1000 Foods (pgs. 450 – 451)

            After failing to soften the leftover tafelspitz beef by re-simmering, using the leftovers in salads, as suggested in the book, was definitely out. Fortunately, I’d been planning on using them in mushroom barley soup, since it uses many of the same vegetables (which I had extra of) needed to flavor the tafelspitz. With the failure of the emperor’s favorite lunch, I just had more beef and broth to work with. The idea was that chopping up the beef would increase its surface area, meaning more edges in contact with the broth as it re-cooked. New root vegetables plus dried mushrooms would add more flavor, while barley added substance. This time, everything went according to plan.

            Barley is one of the oldest crops cultivated by humans, deliberately planted no later than 8,000 BC, and possibly as early as 10,000 BC. A specific date is hard to come by, since the switch from gathering the wild plants, to deliberately spreading the seed, to building villages by designated fields was a gradual one. In some cases, the archaeology suggests that villages preceded agriculture, at least where there was a lot of wild grain to harvest. But whenever the process happened, barley was domesticated around the same time as wheat. The Sumerians, in modern Iraq, used barley as a form of money. Almost 3000 years before coinage, it was the perfect currency. A goat herder in need of a clay pot might not be able to find a potter in need of a goat, but everyone accepted payment in barley. The seller could eat the barley themselves, or trade it for something else they needed. Money didn’t grow on trees, but it did grow in fields.

            For almost as long as they have been growing grain, people have been turning it into alcohol. Our friends the Sumerians brewed lots of beer and even worshipped a beer goddess. From Egypt to Northern Europe, people fermented their grain. Often, they would drink their barley and eat their wheat. The reason for this is simple: wheat has more gluten than any other grain, which means it makes better bread. Most cultures seem to have preferred bread over other ways of preparing grain, creating a preference for wheat. Since wheat was usually more expensive, it made little sense to use it for beer, where its gluten would be of no use. Barley became the primary grain for brewing, and was used in soup, porridge, and cheaper bread.

            Barley is particularly good in soup. As it cooks, it swells up, taking on the flavor of the broth and creating substantial morsels. There’s a reason beef barley soup is a cold-weather classic. Mushroom barley (with beef) is another variation. I’m not sure why it’s in the Jewish food chapter, but the essential dried mushrooms provide a clue. Dried mushrooms are popular across Eastern Europe, and many of the Ashkenazi Jews who immigrated to the US in the early 20^th Century came from this region. I’ll admit that I’m not very familiar with the kosher specialties associated with New York City, but the origin theory makes sense.

            Dried mushrooms have two major benefits: a long shelf life and concentrated flavor. To make the most of this flavor, don’t discard the soaking liquid. After letting the grit settle out (or straining through a coffee filter), it can be added to the dish. Mushrooms in the boletus family are particularly favored, but most varieties will work. I used some from a medley I found at Woodman’s, and they were great. All the other ingredients are available at any supermarket, making this a perfect home-cooked delight. You could order it at a restaurant, but it’s so easy to make at home, and the leftovers are as good if not better upon reheating. Over the course of a few days, they all got eaten. The tafelspitz redeemed itself.