A Holiday Treat!

We are well into December now, and thinking of holiday parties and festivities to come. At every Christmas gathering, there are the traditional dishes, some based on where one lives around the  globe, and some based on tradition, mostly German and English, like the "Dickens Christmas", for instance.

In 1773, noted English clergyman James Woodforde, was asked to organize a holiday meal at New College, Oxford, and of course, he included Mince Pies! Below is his recipe, that was recorded in 1795.

Parson Woodforde’s Mince Pies

For the mincemeat (2-2 ½ lbs):
¾ lb cooking apples;
8 oz currants;
8 oz raisins;
6 oz shredded suet;
8 oz dark brown muscovado sugar;
4 oz lean beef mince;
grated rind and juice of 1 medium lemon;
1/8 teaspoon ground mace;
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves;
1-2 drops cider vinegar to sharpen (optional);
3-4 dessertspoons brandy, to taste.

Peel and core the apples. Mince them, together with the dried fruit and suet. Then mix in all the other ingredients. Store in airtight, vinegar-proof pots in the refrigerator. Use within three weeks.

For the mince pies (about 20):
Do not use the mincemeat uncooked. Grease bun or patty tins and line with puff pastry. Fill with the mincemeat; the quantity above should fill twenty deep 2½ inch diameter tins. Cover if you wish, but remember that fatty meat may float off a little free during cooking; it can be blotted off open tartlets after cooking. If not covered, top each mince pie with a rosette of brandy butter before serving. 

By the way, Woodforde is the author of The Diary of a Country Parson. It is a rather detailed and meticulous record of his life. It provides an authentic look at the life of country life in England at the time. You might find it a tasty treat as well!

A Scandinavian Delight!

This morning, I saw an recipe about an 18th century bread bun. The picture looked great, and I thought what a nice breakfast that would make along with a lovely cup of rich, dark coffee. Let's put away the "politically-correct", "gluten free", "healthy" breakfast, and talk about the Semla, or Selmor, Bun! Yumm!

Originally only eaten  on Shrove Tuesday, the day preceding Ash Wednesday, before Lent, the Semla bun is a Scandinavian delight, a Swedish bread that came served in a bowl of warm milk. Today they are found in Scandinavian bakeries shortly after Christmas until Easter.   

The Semla is cardamom-spiced bread with an almond paste and cream filling. They have been eaten in Sweden ever since the 18th Century, and warning: King Aldolph Frederick died in 1771 after eating 14 of them! Of course, he had a rich dinner to start. Perhaps the Semla was the straw that broke the camel's back!

The bread takes about 2 hours to make. The ingredients are as follows, and make about 15-20 of them:

2 cups almond paste

¾ cup plus ½ quart heavy cream 7 tablespoons butter 1 ½ cups milk 3 cups flour One 1.4-ounce package fresh yeast ½ cup sugar 1 egg, beaten 2 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon ground cardamom 2 egg yolks 1 teaspoon water Powdered sugar, for dusting

Melt butter in a pan, add milk and heat until lukewarm. Mix cardamom, sugar, salt, yeast and most of flour in a large bowl. Make a well in the centre and add the milk mixture and egg. Knead dough for five minutes till sticky. Cover and leave to rise 30–40 mins.

Knead dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth. Make into balls. Place on  trays lined with parchment paper; leave to rise for 30–40 mins. 

Preheat oven to 400o. Bake buns in lower part of the oven for 20–25 mins till browned.

Once cool, slice off the top of each bun and set aside. Fork out a layer of crumbs and reserve them in a bowl. Grate the almond paste and combine with the crumbs and milk. Blend into a thick paste and fill each bun. Whip cream till stiff and place onto the almond paste. Put back bun tops and dust with icing sugar. 

A Fantasy of Chocolate!

The Germans and Austrians just love their desserts, the more chocolate and cream, the better. And here's one to make, if you have the time, for Mozart's Birthday! It is called the Mozart Cake, and pays homage to the famous musician! The cake is not hard to make but has many steps, all put in a medium size spring-form pan. This is a fantasy of chocolate and cream and nuts! Take the time to make it, and you will sing praises, perhaps to a tune from Il Nozze di Figaro!

It starts with a meringue base:

4 egg whites

1/2 cup sugar

3/4 +1 tablespoon powdered sugar

3/4 cup ground hazelnuts
3/4 cup ground almonds

The Mousse
3 cups sweet whipping cream

1 cup bitter chocolate, chopped

1 cup white chocolate, chopped

Chocolate Creme

1/2 cup bitter chocolate, chopped

1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon whipping cream

1/2 cup butter

Topping

4 oz whipping cream

5 oz bitter chocolate, chopped

1 1/3 cups  hazelnuts or walnuts chopped or sugared hazelnuts, broken into small pieces

Make the meringue:

Whip egg whites in mixer until just foamy. Slowly add sugar and continue until soft, stable peaks are reached.

Fold in the powdered sugar, hazelnuts and almonds.

Outline the circle of the pan on two separate pieces of parchment paper. Turn the papers over ( so the pencil side is down) and place on a baking sheet.

Using a spatula or piping bag, fill in circles of the meringue using the pencils marks as the outer border.

Bake at 225F for 2 hours until the meringue hardens.

Make the mousse:

Heat the whipping cream until just before boiling.

Prepare one bowl with the dark chocolate and one bowl with the white chocolate. Pour half of the hot cream over the dark chocolate and the other half over the white chocolate. Mix until smooth cream is formed for each and chill in the refrigerator at least 4 hours.

Make the chocolate cream:

In a pan, melt all the ingredients for the chocolate cream, mix and cool.

Putting it together:

Place one meringue base in the spring-form pan and spread the chocolate cream over the top.

In a stand mixer, whip the chilled white chocolate mousse. If it hardened too much in the fridge, let it soften for a few minutes at room temperature before whipping.

Spread the white mousses over the cream. Place the second meringue base on top of the white mousse. and press firmly down.
Whip the dark chocolate mousse and spread evenly over the top meringue layer.Freeze for ay least 24 hours.

After the freeze:

Heat the last bit of whipping cream to almost boiling.

Pour the cream over the dark chocolate and stir until the chocolate melts.

Pour the topping over the frozen cake evenly. Return to the freezer for about 10 minutes, until the topping hardens. At this point you can cover the cake with plastic wrap and leave in the freezer for a few days.

To serve, remove from freezer and defrost for 3-4 hours in the fridge. Release the cake from the pan using a hot, wet kitchen towel wrapped around the pan to help it slip out easily.

Press the chopped nuts onto the sides of the cake.

Cut the cake with a smooth edged knife dipped in boiling water to help cut it smoothly.

Comfort and Joy!

Happy New Year! 

We are well on the way into January, but there is still time to celebrate it a bit. When friends came to see in 2015 with me, upon their departure, I gave them a small bag of black eye peas to take home with them. It is a bit of a tradition in our family, but not ours alone. As long as I can remember, my Mom made black eye peas after New Year's Day. It is supposed to guarantee a year of adundance!

I looked into this, and find the following:

These peas, which are actually a bean, originated in Africa in ancient times. They only came to America in the 1700's along with the slave trade. Mostly used in the South in Florida and the Carolinas, they became a staple and were used in stews with greens and ham hocks as an inexpensive flavor booster.

There are many recipes but the traditional is best, first soaking the beans, then putting them in water with salt, peppper, a ham hock, and a squeeze of lemon. Let them simmer til softened, but not too soft. You don't want mush.

They are a friendly food, and if they don't bring wealth, they will certainly bring comfort and joy! 

A Mount Vernon Favorite

George and Martha Washington welcomed thousands of guests to their estate Mount Vernon, They were noted for their boundless hospitality, frequent parties, and for the culinary treats served.

One interesting dish was the Salamongundy is a late-seventeenth-century term for what is actually a dish salad. Composed of a variety of ingredients ranging from greens, herbs, cucumbers, edible flowers, and lemons to roast chicken, anchovies, and other meat or fish, it was suitable for a lovely buffet in a gracious home such as Mount Vernon.

Vegetables of quality were a prized addition to any table, and Mount Vernon features a lovely garden of its own from which the Washington's kitchen staff could choose from.

Below is a recipe from Mount Vernon, that you might like to try.

Ingredients

2 heads romaine lettuce, cored and thinly sliced crosswise
1 roasted chicken (about 3 pounds), carved into breasts, wings, and legs
10 to 12 anchovies
1 lemon, diced
4 yolks of hardboiled large eggs, minced
1 bunch fresh parsley, stemmed and chopped
1/2 pound small white onions (can use pearl onions), cooked and peeled
Salt
Ground black pepper

Blanched red grapes for garnish
Blanched young green beans or haricots verts for garnish
Nasturtium blossoms for garnish

A light dressing of lemon and olive oil

  

Christmas Pudding: A Good Thing

I really love Christmas steamed pudding. It screams the holidays! In fact, I was recently gifted one by a friend, and I am looking forward to using it, perhaps for Christmas Eve along with a good glass of scotch whiskey or a nice port, when midnight rolls around, and I open Christmas gifts. Yumm, and Yay!

I mean, I don't like it enough to paint my nails in tribute (though the nails at right are kind of cute, right?), or get out the knitting needles and make ornaments (though these look tempting), but it is a wonderful thing to have for Christmastime.



I found an interesting recipe for you here, Plum Pudding, from the Cookbook of Unknown Ladies, an 18th Century London publication. I like the spelling! Of course, nowadays, all the ingredients are measured out, but this is kind of fun. It's up to the individual cook to play with the recipe, and make it ones very own! Good luck!

Stone one pound of raisons. Add one pound of fresh suet, the yolks and whits of twelve eggs. Beat up very well. When that is don, put in the suet and one naggin of brandy and a nutmeg. Their must be a bout tow spoonfulls of fower mixed with the raisins and the must be put in the last. It well take at least four hours boyling. Their must be too spoonfull of brown sugar.

A Bountiful Heart

With Thanksgiving rolling around, I take a bit of time to reflect on what's considered the "traditional" Thanksgiving meal. We have in this current century elevated this holiday fare to gargantuan proportions. A reasonable meal just will not be considered. Something about abundance and the bountiful buffet, as it were.

Probably the Thanksgiving meal of the 18th Century was quite different. I'm sure the historic meal between the Colonists and the Indians was cause for celebration, but not to the extent of today's enormous spread.

The most common foods in the Colonies were corn, maple sugar and berries. Meals were planned around the workday, with the mid-day meal being the largest. Meats were generally roasted or dried, and there were pickled goods as well. A tasty treat was molasses, and cider or beer was offered. One-pot stews were also big, with various root vegetables added in. Of course, ground meal breads were made probably daily.

And so, I provide a recipe below for the good of the day, a simple "Indian pudding", a recipe from the American Cookery book, published in 1796. It includes "3 pints scaled milk, 7 spoons of fine Indian meal, stir together while hot, let stand till cooled; add 7 eggs, half pound of raisins, 4 ounces butter, spice and sugar; bake one and a half hour."

Granted, it got a lot of cholesterol going on in there, but what with working the fields on a daily basis, you probably could get away with it. I would go for cinnamon and some clove as the "spice" component, and the sugar should be raw, or brown, at least, or better yet, molasses.

This year, try to keep things simple, and put the greatest amount of effort into a bountiful heart.

 

Savoy Biscuits

Lots of people enjoy playing chef, experimenting with recipes, creating their own. But how about a US president? Yes! As a matter of fact Thomas Jefferson, the 18^th Century man for all seasons, spent time in the kitchen. He actually wrote a recipe for Savoy biscuits, exclaiming, “Take care not to shut the oven til the biscuit begins to swell up, then close the oven.”

Savoy biscuits are tasty indeed, buttery and rich in flavor, though light and airy.  They are kind of a “ladyfinger”, and folklore suggests that Peter the Great of Russia and his wife so enjoyed them when they had them in France when visiting King Louis XV, that they purchased the baker and sent him to St. Petersburg!

Though the Library of Congress gives no specific date, it is assumed Jefferson wrote out his recipe when in Paris sometime from 1784-1789. See below his words:

 

 

To make biscuit de Savoy

 

12 eggs 12 table spoonfuls of sugar
separate the yolk and white perfectly
grate [zest] the peal of one orange.
mix the whole and beat them very well
6 spoonfuls of flour; put this a searce [sieve]
beat well the whites separately
mix the whole gently
grease the mould with butter
powder it with sugar.
put in the mixture and put it in the oven.
of the eggs beat as directed
in the _?__ of the Macarons.
["beating them always to prevent
their turning into oil"]
take care not to shut the oven till
the biscuit begins to swell up,
then close the oven.
a half an hour suffices to bake
more or less according to size.

 Monticello Kitchen

Shaken, not Stirred!

Not too long ago, I purchased a lovely-shaped martini snifter, hoping to master the art of creating the perfect, or at least delicious, gin martini. I've got the recipe nearly perfected, but I was much disappointed in the particular snifter. It leaks.....and, this is not good! Especially when part of the joy of the martini experience is its civility!

And so, my imperfect, uncivilized snifter will be going back to whence it came, in preference of another (yet to be found....the right shape for the right price).

Meanwhile, I was looking into the history of cocktail making in the 18th Century, and found some interesting facts.

Though the cocktail is generally considered American, it can be traced back to 18th Century London. Though fermented beverages had been around for years, it was in the 17th Century that people started drinking fermented spirits yielded from a healthy grain harvest druing the reign of William of Orange. He reduced taxes on distillation, and the rest is history. Unfortunately, gin drinking was curtailed in 1751, when duty was imposed.

By the 18th Century, the mixing of various spirits was in full force, with the inclusion of rum from the Indies, porter was commonly used in London, Guinness first brewed in Dublin in 1759. Vermouth was invented in Italy in the 1700's and Bourbon whiskey first distilled in 1789. Combinations of these were tried, as well as introduced into punch, an 18th Century favorite in Britian and Europe as well as the American Colonies.

Now, just for fun, I offer the recipe for the newest cocktail concocted by James Bond in the recent Casino Royale, the "Vesper". Here are his exact words:

"Three measures of Gordon's, one of vodka, half a measure of Kina Lillet. Shake it very well until it's ice-cold, then add a large thin slice of lemon peel."

As soon as I get my new snifter, I will be off and running, shaking and not stirring, with the Vesper as well the classic version. A good thing never goes out of style!

A Labor of Love!

It was my daughter's birthday last Wednesday! She is a remarkable artist/seamstress, and she is a true friend of the 18th Century as well! One must see her wonderful blog to see the kind of work she does: http://dressedintime.blogspot.com

I know she's my girl, but you must admit, her work is extraordinary! Bravo, Dressedintime!

Anyway, for years now, we have made eachother birthday cakes. They have kept getting more elaborate as the years have gone by, but to me, it's a labor of love, and somehow, it wouldn't be right if we did not exchange them.

This year, because of her 18th Century interest, I made an 18th Century cake. I found a recipe from those days for a "rich cake", as it was called. It basically was a spice cake, with ground cinnamon and cloves, brown sugar, molasses, zest of oranges. It called for a marmalade filling. Yumm. I made it on Monday, frosted it on Tuesday, and decorated on Wednesday. I had a dinner for her Monday night. (You can see the inside at right. )



 
My decoration included icing stitchery, and I found beautiful fashion silouettes on-line to adhere with frosting, ladies and gentlemen from back-in-the-day encircling the cake.









And so, another year goes by, and another chance to wish my dearest girl all the very best. Now, my birthday is close at hand, and I wonder what creation she will have in store! Stay tuned!

Puddings on the High Seas!

Currently, I am reading Book #19 of 21 of the Master and Commander series, "The Hundred Days". As I have said before, it's a wonderful series of the adventures of Captain "Lucky Jack" Aubrey, his good friend Dr. Stephen Maturin (Irish activist, and spy for the British government...shhhh!), and the enduring crew of the Surprise. At the moment, political intrigue abounds regarding Napoleon Bonaparte ("Old Boney"). Is he still in power? Is he planning conflict on land as well as at sea? We will find out as the book unfolds.

But, meanwhile, daily life goes on for Aubrey and his mates, the continual daily washing of decks, the exercising the great guns, the Sunday church rigged with the reading of the Articles of War, etc etc. And, of course, there are accounts of Aubrey's famous dinners for the high-ranking officers of ships under his overall command. He is a Commodore now.

And this is where I spend some time with you today, to tell you about the wonderful if unusually-named desserts served out with the after-dinner port and cognacs at the Commodore's table. These desserts are prepared by his faithful cabin servant Killick, a crusty old crank of a man, whose claim to fame is keeping the Aubrey's uniform to as perfect a condition as possible, and polishing the silver serving platters to an incredible gleam.
Not an easy task given that he is responsible for all the Captain's meals, cooking and mending and cleaning all in a very tiny space, a closet really, just off the great cabin.

The first dessert, he has often prepared (a favorite of Aubrey), is the famed, or infamous-named, Spotted Dick (or Dog).  The recipe is as follows:
8 oz. flour, 1 pinch salt, 4 oz suet, 1 oz sugar, 8 oz currants or raisins, 150 ml cold water. Combine the flour, salt, sugar, suet and fruit. Mix into a dough with water. Form it into a ball, and put on a warm, damp cloth. Sprinkle with sugar. Roll up the dough and leave to expand in size a bit. Put into a pan of boiling water, cover and boil for 2 hours. Add more water if needed. Turn out onto a serving platter, and serve with custard sauce. Yumm!

The second: Plum Duff

This has a more cordial name, as it were. But, in looking at the definition, "duff" is also a slang word for buttocks. So, here goes the recipe: 2 large eggs, 1/2 c vegetable shortening, 1 c brown sugar, 2 c cooked prunes, 1 c flour, 1 tsp baking soda, 2 tbs cold milk. Beat eggs. dissolve sugar in hot, melted shortening. Add to eggs. Add cooked prunes after draining and mashing. Sift flour, and add. Dossolve soda in milk and add.
Fill greased pudding mold 2/3 full, cover and steam one hour. Serve with rum sauce. Very tasty, but may add to the general size of one's buttocks!

The third: Suet Pudding

Suet, as you may not know, is fat from beef or mutton. So, don't be shy, and give it a try! 1 c brown sugar, 3/4 c ground suet, 1 egg beaten, 1/2 c milk, 2 c flour, 1 tsp sode, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp nutmeg, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 c chopped walnuts, 1 c raisins cooked, cooled, drained.Mix sugar and suet. Stir in eggs, milk. Sift dry ingredients together and add. Stir til blended. Fold in nuts and raisins. Spoon into steamer pan or pudding mold. Put wax paper loosely over mold to prevent steam collecting on pudding. Steam 3 hours, remove and serve.

I can't decide which I like best, but if you were months at sea, probably eating alot of fish, or salted beef, I think any one of these desserts, or puddings as the English call most any dessert, would be a welcome ending to any meal, especially if served with the ports and cognacs, and some good music as well. Remember, Aubrey and Maturin are famous for their violin and cello offerings. Give a look below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qL9ahJBgbwI

 

Election Cake

Well, all the hoopla of the election is now over. I'll admit, it took me a day to "get over" the results. Naturally, having voted for Romney, I was disappointed and a bit depressed, but today is, as Scarlett would remind us, "another day!"

I happened upon an interesting find regarding election celebrations during the 18th Century. The ELECTION CAKE! It sounded interesting so I spent some time looking into this delicacy. Also known as the "muster cake", it was used for large gatherings, as you can see from the list of ingredients below!

The recipe below is taken from Amelia Simmons' American Cookery, published in 1796:

Thirty quarts [38 lbs] flour, 10 pound butter, 14 pound sugar, 12 pound raisins, 3 doz eggs, one pint wine, one quart brandy, 4 ounces cinnamon, 4 ounces fine colander seed, 3 ounces ground allspice; wet the flour with milk to the consistence of bread over night, adding one quart yeast; the next morning work the butter and sugar together for half an hour, which will render the cake much lighter and whiter; when it has rise light work in every other ingredient except the plumbs [raisins], which work in when going into the oven.

You can see the original cookbook at left, but it has also been re-published and updated (below) if you are interested in recipes from back in the day!

Needless to say, I will not be making the cake any time soon, but I will keep it in mind for another day!

 

 

 

 

The Delicious Beauty of Autumn

When I woke up this morning, I could feel a change in the weather, and a wonderful, magical sense that something new is beginning to occur! What is that?! Why, it's Autumn! My favorite time of the year.
I know that technically, Fall has already started, but in the high desert, we have been experiencing a longer Summer, and so today I felt a definite change.
With its beautiful warm hues, the crispness to the air, the thought of pumpkins and pine cones, and comfort foods, it is a time alive with excitement and anticipation, rather than the way Autumn is so often thought of. The autumn of one's life, the sad thought that the best is now in the past, the dead leaves, the bare trees, etc, etc.

One of my favorite places to experience Autumn is Colonial Williamsburg, the historically accurate place to experience the American Revolution and Colonial life and times.
I am going to be visiting there soon, and my excitement is growing. The streets there are lined with wonderful trees dressed in all their red, brown and gold apparel. The doors of the houses don wreaths of pine cones and other seasonal fruits. And, the delicious comfort foods from 18th Century America are on display in the historic taverns. A couple of my favorites recipes are below. I love ANYTHING with apples, and the peanut soup served at The King's Arm Tavern on Duke of Glouchester Street is wonderful, with an unexpected flavour. A real delight when you want to cozy up with a simple meal, and a crust of good bread.
See below the recipes (taken from the Coloinal Williamsburg site) for your enjoyment:

APPLE TANSEY
To make an Apple Tansey, Take three pippins, slice them round in thin slices, and fry them with butter; then beat four eggs, with six spoonfuls of cream, a little rosewater, nutmeg, and sugar; stir them together, and pour it over the apples; let it fry a little, and turn it with a pye-plate. Garnish with lemon and sugar strew'd over it.


PEANUT SOUP
Serves 10-12

• ¼ cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 celery ribs, finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 8 cups Chicken Stock* (or low-salt canned chicken stock)
• 2 cups smooth peanut butter
• 1 ¾ cups light cream or half-and-half
• Finely chopped salted peanuts, for garnish.

In a large saucepan or soup pot over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onion and celery and cook, stirring often, until softened, three-five minutes. Stir in flour and cook two minutes longer. Pour in the chicken stock, increase the heat to high, and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring often, until slightly reduced and thickened, about 15 minutes. Pour into a sieve set over a large bowl and strain, pushing hard on the solids to extract as much flavor as possible. Return the liquid to the sauce pan or pot.Whisk the peanut butter and the cream into the liquid. Warm over low heat, whisking often, for about five minutes. Do not boil. Garnish with the chopped peanuts.

 

Exotic Food: Leaving a Bad Taste

Ever since I've been back from London, I have been so very busy at work, that I haven't had time to do any research and blogging, but I have found a spare moment today.
And, Ahhhh.....how about some information on Peacock and Swan Pie!? We all have heard about the exotic, excessive feasts of the Renaissance courts, but even by the 18th Century, these indulgent banquets were still taking place.
Today I saw some information on Swan and Peacock pie recipes from the 1700's from the book called Art of Cookery, 1757.

Both call to plucking the feathers, cutting off the neck, leaving the feathers on the neck, setting it aside for later. Then, put a stick up into the neck to the head, and place in low oven to dry. Also, the legs and large wings shall be dried and saved for later as well.
Of course, the body cavity shall be cleaned out, and cooked like any other bird, with or without stuffing.
Then, the finished bird will have the neck re-attached, and feathers put back in place for the presentation. Another way to have the pie is to cook the bird, carve it up into pieces, and put into a pie shell as a stew or a casserole. Then, the decorative parts will be stuck into the pie crust, the swan or peacock sitting atop the pastry.

The thought of having the proverbial boar's head with apple in its mouth, is almost a required dish for the flamboyant feast, but nobody really cares about the boar. There are plenty of them, and they are rather ugly, too.

But, the swan or peacock is an exceptional animal, and it is hard to imagine actually killing it, let alone stuffing it, and serving it. I'm sure it is tasty, like duck, with a lovely sweet glaze or chutney to go with, but it is also very sad, pitiful to say the least.

Of course, we can be outraged if we go by today's standards, but life was cheap in the 18th Century, and before. It was only until much later that human rights and dignity were considered, or even thought to be secured in the political or governmental forum. Before then, women and children were chattel, and some men were considered beasts of burden. So, if a person's life was worth so very little, how much more disregarded were the animals. To please a king or nobleman, these lovely creatures represented a delightful culinary fantasy come true, with no regard to the loss of one of Nature's most beautiful creatures.

 

Here's to the Red, White and Blue!

On this day in 1777, the Continental Congress in Philadelphia adopted the "Stars and Stripes" as the national flag of the United States. The Flag Resolution stated "Resolved: that the flag of the United States be made of thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new Constellation."

Betsy Ross is credited with sewing up this first patriot effort for the new nation. She and her husband owned an upholstery business, and were good friends of George Washingon. As the story goes, George brought a scetch of his vision for the flag to Betsy, who got right to work!

Her home in Philadelphia is shown here at left, and her finished product below.

In honor of the day, I think I will go home and make a red, white and blue tart to honor the occasion. Basically, on a baked sweet pastry shell, even Pillsbury  pre-made dough will do, place some vanilla custard (recipes abound on-line), and arrange various blueberries, blackberries, raspberries and strawberries on top. I would think a nice glass of not-too-dry champagne would go very well with this, along with a toast to the Red, White and Blue! Hip, Hip, Hoorah!

Coffee with the Founding Fathers

A blog I have been viewing recently, does these remarkable tablescapes: http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/ You should see them! They are an inspiration to me, and so, I designed one herein for you to see.

I call it "The Founding Fathers' Coffee Clutch"! It is very simple, but perhaps Washington, Jefferson and Adams might have sat together one afternoon to discuss the issues of the day. They might have had at hand a copy of Common Sense or Rights of Man, both by Thomas Paine, a contemporary of theirs.

My tea/coffee silver service is by Lunt, inspired by Paul Revere, another Colonial contemporary. Revere was a silversmith, and actually designed this set. My cups are porecelain reproductions from the Mount Vernon collection.
I included the porcelain bisque magnolia in honor of the Founding Father's gardening skills. They all maintained beautiful and utilitarian gardens. I think they might have enjoyed some Sally Lunn bread with their coffee. Sally Lunn is a Colonial favorite. A simple but delicious bread, see recipe below:

1 cup milk
1/2 c butter
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
3 eggs
4 c flour
Heat milk over low heat; add yeast. Let stand.Beat butter until fluffy; add sugar, salt, eggs, and beat well. Add flour along with milk/yeast, a little at a time. Cover and let rise in a warm place til double in size. About an hour.
Spoon batter intl a lightly greased and floured 9 inch tube pan.
Bake 350o for 35 to 40 minutes.
Remove and cool on wire rack.
Makes about 12 servings

The Founding Fathers liked their coffee, you know, especially after that infamous "Tea Party".

 

Hard Tack: The Sailor's Saltine Cracker?

This weekend I decided to make some hard tack, in an effort to better understand the harsh diet that poor sailors of the 18th Century had to endure. Just one of the awful staples, though probably "wholesome" none-the-less, was hard tack. It is quite simple to make:

2 cups flour
1 cup water
pinch of salt (or use a cup of sea water if you find yourself out on the ocean!)

Combine the ingredients, knead the dough a bit, roll out thinly on a floured surface. Cut into squares or rounds. Prick with fork tines, and bake for about 25 minutes at 350o. Then let dry on a baking sheet. Actually, I rolled mine out on corn meal, just to be different. The recipe yields about two dozen.

Well, to say they are tasty would be a great lie. To say they are easy to eat...that would be another. To say they are basic food. Yes, I guess you could say that! (And they last FOREVER). I actually had a couple for breakfast this am, though I improved them with honey and some almond butter. I must say, they look nice (see below), but would I proudly serve them to friends and family? I should think not!!!

Lobscouse on a Chilly Night

As the weather turns, and there's now a chill in the air, a great idea for a hearty meal is "Lobscouse!" What, you might say. Yes, lobscouse, the traditional stew of meat and potatoes and root vegetables, in a savory gravy. Yumm!
Frankly, I have heard of lobscouse, and read about sailors being served it, in naval stories. But I never knew what it was. I even thought it might have lobster in it, but no!
"Scouse" comes from the Norwegian word "lapskaus" for stew. The "Lob" comes from the word "Lobby" or an ad hoc meal (from North Staffordshire, England, also North Wales) where everything is "thrown in" (maybe, lobbed in!). In other words, spruced up left-overs!
Lobscouse came with the Norwegian sailors across the sea to Liverpool ports, and with the influx of Norwegians into the area, also came this tasty stew. In fact, today, Liverpudlians are often referred to as "scouses". Interesting how terms from elsewhere become entrenched into another culture.
Below, see a good recipe for Lobscouse (4 hours of slow cooking):

1/2 lb of stewing steak
1/2 lb. of lamb
1 large onion, chopped
5 lb. potatoes, peeled
1 lb. carrots, chopped
2 Oxo cubes
2 tsp vegetable oil
Worchester Sauce
Salt, Pepper to taste

Water

Cut the meat into large cubes, fry in vegetable oil until lightly browned. You can add Worchester sauce for extra taste. Transfer the meat into a large saucepan, add the onion and then the carrots. Place on top of meat. Then add 1 lb of finely diced potatoes on top of the carrots. Fill the pan with water half way up. Break up the Oxo cubes and sprinkle around in the water. Add salt and pepper to taste, and simmer gently, stirring occasionally. Simmer for two hours, then add the remaining potatoes, more heavily chopped. Add more Worchester if desired. Simmer another two hours, covered. Serve piping hot with crusty bread, perhaps some red cabbage, and a hearty ale.

For dessert, you might like to indulge in some Spotted Dick...What!? More on that later.