Victorian Recipes with a Side of Scandal

 

The Story of Ethel Barry

by Sherry Monahan
Book Cover: Victorian Recipes with a Side of Scandal
Editions:ebook, Hardcover, Paperback
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Victorian Recipes with a Side of Scandal by award-winning author Sherry Monahan invites you to savor a taste of history while uncovering the extraordinary life of Ethel Barry, a Victorian socialite whose journey was anything but conventional.

Born into the rigid expectations of a proper Victorian household, Ethel was groomed to marry well, manage a household, and uphold the era's stringent social norms. But life had other plans. When a transatlantic move brought her to America-and into a marriage that fell far short of her gilded expectations-Ethel sought solace and empowerment in the unlikeliest of places: the kitchen.

Despite a privileged upbringing that left her untrained in the culinary arts, Ethel embraced cooking with passion and determination. Through over seventy-five authentic Victorian-era recipes, Monahan recreates the flavors of Ethel's time, weaving them into a compelling narrative of creativity, adaptation, and quiet defiance.

Yet, this isn't just a cookbook-it's a tale steeped in scandal and rebellion. From clandestine skinny-dipping escapades to a sensational divorce that made national headlines with its shocking accusations, Ethel's life defied the conventions of her day at every turn.

Victorian Recipes with a Side of Scandal masterfully blends mouthwatering recipes with the captivating story of a woman who challenged societal norms and forged a path all her own. Step into Ethel's world, where every dish tells a story, and every chapter serves up a taste of tenacity, rebellion, and rich history.

Published:
Publisher: Otterford
Genres:
Cookbook
Tags:
food & drink, recipes

About the Author

Sherry Monahan

Sherry became enchanted with food at a young age. Her paternal grandfather was a cook at a lumber camp and her father and aunts and uncles loved to cook. She studied Home Economics in middle school and fell in love. When her modeling career didn’t take off, she turned back to cooking and studied restaurant management. She didn’t want to spend 100-120 hours per week in the kitchen, so she fuels her food passion by writing about it. She also has a love of good wine, some beer, and cocktails. She enjoys visiting wineries and distilleries and discovering new labels. Her creative cooking skills produce some tasty meals, but it also lends itself to mixing drinks. She loves trying old classics and concocting new ones.

She began her writing career when she combined her passion for food, travel, and history. She penned her first book, Taste of Tombstone, in 1998. That same passion landed her a monthly magazine column in 2009 when she began writing her food column in True West entitled, Frontier Fare.

Sherry is a culinary historian who enjoys researching the genealogy of food and spirits. While there’s still plenty to explore about frontier food, she’s expanding her culinary repertoire to include places and foods from all over America and beyond.

She holds memberships in the James Beard Foundation, the Author’s Guild, Single Action Shooting Society, and the Wild West History Association. She is the past president of Western Writers of America (2014-2016), a professional genealogist, an honorary Dodge City marshal, and a member of the Most Intrepid Western Author Posse.

She's appeared on the History Channel, American Heroes Channel, and Fox, and also co-hosted and produced a podcast series in 2021-2022 where she and Arizona state historian Marshall Trimble discussed western trivia.

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