Volcano Rendezvous

1920-1930 :: Black Bottom Pie

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 17:33:33 -0500

Ingredients

3/4 Cup of sugar

2 Tablespoons of Flour

2 Squares of unsweetened chocolate

1 1/3 Cup of milk

3 Eggs

1 Teaspoon of vanilla

1 Baked pie shell

Whipped cream

Preparations

Mix three-quarters of a cupful of sugar with two tablespoonfuls of sifted flour, and two squares of grated unsweetened chocolate, add slowly to the mixture, stirring constantly, one and a third cupfuls of scalded milk, and when it is well mixed, add the beaten yolks of two eggs, and one whole egg. Add to the mixture, one teaspoonful of vanilla, place in a double-boiler and stir over a slow fire, until the mixture is thick and smooth, pour into a baked pie shell, cover with whipped cream, cover all over with a thick meringue, run into the oven and brown quickly.”

Source: “Practical Recipes,” Los Angeles Times, November 22, 1929 (p. A9), Mrs. J. R., Alhambra Cal.

1910-1920 :: CABBAGE, PEANUT AND APPLE SALAD

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 17:27:00 -0500

Ingredients

2 cups chopped cabbage

1 cup peanuts

1 cup chopped apples

1 cup salad dressing

Preparation

Mix ingredients and serve with French dressing. This salad looks very appetizing when served in cups made of hollowed out red apples, the pulp removed being used in the salad.

Source: FOODS THAT WILL WIN THE WAR AND HOW TO COOK THEM BY C. HOUSTON GOUDISS

1910-1920 :: Jellied Cucumber

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 17:19:55 -0500

Ingredients

1 cucumber

1 teaspoon gelatin

A few grains of cayenne

Preparation

Pare and slice cucumbers and cook in water to cover until tender. Drain, season with salt, a few grains of cayenne, and to one cup of the cooked cucumber add a level teaspoon of gelatin dissolved in a spoonful of cold water. Stir the soaked gelatin in while the cucumber is hot. Set into a cold place to chill and become firm. If a large mold is used break up roughly into pieces, if small molds are taken then unmold onto lettuce leaves and serve with mayonnaise

Source: Good Things to Eat As Suggested by Rufus by Rufus Estes

(NB: Rufus Estes was a freed slave who spent his later years selling his recipes: “I was born in Murray County, Tennessee, in 1857, a slave. I was given the name of my master, J. D. Estes, who owned my mother’s family … After the war broke out all the male slaves in the neighbourhood for miles around ran off to join the “Yankees”. That left us little folks to bear the burdens.”

1900-1910 :: Halibut a la Delmonico

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 17:02:00 -0500

Ingredients

2 cupfuls of cooked fish

1/2 cupful of mashed potato

3 tablespoonfuls of butter

1 tablespoonful of cornstarch

2 cupfuls of cream or milk

Yolks of two eggs

1 tablespoonful of Parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper to taste.

Preparation

Beat the potato until light and creamy, with the yolk of one egg. Melt two tablespoonfuls of butter, add the cornstarch, stir until smooth. Add the cream, stir until the sauce thickens, take from the fire, add the remaining Qgg yolk, fish and seasoning. Fill a greased baking dish with alternate layers of potato and fish. Cover the top with bread crumbs mixed with the cheese and the remaining tablespoonful of butter, melted. Cook for twenty minutes in a quick oven.

Source: The Enterprising Housekeeper (look, there she is ^ she’s so enterprising)

1910-1920 :: Lobster Newburg

Tue, 22 Nov 2011 17:03:46 -0500

Serves 6

Ingredients

three 1 1/2-pound live lobsters (or 2 1/2 cups canned frozen lobster meat)
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon medium-dry Sherry
3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon brandy
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
cayenne to taste
4 large egg yolks, beaten well
toast points as an accompaniment

Preparation

Into a large kettle of boiling salted water plunge the lobsters, head first, and boil them, covered, for 8 minutes from the time the water returns to a boil. Transfer the lobsters with tongs to a cutting board and let them cool until they can be handled. Break off the claws at the body and crack them. Remove the claw meat and cut it into 1/2-inch pieces. Halve the lobsters length-wise along the undersides, remove the meat from the tails, discarding the bodies, and cut it into 1/2-inch pieces.

In a heavy saucepan cook the lobster meat in the butter over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes, add 2 tablespoons of the Sherry and 3 tablespoons of the brandy, and cook the mixture, stirring, for 2 minutes. Transfer the lobster meat with a slotted spoon to a bowl. Add the cream to the Sherry mixture and boil the mixture until it is reduced to about 1 cup. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the remaining 1 teaspoon Sherry, the remaining 1 teaspoon brandy, the nutmeg, the cayenne, and salt to taste. Whisk in the yolks, cook the mixture, whisking constantly, until it registers 140°F. on a deep-fat thermometer, and cook it, whisking, for 3 minutes more. Stir in the lobster meat and serve the lobster Newburg over the toast.

1920-1930 :: The French 75

Tue, 22 Nov 2011 16:57:26 -0500

Ingredients

1 1/2 oz Plymouth gin

1/2 oz simple syrup (2-1 simple syrup)

1/2 oz lemon juice

Instructions

Shake with ice, strain into Collins glass (10 oz glass) filled with crushed ice. Top with champagne and give it a gentle stir. Fire in the hole!

Adapted from David Wondrich

1920-1930 :: The Bacardi Cocktail

Tue, 22 Nov 2011 16:51:00 -0500

Ingredients

1 1/2 oz Havana Club white rum

1/2 oz lime juice

1/2 tsp grenadine

Instructions

Shake with ice, strain into cocktail glass.

Adapted from David Wondrich

1920-1930 :: Gougeres

Tue, 22 Nov 2011 16:48:38 -0500

More information on these *amazing* appetizers can be found at the Dish Magazine website.

Says Dish writer Kara Scharer, “Gougères are a savory pâte à choux. They are easy to make and widely popular – I have never had any left after a party!”

Ingredients

1 cup water
1/3 cup butter
1 cup flour
1 tsp. salt
4 eggs
1 cup cheese (use either gruyere or Swiss) grated
1 small onion - diced finely
green olives - (I use Manzanilla olives)

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Heat water and butter to a rolling boil in a medium size saucepan.
Stir in flour and salt.
Stir hard over low heat, about 1 minute or until the mixture forms a ball.
Remove from heat.
Beat in eggs until smooth.
Stir in cheese and onion.
Drop rounded teaspoons full of dough on greased cookie sheet.
Place 1 olive on each gougère.
Bake until puffed and golden about 20 minutes.
Makes about 4 dozen.

1920-1930 :: Bacon Salad

Sun, 20 Nov 2011 12:14:17 -0500

Ingredients

1/2 pound bacon
2 teaspoons brown sugar
few grains pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon mustard
4 tablespoons vinegar
lettuce

Instructions

Cut bacon in tiny squares or force through food chopper, and cook until crisp.
Reserve both bacon fat and dice.
Mix brown sugar, pepper, paprika, mustard.
Add vinegar; stir until smooth.
Add to 1/2 cup of the bacon fat and bring to boiling point.
Sprinkle lettuce with the dice of cooked bacon and just before serving pour dressing over or pass it at the table.

1920-1930 :: Green Pepper farcis fromage à la Cream

Sun, 20 Nov 2011 12:08:37 -0500

Ingredients

1 washed green pepper
a fresh cream cheese
walnuts
pimento
fresh lettuce leaves
French dressing

Instructions

Have the green pepper scooped out so the seeds are all removed.
Mix the creamcheese with fine chopped walnuts and pieces of pimento cut into small squares, fill into the pepper, so it is well packed, set on ice till chilled an hour or so.
When ready to serve, cut into slices with a sharp knife, arrange onto fresh lettuce leaves, pour over French dressing and serve.

1910-1920 :: Chestnut Salad

Sun, 20 Nov 2011 11:55:34 -0500

Ingredients

chestnuts
celery
bananas
apples
lettuce

Instructions

Equal parts of boiled chestnuts and shredded celery are combined.
Bananas, apples, celery and chestnuts.
Dress with mayonnaise and serve on lettuce leaves.

1910-1920 :: Swiss Chard with Bacon

Sun, 20 Nov 2011 11:39:06 -0500

Ingredients

Swiss Chard
Bacon
Hardboiled eggs
Vinegar
Hot Water

Instructions

Wash and pick over Swiss Chard.
Cook in boiling salted water, using just enough water to prevent Chard from burning.
Drain and chop fine. Arrange in a mound on a chop platter, surround (crown fashion) with “hard-boiled” eggs cut in halves lengthwise, having cut side out.
Cut a slice off the large end of each egg so that they will stay in place.
Cut five slices of bacon in narrow strips crosswise. Try out one-third cup.
Add one-fourth cup vinegar, diluted with one-fourth cup hot water, pour while hot over the Swiss Chard, scattering the scraps of bacon over top of mound.

1910-1920 :: Baked Pumpkin

Sun, 20 Nov 2011 11:30:00 -0500

Ingredients

pumpkin
sugar
cinnamon
butter

Instructions

Slice the pumpkin a quarter of an inch thick, peel and put a layer in the bottom of a baking dish.
Add a layer of sugar with a sprinkle of cinnamon and dot with butter.
Repeat first two steps until the pan is full; let the top be well covered with sugar.
Bake in a moderate oven until the sugar becomes like a thick syrup.

Cut the pumpkin in squares and do not peel, bake, and when soft enough, scrape it from the shells, season with butter and salt and serve like squash.

1900-1910 :: EDISON CYLINDERS Of course, if this were really the...

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 15:41:59 -0500

1900-1910 :: EDISON CYLINDERS

Of course, if this were really the early 1900’s, instead of the iPod we’d be busting out the wax cylinders.

1900-1910 :: PIANO ROLLS Pianist Carl Reinecke was 83 years old...

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 15:36:00 -0500

1900-1910 :: PIANO ROLLS

Pianist Carl Reinecke was 83 years old when he recorded this piano roll in 1907 (playing here on a pianola from 1908). Born in 1824, it makes him the earliest-born pianist to have his music recorded.

1900-1910 :: Artichoke Salad, for Game

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 13:37:32 -0500

Ingredients

3 oranges
celery stalks
2 tablespoonfuls of olive oil
1 tablespoonful of lemon juice
1/2 teaspoonful of salt
1/4 teaspoonful of paprika
hearts of artichokes

Instructions

Peel the oranges, remove the pith and white skin and slice lengthwise; use an equal amount of tender blanched* celery stalks cut into inch lengths.
Mix together lightly with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and paprica.
Heap together lightly on a serving-dish and surround with cooked hearts of artichokes cut into quarters; wreathe with blanched celery leaves.

* Apparently “blanched” = “prepare (vegetables) for freezing or further cooking by immersing briefly in boiling water”

1900-1910 :: Norwegian Salad

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 13:23:00 -0500

Norwegian Salad

(Believe it or not this was really quite good)

Ingredients

pickled herring
flaked lax
2 peeled apples
2 boiled potatoes
chopped shallots
chopped gherkins
tarragon
chervil
salt and pepper
plain salad dressing

Instructions

Cut some pickled herring into pieces and mix with flaked lax, apples and potatoes.
Cut into dice pieces; add some chopped shallots and gherkins; sprinkle with finely minced tarragon and chervil, salt and pepper.
Cover with a plain salad dressing.