Holiday Gifts for your FOODIE Friends and Families.

The Foodies' Companion·

As the holiday season approaches, consider one of my two Foodie Books as a Christmas stocking stuffer or holiday gift for all your Foodie friends and families.

The Foodies' Companion: Cooking Tips and Tables, Food History and Fun Food Facts.
The Foodies' Companion ll: Cooking Tips, food history, Food Trivia and Recipes.
...

Both are available on amazon.com or barnesandnoble.com.

cost: $15

Best wishes for a happy holiday season.

FOOD HISTORY: Bouche Noel

Bouche noel ("Christmas log" in French) is a cake traditionally made of Genoise (a kind of sponge cake) baked in a jelly roll pan which has buttercream spread on top and then is  rolled in a cylindrical fashion. The outside is covered with chocolate buttercream spread in such a way as to make it resemble the bark on a log. The finished cake is sprinkled with powdered sugar to look like snow and other decorations, meringue mushrooms, spruce sprigs, berries, etc. may be added.  Because  it resembles a winter log, it has become  a traditional Christmas cake. However, it wasn't always. The origin of this cake can be traced back to the Celtic tradition of celebrating the Winter Solstice in the month of December.( Jol; Norse for Mid -Winter festival; Yol in Middle English; Geol in Old English; Yule in contemporary English -the shortest day of the year). On this day, the Celts would find a large trunk of oak, beech, cherry or elm tree and burn it as a symbol of rebirth and a thank you to the Sun god for the returning of the sun to the earth. When Christianity arrived in Europe, in the Middle ages, the Catholic Church could  not suppress this Pagan tradition and convert the Pagans to Christianity. Therefore, the Church conceived a plan to embrace this Pagan tradition and make it their own. Because the exact date of Christ's birth in not given in the Bible, in 350 CE, Pope Julius I decreed  December 25th on the Julian calendar to be the Church's official designation for the birth of Christ. Thus, the Pagan mid-winter festival became part of the Church's celebration of Christ's birth  The festival was  made  more elaborate. Now logs would be decorated with greenery and ribbons, the youngest and the oldest members of the family would bring the log into their home and burn it in their hearth. It would burn all night and the ashes were used during the years to protect the household from the Devil's evil powers. There are two possible reasons  about how this Pagan ritual turned Christian Christmas celebration event turned from the burning of a real log into the creation a  famous Christmas cake. The first is that Napoleon Bonaparte, the French Emperor, issued a proclamation that the people in Paris close the chimneys in their houses during the winter. It was believed that the entry of cold air into the houses were causing the spread of diseases. This was a public health issue. The second reason for the change might have been  that hearths in houses were being replaced by stoves which could not accommodate a large burning log. Whichever the true reason  may be, the big log, which now could not be burned, was replaced by a small branch in the middle of the table surrounded by sweet treats to be given to visitors. It was in France, at this time, that some entrepreneurial baker(s), either in Paris or Lyon, conceived of a pastry logs to be used in the Christmas celebration to replace the now not available real burning log. This cake became popular very quickly and turned  the Bouche Noel into the Christmas  tradition it has become. While the cake is French in origin, it is popular  in other parts of the world, as well.

FOOD TRIVIA: Food and Drink Traditions Around the World

   UNUSUAL FOOD AND DRINK TRADITIONS AROUND THE WORLD

In FRANCE, it is considered rude to cut the lettuce in a salad; salads are meant to be folded over and eaten with a fork. If you are drinking wine, your glass will always be refilled. If you do not want anymore, leave your glass almost full.

In ENGLAND, bananas are to be eaten with a knife and fork; a custom which dates back to the 1800’s when bananas were seen as an exotic treat.

GERMANS do not cut their potatoes or dumplings with a knife. This would suggest that they are not completely done.

In JAPAN and KOREA tipping after a meal is offensive since it is seen as begging.

Drinking beer from a bottle is considered rude in TANZANIA. It should always be poured in a glass.

You must wait for everyone to be served before you start eating in ITALY except when you are served pasta. This you can start eating as soon as it is served to you.

Bringing wine to your host/ hostess in PORTUGAL is considered insulting.

Do not salt your food in EGYPT since the person who prepared it will be insulted because he/she prepared it the way they intended it to taste.

In RUSSIA and CHINA you must leave a small amount of food on your plate to let the host know that he/she is generous and has provided an adequate amount of food.  However, in INDIA and the PHILIPPINES, not clearing you plate is considered rude and wasteful.

In JAPAN, when eating ramen, you are expected to “slurp” loudly to show enjoyment but, in a more practical way, to cool the noodles as you eat them, as well.

In AUSTRIA, one must make eye contact with every person you “clink” glasses with when making a toast.

COOKING TIP: Using Baking Soda in Cooking

To speed up the browning of onions add 1/4 tsp baking soda per pound of onions being cooked.This raises the Ph (makes them less acidic) of the onions which allows them to brown quicker.

To tenderize meats ( beef, pork and chicken) cut into small pieces for stir fry's, for example, add 1 tsp baking soda per pound of meat. Work in to cover all sides  and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Rinse thoroughly to remove excess soda and dry thoroughly. This will give you very tender meats for your dishes.

Give fresh shrimp a  quick toss with one tsp kosher salt and 1/4 tsp baking soda for every pound, mix well and let them rest in the refrigerator for 15 minutes before using. This will give you more moist shrimp when poaching and a crisper texture when sautéing.

When cooking polenta, add a small amount (a pinch : 1/8 tsp) of baking soda to the cooking water. This reduces the cooking time and amount of stirring necessary because the alkaline soda initiates breaking  down pectin which strengthen plant  cell walls and holds them together.

CAUTION: If you are on a low sodium diet use caution since 1/2 tsp of baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) contains 616 mg of sodium.

COOKIING TIP: Reverse -Seared Steak

I have just discovered a new tip for perfectly cooking any thick-cut (11/2 -2 inch) steak by cooking it first in a low oven followed by searing in a VERY hot pan. I have tried it and it really works. Even though  it takes more time than your usual cooking method, I recommend you try it and you won't be disappointed. While it requires three items that I believe are (or should be) in any kitchen, an instant read thermometer, a cast iron or any other heavy skillet and tongs. The only other consideration that you need is the time for the preparation.

DIRECTIONS

1) Heat oven to between 200 and 275 F (93-133 C).

 2) Season steak with salt and freshly ground pepper.*

3) Set steak on a wire rack in a rimmed sheet pan (cover pan with aluminum foil  for easy clean-up).

4) Put steak in oven and cook, testing with instant read thermometer until desired internal temperature is reached:

105 F (41 C) for rare
115 F (46 C) for medium-rare
127 F (52 C) for medium
135 F (57 C) for medium- well done  NOT RECOMMENDED!!!

Time will range from  20 minutes for rare to 40 minutes for medium-well done, depending on a variety of things; stability of oven temperature control, thickness of meat, etc. Keep frequent check on internal temperature with thermometer.

5) Before steak is ready to come out of the oven, heat cast iron or other heavy pan to SMOKING HOT and add 1 Tbsp of vegetable oil.

6) Add one Tbsp of butter and steak to pan. Sear 45 seconds on each side. Use tongs to hold and sear the edges.

7 Serve immediately; no resting time is necessary.

*Steaks can be prepared as outlined in steps two and three above, and placed, uncovered, overnight, in the refrigerator to dry out the exterior and enhance flavor.

ENJOY!

For more complete information and preparation of Reverse -Seared Steak on the grill, go to:  http://seriouseats.com. search: Reverse-Seared Steak.

THINGS I LIKE: Mecklenburg's Pecan Bottom Coffee Toffee Pie

PECAN BOTTON COFFEE TOFFEE PIE (Mecklenburg’s)
 

When I lived in Cincinnati, there was a very old, well known German restaurant, called Mecklenburg’s, which had seen better days. After it closed, it was purchased by an ASHRAM, a spiritual community focusing on Hindu culture and yoga but the members were all Americans, none of whom were of Asian descent. However, among them, were a couple of splendid Chefs. Susan and I plus several of our friends had many wonderful dining experiences when they took over the restaurant.  One of their specialties was this pie, which ranks as one of the best ones I have ever eaten. To give full credit for its origin, it apparently was originally created in a San Francisco restaurant called Blum’s which went out of business in 1960. The version given here is a modification of that pie that was developed by Donna Covertt when she was at Mecklenburg’s.
 

CRUST*
 

1 C flour

Pinch of salt

1/3 C shortening

1/4 C brown sugar

1/2 C chopped pecans

1 oz. grated semi - sweet chocolate

1 tsp vanilla

1 Tbsp ice water
 

Cut shortening into flour and salt. Add brown sugar, nuts and chocolate. Blend in vanilla and water. Pat dough into 9 inch pie plate,  bake at 350F for 12 - 14 minutes and cool.
 

*ALTERNATIVE: Omit the first three ingredients and substitute a 5 oz. packaged Jiffy Pie Crust mix. Continue as written.
 

FILLING

6 oz. soft unsalted butter

4/5 C powdered sugar

11/2 tsp instant coffee

4 eggs

2 oz. melted, semi - sweet chocolate

Combine butter and sugar and beat well. Blend in chocolate and coffee. Add one egg; beat 5 minutes – continue until all eggs have been beaten in and filling is of a light chocolate colored, loose mousse-like consistency. Pour into prebaked shell and refrigerate overnight.
 

TOPPING

2 C whipping cream

2 Tbsp instant coffee

 1/ 4 C granulated sugar
 

Dissolve coffee with 1 Tbsp hot tap, water. Combine with whipping cream and sugar. Beat until stiff peaks form. Cover pie, garnish with chocolate curls.

Refrigerate for at least. One hour before serving.

FOOD HISTORY: Cream Cheese

In the US and probably world wide, cream cheese is usually associated with being spread on a bagel (with or without lox or smoked salmon) and is thought to have  been brought to the US by Jewish immigrants. However, it is really an American product developed by a non - Jew who played around with another cheese that had an ancient history; the French  Neufchatel cheese from which cream cheese evolved. Neufchatel, a cows milk  cheese, is argued to be the oldest cheese from Normandy, France where texts indicate that cheeses were produced in the Neufchatel en - Bray countryside as early as 1036 AD. It is known that since the middle ages, that Neufchatel made cheeses had many shapes depending on the molds that were available to each cheese maker. During the 100 years war between France and England (1337-1453) many French women gave Neufchatel made cheeses, molded in  heart  shapes, to the English soldiers with whom they were in love. The soldiers brought these cheeses back to England. While the official name  "Neufchatel" for these cheeses was "born" in the ledgers of the Saint - Anand Abby in Rouen, France in 1543, the "officially unnamed"  cheeses that were  brought to England by the soldiers were being improved  by English cheese makers. This was done by adding small amounts of cream to the milk from which the cheese was made. These "cream"  cheeses became very popular in England. When colonists from England migrated to America, they brought with them their love of this cheese and the knowledge and skill needed to make them. Many settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, an area known for its dairies. Because these cheeses  were expensive to make and spoiled easily, they were usually made by small farms and only for local consumption. Therefore, they didn't get much beyond Philadelphia and environs. With the introduction of the railroads and advances in refrigeration, the cheese could be brought farther away from Philadelphia. In 1847, the cheese reached New York, where the newspapers announced that "cream cheese" from Philadelphia had come to the New York market and " It is round, generally from six to ten inches in diameter, and about one inch thick". In the early 1870's, William Alfred Lawrence, a farmer and cheese maker from Chester, NY, purchased from a French businessman, a failing factory for the production of Neufchatel cheese and called it the Empire Company. This was just at the time when there was an increased demand for farm fresh products and a growing upper and  middle class who liked to eat "fancy cheeses" including Neufchatel. In spite of this, the quality of Neufchatel cheese in  America was very variable in quality. While in France, the ripening process took weeks, in the interest of greater profit, American producers shipped or sold the cheese the day it was made. In 1873, a fancy NY delicatessen, Park and Tilford, asked Lawrence to come up with a new, rich cheese that they could sell. Lawrence added salt and more cream  to his Neufchatel cheese recipe (increasing the fat content  from 4 to 6%), packaged it in squares instead of the usual rounds, and called it "Cream Cheese". Lawrence's NY distributor, Alvah Reynolds marketed the new product by packaging it in aluminum foil and re-branded it as "Philadelphia Cream Cheese", taking advantage of Philadelphia's reputation for high quality dairies. This marketing was highly successful and the demand for this new cheese skyrocketed. Lawrence continued to improve his cheese. In the next few decades, with increases in technology, the process of making cream cheese allowed the fat content to be stabilized at 33% whereas, American Neufchatel cheese contains only 23%. In 1892, Alvah Reynolds bought the Empire company in order to go into production  for himself and, in 1903,  he sold his Philadelphia brand to the Phoenix Cheese Company which later  merged with Kraft Foods. While there are many brands of cream cheese being made and sold today, none is as popular as Philadelphia brand cream cheese which  is still sold in 80 countries through the Mondelez International Company, the name of the Kraft Foods  new worldwide snack  company.

FOOD TRIVIA: Cakes, Cookies and Pie

The expressions, "Cake Walk", "A piece of cake" and "Takes the cake" probably derive from the 19th century African - American competitions where couples who strutted most gracefully and stylishly  were awarded a cake as a prize.

A new style of wedding cake was created in the 18th century by English Chef Thomas Rich by taking inspiration from the steeple on St. Bride's Church in London., England. Up until that time, traditional wedding cakes were made in three layers; the bottom layer was served during the wedding ceremony, the second after the ceremony. The top layer was saved to be served at the christening of the first child.

Half of the cookies baked in American homes are chocolate chip.

The Oreo cookie was the best selling cookie of the 20th century.

The world's largest Gingerbread Man was made in Oslo, Norway on Nov. 9,  2009 and weighed 1435 pounds.

The precursor to the today's Gingerbread men was made by queen Elizabeth (1523-1601) by overseeing the first biscuits cut into the shape of men from gingerbread dough. 

The word pie originates from the word, "pica", Latin for the name of the Magpie bird, because the mix of  ingredients in a pie was thought to resemble the random assortment of shiny objects the male Magpie collects and puts in his nest to attract females.

Oliver Cromwell banned the eating of pie in 1644 saying it was a pagan form of pleasure, causing pies to be made and eaten "underground". In 1660 the ban was lifted by leaders of the Restoration.

COOKING TIP: Cutting Board Use and Care

A little salt on the cutting board when chopping herbs will keep them from flying around.

To make sure that your cutting board is stable on your counter top, place it over a damp kitchen towel. This will prevent it from moving.

Wash cutting boards and knives with soap and water, especially after cutting raw meat, poultry or seafood.

 

To clean and make wooden cutting boards germ-free, rub the whole surface with Kosher salt using the cut end of one-half of a lemon. Rinse and dry for further use.

 

 

THINGS I LIKE: Kentucky "Hot Brown" Sandwich

KENTUCKY HOT BROWN  is a sandwich of turkey breast slices and bacon strips  covered with  a cheese sauce and, in many cases, topped with tomato slices, that is  broiled until it is hot and bubbly, It was developed, in 1926, by Fred Schmidt at the Brown Hotel in Louisville, KY. In the 1920’s, the hotel had a well attended daily dinner dance which lasted late into the night. At the end of the dance, patrons went to the hotel’s restaurant for a bite to eat. Schmidt created the “Hot Brown” for guests bored with the usually ordered post-dance dish; ham and eggs. The sandwich is also called “Louisville Hot Brown” or just, “Hot Brown".

From : The Foodie's Companion: Cooking Tips and Tables, Food History and Fun Food Facts. 2011, pg. 77

 
When I lived in Cincinnati, OH, I had several occasions to visit Louisville, KY. On all of these visits , I always went to the Brown's Hotel for one of their "Hot Brown " sandwiches. I live in New Jersey now and haven't been back to Louisville in many years,. However, I still make my own version of the "Hot Brown" sandwich. While my recipe varies somewhat from the original, I use  Cheddar cheese in my sauce while theirs uses parmesan cheese, the essence of the sandwich is true to the original and is equally tasty. The recipe follows

 

Ingredients

 1 C Cheddar cheese sauce (make your own or purchase)

2 slices good quality white bread,* lightly toasted

6-8  medium slices of  turkey breast (or more if you really are hungry)

4  thick slices of fresh tomato

8 strips of cooked bacon
 

Preparation

1) Place both pieces of the toasted bread on a heat proof dish.

2) Top each with several pieces of turkey breast, two tomato slices and four strips of bacon.

3) Cover each with 1/2 C cheese sauce

4) Place under broiler for 3-4 minutes or until sauce becomes browned in spots.

5)  Remove and serve as an open faced sandwich.

* I use Pepperidge Farms Country White but any good white bread, store bought or home made will do.

FOOD HISTORY: Sauerkraut

Sauerkraut Is finely chopped cabbage that is salted, then fermented in its own juice. "Sauerkraut" is the German word for "sour cabbage". However sauerkraut was not invented by the Germans. Over 2000 years ago, workers building the Great Wall of China started fermenting heads of cabbage in rice wine to preserve them  to have as a food source during the non-growing season. Genghis Khan and his Mongols substituted salt for the Chinese rice wine and brought their preparation as far as the eastern egde of Europe, 1000 years later. In the 16th century, the German tribes started to salt whole heads of cabbage to extract the water from the vegetable and allowed the mixture to ferment, turning the sugars in the cabbage into lactic acid which preserved the food. It was the Germans who gave the name "sauerkraut" to cabbage preserved in this way. Obviously the scientific knowledge about what was happening in the process was unknown to peoples of that time. Be that as it may, sauerkraut became popular among many Eastern European cultures as a way to preserve cabbage for use throughout the year. By the 1800's the cabbage was shredded, not left whole. This provided more surface area for salt to draw out the cabbage's juice more quickly, to  allow the bacteria to work sooner and to speed up the process. When the cabbage was fermented, it was stored in a cool place and remained good for long periods of time to be eaten with pork, the most popular meat of that region of Europe, if that was available or just plain in hard times. Sauerkraut, to this day, is a major ingredient in the dishes of Germany and the eastern European countries of Poland, Croatia, Latvia, Lithuania, The Czech Republic, Hungary, Estonia and Bulgaria. However, while sauerkraut was eaten for many years to provide food in times of want, it wasn't until the 1500 - 1800,s that sauerkraut made an impact on world history. This was the time of discovery with sailing ships travelling to unknown regions of the world with voyages lasting several months to years. During that time, 1000's of seaman lost their lives, not just to the rigors of the voyage but to the scourge of a disease called scurvy. In 1753, James Lind, a Scottish naval surgeon presented evidence that scurvy was associated with the limited diet of sailors on ships and noted that citrus fruits provided a quick and effective cure for the disease. He described his findings in his book, "A Treatise of the Scurvy". After his publication, citrus fruit, particularly limes, were carried on most sailing ships including those of the Royal Navy - this is why British sailors are known as "Limeys" -  even though it was not known at that time what component in the citrus fruits prevented the disease.* However, how do you keep citrus fruit fresh on a voyage lasting several months? In 1760, the British Crown tried various experimental foods to see if any of them could prevent the disease and replace the  limes with a more stable food. In 1768, Captain John Cook, the  famous explorer, provisioned his ship with one of these foods; 7860 pounds of sauerkraut. Cook, when returning to England three years later, reported not a single death caused by scurvy. Because of this, sauerkraut  became a staple food item on British navy ships and other sailing ships of that time. Thus, sauerkraut essentially resolved the world wide scurvy problem but, again, it was without the scientific knowledge as to how/why  eating it prevented the disease.. Sauerkraut was brought to the US by Mennonites, Christian Anabaptists and Amish who immigrated from Germany and Switzerland and settled in the Pennsylvania Dutch (DUTCH a mispronunciation of the German word DEUTSCH -  meaning "German" in that language. Still today, sauerkraut is one of the most popular dishes among the Pennsylvania Dutch made with apples, pork or sausages. In fact, sauerkraut and pork is the traditional New Years Day meal because of the belief that eating it will bring one good luck throughout the coming year.

* It was not until the 1930s that that Dr. Albert Szent-Gyorgy discovered ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and identified it as the nutritional factor which was lacking in the diets of persons afflicted with scurvy. Vitamin C is a natural component in citrus fruits and bacteria fermenting the cabbage in sauerkraut digest parts of the cabbage and, as by-products,  produce both vitamin C (ascorbic acid) and vitamin B.