EllenFork

Foodbuzz 24, 24, 24: A 1964 Thanksgiving

 

Happy Week After Thanksgiving, y’all!

I hope all of you had wonderful and feasty Thanksgivings. I have just returned to my lair from NYC, and I am fully prepared to share this years Thanksgiving menu with you. This year was my 2nd Annual Brooklyn Thanksgiving (remember last years?), in which I decamp from DC to NYC to make an insane amount of food with my twin, Alice. This year, however, had a bit of a twist.
 
Foodbuzz is a "social network for foodies" that helps create a community for food bloggers all over the world. Each month they sponsor Foodbuzz 24,24,24 (24 meals, 24 blogs, 24 hours). Bloggers submit a proposal for a unique meal/experience/whatever that will be featured by Foodbuzz. This month, mine was selected!
 

I proposed a Thanksgiving menu comprised of recipes from the 1964 Nashville Junior League Cookbook. My mother gave me this cookbook one year for Christmas, both for the fun of looking back at how people ate in 1964 and for the presence of many of my relatives and their included recipes. The dishes from this cookbook run the gamut from delicious to perplexing (Grape and olive salad? Tuna Princess? Congealed beet salad?).

The menu I ended up with was based on assumed level of tastiness and our ability to find the ingredients. They are also mostly from the kitchens of my relatives. Per usual, this year's gathering would be taking place in my sister's spacey Bushwick apartment in Brooklyn, NY. It is a fourth floor walk up in an old belt factory, and filled with artists and a plethora of young people– the perfect place to mix up with the civilized '60s of the South with modern day living and eating.

Here are few examples of some of the menus from the book. They are categorized by season, and all the recipes (and more) come after. How fun do either of these parties sound? I'm positive the women in attendance were were wearing white gloves. (If any family reading this knows more, tell me!)

This meal was unique because of the dishes themselves. They are from another era, a time when cooking from cans was all the rage. The way we eat, cook and think about food has changed so drastically since then. Back then it was the era of convenience- now it is all about eating fresh, local and trumping each new fad as it comes along. I love that these recipes came from the kitchens of the ladies of Nashville, in a time when restaurants were not the temples of gourmet food that they have now become, and the Food Network was inconceivable. This book is a marker of times past, but also a treasure trove of Southern favorites; I often turn to it for something new (and old) to make.

The following recipes were taken verbatim from the book. Naturally there were modifications, but only in lieu of ingredients that could not be found at the Key Foods in Brooklyn (such as substituting a wild rice blend for the canned rice…). I think the hits were the Baked Apples and the country ham and beaten biscuits. I ordered the ham special from the Loveless Cafe in Nashville, TN, the best ham in town! When it was fried up and placed atop a beaten biscuit with some honey mustard and mayo…so good! My mouth is watering again just thinking about it! There is nothing better than a salty slab of country ham and a dense, crackery beaten biscuit. As for the least favorite... Wild Rice Supreme was hands down winner. Canned mushrooms will not be gracing the counters of my kitchen again anytime soon...
 

 

 
Baked Apples Filled with Spiked Sweet Potatoes

Wash and core, without cutting all the way through, the required number of Winesap apples. Pare apples, making certain to leave some skin around the bottom. Place apples in a baking dish, preferably one in which apples can be served. Fill each center with sugar, lemon rind (grated), and a lump of butter. Pour into dish one tablespoon of water for each apple. Cook uncovered in a hot oven until they are tender, basting often. Test with straw after 35 minutes. Do not overcook. Mash cooked and peeled sweet potatoes. Beat potatoes until fluffy. Beat in butter, salt, a little nutmeg, cinnamon, cream or sherry, molasses orr brown sugar. Fold in chopped pecans and raisins. Fill apple with sweet potato mixture, leaving a tablespoon or so of the mixture on top of apple. Place marshmallow on each apple. Bake again in moderate oven until hot. Turn on broiler to toast marshmallows the last thing.

Mrs. Livingfield More (My second cousin, Aggie)

Fruit Compote

10 winesap apples
1 small can of apricot halves
2 tbsp crushed pineapple
2 tbsp seedless raisins
½ cup water
½ cup sugar
juice of one lemon
grated nutmeg
 
Peel, core and quarter apples in a casserole dish. Add apricot halves, crushed pineapple, seedless raisins and simply syrup (water and sugar cooked together until it thickens). Sprinkle with grated nutmeg and bake in moderate over for about 30 minutes or until apples are tender. Serves 8. May be prepared in advance.

Mrs. Rufus E. Fort, Jr. (Great-Aunt)

Wild Rice Supreme

3- 12 ounce cans of pre-cooked Nokomis all-purpose wild rice
2 small cans button mushrooms
1 medium can water chestnuts
3 tbsp butter

Combine wild rice, mushrooms, water chestnuts and butter. Put into pyrex dish and bake just until it’s piping hot, or heat in double boiler. Light topping of grated cheese if desired. Serves 8.

Can be done in advance and reheated. Unbelievably good to be so simple.

Mrs. Rufus Fort, Jr. (Great-Aunt)

 

Beaten Biscuit (served with fried Loveless Cafe Country Ham)

 4 cups flour, sifted
2/3 cups lard
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp cornstarch
1/2 cup cream
½  cup milk
 
Mix together and roll until dough blisters and pops. Dough should be slick like marble. Cut out biscuits, prick twice with fork on tops and place on the middle rack of a 300 degree oven, preheated. When biscuits begin to brown on the bottom, turn oven to 250 degrees and continue to cook until a little color appears on the top of the biscuits…slightly pinkish. Turn off oven, open door but leave biscuits in to continue to dry out. This is not an original recipe but is very good. Makes about 4 dozen.

Mrs. Walter Stokes, Jr. (No relation, just a good recipe!)

 

Caviar Sour Cream Egg Halves

Caviar (we used paddlefish caviar)
½ pt sour cream
1 tbsp chives
1 dozen small eggs, hard-boiled
 
This is to be served in a frozen mold. To make mold, fill large silver bowl with water, place in center of bowl a plastic bowl for the sour cream and one for the caviar, or use a divided container. Weight the container and freeze. When ready to serve loosen the container and replace with caviar and sour cream. Place on silver tray  with glass liner if possible. Put halved eggs around the edge and garnish with parsley. Spread sour cream and caviar on eggs and eat.

Mrs. Louise Fort Linton (Second cousin)

 

In addition to these retro treats, friends brought lots of goodies, such as turkey marinated in duck fat, green beans and lots of yummy desserts. All in all, I had a great time making family dishes, and reexamining the recipes from 1964 Nashville. And no matter where you are and what the year is, the combination of food, family and friends is always in style.

Introducing... Stick a Fork In It!

Hi y'all,

I'd like to introduce you to the newest member of the EllenFork family, Stick a Fork In It (SAFII)!

It's the dawn of a new era for EllenFork! There is SO MUCH going in the world of food and E.Fork that I felt the need to splice my blog into two parts: traditional Ellenfork in which the format remains focused on recipes and Stick a Fork In It... which gives me more freedom to write about things that are happening outside of the technical side of food. This might be a restaurant experience, a generally interesting adventure, or simply something I think my lovely readers will find enlightening. More than anything, I want to share the photos I take that just don't fit into the world of Ellenfork. 

So, subscribe to it and keep checking back for updates!

Seasonal Sips

 

I love it when the seasons change! Especially fall, but spring and summer are delightful as well. A different wardrobe, a new routine and a different menu are all part of the fun. But, besides all the amazing things that come along with a change of seasons, one thing to look forward to is a plethora of delightful new cocktails. Summer brings fruity, refreshing drinks. Spring is bubbly and flowery. Fall and winter are warming, hearty and earth-toned. And hopefully all are boozy and delicious!

I recently received a shipment of booze from the Booze Fairy, featuring two seasonal liqueurs to try: Hiram Walker Pumpkin and Gingerbread. I usually go for spirits that are delicious on their own and leave these kind of liqueurs to my memories of inappropriately named shots on regret-filled evenings in college. Red-headed slut or buttery nipple, anyone?

However, these homey flavors are the best part of fall. So I did my best to pair each liqueur with ingredients (like pear and persimmon) that would complement their flavors, while adding to the festive fall theme. The following drinks are yummy, but definitely sweet. The liqueurs themselves are tasty, but tend to overpower other, more delicate ingredients– you may want to use a little less in your first round to see how you like them. In fact, make sure you taste and tweak each of these to your heart's content! The foundation for a tasty drink has been laid, but there is always room for improvement. My next experiment with them will involve hot coffee, which I think will be the PERFECT way to enjoy these hearty flavors! 

Any other ideas what I could make with these liqueurs?

Autumn Zinger

This one is sweet, and reminiscent of pumpkin pie.

Serves 2

• 1 tbsp Ginger Syrup*
• 3 oz Bulleit Bourbon
• 1.5 oz Persimmon Puree**
• 1 oz Hiram Walker Pumpkin Spice Liqueur
• Cinnamon/Sugar to rim glass
• Lemon twist

Combine ingredients in a shaker with large chunks of ice. Give ingredients a few vigorous shakes. Rub twist around rim of glass. Shake some sugar/cinnamon onto a plate and place glass (martini or otherwise) rim down to coat.

Strain into glass and garnish with twist.

Pear Snap

This cocktail is spicy and refreshing. Ginger-lovers may want to add an extra dash to rev up the flavor!

Serves 2

• 5 oz Pear Puree**
• .5 tbsp Hiram Walker Gingerbread Liqueur
• 1 oz Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum
• 1.5 oz Stoli Apple Vodka

Combine ingredients in a shaker with large chunks of ice. Give ingredients a few vigorous shakes. Garnish with pear slice or candied ginger. 

*Ginger Syrup

Yields 1.5 cups syrup

• 1 cup water
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 thinly sliced, peeled ginger

Peel and thinly slice ginger. Add to water/sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 min. Strain and cool completely. For a quick garnish, coat ginger slices in sugar and let dry.

**Purees

I used the same method for both the pear and persimmon purees. First I peeled the fruits and cored them. Then I chopped them into large chunks and threw them in the blender, adding water to thin them out a bit. Then I added a little bit of agave syrup to sweeten and about a teaspoon of lemon juice to keep the fruit from turning dull brown. You don't want to add too much lemon, it is not really for flavoring.

Hot Toddy for a Sick Body

Ugh. So, it has finally hit me. The plague that has been running rampant through my office and the general populace has managed to bring me down, unwillingly. And don't jump to conclusions, who knows if this is the Swine Flu. It doesn't really matter, as I've been flopped up on the couch for two days, sweating, napping and watching mind-rotting television regardless of it's name. My male nurse has been providing me with tissues, hydrating liquids and encouragement but I am still bummed that I'm laying up sick on Halloween weekend. We actually had cool costume ideas this year, too. I'm lying on the couch with the window open listening to trick or treaters tearing through the neighborhood, the greedy little twits.

Sorry, that was my fever speaking. Ahem. So, in between the hacking cough, body aches and general discomfort I began to wrack my brain for any home remedy I could think of. Salt water gargle, Emergen-C, OJ, steamy showers to loosen the goo, etc. However, none sounded as overall comforting and painkilling as a Hot Toddy.

Hot Toddys have been a reliable home cold remedy for years, and although this has more of a flu feeling about it, my illness quivered in fear as I began to gather the ingredients for my Toddy. Before I go any further, let me just explain that I KNOW that a Hot Toddy doesn't actually cure you...but it is a damn good anesthetic and overall soothing beverage to consume when you're under the weather. I mean, it has Bourbon in it for God's sake. So without further adieu I will share the recipe with you- I have the ingredients memorized, but adapted some measurements from the interwebs for you recipe-reliant folks out there.

Hot Toddy

Ingredients:

2-3 oz Bourbon (I used Bulleit)

1 tsp Lemon juice

1 tbsp Honey

4-6 oz Hot Water

Heat water to boiling. Pour Bourbon into a mug (preferably your favorite cracked old mug declaring you the Best ____ in the World). My mug is from the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, and is painted with one of my fave paintings, Almond Branches in Bloom.

Now pour in the hot water and add honey. I used a kitchen spoon measure out and stir the honey, so that it all dissolved. Stir in lemon juice and drop in a lemon slice.

Mmmm... drink up! Don't drink too many, as a hangover is the last thing you want when you're sick, but a warm, healthy feeling should overtake you. Boredom drove me to get up and document my Toddy making and post it for you, my lovely readers. I hope you all stay healthy this flu season, but if you don't...cheers!

A Tasty Topping

Hi friends. I'm back, and I mean it this time. I've been remiss in posting, but I've seriously missed this blog and you guys. And there have been so many culinary creations that went unrecorded, whether through busyness, laziness or just forgetfulness. It's tragic, really. Sigh.

BUT, it's October, my favorite month of year (besides June). The leaves are changing, the weather is cool and crisp (and rainy of late) and now the food is changing. I love roasting, and baking and stewing all the wonderful fall produce. Sweet potatoes! Parsnips! Squashes of all varieties! Things are a bout to get roasty up in here, y'all. However, the recipe I am going to share with you now is not a roasty one, but a sweet, tart and tangy one. Fall is also a great time for pickles and briny treats (although, when ISN'T a good time for those things??).

When I received my September Bon Appetit, I raced through it as always to get to Cooking Life by Molly Wizenburg. I probably mention her to much, but her recipes are always the right combination of simplicity and originality. I recently made her Chana Masala recipe, which is AMAZING. Maybe I should just make all the recipes in her book A Homemade Life... ANYWAY, the September issue contains a recipe from her restaurant, Delancey. These peppers are so incredibly delicious and are very versatile. I eat them on bread, with cheese, with my fingers out of the jar... Molly recommends them as a topping for pizza. Seriously though, you can eat these on ANYTHING. The thyme plant on my balcony is looking pretty bare after all the sprigs I've stolen to make these peppers. Sorry, t.

Pickled Peppers with Shallots and Thyme

Recipe from Bon Appetit by Molly Wizenburg

September 2009

Makes 1 Quart

Ingredients

• 1 pound sweet or mild mini bell peppers, sliced crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick rounds, seeded
• 2 large shallots, thinly sliced, separated into rings
• 2 cups white wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons water
• 5 fresh thyme sprigs
• 2 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
• Pinch of coarse kosher salt

Preparation

• Place peppers and shallots in medium bowl.
• Mix vinegar and next 6 ingredients in medium saucepan. Bring to boil over medium heat, stirring to dissolve sugar and salt. Remove brine from heat; carefully pour over peppers and shallots. Cover bowl; let stand 5 minutes. Uncover; cool to room temperature. Transfer to quart-size jar, pressing peppers into brine. Cover; chill at least 4 hours and up to 10 days.

Okra Conundrum

I have a conundrum, as well as a small brown paper bag full of Okra from my CSA.

I have to make something out of it tonight, guys!!! I thought I'd tap the most wonderful resource out there, my readers, to get some fun suggestions....

A couple ideas I've mulled over so far are:

- Refrigerator okra pickles

- Tomatoes and okra with corn bread

- Fried okra

Any others?!?!

A Taste of the Sun

I love a cocktail that reeks of its place of origin, made with a liquor whose terroir is evident in every sip. One such liquor is Cachaca. Made from fermented sugarcane, it is the drink of choice in Brazil, a country that has grown beautiful under benevolent rays of the sun (think Giselle Bundchen). Tiny bikinis, sun-kissed wavy beach hair everywhere you look, bronzed men on surfboards and... the national drink of choice, the Caiprinha. Seriously though, it is the national drink of Brazil. Come on America, what is OURS? BUD LIGHT?! God I hope not. 

A Caiprinha is very simple. Let me break it down for you.

Traditional Caiprinha

Ingredients

2 tsp superfine sugar (or 1 oz simple syrup, or for our diabetic friends, 2 tsp splenda)

4 lime wedges

2 oz Leblon cachaca

You will be making this icy treat in a rocks glass. So, add lime wedges and sweetener to your glass. Muddle into a juicy slurry for about 15 seconds. Add ice (crushed is recommended). Add cachaca. Cover glass with cocktail shaker and SHAKE WHAT YA MAMA GAVE YA. Or, just stir it. Up to you.

Garnish with a lime wedge.

Now put yourself in the horizontal position, perhaps in some outdoor situation. Let the breeze blow over you and take a deep breath. You are probably not on a beach but you can pretend. And if you are on a beach, well, screw you (but only because I'm jealous). Because guess what? It's cachcaca o'clock.

Salud!

Pretty in Pink

The summer just keeps chugging along. How is it August already, y'all? I feel like I'm getting ready for the fourth of July and it's almost back to school time (not that that has any effect on my life, thank god). However, August does mean one good thing, and that is the onset of several of my very good friends' birthdays. Only one of these good friends lives in my area however, so only one of them benefited from the beauty of... the PINK PARTY.

Somehow I got a bee in my bonnet that caused me to obsess over and subsequently host, a party with a pink theme. Well, it started when my birthday-having friend Tifa wanted to do in-home manicures and pedicures at her house. You're not supposed to host on your bday people, lets get that straight! So the party moved to my house and I went overboard. I mean duh, have you met me? Actually scratch that, you probably haven't...

At any rate, I decided to imbue dear Tifa's birthday with a most girlish hue, and everything just went from there. Snacks, beverages and decorations became pink, pink, pink! The main raison d'etre of this birthday party was so that we could have manicures and pedicures administered in the comfort of my home, while drinking and snacking to our little hearts' content. We found this incredible service called Celebrating You. Spa technicians come to your house, set everything up and do your nails. InCREDible, let me tell you.

The pink theme was derived from several sources of inspiration. One being Amy Atlas because she. is. amazing. I want to live underneath the dessert tables she creates. Go there, experience the beauty of her DESSERT TABLES, PEOPLE! Recession be DAMNED!!! Ahem... the other inspiration was from a blog I admire, Bread and Honey. This is three degrees of inspiration, since I believe their pink party table was also inspired by the general loveliness of Amy's designs and mixed with their natural creative awesomeness.

Green Beans Fit for a Queen

A few months ago, I submitted five of my favorite local foods to a DC blogger, Metrocurean. She does a post every Friday, called Five Bites on Friday featuring readers' picks from area restaurants and purveyors of fine foods. You can read the original post at this link. Annnnyway, one of my favorite things are the Marcona Almond Green Beans at Bar Pilar. I love a lot of things on their menu, but there is something so surprising, so incredibly savory and delicious about biting into one of these green beans. They have lots of delectable little plates (tapas) of both the vegetable and protein persuasion. To a carnivore like me, it is really saying something when I tell you that these green beans are as satisfying as something meaty. One of the things that stands out at this tiny, often crowded restaurant is the simplicity and quality of the ingredients that go into each dish.

Anyhow. This dish was at the top of my list, and soon after the post was posted I received an email from the chef at Bar Pilar, Justin Bittner. This is one of my favorite things about blogging guys! I was very excited that a) Mr. Bittner was glad to hear someone out there loves his green beans (which I'm sure he's already aware of, duh) and b) that he sent me the recipe as a result! It appears he typed and sent this recipe via iPhone, which in and of itself takes some patience and dedication. I promised that I would make the recipe, and well, here we are. You, reading this blog and me, with a big plate of green beans. Life just isn't always fair, y'all.

So, thank you Justin for the recipe! If any of you are in the Washington, DC area, you should make a stop by Bar Pilar on 14th st NW. You won't be disappointed. Now, without further ado: the recipe. 

 

Photo credits: these were randomly sprinkled throughout google image search- if these are your pictures, let me know and I will credit you!

Bar Pilar Green Beans

Firstly, Bar Pilar uses fresh green beans from Tuscarora Organic Farms. You can get your beans from your favorite produce aisle or farmer's market. I'm going to warn you that this recipe is not exact, but not to worry. You'll get it, I'm sure.

Collect as many beans as you are capable of eating, snap the ends off. Fill a large pot (3 gallons maybe) with water and add kosher salt until it is "as salty as the ocean". Chef Bittner says that a lot of water helps cook the beans faster, keeping them greener, while the salt changes the temp at which the water boils (which I think helps cook them faster, keeping them crisper and greener as well). 

Prepare a bowl of ice water for dunking the beans.

Bring water to a rolling boil. Add beans to the pot by the handful. When they change color slightly, pull them out and dunk them in the ice water. Repeat until you are out of beans. Dry on towels after they cool.

Heat a skillet with a couple tablespoons of whole butter (I used Plugra) until the butter foams. Add beans and season with salt and pepper. When they brown slightly, add some chopped shallots, thyme, oregano and marcona almonds. Adjust seasoning, transfer to a plate. Sprinkle with fresh lemon juice and finish with a sprinkling of sea salt.

While I clearly do not possess the skills of Chef Bittner, I think my beans turned out pretty well...and they were gone almost immediately. But next time I get the craving, I think I'll head over to Bar Pilar to get my fix... along with a dozen other tasty morsels and some more fancy cocktails.

Salud!

A Meeting of the Melons

A week or two ago, I was doing my standard lurking in Whole Foods when I came across a big, fat display of muskmelons. Heavy, slightly damp and green tinged, these melons whispered my name seductively as I passed. Their distinctive, earthy-sweet melon smell hung in fragrant clouds around the display, perfuming passerby as they hurried to and fro in search of other, shinier fruits. Hesitantly, I stopped. Oh, you tricky melons...how many times have I taken one of you home, only to carelessly let you rot on the counter top?

Basically, a lot.

This time, with an ice cream maker as my secret weapon, I vowed that this melon would not go to waste. I confidently hoisted a round, promising fellow from the pile and finished my binge-shopping. Any trip to Whole Foods feels like a shopping binge in my opinion, and although I would rather go to the weekend farmer's market, sometimes I NEED a ripe fruity treat in the middle of the week. Anyway, I hustled my melon home and left him sitting on the counter. For six days. On the seventh day, as the melon began to display his doubts of being eaten with the emerging presence of fruit flies, I made melon sherbet.

So, the slim difference between sorbet and sherbet (because I KNOW you were all asking yourselves this question), is that sherbet has milk or some other fat in it that makes it creamy. Sorbet is basically fruit, ice and sugar. I think melon is fantastic for sherbet. Melon puree has it's own natural creaminess, but with the addition of a little whole milk, honey and that crucial, tasty pinch of salt, it transcends. Summer, frozen against the winds of time in your freezer.

Melon Sherbet (from 101 Cookbooks)

• 1 pound of juicy, sassy melon (any variety with orange flesh, such as cantaloupe)

• 1/4 cup mild flavored honey (I would add half of this and taste, if your particular melon is really sweet, you may want to cut down on the honey)

• 1/2 cup whole milk

• generous pinch of salt

Cut the melon flesh from its rind into a medium bowl. I chopped into cubes and pureed in a blender. You will need 2 cups of puree.

Add the milk, and salt. Now blend in some of the honey and taste. Add more to taste, but be careful not to overpower the super-fresh taste of the melon. When it is flavored to perfection, pour into an ice-cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions.

While the sherbet is delightfully slushy at this juncture, I recommend freezing for a couple more hours.

And for an added treat...

I had considered throwing a lemon cookie or gingersnap into the mix, but instead decided to go the all natural route. I sliced up a pineapple into thick rings, rubbed it with brown sugar and threw it on the grill for about 3 minutes on each side. You just want it to be warm and juicy, with light grill marks.

I let the pineapple cool, scooped in some sherbet and added a mint garnish. Tropical and delicious!

Enjoy!