FOOD HISTORY: Pina Colada

The Pina Colada is one of the worlds most favorite mixed drink. Pina Colada, in Spanish means, "strained pineapple" and it was developed in Puerto Rico.  While the current recipe is from them 1950's, some say the name didn't originate until the 1960's. However, Puerto Rican folklore suggests that a predecessor drink, consisting of rum, pineapple juice and coconut was served by the Puerto Rican pirate, Roberto Confesi as a morale booster for his crew but when he was captured and killed in 1825, his original recipe disappeared. Further, at the beginning of the 20th century, a drink called  "Pina Fria" (cold pineapple) was mentioned in the pages of US newspapers as a "Pineapple Aide" drink and in 1952, a recipe consisting of "two fingers of cold, fresh  pineapple juice blended with 1.5 oz. of rum plus 1/2 teaspoon of sugar." was published in the NY Herald Tribune. While several versions of a  rum/ pineapple juice containing beverages  appeared between Confesi's version and those  of the early1950's, it wasn't until 1954, when a key ingredient - Coco Lopez - a premade coconut cream -  was invented. Ramon Lopez-Irrizarry, born in Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico, was a Professor of Agricultural Sciences at the University of Puerto Rico who was given a grant to develop items to boost Puerto Rican agricultural industries. One of his projects was to find an easier way to extract the cream from coconut pulp; the coconut being an important ingredient in preparing many Puerto Rican desserts. The current extraction methods were too long and costly. Lopez-Irrizarry  discovered  an easier method by blending the cream from the hearts of coconuts with an exact proportion of natural sugar. He named his  sweetened, coconut cream product Coco Lopez. It immediately had an impact on the islands culinary scene and became very popular. The invention of Coco Lopez plus a technological advance in kitchen gadgetry - the introduction of the kitchen blender -  gave rise to the Pina Colada that we know it today. The Caribe Hilton Hotel in San Juan, Puerto Rico is the source of  two versions of where and by whom, the  Pina Colada was originally concocted. The first is that a bartender named Ramon "Monchito" Marrero Perez, in 1954,  worked for three months developing this as a signature drink for the hotel and he continued to serve Pina Coladas until his retirement in the late1980's.  However, Ricardo Garcia, another bartender in the same hotel at the same time, claimed that he was the one who added strained pineapple juice to the drink and gave it it's name. Garcia was the first bartender to serve the cocktail in a hollowed-out coconut. To complicate things further, the Restaurant Barrachina in San Juan, also claims to be the place where the Pina Colada was born when the owner convinced a Spanish mixologist from Argentina, Ramon Portas Mingot, to become his head bartender.  The owner  claimed  it was this bartender who first started serving the drink to their patrons in 1963. Putting aside the controversy as to where, when and by whom the first "modern' Pina Colada was developed, the Pina Colada has become the national drink of Puerto Rico, is popular in all Spanish and Portuguese speaking countries and is enjoyed all over the world.

THINGS I LIKE: Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms

Ever since I was a young man and tasted my first baked, stuffed mushroom, a totally elegant one at what was at that time a very fancy, up-scale NY restaurant, “The Forum of the Twelve Caesars”, which consisted of a large white mushroom filled with half a toasted walnut, topped with a snail and covered with snail butter sauce (butter, chopped parsley and plenty of garlic), I have been a fan of stuffed mushrooms.  Not necessarily fancy filled ones, as described above, but more the “down to earth” kind.  My “go to” stuffed mushroom, has the mushrooms filled with sweet Italian sausage, (my own home-made or store bought), pieces of toasted pine nuts, shredded Parmesan cheese, chopped Italian parsley, fennel seed and oregano, drizzled with Olive oil and baked. This has been a dish enjoyed by my wife Susan and me on a regular basis in our home. However, always trying to find new ways to modify and still enjoy familiar dishes to us, I came up with the following variety on stuffed mushrooms. It turned out to be a success because when I first served it to Susan, she said she really enjoyed them. With feed-back like that, I had to share the recipe with my friends. It follows.

 CHEESE STUFFED MUSHROOMS

INGREDIENTS

1) 1 C shredded mozzarella cheese
2) 1/2  C shredded, real Parmesan cheese (or Romano)  
3)  3/4 C toasted Pine nuts, coarsely chopped.
4)  1 clove minced garlic
5)  8-10 pieces of sun dried tomato in olive oil, placed in food processor until finely chopped.
6)  2 tsp dried or 2 Tbsp. fresh oregano, chopped
7) TT salt* and freshly ground black pepper
8) oil from tomatoes plus Extra Virgin Olive Oil
9) 2 pints button mushrooms, medium to large size, stems removed and washed, if necessary.

PREPARATION

 Preheat oven to 375C

1) Mix ingredients 1-6 in a large bowl. Add enough of the sun-dried tomato olive oil to totally coat all ingredients (add Olive oil, if necessary) and mix. Using your clean hands is the best way.
2)  Stuff mixture into mushrooms, mounding slightly until all are filled.  Number will depend on size of mushrooms. Place on  Olive oiled or parchment lined sheet pan.
3) Place in oven and bake until, cheese is melted and mushrooms cooked through; 30-45 minutes.

Serve: individually, as an hors d’oeuvre, 2-3 as an appetizer or with a salad as a main lunch or dinner course, depending on how many you serve as a portion. 

*One should always taste, taste, taste when preparing a dish. In this case, taste stuffing mixture before adding salt since the cheeses used can vary in saltiness. Different Mozzarella cheeses may vary in their saltiness and if you are using Romano instead of Parmesan this is especially true, since Romano is saltier than Parmesan. Adjust the amount of salt to suit your taste.

FOOD TRIVIA: Ten Interesting Facts About Beer

1) California drinks the most beer in the United States.

2 The most popular US beer is Bud Lite.

3) 72 pints of beer makes a Firkin.

4) The word "bridal" comes from the 19th century Englishman's custom of taking his friends out for a final "Bride ale" the day before his wedding.

5) The first brewing of Pilsner beer took place in 1842 in  Pilsen, Bohemia, now The Czech Republic.

6) The oldest active brewery in the world, started by Benedictine monks in 1040, is Weinstephan Brewery in Bavaria, Germany.

7) Saint Brigid is the Patron Saint of beer in Ireland. Why? It is said that while working in a leper colony she ran out of beer, the safe and nutritious drink for her leper patients.
However, her blessed power allowed her to turn her bath water into beer for them.

8) A barrel of beer contains 31 gallons. What American's refer to as a "keg" actually contains 15.5 gallons; only a half barrel.

9) In 1516, Duke Wilhelm IV of Bavaria enacted the worlds first consumer protection law. He established a purity law limiting the ingredients of beer only to barley, hops and water.

10) The Scandinavian toast "Skol" derives from "scole", a beer drinking  bowl shaped like the upper part of a human skull. the Vikings actually drank their beer from the skulls of enemies killed in battle.

COOKING TIP: Seasoning

Season food at all stages not just at the end.

When salting a dish, add the salt from a height of several inches above the dish to ensure a uniform "sprinkle".

To "waken" garlic powder, mix in an equal amount of water and saute in a little butter before adding to mashed potatoes.

Store Bay leaves in the freezer. They will retain flavor much more than those stored at room temperature.

Adding one tablespoon of unflavored gelatin to store-bought chicken broth will give the broth a good homemade taste and body.

FOOD HISTORY: The Pina Colada

The Pina Colada is one of the world’s most favorite mixed drinks. Pina Colada, in Spanish means, "strained pineapple" and it was developed in Puerto Rico.  While the current recipe is from the 1950s, some say the name didn't originate until the 1960s. However, Puerto Rican folklore suggests that a predecessor drink, consisting of rum, Pineapple juice, and coconut was served by the Puerto Rican pirate, Roberto Confesi as a morale booster for his crew, however, when he was captured and killed in 1825, his original recipe disappeared. Further, at the beginning of the 20th century, a drink called  "Pina Fria" (cold pineapple) was mentioned in the pages of US newspapers as a "Pineapple Aide" drink and in 1952, a recipe consisting of "two fingers of cold, fresh  Pineapple juice blended with 1.5 oz. of rum plus 1/2 teaspoon of sugar." was published in the NY Herald Tribune. While several versions of rum/ pineapple juice containing beverages appeared between Confesi's version and those of the early1950's, it was not until 1954, when a key ingredient - Coco Lopez - a premade coconut cream - was invented. Ramon Lopez-Irrizarry, born in Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico, was a Professor of Agricultural Sciences at the University of Puerto Rico who was given the grant to develop items to boost Puerto Rican agricultural industries. One of his projects was to find an easier way to extract the cream from coconut pulp; the coconut is an important ingredient in preparing many Puerto Rican desserts. The current extraction methods were too long and costly. Lopez-Irrizarry discovered an easier method by blending the cream from the hearts of coconuts with an exact proportion of natural sugar. He named his sweetened, coconut cream product Coco Lopez. It immediately had an impact on the island's culinary scene and became very popular. The invention of Coco Lopez plus a technological advance in kitchen gadgetry - the introduction of the kitchen blender - gave rise to the Pina Colada that we know it today. The Caribe Hilton Hotel in San Juan, Puerto Rico is the source of two versions of where and by whom, the Pina Colada was originally concocted. The first is that in 1954, a bartender named Ramon "Monchito" Marrero Perez,, worked for three months developing this as a signature drink for the hotel and he continued to serve Pina Coladas until his retirement in the late1980's.  However, Ricardo Garcia, another bartender in the same hotel at the same time, claimed that he was the one who added strained Pineapple juice to the drink and gave the drink its name. Garcia was the first bartender to serve the cocktail in a hollowed-out coconut. To complicate things further, the Restaurant Barrachina in San Juan, also claims to be the place where the Pina Colada was born when the owner convinced a Spanish mixologist from Argentina, Ramon Portas Mingot, to become his head bartender.  The owner claimed it was this bartender who first started serving the drink to their patrons in 1963. Putting aside the controversy as to where, when, and by whom the first "modern' Pina Colada was developed, the Pina colada has become the national drink of Puerto Rico, is popular in all Spanish and Portuguese speaking countries and is enjoyed all over the world, as well. 

COOKING TIP: Want to Drink Tea Liks a Connoisseur?

Most of us have drunk tea using those very convenient teabags that one can find on any grocery market shelf and have enjoyed the experience. However, to TRUE CONNOISSEURS, by doing this, we are really missing the true pleasure of drinking all the various kinds and types of tea available. The following will give you some information about the most widely available types of tea and methods of preparation for you to get the most pleasure out of drinking them. 

 TYPES OF TEA

 All teas are processed to some degree and are classified by the amount(s) of processing they undergo. 

WHITE TEAS: The least processed of all the teas. Young leaves are dried, which removes all moisture but retains the natural flavor of the leaves, leaving a light-bodied tea which is naturally sweet 

 GREEN TEAS: These teas are heated shortly after harvest to halt the oxidation process and retain their green character. Their flavor is lighter than more oxidized black teas and has a clean, refreshing flavor. OOLONG TEAS: These teas are partially oxidized which imparts a lighter body than the even more oxidized black teas resulting in a highly aromatic, flavorful brew. 

BLACK TEAS: These teas are fully oxidized resulting in a rich, full-bodied taste

 PREPARATION

 1) It is suggested that you use loose tea purchased from a reliable supplier= and freshwater to brew your tea. Tea can be brewed is an individual cup or in a pot using various sizes of tea infusers or, if you are brewing in a pot, the tea can be poured threw a small strainer to remove the leaves

 2) Use 1-3 teaspoons of tea, depending on how strong a brew you prefer, for each 6 oz cup of water or follow the specific measurements recommended on the tea package.

 3) Steeping times and the ideal water temperature in which to brew your tea varies with the variety of tea you are using. Use the following table as a guide but experiment with different steeping times to suit your own taste. 

 STEEPING TIMES 

 Type of Teat       Time/Min      Water Temperature/F

 Green                       2-3                  170-180 

 White                       2-4                  180-190

 Oolong                     2-5                     190

 Black                        2-5                     212

 A LITTLE EXTRA TEA TRIVIA 

The British add milk to their tea. Traditionally, milk is added to the cup before the tea is poured into it. Why you ask? When tea was introduced into England, it was quite expensive, available only to Royalty and the very wealthy. These people drank their tea from thin, high quality, fine China cups which would crack if the hot tea were poured directly into it. Therefore, cold milk was added first to cool the tea enough to prevent damage to the cup. For those who would like more information about tea and its history, see my series of 4 posts about the History of Tea: Oct – Jan 2017’

THE FOODIE’S COMPANION WILL BE MOVING:

 Dear Friends and Followers of The Foodies Companion:

I will be selling my house and moving into a new Retirement Community over the next  couple of months. Therefore I cannot devote much time to compose new posts for the Foodie’s Companion. I will return to sending out new posts, as soon as I can. In the interim, I thank my friends and other readers for their support and hope you will continue to view my new posts in the future.

FOOD TRIVIA: The Fruit That Named a Color

 

The linguistic precursor to the name “orange” the fruit was originally used to describe the tree the fruit grew upon. The root for the word refers to the Sanskrit language where the word "Naranga” meant orange tree. The Sanskrit word evolved into the Persian, “narang” and The Arabic word “naran". When Islamic rule spread to Italy and Spain in the Middle Ages, the orange tree made its way to Europe where, to this day, the word stayed true to its original roots in some countries; naranja in Spanish and aranchia in Italian. However, it lost the first “n” in France and England. In France, the Olde French adapted the Arabic word “naranj”as “pomme d’orenge” (the fruit of the orange tree) or just “orenge. The Middle English equivalent became “pume orange’.   By the 13^th century, the word orange began to be used not only for the tree and its fruit but the fruit itself. The name orange as the color, did not come until later, in the 16^th century,  when the term orange (the color of the fruit) began to be used by the English to describe cloth and clothing in that color. Until then, speakers of Olde English used the word “geoluread” (yellow- red) to describe the color that we now know as orange. After that, in Europe and beyond, “orange “became the name for both the fruit of the orange tree and the color of anything whose color matched the color of that fruit.

COOKING TIP: Cooking with Cheese

Semi-hard (high moisture) cheeses should be grated rather fine before cooking. A box grated or food processor will make that easy. Semi-soft (high moisture) cheese should be cut into very small pieces since they are too soft to grate. Cutting them while they are still cold from the refrigerator will make cutting easier.

 High moisture cheeses used for soups or sauces should be added to the cooking liquid at a low simmer, in small batches to avoid grittiness. Tossing the cheese with a small amount of flour or corn starch will thicken the cheese slightly and reduce the chances of the fat separating from the cheese.

Hard (low moisture) cheeses, e.g., Parmesan, Romano, etc., stand up to high heat of a broiler and are ideal to put on top of a casserole (alone or mixed with breadcrumbs) to obtain crispy toppings.

Cut goat or any other soft cheese using un-waxed dental floss. Stretch a piece taut and saw through the cheese.

 When shredding semi-firm cheese (Cheddar, Mozzarella, Monterrey Jack), freeze for 30 minutes to firm up before shredding using the large holes of a box grater. Spray the holes with non - sticking spray to prevent sticking.

Keep cheese rinds (Parmesan, Romano) in your refrigerator or freezer and add to soups or vegetable and meat broths. It will give an additional dimension of flavor to whatever you are cooking. When finished cooking, rinds that have not melted can be minced and added to whatever they were cooked in as part of the dish to give an additional textural aspect to the dish or be discarded. In either case, the liquids in which they were cooked will have their flavor enhanced by having had the cheese rind added during cooking.