Glossary: TBT

ThrowBack Thursday: Old-timey recipes, modern kitchen

October 9, 2014  
Gancel's Encyclopedia of Modern Cooking, ©1920, revised 1956

You could accuse me of cheating on this one. I didn't mean to. This book claims to have over 8,000 recipes in it - that's a great deal more than most Pinterest boards. And it's suitably old. 

Reality is this is more glossary than cookbook. Pocket-sized to hide in your apron, every term for every style of cooking is listed in here; heavily influenced by European styles and in particular the French. Mr. Gancel provides his professional references as a prelude, and it's impressive. 

Most "recipes" are little more than shorthand versions of what it should contain. I've not found the abbreviations list. I need an interpreter...

There are a few descriptions that give volumes and amounts, but I need to look up terms here too; how much is a gill? Timing is "wing it!" I've come to think of it as the dictionary of secret chef-speak, like a secret handshake. Maybe this is where real cookin' and less "recipe-followin' " begins. 


Throwback Thursdays features a recipe from an antiquey style cookbook. Hard to know what age to put on it, but you know an old-timey  one when you see it. I have at least 10 oldies now, a number which, being greater than 3, implies a collection. It also means they need their own shelf in the cookbook bookcase.

Chicken Paprika: TBT

ThrowBack Thursday: Old-timey recipes, modern kitchen

Image from TheGraphicsFairy

October 2, 2014  
Chicken Paprika
From The New York Times Cook Book, ©1961

Chicken seems to be a go-to meat for a lot of folks, probably because it's really versatile and has a mild taste which is good for taking on all sorts of flavors. This recipe is one-pot simple and seemed doable on a week night.

Approach
Pretty straightforward: chicken, onion, garlic, stock. The "one tomato" and "one green bell pepper" are a bit vague; I have no way to gauge size of the average tomato 40+ years ago. The recipe note suggests "genuine Hungarian rose paprika" for best results. From what I can gather, the Sweet Paprika from Penzey's will do fine. I'm also assuming that half & half with a splash of heavy cream will do for the "light cream."

If you're observant, you will notice 1) the chicken is still frozen, and 2) I'm using orange Italian frying peppers. Use what ya got, right?

Result
It came together very easily; all the work is in the prep. It's really more of a pink sauce, thickened with flour, light cream, and sour cream. I wasn't expecting a pink sauce, so I was probably confusing this with cacciatore or something. I took the meat out of the pan when I thickened the sauce although the recipe didn't say to. We served it over some leftover potatoes, but I think it would be especially good over pasta.

Verdict 
Keeper. Rich flavors, will probably be great leftovers. (added later: yes, yes it was excellent leftovers)


Chicken Paprika
The New York Times Cook Book, by Craig Claiborne, ©1961

2 tablespoons butter (I used 1+ tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil)
1/2 cup chopped onion (I used more like 2/3 cup)
1 clove garlic, smashed (it was a really, really, really big clove...)
1 1/2 tablespoons sweet paprika (Hungarian rose paprika if you have it)
1 teaspoon salt
1 tomato, chopped (more like 1 1/2 cups)
1 green pepper, seeded and chopped (1 1/2 cups orange pepper)
3/4 cup stock
1 3-4lb chicken, in pieces
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup light cream (2 tablespoons half & half and 1 tablespoon heavy cream)
1/2 cup sour cream

Melt butter in large heavy saucepan (or dutch oven). Add onion and garlic, sprinkle lightly with pinch of salt. Sauté lightly until softened and turning golden. Add paprika, salt, tomato, pepper, and stock; bring to boil. Simmer for 10 minutes covered. 

Add the chicken. Cover and simmer until the chicken is tender, 40-50 minutes. Remove chicken from pan to a plate; cover and keep warm. In small bowl, combine flour and cream; mix well. Stir in 1/2 to 1 cup cooking liquid, mixing well to prevent lumps. Add back into main saucepan, again mixing well to prevent lumps. Add the sour cream; heat through. Return chicken to pot and bury down in the sauce to warm through. Serve it over rice or pasta. Or even potatoes. 



The New York Times Cook Book, by Craig Claiborne, ©1961

This cookbook is "a collection of nearly fifteen hundred selected recipes that appeared in the pages of The New York Times between 1950 and 1960." I tried to paraphrase that, but said almost the exact quote anyway. Found at an antique/flea market. (The photo looks funny: it's only the spine, and a floral tablecloth. The cover was otherwise plain black. Meh.)

Throwback Thursdays features a recipe from an antiquey style cookbook. Hard to know what age to put on it, but you know an old-timey one when you see it. I have at least 10 oldies now, a number which, being greater than 3, implies a collection. It also means they need their own shelf in the cookbook bookcase.

An Old Leek and Potato Soup: TBT

ThrowBack Thursday: Old-timey recipes, modern kitchen

Image: TheGraphicsFairy

September 25, 2014  
An Old Leek and Potato Soup
From James Beard's American Cookery, ©1972

Soup weather has come to Wisconsin a bit early. Too soon to tell if it is here to stay, but what's not to love about a good soup?!

Approach
The recipe was almost too simple. I've made passable potato-leek soup before, but this one was more obviously leek-potato. Leeks, potato, broth. The veg from our CSA; spices from our favorite spice shop. The nutmeg was a surprise as was the cayenne. Roux thickened; no cream at all. 

Result
Wonderful. Thick, creamy, leeky goodness. It must be the leek-to-potato ratio that makes it; far more leeks and fewer spuds than I have used before. I was surprised at the creaminess despite the lack of cream; using a roux in this way is something to try more often. Depending on the broth and fats you use, this could easily be made vegetarian if not vegan. 

Verdict 
Keeper. Hands down better than any more recent potato-leek soup recipe I've made. A perfect light supper with a side of cheese and crackers. 

Bowl fave: personal casserole with "ear" handles in navy glaze from ByBee Pottery. 


An Old Leek and Potato Soup
from James Beard's American Cookery, ©1972

5-6 small or 3 large leeks, white and pale green parts
3 tablespoons butter
3 cups diced peeled potatoes (Yukon Golds, or Reds)
1 quart broth (chicken or veggie)
2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, or to taste
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour

Split the leeks lengthwise to rinse well, cut into slices. Heat butter in large stockpot; add leeks and sauté lightly until softening, 4-5 minutes. Add potatoes and broth; bring to boil. Turn heat down and simmer until potatoes are tender. Remove 1 to 1 1/2 cups liquid portion of soup. Purée remaining soup either in batches using a regular blender or right in the pot with an immersion blender. 

Make roux in separate small skillet: melt butter, add flour and mix well; stir for 1-2 minutes to cook flour and coat flour grains in fat. Add reserved broth slowly, whisking as you go to incorporate and prevent lumps. Cook for 2-3 minutes to thicken; add back to pureed soup. Add salt, cayenne, and nutmeg to taste. 


James Beard's American Cookery, ©1972

This cookbook is a soft cover edition from the first year, but I don't know if it counts as a "first edition." Not strictly old-timey, but at 40 years old it qualifies as antique in some circles. It was a gift during a past relationship, and most obviously the best thing to come of it.  

Throwback Thursdays features a recipe from an antiquey style cookbook. Hard to know what age to put on it, but you know an old-timey  one when you see it. I have at least 10 oldies now, a number which, being greater than 3, implies a collection. It also means they need their own shelf in the cookbook bookcase.

Eggs in Ramekins: TBT

ThrowBack Thursday: Old-timey recipes, modern kitchen

Image from TheGraphicsFairy.com

September 18, 2014  
Eggs in Ramekins
From The White House Cookbook, ©1929 edition

Scrambled eggs are a go-to standard for easy cooking, but sometimes you want something easy and fancy. Enter the baked egg. 


Approach
The recipe itself was standard fare for late 19th century presentation: it assumes you already know something about cooking. Baking in a "moderate" oven, and using a "suggestion" of onion. Pretty basic ingredients. It only called for minced parsley; I also added basil.

We've made baked eggs in the oven before using crème bruleé dishes. For no other reason than that they sit on the shelf mocking me in their underused status, I chose to use some little red Le Creuset crocks. 

Result
Baking for 10 minutes did not finish the dish, so my idea of a moderate oven being 350℉ may not be correct. Also, my modern gas oven probably does not compare equally with the wood- or coal-fired oven mentioned. I forgot to add the breadcrumbs before popping the crocks in the oven, and I would not recommend cheating like I did and using the kitchen torch to "toast" the breadcrumbs. They just burned. Next time I'd toast them in a pan with some butter and add them when the recipe says to. Or maybe not at all; according to resident tasters they didn't add much. 

Even so, the end result was tasty indeed and worth repeating.

The White House Cookbook, ©1929

The initial edition was released in 1887. By 1929, this version was considered modern and updated. I picked up this copy from an online auction. 

Throwback Thursdays features a recipe from an antiquey style cookbook. Hard to know what age to put on it, but you know an old-timey one when you see it. I have at least 10 oldies now, a number which, being greater than 3, implies a collection. It also means they need their own shelf in the cookbook bookcase.