FOOD HISTORY:  JUNETEENTH, "RED DRANK" AND AFRICAN/AMERICAN CULTURE  

Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation on Jan,1 1863, ordering all slaves to be  freed.but it wasn't until Dec.1865 that the Thirteenth Amendment abolished slavery in the whole United    States. Because the Union army of 1863 didn't have enough men to ensure that all slaves were free in all the southern states, many African Americans remained enslaved. It wasn't until two years later, in 1 865, that they army had strength enough to enforce the Emancipation Proclamation in all the Confederate states, including Texas, the most distant Confederate state,  This occurred, finally, for  the last of two hundred thousand enslaved persons still in Texas, when General Grainger arrived in  Galveston, on June 19th (JUNETEENTH)) and read "General Order #13", informing them of their freedom. Because Texas had been one of the last states to participate in the slave trade, many Africans who came through Galveston were from both Africa and via the Caribbean, which in the later years, were mainly the Yoruba peoples from Nigeria, Benin, and Togo and the Konga peoples from Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo, Republic of Congo and Gabon. When they came, they brought with them and maintained many of their traditional African heritage. They celebrated their freedom by buying land across Texas, established Emancipation parks in Houston and Austin and the Booker T. Washington park in Meria, TX. They celebrated further, by embracing the colors of Africa - black, green and red - the colors of the Pan -African flag. Further, they celebrated by drinking, Red Drank" a red colored drink, long enjoyed in social gatherings in many regions of West Africa and by peoples of African descent in America. The type of "Red Drank” varied, whether a red "tea" flavored with Hibiscus flowers or Kola nut, both indigenous to West Africa, a fruity red soda, made using watermelon or strawberries or, even later, red Kool-Aid. . The only constant for the drink was its red color - symbolizing the blood shed by their formerly enslaved ancestors. Because of this, any kind off "Red Drank" is associated with and drank, at Juneteenth festivities. Other red colored foods were added to the tradition later; Red Velvet  and red rice and, even later, red Kool-Aid..

 

Recipe for Watermelon "Red Drank"

6 C watermelon pieces

3/4 C granulated sugar

1/4 C water

3 C sparkling water, plain or lemon-flavored soda

Blend all ingredients, except sparkling water o lemon flavored soda and pour through a fine sieve to remove any seed particles.

Combine watermelon mixture with sparkling water or soda. 

Serve with ice. 

FOOD TRIVIA: Cake, Crackers, Biscuit and Cookies

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.

Many cakes and sweet treats that are popular and frequently served are round or ball like, symbolizing the circle of life. Italians eat honey coated, powdered sugar sprinkled balls of pasta dough called chiacchiere, while doughnuts are eaten in Poland, Hungary, and The Netherlands. The Dutch eat doughnut type pastries filled with apples, currents and raisins, as well. Other cultures put a trinket or coin in their cake and the one who gets the trinket containing slice, has a year’s good luck. Mexico and Greece are examples of this tradition but in Sweden and Norway the trinket/ coin is replaced by an almond and the cake by rice pudding. 

In 1998, The Sacher Hotel in Vienna baked a version of their world-famous cake, The Sacher Torte, which measured  2.5 meters (8m feet, 2.4 inches); a Guinness world record.

 The tiered wedding cake was inspired by St. Bride's Church, in London, England, because of its tiered spire

Most crackers are full of holes, not for appearance but to release steam in the wet dough, which would create bubbles to break them, while they bake. The holes keep them flat, dry and crunchy.

In Australia, the Anzac Biscuit, an army biscuit, is sold each year when the country celebrates Anzac (Australia/New Zealand)  Day. During WW I, the recipe was used to make biscuits for the  Anzac  soldiers serving in Europe. It took two months for them to get there by sea. They arrived in Gallipoli on April 25, 1915.

Fortune cookies offered by most Chinese restaurants in America, are not found in China. They were invented in 1916 by George Jung, a noodle maker in Los Angeles.

Italian cookies are usually dry and not very sweet because they are meant to be dipped into coffee or wine to enhance the enjoyment of each drink. Also, their dry consistency prolonged their shelf life before refrigeration became available. 

In 1918, several baking companies formed the National Biscuit Company (NABISCO) on 15 - 16 St along 9th Ave, in NYC. The Oreo cookie was born there. Now, 15 -16 St along 9th Ave is officially known as  “Oreo Way”.                         

Many centuries ago, bakers in Scotland classified shortbread as bread to avoid the tax that was placed on biscuits (cookies), at that time.

 COOKING TIP: Debunking Food Myths

POTATO added to a TOO SALTY SOUP or STEW will NOT make the soup or stew less salty. This is a popular, but incorrect, piece of kitchen lore.

SEARING MEAT, despite popular thought, DOES NOT seal in thejuices. It does, however, caramelize juices on the outside of the meat, which makes it taste better and gives a delicious crust. If searing sealed the surface of the meat, the inside juices would reach the boiling point, boil and would “burst” through the sealed crust. This does not happen because the surface of meat is porous, allowing moisture to escape, whether the meat surface is seared or not.

WASHING MUSHROOMS: Contrary to popular belief, mushrooms CAN be washed to remove sand and dirt before they are used. A quick wash just before use will provide clean mushrooms for your recipe. 

NEVER PUT BANANAS IN THE REFRIGERATOR? NOT TRUE! If you have extra bananas that you are afraid that you can’t use before they get all brown and overripe, wrap each one tightly, in plastic wrap and refrigerate. While the skin may get some brown spotting, the flesh will darken a little but the flesh will, essentially, remain in the state it was when the fruit was put into the refrigerator for, at least, eight days (I have done this) and, perhaps, even two weeks.

ADDING BUTTER TO OIL improves flavor but it DOES NOT, as is commonly believed, increase the smoking point of the butter.

Contrary to what is claimed by many food writers, BAMBOO SKEWERS soaked in water before use burn just as quickly as those used dry.

DON'T SALT BEANS BEFORE COOKING. WRONG! Beans soaked in room temperature, salted water (3 Tbsp salt/ 4 quarts water) for 8-24 hours, when drained, rinsed and cooked by slow simmering will be creamy and have tender skins.

STRONG, SHARP FLAVORED LEAFY GREENS - collard, mustard, turnip and dandelion - should only be boiled quickly in NON - SALTED water since steaming or cooking with salt will increase the bitter flavor of these greens. Salt, to taste, after cooking.

 FOOD TRIVIA: How Food Expressions became Part of out Language

Roman soldiers were paid, in part, by being given SALT, which in those days was a highly prized commodity used for trading. Thus, a soldier who was, "NOT WORTH HIS SALT     " was a worthless warrior.

PEACH  MELBA a dessert combining poached peaches in a raspberry sauce was invented by Chef Auguste Escoffier in 1892 at the Savoy Hotel, London  for Nellie Melba, the famous Australian  opera singer performing at the Covent Gardens Opera House. He also prepared MELBA TOAST, a thinly sliced, toasted piece of bread, for her to eat as a light meal, when she became ill at the hotel.

POUND CAKE. originally when it was baked, weighed four pounds. However, its individual ingredients were measured in pounds, as well; one pound each, flour, butter, sugar and eggs.  Using the traditional four pound ingredient  measurements, it  made a cake possible to serve many persons, hence the name, POUND CAKE.

GERMAN CHOCLATE CAKE is a layered chocolate cake, filled with and topped by a coconut-pecan frosting, that has nothing to do with the country of Germany. It was made in the United States and was named after the English-American chocolate maker, Samuel German,, working for The Baker Chocolate Company, who developed a formulation for a dark (not sweet) baking chocolate that became used in the recipe.

HOTDISH, a term originating in the Midwest United States, refers to a hot, comforting dish often served at social gatherings or community events. It differs from the French word CASSEROLE which  refers to a dish with layers, cooked in a large, deep pan and which has been a staple in French cuisine for centuries. HOTDISH has a significant Scandinavian influence, being brought to the United States by Swedish, Norwegian and Danish immigrant's and is similar to dishes from these countries called, "varmett" or "varmatt",dishes, which translates to "hot" or "warm" dishes.. They differ from French casseroles which involve multiple cooking methods, e.g.., browning meat and/or cooking vegetable, separately, before combining in the cooking vessel; whereas HOTDISH involves cooking ALL ingredients in a vessel at the same time, often with minimal preparation and served from the same cooking dish. YOU BETCHA!

FRENCH FRIES origin are disputed between France and Belgium but the evidence favors Belgium, where, in 1680. at  Namur, a town 39 miles from Brussels, the inhabitants used to fry river fish from the banks of the Meuse river. However, one winter froze the river making fish unavailable. Therefore, they cut potatoes, in wedges, and fried them in fat as a substitute for their fried fish. This tradition remained and when American soldiers, in World War II passed through Belgium, they got to know them.  Because the soldiers got to eat them in the French speaking part of Belgium, they assumes that they were of French origin. When the soldiers returned home, they still called deep fried potato wedges  or strips French Fries and in the United States, they are still referred to as French Fries.

"GONE TO POT" an expression meaning of no use as a thing or a person, comes from the 15th century, before refrigeration was available, to cuts of fresh meat that were nearing the end of being edible. They  would be cut into small  pieces and put into a stew pot. In those days, a stew pot was always kept    bubbling, by being  hung near the fireplace in which food was cooked. Things such as old cuts of meat, vegetables drying out, game birds or rabbits which were in danger of spoiling, were "GONE TO POT".to be cooked. If you were invited to dinner, you took " POT LUCK" and  hoped that you would be eating new food items that had" GONE TO POT", recently, rather than  having only food that had been in the pot cooking  for some time. Remember the old nursery rhyme,, "Pease Porridge hot, Pease Porridge cold, Pease Porridge in the pot nine days old". A reference to the above!

THE FOODIES' COMPANION:  BOOK REVIEW OF MY BOOKS I AND II

Since my fourth book, The Foodies' Companion Food Histories, was just published, I thought my readers might like to read a review of my first two books.

                                                         BOOK REVIEW

THE FOODIES COMPANION I and II By Ian Alan Holder

Review by The Cast Iron Pan Store

 I worked with Dr. Holder for several years when he was the Director of Microbiology at Shriners Hospitals here in Cincinnati. Working in IT at the time, my association with him was usually just to  get his computer to start up after he’d installed something. But it gave me a chance to talk with him and discover common ground. Namely the undying love for food and an appreciation of not only ingredients but the love that’s in its’ preparation. Dr. Holder at that time had enrolled in one of Cincinnati’s culinary programs and had encouraged me to do the same, but circumstances dictated otherwise. After he retired in 2002, I lost touch until he resurfaced on Facebook with his first book “The Foodies Companion”. I didn’t pay much attention until his second book “The Foodies Companion II showed up. I got both and set down to have a look as I know Dr. Holder loved to share his culinary work with the Hospital staff.

At first glance, they are not cookbooks in the traditional style. I like to refer to them as cooking books more in line with Frank Tolbert's “A Bowl of Red” as they tend to tell stories about food in addition to offering tips on ingredients and preparation before they hit the pot, along with some history to go with it.

Some books on cooking are just that. These books are unique in as much as they constitute a read more than just a reference. There’s no table of contents or index so you might want to have some post-it notes  handy for bookmarks. In addition to being extremely easy to read, once you start, they’re almost impossible to put down (as my spouse found out). Even if you have a pot boiling over on the stove. There’s a lot to be garnered by reading the books that all true foodies will appreciate both knowingly and appreciatively.  Both volumes are broken into sections regarding tips, trivia, and history of food with such tips as using 80 proof vodka to reduce Gluten. Preparation and seasoning ideas abound as well as substitutions, weights and measurements, and general handling. Smaller recipes are lightly drizzled among the content for such things as Tandoori Marinade and Chinese 5 powder spice. Volume II caps off the series with some of the authors’ favorite recipes.

There are also excellent sections on meat preparation and baking that you’ll want to ingest as well. All in all, there’s not much about cooking left out and if you’re just starting to learn, these two volumes are must haves. Even experienced cooks will enjoy the material presented both knowingly and with a smile. For myself, I’m off to make Peameal Bacon on page 104 of Volume II. I know you’ll enjoy reading it as much as I did.

If you only get 1 of the books, you’ll want this.one. It is filled with great information on all aspects of culinary advice. 

Available from Amazon.

THE FOODIES' COMPANION; New Book 

My latest book, "The Foodies' Companion Food Histories; 120 Histories of Food, Drink and Other Items of Culinary Interest"  is now available on Amazon.

Book Description

How did Fish and Chips become one of England's favorite dishes? Why was there a cord attached to each side of the original Animal Cracker boxes? Why is corn called corn in the United States, rather than maize used in the rest of the world? Why is Turkey called Turkey? How did the world get Spam, the edible kind, not the email kind? The answers to these questions are contained in this book, The book presents the histories of 120 varieties of different foods, drinks and other items of culinary interest, from Animal Crackers to Zabaglione, all presented in the author's own unique fashion. A book for both foodies and history lovers.

If any of my Blog friends purchase a book and like it, I would be most grateful if you wrote a review of it  for  Amazon. 

Thank you.

 FOOD HISTORY:: GULLAH*GEECHEE**FOODWAYS   

The creation of the Gullah Geechee Foodways -The food dishes from Africa that became translated into those of the Southern coastal area of the United Stares *** 

The countries that now make up Western Africa are where rice was first domesticated and grown in Africa and inventive rice dishes called Jollof rice, were created all over the area using various local ingredients. Each reflected the different food cultures and histories in the region in which it was prepared. 

The Gullah Geechee are the descendants of the first enslaved peoples from West Africa who were brought to, and still live in, the rural communities in and around the coastal region and the sea islands of South Carolina and Georgia or the coastal mainland regions of Georgia and northeastern Florida. 

 In the late 17th century, growing rice in those states, using enslaved native Americans, became lucrative enough to have the plantation owners bring in enslaved West Africans, who had experience in cultivation and growing of rice, *** to increase their workforce. 

The climate in those costal states, warm, semitropical, wet and swampy, were ideal for growing rice but prone to the spread of Malaria and Yellow Fever. Many West Africans brought to these areas for their knowledge of rice cultivation were immune these diseases, due to exposure in Africa; but the white plantation owners were not. Therefore, they built their houses far from the rice fields, and, during the wet and rainy summer and autumn seasons left altogether, leaving only enslaved West Africans as foremen. 

While the white population always remained low, rice sale profits increased, which led the owners to import more West Africans. Because of this, these West Africans had even less contact with the small population of white people who remained. This made their experience different from Africans brought as slaves to other parts of the United States. 

Since the West Africans were not taught to read and write, the only means they had to pass down their cultural traditions, including cooking, recipes, ingredients and the means of preparation, was by word of mouth. This is the basis of what is called the “Gullah Geechee Foodways”.  

Enslaved people were given only cast off or garbage parts of cows and pigs to eat and used a variety of seafood they could catch to make their food. Because Gullah Geechee people had a deep understanding of rice cultivation and usage much more than the owners, they used rice as the basis for many of their dishes, incorporating it into them, adding other food items that were indigenous to where they lived to complete the dish. 

In this way, they were following traditional food preparation in the way it had been done in Africa. 

Further, since they owned only one pot, almost every meal was a one pot dish to stretch the meal further. 

Some traditional savory Gullah Geechee dishes are Okra Soup, Red Rice, Hoppin John, Crab Rice, Shrimp and Grits and Gullah Gumbo. Others are Sweet: Peaches and Cream pie and Chewies. 

 

*Gullah 

Lived and worked on costal islands and mainland South Carolina and Georgia. 

Isolation in these areas allowed them to maintain their traditions and develop a distinct Creole language m known as Gullah, which combined elements of West African and English. 

**Geechee 

Lived and worked on costal mainland regions of Georgia and northeastern Florida. 

They shared some similarities with the Gullah but developed their own cultural practices and linguistic variations. Their language – Geechee Creole – was influenced by several African languages and dialects. 

 

*** Slave ships brought West African food crops and seeds , especially rice, for the slaves to eat and sustain them during and after their passage to the new world, but also, black-eyed peas, yams, kidney and lima beans, sesame seeds and watermelon, among others. These African ingredients, combined with local white southern dishes, “morphed” into the components of ‘Southern Cooking" and, eventually, into what we now call “Soul Food”, eaten by African Americans but enjoyed by many other cultures, as well. 

 

 THE FOODIES COMPANION: THINGS I LIKE

In my book," The Foodies' Companion Cookbook; Things I Like", I presented  recipes for the dishes  I have eaten in my 90+ years of eating, that I have particularly enjoyed. These may have been those I have created, those given to me by friends or family and others I have found and eaten in my travels to other countries. Some recipes are very simple and easy, perhaps from being printed on a store bought box or can, others more complex to prepare. However, in every case, they are dishes I have enjoyed and eaten over and over again  in my life. Each recipe is preceded by the story about how the dish became one of the, " Things I Like".  For me, a very personal cookbook.

Recently, I created  a very simple Tomato - Cheese soup that my wife, Susan, enjoyed so much that she suggested that I share it with others.

The recipe for Susan's Tomato - cheese soup follows:

Ingredients

1 can condensed tomato soup

! can water

1/2 tsp flour

1/2 tsp sugar

2 oz cream cheese - room temperature and cut into small pieces.

1/4 C shredded Cheddar cheese ( mild or sharp, your choice)

Salt and pepper, TT

Directions

Pour the contents of the can of soup into pan. Mix the flour with the can of water, add to the pan, and  mix thoroughly. Add  sugar, and cream cheese pieces.

Heat pan slowly, with stirring, until soup starts to boil. Add Cheddar cheese slowly and continue stirring at a a low boil until the cheeses are melted and  incorporated into the soup.

Serve,  as is, or with the traditional grilled cheese sandwich.

ENJOY!

I present this as a sample of the types of recipes I have in my cookbook. I would appreciate your commentary and feed-back, to tell me if you would want more POSTS of this kind in my blog or have it stay as it has always been.

Thank you