FOOD HISTORY: Gin (Part 3) The Part Played by the British Navy"

 FOOD HISTORY: Gin   (Part 3) The Part Played by the British Navy".

Extensive voyages by British navy ships to far distant ports around the world lead to outbreaks of the  disease scurvy; a nutritional  deficiency disease common to sailors on long voyages having to eat diets lacking in an  essential nutritional component; later discovered  to be vitamin C. At that time, however, even though the "cause" of scurvy was unknown, it had been found that sailors given citrus juice aboard ships did not come down with the disease. Therefore, in 1795, the  British Navy issued  an order  to provide a lemon  juice ration to every Navy sailor as a preventive measure to prevent this disease. Lemon juice was replaced by lime juice in 1840, thus, British sailors, after that, were called, "Limeys". (The Merchant Shipping Act of 1867 made this requirement mandatory for sailors on British merchant ships, as well.) Further, from time immemorial, British Navy sailors were given an alcoholic drink ration to prevent drunkenness' from sailors bringing their own, unrestricted alcohol supplies aboard ship. Beer was the drink of choice; one gallon per man per day. When sea voyages became so much longer, ships could not carry the amount of beer needed before it became spoiled. Therefore, substitutions of one pint of wine or one half pint of spirits were introduced. For the sailors the spirit was rum; for the officers it was Gin, which, at that time, was believed to be the cure for various illnesses. "Navy" gin was much stronger (57% alcohol) than the original gin (41.2%)  In 1740, Admiral Edward Vernon seeing that the drinking of sailors rum ration led to a variety of problems among the crew, ordered (Order #349) that the rum ration be diluted one half with water and that sailors could purchase limes and sugar to make the drink more palatable. The sailors did this and named their "new" drink," Grog" the shortened  nickname (Old Grog)  given to Admiral Vernon for wearing a cloak made of grogram cloth. In the same year, according to legend which may or may not be true, Navy Surgeon Rear Admiral Sir Thomas Desmond Gimlette proscribed that the  naval officers daily ration of lime juice be mixed with their Gin to mask its bitterness, ensuring that  his officers also had  the limes anti-scurvy benefit. Since many sailors mixed their lime juice with water diluted rum and sugar to make it more palatable, the officers probably did this with their gin, as well.They called their drink, a "Gimlet", named after Admiral Gimlette. Since all British sailors and officers used sugar sweetened lime juice in their alcoholic beverages, this may have been the precursor to," Rose's" sweetened lime juice, developed by Sir Lachlan Rose who, in 1857, developed a method of preserving a stable lime juice solution.. Ths quickly became popular with the sailors, their officers  and later, bartenders and people for home use in making 'Gimlets". When the Navy brought gin to tropical British colonies, gin found another"medicinal"  use. Colonists used it to mask the bitter taste of Quinine dissolved in  carbonated water, that   they called "tonic water", to prevent malaria. This mixture went on to become  a very popular social drink. Thus, gin and  tonic was born and, later was  transported  by British colonists to be enjoyed around the world.  Another Gin based drink, as is said, "became history."

FOOD HISTORY: Champagne;: Part 3: Vueve Cliquot

Before Madame Clicquot's innovations, Champagne held little relationship to the grand sparkling wine we know today. Barbe-Nichole Pansardin was born in Rheims, France in 1777 into a family well versed in business and politics. At age 21, in a business deal devised by two industrial leaders in Rheims, in what was primarily a business. arrangement quite common at that time, she was married to Francois Clicquot.  Francois Clicquot was the only son of Phillipe Clicquot, Barbe Nicole Pansardin's fathers’ main business competitor. While Phillipe Clicquot ‘s main interest was in trade and banking he also owned wine vines in Bouzy, France and a small wine business. Legend has it that the priest who married them gave Barbe - Nicole a book by Dom Perignon as a wedding present. After the marriage, the couple developed a real partnership. Francois was not interested in working in his father’s textile business but was interested in growing the family’s small wine business. This met with his father’s disapproval: Phillipe was content to buy still white wines from other producers and export them on an as-needed basis. This would be more profitable than making their own wines. Francois, disregarding his father’s concerns and with the support of Barbe - Nicole, together, they began to learn the wine industry from the ground up. Francois had a good head for business. In August 1801, Francois met Louis Bohne in Switzerland and hired him to be a vendor to sell his wine. Because of the large number of wine producers competing for the British Champagne market, Bohne successfully found a way to enter the Russian Court, became a friend of the Tzar and brought Clicquot Champagne into high esteem into St. Petersburg and the Russian Court. With Francois’ guidance and with the help of Bohne, sales rose from 8000 bottles in 1796 to 60,000 in 1804. Despite their passion and hard work to learn the wine industry, their business failed and in 1805, Francois contracted a fever and died.  Phillipe, devastated by his death decided he would end the wine business. Barbe - Nicole had other plans. Now, Veuve Clicquot (Widow Clicquot) would not give up. She asked her father -in -law for a loan and help in the business. Perhaps recognizing her business sense or honoring the memory and vision of Francois, he agreed. For four years, Barbe – Nicole apprenticed with Alexandre Fourneaux, a well-known wine maker but ended the relationship in 1810 with business still not profiting. Once again, she asked her father-in-law for a loan and, once more, he agreed. The year 1811 proved to be a banner year for Champagne because of an exceptional crop. When Napoleon invaded Russia in 1812, the Tzar banned the import of French Wines in bottles.  Bohne, wanting to continue sales to Russia, registered as a coffee exporter. Using Dutch merchant ships, he smuggled small quantities of bottles of wine in barrels of coffee beans to Konigsberg, Russia where the wines were eagerly greeted by the Russian elite including the Tzar. The Tzar announced that this was the only Champagne he would drink, and the ban was soon lifted. This established the Clicquot Champagne stature in Russia which, eventually, became the second largest consumer of Champagne in the world. With the Tzars endorsement, Barbe – Nichole had to scramble to keep up with increasing orders. She had to address production methods to meet this problem. However, the wine’s second fermentation in the bottle still left a cloudy wine with sediment in the bottom of the bottle. Decanting the wine into a new bottle was a slow, time-consuming process, lost product and reduced the number of bubbles in the wine. A new method had to be devised.  To solve this problem, in 1816, she developed a way to speed up production and reduce waste using a rack and a process called riddling. Riddling is a process in which the dead yeasts (lees) in the Champagne are collected and removed to produce a clear, sparkling wine. Bottles are placed in a riddling rack, a frame which holds the bottle facing downward at a 45-degree angle, allowing the lees to settle at the bottom near the cork. The bottles are turned frequently for 4 - 6 weeks until all the lees have totally settled. Then the neck of the bottle is frozen, the bottle. is turned upright, the wire cage removed, and the cork popped. The built-up pressure in the bottle expels the frozen wine plug containing the lees and leaves a clear, sediment free sparkling wine. The loss in volume is immediately replaced with a mixture of still wine and sugar, in varying amounts, to determine the final sweetness of the wine. The bottle is recorked and aged further. Riddling is still used today in Champagne making and this allowed Veuve Clicquot to expand to the worldwide market. Hers was one of the first mass market produced luxury products in the world. Further, in 1818, she invented the first known blended rose-colored Champagne by mixing still red wine, to provide fruitiness, with white Champagne. The Veuve Clicquot method of producing rose-colored Champagne is still used today by most producers of Champagne. From 987 AD, Champagne wines have been chosen to celebrate life’s most important (and not so important) events. Since 1843, ships are christened with Champagne, it was served on the Concordes maiden flight, on the linking of the French and English portions of the Channel tunnel, was drunk by the winners (Churchill) and the losers (Napoléon), of great wars, the winners of all kinds of sporting events and much more. We owe a debt, for all these traditions, to those whose hard work, inspiration and innovation combined over the years to make Champagne the celebratory we drink today and enjoyed all over the world.

FOOD HISTORY: Champagne Part 2: Dom Perignon

Enter Dom Perignon. He did NOT invent Champagne, but he did make significant contributions to its development. He was born Pierre Perignon in 1640, joined the Benedictine Order at age 19 and was appointed cellarmaster at the Abbey of Hautvelliers in about 1670. He remained there until his death in 1715. His wines were made for both the church itself and sold to make money for the Abbey. In his time, wine bubbles were something to be avoided, as described above, and he tried to avoid them. He knew that wines made from white grapes fermented more easily than wines made from wines made from red grapes. Further, he understood the effects of climate on grape growth. One of the first things he addressed was climate issues. He developed wine using the red Pinot Noir grape which was more resistant to cold. He pressed the red Pinot Noir grapes very gently to extract the white juice and immediately separated the juice from the red skin before the skins could color the juice red. Further, he blended it with juice from the white Chardonnay grape in case there was a less favorable climate year for one of the two grape varieties. He made other changes in the blending process, as well. He blended wines from different years to avoid climate hazards and blended batches from different vines to obtain the best quality using the knowledge that vines with greater exposure to the sun made sweeter wines while those with less produced more acidic flavors. These changes ensured consistent quality. He reinforced the ability of his bottles to withstand their pressure buildup by using the harder glass introduced by English glassmakers for his bottles. Also, it was Dom Perignon who introduced cork as a stopper in Champagne bottles. At that time, bottles were plugged with a wooden bung (plug) wrapped in oiled hemp, which kept popping out under pressure. On a visit to Catalonia, Dom Perignon discovered the elasticity of cork and decided to use cork as a stopper for his bottles. He wrapped a cord around the cork stopper to help keep it in place to help withstand the buildup of pressure in the bottles. It was not until 1844, however, that Adolphe Jaqueson invented the “muselet, the first wire cage in the shape we know it today to cover the bottle cork and help it retain the pressure in the bottle.  As an aside, most sparkling wines from whichever country they are made use the muselet. For reasons not clear, all require six half turns to be fully unwound from the bottle. However, the Champagne wines of that time still contained sediment from the dead yeasts after secondary fermentation which left the wine cloudy, with off flavors if the wine was shaken.  Some producers would decant their wines into new bottles but the loss of CO2 from doing that made the wines less bubbly. At some court banquets, servers would pour Champagne into a fresh glass, leaving the sediment in the bottle. All that changed with the arrival of the Veuve Clicquot on the scene. 

FOOD HISTORY: Champagne: Part 1

The Champagne region of France existed long before it it became famous for it's sparkling wine since it lay art the crossroads of northern Europe with it's river valley to the south, leading to the Mediterranean ocean and to the north, to Paris and the English channel. Because of its location it became an access point, the pathway for may invaders for hundreds of years being destroyed by armies from many countries' marching back and forth over its land. For this reason it became a center of European trade when the local medieval Counts became strong enough to encourage commerce and trade by providing protection to traveling merchants. It’s importance was enhanced when its Cathedral of Reims became the site of the Coronation of French king Hugh Copet  in 987 AD. Thirty-seven subsequent French kings were coronated in the same cathedral. Because of this, local Champagne region wine-makers, envious of the reputation of wines from the Burgundy region of France, trying to emulate the wines from that region, established a wine industry, mostly in monasteries. These flourished with the financial help of the Crown. The wine, which was highly regarded by the Nobility, became very popular. These, however, were light red still wines, not the sparkling wine, Champagne, for which the region later became world famous. However, the northern climate of that region presented a unique set of challenges in making red wine - grapes would struggle to ripen and had  high acid level and low sugar levels. When cold weather prematurely stopped fermentation in barrels in the cellar, dormant yeast cell remaining awakened in the spring during the bottling process. In the bottles, they started the fermentation process once again, releasing carbon dioxide gas which, in many cases, burst the bottles ( French wine bottles were quite weak) although  bubbles remained in some of the bottled wines. The Champagne wine makers were horrified over this happening - they considered this a fault. They liked their wine to be still and thin. Even into the 17th century, the Champagne wine makers were trying to rid their wines from bubbles. However, bottles which retained their bubbles that were sent to England were greeted with pleasure - they were very happy about the "fault" " in the wine; the sparkle a desirable trait. However things change! The years 160 -1720 marked a turning point in Champagne history, when  when  the production of sparkling wines became a deliberate choice in the region. Before then, effervescence (bubbles) in the wine depended on the variable external conditions. This was the first time  wine had been produced from a single region, Champagne, and identified. as such. Until then, al wines produce in France were referred to as, "French wines".

COOKING TIP(S): Baking

 COOKING TIP(S): Baking:

To make a perfect "press - in" pie crust rather than a rolled and crimp kind, take about 2/3 of the dough and press, evenly, around the sides of the pan. Make a little thicker than the bottom will be for greater support. While saving a small amount of dough for for patching, press remaining dough into the bottom of pan with your fingers. Use a floured straight edged measuring cup or a 4 oz glass to compact, smooth everything out and "seal'  bottom dough to the dough on the sides of the pan.

To keep your banana, zucchini or other baked goods fresher longer, slice an apple in half and place it in an airtight container with the baked goods. Moisture from the apple will keep baked goods fresher for 3 - 4 days longer than without it. Check on apple each day to make sure it isn't starting to rot. Remove and replace if it is soft and starting to go bad. EAT the other half!

 For the crispest cookies, use white sugar. Brown sugar, molasses or honey will absorb water from the air making the cookies soft.

When making cookies using brown sugar, the darker the sugar, the more chewy the cookie will be.

When a recipe calls for scalding milk, DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP! Scalding denatures whey proteins which makes the milk a better “food” for the yeast so that proofing occurs faster. This gives a larger volume and a fluffier product and, therefore, makes for a smoother dough with better moisture retention.  Place an inside - out plastic bag on your hand to scoop up butter to grease baking pans. When finished, turn the bag right side out, seal and discard if no butter is left or freeze for the next usage if butter still remains in bag.

Place an inside - out plastic bag on your hand to scoop up butter to grease baking pans. When finished, turn the bag right side out, seal and discard if no butter is left or freeze for the next usage if butter still remains in bag.

FOOD TRIVIA: British Tea with milk and Desserts (Puddings)

 FOOD TRIVIA:  British Tea with milk and Desserts (Puddings)

British put milk in tea  because in the 17th - 18th centuries, tea was served in China cups that were so delicate they often cracked when boiling tea was poured straight into them. Milk was put in cup,  prior to adding the hot tea, to cool the tea, thus preventing the cups from cracking. Soon milk in tea became the preferred way to drink it. While teacups are not so fragile now, most English tea drinkers still put milk into their tea. Tea etiquette suggests that you put enough milk in the bottom of a teacup, “to cover just the bottom of your teacup or mug” before pouring in the tea.

In Great Britain, what we call the last sweet course of a meal  "dessert", they call "pudding". The Brits eat a wide a variety of dishes called "pudding.";  their  sweet "dessert" ones are generically called, "pudding" -"What are we having for pudding (dessert) ? - while savory ones are defined  by a descriptive name; e.g. Yorkshire Pudding, Bacon Pudding, Black Pudding, Pease  Pudding, etc..

FUNNY NAMES OF BRITISH PUDDINGS (DESSERT) : SYLLABUB, a popular dessert in 17 - early 19th century England, is a mixture of whipped cream, whipped egg whites, juice and zest of lemon and white wine. The amount of white wine added determined whether the Syllabub was a popular punch or a creamy dessert, FOOL or FOOLE, whose name derives from the French word, “foule”, meaning, “pressed or crushed”, is made up of a combination of crushed fruits and thick cream. TRIFLE, a dessert which evolved from FOOL, consists of layers of sponge cake, moistened, and softened with wine followed by jam or fruit which is followed by custard and, finally, the whole thing is covered with whipped cream; candied rind or seeds, e.g. caraway, are added for decoration. ETON MESS, meringue, broken into pieces, mixed with  whipped cream and crushed strawberries, placed in to a bowl and covered with quartered strawberries,  SPOTTED DICK, a light dessert, steamed pudding, originally made with suet, (but now, probably butter) with dried currents suspended in it and served with a custard sauce. STRANGE NAMES! all TASTY . 

FOOD HISTORY: A BRIEF HISTORY OF MIDDLE EASTERN FOOD

 FOOD HISTORY: A BRIEF HISTORY OF MIDDLE EASTERN FOOD

Strict restriction on the eating of pork and no alcohol in the food is what one most thinks about when referring to Middle Eastern food and cuisine. However, while pigs were used as a food source by pre – Islamic pagans in the Middle East, because pigs were looked upon as dirty animals, both Jews and early Muslims were prohibited from eating pork. Although the Qur’an says that a starving Muslim, when no other food source is available, can eat pork and not be a sinner, in these circumstances, strict limitations and conditions apply. Concerning the topic of alcohol, the Quran did not ban alcohol from the beginning. The first verse on this topic (4:43) acknowledged that alcohol contained some good and some evil aspects but, “the evil is greater than the good”. It was only later in writings of scholars in the Haditha, (a collection of the sayings and actions of the prophet Muhammad, which are the major religious source of law and guidance for Muslims) that Muslims were ordered to totally abstain from alcohol (5:90-91). However, both Jews and Christians living in the Middle East not only allow the drinking of alcohol, but wine is also used in their religious services. Christians use it in their Communion sacrament and Jews even have a blessing over wine prior to its drinking. The foods eaten in the Middle East were contributed to by Ottoman Sultans, various Persian Shahs, the Moguls, and the flow of commodities from east to west. Food was used as an issue in both economics and politics. It was during the 1st Persian Empire (~550-330 BCE) that the foundation was laid for modern Middle Eastern food when rice, poultry and fruits were incorporated into the local diet. Later, wheat was first cultivated followed by lentils, barley, beans, pistachio nuts, pomegranates, figs, and other regional staples, while religion made an impact on meat eating, with lamb becoming the primary meat, since both Jews and Muslims avoided eating pork. All these food items are used in the modern dishes of many Middle Eastern countries. Augmenting the dishes with ingredients indigenous to each country’s climate and geography, provides a wide, vibrant varied array of delicious dishes to be found in Middle Eastern to cuisine.