Washington's Cherry Bounce

 There are a lot of myth's about George Washing whose upcoming birthday is the 22nd of this month. There's the wooden teeth one and there's that cherry tree one. He probably did cut down a tree accidentally probably for the fruit it yielded. The First President was a cherry fiend and enjoyed the fruit several different ways

New contributor Ramin Ganeshram, an award winning food writer and The Westport Museum's Director For History and Cuture wrote this fascinating piece for today's New York Times Wednesday Food section. Cherries were a big part of his estate in Mount Vernon ,Virginia. Plant nurseries were selling cherries varieties named for him  during his Philadelphia presidency . His enslaved workers gew multiple varieties which were preserved and sugared. Cherries were a versatile fruit,then and now.In washington's day they could be dried and baked into fruit cakes and stirred into sauces.They were also incorporated into one of his favorite drinks   cherry bounce/.It's a mix of tart cherries,cinnamon and cloves steeped in brandy.cognac whiskey or rum.It came with the English who called and still call it cherry brandy. The name bounce itself came from old time usage of the word meaning to strike or slap (where people in the Caribbean still use the term) The name probably came from the kick it brought to the drinker.

There are still ounce lovers today.Two companies today Tamworth Distilling and its' sister company Quaker City Mercantile included a recipe based on Martha Washington's one. Chef Patrick O'Connell chef at the Inn at Little WAshington uses his own version with apple brandy from Lairds, a hard cider and apple brandy distributor that Washington might have gone to. (It was established in the mid 1700's not far from here the Battle of Monmouth was fought). It's an easy recipe with the mod.It's then let to sit for two days and ern version consisting of three cups tart cherry juice (use Michigan;s Cherry Republics tart cherry juice for this, They ,by far have the best) along with four cups Morello cherries , cloves sugar and a cinnamon stick two cups of a good Cognac or brandy is used for the bounce.It's basically cooking all the fruit and spices along with granulated sugar . The brandy or cognac is then stirred in and the mix is then simmered Its then left to sit for two days Strain the mixtire through a high grain cheese cloth. The bounce is good on the rocks or with a shot of seltzer  to give it an adult  fizzy cherry soda vibe.

Yes , Washington was known for cherries. Yet it was a popular drink made from his beloved Morellos that gave him joy. Try it for  a lively drink this President's day weekend.

The Return Of Newark Cider

New Jersey has in recent years, been known for their wines and champagnes. Yet another heady beverage is making a comeback -  Newark Cider. This clean tasting fruity brew is being made in state again and is gracing tables as it did in George Washington's day.

Rachel Wharton, a food writer and editor at  The New York Daily News took a break from her newspaper to write this piece for today's New York Times Food section. Newark cider was a great favorite of colonial New Jersey.It was also the treasured choice of George Washington who called it "the champagne of ciders". For decades cideries graced the Newark ,New Jersey area, thanks in part to the vast amount of apple orchards located the various hillsides bordering the town. They were perfect for growing fruit. The slopes have cool nights and warm days which protect the fruit from frost along with helping to accumulate flavor and sugar. The apples, themselves, are descended from the four varieties that make up the brew. Campfield, Povoshon, Granniwinkle and Harrison, the most celebrated of the quartet are the ones used. Together they create a crisp clean cider with notes of caramel and brown sugar, thanks to the Poveshon.Yet it is the Harrison apple that makes the cider sing.They have both the astringent tannins and high acidity that give the drink its' very rich, sugary flavor.

The entire Jersey cider industry was ready to be consigned to history  however it was revived to Charles Rosen.This former chief executive of a Manhattan advertising agency that dealt with other liquors, Svedka Vodka and Mike's Hard Lemonade, wanted to reintroduce this staple of Revolutionary New Jersey. He invested all his money in the business , long gone thanks to first urbanization  and then Prohibition.In 2011 he was looking to effect change in the state. It was then he was handed the magazine Edible New Jersey which had an article about the history of Newark Cider.The article's author, Fran McManus offered a suggestion at its' end - the apples were being grown in other states - why not bring  them back home? Mr. Rosen decided to give it a try. In 2015 he planted several thousand hard to find vintage cider apple saplings. While waiting for these to grow , he produced mainstream ciders such as cherry -cranberry with apple juice bought from other orchards. There is a new Champagne style cider made entirely of Harrison apples, found when his lawyer, Thomas Villardi, came upon a deserted cider mill in Maplewood NJ and with it , the trees. There is also the Ironbound Cider Company that has a tap room and tasting room where New Jersey sourced ingredients are turned into delicious dishes that go perfect with the cider. It's located in Asbury ,New Jersey, just a skip away from the Bridgewater Commons Mall.

New Jersey is known for many things. Cider will once again be one of them. New Jerseyians will enjoy this heady brew  the same way George Washington did.

Presidential Influences

Do our leaders influence the way we eat? Have they always? The answer is probably yes. US presidents and their First Ladies give us ideas and inspiration about cooking and eating. Many home chefs have imitated and copied cooking styles and recipes from the White House.

Most of our presidents had simple tastes. George Washington was a man of his times, preferring a dinner of mutton washed down with Madeira wine. Did that influence his countrymen? Maybe. Maybe not. Many wealthy landowners enjoyed what he did. There was roast beef and ale along with tables laden with cakes, pies and early forms of cookies. Perhaps some housewives imitated Martha Washington who seemed to love baking, She was known for her Great Cake, a brandy and Madeira soaked fruit cake topped with a rich fondant icing. Surely she also created steamed fig puddings, a nod towards her and her husband's English heritage. It was Thomas Jefferson who made a big impact on the way wealthy 18th Century Americans ate. The third president was a gourmet and world traveler. The upper classes got to enjoy ice cream as it became the dessert of the moment.It could have been served with waffles, a treat Jefferson discovered  on a trip to Brussels where he bought a waffle iron to take home.His guests probably swooned over the Parmesan he brought back from Rozzano Italy.Jefferson also loved pasta and also had a pasta machine. Dinner guests may have even brought home  homemade spaghetti and linguine to enjoy and share.

Dolley Madison, James Madison's wife was also another culinary force in the White House. She ,more than her husband, James was known for her layer cake with caramel icing. It was probably the talk of D.C. with many a home chef trying her hand at this new idea. Most presidents until the Gilded Age were more influenced by fellow Americans. Teddy Roosevelt may have been a Rough Rider but he was from a family that ate elegantly simple  meals . It was a time for rich sauces and expensive cuts of meat.He was one of the first presidents that ate fried chicken and  snacked on cookies. He enjoyed bacon for breakfast - a taste that definitely had an impact on American breakfasts.As the Twentieth Century progressed, the century itself influenced the way the White House ate. The Great Depression of the Thirties brought about a frugality to the White House kitchen, Eleanor Roosevelt made sure American favorites such as doughnuts and bread pudding were served during the spartan times.. Jackie Kennedy reintroduced French cuisine which many home chefs snapped up, thanks to her and Julia Child. The last influential presidential couple were Barack and Michelle Obama. They both introduced healthy but delicious eating to Americans and made us fall in love with .veggies again.

Presidents and Americans have influenced each other's eating habits for two  and a half centuries.Is there an impact? Probably yes, depending on the president.

White House Kitchen Meals Fit For A President

The White House is the base of many American institutions The West Wing and  the Oval Office represent the  sitting president while the second story represent the presidential family. However, it's the little written about White House kitchen that fuels the powers that be with favorite dishes and desserts.

There has always been a kitchen in the White House. The first cooks were enslaved African-Americans owned by George Washington. They continued on in the kitchen until President William Henry Harrison in the 1890's . As the 20th century progressed the kitchen became fancier and much more sophisticated . Updates such as a stainless steel makeover during FDR's tenure and an entire transformation thanks to Harry S. Truman seeing the room needed to be drastically updated. Gourmet chefs ushered in the 21st Century with the Obamas bringing in Cristata Comerford, a Filipino born to oversee the cooking. The White House kitchen is also responsible for hard boiling and dying the dozens of Easter eggs used for the annual Easter egg hunt and the annual Christmas gingerbread house, a copy of the White House with some personal touches representing the sitting First Families. They also create amazing banquets which reflect the countries of the foreign leaders feted. When former British Prime Minister David Cameron visited , the kitchen whipped up a bison Wellington , an American spin on the classic British dish and lemon sponge cake. another English classic for his state dinner.

What did our presidents like to nosh on? Not surprisingly,  our first president George Washington had a fondness for cherries along with other fruits. John Adams and his wife Abigail preferred simple New England fare such as Indian pudding along with basic ingredients such as butter and molasses. Thomas  Jefferson was the first gourmand president , bringing in ice cream and macaroni along with anchovies, souffle, and Parmesan cheese to the US palate. James Madison had his wife, the famed Dolly, to thank for White House teas. Abe Lincoln was a fan of his wife 's Mary's courting cake, a homemade , frothy meringue of a cake. Teddy Roosevelt loved sugar so much he put seven lumps in his coffee cup, described as a bathtub by one of his sons along with a kind of shortbread cookie called a sandtart., Cousin Franklin Delano Roosevelt was a big fan of any kind of soup and homemade doughnuts.The first president who loved to cook and often made his own meals was Dwight D. Eisenhower. He had a thing for soups and beef stews. Haute cuisine took a holiday when Bill Clinton was elected.. His was a passion for cheeseburgers along with roast beef sandwiches , his mom's sweet potato casserole and carrot cake. President Obama loved scallops along with the healthier fare his wife Michelle recommended.,

The White House has fed and catered to all our presidents. They have nourished our leaders in times of crises and tempted then wth  savory and sweet treats during difficult days. It is not just a kitchen where food is prepared but part of the net work that support all American preidents.