As American As Squash????

This time of year gets me thinking back to the indigenous peoples and what they ate at the time of the first Thanksgiving. The phrase American as apple pie is kind of inaccurate because the early English settlers brought that over.. What really is true American food? All good for you natural stuff like unprocessed fruits and veggies - not the burgers (from Germany) or the fries (from Belgium and France) like we all think.

Squash corn or maize make up the heart of the indigenous diets.This was supplemented by any meat or fish that original peoples hunted. The American staple , succotash is really native in its 'origins. What is great about the staple is that they can be made a variety of ways, even to this day. Squash can be baked and then mashed. Corn can be ground for fritters or for pone or cornbread. Beans can be mashed or boiled and then flavored. Pumpkin , part of the squash family was also cooked and probably mashed. All these are loaded in antioxidants and vitamins giving the natives a better diet than the European settlers.

The tribes that the Pilgrims ate with gave them maple syrup , cranberries, apples and pears to add Io their vitamin starved diets. Also oysters and fish were in abundance, both loaded with nutrients. Most of the early settlers from the Virginia colonies up to the Massachusetts , relied on the Indian for food. Here in New Jersey the Lenni Lenape , showed the settlers how to gather shellfish from the great Raritan Bay along with hunting wild turkey and geese. There was also wild asparagus and onions too.

As American as apple pie??? Not quite. Try as American as popcorn and squash. The native American knew how to eat and how to respect the earth. They passed that down to us - and we should be grateful for those beliefs.

PBS The Original Food Channel

Long before there was the Food Channel, long before there was the cult f the celebrity chef, there was PBS. Fro decades the Public Broadcasting brought about good shows about cooking. Like today's super glitzy knock offs they were full of good ideas.Unlike said knock offs they brought real gourmet cooking to homes from Boston Mass to Anchorage. Alaska. There are still some good ones on the amazing channel.

PBS started with the famous Julia Child back in the Sixties. Consider hers th e prototype that all cooking shows sprang from. She wasn't afraid to introduce Cordon Bleu to the masses and from her we learned how to debone and glaze properly. There was also graham Kerr, the Gallopign Gourmet who had his own way of cooking. This Aussie is still popular today and has an extensive website any food should visit. One of my favourites was Jacques Pepin , a quiet , almost scholarly chef . He did not have the out there personality of a Paula Deene or a Guy Fieri, His was more commanding, - imagine a college prof instead of a loud mouth show off.

PBS also launched the career of the soft spoken Lidia Bastianich . it was PBS who turned her into a celebrity and they did so quietly.Again watching her half hour program was like watching a favorite relative show you how to cook.and appreciate good Italian food. Another low key but impacting show is America's Test Kitchen with the bow tied also scholarly Christopher Kimball. he did a very fascinating show last year on recreating a late 19th Century feast with Fannie Farmer's recipes. Again it was a very academic approach as is the usual shows. This is a great learning program for beginner chefs and home cooks. Everythng from syrups to utensils are tested and there are some interesting recipe sin this packed full half hour.

PBS has long had a sort of snob appeal. Yes it is loved by intellectuals. but it should be love d by foodies as well. it has produced some of the greatest cooking shows in television history. That;s something the Food Channel should take into consideration.

To Bake Or To Buy That is The Question

For most Americans, this is going to be the craziest cooking week of the year. Thanksgiving usually demands home cooked and home baked everything. The cooking part isn't so bad . The baking part sometimes is. which brings about the old question is it easier to bake or to buy? there's nothing like a fresh from the oven pie or cake however there;s also the stress and time making it. Store bought is easier but what about the taste: is it as good as yours?

I have to agree with all those purists out there. Anything from your oven is going to taste a million times better - that is if you're a good baker. Home bakers tend to add a dollop more butter in the frosting to make it creamier or one more eggs to make for a richer batter. There's always the satisfaction too of seeing your creation appreciated and drooled over.With home baking you can also add variety. A store won't add a dash of bourbon to their pecan pies or blend in cheese to dough to make cheddar biscuits. Bakers can also modify recipes to suit those with special health issues too.

However some store and bakery bought items are to die for as well. There's nothing like fresh from the bakery oven bread to compliment a roast turkey and gravy sandwich. Ditto for the rolls. If you're a lousy baker, then store bought is the way to go. There are no burned crusts or strange aftertastes . You can also concentrate on the mechanics of the main meal as well without having to worry about the extra work, time and ingredients.Plus the ingredients are measured out just right so you don't have a cake or pie that's too lumpy, bland or just dried out from over baking.

What to do for Thanksgiving and the holidays to follow. That' s up to you. If you are a good baker then whip out the sugar and flour. If you're not , there's no shame in getting your holiday desserts via your local supermarket or store. Everyone has done it.

Overwhelmed And Undercooked

This is the time of year that even gets the most seasoned of cooks. A lot of cooking - not enough help. It can be daunting to cook one feast after another.In times like these delegate, delegate and then delegate some more. Even the most experienced chefs like Gordon Ramsay have help. You will too.

The first thing is ask yourself can I do it alone. No matter how great a cook you are the answer is always a no. You can;'t do everything by yourself unless you're willing to spend a day or two before preparing everything. Ask yourself what you want to do alone. Then think of others , such as family and friends to help. What are their strengths. You may not want your six year old to carve the turkey but he or she can help in setting the table. You can get older kids to help with the peeling, slicing and dicing. Also they can help in preparing certain dishes while you concentrate on the main one. Employ visiting relatives to help put too. Another thing '- make after meal clean up a family affair. That way you won't be up til three AM washing and drying dishes and glasses.

Another idea and one I've already stressed in this blog is getting friends and family to bring their own. If your cousin is known for his cranberry sauce then let him make and bring it. If your friends and coworkers want to bring dessert, let them. This alleviates the onus of the whole meal from appetizer to dessert on you. Also this also means freeing up your fridge . Sides and extras will be in family and friends' ovens and fridges - not yours.

Don't be so overwhelmed that you wind up having undercooked meat and raw sides. Have help. All the great chefs do and you're no different! It's all the difference between a disaster and a dream holiday meal!

Raise A Glass of Cider

This is the season for a chilled, heady glass of hard cider. it reflects the labors of the season as well as the abundance of a good harvest. The Times Dining section celebrated it in yesterdays' weekly column The Pour with Eric Asimov. Luckily Mr Asimov got to sample a few interesting ones at the Manhattan bar Dovetail. This make me envious of his job. Cider, refreshingly bracing and fruity crisp is probably the best drink out there.


I have always labored under the thought that most ciders were either English, American or French . Reading the article I found that there are refreshing Spanish one. One from the Basque hills was tried and found fresh and complex. It is not a sparkling clear brew but ratter a cloudy one. Mr. Asimov also tried ice cider. This is where cider is frozen and then the water is removed to create more of an apple wine. American ciders are also good if they're done right. Most of the ciders originate in New England in Either Vermont or new Hampshire, The bright red Redfield apple is primarily used . it gives cider it;s rich red wine like look and intricate flavor.

What was an even bigger surprise to me is that there is a pear cider. This makes sense because pears and apples are basically from the same family. There are also pear and apple ciders which sound heavenly . I can just imagine the taste of both fruits along with the kick of a good hard cider.

This is definitely the time for cider. the season calls for a heady cup of it . Not only that it;s a celebration of the harvest. It is the perfect drink for any fall feast !

Pie Time

Today's New York Times Dining section had an interesting article about that Thanksgiving staple - pie. It seems that it's now becoming the dessert of choice -outranking the current cutie - the cupcake. Young bakers are getting more into making innovative crusts and fillings. There are even bakeries that center around this time honored sweet. Why not? It's time for the pie to come into its' own again.

The article, written by Times, regular Julia Moskin , describes the new generation of pie bakers. These are the ones who get away from traditional pie fillings and add twists to them. Now crusts burst with flavors such as cranberry , or grapefruit and Campari along with strawberry and balsamic vinegar. One pie maker, San Francisco's Esa Yonn-Brown of the Butter Love Bakery, makes a butter pie. This is a variation, it seems, on a shoo fly or chess pie. it has a buttery crust with a filling of butter and caramelized sugar- the perfect pie to have after a hearty feast.

The article also has a sidebar about where to get pies in Manhattan and Brooklyn. This is a perfect guide for those us who don't have time time or the space to bake a proper pie. Some are really innovative with their fillings like Brooklyn's Four and Twenty Blackbirds which features a salted caramel apple and chocolate pecan pies. There is also the French patisserie, Trois Pommes which features a pear cranberry one. Manhattan has the down home Hill Country Chicken which has Southern specialties including something called Texas millionaire pie. (this last has an almost tropical filling of coconut and pineapple mixed with pecans and cream cheese).

Pies are going to rule this holiday season. They're a time honored dessert that's easy to make with recipes passed down through the centuries. They're also the perfect ending to a hearty holiday dinner.

BrInging In The New

A lot of us have inherited kitchen heirlooms. We may have our great grannie's jam jar or ice cream maker, our grandmother's bakeware set or our moms old Farberware . As much as we treasure these items it is time to move on. After all glassware cracks, pots and pans rust. That's just a fact. The problem is how do you get rid of something that your fmaily has been using for generations?

To be honest I still use pans and gadgets from my great grandmothers and grandmother. The pots and pans are still serviceable although I tend to use them maybe once or twice a month. I want to preserve them. I still have my Bavarian German great grandmother's rolling pin (although this has been recently updated with a brand new OXO one) I still have my Piedmontese great grandmother's ravioli cutter (which amazes me because we're Northern Italian and not really ravioli eaters). This last is rarely used. It's over one hundred years old.

The best bet for antique kitchen and plateware (anything over fifty years old) is to either display it behind glass or carefully wrap it and store away. Some gadgets such as hand held can openers still work but can rust easily. For them and other gadgets like peelers and corers it pays to get the newer models. These are more ergonomically suited to hands and won't cause any aches. They;re also easy to wash and dry too.

What to do with kitchen heirlooms are always a quandary. My advice is just treat them as you would your regular antiques. Bring them out to show and be proud of - they are your family's after all. As far as using them, no . Stick with the newer models.