Steampunk

Have you seen the fabulous sale items at Pearson’s Renaissance Shoppe? This is a great chance to save on clearance, discontinued, and overstocked items! All items listed are NEW and NEVER worn. This sale is good for the quantities, colors, and sizes listed on the site and only while supplies last so hurry to get your Renaissance deals today!

One of the great options on sale right now from Pearson’s Renaissance Shoppe is our elegant Queen Elizabeth Nobility Dress. Inspired by Renaissance Nobility style this one-piece dress closes with laces at the back and is boned to get that perfect silhouette. It sports graceful long hanging arms and is decorated with crystal and feathers. We recommend a hoop skirt for beneath your skirts to achieve the perfect profile.

If you are looking for something versatile to get the most out of your Ren Wear try Pearson’s Renaissance Shoppe’s stylish Ren Doublet. This doublet is reversible, made of velveteen with a black twill backing so you can be the dashing nobleman or, with a simple flip of your doublet, a common peasant. Currently available in red or burgundy.

Take advantage of the great price on our Lady of Leeds Gown before they’re gone! This elegant full length gown features drop sleeves with a front split, lined with gold brocade fabric. This gown features an accented square neckline and elbows. Lacing up the back is provided to achieve your shapeliest fit!

Pearson’s Renaissance Shoppe currently has several great separates on clearance! Our Charles Vane Pirate Shirt is made of thick rich Viscose fabric with a double ruffle down the chest and wrists fit for any dashing pirate. Our Dagget Sleeve Chemise tops come in several different colors. They’re baggy and versatile to be gathered and worn beneath a bodice, corset, or a waist cincher. They can be worn on or off the shoulders, fitting be ye a sassy wench or fine noble Lady. Our fashionable Maiden Skirts are made of 100% lightweight muslin cotton and are fully lined. These beauties are soft, breathable, and slightly transparent for any fine miss to shine with elegance. Pearson’s Period Cotton Shirts feature a stand up collar with a lace up front. Wide sleeves with an elastic gather at the wrists are roomy for any ample hunter needing room to pull his bow strings taught.

Get all of these fabulous treasures and more at Pearson’s Renaissance Shoppe Sales & Specials! Are you looking to expand your Renaissance wardrobe? Here at Pearson’s Renaissance Shoppe we have all the high quality Renaissance clothing, jewelry, and footwear to meet all your needs! We even have Renaissance clothing for little Ren fans. Shop Pearson’s Renaissance Shoppe Sales & Specials today!

At Pearsons’s Renaissance Shoppe, we love it when the seasons change. We especially love the transition from summer to fall. There’s just something about the crisp air and colorful leaves that makes us happy! This month, we decided to see anyone had ever figured out a way to mix the steampunk aesthetic with traditional autumn foods, and that’s when we stumbled on one of our new favorite blogs, Steampunk Cookery. Aaron, the man who runs the blog, is an ACF-certified chef who also has a fondness for steampunk. We browsed his blog and found some great steampunk recipes that are perfect for cool autumn days and nights.

Acorn Squash Soup
3 acorn squash
3 shallots
6 garlic cloves
kosher salt
black pepper
olive oil

4 Tablespoons (60 ml) butter
3 shallots, minced
2 teaspoons (10 ml) dry sage
1 Tablespoon (15 ml) dark brown sugar
1 quart (947 ml) chicken stock
1 cup (237 ml) heavy cream
parmesan cheese
kosher salt
black pepper

1. Cut the acorn squash in half, and scoop out seeds. Place on a sheet pan and drizzle with olive oil. Place a half shallot and clove of garlic in each half of squash; salt and pepper lightly. Roast at 350°F for roughly an hour, until the squash begins to collapse and is soft and caramelizing.

2. Allow squash to cool, and scoop out flesh, shallots, and garlic. Set aside. Discard the skins.

3. Melt the butter, and sauté the shallots until they begin to caramelize. Add the sage and brown sugar, mix well, and cook 1-2 minutes. Deglaze with the chicken stock, and mix well.

4. Add the roasted squash flesh, shallots, and garlic cloves. Cook 5-10 minutes, then purée with an immersion blender or food mill. Simmer another 5-10 minutes.

5. Add the heavy cream, and grated parmesan to taste. Adjust seasonings as needed; garnish with fresh cracked black pepper.

Reconstructed Corned Beef and Cabbage

Dressing
5 tbsp (75 ml) white wine vinegar
3 tbsp (45 ml) Dijon mustard
10 tbsp (150 ml) vegetable oil
1/4 tsp. (1.25 ml) dried sage

salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Salad
24 fingerling potatoes, quartered and roasted
salt and freshly ground black pepper
dried sage
olive oil

2 cups (473 ml) thinly sliced green cabbage
1 cup (237 ml) sliced green onions
3 medium-size carrots, shredded or julienned

24 slices cooked corned beef

1. Combine vinegar and dijon mustard, season with salt, pepper, and sage. In a thin, steady stream, add oil, whisking well to combine. Set aside and refrigerate.

2. Slice fingerling potatoes into quarters, lengthwise. Place in a bowl and toss with ample olive oil. Season with salt, pepper, and sage. Roast in a 425°F/220°C/Gas Mark 7 oven until lightly browned and cooked through. Cool completely and dress with the vinaigrette.

3. Combine green onion, cabbage, and carrot. Add dressing to moisten well, and toss to coat.

4. Plate up with the cabbage salad first, potatoes atop that, and a slice of corned beef with a small amount of the dressing on it.

Rose Tea Gelée
50.0 grams rose tea, brewed
8 grams sugar
1 gram lemon juice
1 gelatin sheet, silver-grade

1. Steep 1 cup of rose tea (1 cup boiling water, 1 tsp leaves) for 3 minutes. Measure out 50 grams for use. Consume the rest.

2. Bring all ingredients but gelatin to a boil in a nonreactive pot. Soak gelatin in ample cold water.

3. Remove from heat and stir in gelatin. Pour into moulds, allow to set up in fridge, freezer, blast chiller, or cold porch.

Steampunk culture is quickly growing from being a small sub-genre to a mainstream aesthetic. Movies, TV shows, and graphic novels have all developed projects with a distinct steampunk flavor. It was only a matter of time before video games joined in on the steampunk revolution. Nowadays, steampunk culture and video games are intrinsically linked. Let’s take a look at some of the best steampunk video games!

• Bioshock Infinite (2013) – You will see this game pop up more often than not on steampunk lists. This game got so many things right, from the tone to the outfits to the idiosyncratic steam-based technology.
• Thief II: The Metal Age (2000) – This game involves thievery, sabotage, and many other underhanded activities, all taking place against a steampunk background. It even involves a religious group called the Machinists whose goal is to create steampunk machine servants.
• Final Fantasy VI (1994) – The Final Fantasy series is one of the most popular video game series ever created. This installment takes place in a realm of steampunk machinery. While the graphics may seem crude my today’s standards, it is considered one of the best video games ever made.

This is only a small sampling of the steampunk-inspired video games out there. What are some of your favorites? Let us know in the comments section!

Steampunk style is everywhere – themed parties, books, graphic novels, films, even video games are getting in on this growing subculture. This intriguing blend of science fiction, historical décor, and the steam-powered ingenuity of the Victorian era lends itself easily to the visual mediums of film and television. We’ve previously covered some movies that feature strong steampunk elements. Let’s take a look at some great steampunk TV shows!

• The Wild Wild West (1965) – The precursor to the 1999 feature film, this TV series combined the style of westerns with the popular spy genre to great effect. The characters’ use of Jules Verne-esque technology and fantasy elements land it dead center in the steampunk universe.
• Voyagers! (1982) – This fantasy show not only featured steampunk elements but also featured elements from across all time periods. As Phineas Bogg and a young boy named Jeffery Jones travel through time with the help of a mysterious device called the Omni, they teach the viewers about various moments in history.
• The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. (1993) – Probably the most beloved of all steampunk shows, this short-lived yet critically adored show featured cult icon Bruce Campbell a lawyer who is hired to track down outlaw John Bly and his gang. While this may sound like a typical Western, it is anything but. Featuring anachronistic technology in a Victorian era American West, this show is a perfect blend of humor, action, and steampunk style.

Ever since the steampunk trend began picking up steam (I know, I’m sorry…), people have been incorporating the fun style into many aspects of daily life. One popular way to have a good time with steampunk is to throw a steampunk-inspired party. Have your guests don their best steampunk costumes, decorate your space with old-fashioned gears, clocks, and other imagery, and mix some steampunk cocktails. Steampunk cocktails?! Yep, some very clever people have put together some delicious steampunk-style cocktails. Here are some easy recipes:

·       Mr. Jacobson’s Emerson

2 oz. Hayman’s Old Tom Gin (do not substitute regular London dry gin; it’s not sweet enough)
1 oz. sweet vermouth
1/2 oz. fresh lime juice
1/2 oz. maraschino liqueur (it’s the raffia-covered bottle at the back of the bar)
Turbinado sugar
Maraschino cherry

Wet the rim of a cocktail (aka “martini”) glass and dip the moistened rim in the Turbinado sugar. Set glass aside, preferably in freezer to chill.

Pour the gin, vermouth, lime juice, and maraschino liqueur into a cocktail shaker with ice cubes. Shake well. Strain into rimmed, chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with maraschino cherry and serve. Repeat as needed.

·       The Pauline Charteris Hindenburg Cocktail

3 oz kirschwasser
A tad less than 1/2 oz dry vermouth
A splash of Grenadine
Lemon peel*
(*A peel… just the oily skin… not a “twist” with the bitter white pith.)

Shake with ice, enough to make cold, but not enough to dilute too badly.

·       Tinkerton’s Steam Cloud

1oz Brandy
2oz half and half
2 t sugar
1/4 t Vanilla extract

Combine ingredients in shaker and stir until sugar is dissolved. Add Ice and shake vigorously (this makes it thick and foamy like a shake) and strain into glass. Add a light sprinkle of cinnamon on top and enjoy.

For more ideas, check out the book Steamdrunks: 101 Steampunk Cocktails and Mixed Drinks and throw yourself a great steampunk costumes party!