Literary notes about vanilla (AI summary)
The term vanilla carries a multifaceted presence in literature, effortlessly bridging the gap between the culinary and the metaphorical. In many passages, it serves as an essential flavoring agent, transforming simple recipes into delightful confections—from adding a teaspoon to a custard to being the key ingredient in a dessert’s aroma, as seen when it flavors milk and sugar mixtures [1] and thickens a milk-based custard [2]. Yet, its application extends beyond the kitchen; authors sometimes invoke “plain vanilla” to evoke an unadorned, straightforward quality, as in references to unembellished texts [3] or when character traits are humorously compared to a familiar ice cream flavor [4]. This dual usage not only underscores vanilla’s tangible role in food but also its symbolic capacity to articulate notions of simplicity and ordinary charm.
- Boil to the thread or soft ball stage, and then add one cupful of finely ground peanuts and one teaspoonful vanilla.
— from Candy-Making at HomeTwo hundred ways to make candy with home flavors and professional finish by Mary M. (Mary Mason) Wright - When the milk boils, put into it the whole and cook it until it is as thick as custard; when cool, add vanilla extract.
— from The Whitehouse Cookbook (1887)
Cooking, Toilet and Household Recipes, Menus, Dinner-Giving, Table Etiquette, Care of the Sick, Health Suggestions, Facts Worth Knowing, Etc., Etc.
The Whole Comprising a Comprehensive Cyclopedia of Information for the Home by Hugo Ziemann - **Welcome To The World of Free Plain Vanilla Electronic Texts** *
— from Relativity : the Special and General Theory by Albert Einstein - “But Lady Vanilla is one of those who will talk with everybody.”
— from Sybil, Or, The Two Nations by Earl of Beaconsfield Benjamin Disraeli