On Wed, 21 Nov 2007 16:56:19 -0500, Goomba38 >
wrote:

>Tara wrote:
>
>> One of my old cookbooks -- I think it is the original Fannie Farmer --
>> is always calling for "a few grains" of cayenne. I just love that
>> phrase.
>>
>> Tara
>
>But there is a measurement called "grains" in the old apothecary system.
>You know you've probably seen it but never thought about it since it is
>rarely used today except for aspirin (standard 5 grain tablet is aprox
>325 mg)
>Could old Fannie have been using it??

Oh, that's interesting! I had no idea. How is it measured -- a
weight or a volume? I'm not sure whether or not that's what Fannie
Farmer was asking for. Was it a standard of household measurement at
the time? Was cayenne sold by the grain?

I just like the picture of a nineteenth century housewife carefully
sifting out a few grains of spice. So, a few grains measured by the
apothecary would be about half the size of an aspirin tablet.

It's all fascinating to me. I love historical cookbooks.

Tara