Native Influences

Ask anyone what is American food and they'll say hot dogs, hamburgers and, of course  French fries. Except they're not. The first two are as German as schnitzel, the last as Belgian as mussels and a frosty mug of Stella Artois. What is American food? Squash and popcorn. They are as American as the First Peoples.

The indigenous tribes have contributed much to the American diet - namely healthy good for you food . We also have them to thank for helping  our struggling colonists at the Plymouth Plantation. The Wampanoag Tribe taught them how to plant The Three Sisters  - corn - squash - and beans which sustained the English during the harsh Massachusetts winters. They also taught the colonists how to work and till the area's rocky soil. Another food that came into the diet is maple syrup. The indigenous showed how to tap the trees and collects the sap used for everything from syrup to candy.Its' sugar was crucial in sweetening  cakes along with tea and coffee. The Lenni Lennape, a division of the Delaware Indians, showed colonists the local clam,oyster and eel beds in the Raritan Bay area , just outside of New York City. They also harvested the wild strawberries, blueberries and blackberries that grow throughout the state. These were in heavy rotation in many an early New York or New Jersey's housewife's pantry, being used for jams and pie fillings.

The indigenous are also responsible for introducing corn pone and hominy grits to the American diet. The Roanoke and Neusick tribes, along with many from Southeastern Native American ones developed the process of nixtamalization - in which corn is soaked and cooked in lime water or some other alkaline solution to remove the hulls.. This helped in creating the Southern staples hominy and cornbread. The mash was also important in creating whiskey too. The West Coast tribes brought salmon to settlers' diets along with native deer, duck and rabbit. The Caribbean indigenous tribes also contributed a lot to the way we modern nativists eat. Thanks to them we have barbecue , first known as barbacoa. The Taino tribe of the various islands that include Cuba and Puerto Rico gave us the method of roasting various meats such as goat and sheep over open air fires. The fiery and delicious pepperpot stew is also one of their contributions to our cuisine as is the ever popular jerk. Another gift is Mama Juana , from the Dominican Republic branch of the Tainos.It's a wild  punch with the kick of rum and red wine mixed with different tree barks and herbs.

Today we should celebrate all the contributions of the indigenous peoples of this hemisphere. They have been vital in creating new countries and new cultures. They have been responsible for our dietary success for five centuries now. It's time we honor them properly.

The Stove Or The Microwave

Nothing beats food roasted or baked in the oven. The aroma, The taste The texture. Nothing beats a microwave. The convenience. The ease. The thing is which one is better? It's an interesting debate.

Since I had my new stove installed, I have only used the microwave -which was only bought in October mind you - a handful of times. The toaster oven - once used almost every day - now sits  collecting dust. I';ve forgotten the last time I needed it. The stove, a sleek Frigidaire  unit, is like a new toy, I love the computerized oven and the fact that it dings loudly when preheating. I used to think it was a hassle to bake a meat pie in the oven.It took too much time. There was a chance of burning . However,q1 I was wrong about that. Baking a meat pie  does take anywhere from forty-five minute to an hour, but that gives me enough time to finish up the day's laundry and cleaning chores.Plus the aroma. Nothing beats that aroma, the rich smell of chicken, beef or turkey with gravy. Then there's that crust. Delicate and golden, the perfect foil for the lush inside. Another plus is baking again.Microwave cakes tend to be more like puddings. Anything oven baked has a fine crumb and holds its' shaped well. I am excited , especially since I received a madeleine pan for Christmas. The oven sparked an interest in not only cake baking but cake decorating. I've bought a cake icer which I can't wait to use and all natural food coloring.

I do like my microwave. It's a Haier., the company that manufactures all sorts of appliances from televisions to air conditioners to all sorts of kitchen appliances What is great about their microwaves is that the timing can be fine tuned right down to the second. I didn't have this with my previous one. It was hard to program in the half minutes. This one allows me to exactly time the dishes. Microwaves are also great in saving time, especially when there are gnawing hunger pains. I can have a whole dinner done in five minutes. Microwaves are also great in helping to quickly melt ingredients such as butter and chocolate for cake and cookie recipes.I know I'll need it when I make madeleines which require two sticks of melted butter. It'll also be good when I have to melt chocolate chips for fudge. What is problematic is that microwave dishes tend to go either under or over cooked.  . Sometimes the required cooking time is not enough.which results in meals with ice cold centers or it's too much cooking resulting in a black inedible mess. Also some dishes such as meat pies  along with some leftovers don't taste as good.There's a paleness to them as well as a mushiness. I think any leftover pasta and Chinese food tastes's better reheated in a microwave. along with baked apples and poached pears. The last two are quick and easy desserts that I like to make, especially when i want a hot dessert in a snap.

In the end which is better. The stove is good for most cooking. It's the one home chefs should rely o all the time. As for the microwave , use it when there's no time or ingredients have to be melted. They should be copacetic with each other, helping to create excellent meals , desserts and treats.


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The Return Of The Oyster

Today's Dining section in the New York Time s had an interesting article about oysters making a comeback in Manhattan's East River. This is a subject close to my heart because I'm an environmentalist and I've bene wanting cleaner waters and cleaner environments for our local sealife now. Oysters are natures' way of filtering out pollutants. They also reflect Manhattan's culinary history.The local indigenous people made them a staple of their diet as did the Europeans who came after them. Now they;re hitting tables once more.

The article , written by David Kamp tells of their return of these bivalves. Most of then look like their ancestors that graced New York's waters, ridged, craggy and tightly shut. However the harbor still has PCBs in it and that makes eating any seafood form the area taboo. The students though are hoping for a day when future generations will be able to eat produce from New York's Rivers. Oysters have been planted in hopes of building reefs similar to what was gracing Manhattan four hundred years ago.

I know a similar program that wa s just instituted in New jersey's Raritan Bay . That area too was rich in oysters and a popular fishing spot between the Lenni Lenape and the English who settled htere. there were even oysters factories in South Amboy, one of the towns that graces the start of the bay area. Hopefully one dayin the green future we'll be able to eat some of the Raritan Bay oysters too.

The bivalve industry was a big and thriving one in this area until over harvesting and depletion kicked in. Now with the work of eco farmers and environmentalists we can bring it back. it may take a while but people will get the benefit of local oysters .