Ken Magos Hosting With History

One of my favorite PBS shows is "Drive by History" in which host and historian Ken Magos finds out about the history behind those blue plaque signs that dot the  New Jersey landscape.Now he has come up with a spin off  "Drive by History Eats"in which he,  with the help of Dr. Libby O'Connell and chefs Melissa Fairchild Clark and Anthony Murgola, create dishes eaten by some of New Jersey's most prominent historical figures along  with recipes culled from historical events and ethnic and indigenous group. He has graciously given Foodie Pantry an interesting and insightful interview.

• 1.    How did you come up with the idea for “Drive by History Eats’?

  This idea has been percolating for a while, actually.  It came from past Drive By History investigations where food – either dinner parties with incredibly influential figures, or various immigrant groups bringing new flavors to our region – played a key role in those narratives.

  2.    You cover several different eras in the show, from the indigenous Lenni Lenape  Three Sisters to the meatless dinners of World War One. How did the recipes reflect the times?

  To paraphrase our Food and Culture Historian Dr. Libby O’Connell, “Recipes provide a window into the past.”  By looking at historic recipes, we’re able to discern when new ingredients were introduced to our region (or became more widely available), and also when certain trends in cooking techniques and equipment or gadgets became popular.

   

  In addition, recipes often reflect social and industrial movements through the generations, such as breakthroughs in refrigeration and food preservation and shipment in the late 19^th century, and Meatless Mondays and Wheatless Tuesdays during World War I.

  3.    Have you noticed any similarities between what New Jerseyians ate then and what we eat now?

  Well, New Jersey is called the Garden State for good reason, and has always boasted a wealth of indigenous fresh produce, fruit, berries, fish and game that have kept our ancestors well-fed for literally centuries.  And we’re still enjoying the bounty today.

  4.    What would you say are the most noticeable culinary differences between then and now?

  From pre-colonial through the 20^th century, the most striking culinary trends are probably the addition of new ingredients and flavors brought over by immigrant groups – keeping in mind that even honey bees (not indigenous to North America) were introduced by 17^th century European settlers.

  5.    I see there’s an upcoming program featuring indigenous dishes starring the Three Sisters and grape dumplings. Will there be more episodes featuring indigenous recipes?

  That is certainly a possibility for future seasons.

  6.    Asking that, we can’t forget New Jersey has had a strong immigrant influence too. Will you be featuring dishes from Newark’s Ironbound section along with Union City’s Cuban neighborhood as well as culinary contributions from the first wave of immigrants to the state?

  We’re planning two separate episodes for Season 2 of DBH: Eats focused on Newark stories. 

   

  The first, based on an upcoming episode of Drive By History featuring legendary entrepreneur and community philanthropist Louise Scott, will examine the culinary influence of Newark’s African American community during the Second Great Migration following World War 2. 

   

  The second, tied to our past investigation at the Newark Museum’s Ballantine House and 19^th century Christmas traditions, will examine holiday culinary contributions from the city’s German, Dutch and English communities.

  7.    You can’t mention New Jersey without a reference to our famed boardwalks. Will you be delving into the history of our most beloved dish - the pork roll sandwich along with other classic boardwalk foods?

  I see you’re trying to draw us into the Taylor Ham vs. Pork Roll debate!  Well, let’s just say we’re neutral on that subject, but have definitely toyed with doing an episode on favorite boardwalk dishes.

  8.    Will “Drive by History Eats” be visiting the state’s oldest restaurants such as Mendham’s Black Horse Tavern?

  Restaurants aren’t our focus.

  9.    New Jersey has seen its’ fair share of battles. Will you be exploring what the Colonial and British armies ate and comparing them?

  That’s a great topic idea – thank you for sharing it!  We’ll definitely throw it into the mix for a future episode!

  10.  And the famous I have to ask question - what was your favorite dish from all the recipes that you’ve sampled and why did you like it so much?

  Honestly, all of the dishes were really tasty this season, but if I had to pick I’d say that I had 2 favorite dishes this season.

   

  First was the pork chop from the Whitman episode.  The pork chop itself was delicious, but the braising liquid with all of the vegetables made a fantastic soup for days after the shoot (I chose to take this one home with me, though dishes are always shared with the entire crew at wrap).

   

  Second were the grape dumplings.  So simple to make, but incredibly delicious, and surprisingly not heavy at all.  The crew all loved them, too.

   

  I hope the audience tries the recipes at home – They won’t be disappointed!  They’re all available on our show website, DriveByHistoryEats.tv.  

  
  

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.

Lush Succotash

Succotash used to be considered that blah dish served in high school cafeterias. However this indigenous American dish can be delicious if made properly. It's also a great way of taking advantage of summer's harvests too by adding a cornucopia of fresh veggies and beans..

David Tanis wrote about it and improved on the classic recipe in yesterday's New York Times Food section. The dish originally was made by a branch of  Narragansett Indians in Massachusetts. Their msickquatash was Anglicized into succotash and contained the basics or Three Sisters of indigenous cooking. These were corns , beans and squash which was cultivated in three separate mounds and grown in copious amounts.. There were summer and winter versions. The summer featured fresh sweet corn, shelling beans or fresh green beans and tender summer squash. Fresh or dried meat and fish were also added to give it more weight The winter version consisted of dried corn, dried beans and pumpkin,Both recipes were a boon to early settlers who struggled with crops and food supplies. Succotash gave them both the needed nutrition and food to survive.

Sadly the dish suffered in the centuries after that.School cafeterias across the country vilified it,It's usually a blah mix of corn, beans and lima beans. Once in a while pearl onions  were added while  home made versions had ample amounts of butter or margarine added to  give it some zip (as I have done). Mr. Tanis throws August's bounty into the mix. He puts in zucchini, green peppers and tomatoes for color and zing. While traditional succotash has salt pork or bacon for extra flavor. Mr. Tanis amp it up by adding lobster chunks, He also tosses in a dollop of crème fraiche .Okra is another new ingredient that is thrown into the mix. It is great for thickening the stew as well as it giving it flavor. It can be omitted if  no one likes it There are the traditional ingredients too,There is the original corn , shelling beans along with any choice of lima, cranberry or  even black eye peas.

Succotash is a great way to enjoy the summer's bounty and celebrate indigenous cooking. Make it today with lobster for a lush feast. It's not that yucky side anymore but an elegant stew, featuring the best of land and sea.