids love Paddington as much as I did, so a jar lasts maybe two days in my house, if I'm lucky.)
Oh, wow, Sarah — your Dad growing up in Bermuda (it’s one of my favorite places:) I thought of you when I was writing this, I didn’t know Fleming had written Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang! I’m going to check out the Mackay’s, I used the Cooper’s Oxford, loved it, need to expand my repertoire! :)
I just love the deep dive into marmalade in literature and from fellow bloggers in this fascinating post. It brings up so many memories, including the bottle of Dundee marmalade that my Glaswegian mother often placed on the breakfast table, along with the porridge and kippers--and toast, of course. So fun to learn about marmalade history (and the errors in accepted versions) from the incomparable Annette Laing. I’ve also loved Annotated Alice ever since discovering it in college long ago. I’m sure I worked it into an essay or two. Love your rabbit holes, Jolene! Keep ‘em coming! (Easter egg guess: toast?)
Always love hearing about your Mom, Ruth, (and your breakfast!) Yes, Annette makes history come alive with her writing :) Love all things Alice! No toast next week (I should do something about French Toast someday!) but something to go with it - coffee from a Chemex coffee ☕️ maker! :)
Ah, Chemex was my next guess! Can’t wait! Marvelous stuff, Jolene!
Thank you, Ruth!
It must be Chemex. My parents were early adapters in the 1970’s. I say early adapters but don’t know when it was invented! I hope you’ll write about it.
You’re right, Martha! I’ll email you. I’m excited to write about it, did your parents love it?
They did love it actually, I thought it was so unusual ( and cool ) because my friends families all had percolators. It made the morning coffee ritual very soothing to observe, even though I wasn’t drinking much coffee at the time.
Dear Jolene--I LOVED this post and I am so inspired by all the food marmalade references in books. It was so much fun to learn about Ian Flemming's breakfast! You are such a gift, and I learn so much from you. Right now, in my novel, I am writing about Pain Perdu (or The Lost Bread). It's the original French version of French toast. Not a breakfast, but a dessert--a way to salvage stale bread. I would be so excited if you dug into the history of French Toast one of these days. And in the meantime, I pasted below what I think is the Easter Egg clue: And with that, we can again touch the wonder of their stories. 💫. Is this it? Anyway, Love you, Jamie
Thank you, my friend! I can’t wait for the novel, Jamie, and I’d love to interview you about it and French Toast! I’ll send you an email! Did you attach something? I don’t see it, let me know! 🤗
Hello Jolene--Thank YOU!!! I would love to be interviewed by you, but the publication of the novel is a long way's off. Actually, I do talk about the pain perdu in Parisian Charm School. Anyway, I really just wanted to tell you how much I'm enjoying your newsletter. Love, Jamie P.S. I didn't attach anything. xo
Ahh! Thank you, Jamie - you reminded me of perhaps the best use for good marmalade, to turn sadly-no-longer-fresh bread (I can identify) into awesome toast, because the sweetness/bitterness of good marmalade works brilliantly there, in a way where a simple buttering doesn't.
(And YES to French toast and all its variants for for doing the same thing. This is a thing we British really need to learn from our Continental European cousins, especially the Italians: the art of recognising that when bread is stale it isn't useless - it's just moved to a different category of ingredient. Italy has really nailed this - eg. https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/tuscan-style-ribollita - but it's a thing everywhere...except the UK, I think? Which is daft when we have such a great breadmaking tradition here...)
Thank you for the thread, Mike!
So fun and educational to read, as always Jolene! Coincidentally, I just made marmalade this week with Meyer lemon, orange, and grapefruit-delish! I love the thread found in these literary classics. And how interesting that Fleming created Bond with such intimate detail, right down to his breakfast preferences. So, based on what you've written, I'm thinking you may be planning to write about either the classic breakfast, British tea, or something having to do with quince. Happy New Year!
I make one like that with the addition of lime (the green Mexican ones)
are they like key limes?
yeeees precisely!!!
👍
Happy New Year, Ellen, and thank you! I thought the same thing about Fleming’s detail about Bond — so interesting. You’re on the right track, my friend: next week is about the Chemex coffee maker! ☕️ ❤️
What a charming and well-researched read this was, Jolene! You have a knack for taking a simple, mundane item that most of us wouldn’t give a second thought to and drawing the most interesting connections. ❤️
Aww, you so much, Sam, I really appreciate your words! 🤗
What a great read, Jolene. Orange marmalade is actually my favorite to put on my weekend croissant.
But what your post also sparked for me is how authors have used food and food preferences to describe characters and set the tone for a story. As a kid I read and reread the Enid Blyton books - and even as a kid - recognize the importance of those meal times to weld the five friends together.
I am going to get a croissant tomorrow and put marmalade on it, Claudia! Thank you for this comment, food is like another character of its own sometimes! 🤗
What a great way to begin the new year! I love marmalade, and Paddington is dear to my heart! Thanks for all of this today, Jolene! You have added warmth and cheer to this winter day.❤️
What a lovely thought, Pam, thank you so much! ❤️
I thought you and your readers would enjoy this video. The queen, paddington and marmalade! https://duckduckgo.com/?q=paddington+and+queen+elizabeth+video&t=iphone&iax=videos&ia=videos&iai=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D7UfiCa244XE
Are you writing about Chemex next week?
No matter what I’m sure I’ll enjoy it!
Thank you for sharing! And, you’re right about Chemex! I’ll email you!
You'll write next week about Campari...
I should! Negroni’s are my favorite! But next week is coffee ☕️ from a Chemex. Just made a note to myself about Campari in future, thanks Joan!
Ha! It was fun to guess! I agree with all of the comments—this post is fantastic—rich with knowledge and humor!
Aww, thank you, Joan ☺️
What a great read! I’ll appreciate my marmalade on toast even more!
Thank you so much! Enjoy your marmalade toast! 🍞 🍊
Sweet words! My mum’s adoration for all things British included a daily dose of marmalade, which I have yet to embrace. That marmalade crock was practically a member of the family.
Thank you, Amie! Love “that marmelade crock was practically a member of the family.” 😊
What a lovely post! From Alice to Paddington to Bond to an easter egg! Oh my! Perhaps it's how Bond's breakfast has changed over time?
Thank you, Jillian! I was just over on your page reading your preview of Butler — so moving! and what amazing access you had! Glad you enjoyed the post, reading Alice as an adult is a WHOLE OTHER experience! And you are in the right place with your guess: writing about Bond’s favorite coffeemaker, the Chemex 😊 ☕️
Thank you! The access was really amazing! Very excited to spend some more time organizing all my pictures and thoughts. Because there's a lot.
And how exciting! I love coffee!
This makes me want to go back and read Alice in Wonderland again, and Paddington. I loved both when I was growing up. I do remember one of those Dundee jars hanging around my mom's pantry for many years, the marmalade long gone. She used it as a storage container. Lovely post, Jolene.
Thank you, Domenica, and going back to Alice now is a lot of fun and SO different than reading it as a kid! Sweet memory of your Mom. 😊
Jolene - you are, as always, an absolute treasure, and I will petition our new British King to arrange for Paddington Bear to send you a handwritten (paw-written) note of thanks on behalf of British culture.
But - ah, marmalade. As usual, as Annette said, we've stolen it from someone else and cooked up a new origin story for it to hide that fact. Marmalade may be British nowadays, but I believe (I think?) it's taken from what the ancient Romans did with their fruit (ie. turning it into quince).
With that segue, it gives me great pleasure to point you towards one of my favourite food-related places on the Web:
https://tavolamediterranea.com/
Farrell Monaco is an archaeologist who has made it her speciality to rediscover the ways ancient food was made, then teach it to folk today. Her site is amaaaaaaaazing (I would urge anyone to spend days browsing through the recipes, rolling pins etched with Latin blessings and curses - and bread! https://www.goldbelly.com/pistrinum-by-tavola-mediterranea/ Bread made in the way it was made in Ancient Rome, deliverable within the States. Quite amazing, all of it.
But my point is: we Brits stole it, then pretended it was our idea and thoroughly & completely British (while using ingredients that *can't even be grown in Britain*, which is whole other level of shameless).
All this said, of course, I will defend British Orange Marmalade with my last dying breath. One has to take a stand for one's country, of course. *flares nostrils, twirls cane experimentally*
Thank you so much for the kind mention, Jolene. :)
Thank you, Mike, can’t wait for the paw 🐾 written note! 😂 And thank you for your very kind words, the wonderful links, and for always jumping in with enthusiasm and great good humor! ☺️