A Short History of Ingredients: Second Edition

By Xlibris US

"Claire Cabot is a freelance writer and researcher. She became fascinated with the plethora of ingredients available to 21st century cooks and decided to combine her love of cooking with food history. The result gives the reader delicious recipes with interesting facts.

Claire lives in Beverly Farms, Massachusetts, with her husband Sam, who is her official taster! Between them they have four children."

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jul 17, 2014
• ISBN: 9781499045796

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Copyright © 2014 by Claire S. Cabot.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Rev. date: 08/19/2014

Xlibris LLC

1-888-795-4274

www.Xlibris.com

549880

Table of Contents

Suggestions on How Best to Use this Book

Introduction

Hors d’oeuvres

Anchovy Eggs with Red Caviar

Asparagus Wrapped in Prosciutto

Basil, Mozzarella and Tomatoes

Bissara

Chicken Liver or Venison Patés

Cilantro and Cherry Tomatoes

Crab with Endive

Dates and Goat Cheese

Feta and Smoked Mussels in Celery

Garlic Cheese and Olive Puffs

Guacamole

Hummus

Liverwurst Mold

Mock Trout Patés

Smoked Blue Fish Patés

Sweet Spicy Nuts

Tapenade

Wasabi Cocktail Dip with Garlic and Shrimp

Salads and First Course

Apple and Spinach Salad

Asparagus Vinaigrette

Blue Cheese and Almond Salad

Ceviche

Cheese Stuffed Pears with Pomegranate

Chilled Mussels in Artichoke Bottoms

Clementines over Poached Celery

Escargot in Mushrooms

Fuji Apples with Mascarpone Cheese

Gravlax with Mustard Sauce

Hearts of Palm and Avocado Salad

Mango Salad with Basil Dressing

Pine Nut Shrimp and Parmesan Salad

Prosciutto Wrapped Gorgonzola Figs

Radish, Olive and Orange Salad

Tabbouleh

Tomato Aspic with Crabmeat and Dill Sauce

Soups

Black Bean Soup with Toppings

Butternut Squash Soup

Cauliflower and Basil Soup

Chickpeas and Tomato Soup

Cold Avocado Soup

Cold Cucumber and Zucchini Soup

Cold Ginger Carrot Soup with Mint

Cold Tomato Yoghurt Soup

Gazpacho

Kale and Chorizo Soup

Chef McGowan’s Nantucket

Yacht Club Quahog Chowder

New England Fish Chowder

Nutmeg Spinach Soup

Saffron Fish Stew with Rouille

Sicilian Fish Stew

Three Mushroom Soup

Vichyssoise

Meat

Beef Stew

Beef Tenderloin with Orange Wine Sauce

Center Cut Boneless Pork Chops

Grilled Lamb Chops Flavored with Marjoram

Grilled Sirloin Steak with

Portobello Mushroom Sherry Sauce

Moussaka

Old Lyme Pie

Pork Chops with Mushrooms

Roast Leg of Lamb with Morel Sauce

Roast Veal Tenderloin

Shepherd’s Pie

Shish-Kabobs

Short Ribs with Morel Mushroom Sauce

Steak Au Poivre a Maison

Veal with Capers

Vitello Tonnato

Poultry and Game

Baked Grouse

Chicken Casserole with Black Olives

and Artichoke Hearts

Chicken Curry

Cinnamon Roast Chicken with Herbs

Goose Breast Casserole

Guava Chicken Breasts

Poached Turkey Breast with Basil Sauce

Rock Cornish Game Hens

Rock Cornish Game Hens with Apricots

Simmered Braise of Pheasants

Slow Roasted Duck

Stir Fry Chicken with Snow Peas

Fish and Shellfish

Baked Blue Fish

Baked Haddock

Baked Salmon with Ginger

Baked Salmon with Sun Dried Tomato Crust

Baked Whole Shad

Best ever baked Swordfish with Tomato Caper Sauce

Crab Cakes

Crusted Cod

Easy Scallops and Shrimp Casserole

Grilled Swordfish with Chives

Miso and Haddock

Scallops with Capers and Wheat Germ

Shad Row with Bacon

Sole with Almonds

Steamed Lobster with Drawn Butter

Stuffed Filet of Sole with Spinach

Tilapia with Cheese and Lime

Grains and Vegetables

Angel Hair Pasta with Shrimp

Artichokes Steamed with Mock Hollandaise Sauce

Broccoli and Garlic

Brown Rice with Onions and Mushrooms

Cheese Grits

Creamed Spinach with

Portobello Mushrooms and Cheese

Couscous with Shrimp and Green Onions

Moroccan Roasted Vegetables

Old English Style Parsnips

Pureed Leeks

Red Cabbage with Apples

Roasted Beets with Rosemary

Skirlie Tomatoes

Spinach and Cucumbers

Summer Squash with Basil

Tomato Bruschetta

Zucchini and Almonds

Zucchini and Feta Cheese Pie

Desserts

Blueberry Crumble

Cabernet Sauvignon Sauce for Ice Cream

Chocolate Mocha Devil’s Food Cake

Chocolate Strawberries

Christmas Cake with Marzipan and Butter Icing

Cold Pumpkin Soufflé

Crème Caramel

Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ginger Cookies

Guinness Stout Custard Ice Cream

Hazelnut Squares

Lime Mousse with Strawberries

Molasses Chocolate Chip Cookies

Norwegian Pudding

Olive Oil Cake

Pecan Carrot Cake

Scented Geranium Sorbet

Scottish Short Bread

This book is dedicated to three wonderful people in my life. First to my mother, Elizabeth Earle Senecal, who taught me the joys of cooking for family and friends with a constant desire for perfection. The second dedication is to my beloved husband Sam, who has patiently tested hundreds and hundreds of recipes to provide the reader with the excellence you deserve. The last dedication is to my talented daughter, Wickes A. Helmboldt, whose quick wit gave the copy in this book a much needed boost. She is also responsible for the photograph on the front.

Suggestions on How Best

to Use this Book

Cooking is constant practice. Years ago when I was living in East Haddam, Connecticut I had a very small fancy food distribution company called The Gourmet Express. Once a week I would put my children on the school bus and drive to Long Island City. There I would pick up fancy foods from three or four warehouses and processing plants. Then I would deliver the goods to area restaurants. The chefs were a great help and would tell me new sources of food supply.

One day I walked into the kitchen of a new high end restaurant. There were six cakes which had clearly failed. When my jaw dropped in disbelief I looked at the chef, who shrugged and replied, The oven’s different than my other restaurant. Professional chefs have failures just the way you and I do, but they keep going.

Before you proceed, read each recipe through to the end. Make sure you have all of the ingredients you need. Follow the recipe exactly the first time. If you are not happy with the results write some note in the margin for the next cooking. Best of all, have fun. Think about writing something yourself that you can leave for subsequent generations.

Introduction

A good friend of mine mentioned to me that when she got married in the 1960s, the only type of lettuce she could buy was iceberg. I was writing this cookbook at the time but didn’t feel my collection of recipes had any sense of direction. My friend’s remark sharpened my thinking. It suddenly occurred to me that the variety of raw ingredients available in our supermarkets today has greatly expanded in the last fifty years.

I began to take interest in where foods originated and how long they had been on the planet. Our country imports food from all over the world. In the dead of winter, we have fresh fruits from countries like Chile where the growing season is counter cyclical to our own.

It has become fashionable to refer to our world today as global: global finance, global warming, global economy, etc. However, as I chartered my path of exploration into the origins of ingredients, I learned that humans have been transporting and transplanting food for centuries. So here is to all the brave agricultural explorers who took that first bite of some unknown flora or animal protein and survived!

I have come to admire the persistent farmers, herders, and fishermen, who risked their lives to feed us all. As people explored the world, they brought their own foods with them and adopted new varieties. Every army had its cooks; every explorer brought back new foods to eat. Few people know, for example, that Christopher Columbus brought sugarcane to the Caribbean on his first journey to the new world.

Indeed these explorations are far from over. Humans come up with new ingredients all the time. Did you know that Fuji apples and Rock Cornish Game hens are twentieth century adaptations? Our world is shrinking in many ways, but especially regarding the access to food sources.

Hors d’oeuvres

If one could compare hors d’oeuvres to a human personality one might compare these delicious little morsels to that flirty girl in the red dress or the man with a deep engaging smile from across the room who says in a glance, I already know you. Hors d’oeuvres are the teasers to our appetite through their combination of delicate flavors without being so overbearing as to dull the palate for the main course.

Some food historians believe the tradition of serving hors d’oeuvres began in Russia, where it became common to serve house guests small treats of fish, caviar, or stuffed meat to curb their hunger after a long journey. The direct translation of the word ‘hors d’oeuvres’ from the French to English means ‘outside of the work.’

We Americans have given a completely new meaning to the tradition of hors d’oeuvres. For many of our countrymen hors d’oeuvres has become a meal in and of themselves. In this cookbook, I have included only those small bites which are easy to eat while milling about.

Anchovy Eggs with Red Caviar: Preparation time 30 minutes Serves: 12

Ingredients

Process

Drain the anchovies from the tin and place in water for three minutes to remove the heavy salt flavor, remove and dry on a paper towel. Cover the eggs with water and bring to a roaring boil. Cook for twenty-five minutes; remove and place under cold running water. When the eggs are cool enough to handle, peel and cut in half. Remove the egg yolks and place in a large bowl. Combine the mayonnaise, chopped anchovies, and lemon zest. Taste for seasoning before adding ground pepper. You may not need salt because of the anchovies. Stuff the eggs with the yolk mixture and carefully top with red caviar. Serve immediately surrounded by parsley.

History

The Romans considered raw anchovies an aphrodisiac! They prepared the anchovies in a fermented fish sauce in large quantities called garum which was a commonly used condiment in ancient cuisine. Fresh anchovies exist worldwide and provide food for all large species of fish. The strong salty flavor we associate with the tinned anchovies is a result of the curing process.

Chef’s Note

Make the egg yolk mixture a little stiff to allow the caviar to sit on top.

Asparagus Wrapped in Prosciutto: Preparation Time 15 minutes: Serves 8

Ingredients:

16 slices prosciutto

16 stalks of asparagus

Process:

Remove the tough lower portion of the asparagus and wash them. Bring one quart of water to a rapid boil in a frying pan. Blanch the asparagus for about four minutes until tender. Remove immediately from the hot water plunge into cold water and dry on a paper towel. When cool enough to handle, roll each asparagus stalk in one piece of prosciutto.

History

In Italian, prosciutto means ham. There are two varieties: raw and cooked. We usually see only the raw in America. The uncooked air dried curing began during Roman times. These hams are properly referred to as ‘prosciutto crudo,’ originating from the Latin for ‘dried of liquor.’ Prosciutto is aged for a minimum of one year, but can be aged for up to two years. It is very thinly sliced and usually eaten raw, but can also be in hot pasta dishes.

Chef’s Note

Prosciutto can also be wrapped around melons, figs, and cheeses.

Basil, Mozzarella and Tomatoes Preparation Time 15 minutes: Serves 12

Ingredients

24 cherry tomatoes

1 cup of fresh basil leaves

3/4 lb. mozzarella

24 toothpicks

Process

Slice the mozzarella into 24 small chunks. Wash and dry the basil leaves removing the stems. Wash the tomatoes and cut in half. Now you are ready to set up an assembly line. Thread the top half of a tomato on the toothpick and then add one small piece of mozzarella, one leaf of basil, and the other half of the tomato.

History

Basil is an herb, which originated in Asia. There are over forty different varieties. Particularly revered in India, this herb was cultivated as much for its aroma as it was for its taste. Eventually, basil made its way to the Mediterranean. The Romans felt that a farmer would have the best results from planting basil if he was ranting and raving! The Massachusetts Bay Colony brought basil to America in 1621. Before long, the herb had spread throughout the other colonies. It is extremely versatile and easy to grow.

Chef’s Note

Do not use colored toothpicks because the dye will run. You can make these several hours ahead of time if wrapped carefully until ready to use.

Bissara Preparation time 25 minutes: Serves 8

Ingredients:

Process

Bring 2 cups water to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and then add the frozen lima beans, onions, garlic, and salt. Cook for about 8 minutes. Wash and de-stem the cilantro, parsley, and dill. Remove the lima bean mixture from the heat and add the cilantro, parsley, and dill. Allow these fresh herbs to sit in the pan uncovered for 5 minutes. Then drain this lima bean mixture and put into a food processor. Pulverize the lima beans mixture and