Cooking With Ideas

Crime Brulee -- and More

When a reader responded to Detecting Gourmandizing by suggesting Nancy Fairbanks, I headed right to this very shelf where I found her first culinary mystery, Crime Brulee. Set in New Orleans, the book introduces Carolyn Blue, newly a culinary writer (formerly a stay at home wife and mother who cooked gourmet and now prefers OPC --other people's cooking). Blue is visiting New Orleans with her husband who is attending an American Chemical Association meeting and sets off to find a friend who most think is not even missing. Sprinkled in are various restaurant mentions, quite a few recipes, a bit of food (and drink) trivia about New Orleans, and an occasional nod to medieval history as Carolyn was (according to the book) a medieval history major in college. Despite the author's whining about the difficulty of concocting a successful roux and my own mixed reactions to her views of feminism, the food is definitely fun. Though I read the book years ago, I am enjoying the re-read.

Memory -- of a friend and colleague who tracked down and made a lovely crab cheesecake that we had in New Orleans. Anticipation -- a visit to post-Katrina New Orleans this coming August -- also for a professional meeting at the Convention Center.

But back to Carolyn Blue and Crime Brulee, the first in a series that most recently has seen Bon Bon Voyage. I'm not quite done yet -- and need to decide on which recipe is worth a try.
Have you tried recipes from murder mysteries? Read Nancy Fairbanks? Fantasized murder on YOUR menu?

American Women and Food

Laura Schenone's A Thousand Years over a Hot Stove: A History of American Women Told Through Food, Recipes, and Remembrances (published in 2003) romps through history with a combination of breezy prose, diverse pictures and a bibliography that makes this bibliochef drool. (I will definitely be reading some of her sources.) Despite chapters on native american and african american materials that occasionally risk romanticizing oppression and the briefest description of feminism, Schenone successfully reminds readers of the impact of class on experiences of food and cooking as well as diverse regional histories (e.g.,the Southwest and Southeast) and connections between cooking, food and wars (e.g., the Civil War or War Between the States, WWI and WWII). Shifting patterns of immigration, including those in the 1960s associated with legal changes, also get a nod.

And, the book includes recipes of various sorts meant to represent some of that history. Schenone offers clues on how to undertake the recipes -- revealing her awareness of today's health considerations, for example, in comments on how to lower fats and sharing her knowledge of today's larger egg sizes.

While the book was not much of a challenge, it is worth a read. Those new to reading about food history and women will find a good starting place. And others will find nuggets of information and a particular point of view. I found myself chuckling when I discovered the recipe for Scrapple from Mrs. M. Bright -- only those raised in Pennsylvania will understand why. (As a child I hated scrapple and I still do, even covered with catsup.) Reports of cheese-making in New York State at the time of the Civil War reminded me that women in New York were not just creating the Declaration of Sentiments and starting the women's rights movement in Seneca Falls, but also cooking (with and without slaves). Rosie the Riveter either went home and cooked after a hard day's work -- or, in some instances, collected pre-cooked meals or groceries provided at the factory along with day care. Hmmm. Certainly not a tale of simple minded progress for women.

Perhaps most crucially, Schenone reminds me that women's connection to food and cooking, like women's lives more generally, are complex mixes of agency and its absence. And that thinking about women is a mix of thinking about sameness and difference. Certainly, the author could have benefited from a more theorized consideration of "choice" -- but even without it, she offers a glimpse of its construction through the changing history of the household, technology, and access of food.

Schenone got to all this, in part, by thinking about the history of women around her -- who cooked in the house you live in before you? How did your mother, grandmother, great grandmother cook?

More Blog Watch: Click Here

On Turkish Food -- available in both English and Turkish -- click here.

On olive oil (recommended by Artemesia who recently visited them in San Francisco): click here.

A totally unappetizing site on food adulteration, posted by Larry Stone: click here. (Caution: explicit pictures that involve rodents. Yucko. Augh. Eeeeuw. BUT the politics of this is quite important. )

A site for fans of Nancy Fairbanks, author of culinary mysteries featuring Caroline Blue: click here.

On Monday's in LA -- or food -- from a William Smith graduate a site called Because You Have To Eat.

Worried about Walmart in Geneva, Seneca Falls, etc? Click here.

And for earlier blogs to watch out for --including a huge phallus being constructed in Pulteney Park in Geneva, NY and Gay Marriage in New York State, click here.

Keep an eye out for a listing of Geneva blogs.

More later!

Talking Turkey/Talking Trout

No, not that kind of turkey! Turkey as in the country that bridges the Bosphorus -- both Europe and Asia. The huge country that includes Istanbul (where you can indeed see Ataturk's socks) and where we stayed in the Hotel Sari Konak.

And trout. Not lake trout, though Geneva, NY is "Lake Trout Capital of the World."

How do these come together? In a recent meal, of turkish and related foods, that included a white cheese dip, the pictured trout basted with pomegranate molasses (actually a Georgian recipe), chopped salad with turkish spices like aleppo pepper and sumac (yes, purchased in Istanbul's spice market), orange/olive onion salad, and to end on a different note, a beautiful rhubarb crisp. The basic recipes, tinkered with here, came from three places: Turkish Cooking: A Culinary Journey through Turkey by Carol Robertson; Paula Wolfert's The Cooking of the Eastern Mediterranean; and the totally unrelated Cafe Paradiso Seasons (Irish and authored by Denis Cotter) which has inspired rhubarb purchasing.

For the chopped salad, I drew my ideas from my time in Turkey as well as recipes for Gaziantep-Style and Middle Eastern Chopped Salads in Wolfert's book. I combined the following ingredients in a medium sized bowl:

(1) Small Grape Tomatoes, halved -- between a pint and a quart
(2) Green Pepper -- about 1/2 a pepper, diced
(3) Red Pepper -- about 1/2 pepper, diced
(4) European Cucumber -- about 3/4, peeled, deseeded, and diced
(5) Lemon Juice -- around 2 Tbsp.
(6) Dry Mint -- about a tsp., rubbed through a strainer
(7) Sumac -- about a Tbsp.
(8) Mixed Turkish (aleppo) Pepper -- circa 2-3 tsp to taste.

Then, of course, chill for just a bit (maybe 30 minutes) and serve. This is good with some feta cheese too. . . .

The real question is: who is not pictured (the creator of rhubrab crisp!) and who introduced whom to granita? Let us know your best Turkish delights -- recipes, travel or. . . .

I Believe in (Granita) Magic

I was introduced to granita many years ago in the kitchen of friends along Seneca Lake. It was a memorable introduction -- espresso granita. At the time, I just couldn't get the idea of how simple granitas are to make. Scraping a fork over frozen ingredients just didn't seem elaborate enough to produce memories that last this long. But, when I eventually made my first granita -- blueberry ginger granita from a recipe in Gourmet -- I discovered a whole new food category. I have made this version many times -- indulgent, but think of all those anti-oxidants. My next granita was cantelope -- a lovely pale orange-ish color (a bit pallid in taste too, which reminds us to always always always use the best ingredients).

This brings me to Granita Magic, a smallish book with 50 or so versions of granita. Some are a bit more adventurous for me -- like tamarind granita or pistacchio and rose water. Both sweet recipes clearly intended for a dessert -- and others that will serve well as "palate cleansers." The basics are all there -- and ways to play around with tastes. And it comes packaged with lovely colorful artsy pages alongside the recipes.

So far, I made a strawberry version. It was swell. The recipe is easy, though it makes pretty much and could be made in smaller batches. (I had to use a 9 by 12 inch pan when I usually use an 8 inch square pan. By the way, while the bok's beginning has basic tips which are great for both neophyte and granita granny, a sense of how much each recipe makes would be helpful.)

Last night, I made basil orange granita. I think I ought to have infused the basil for longer, but it got good reviews.

Meanwhile, I, alas, paid the sticker price of $15 for the book. But the book is available all over the web for much less. And, if you, like me, love granita -- recipes abound. Check out the accidental hedonist or click here for another option, with honey!

So: if you're new to granita, check out Granita Magic. And if you're not, let me know what your favorites are!

More BookCrossing/CookCrossing

Today, I received an email from BookCrossing and found my blog listed as a place to visit. Hurrah and thanks. As they remind us, check out the CHEF'S CHALLENGE to celebrate life.

Meanwhile, I also investigated a bit further what cooking, food and wine related books are "traveling." (Bookcrossing lingo for out in the world waiting to be picked up and then, perhaps, a journal entry made to let us know where it has gone! Click on the picture here to see a little symbolic book traveling!) What a wonder (and thanks to various commenters for tips).

Looking just at May 26 and 27, there are books related to cooking traveling in

Zaragiova Spain
Adelaide South Australia
Chardon Ohio USA
Emilia Romagna Italy
Portland Oregon USA
Pontefract west Yorkshire United Kingdon
Jerome Michigan USA
Bremen Germany
Grandview Heights Ohio USA
Milwaukee Wisconsin USA
Christchurch Canterbury New Zealand
Yokine Western Australia

Not, alas, the Finger Lakes, New York, USA.

But, they are out there traveling on topics as diverse as mushrooms, ethipian cooking, meatless pasta, and cooking with cheese or coffee or eggs, and even "Hollyhocks and Radishes." So, my notion that people would hold on to cookbooks is, perhaps, wrong. And all this without even checking food-related murder mysteries to see what's where.

So: consider bookcrossing -- and let books (and ideas) fly free. And, let me know what food related gem you intend to "release" for the Chef's Challenge. If you know of bookcrossings in the Fingerlakes, post the sites here too. . .

Last but not least, let me know your dream cookbook to find traveling and take home!

Express Yourself

*****Do you Moosewood? Click here.
****Is sex just a substitute for food? (Sublimation Nation!)
***Have you been to a good library with a culinary collection? What’s your Fantasy Library?
**What’s your view of farmer’s markets?
*Do you read murder mysteries featuring food?
**Where do you buy spices? Make suggestions here!
***Do you live in the Finger Lakes? Who’s YOUR favorite local chef?
****Are you a Gourmet Detective fan? Comment here.
*****How is food related to politics?

AND CHECK OUT THE COMMENTS TO BOOKCROSSING/COOKCROSSING
FOR A REMINDER TO CELEBRATE LIFE.

New York Wine & Culinary Center

Big news in Upstate New York for foodies. Wednesday's Finger Lakes Times reports that the much-awaited New York Wine & Culinary Center is about to open for real on June 17. Grand opening events will run from 10 a.m. through 7 p.m. And, later this month (or early next month!) lists of classes open to all will be available.

For related articles that show you some of the history leading up to the event:

*Click Here
*Or Here
*Or Here.

Even the Wine Spectator gets in the act: click here.

TheNew York Wine and Culinary Center's own site doesn't heve much, but here it is! Maybe there's more to come.

What's your view? Will you be there?

ELDERBERRY POND: REVIEW

I first encountered Elderberry Pond in a restaurant review in Gourmet Magazine in July 2005 and have meant to head there ever since. (And this despite the reviewer’s failure to mention some of my Finger Lakes favorites. ) So, I have finally visited last Saturday night after an adventurous day in Auburn and Skaneateles. An antique dealer in Skaneateles said they were “inconsistent” but. . . . off we went.

Two of us had dinner and. . . Here’s what we ordered for our meal:

***SOUP; Wild Mushroom and Port Wine Bisque; Asparagus/Ramp Soup
***APPETIZER: Bruschetta w/ Fresh Mozzarella & Olive Sun Dried Tomato Tapenade
***MAINS: Duck with Sherry Raisin Sauce; ???? Lamb Chops
***SIDES: Both entrees came with green salads, smashed potatoes, and asparagus
***DESSERTS: Lemon tart and Rhubarb Pie

The soups were both good. The mushroom was a little lighter than the asparagus/ramp in its use of cream but it was not overwhelmed by the port at all. I would have liked a little more ummpph to the asparagus and ramp soup – maybe a bit more ramp? And perhaps soup spoons rather than tablespoons? The tapenade on the bruschetta (which we shared) was very tasty, like all their bread from Essentially Breads in Elbridge. All entrees come with a salad and this was a nice one – mixed greens with a bit of arugula (rocket) that really tasted peppery and along with the radishes (alas, a little cold) and the light dressing made the salad sing. The quality of the meats used for both the lamb and duck entrees was excellent. The lamb chops were recommended at medium, but seemed closer to rare or medium rare. The duck looked a mite overcooked (also recommended at medium) but it was so good that maybe my eyes deceived me. And, the sherry raisin sauce was not-too-sweet and so perfect for the day. Desserts were a bit too cold when they arrived and served with whipped cream – they could have been plated more beautifully to support their lovely tastes. The pastry for the lemon tart got mixed reviews – but the lemon itself was swell. And the rhubarb pie crust was flakey and lovely. Throughout the meal, the portion sizes were reasonable.

WINES: the restaurant has a small but diverse global list, with a few local wines. We chose one of the recommended wines, from Spain: Vinos Nuestra Senora del Portal 2003 at $30. A blend from the Terra Alta region, the wine was imported by a company started by college students:www.oleimports.com. After it breathed a bit, it was a very good choice with our meal.

SERVICE: It was a bit more obtrusive than I would have liked, but friendly.

SETTING: This is a real country place, on a 100 acre wooded site that is an organic farm. It is 30 miles from Geneva and much closer to Skaneateles and Auburn. The owner puts his own photos of the place on his menus. And, there are great windows to look out onto the wooded lot. We were on the porch, which turned out to have good acoustics.

ON THE WALLS: Check out the framed sheet music in the women’s room:”When the Elderberry Blossoms Come in Bloom.”

BATHROOM REVIEW: Two Sheets. There is a women’s room and a men or women’s room. The women’s room has a stall while the uni does not. Nice bits of art on the walls, clean, and welcoming.

EXTRAS: The Elderberry Pond Country Store sells meats, produce and other products. Check out their website for schedule of availability of produce. Alas, we got there at 5:45 and it closed at 5:30, so I can’t review it. Perhaps you can?

MINOR ISSUES: The back of the wine list shows MEN quaffing wine. Wouldn’t it be great to show women too in 2006?

OVERALL: The ingredients were excellent and the setting took me away from home and reminded me of the beauty around us (always a goal). Temperature control might be a bit of an issue – both at the cold end (salads and desserts) and in cooking the meats to the desired point. Cost for two, including wine: $129. Still looking for a bargain and it doesn't beat out our faves that were not in Gourmet. But definitely worth a visit or two.

ALSO REVIEWED AT:
For a recipe adapted from the Elderberry Pond, included in the Gourmet review (July 2005) click here.
Syracuse New Times
Cookin’ in the ‘Cuse (8/ 2005)

WEBSITE: The folks at Elderberry Pond have a site for their restaurant and for their store: www.elderberrypond.com Lovely pictures ! Both restaurant and store also come up on the Local Harvest website – definitely a place to visit virtually.

BLOG WATCH . . . .

A few blogs to watch . . . .

On Gay Marriage in New York: happily stuck in Ithaca

Listings of Mystery Sites: Click Here

Culinary Library Collections: Virginia Tech (and their newsletter!)

For those who live in Geneva, NY and care about Pulteney Park, click here for some serious humor.