Rough and Ready (food?)

[mhn]

In my great-grandfather's memoir of his time in the Civil War, he writes about being held as a POW in the old Steam Laundry in Richmond. He says the prisoners exchanged things for "bread, rough and ready, sweet potato pie, and corn whisky."
Based on the context, I have always assumed that rough-and-ready was some sort of food or drink, but in searching the internet I haven't found the term used in this context. Any ideas of what rough-and-ready is? Thank you!

 

[donna]

Will have to look into this term.

 

[donna]

After doing some research I believe it refers to homemade bread. Hard crusted that are rough looking.

 

[mhn]

After doing some research I believe it refers to homemade bread. Hard crusted that are rough looking.

Can you share with me where you found the information? I have been looking for an answer for quite a while so I am curious if I overlooked something obvious!

 

[Allie]

After doing some research I believe it refers to homemade bread. Hard crusted that are rough looking.

Wasn't all bread homemade?

I searched and came up empty. It's the name of a town and a nickname for President Taylor, but if it was a food term in common use, I would have expected it to come up in random hits of google books from the time period. I dunno. Obviously your great-grandfather expected it to be understood without explanation.

 

[diane]

Lol! Made me think of the town of Rough and Ready in California's Gold Country. Rough and Ready was founded by miners from Wisconsin and named, not for bread but for Zachary Taylor - new president. In 1850, however, a tax on mining equipment caused the town to secede from the territory of California and the United States. They became the Republic of Rough and Ready. This lasted until July 4, when the townspeople discovered Grass Valley, Nevada City and other towns around about would not sell them liquor with which to celebrate the holiday because they were foreigners. So, they voted themselves back into the US and California! About 100 years later, 1948 or so, the post office demanded they be either "Rough" or "Ready" but they couldn't be both. They took this to court, which is when they discovered they had never officially been re-admitted to the Union! They now have Secession Days in June, with pancake breakfasts and crafters markets and so forth.

 

[donna]

It is more of a description in making bread.

An example:

Rough and Ready Pepper Bread at:
http://risashome.blogspot.com/2007/09/rough-and-ready-pepper-bread.html

There is another reference from book " Joy of Cooking". as to Classic Tuscan saltless loaf:

"This is a rough and ready bread".

I don't know if these help.

 

[mhn]

It is more of a description in making bread.

An example:

Rough and Ready Pepper Bread at:
http://risashome.blogspot.com/2007/09/rough-and-ready-pepper-bread.html

There is another reference from book " Joy of Cooking". as to Classic Tuscan saltless loaf:

"This is a rough and ready bread".

I don't know if these help.

That does help, thank you. I actually have the Joy of Cooking and never thought to look there....

 

[Allie]

It is more of a description in making bread.

An example:

Rough and Ready Pepper Bread at:
http://risashome.blogspot.com/2007/09/rough-and-ready-pepper-bread.html

There is another reference from book " Joy of Cooking". as to Classic Tuscan saltless loaf:

"This is a rough and ready bread".

I don't know if these help.

By any chance is the rough and ready in JoC quick to make in terms of waiting for the dough to rise?

The other instance just seems to be using the term in its usual modern sense as an adjective, while the period use by the OP seems like "rough and ready" is a noun rather than an adjective.

 

[donna]

Probably used more like an adjective. It is in Joy of Cooking revised 1997 pg. 759. I can't get the entire site to print out.

I guess it more of a description of the bread.

The site is found by putting in rough and ready bread, and this and several other references came up. I wish I could give more.

I have Joy of Cooking but it is a much older edition and does not have this bread.

The term rough and ready seems to apply to more modern breads when I put into goggle. Could find nothing of the Civil War period. I just thought that it meant a bread of the time, roughly made but simple. I am probably wrong. We need some experts to explain this to us. Sorry I can't be of more help.

 

[johnnydef47]

I have a feeling it's not a food my personal opinion on it would be coffee

 

[mhn]

I have found a few recipes online for "rough and ready potage", made with turnips. I was wondering if it could be a type of beer? Or a type of porridge, like oatmeal or something? My spouse guessed beef jerky. Looking in Chambers Dictionary of Etymology, rough has one usage as coarse, bulky foods, such as bran, but that usage isn't recorded until 1927.