Tag Archives: food history

Tarator - Balkan cucumber walnut dip or soup
food history, recipes, summer, vegetarian

Walnuts, Two Ways, Version 1: Tarator (Balkan walnut/cucumber soup)

Tarator, a cucumber-walnut “soup” from the Balkans

            The Balkans, or the southeastern corner of Europe south of the Danube and west of the Black Sea, has a fascinating and often tumultuous history. Fertile valleys and plains, broken up by various hills and mountains, were home to numerous ancient civilizations – Greeks, Illyrians, Dacians, Scythians, and Sarmatians. The Persian Achaemenids tried to expand their empire here just before and after 500 BC. During the 3rd Century BC, there was even a brief Celtic incursion.

            The Romans were the first outside power to conquer and hold the Balkans. From the 2nd Century BC to the 5th Century AD, they both absorbed and influenced local cultures. Wealthy Romans were fascinated by Greek civilization, and many of the non-Greeks began to speak Latin. Anyone who spoke Latin or Greek and adopted Greco-Roman customs (which fused together somewhat during this time) could become a citizen, and many of the local people did. During the later Roman Empire, two of the most influential emperors, Diocletian and Constantine the Great, came from the Balkans, probably around modern-day Serbia.

            From the 3rd Century AD onward, new waves of invaders entered the Balkans. The first were the Germanic Goths, who were eventually pushed back, but not before killing Emperor Decius in battle in 251 (Decius was also from the region, by the way). After abandoning the province of Dacia in modern-day Romania, the Romans secured the Danube frontier for another century, when various Germanic confederations pushed into the Balkans again, fleeing from the Huns. The Goths were back, accompanied by the Vandals and others.

            What happened next was complicated, but basically went as follows. The leader of the Goths, named Fritigern, asked the Romans if his people could settle in the Empire in exchange for military service. The Romans, facing manpower shortages, agreed, but then broke their word and mistreated the Goths, which led them to revolt. After they killed another emperor, named Valens, in battle in 378, the Romans eventually honored their agreement. Over the next decades, Germanic troops made up more and more of the army.

            After the Empire was divided for good in 395 AD, most of the Balkans became part of the Eastern Roman Empire. Through a combination of better leadership, greater wealth, and a shorter frontier, the Eastern Empire was able to force/bribe the Germanic groups to leave. These Goths, Vandals, etc. then headed west and dismantled the Western Roman Empire. After the Eastern Empire teamed up with the Western Empire and the Goths against the Huns in the 450s, the last “barbarian” group in the Balkans was the Ostrogoths, or Eastern Goths. The emperors sponsored sending them to Italy in the 490s to drive out the Visigoths, or Western Goths, and no Germanic confederations tried to invade the Balkans again. But that did not mean the region was safe, as I will explain in the next post.

            With so many diverse cultures coming and going, along with a favorable climate with plenty of sunshine and rain, the food in the Balkans became just as diverse. Records indicate that the Dacians grew wine grapes. The Romans, who valued fresh produce, either introduced or improved a variety of fruits and vegetables. They were known to enjoy cucumbers, which make up the base of tarator.

            In 1,000 Foods to Eat Before You Die on page 381, Mimi Sheraton suggests 3 ways to prepare walnuts, which have grown in the Balkans for millennia. One of those methods is an egg salad called aselila. Even with a walnut-based dressing replacing mayonnaise, the hard-boiled eggs are a non-starter for me. The walnut and cucumber mix sounds a little like tzatziki sauce, with cucumbers, yogurt, garlic, and dill. It is finished with a bit of sunflower oil and chopped walnuts. The whole idea seems a bit odd as a soup, but pretty good as a dip, so I made my recipe thicker.

            Preparation is simple. There are two tricks to get the best results. First, toss the diced or grated cucumbers with salt and let drain for an hour to remove excess moisture that might otherwise make the dip watery. Second, the garlic needs to be crushed with salt, but there is not enough of it to do so in a food processor. A mortar and pestle work best. Once this is done, combine with the yogurt and dill and let sit until the cucumbers are finished draining, so the flavors can infuse.

            Ingredients:

  • 2 large or 4 small cucumbers, peeled, seeded, and diced or grated (I like diced for more texture)
  • 1 ¼ teaspoons coarse salt
  • 2 garlic cloves, peeled, crushed with the side of a knife, and coarsely chopped
  • 1 cup whole milk plain yogurt (doesn’t have to be Greek yogurt, just make sure not to use low-fat or fat-free)
  • A few sprigs dill, minced after removing any tough stems, or ½ teaspoon dried
  • Sunflower oil, to drizzle
  • Coarsely chopped walnuts, to garnish

            Directions:

  1. Toss the cucumbers with one teaspoon of the salt and place in a colander to drain for an hour.
  2. Place the garlic and remaining salt in the bowl of a mortar. Work with the pestle until a sticky, mostly smooth paste forms. A few lumps of garlic are fine.
  3. Combine the yogurt, garlic paste, and dill in a bowl and allow to sit until the cucumbers are finished draining. Add the cucumbers to the yogurt mixture and discard the liquid.
  4. Place the cucumber-yogurt mixture in a serving bowl. Drizzle with the sunflower oil and sprinkle liberally with the chopped walnuts.
  5. Serve the dip with pitas, other bread, or crackers.

            Tarator seems odd as a soup, but as a dip, it’s fantastic. It sort of tastes like non-sour dill pickles, but creamy. Considering that tarator uses the same flavorings of salt, garlic, and dill, it makes perfect sense. The yogurt, sunflower oil, and chopped walnuts make it more substantial, so it could almost be a hot-weather meal on its own with pitas.

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food history, french cuisine, recipes, stew, vegetarian

Ratatouille + Recipe

Ratatouille, not made by rats

            Let’s revisit another late summer dish I made last year. Ratatouille, a rustic vegetable stew hailing from the same region of Southern France as soupe au pistou, is even easier to make. Mimi Sheraton describes it as one of 1,000 Foods to Eat Before You Die in the book of the same name. Unlike some of the foods in the book, no travel or specially ordered ingredients are required. It’s just vegetables commonly available at the store or farmer’s market, served with bread, pasta, or alongside meat, if desired.

            Many of the same ingredients, like eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes, garlic, and olive oil, are combined in similar ways all around the Mediterranean. One example is the Sicilian caponata, which also includes capers, vinegar, and typically celery. But you don’t have to be anywhere near the Mediterranean to enjoy ratatouille. Just make sure to make it in the summer, when the vegetables are at their best (and most affordable).

            Note that ratatouille can be baked in the oven, and many recipes use that method. I prefer the stovetop because it heats the kitchen less. Like most stews, ratatouille reheats very well, and leftovers make a great omelet filling.

            Ingredients:

  • 1 medium eggplant, cut into 1-inch cubes, tossed with 1 teaspoon salt, and left to sit for half an hour
  • 2 medium zucchini, sliced into roughly half-inch thick rounds
  • 1 green bell pepper, coarsely chopped
  • 1 yellow onion, coarsely chopped
  • 4 Roma tomatoes, coarsely chopped
  • 6 cloves garlic, peeled, crushed with the edge of a knife, and minced
  • ½ cup olive oil
  • 4 sprigs parsley, thick stems minced separately from leaves
  • 4 fresh basil leaves or more to taste, left whole until needed

            Directions:

  1. Combine the eggplant, zucchini, bell pepper, onion, tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, and minced parsley stems in a large pot with 2 tablespoons water.
  2. Bring to a simmer over medium low heat, then cook, stirring occasionally, for about 30 to 35 minutes.
  3. Mince the basil and add to the pot with the parsley leaves. Taste for salt, adding more if necessary, then simmer for 10 more minutes.
  4. Serve the ratatouille with bread, pasta, grilled meat, or all of the above. Sprinkle with additional parsley if desired.

            Eating the ratatouille while watching the movie of the same name is encouraged. It isn’t weird, I promise. For more recipes, subscribe below for free. And if you’re feeling extra generous and would like to support my work, I would be most grateful.

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food history, french cuisine, recipes, soup, stew, vegetarian

French Summer Vegetable Soup: Soupe au Pistou

Soupe au pistou, a southern French classic

            Last summer, in my exploration of 1000 Foods to Eat Before You Die by Mimi Sheraton, I made my own version of soupe au pistou, a southern French soup loaded with summer vegetables, and loved it. Now that it’s August and vegetables are at their peak, I made it again and recorded my recipe. Southern France is quite different from Paris, Normandy, Brittany, and the other northern regions, in climate, culture, and food. If a trip isn’t in the cards for the near future, some of the local cuisine will help us both imagine it. Maybe it will happen someday, but for now, think of rolling hills, olive trees, and enjoy the lack of crowds.

            Note that you can switch up the vegetables depending on what you like or have on hand. Just make sure to include tomatoes, onions, potatoes, white and green beans, pasta, and of course the pistou. Beyond that, feel free to add a sprinkle of cheese, or switch out the angel hair for other pasta, adjusting cooking time accordingly.

            Ingredients:

  • 8 ounces (about 1 ½ cups) navy or other small white beans, soaked and drained according to package directions
  • 1 onion, quartered and thinly sliced
  • 8 tablespoons (equal to ½ cup) olive oil
  • 2 Roma tomatoes, coarsely chopped
  • Salt
  • 6 small red or other waxy potatoes, cut into roughly ½ inch cubes
  • 2 carrots, sliced crosswise with the larger pieces cut in half
  • 2 zucchini, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
  • 4 ounces green beans, cut into roughly 2-inch pieces
  • 4 ounces angel hair pasta, broken into roughly 2-inch pieces
  • 4 large cloves garlic, peeled and crushed with the side of a knife blade
  • 80 fresh basil leaves, about 2 cups loose
  • Grated parmesan cheese, if desired
  • Sprig of parsley, if desired

            Directions:

  1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. When hot, add the navy beans, onion, and a pinch of salt and sauté until the onions take on some color, stirring occasionally.
  2. Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring a few times, until they begin to break down.
  3. Add just enough water to cover the beans and vegetables and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer. Cook with the lid tilted for 30 minutes, adding more water if necessary.
  4. Add the potatoes, carrots, another pinch of salt, and more water to cover the new additions. Simmer for another 30 minutes.
  5. For the pistou, combine the basil, garlic, ½ teaspoon salt, the remaining 4 tablespoons of olive oil, and, if desired, a bit of parmesan and a sprig of parsley, in a food processor and blend until smooth. It won’t look like a large amount, but a little goes a long way.
  6. Test the white beans. If they are soft, add the zucchini and green beans and taste for salt, adding more if necessary.
  7. Increase the heat to medium and cook for 5 minutes, add the angel hair, and cook for another 3 minutes. Serve the soup with the pistou and optional cheese.

            For more seasonal, global, and historical recipes, make sure to subscribe for free. Of course, if you want to donate and buy me some virtual vegetables, I’m not about to complain.

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Calabrian cuisine - chicken, spaghetti, and zucchini
food history, italian cuisine

Cook’s Tour of Italy Menu 77 (Pgs. 238 – 241): Menu for 4, Calabrian Coast

Region: South Mainland/Islands (Calabria)

Menu: Calabrian Onion Soup with Potatoes, Skewered “Tuna” with Lemon and Oregano, Spaghetti with Garlic and Chili, Baked Zucchini with Mozzarella, Roasted Grapes with Caciocavallo

Recommended Wine: Nozze d’Oro, Sicilian white

            Here is another southern Italian menu with potatoes. As discussed before, even though bread and pasta are more widely eaten there, people living in the region do occasionally eat potatoes. Like in neighboring Basilicata, Calabria has a long history of inequality and poverty, though tourism has improved the region’s economy in recent years. Directly across the Strait of Messina from Sicily, Calabrian farmers grow many similar crops, including olives and citrus fruits. Of particular note are bergamot oranges, whose aromatic peel gives earl grey tea its distinctive flavor.

            The soup was a mix of onions, potatoes, and chicken broth, flavored with a bit of butter and brandy. It had a surprisingly sweet edge to it, probably due to sautéing the onions first, caramelizing their sugars. After getting used to it, this was an interesting change of pace, especially when balanced with a bit of cheese, in this case Romano. Personally I prefer the Roman minestrone or the French soupe au pistou, but there was definitely nothing wrong with this.

            Chicken replaced tuna with lemon and oregano, which go well with pretty much any protein. Centuries if not millennia of heavy fishing have made tuna rarer while factory farming has brought the price of chicken down, but at one time chicken was the pricier treat. Spaghetti with a simple mix of oil, minced garlic, and chili flakes is easy to make, uses pantry staples, and pairs well with either.

            It seemed a bit unusual to cook zucchini in the oven, for the simple fact that during the summer when it is in season, many people prefer not to turn the oven on. Maybe the situation is different in Italy, where people are more likely to open windows than rely on air conditioning, and where drier heat makes that feasible. Either way, I outright disregarded the advice to serve the zucchini on separate plates. It saves a few dishes, and the green color was a nice contrast with the chicken and pasta.

            Roasting grapes was an interesting experiment. They aren’t cooked for so long that they become raisins, which are more cost-effective to buy than to make. Rather, they bake just long enough to soften and collapse a bit, concentrating their sugars. I personally prefer them fresh where the skin has a bit of a crunch, but these are enjoyable. No caciocavallo was available.

            Overall, this would be a great special summer menu that isn’t difficult to make. If you’re worried about turning on the oven, I’m sure the zucchini could be grilled, with slices of mozzarella added at the end of cooking. And to be honest, there’s no need to mess with fresh grapes. Table (as opposed to wine) grapes are bred to be juicy and have that slight crunch as you bite through the skin. They’re best enjoyed as is, without bothering with the oven.

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Aspargessuppe - Danish asparagus soup with mock veal dumplings
danish cuisine, food history, soup

Aspargessuppe: Danish Spring Asparagus Soup

1000 Foods (pgs. 344 – 346), recipe found in text

            Ever since the days of Ancient Rome, asparagus has been a symbol of spring and early summer. Ready sooner than most other vegetables, it seems to be especially popular in northern Europe, where long winters mean a longer season without fresh produce. Perhaps this makes people eager to enjoy everything about summer while they can.

            An interesting Danish recipe for asparagus is a soup enriched with veal dumplings and garnished with asparagus tips. Supposedly, it is not as common as it used to be, at least in restaurants. Most likely, this has to do with how fiddly it is to make. The recipe in the text requires at least five saucepans – one to cook and puree the asparagus, one to heat cream or half-and-half, one to heat broth, one to make a combination bechamel/velouté sauce, and one to cook the dumplings. Egg yolks are added at the last minute. Once they are, the soup has to be heated very carefully to prevent curdling.

            I don’t have five saucepans, and I assume most other people don’t either. If the broth and cream are heated in the microwave, the number can be reduced to a more manageable three. You can save another step by not straining the pureed asparagus. The soup won’t be as smooth, but I personally prefer for it to have a bit more texture.

            The first thickener is a combination of two of the French “mother sauces,” bechamel and velouté. Both use a butter and flour mix called roux to thicken a liquid. For bechamel, or white sauce, the liquid is milk, and for velouté, it is a light broth, typically poultry or fish. Yes, velouté is essentially gravy, but using the French term makes it sound fancy. Additional thickening comes from tempered egg yolks. About half of the soup is gradually whisked into the beaten egg yolks to bring them up to temperature, then the mix is added to the pot and heated carefully.

            This was an excellent soup. The asparagus flavor was clear and distinct, enriched but not overpowered by the bechamel/velouté and egg yolks. For some reason, the combined beef and pork “veal” dumplings didn’t puff up like they were supposed to. I suspect this was because I had previously frozen them and didn’t allow adequate time to thaw before cooking, but they still tasted good. For an easier recipe, the soup would be just as good plain. As with most asparagus soup recipes, the asparagus tips are set aside after cooking, reserved as the perfect garnish.

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Anoush Aboor - Armenian wheat and apricot pudding
armenian cuisine, dessert, food history

Armenian Christmas Pudding: Anoush Aboor (wheat berry and dried apricot pudding)

1000 Foods (pgs. 507 – 508), recipe is in the text

            If you’re wondering why I made a Christmas pudding in the middle of summer, it’s because I had all the ingredients in the pantry and wanted to use up what I could. The mix of wheat berries, dried apricots and golden raisins, nuts, and honey sounded like a healthy, tasty alternative to heavy desserts while still satisfying the craving for something sweet and starchy.

            Particularly popular at Christmas, anoush aboor is eaten year-round in both Armenia and Turkey. With the exception of the sugar and cinnamon, all the ingredients have been grown in the region for thousands of years. Situated in eastern Anatolia, near the headwaters of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, this area was home to some of the earliest farmers. They grew wheat, barley, peas, and beans, raised sheep, goats, and cattle, and soon began selectively breeding and cultivating a variety of fruits, vegetables, and nuts.

            Apricots, an essential part of the dish, were originally domesticated somewhere in Turkey or Armenia. When the fruit was introduced to Rome, the Romans called it prunus armeniacus, meaning roughly “Armenian plum,” or praecox for early, since they ripen before most other stone fruits. Fresh apricots are delicious in the early summer, but are highly perishable and rarely available out of season. To have apricots year-round, people have been sun-drying them for millennia. In the Middle East’s hot dry summers, this was easy and didn’t require the use of often-scarce fuel. Even today, Turkey produces much of the world’s supply.

            Literally, the name anoush aboor translates to “sweet soup,” probably because of its porridge-like consistency. The wheat berries are cooked until they “pop” and release their starch into the water, thickening it. Despite being cooked in just water, the pudding had an almost creamy texture and even taste, sweetened with a mix of sugar, honey, and dried fruit. Chopped almonds and walnuts (I skipped the pine nuts and added extra of the others) gave it a nice crunch, and a sprinkle of cinnamon was a nice finishing touch.

            I had one problem with the recipe. It called for a teaspoon of salt. Since I made a half batch, I used half a teaspoon, which didn’t sound like much. Unfortunately, even that amount made the pudding taste distinctly briny and a bit unpleasant. The pudding was much better stirred into unsalted hot wheat cereal to cut the salt while adding texture, but to be honest, I don’t think I would make this again. Back before modern cakes, cookies, and brownies it might have been a nice treat. Today, it’s pretty lackluster.

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Patriotic pound cake trifle
american cuisine, british cuisine, dessert, food history, recipes

Patriotic Trifle: An American Spin on a British Classic

1000 Foods (pgs. 31 – 32) for information, recipe is my own creation

            While British cuisine doesn’t have a great reputation abroad, desserts are an exception to this rule. Drool-worthy examples abound on the Great British Baking Show (which you should never watch while hungry), and one of the classics is trifle. Trifles also appear multiple times in the Harry Potter series, typically at celebrations, and in the second book, Harry even ends up wearing one.

            The specifics vary by recipe, but they always include cake or ladyfinger biscuits, custard and/or whipped cream, and fruit and/or jam. Basically something starchy, something creamy, and something fruity. British versions usually include sherry or another fortified wine. Originally, this was to help revive stale cake. With modern recipes this is unnecessary, but a lot of people like the taste. I omit this for a family-friendly version and clearer fruit flavor, bursting with berries and vanilla.

            Wine and liquor were once extremely common dessert flavorings. Since the 19th Century, perhaps because of the temperance movement, vanilla has largely taken their place. Despite its boring reputation, vanilla blends extremely well with fruit, chocolate, caramel, cream, and pretty much anything else you might put in a dessert. For a beautiful, fresh, and surprisingly easy centerpiece, the essentials are a good pound cake, seasonal or frozen fruit, vanilla pudding, and homemade whipped cream.

            Strawberries make a particularly good trifle, because as the trifle sits in the refrigerator, the lightly sugared berries release lots of flavorful juice that soaks into the cake. If they aren’t in season, it’s better to use frozen, which tend to have a better flavor (and price) than the out-of-season fresh berries, which are usually picked underripe so they ship better and last longer on the shelf. This applies for any fruit, not just strawberries.

            Pound cake is another crucial ingredient, and you don’t have to make your own for success. The frozen Sara Lee pound cakes are excellent quality. I like to make my own vanilla pudding, but an instant mix still produces a special dessert if you’re crunched for time. Just avoid the sugar-free kind, and don’t make it with skim milk. And make your own whipped cream. It makes a huge difference, and with the cost of the spray bottles, it’s actually cheaper when you need a lot.

            For a full red, white, and blue effect, blueberries can be sprinkled over the top of the trifle or added between the layers. Since they don’t produce much juice, I usually stick with a strictly strawberry trifle, but I added them this time because they were in season and it was for the 4th of July. Just make sure to layer the trifle in a glass bowl if at all possible, to show it off to full effect.

To impress your guests, decorate the top with fruit.

            Note that the quantities in the recipe are not always specified. This is because different serving bowls have varying capacity, and everyone has their own preference for how much of each ingredient to add.

            Ingredients:

  • 1 pound cake, homemade or Sara Lee
  • Strawberries
  • 2 tablespoons sugar per quart of strawberries
  • Vanilla pudding, homemade or from a mix
  • Blueberries, optional
  • 1 cup whipping cream
  • 1 tablespoon powdered sugar per cup whipping cream
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla per cup whipping cream

            Directions:

  1. Hull and halve the strawberries, cutting any larger berries into quarters. Toss with the sugar and let stand while you prepare the other ingredients.
  2. Cut enough of the pound cake into cubes to cover the bottom of the serving bowl.
  3. Whip the cream with the powdered sugar and vanilla until soft peaks form.
  4. Layer the cake cubes in the bottom of the serving dish. Top with the strawberries and drizzle any liquid over all.
  5. Add the pudding over the strawberries, and top with the blueberries if using.
  6. Finish the trifle with the whipped cream, decorating the top with fruit if desired.

            If strawberry season is over but you have fresh peaches or raspberries, I’m sure they would also make an excellent trifle. And as always, don’t forget to subscribe to get posts sent to your inbox for free.

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Modified Cobb salad platter
american cuisine, food history, recipes

Cobb Salad: A Cold Main Course for Hot Weather

1000 Foods (pg. 547) for information, recipe is my own creation

            This upcoming weekend is supposed to be hot. At times like these, most people don’t want to heat up the kitchen by turning the oven on. Grilling, quick-cooking pasta, and stir-fry are all popular options for home cooks, as are a variety of cold salads.

            Supposedly, cobb salad was invented in California in the 1930s as a way to use up leftovers. Turning leftovers into salads was just as common then as now, though inexplicably this often involved mayonnaise and/or gelatin. Thankfully, cobb salad avoided this in favor of a vinaigrette flavored with lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, and garlic. Original ingredients included hard-boiled eggs, blue cheese, chicken, bacon, avocado, and tomatoes, presented in rows for a striped effect.

            Inevitably, cobb salad’s popularity in Hollywood spread the recipe nationwide, with some variations. Since avocados were harder to find outside California, they were frequently omitted, and sometimes other diced ingredients like ham were added. Shredded cheese might replace the blue cheese, and some cooks might use the mayonnaise-based dressings popular at the time.

            For my own recipe, I made three adjustments. Since I don’t like boiled eggs or blue cheese, I replaced them with feta and lentils. The French-style green lentils I found at Woodman’s were particularly good, with an almost meaty flavor. And I omitted the tomatoes because they are not yet in season fresh.

            The final result was a mix of chicken, avocados, bacon, feta cheese, lentils, and romaine lettuce with a flavorful vinaigrette. All the different textures and flavors contrasted well with each other, and the platter was just so pretty.

            Ingredients:

  • 1 head romaine lettuce, washed and torn into bite-sized pieces
  • About 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cooked, cooled, and cut into cubes
  • About 8 oz feta or blue cheese
  • About 8 oz bacon, sliced across the grain into roughly 1-inch pieces, cooked, drained, and cooled
  • 1 cup French-style green lentils (I used Bob’s Red Mill brand) cooked and cooled, or a few chopped hard-boiled eggs
  • 2 ripe avocados, halved, seeded, and cut into cubes
  • Sliced ripe tomatoes, if in season
  • Juice of ½ lemon
  • 1 tbsp red or white wine vinegar
  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 or 2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed with the side of a knife
  • A few dashes Worcestershire sauce
  • Salt and pepper to taste

            Directions:

  1. For the dressing: combine the lemon juice, vinegar, olive oil, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper in a bowl and beat together with a fork. Let rest for at least an hour to infuse the garlic flavor.
  2. Arrange the remaining ingredients either on a platter or individual plates. Rows are the most traditional, but feel free to let your creativity run wild.
  3. Remove the garlic cloves from the dressing. Whisk the dressing and pour over the salad before the liquids separate. Serve.

            To get posts sent directly to your inbox, don’t forget to subscribe. And if you want to support my work with a one-time or recurring donation, I’m not going to complain.

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food history, french cuisine, recipes

Using Up the Wine: Oeufs en Meurette (eggs poached in red wine)

1000 Foods (pg. 106) for information, recipe is my own creation

            After making the beef burgundy, I had about a third of a bottle of the wine left over. Not wanting to waste it but not really wanting to drink it either (too dry), I chose to make another dish from the French region of Burgundy: oeufs en meurette. These are basically eggs poached in a mix of wine, beef broth, and aromatics, which is then reduced to form a sauce. The eggs are served with toast to soak up the sauce and runny yolks, and are often garnished with sauteed onions or mushrooms.

            Even though I don’t usually like poached eggs, this was really good. The egg yolks blended into the sauce once the eggs were cut, making their runniness less apparent. All the butter, to toast the bread, sauté the mushrooms, and make roux to thicken the sauce probably helped too. The leftover sauce was even better with scrambled eggs. As an extra garnish, I added some kale, which holds up next to the hot ingredients much better than lettuce.

Ingredients:

  • 4 pieces thick-cut bacon, cut into matchsticks across the grain
  • 1 shallot, peeled, crushed with a chef’s knife, and minced
  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled, crushed with a chef’s knife, and minced
  • 1 cup red burgundy or other pinot noir (you don’t need an expensive bottle, mid or even medium-low priced is fine)
  • 2 bay leaves, broken in half
  • ½ teaspoon dried thyme or 1 ½ teaspoons fresh
  • Minced fresh parsley, if desired
  • 1 cup beef broth
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 tbsp softened butter, plus enough to coat skillet
  • 1 tbsp flour
  • 8 oz sliced mushrooms
  • 2 pieces thickly sliced white bread, such as Texas toast

            Directions:

  1. Brown the bacon over medium-low heat in a medium saucepan until enough fat has been rendered to coat the bottom. Add the shallots and cook until soft. Then add the garlic and cook until it takes on some color.
  2. Add the wine, bay leaves, and thyme to the saucepan and scrape the bottom with a rubber spatula. Add the broth and parsley, salt and pepper to taste, and bring to a simmer.
  3. Meanwhile, make a paste with a tablespoon each of butter and flour.
  4. Melt enough butter in the skillet to coat it, and brown the toast to the desired color over medium heat. Place each piece in a wide individual serving bowl.
  5. Add more butter to the skillet if needed along with the mushrooms. Salt and pepper to taste. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, while you poach the eggs and reduce the sauce.
  6. Break the eggs into a bowl, and if strands of egg white in the sauce bother you, hold each in a fine-mesh strainer for a few seconds to let the loose part of the white drain.
  7. Carefully add the eggs to the wine and broth mixture, stirring gently. Poach just until the whites are firm, then remove them with a slotted spoon and place two over each piece of toast.
  8. Turn the heat up to medium, and add the butter and flour paste to the poaching liquid. Cook, stirring frequently, until the sauce is slightly thickened.
  9. Ladle sauce over each serving, adding mushrooms for garnish. If desired, you can also add some greens or parsley.

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food history, french cuisine, stew

Classic Julia Child: Boeuf Bourguignon

1000 Foods (pgs. 60 – 62), recipe found in text

            For centuries, from the 17th to the mid-20th and even beyond, French cuisine has had a stuffy, high-class reputation outside of France. The fanciest restaurants were almost all French, and they served elaborate, haute-cuisine creations that most home cooks would never attempt. Julia Child did more than any other English-language author to popularize French middle-class and provincial dishes. Even high-class French restaurants jumped on the bandwagon, often with a bit of fancying up.

            Perhaps the most famous Julia Child dish of all is boeuf bourguignon, a beef stew starring the Burgundy region’s famous red wine. Low, slow cooking tenderizes economical beef cuts like chuck while creating a rich gravy. Even more flavor comes from onions, shallots, garlic, mushrooms, parsley, thyme, and dried orange peel. The recipe does take a bit more prep work and finessing than the typical American or British beef stew, separately cooking the onions, mushrooms, and bacon before adding them to the pot, but none of it is very difficult. Just set aside enough time, particularly for marinating the meat.

            Along with Bordeaux in the southwest, the area of Burgundy in the east has been one of France’s most prestigious wine regions since the Middle Ages. Vineyards there produce some of the most expensive pinot noir in the world, along with more affordable wine. The recipe calls for a good but not extravagant red burgundy. Since the local grocery store didn’t have French burgundy, I got a bottle of California pinot noir. Supposedly the vines were started with cuttings from Burgundy, and it was under $20 but not the absolute cheapest option. In other words, mid-priced by flyover country standards, and there was some leftover to serve with the stew.

            The French region of Burgundy has a long and complicated political history. Sandwiched between France and the Holy Roman Empire, wealthy and powerful Burgundy was often either fully or partially independent. Throughout the Middle Ages, the dukes there had a love-hate relationship with the kings of France and caused them all sorts of headaches. During the Hundred Years’ War, King Jean II granted the duchy to his youngest son Philippe the Bold. Through his own and his son’s marriages, the duke of Burgundy gained control of the Flanders, Holland, Brabant, and Hainaut in the Low Countries.

            For much of the 15th Century, the dukes of Burgundy were almost as powerful as the French kings themselves. Due to a conflict over who got to act as regent whenever Charles VI experienced an episode of psychosis, which happened almost annually, for months at a time, over a 30-year period, Burgundy ended up siding with the English for part of the Hundred Years’ War. Without their help, Henry V of England would probably not have had such spectacular success, and Burgundy’s later return to French allegiance helped turn the tide back toward France once and for all. Meanwhile, the dukes of Burgundy had one of the most dazzling courts in Europe.

            Burgundy’s rise was stopped abruptly when Duke Charles the Bold was killed in battle without a male heir in 1477. Louis XI of France seized his French territories, but his attempt to take Flanders and force Charles’ daughter Marie to marry his own son, the future Charles VIII, backfired. Burgundy and the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick III had previously worked together to counter Louis XI, to the point of negotiating a marriage between his Marie and Frederick’s son Maximilian. For political reasons, and since the future Charles VIII was only 8 years old while Maximilian was 18, the 20-year-old Marie chose the latter. Their son later married the daughter of Ferdinand and Isabella, bringing the Habsburgs to Spain and leading to three more centuries of conflict with France.

            This dish is a good project for a day off work, when you can take your time and enjoy the process. Boeuf bourguignon, or beef burgundy, is also a great dish for entertaining, and not just because it can be made ahead. It makes you seem classy without breaking the bank. And the taste is a revelation. Beef burgundy is probably one of the best dishes I’ve made so far. The flavors of beef, wine, onions, and mushrooms all blend together in perfect harmony.

            Mimi Sheraton recommends serving it with little potatoes, tossed with butter and parsley after cooking. Since this was already a special meal, I added two more items. A simple green salad is a nice fresh contrast, and with the amount of flavorful gravy, you definitely want bread to soak it up. Naturally, since this is a French dish, a crusty baguette is the way to go.

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