Marcus Falk (She/They)
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attusfalk.bsky.social
Marcus Falk (She/They)
@attusfalk.bsky.social
2K followers 1.3K following 1.8K posts
PhD in Economic History and post-doc in History, Lund University. Early modern wealth, consumption, and household economy.

Also hobby ttrpg-creator, that part is probably equally important for my social media presence.
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attusfalk.bsky.social
We are also 3 out of 3 for a recipe for microwave banana in these books. This one takes the price for most extra, though.
Baked bananas 4 peeled bananas 4tbsp concentrated orange juice 6tbsp white wine 1tbsp lemon juice 50g brown sugar Split the bananas in 4 parts, along then across. Put into a pan with the other ingredients and cook for 5 min. Stop after half time and switch places on the banana pieces so those in the middle moves to the edges, and vice versa. Serve warm with whipped cream.
November 22, 2025 at 11:03 PM
attusfalk.bsky.social
Also. The chapter heading is "Pudding & Dessert". There is a single pudding recipe, but it is this monstrosity so I believe Jill can be excused.
Christmas fruitpudding. 75g butter 175g currants 100g raisins 100g sultan raisins 25g dried chopped apricots 15g chopped almond 75g flour 1 pinch mixed gingerbread spices 1 pinch muscot 75g brown sugar 2 eggs Peel and juice of 1 lemon 2tbsp dark syrup Peel of 1 orange 1tbsp conjac eventually some brown sugar colouring Mix all the inhredients in a big bowl. Add colour if you want a darker pudding. Pour into a buttered pudding pan, cover with butterpaper, and tie everything together. Cook for 5 min, rest for 5 min. Cook for 3 min, rest for min. Cook for 1 min, rest for 5 before removed from plate. Flambé: heat 2tbsp conjac for a few sec. Pour over the pudding and light on fire. Serve immediately.
November 22, 2025 at 10:58 PM
attusfalk.bsky.social
We have now reached the last section of the book: Puddings and Desserts.

I must say, while baking in the microwave is perfectly viable, anything you bake will always have the problem of looking uncooked.
An assortment of desserts made in a microwave. From top to bottom a grapefruit cheesecake, apple dessert, baked bananas, pineapple and orange-cake. Sure it all looks good, but it also looks sort of like it's the before shot after you have made them but before you put them in the oven.
November 22, 2025 at 10:49 PM
attusfalk.bsky.social
Because we can't let the French be the only ones tormented by the microwave monstrosities of this book, I present to you microwave Paella.
Paella 1 small finely chopped onion 1/2 red or green bell pepper, finely cut 1tbsp oil 1/4tsp turmeric 225g long rice 6dl chicken stock 2tbsp cut parsly 1tbsp cut chive Salt and pepper c. 100g scallops, frozen or conserved 3 tomatoes, peeled and sliced Put onion, peppers, and oil in an oblong pan and cook for 5 min. Stirr once during cooking. Mix turmeric, rice, chicken stock, parsly, chive, and spices. Cook for 10 min. Stirr after half time. Add tomatoes and cook for 2 min. Add scallops and cook for 2 min. Varieties: you can add other shellfish, for example shrimp. Also chicken is an option. Test with carrots in thin slices, and green peas. It is both beautiful and delicious with oysters in fresh shelld, but make sure to clean and boil them beforehand.
November 22, 2025 at 10:32 PM
attusfalk.bsky.social
This, on the other hand. "Flowerpot bread", bread you make in a flower pot in the microwave.

Apart from the absolute mystery how I ever am gonna fit a whole flower pot in my microwave, I actually think I will have to try this.
Flowerpot bread. Makes 6. 175g graham flour 25g wheat bran 1/2tbsp salt 1/2tsp mustard powder 50g grated english cheddar 1.5tsp dry yeast 1tsp sugar 3dl lukewarm water 1 egg, whisped Bake the bread in 6 common clay flowerpots, c. 7.5cm tall. Just put baking paper in the bottom and they are perfect for baking in. Mix flour, wheat bran, salt, and mustard powder in a bowl. Dissolve the yeast in water and sugar and let rest until foaming. Whisk the egg into the yeast mixture and mix with the dry ingredients until you have a smooth dough. Divide between the flowerpots, cover with plastic wrap and let rise until double the size somewhere warm and still. Remove the wrap and bake two at a time in the microwave for 3 min a pair. Remove them from the pots (a sharp knife is required) and serve freshly baked. Should preferably be eaten same day as baked. Variety: Herbal bread: mix 2tsp dried herbs to the dry ingredients. Walnut bread: mix 50g chopped walnuts to the dry ingredients. Cheese and raisin bread: mix 50g raisins to the dry ingredients.
November 22, 2025 at 10:17 PM
attusfalk.bsky.social
I am fascinated by the description of this sweet and sour sauce, though, as it is described as a "delicious, exciting, spicy sauce". I know they don't mean spicy as "hot", but rather as "tasting of spices", but still there's nothing in this which I would consider "spicy", in any sense of the word.
Sweet and sour sauce 2tbsp oil 100g chopped onion 100g chopped green pepper 100g chopped carrots 6tbsp tomato ketchup 2tbsp soy sauce 3tbsp dry sherry 2tbsp white or red wine vinager 1 jar of pineapple chunks, c. 225g 1tbsp brown sugar Heat oil in a bowl for 2 min. Mix in onion, peppers, and carrots. Cook for 5 min. Add the rest of the ingredients and cook for 5 more minutes.
November 22, 2025 at 9:58 PM
attusfalk.bsky.social
Once again, this section is short and rather uninteresting; two ways to basically just heat vegetables with different sauces, and 4 different ways to do baked potato fillings.

This, however, Tunafilled bellpeppers, have me asking questions I absolutely do not want answered.
Tunafilled bellpeppers 4 green or red bellpeppers 100g long rice 3dl warm water, c. 50º 1tsp salt 50g chopped onion 25g butter 1 jar of tuna, c. 200g, drained 1tbsp lemon juice c. 100g cucumber, peeled and chopped 50g matured cheddar, finely grated Salt and pepper Mix rise with water in a bowl and boil in microwave for 10 min. Guilliotine the bell peppers and remove the seeds. Mix onion and butter in a bowl and cook for 2 min. Add tuna, juice, cucumber, and cheese. Add the boiled rice last. Add salt and pepper to taste. Distribute the mixture between the bell peppers and place in a small, round pan. Pour 1.5dl hot water around and cook for 12 min.
November 22, 2025 at 9:46 PM
attusfalk.bsky.social
We are in the vegetable section now, and we have the ultimate table on how to cook different vegetables in the microwave.

Shoutout to squash, which you apparently cook 450g, sliced, in a cook bag for 3 min + 10 min rest. I had never even considered you could put squash in the mictrowave before.
A large table with cooking times and methods for a wide variety of vegetables.
November 22, 2025 at 9:35 PM
attusfalk.bsky.social
The recipes of this section are all actually really reasonable (with the possible exception of the ham-stew with apple). I want to shout out this meat and kidney pie, though, which you first cook for total 45 min in microwave before finishing with 20min in your actual oven.
Picture of a nice pie, a triangel of the crust has been removed to reveal the meaty filling. Meat and kidney pie 450g diced tender beef 100g kidney, preferably calf or cow 1 onion in thin slices 1 carrot in thin slices 25g butter 1tbsp oil Some flour 1.5dl red wine 3dl bullion 1tbsp Worcestershire sauce 1 bay leaf Some muscot Salt and pepper 100g tiny mushrooms 3 frozen puff pastry sheets 1 whisked egg to to brush with Cook onion in butter and oil for 4 min in a pie pan with high edges. Stirr once during cooking. Cover the meats in flour, lightly salt and pepper, and mix with onion. Cook for 3 min. Add rest of ingredients except mushrooms. Cover and cook for 20 min, stirr often. Let rest for 5 min. Cook another 13 min. Add mushrooms and let cool before the pie shell is added to the top. Roll together the pastry sheets and cover the pie pan. Cut off excess pastry, roll up and add along the edge of the pie. Moisten lightly with water so the pastry sticks. Cut a whole in the middle and brush with the egg. Cook in the middle of a normal oven for 20 min at 200-225ºC. Serve with sallad.
November 22, 2025 at 9:28 PM
attusfalk.bsky.social
We move away from poultry and to meats. We learn that this is apparently were the microwave really shines, as cooking that usually takes hours now can be done in minutes.

It also comes with this handy table on cooking times. Just put that mutton in the microwave and cook for 75 min.
Table on the cooking times of diffetent types of meat, including the correct inner temperaturemit should have and how to best thaw it.
November 22, 2025 at 9:07 PM
attusfalk.bsky.social
Presenting: Dove in red wine sauce.

Dove... in red wine sauce... which you cook in the microwave...

I beg you, if you for whatever god-forsaken reason decide to make this. Just use an oven, or a pan. It's very obviously what the recipe actually calls for.
Above the recipe is an image of all the ingredients, artistically laid out on a table. Dove in red wine sauce 25g butter 1tbsp oil 2 doves, bound 4 slices of bacon 1 finely chopped onion 1tbsp flour 2tbsp red currantjelly 1.5dl red wine 1.5dl bullion 1tbsp tomato puree Salt and pepper c. 100g mushrooms 50g filled green olives 2tbsp finely cut parsly Use your special browning pan for this dish (you have one of those, right?). Place the empty pan in the microwave and heat for 4 min. Add clicks of butter and the doves rolled up in bacon, two slices per dove. Cook for 4 min. Turn the doves often. Remove the doves, mix in onion and cook for 2 min under lid. Mix in flour, jelly, wine, bullion, tomato puree, and spices. Cook for 2 min. Mix well and add the doves again. Cook under lid for 8 min. Turn pan and doves after half time. Add mushrooms, olives, and parsly and cook for 4 min. Serve with green herbs. Picture of the finished dish, baconwrapped doves in a mushroom sauve served with watercrasse. Honestly, it looks good; whoever they hired to take the photos of these dishes is a pro.
November 22, 2025 at 8:55 PM
attusfalk.bsky.social
Seriously, this is just an absurd amount of steps to make something that basically is a chicken pirogi filled with meat in a microwave.

This is just so unbelievably extra, and I refuse to believe anyone made this.

Btw, you can find english translations of all recipes in the alt text.
Chicken rolls 1 large frozen chicken, c. 1.5kg 100g finely chopped onion 100g boiled ham, diced 100g boiled tounge, diced c. 225g lowfat minced meat or the content of a meat sausage 1tbsp mixed fresh herbal spices 2tbsp sherry 2tbsp black olives, chopped 1tbsp filled green olives, chopped Salt and pepper Garnish: tomato slices and fresh green herbs Thaw the chicken, 2 min on each side. Let rest five 5. Repeat 4 times. Cover in aluminium foil and let rest for 20 min. Open up and clean out innards, wash inside with boiling water. Put onion in a high baking pan and cook for 5 min. Mix in the meats. Add spices, sherry and olives, be careful with salt and pepper, and mix. Remove bones from the chicken, cut up and flatten. Add the filling on top and roll into a long, thin sausage. Either sew or tie together with a cotton string. Place of a plate and cook for 15 min. Turn the plate 3 times and the sausage once every 5 min. Wipe away anything that leaks out. Remove string and cover in foil, let rest for 15 min. Serve with tomatoes and green herbs.
November 22, 2025 at 8:32 PM
attusfalk.bsky.social
We are moving on from fish to bird. The bird section starts with this useful informatic on cooking time for chicken and duck, and I am once again questioning both the size of their microwave and why you would do this.

I would rather not have my 2kg duck in the microwave for 20 minutes, thank you.
An informativ table on cooking chicken and duck in the microwave, how long you should cook them and how long you should have them on the after heat. Both for thawed and frozen.
November 22, 2025 at 8:17 PM
attusfalk.bsky.social
Have you ever considered making a microwave fish cheesecake? Because this is basically a microwave fish cheesecake (made by mixing fish with philadelphia cheese, a soft cheese, with a layer of melted butter).

I am intrigued, and afraid, and just generally perplexed.
I don't know how to describe this but as a fish cheesecake, garnished with a small layer of butter. Behind it is a basket of bread and some tomatoes.
November 22, 2025 at 8:10 PM
attusfalk.bsky.social
I did mention these recipes are a little bit extra, right? Well, it has one for crab, and it literally suggests you serve it in a seashell (they are apparently microwave safe, the more you know).

Also, I am sorry Jill but this is a single pinch of cayenne for 2 servings. This is not spicy.
Recipe for "Spicy devil's crab" 15g butter 1 finely chopped shallot 150g crab 1tbsp dry sherry 2tbsp crumbled french bread 1 pinch cayenne pepper Some drops Worcestershire sauce 1tsp dijon mustard Some salt and pepper Garnish: breadcrumbs, parmesan, parsly, lemon slices, and "something green" Boil butter and onion for 3 min. Mix in the rest of the ingredients. Serve in 2 seashells or bowls. Garnish with crumbs and parsly and heat for 1-2 min. Garnish with lemon and something green. Serve with toast. Picture of the dish served in a seashell.
November 22, 2025 at 8:05 PM
attusfalk.bsky.social
We have reached the next section of the book where the author asks you to microwe fish.

And we start strong with scallops. This books feels like an attack on the French.

This recipe tells you to take things in and out of the microwave 5 times during the about 10 min it takes to actually cook this.
Recipe for Coquilles Saint Jacques. 2 servings 25g butter 1 small very finely chopped onion 100g sliced mushrooms 1.5dl white wine 4 scallops, washed and split 1tsp lemon juice 2tbsp cut parsly Salt and pepper 1 bay leaf 3tbsp coffee cream 2tbsp bread crumbs Put half the butter in a pan with the onion and cook for 3 min. Mix mushrooms, wine, scallops, juice, parsly, spices, and the bay leaf. Cook for 4 minutes, stirr once meanwhile. Remove the bay leaf. Melt the rest of the butter for 30 sec and mix in flour. Mix into the liquid the scallops were boiled in, mix in the cream, and pour over the scallops. Divide into serving bowls, garnish with bread crumbs, and cook for 2 more min.
November 22, 2025 at 7:55 PM
attusfalk.bsky.social
Have you ever wanted to microwave an artichoke, but you know in a fancy way with lemonjuice, olive oil, and garlic?

Well, this book has you set. Along with grapefruit in vermouth as well as avocado topped with a spicy shrimp-sauce.
A very artsy picture of someone pouring a white sauce over a artichoke. Another artichoke split in half lengthwise is placed on the table im front of it. Almost manages to look sensual, which honestly is quite impressive for an artichoke and not the visual direction I expected from an 80s cookbook.
November 22, 2025 at 7:41 PM
attusfalk.bsky.social
I'm sorry, but unless you for some readon boil your eggs in the microwave oven this is not a microwave recipe. Just use a stove.

Also, I'm not sure I want to ever experience the consistency of eggs in gelatin, to be quite frank.
Egg mousse 25g butter 1 crushed clove of garlic 3tbsp flour 3dl milk 4 hardboiled chopped eggs 2 eggs separated into yolk and whites 15g gelatin 2tbsp hot water to dissolve the gelatin Melt the butter in the microwave. Mix in garlic and flour. Cook for 4 min. Whisp it 3-4 times during cooking and after taking it out. Mix in the chopped eggs anf yolks. Dissolve the gelatin in water and whisk into the egg mixture. Plave cool until mostly firm. Whisp egg whites stiff and carefully fold them into the mixture. Pour into a lightly oiled pan and put in fridge until firm. Serve on a platter and garnish with hardboiled egg slices and watercress. Serve with toast.
November 22, 2025 at 7:34 PM
attusfalk.bsky.social
Sometimes I question why this book even bothers with the microwave, like when they ask you to do like most of this french onion soup in a kettle on your stove before boiling it in your microwave for 7 min.

Also, you grill the bread in your avtual oven... why?
Recipe for french onion soup on the left side, image of two brown earthenware pots of onion soup, topped with a piece of grilled bread with chease, on the right. 50g butter c. 350g yellow onion, finely chopped 2tbsp flour 10-12dl hot meat bullion Some salt and freshly grated pepper 3tbsp sherry To serve: 4 pieces of french white bread + 4 slices of cheddar cheese. Fry the onion in butter on your stove. Mix in the flour and boil. Add the bullion. Pour everything into a soup bowl and cook in microwave for 5 min. Mix in the sherry and leave it for a few min. Toast the bread in a normal oven on both sides, cover the second with cheese while grilling. Pour soup into serving bowls and garner with slice of bread.
November 22, 2025 at 7:22 PM
attusfalk.bsky.social
We start with some soup recipes. These are mostly unremarkable, and actually seems like they'll be really good.

However, we are instantly introduced to my problem with these: you cook it for 7 minutes. It tells you take it out 3 (!) times during this to stirr.

How is this easier than the stove?
Recipe for spinach soup. 25g butter 3tbsp flour 4.5dl milk 3dl hot chickenbullion 1sp muscot 1tbsk grated onion 1 package thawed leaf spinach ca. 1dl lightly whisped cream Melt butter for 1 min, whisk in flour, milk, bullion, spices, and onion. Cook for 7 minutes, open oven and stirr 3 times during cooking. Lastly add spinach and cook for 4 min. Quickly mix in the cream just before serving. Three brown earthenware pots (jugs, almost) with different types of soups: spinach, corn, and couliflower. A very handicraft-looking wooden ladle is placed in the top pot, and a piece of bread is very aesthetically placed next to it.
November 22, 2025 at 7:12 PM
attusfalk.bsky.social
We start with a full four pages of "Good to know" information, complete with a section on 'what is a microwave and how does it function'. The bottom left diagram makes me once again wonder just how large the microwaves these people use were
Descriptions of how a microwave functions and how it cooks the food, complete with nice and actually not very helpful diagrams.
November 22, 2025 at 6:58 PM
attusfalk.bsky.social
Back due to popular demand (mainly from @brainchain.ca) is another readthrough of an 80s microwave cookbook

This time it's "Cook food in microwave oven", written by Jill Spencer and published by Allerbok in 1987.
Cover of the book "Laga mat i mikrovågsugn" by Jill Spencer. It's a mostly black cover with a square photo of a three-course dinner under the title. A large plate with pasta and sausages, a small bowl of vegetable soup, and a slice of cake.
November 22, 2025 at 6:47 PM
attusfalk.bsky.social
Your last saved meme is your moral philosophy

(I can live with this, actually)
A colourful drawing of a potato with tiny arms, legs, and a unicorn horn flying across the sky, shooting out a sparkling rainbow from its butt. The meme text says "Fuck You! I'm a magical unitato!!"
November 17, 2025 at 4:09 PM
attusfalk.bsky.social
A present awaited me when I got to work today!

Feels pretty unreal that I managed to stumble upon the probably only type of material that an archive is willing to just mail to you.
A library cart filled to the brim with archive boxes, wedged into a corner of the office between a desk and a book shelf. They all contain transcribed probate inventories from between late 1600s and 1900, and I'm gonna run them all through the office scanner.
November 13, 2025 at 12:37 PM
attusfalk.bsky.social
Was casually looking through this 1874 cookbook I own (you know, as you do), and stumbled upon this recipe for "Sausage cake".

Apart from a calf-liver and suet, the recipe calls for 200g raisins, as well as sugar and suryp, if you want.

I need someone (else) to make this. Recipe in alt text.
Excerpt from the new household- and cookbook for wives, cooks, and maidens by Lovisa Pettersson, 7th revised edition, published in Stockholm by F. B. Löfwings Förlag, 1874. Recipe 267. Sausage-Cake. 1 mark (~425g) rice is put on fire to boil with sweet milk to a thick porridge, which, after cooled down, is mixed with grated calf-liver, half a mark chopped suet, 4 or 5 whisked eggs, some finely crushed bread, marjoram, pepper and salt, all of which is fried together with a finely chopped red onion, into which finally is put half a mark raisins. Sugar and suryp can be added as desired. The mixture is then added to a greased baking pan and cooked in a warm enough oven.
November 9, 2025 at 9:49 PM