Menus from History
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MENUS FROM HISTORY Historic Meals and Recipes for Every Day of the Year Volume 1
Janet Clarkson
GREENWOOD PRESS
An Imprint of ABC-CLIO, LLC
Copyright 2009 by Janet Clarkson All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review, without prior permission in writing from the publisher. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Clarkson, Janet, 1947– Menus from history : historic meals and recipes for every day of the year / Janet Clarkson. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978–0–313–34930–0 (hard copy : alk. paper) — ISBN 978–0–313–34931–7 (ebook) 1. Cookery—History. 2. Dinners and dining—History. 3. Food habits—History. 4. Menus. 5. Cookery, International. I. Title. TX645.C534 2009 641.3—dc22 2009011351 13 12 11 10 9
1 2 3 4 5
This book is also available on the World Wide Web as an eBook. Visit www.abc-clio.com for details. ABC-CLIO, LLC 130 Cremona Drive, P.O. Box 1911 Santa Barbara, California 93116-1911 This book is printed on acid-free paper Manufactured in the United States of America The publisher has done its best to make sure the instructions and/or recipes in this book are correct. However, users should apply judgment and experience when preparing recipes, especially parents and teachers working with young people. The publisher accepts no responsibility for the outcome of any recipe included in this volume.
Contents Volume 1 Acknowledgments Preface
xxiii xxv
Introduction
xxvii
List of Menus Chronologically
xxxi
List of Menus by Country
xlix
List of Menus by Occasion
lxvii
January 1 New Year’s Day Meal, Kosseir, Egypt, 1828
1
January 2 Christening Feast, Cockley Cley, Norfolk, England, 1682
3
January 3 Luxurious Dinner for the King’s Officers, Boston, Massachusetts, 1774
5
January 4 Second Annual Dinner of the Toronto Board of Trade, Horticultural Gardens, Toronto, Ontario, 1899
7
January 5 Household of the Marquess of Tweeddale, Yester House, Gifford, East Lothian, Scotland, 1817
10
January 6 Twelfth Day Dinner and Supper in a Tudor Household, Ingatestone Hall, Essex, England, 1552
12
January 7 Dinner aboard Steamship SS New York, 1866
14
January 8 Jackson Day Dinner, Mayflower Hotel, Washington, DC, 1936
16
January 9 Gentleman’s Dinner, Ockenden House, Cuckfield, England, 1708/9
19
January 10 Holland Society Annual Dinner, Hotel Brunswick, New York, 1888
21
January 11 Dining with the Ras, The Royal Palace, Andracha, Abyssinia (Ethiopia), 1898
24
January 12 Meals at Shugborough Hall, Staffordshire, England, 1920
26
vi
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January 13 Samuel Pepys Gives Dinner for Friends, London, England, 1663
28
January 14 Mallard Night Feast, All Souls’ College, Oxford, England, 1901
30
January 15 Portuguese Luncheon, Cafe´ Royal, London, England, 1935
32
January 16 ‘‘Upside-Down’’ Dinner, Royal Automobile Club, London, 1914
34
January 17 Benjamin Franklin Honored by Typothetæ, Hotel Brunswick, New York, 1895
35
January 18 Prince Regent of England Entertains the Archduke of Russia, Royal Pavilion, Brighton, England, 1817
38
January 19 Dinner for 36, Home of Alexandre Dumas, Paris, 1864
43
January 20 Luncheon in Honor of U.S. President Woodrow Wilson, Luxembourg Palace, Paris, France, 1919
45
January 21 Luncheon En Route from London to Bahrain during the Inaugural Flight of the Concorde, 1976
48
January 22 Dinner for Six Gentlemen, Revere House, Bowdoin Square, Boston, Massachusetts, 1848
51
January 23 Dinner of Exotic Animals, Hamburg, Germany, 1862
54
January 24 Gourmet Society Eat ‘‘Eskimo Fare,’’ Cavanagh’s, New York, 1937
57
January 25 Burns Night Supper, Sutherland’s, New York, 1882
59
January 26 Centennial Banquet, Sydney, Australia, Town Hall, 1888
61
January 27 Diet Squad Experiment, New York, 1917
64
January 28 Peter the Great Dines at The King’s Arms, Godalming, Surrey, England, 1698
66
January 29 Last Meal of the Crown Prince of Austria, Royal Hunting Lodge, Mayerling, Austria, 1889
68
January 30 Calves Head Club Annual Feast, London, England, 1710
70
January 31 Luncheon at the Variety Club, 35 Dover Street, London, 1952
72
February 1 Broadway Association Dinner to Celebrate the Dodge Brothers’ Sign, Hotel Astor, New York, 1928
75
February 2 First Annual Banquet of the Founders and Patriots of America, Hotel Manhattan, New York, 1897
77
February 3 Postrevolutionary Meal, Havre de Grace, France, 1796
80
Contents
February 4 Dinner for Fox Films, Hotel Australia, Sydney, Australia, 1916
82
February 5 Debut Dinner at the New York Vegetarian Society’s Vegetarian Restaurant No. 1, New York, 1895
84
February 6 Dinner with President Thomas Jefferson, The White House, Washington, DC, 1802
85
February 7 Mormon Ball, Social Hall, Salt Lake City, Utah, 1860
88
February 8 Whale Meat Luncheon, American Museum of Natural History, New York City, 1918
90
February 9 Archbishop’s Meals, Valencia, Spain, 1568
92
February 10 Tripartite Dinner Meeting, Vorontsov Villa, Yalta, Ukraine, 1945
94
February 11 ‘‘Gotham’s Costliest Banquet,’’ Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, New York, 1899
97
February 12 Former Slave Attends a Republican Dinner, Lincoln Dinner, Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, New York, 1909
99
February 13 YMCA Father and Son Dinner, Nyack, New York, 1918
101
February 14 Valentine’s Day Dinner, Sherry’s, New York, 1901
104
February 15 Exotic Menu for New York Epicures, The Bank Coffee House, New York, 1823
107
February 16 Banquet to Honor Neopolitan Princes, Florence, Italy, 1476
109
February 17 British Royals Dine at Mount Nelson Hotel, Capetown, South Africa, 1947
111
ˆteau de la Muette, Paris, 1749 February 18 French Royal Supper, Cha
113
February 19 Creole Dinner for the New Orleans Press Club, The Atheneum, New Orleans, Louisiana, 1898
116
February 20 Wartime Luncheon, Stork Club, New York, 1943
118
February 21 Business Dinner, Hotel Lutetia, Boulevarde Rapail, Paris, 1947
121
February 22 George Washington’s Birthday Celebration, Hotel Cecil, London, 1897
123
February 23 Coronation Feast of Queen Catherine, Westminster Hall, London, England, 1421
125
February 24 State Dinner, The White House, Washington, DC, 1999
128
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February 25 Dinner with the British Prime Minister, No. 10, Downing St., London, England, 1983
130
February 26 German-American Press Honors Prince Henry of Prussia, Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, New York, 1902
132
February 27 Dinner at a ‘‘Gentlemen’s Ordinary,’’ Brown’s Hotel, Washington, DC, 1847
134
February 28 Banquet in Honor of Ferdinand de Lesseps, Panama, 1886 137 March 1 63rd Annual Dinner of the St. David’s Society, Hotel Savoy, New York, 1898
141
March 2 Prince Ernest’s Dinner, Germany, 1778
143
March 3 Final Voyage of the HMY Britannia, Karachi, Pakistan, 1997
145
March 4 Irish Revolutionary Veterans Dinner, Central Opera House, East Sixty-Seventh Street, New York, 1894
147
March 5 Dinner for the Bushmen’s Corps, Adelaide, South Australia, 1900
149
March 6 Abraham Lincoln’s Inauguration Ball, Patent Office, Washington, DC, 1865
151
March 7 Dinner for the New York Association of Union Prisoners, Murray Hill Lyceum, New York City, 1895
155
March 8 Dinner Given by the ‘‘Chinese Delmonico,’’ Lenox Lyceum, New York, 1891
158
March 9 Inthronization Feast of the Archbishop of Canterbury, The Archbishop’s Palace, Canterbury, England, 1504
160
March 10 Dinner at Sea, SS New York, 1928
162
March 11 Ironmongers’ Company Dinner, Ironmongers Hall, Fenchurch Street, London, 1687
164
March 12 Antebellum Riverboat Menu, Robert F. Ward, Mississippi River, 1853
166
March 13 Dinner at Sea, Tourist Class RMS Majestic, 1928
168
March 14 Dinner at Sea, SS Prince Rupert, 1922
170
March 15 Breakfast on the ‘‘42nd Street Special,’’ Chicago to Los Angeles by Rail, 1933
172
March 16 Bill of Fare, Virginia Hotel, St. Louis, 1858
174
March 17 St. Patrick’s Day Banquet, The White House, Washington, DC, 1959
177
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March 18 Dinner for the New King, Alfonso XIII, Royal Palace, Madrid, Spain, 1902
180
March 19 Luncheon to Celebrate Opening of Sydney Harbour Bridge RMS Maloja, Sydney Harbour, Australia, 1932
182
March 20 American Maize Banquet, Hotel King of Denmark, Copenhagen, Denmark, 1893
184
March 21 Dinner for the Rifle Volunteers, Auckland, New Zealand, 1871
186
March 22 Fine Dining Experience, Verrey’s Restaurant, Regent Street, 188 London, 1899 March 23 Queen’s Guard Dinner, St. James’ Palace, London, 1855
191
March 24 Breakfast at Sea RMS Queen Elizabeth, 1953
193
March 25 Charles Dickens Eats aboard an American Canal Boat, 1842
195
March 26 Grand Dinner Given by the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall aboard HMS Ophir, Malta, 1901
197
March 27 Gay Rugby Dinner, Hotel Lutetia, Paris, 1957
200
March 28 Dinner for the Duke of Orle´ans, France, 1690
202
March 29 Luncheon Crossing the Equator, SS Orontes, 1937
204
March 30 Dinner in a Harem, Thebes, Egypt, 1851
207
March 31 Tiffin at the Cricket Club, Cinnamon Gardens, Colombo, Ceylon, 1906
210
April 1 One-Dollar Lunch, Hotel Agua Caliente, Tijuana, Mexico, 1931 213 April 2 First Dinner, RMS Titanic, 1912
215
April 3 Spelling Reform Dinner, Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, New York, 1907 217 April 4 Good Friday Dinner, Tuileries, Paris, France, 1828
220
April 5 State Dinner, The White House, Washington, DC, 1960
221
April 6 Anniversary Luncheon of the Entry of the United States into World War I, Mansion House, London, England, 1918
224
April 7 Cooking Class Dinner, Cooking Academy, Fourth Avenue, New York, 1865
226
April 8 Dinner for Peace and Goodwill Mission, SS Abangarez, Puerto Barrios, Guatemala, 1929
228
April 9 Emperor Wilhelm’s Lunch, Royal Palace, Berlin, Germany, 1909
230
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April 10 Dinner for President Harry S. Truman, The Gridiron Club, Hotel Statler, Washington, DC, 1948
231
April 11 Good Friday Wartime Lunch, Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England, 1941
234
April 12 First Meal in Space, Vostok 1, 1961
237
April 13 Dinner for the Bonapartes, Tuileries Palace, Paris, France, 1811
238
April 14 Stanley Club Dinner in Honor of Louis Pasteur, Continental Hotel, Paris, 1886
240
April 15 Week’s Menu for the First Family, The White House, Washington, DC, 1973
243
April 16 Testimonial Banquet for Boxer Robert Fitzsimmons, Hotel Bartholdi, New York, 1897
245
April 17 New York Society of Restaurateurs Dinner with ‘‘Diamond Jim’’ Brady, Terrace Garden, New York, 1916
248
April 18 Confederate Soldier’s Dinner, Army Camp, near Pensacola, Florida, 1861
250
April 19 Coming-of-Age Party, Wynnstay Hall, Denbighshire, Wales, 1770
252
April 20 Vicar’s Dinner, East Tuddenham, Norfolk, England, 1796
255
April 21 Banquet of the French Vegetarian Society, Rue St. Honore´, Paris, France, 1881
256
April 22 State Dinner for King George V and Queen Mary, British Embassy, Paris, France, 1914
259
April 23 Shakespeare Tercentenary Banquet, Stratford-upon-Avon, England, 1864
261
April 24 Opening Banquet Woolworth Building, Broadway, New York, 1913
264
April 25 Japanese Tiffin, Fujiya Hotel, Miyanoshita, Japan, 1907
267
April 26 Royal Wedding Breakfast, Buckingham Palace, London, England, 1923
269
April 27 Soviet Leaders Luncheon aboard the Train to Portsmouth, England, 1956
271
April 28 Lunch at Sea, RMS Aquitania, 1921
273
April 29 Dinner for Ottoman Visitors, Mayor’s Residence, Winchester, England, 1851
276
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April 30 Harvard Club of Boston Dinner, Hotel Somerset, Boston, Massachusetts, 1913
278
May 1 Elvis Presley’s Wedding, Aladdin Hotel, Las Vegas, 1967
281
May 2 Dinner at the Sanitarium, Battle Creek, Michigan, 1900
283
May 3 Dilettante Society Dinner, Grand Hotel, Trafalgar Square, London, England, 1891
286
May 4 Kosher Banquet, London, England, 1907
289
May 5 ‘‘May Dinner,’’ Simpson’s on the Strand, London, England, 1932
291
May 6 Breakfast at Sea, SS Prussian, 1875
293
May 7 Officers’ Luncheon, HT Queen Mary, 1940
296
May 8 VE Day Dinner, Simpson’s-in-the-Strand, London, England, 1945
298
May 9 Dinner at the English Embassy, Aleppo, Syria, 1676
301
May 10 Lewis and Clark Eat with the Nez Perce, Idaho, 1806
303
May 11 Eight-Franc Dinner, Grand Hotel, Boulevarde des Capucins, Paris, France, 1887
304
May 12 Lunch En Route to the Falkland Islands, RMS Queen Elizabeth 2, 1982
306
ˆtel Metropole, London, May 13 Dinner for Nobody’s Friends, Ho England, 1891
308
May 14 President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Daily Fare, The White House, Washington, DC, 1933
311
May 15 Coronation Banquet for Nicholas II, Kremlin, Russia, 1896
313
May 16 First Academy Awards Banquet, Blossom Room, Roosevelt Hotel, Hollywood, California, 1929
314
May 17 English Royals Dine in Canada, Chateau Frontenac, Quebec, 1939
316
May 18 American Banquet in England, Star and Garter, Richmond, England, 1853
318
May 19 Prison Menu for a Week, Indiana State Prison, 1911
321
May 20 Banquet of Insects, Explorer’s Club, New York, 1992
323
May 21 A Wedding Feast, Bishopwearmouth, Durham, England 1753
325
May 22 Seafood Feast, Squantum Club, East Providence, Rhode Island, 1901
327
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May 23 Harriman Expedition Dinner, En Route to Seattle, Washington, 1899
330
May 24 Empire Day Luncheon, Junior Carlton Club, London, England, 1933
332
May 25 Parliamentary Dinner, Carlton House, London, England, 1816
334
May 26 Royal and Plebeian Supper, Madison Square Garden, New York, 1893
336
May 27 Dinner for the Norwegian Royals, Elyse´e Palace, Paris, France, 1908
340
May 28 Wedding Feast, Milan, Italy, 1368
342
May 29 Sunday Dinner, Hotel Emery, Cincinnati, Ohio, 1892
344
May 30 State Dinner, Hall of Facets, the Kremlin, Soviet Union, 1988
347
May 31 French President Lunches aboard a Luxury Train, France, 1925
349
June 1 Willard Hotel Bill of Fare, Washington, DC, 1860
351
June 2 Coronation Dinner, Westminster Abbey, London, England, 1953
353
June 3 Meal aboard a Clipper Ship En Route to Melbourne, Australia, 1856
357
June 4 Medici Wedding Feast, Palazzo Medici, Florence, Italy, 1469
359
June 5 Journalists’ Dinner, Bohemian Club, San Francisco, California, 1889
361
June 6 Wedding Supper, England, 1699
363
June 7 Dinner of the Three Emperors, Cafe´ Anglais, Paris, France, 1867
365
June 8 Women’s Institute Luncheon, Hotel Windsor, Alliston, Ontario, Canada, 1923
367
June 9 Banquet for Henry Morton Stanley, Waterloo Rooms, Edinburgh, Scotland, 1890
368
June 10 Luncheon at Sea, SS Lurline, 1939
371
June 11 Picnic for the English Royals, ‘‘Springwood,’’ Hyde Park, New York, 1939
374
June 12 After-Concert Dinner, King’s College, Cambridge University, Cambridge, England, 1893
377
June 13 King Ludwig’s Dinner, Hunting Lodge, the Tirol, 1885
379
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June 14 Telephone Banquet, Symphony Hall, Boston, Massachusetts, 1916
381
June 15 Royal Luncheon, Ascot Racecourse, Ascot, Berkshire, England, 1933
382
June 16 A Banquet to Nelson Mandela, Pretoria, South Africa, 1999
384
June 17 Lunch with the Emperor of Ethiopia, Ambassador Hotel, Los Angeles, California, 1954
386
June 18 ‘‘Uncooked Banquet’’ Hotel Hygeia, New York, 1903
388
June 19 Banquet for Queen Catherine, Bishop’s Palace, Paris, France, 1549
391
June 20 Dinner for the Transatlantic Air-Race Winners, Savoy Hotel, London, England, 1919
393
June 21 Dinner with Amelia Earhart, Hotel Grand Preanger, Bandung (Bandoeng), Batavia (Indonesia), 1937
395
June 22 Midwinter Dinner, Winter Quarters, Commonwealth Bay, Adelie Land, Antarctica, 1912
397
June 23 Yale Reunion Dinner, Bishop’s Colonnade, Savin Rock, West Haven, Connecticut, 1908
399
June 24 Dinner for Ulysses S. Grant, Nagasaki, Japan, 1879
402
June 25 Dinner on the Eve of the Korean War, Blair House, Washington, DC, 1950
405
June 26 British Empire Breakfast, North Pole, Dartford, London, England, 1902
407
June 27 Breakfast at Central Station Hotel, Glasgow, Scotland, 1908
409
June 28 Coronation Dinner for the Poor, St. Martin-in-the-Fields, London, England, 1838
410
June 29 Cornell Students Dine aboard RMS Saxonia, 1924
412
June 30 Her Majesty’s Dinner, Buckingham Palace, London, England, 1841
414
Volume 2 List of Menus Chronologically
xxiii
List of Menus by Country
xli
List of Menus by Occasion
lix
xiii
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July 1 Ottoman Sultan Entertains the French Prince, Constantinople (Istanbul), Turkey, 1868
417
July 2 Peruvian Presidential Dinner, Lima, Peru, 1906
420
July 3 Dinner for Ottoman Visitors, Reform Club, London, England, 1846
421
July 4 Independence Day Dinner, Park House, Mt. Clemens, Michigan, 1899
424
July 5 Firemen’s Dinner, American Exchange Hotel, San Francisco, California, 1856
426
July 6 Coronation Feast of King Richard III, Westminster Hall, London, England, 1483
431
July 7 Bicentennial Dinner, The White House, Washington, DC, 1976
433
July 8 Breakfast at Sea, SS Hamburg, 1936
436
July 9 Midnight Supper with Queen Victoria, Guildhall, London, England, 1851
438
July 10 Officers’ Dinner at Sea, HMS Assistance, near Gibraltar, 1675
440
July 11 Trefa Banquet, Highland House, Cincinnati, Ohio, 1883
442
July 12 Reform Democrats Hold a Crow Banquet, Detroit Opera House, Detroit, Michigan, 1876
444
July 13 Dinner of the Thirteen Club, Central Restaurant, New York, 1900
446
July 14 Dinner for the American Ambulance, Lyce´e Pasteur, Neuilly-sur-Seine, France, 1916
447
July 15 Dinner aboard a U.S. Mail Ship, USMS Philadelphia, 1913
449
July 16 Dinner at Sea, SS Lahn, 1900
451
July 17 Dinner on the Mountain, The Aletschhorn, Switzerland, 1859
453
July 18 Picnic for the Mexican President, San Luis Potosi, Mexico, 1921
454
July 19 Coronation Banquet of King George IV, Westminster Hall, London, England, 1821
456
July 20 International Meal, Imperial Hotel, Tokyo, Japan, 1952
458
July 21 Dining in Space, The Moon, 1969
460
July 22 Royal Wedding Breakfast, Buckingham Palace, London, England, 1896
462
July 23 Luncheon after the Fire, Hotel St. Francis, San Francisco, California, 1906
464
Contents
July 24 Dining with Marie-Antoinette, Le Petit Trianon, Versailles, France, 1788
465
July 25 Dinner for the Shah of Persia, Royal Palace, Turin, Italy, 1873
468
July 26 Lunch aboard the Royal Yacht Maha-Chakri, Copenhagen, Denmark, 1897
470
July 27 Lunch En Route to the Canal Zone aboard the SS Colon, 1908
472
July 28 First Annual Dinner of the First Vegetarian Society of England, Manchester, England, 1848
474
July 29 Royal Wedding Breakfast for Prince Charles and Lady Diana, Buckingham Palace, London, England, 1981
475
July 30 Banquet Honoring Howard Hughes, Rice Hotel, Houston, Texas, 1938
478
July 31 King’s Dinner, France, 1826
480
August 1 Banquet for the Official Opening of London Bridge, London, England, 1831
483
August 2 Harvest Meals in an English Medieval Manorial Household, Acton Hall, Acton, Suffolk, 1413
485
August 3 Luncheon Given by President Richard M. Nixon, Romanian State Guest House, Bucharest, Romania, 1969
487
August 4 Dinner aboard the Pride of the Fleet, RMS Imperator, 1920
489
August 5 Frederick the Great’s Dinner, Sans Souci, Potsdam, Germany, 1786
491
August 6 King’s Lunch, Royal Palace, Milan, Italy, 1898
493
August 7 Dinner in a Wigwam, Burnt Church Point, Miramichi Bay, New Brunswick, Canada, 1853
495
August 8 Breakfast aboard a Japanese Ship, MS Chojo Maru, 1932
597
August 9 Dinner to Honor the Prince de Conde, France, 1652
499
August 10 Dinner aboard an Immigrant Ship, SS Zeeland, 1907
500
August 11 Luncheon aboard a World War I Troop Ship, SS Megantic, En Route from Alexandria, Egypt, to Marseilles, France, 1916
502
August 12 Daily Meals in the Poorhouse, Fishlake, Yorkshire, England, 1835
504
August 13 Dinner for Admiral Togo Heihachiro, Knickerbocker Hotel, New York, 1911
506
August 14 Ministerial Fish Dinner, The Ship Tavern, Greenwich, London, England, 1878
508
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August 15 Victory Dinner aboard the SS Matsonia, 1945
510
August 16 Dinner of the Wardens of the Drapers’ Company, Home of the Master of the Company, London, England, 1522
512
August 17 Henry Ford’s ‘‘All Soy’’ Dinner, Century of Progress International Exposition, Chicago, Illinois, 1934
513
August 18 King James I’s Breakfast, Hoghton Tower, Preston, Lancashire, England, 1617
516
August 19 Hotel Breakfast, Exchange Station Hotel, Liverpool, England, 1912
519
August 20 Mining Company Dinner, Calaveras Hotel, Angel’s Camp, California, 1914
521
¨mer, Frankfurt, August 21 Frankfurt Congress of Princes Banquet, Ro Germany, 1863
523
August 22 An Ancient Roman Dinner, Rome, 70 BCE
526
August 23 Luncheon Specials of the Day, MGM Studios, Culver City, California, 1956
527
August 24 King George IV’s Visit to Scotland, Great Hall of Parliament House, Edinburgh, 1821
530
August 25 Hotel Dinner, Grand Hotel, Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada, 1911
533
August 26 Breakfast and Dinner on Mont Blanc, Switzerland, 1825
536
August 27 ‘‘Great Martial Banquet Alfresco,’’ Scutari, Crimea, 1855
537
August 28 Lunch at Sea, SS Ko ¨nigin Luise, 1905
539
August 29 Daily Bill of Fare aboard the SS Great Western, 1844
541
August 30 Medical Conference Dinner, Bergen, Norway, 1885
543
August 31 Second Cabin Tea aboard RMS Saxonia, 1910
545
September 1 ‘‘First State’’ Banquet, Beijing Hotel, Beijing, China, 1999
547
September 2 Dinner aboard the First ‘‘Hebrew’’ Ship, TSS Kedmah, 1947
548
September 3 Cardinal’s ‘‘Fast,’’ Dundalk, Ireland, 1858
550
September 4 Dinner for the Governor-General, The Arlington, Cobourg, Ontario, Canada, 1874
553
September 5 Ambigu for King James II, Bodley Library, Oxford University, Oxford, England, 1687
555
September 6 Dinner with the Moors, Morocco, 1663
557
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September 7 Dinner for the Congress of Orientalists, Stockholm, Sweden, 1889
559
September 8 Temperance Banquet, Metropolitan Hall, New York, 1853
562
September 9 Maiden Voyage Dinner aboard the RMS Lusitania, 1907
564
September 10 Fat Men’s Club Clambake, Power’s Hotel, Dorlon’s Point, South Norwalk, Connecticut, 1891
566
September 11 Day’s Meals aboard an Airship, R.33, En Route from Norfolk, England, to Amsterdam, 1919
568
September 12 Children’s Meals aboard the SS Strathaird, 1957
569
September 13 Dinner Celebrating the Founding of Dulwich College, Camberwell, Surrey, England, 1619
571
September 14 Jane Austen’s Dinner, Henrietta Street, Covent Garden, London, 1813
574
September 15 Masons’ Banquet to Celebrate Their New Lodge, Criterion Hotel, Taranaki, New Zealand, 1883
575
September 16 Induction Feast of the Bishop of Bath and Wells, The Bishop’s Palace, Wells, Somerset, England, 1425
577
September 17 Centennial Dinner, Exchange Coffee House, Boston, Massachusetts, 1830
579
September 18 Meals in the Pullman Dining Car, in the Funeral Train of President William McKinley, 1901
581
September 19 Patriotic ‘‘Hooverized’’ Dinner, Daniel’s and Fisher’s Tower, Denver, Colorado, 1918
584
September 20 Library-Themed Dinner for the American Library Association, Annual Conference, Grand View House, Lake Placid, New York, 1894
587
September 21 Daily Diet of the ‘‘American Pedestrian,’’ Cambridge Park Trotting Course, Boston, 1842
590
September 22 Installation Feast of the Archbishop of York, Cawood Castle, York, England, 1465
591
September 23 Feast for King Richard II, Durham House, London, England, 1387
594
September 24 Prison Dinner, Leavenworth State Penitentiary, Kansas, 1928
596
ˆtel Hochschneeberg, Schneeberg, September 25 Hotel Dinner, Ho Austria, 1907
598
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September 26 Dinner Out Hunting with Buffalo Bill, near Fort McPherson, Nebraska, 1871
600
September 27 Traffic Association Banquet, Cafe´ Nat Goodwin, Crystal Pier, Santa Monica, California, 1913
602
September 28 ‘‘Menu for Jews’’ aboard the SS Majestic, 1929
604
ˆteau de Choisy, France, 1757 September 29 Supper with the King, Cha
606
September 30 Sheriff’s Dinner, Hall of the Fishmongers’ Company, London, England, 1847
608
October 1 Dinner in Utopia, Red Bank, Monmouth County, New Jersey, 1854
611
October 2 Banquet for the 75th Anniversary of the Biltmore Hotel, Los Angeles, California, 1998
613
October 3 Dinner on the Inaugural Flight, Super Constellation, KLM Airlines, 1953
616
October 4 Insurance Company Dinner, Copenhagen, Denmark, 1896
618
October 5 Druggists’ Luncheon, Steamboat Sandy Hook, New York, 1894
620
October 6 Remarkable Fish Banquet, Lafayette Restaurant, Centennial Grounds, Philadelphia, 1876
622
October 7 Esperanto Society Meeting Dinner, New England, 1911
625
October 8 Chicago Fire Centennial Anniversary Banquet, Conrad Hilton Hotel, Chicago, Illinois, 1971
627
October 9 Eggless, Poultryless Meals for President Harry S. Truman, The White House, Washington, DC, 1947
629
October 10 International Lunch Menu, International Casino, Times Square, New York, 1938
632
October 11 Dinner for Princess Elizabeth, Ottowa, Canada, 1951
634
October 12 Columbus Day Dinner aboard the SS America, 1962
636
October 13 Coronation Feast of King Henry IV, Great Hall of Westminster, London, England, 1399
639
October 14 Banquet to Celebrate the Persian Empire, Persepolis, Iran, 1971
642
October 15 Banquet for the Commissioner General, Hotel Continental, Paris, France, 1898
644
October 16 Tribute Dinner for a Cow, Red Deer, Alberta, Canada, 1912
647
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October 17 Hotel Supper, New Denison Hotel, Indianapolis, Indiana, 1888
649
October 18 Snacking at the Siesta Drive-In Movie Theater, Sarasota, Florida, 1959
651
October 19 Testimonial Dinner for Charles Lindbergh, Hotel Chelsea, Atlantic City, New Jersey, 1927
653
October 20 Dinner with the British Secret Service, Claridge’s Hotel, London, England, 1944
655
October 21 All-Potato Dinner Les Invalides, Paris, France, 1787
656
October 22 Women Suffragists’s Dinner, New York City, 1913
658
ˆteau October 23 ‘‘Thousand and One Nights’’ Dinner, Cha de Bellevue, France, 1787
660
October 24 Medical Dinner, Bergen, Norway, 1891
662
October 25 Dinner for the Royal Horse Guards, Town Hall, Holborn, London, England, 1882
664
October 26 French Exhibition Banquet, Hotel du Louvre, Paris, France, 1867
667
October 27 Dinner with a Tibetan Monk, Gyantse´, Tibet, 1936
669
October 28 Dinner of the Worshipful Company of Wax Chandlers, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England, 1478
672
October 29 Dinner for the Worshipful Company of Barbers and Surgeons, The Barber-Surgeons Hall, Monkwell Square, London, England, 1742
673
October 30 Dinner with Sir Morton Peto, Delmonico’s, New York, 1865
675
October 31 Dinner for the Palace Workmen, King’s Hall Restaurant, Holborn, London, England, 1913
678
November 1 All Hallow’s Day Dinner, New College, Oxford, England, 1624
681
November 2 Dinner with Emily Dickinson, Mount Holyoke Female Seminary, South Hadley, Massachusetts, 1847
683
November 3 ‘‘All-Red Route’’ Luncheon aboard the RMS Miowera, 1896
684
November 4 Common Hospital Diet, Devon and Exeter Hospital, England, 1829
687
November 5 Dinner aboard a Clipper Ship Ringleader, 1855
688
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November 6 Coronation Feast of King Henry VI, Great Hall of Westminster, London, England, 1429
690
November 7 Dinner by Numbers, Grand Hotel, Yokohama, Japan, 1919
692
November 8 Duchess of Buccleuch and Monmouth’s Table, Dalkeith Castle, Scotland, 1701
695
November 9 Quiet Dinner for Two in Paris, Chez Denis, Paris, 1975
697
November 10 Lord Mayor’s Dinner, Guildhall, London, 1828
700
November 11 Staff Meals, Hotel Pennsylvania, New York, 1919
702
November 12 20th Anniversary Banquet of the Scottish Geographical Society, North British Station Hotel, Edinburgh, Scotland, 1904
704
November 13 Dinner with Pablo Casals, The White House, Washington, DC, 1961
706
November 14 Lunch for the King and Queen of Greece, Ambassador Hotel, Los Angeles, California, 1953
708
November 15 Gilbert and Sullivan Dinner, Park Central Hotel, New York, 1936
711
November 16 Dining with James McNeill Whistler, Chelsea, London, England, 1875
713
November 17 Humble Meal, Cafe´ Royal, London, England, 1937
715
November 18 Dining on a Clock Face, Trades Hall, Leicester, England, 1910
717
November 19 Annual Game Dinner, Grand Pacific Hotel, Chicago, Illinois, 1892
719
November 20 Dining with Queen Elizabeth I, England, 1576
722
ˆteau Rambouillet, November 21 Lunch with the King of Romania, Cha France, 1938
724
November 22 German Society 150th Anniversary Dinner, Hotel Astor, New York, 1934
726
November 23 Thanksgiving Day Dinner aboard YRBM 16, Ben Tre, Vietnam, 1967
727
November 24 Dining aboard a West India Steamer, SS Clyde, Barbados, 1847
730
November 25 Menu for the Indisposed aboard the SS Fort Victoria, 1928
731
November 26 Thanksgiving on the Plains, Camp Supply, Oklahoma, 1868
734
Contents
November 27 Dinner at the Court of Napoleon III, Paris, France, 1866 736 November 28 Gourmet’s Dinner, Rocher de Cancale, Rue Montorgeuil, 738 Paris, France, 1809 November 29 Double Thanksgiving, Maison Tortoni, Seattle, Washington, 1897
740
November 30 Patriotic Dinner, The Freemasons’ Tavern, London, England, 1871
742
December 1 Australian Meat Banquet, Lambeth Baths, London, England, 1869
745
December 2 Scottish Mountaineering Club 10th Annual Dinner, Central Hotel, Edinburgh, Scotland, 1898
746
December 3 Tithe-Audit Dinner, Weston Longville, Norfolk, England, 1782
748
December 4 Funeral Feast of the Bishop of Bath and Wells, Bishop’s Palace, Wells, Somerset, England, 1424
750
December 5 British MPs’ Dinner, Hotel Cosmopolitan, Nice, France, 1903
752
December 6 Repeal Dinner, Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, New York, 1933
753
December 7 Dinner with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Aldine Club, 75 Fifth Avenue, New York, 1894
756
December 8 Fashionable Hotel Dinner, Fifth Avenue Hotel, New York, 1860
758
December 9 Firefighters Banquet, Hoˆtel de la Madeleine, Barberaz, France, 1928
761
December 10 First Nobel Prize Banquet, Hall of Mirrors, Grand Hotel, 763 Stockholm, Sweden, 1901 December 11 Encyclopædia Britannica Dinner, Hall of Christ’s College, Cambridge, England, 1888
764
December 12 Dinner for the Duke of Windsor aboard the Zurich Express, 1936
766
December 13 Catering Menu, Calcutta, India, 1943
768
December 14 Hospital Fare, St. Luke’s Hospital, Chicago, Illinois, 1920
770
December 15 Piemontese Society Banquet, All Hotel Campidoglio, Italy, 1897
773
December 16 Chicago Press Club’s First Annual Banquet, Briggs House, Chicago, Illinois, 1870
775
xxi
xxii
Contents
December 17 Whittier Banquet, Hotel Brunswick, Boston, Massachusetts, 1877
777
December 18 Dinner to Honor President Juan Pero´n, Alvear Palace Hotel, Buenos Aires, Argentina, 1948
781
December 19 Horsemeat Banquet, London, England, 1867
782
December 20 Heinz Company 50th Anniversary Dinner, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 1919
785
December 21 ‘‘Pease and Pork Dinner,’’ Livery House, Bristol, England, 1911
787
December 22 First Celebration of Forefathers’ Day Dinner, Old Colony Club of Plymouth, Massachusetts, 1769
788
December 23 Noble Family’s Dinner, Aldersgate Street, London, England, 1626
790
December 24 Englishmen’s Dinner, Queen’s Hotel, Dundee, Scotland, 1885
792
December 25 Queen Victoria’s Christmas Dinner, Windsor Castle, London, England, 1899
794
December 26 Elegant Dinner, Empire Hotel, Bath, England, 1907
796
December 27 Blackhawk Restaurant, Chicago, 1920
799
December 28 Queen Victoria Diamond Jubilee Ball, Toronto City Armouries, Toronto, Canada, 1897
801
ˆtel, Paris, December 29 Sunday Lunch in Paris, Le Grand Ho France, 1878
803
December 30 Coronation Banquet for the Last Ruler of the AustroHungarian Empire, Budapest, Hungary, 1916
805
December 31 Final Dinner Party Given by Franc¸ois Mitterand, Souston, Landes, France, 1995
806
Glossary
809
Selected Bibliography
815
General Index
819
Recipes Index
827
Acknowledgments I have learned many things while writing this book. Not the least of these is the sheer number of individuals aside from the author who are necessary to the completion of the process. I would now like to thank some of those people who have been of particular assistance to me during this project. First, a big thank you to Ken Albala, food writer extraordinaire and Professor of History at the University of the Pacific, for remembering (for reasons no doubt not even clear to himself, at least two years after the original discussion) an idea for a book that I had mentioned to him in an email exchange— and for then contacting me, suggesting I submit the idea to Greenwood/ABCCLIO, and supporting the subsequent proposal. I must also thank Wendi Schnaufer, my editor at Greenwood/ABC-CLIO, for her enthusiasm for the project, for her availability in the face of my frequent questions, and for her suggestions, reassurances, and support. The production process for this book began at a particularly trying time for me personally, and my faded focus made the job of the production team much more difficult than it should have been. I would particularly like to thank Christine McGlumphy and Mark Thomas from BeaconPMG for their great patience and forbearance with me during this part of the project. They accommodated my frantic queries and very last minute changes with greater equanimity than I deserved, and the book is, of course, much better for their efforts. A number of people helped with translations or language queries, for which I am grateful. Marleen Willebrands clarified the Dutch menu of January 10, the trio of Bob Felby, Jill Miller, Jacob Schwartz helped unravel the Esperanto menu of October 7, and Diana Romano translated the Spanish (Argentinian) menu of December 10 and added some local insights. Special thanks must go to my dear friend Marisa Raniolo Wilkins for her invaluable assistance with translating and understanding the Italian Renaissance menus (February 16, May 28, June 4). Several people gave approval for their material to be used, and they are credited in the relevant pages but also deserve their mention here. They are Robin Carroll-Mann (February 9), Louis Sorkin (May 20), and Richard Seltzer (January 11). Heaven, for any writer, researcher, or avid reader, is having the world’s libraries at one’s fingertips. I am enormously grateful to the thousands (millions?) of invisible people quietly working away behind the scenes, uploading free reading gifts to us all in the form of the many digitized library collections
xxiv
Acknowledgments
around the world, as well as the increasingly amazing Google Books and Internet Archive. And last, but by no means least, I want to thank my family and friends for their enthusiasm and support, and for their love and patience when I was distracted and absorbed in my research and writing, and under the dreaded deadline pressure!
Preface This book had a long gestation period. The wonder is that it ever got conceived at all, given that I disliked history at school. Make that ‘‘I hated history at school.’’ I was not remotely interested in who was on the throne or the winning side at any point in time, and I do not have the sort of brain that can memorize lists or remember dates with any sort of enthusiasm or accuracy. In retrospect, this was perhaps a reflection of the way history was inflicted on me at school in the north of England in the 1950s and in Australia in the 1960s. I remember one teacher in particular whose idea of giving a history lesson was to sit and snooze at the front desk while we students took turns reading aloud from the textbook. I got as far away from history as I could and decided on medicine as a career. Along the way I also developed an interest in cooking. This stood me in good stead when I married a man who liked eating and who gave me two children who liked inviting friends home for meals and weekends—and sometimes for considerably longer periods. There is something frighteningly challenging about facing a horde of growing adolescent boys in the kitchen at the end of a busy working week, knowing they will be there for the duration of the weekend and looking for food almost the whole time. A general curiosity about food went hand in hand with the practicalities of cooking for family and friends, and it slowly dawned on me that I had shed my prejudices and had become fascinated by food and culinary history. It began innocently enough with a collection of food history and trivia related to every day of the year—a never-ending project that I grandly called my Food History Almanac. By the time I became serious about culinary history, and began writing about it, I had accumulated a huge database of information ripe for dipping and rich for mining. A large subsection of my almanac was a menu collection. It is this menu collection that formed the nidus for this book. The collection is electronic (the best sort of collection—only byte-sized storage required, and no dust) and runs into many thousands. There are menus from many centuries and many countries, from all sorts of occasions, and from locations as diverse as battlefields and palaces. Because my interest in food history developed out of my love of feeding people, my primary focus is at the ‘‘eating end’’ of the story rather than the big picture of such things as the agricultural revolution and the spice trade (although menus can tell us much about these grand processes too). I am intrigued by what we choose to eat when power and money are no object
xxvi
Preface
(such as at coronations), or how we respond when we have little or no choice of food (in war or in prison, for example), and how we prepare, serve, and share that food. I am equally fascinated by what food means to us, individually and culturally—for food has meaning to humans far and above its caloric and nutritional value. I now, finally, appreciate and understand that the history of our food and food ways tells us at least as much about our history as human beings as does our military or political history—and it is surely of greater intrinsic interest to most of us, for we all must eat. My hope is that you will find this book fun. If it is interesting, intriguing, and enlightening, so much the better. If you recreate any of the menus, I will be delighted, and hope you will let me know how they turn out. And if by dipping into this book one or two reluctant history students have their interest piqued, and the realization dawns upon them that history does not have to be dry and insipid but can indeed be rich and tasty, then I will consider the project a great success. I would be most grateful if any errors or any other comments or queries could be communicated to me at
[email protected].
Introduction What we and how we eat tells us a great deal about ourselves, our attitudes, our beliefs, and our history. A menu can be far more revealing than a first glance at the list of dishes would appear. The big picture of human history —the great agricultural and industrial revolutions, the massive waves of migration of peoples around the world, and the recurring struggles for dominance—can all be evidenced at the dinner table. Many of the great voyages of exploration of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries were driven by the desire for a source for spices, and by the demand for vast quantities of fish, such as cod, that lent themselves to preserving by drying and salting (an important attribute at a time when the Church decreed a large number of ‘‘fasts,’’ that is, meatless days a year, and when there were very few preserving methods available). A great deal of later colonial expansion—particularly into Africa—was driven by the greed for land to grow staple crops—and for cheap labor to grow them. The most dramatic change in the food available on the European table came about after the opening up of the ‘‘New World’’ following the voyage of Christopher Columbus in 1492. Truly national cuisines only developed in Europe after this time. It is impossible today to think of a ‘‘tomato-less’’ Italian cuisine (or a ‘‘potato-less’’ British one), but the tomato and the potato came from the Americas. Power can be demonstrated as clearly at a meal as it can be in the military sphere. What is social status after all but a hierarchical power system? Consider the strong message inherent in the seating arrangements of the medieval feasts described in these pages, and the dual bill of fare at the visit of the Spanish Infanta to New York on May 26, 1896. The small picture, too, is unveiled in our daily meals—our very human foibles (July 30) and our great human strengths (such as the humor under duress shown in the menu of March 7). The dinner table is where we make our religious observances (there are numerous examples here), demonstrate our beliefs about ethical living, health, and nutrition (the ‘‘Uncooked Banquet’’ on June 18 is interesting), and where we express our familial love and patriotic sentiment. Menus There are 365 menus in this book—one for each day of the year, for an event that happened on that day. They appear in the book in calendar order, and they are also listed chronologically, by country, and by type of occasion in
xxviii
Introduction
the front matter. Each menu is accompanied by a commentary on some aspect of the event or the food, and by one or more appropriate recipes from the era. Some stories are embellished with tempting tidbits of boxed material. The provenance and exact dating of a very small handful of the menus has been difficult to authenticate unequivocally, but as they were among the most intrinsically interesting, a ‘‘best guess’’ was made. The choice of menu (meal descriptions as well as formal bills of fare) for some days of the year was difficult, but the goal was to cover as great a variety of eras and occasions as possible. Other than one from ancient Rome, the menus span 700 years of meals— from the fourteenth to the twentieth centuries. Forty countries are represented, as is outer space. Western countries predominate (and of these most are from the United States and England), but Asia and the Middle East are represented as well, and the selection is made truly global by the inclusion of menus from Antarctica and Tibet. Many menus are written in French, even if the meals were held a long way geographically and culturally from France—such as those in Antarctica (June 22) and Turkey (July 1). French was the dominant culinary language throughout the nineteenth and the first half of the twentieth centuries, although as will be seen, it was not always used accurately or well. Not all menus are in English or French, however. There are examples in other European languages. A number of menus are written in medieval English, and as these represent a different sort of linguistic challenge, an interpretation follows the original. Their interpretation is fraught with difficulty, and many medieval dishes remain puzzles in spite of considerable attention from culinary historians. The meals recorded here represent a huge range of situations. They include primarily dinners but also breakfasts, lunches, suppers, and teas, plus there are several tiffins (a light midday meal in colonial India and the East) and one ambigu (a meal in which all the dishes were presented at once). The individual locations vary from the sublime (a royal palace, for example) to the strange (one meal takes place in a harem) to the truly awful (such as the battlefield and poorhouse), and there are many meals on the move, aboard planes, trains, and ships. There are meals almost exclusively of one ingredient—whale meat, horsemeat, insects, or soybeans. There are dinners with bizarre themes, such as the ‘‘Upside Down Dinner’’ of January 16 and the ‘‘Dinner on a Clock Face’’ of November 18. Further, there are several examples of obscenely conspicuous consumption to contrast with the punitively frugal. The hosts and guests too come from many different walks of life. There are kings, queens, and presidents, soldiers and sailors, bishops, engineers, housewives, explorers, musicians, movie stars, sportsmen, prisoners, writers, vegetarians, teetotallers, and prohibitionists. Readers can share a meal with all sorts of celebrities here—including Thomas Jefferson, Elvis Presley, Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, and Buffalo Bill, as well as many of the unsung heroes of history such as war veterans and women suffragists.
Introduction
The occasions range from national festivals (such as Thanksgiving), historic anniversaries (VJ Day, for example), occasions of great state and diplomatic importance (such as royal coronations and presidential inaugurations), personal celebrations (such as weddings), and ordinary meals recorded by ordinary folks in diaries and letters. Recipes A word is needed about the recipes. Good recipe-writing is a modern science. Recipes from previous times can be difficult to follow for a number of reasons. First and most obviously, language is a dynamic and constantly changing thing in itself, and this is compounded by the fact that consistency in spelling was not an issue for much of history. Second, to modern eyes there appear to be many gaps or leaps in method instructions, particularly in medieval texts. Medieval cookery manuscripts functioned more as aides-memoires for experienced cooks; they were not meant as detailed manuals for kitchen staff (most of whom were not literate). This changed slowly, but it was not until the seventeenth century that cookbooks for the nonprofessional became common. Another large frustration today is that old cookbooks often give few or no quantities for ingredients. Measuring tools were essentially nonexistent in kitchens until relatively recent times, so amounts of ingredients are not mentioned, or at best are in old units of measurement. A cautionary note is needed about recreating old recipes. Many of the dishes that appear in this book would not be sensible, safe, ethical, or even legal to eat today. Many of the recipe instructions fall far short of modern safety requirements but are included for their historic interest. Should you wish to follow any or the recipes, or recreate any of the menus, you should forsake historical accuracy in the interests of food safety, and follow accepted rules of food preparation, hygiene, and so on. If in doubt, your local food safety authorities should be consulted. Many dishes appear in various guises in many menus over long periods of time. Rather than repeat recipes, a cross-reference to another day’s menu with a recipe for the dish is given. This sometimes simply shows how widely a recipe idea can be interpreted, but it also shows how a dish develops and changes over time. Blancmange is a good example of a dish that is radically different in its modern form compared with its medieval origins. Selected Bibliography and Glossary General background sources of reading on food history, and several sources of menus and historic recipe books are listed in a selected bibliography at the end of the book. An exhaustive glossary of all ancient words in their various spellings, plus all of the foreign terms, would have taken almost another volume in itself. The glossary is therefore necessarily restricted to the most frequently appearing words and terms, and excludes those that are explained in the text. The bibliography also includes several online and freely available glossaries of historic culinary words for the reader’s reference.
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List of Menus Chronologically August 22, 70 BCE May 28, 1368
Italy
An Ancient Roman Dinner, Rome
Italy
Wedding Feast, Milan
September 23, 1387
England
Feast for King Richard II, Durham House, London
October 13, 1399
England
Coronation Feast of King Henry IV, Great Hall of Westminster, London
August 2, 1413
England
Harvest Meals in an English Medieval Manorial Household, Acton Hall, Acton, Suffolk
February 23, 1421
England
Coronation Feast of Queen Catherine, Westminster Hall, London
December 4, 1424
England
Funeral Feast of the Bishop of Bath and Wells, Bishop’s Palace, Wells, Somerset
September 16, 1425
England
Induction Feast of the Bishop of Bath and Wells, The Bishop’s Palace, Wells, Somerset
November 6, 1429
England
Coronation Feast of King Henry VI, Great Hall of Westminster, London
September 22, 1465
England
Installation Feast of the Archbishop of York, Cawood Castle, York
September 22, 1465
England
Installation Feast of the Archbishop of York, Cawood Castle, York
June 4, 1469
Italy
October 28, 1478
England
Dinner of the Worshipful Company of Wax Chandlers, Newcastle-upon-Tyne
July 6, 1483
England
Coronation Feast of King Richard III, Westminster Hall, London
March 9, 1504
England
Inthronization Feast of the Archbishop of Canterbury, The Archbishop’s Palace, Canterbury
August 16, 1522
England
Dinner of the Wardens of the Drapers’ Company, Home of the Master of the Company, London
France
Banquet for Queen Catherine, Bishop’s Palace, Paris
June 19, 1549
Medici Wedding Feast, Palazzo Medici, Florence
xxxii
List of Menus Chronologically January 6, 1552
England
February 9, 1568
Spain
Twelfth Day Dinner and Supper in a Tudor Household, Ingatestone Hall, Essex Archbishop’s Meals, Valencia
November 20, 1576
England
Dining with Queen Elizabeth I
August 18, 1617
England
King James I’s Breakfast, Hoghton Tower, Preston, Lancashire
September 13, 1619
England
Dinner Celebrating the Founding of Dulwich College, Camberwell, Surrey
November 1, 1624
England
All Hallow’s Day Dinner, New College, Oxford
December 23, 1626
England
Noble Family’s Dinner, Aldersgate Street, London
August 9, 1652
France
Dinner to Honor the Prince de Conde
January 13, 1663
England
Samuel Pepys Gives Dinner for Friends, London
September 6, 1663
Morocco
Dinner with the Moors
July 10, 1675
HMS Assistance
May 9, 1676
Syria
Officers’ Dinner at Sea, HMS Assistance, near Gibraltar Dinner at the English Embassy, Aleppo
January 2, 1682
England
Christening Feast, Cockley Cley, Norfolk
March 11, 1687
England
Ironmongers’ Company Dinner, Ironmongers Hall, Fenchurch Street, London
September 5, 1687
England
Ambigu for King James II, Bodley Library, Oxford University, Oxford Dinner for the Duke of Orle´ans
March 28, 1690 January 28, 1698
France England
Peter the Great Dines at The King’s Arms, Godalming, Surrey
June 6, 1699
England
Wedding Supper
November 8, 1701
Scotland
Duchess of Buccleuch and Monmouth’s Table, Dalkeith Castle
January 9, 1708/9
England
Gentleman’s Dinner, Ockenden House, Cuckfield
January 30, 1710
England
Calves Head Club Annual Feast, London
October 29, 1742
England
Dinner for the Worshipful Company of Barbers and Surgeons, The Barber-Surgeons Hall, Monkwell Square, London ˆteau de la Muette, French Royal Supper, Cha Paris
February 18, 1749
France
List of Menus Chronologically May 21, 1753
England
September 29, 1757
France
December 22, 1769
America
April 19, 1770
Wales
A Wedding Feast, Bishopwearmouth, Durham ˆteau de Choisy Supper with the King, Cha First Celebration of Forefathers’ Day Dinner, Old Colony Club of Plymouth, Massachusetts Coming-of-Age Party, Wynnstay Hall, Denbighshire
January 3, 1774
America
Luxurious Dinner for the King’s Officers, Boston, Massachusetts
December 3, 1782
England
Tithe-Audit Dinner, Weston Longville, Norfolk
August 5, 1786
Germany
Frederick the Great’s Dinner, Sans Souci, Potsdam
October 21, 1787
France
All-Potato Dinner Les Invalides, Paris
October 23, 1787
France
ˆteau ‘‘Thousand and One Nights’’ Dinner, Cha de Bellevue
March 2, 1788 July 24, 1788 April 20, 1796
Germany France England
Prince Ernest’s Dinner Dining with Marie-Antoinette, Le Petit Trianon, Versailles Vicar’s Dinner, East Tuddenham, Norfolk
February 3, 1796
France
Postrevolutionary Meal, Havre de Grace
February 6, 1802
United States
Dinner with President Thomas Jefferson, The White House, Washington, DC
May 10, 1806
United States
Lewis and Clark Eat with the Nez Perce, Idaho
November 28, 1809
France
Gourmet’s Dinner, Rocher de Cancale, Rue Montorgeuil, Paris
April 13, 1811
France
Dinner for the Bonapartes, Tuileries Palace, Paris
September 14, 1813
England
Jane Austen’s Dinner, Henrietta Street, Covent Garden, London
May 25, 1816
England
Parliamentary Dinner, Carlton House, London
January 5, 1817
Scotland
Household of the Marquess of Tweeddale, Yester House, Gifford, East Lothian
January 18, 1817
England
Prince Regent of England Entertains the Archduke of Russia, Royal Pavilion, Brighton
July 19, 1821
England
Coronation Banquet of King George IV, Westminster Hall, London
August 24, 1821
Scotland
King George IV’s Visit to Scotland, Great Hall of Parliament House, Edinburgh
xxxiii
xxxiv
List of Menus Chronologically February 15, 1823 August 26, 1825
United States Switzerland
Exotic Menu for New York Epicures, The Bank Coffee House, New York Breakfast and Dinner on Mont Blanc
July 31, 1826
France
King’s Dinner
January 1, 1828
Egypt
New Year’s Day Meal, Kosseir
France
Good Friday Dinner, Tuileries, Paris
April 4, 1828 November 10, 1828
England
Lord Mayor’s Dinner, Guildhall, London
November 4, 1829
England
Common Hospital Diet, Devon and Exeter Hospital
September 17, 1830
United States
Centennial Dinner, Exchange Coffee House, Boston, Massachusetts
August 1, 1831
England
Banquet for the Official Opening of London Bridge, London
August 12, 1835
England
Daily Meals in the Poorhouse, Fishlake, Yorkshire
October 10, 1838
United States
International Lunch Menu, International Casino, Times Square, New York
June 28, 1838
England
Coronation Dinner for the Poor, St. Martin-inthe-Fields, London
June 30, 1841
England
Her Majesty’s Dinner, Buckingham Palace, London
March 25, 1842
United States
Charles Dickens Eats aboard an American Canal Boat
September 21, 1842
United States
Daily Diet of the ‘‘American Pedestrian,’’ Cambridge Park Trotting Course, Boston
August 29, 1844
SS Great Western
July 3, 1846
England
February 27, 1847
United States
September 30, 1847 November 2, 1847 November 24, 1847 January 22, 1848 July 28, 1848
England
Daily Bill of Fare aboard the SS Great Western Dinner for Ottoman Visitors, Reform Club, London Dinner at a ‘‘Gentlemen’s Ordinary,’’ Brown’s Hotel, Washington, DC Sheriff’s Dinner, Hall of the Fishmongers’ Company, London
United States
Dinner with Emily Dickinson, Mount Holyoke Female Seminary, South Hadley, Massachusetts
Clyde
Dining aboard a West India Steamer, SS Clyde, Barbados
United States England
Dinner for Six Gentlemen, Revere House, Bowdoin Square, Boston, Massachusetts First Annual Dinner of the First Vegetarian Society of England, Manchester
List of Menus Chronologically March 30, 1851
Egypt
Dinner in a Harem, Thebes
April 29, 1851
England
Dinner for Ottoman Visitors, Mayor’s Residence, Winchester, England
July 9, 1851
England
Midnight Supper with Queen Victoria, Guildhall, London
March 12, 1853
United States
Antebellum Riverboat Menu, Robert F. Ward, Mississippi River
May 18, 1853
England
American Banquet in England, Star and Garter, Richmond
August 7, 1853
Canada
Dinner in a Wigwam, Burnt Church Point, Miramichi Bay, New Brunswick
September 8, 1853
United States
Temperance Banquet, Metropolitan Hall, New York
October 1, 1854
United States
Dinner in Utopia, Red Bank, Monmouth County, New Jersey
March 23, 1855
England
Queen’s Guard Dinner, St. James’ Palace, London
August 27, 1855
Crimea
‘‘Great Martial Banquet Alfresco,’’ Scutari
November 5, 1855
Clipper Ringleader Dinner aboard a Clipper Ship Ringleader
June 3, 1856
Champion of the Seas
July 5, 1856
United States
Firemen’s Dinner, American Exchange Hotel, San Francisco, California
March 16, 1858
United States
Bill of Fare, Virginia Hotel, St. Louis
September 3, 1858 July 17, 1859
Ireland Switzerland
Meal aboard a Clipper Ship En Route to Melbourne, Australia
Cardinal’s ‘‘Fast,’’ Dundalk Dinner on the Mountain, The Aletschhorn
February 7, 1860
United States
Mormon Ball, Social Hall, Salt Lake City, Utah
June 1, 1860
United States
Willard Hotel Bill of Fare, Washington, DC
December 8, 1860
United States
Fashionable Hotel Dinner, Fifth Avenue Hotel, New York
April 18, 1861
United States
Confederate Soldier’s Dinner, Army Camp, near Pensacola, Florida
January 23, 1862
Germany
Dinner of Exotic Animals, Hamburg
August 21, 1863
Germany
Frankfurt Congress of Princes Banquet, Ro¨mer, Frankfurt
January 19, 1864
France
Dinner for 36, Home of Alexandre Dumas
xxxv
xxxvi
List of Menus Chronologically April 23, 1864
England
Shakespeare Tercentenary Banquet, Stratfordupon-Avon
March 6, 1865
United States
Abraham Lincoln’s Inauguration Ball, Patent Office, Washington, DC
April 7, 1865
United States
Cooking Class Dinner, Cooking Academy, Fourth Avenue, New York
October 30, 1865
United States
Dinner with Sir Morton Peto, Delmonico’s, New York
January 7, 1866
SS New York
Dinner aboard Steamship SS New York
November 27, 1866
France
Dinner at the Court of Napoleon III, Paris
June 7, 1867
France
Dinner of the Three Emperors, Cafe´ Anglais, Paris
October 26, 1867
France
French Exhibition Banquet, Hotel du Louvre, Paris
December 19, 1867
England
Horsemeat Banquet, London
July 1, 1868
Turkey
Ottoman Sultan Entertains the French Prince, Constantinople (Istanbul)
November 26, 1868 December 1, 1869
United States
Thanksgiving on the Plains, Camp Supply, Oklahoma
England
Australian Meat Banquet, Lambeth Baths, London
December 16, 1870
United States
Chicago Press Club’s First Annual Banquet, Briggs House, Chicago, Illinois
March 21, 1871
New Zealand
Dinner for the Rifle Volunteers, Auckland
November 30, 1871
England
Patriotic Dinner, The Freemasons’ Tavern, London
July 25, 1873
Italy
Dinner for the Shah of Persia, Royal Palace, Turin
September 4, 1874
Canada
Dinner for the Governor-General, The Arlington, Cobourg, Ontario
September 26, 1871
United States
Dinner Out Hunting with Buffalo Bill, near Fort McPherson, Nebraska
May 6, 1875
SS Prussian
July 12, 1876
United States
Reform Democrats Hold a Crow Banquet, Detroit Opera House, Detroit, Michigan
October 6, 1876
United States
Remarkable Fish Banquet, Lafayette Restaurant, Centennial Grounds, Philadelphia
December 17, 1877
United States
Whittier Banquet, Hotel Brunswick, Boston, Massachusetts
August 14, 1878
England
Breakfast at Sea, SS Prussian
Ministerial Fish Dinner, The Ship Tavern, Greenwich, London
List of Menus Chronologically November 16, 1875
United States
December 29, 1878
France
Dining with James McNeill Whistler, Chelsea, London ˆtel, Paris Sunday Lunch in Paris, Le Grand Ho
June 24, 1879
Japan
Dinner for Ulysses S. Grant, Nagasaki
April 21, 1881
France
Banquet of the French Vegetarian Society, Rue St. Honore´, Paris
January 25, 1882
United States
October 25, 1882
England
Burns Night Supper, Sutherland’s, New York Dinner for the Royal Horse Guards, Town Hall, Holborn, London
July 11, 1883
United States
Trefa Banquet, Highland House, Cincinnati, Ohio
September 15, 1883
New Zealand
Masons’ Banquet to Celebrate Their New Lodge, Criterion Hotel, Taranaki
June 13, 1885
Germany
King Ludwig’s Dinner, Hunting Lodge, the Tirol
August 30, 1885
Norway
Medical Conference Dinner, Bergen
December 24, 1885
Scotland
Englishmen’s Dinner, Queen’s Hotel, Dundee
February 28, 1886
Panama
Banquet in Honor of Ferdinand de Lesseps
April 14, 1886
France
Stanley Club Dinner in Honor of Louis Pasteur, Continental Hotel
May 11, 1887
France
Eight-Franc Dinner, Grand Hotel, Boulevarde des Capucins, Paris
January 10, 1888
United States
January 26, 1888
Australia
October 17, 1888
United States
Holland Society Annual Dinner, Hotel Brunswick, New York Centennial Banquet, Sydney, Australia, Town Hall Hotel Supper, New Denison Hotel, Indianapolis, Indiana
December 11, 1888
England
Encyclopædia Britannica Dinner, Hall of Christ’s College, Cambridge
January 29, 1889
Austria
Last Meal of the Crown Prince of Austria, Royal Hunting Lodge, Mayerling
June 5, 1889
United States
Journalists’ Dinner, Bohemian Club, San Francisco, California
September 7, 1889
Sweden
Dinner for the Congress of Orientalists, Stockholm
June 9, 1890
Scotland
Banquet for Henry Morton Stanley, Waterloo Rooms, Edinburgh
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List of Menus Chronologically March 8, 1891 May 13, 1891
United States England
September 10, 1891
United States
October 24, 1891
Norway
Dinner Given by the ‘‘Chinese Delmonico,’’ Lenox Lyceum, New York Dinner for Nobody’s Friends, Hoˆtel Metropole, London Fat Men’s Club Clambake, Power’s Hotel, Dorlon’s Point, South Norwalk, Connecticut Medical Dinner, Bergen
May 29, 1892
United States
Sunday Dinner, Hotel Emery, Cincinnati, Ohio
November 19, 1892
United States
Annual Game Dinner, Grand Pacific Hotel, Chicago, Illinois
March 20, 1893
Denmark
May 26, 1893
United States
American Maize Banquet, Hotel King of Denmark, Copenhagen Royal and Plebeian Supper, Madison Square Garden, New York
June 12, 1893
England
After-Concert Dinner, King’s College, Cambridge University, Cambridge
March 4, 1894
United States
Irish Revolutionary Veterans Dinner, Central Opera House, East Sixty-Seventh Street, New York
September 20, 1894
United States
Library-Themed Dinner for the American Library Association, Annual Conference, Grand View House, Lake Placid, New York
October 5, 1894
United States
Druggists’ Luncheon, Steamboat Sandy Hook, New York
December 7, 1894
United States
Dinner with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Aldine Club, 75 Fifth Avenue, New York
January 17, 1895
United States
Benjamin Franklin Honored by Typothetæ, Hotel Brunswick, New York
February 5, 1895
United States
Debut Dinner at the New York Vegetarian Society’s Vegetarian Restaurant No. 1, New York
March 7, 1895
United States
Dinner for the New York Association of Union Prisoners, Murray Hill Lyceum, New York City
May 15, 1896
Russia
Coronation Banquet for Nicholas II, Kremlin
July 22, 1896
England
Royal Wedding Breakfast, Buckingham Palace, London
October 4, 1896
Denmark
Insurance Company Dinner, Copenhagen
November 3, 1896
RMS Miowera
‘‘All-Red Route’’ Luncheon aboard the RMS Miowera
February 2, 1897
United States
First Annual Banquet of the Founders and Patriots of America, Hotel Manhattan, New York
List of Menus Chronologically February 22, 1897
England
George Washington’s Birthday Celebration, Hotel Cecil, London
April 16, 1897
United States
Testimonial Banquet for Boxer Robert Fitzsimmons, Hotel Bartholdi, New York
July 26, 1897
Maha-Chakri
Lunch aboard the Royal Yacht Maha-Chakri, Copenhagen
November 29, 1897
United States
Double Thanksgiving, Maison Tortoni, Seattle, Washington
December 15, 1897
Italy
Piemontese Society Banquet, All Hotel Campidoglio
January 11, 1898
Ethiopia
Dining with the Ras, The Royal Palace, Andracha, Abyssinia
February 19, 1898
United States
Creole Dinner for the New Orleans Press Club, The Atheneum, New Orleans, Louisiana
March 1, 1898
United States
63rd Annual Dinner of the St. David’s Society, Hotel Savoy, New York
August 6, 1898
Italy
King’s Lunch, Royal Palace, Milan
October 15, 1898
France
December 2, 1898
Scotland
Scottish Mountaineering Club 10th Annual Dinner, Central Hotel, Edinburgh
January 4, 1899
Canada
Second Annual Dinner of the Toronto Board of Trade, Horticultural Gardens, Toronto, Ontario
United States
‘‘Gotham’s Costliest Banquet,’’ Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, New York
February 11, 1899 March 22, 1899
England
Banquet for the Commissioner General, Hotel Continental, Paris
Fine Dining Experience, Verrey’s Restaurant, Regent Street, London
May 23, 1899
United States
Harriman Expedition Dinner, En Route to Seattle, Washington
July 4, 1899
United States
Independence Day Dinner, Park House, Mt. Clemens, Michigan
December 25, 1899
England
Queen Victoria’s Christmas Dinner, Windsor Castle, London
March 5, 1900
Australia
Dinner for the Bushmen’s Corps, Adelaide
May 2, 1900
United States
Dinner at the Sanitarium, Battle Creek, Michigan
July 13, 1900
United States
Dinner of the Thirteen Club, Central Restaurant, New York
July 16, 1900
SS Lahn
Dinner at Sea, SS Lahn
January 14, 1901
England
Mallard Night Feast, All Souls’ College, Oxford
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List of Menus Chronologically February 14, 1901 March 26, 1901
United States HMS Ophir
Valentine’s Day Dinner, Sherry’s, New York Grand Dinner Given by the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall aboard HMS Ophir, Malta
May 22, 1901
United States
Seafood Feast, Squantum Club, East Providence, Rhode Island
September 18, 1901
United States
Meals in the Pullman Dining Car, in the Funeral Train of President William McKinley
December 10, 1901
Sweden
February 26, 1902 March 18, 1902
United States Spain
First Nobel Prize Banquet, Hall of Mirrors, Grand Hotel, Stockholm German-American Press Honors Prince Henry of Prussia, Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, New York Dinner for the New King, Alfonso XIII, Royal Palace, Madrid
June 26, 1902
England
June 18, 1903
United States
‘‘Uncooked Banquet’’ Hotel Hygeia, New York
France
British MPs’ Dinner, Hotel Cosmopolitan, Nice
December 5, 1903 November 12, 1904
Scotland
August 28, 1905
SS Ko¨nigin Luise
March 31, 1906
Sri Lanka
British Empire Breakfast, North Pole, Dartford, London
20th Anniversary Banquet of the Scottish Geographical Society, North British Station Hotel, Edinburgh Lunch at Sea, SS Ko¨nigin Luise Tiffin at the Cricket Club, Cinnamon Gardens, Colombo, Ceylon
July 2, 1906
Peru
July 23, 1906
United States
Luncheon after the Fire, Hotel St. Francis, San Francisco, California
April 3, 1907
United States
Spelling Reform Dinner, Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, New York
April 25, 1907 May 4, 1907 August 10, 1907 September 9, 1907
Japan England SS Zeeland RMS Lusitania
September 25, 1907
Austria
December 26, 1907
England
May 27, 1908
France
Peruvian Presidential Dinner, Lima
Japanese Tiffin, Fujiya Hotel, Miyanoshita Kosher Banquet, London Dinner aboard an Immigrant Ship, SS Zeeland Maiden Voyage Dinner aboard the RMS Lusitania Hotel Dinner, Hoˆtel Hochschneeberg, Schneeberg Elegant Dinner, Empire Hotel, Bath Dinner for the Norwegian Royals, Elyse´e Palace, Paris
List of Menus Chronologically June 23, 1908
United States
Yale Reunion Dinner, Bishop’s Colonnade, Savin Rock, West Haven, Connecticut
June 27, 1908
Scotland
Breakfast at Central Station Hotel, Glasgow
July 27, 1908
SS Colon
Lunch En Route to the Canal Zone aboard the SS Colon
February 12, 1909
United States
April 9, 1909
Germany
Former Slave Attends a Republican Dinner, Lincoln Dinner, Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, New York Emperor Wilhelm’s Lunch, Royal Palace, Berlin
August 31, 1910
RMS Saxonia
November 18, 1910
England
Dining on a Clock Face, Trades Hall, Leicester
May 19, 1911
United States
Prison Menu for a Week, Indiana State Prison
August 13, 1911
United States
Dinner for Admiral Togo Heihachiro, Knickerbocker Hotel, New York
August 25, 1911
Canada
October 7, 1911
United States
Esperanto Society Meeting Dinner, New England
December 21, 1911
England
‘‘Pease and Pork Dinner,’’ Livery House, Bristol
April 2, 1912 June 22, 1912
RMS Titanic Antarctica
Second Cabin Tea aboard RMS Saxonia
Hotel Dinner, Grand Hotel, Yarmouth, Nova Scotia
First Dinner, RMS Titanic Midwinter Dinner, Winter Quarters, Commonwealth Bay, Adelie Land
August 19, 1912
England
Hotel Breakfast, Exchange Station Hotel, Liverpool
October 16, 1912
Canada
Tribute Dinner for a Cow, Red Deer, Alberta
April 24, 1913
United States
Opening Banquet Woolworth Building, Broadway, New York
April 30, 1913
United States
Harvard Club of Boston Dinner, Hotel Somerset, Boston, Massachusetts
July 15, 1913 USMS Philadelphia Dinner aboard a U.S. Mail Ship, USMS Philadelphia September United States Traffic Association Banquet, Cafe´ Nat 27, 1913 Goodwin, Crystal Pier, Santa Monica, California October 22, 1913
United States
Women Suffragists’s Dinner, New York City
October 31, 1913
England
Dinner for the Palace Workmen, King’s Hall Restaurant, Holborn, London
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List of Menus Chronologically January 16, 1914
England
‘‘Upside-Down’’ Dinner, Royal Automobile Club, London
France
State Dinner for King George V and Queen Mary, British Embassy, Paris
August 20, 1914
United States
Mining Company Dinner, Calaveras Hotel, Angel’s Camp, California
February 4, 1916
Australia
Dinner for Fox Films, Hotel Australia, Sydney
April 17, 1916
United States
New York Society of Restaurateurs Dinner with ‘‘Diamond Jim’’ Brady, Terrace Garden, New York
June 14, 1916
United States
Telephone Banquet, Symphony Hall, Boston, Massachusetts Dinner for the American Ambulance, Lyce´e Pasteur, Neuilly-sur-Seine
April 22, 1914
July 14, 1916
France
August 11, 1916
SS Megantic
Luncheon aboard a World War I Troop Ship, SS Megantic, En Route from Alexandria, Egypt, to Marseilles
December 30, 1916
Hungary
Coronation Banquet for the Last Ruler of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Budapest
January 27, 1917
United States
Diet Squad Experiment, New York
February 8, 1918
United States
Whale Meat Luncheon, American Museum of Natural History, New York City
February 13, 1918
United States
YMCA Father and Son Dinner, Nyack, New York
April 6, 1918
England
Anniversary Luncheon of the Entry of the United States into World War I, Mansion House, London
May 3, 1918
England
Dilettante Society Dinner, Grand Hotel, Trafalgar Square, London
September 19, 1918
United States
January 20, 1919
France
Luncheon in Honor of U.S. President Woodrow Wilson, Luxembourg Palace, Paris
England
Dinner for the Transatlantic Air-Race Winners, Savoy Hotel, London
Airship R.33
Day’s Meals aboard an Airship, R.33, En Route from Norfolk, England, to Amsterdam
June 20, 1919 September 11, 1919 November 7, 1919
Japan
Patriotic ‘‘Hooverized’’ Dinner, Daniel’s and Fisher’s Tower, Denver
Dinner by Numbers, Grand Hotel, Yokohama
November 11, 1919
United States
Staff Meals, Hotel Pennsylvania, New York
December 20, 1919
United States
Heinz Company 50th Anniversary Dinner, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
List of Menus Chronologically December 28, 1919
Canada
Queen Victoria Diamond Jubilee Ball, Toronto City Armouries, Toronto
January 12, 1920
England
Meals at Shugborough Hall, Staffordshire
August 4, 1920
SS Imperator
Dinner aboard the Pride of the Fleet, RMS Imperator
December 14, 1920
United States
Hospital Fare, St. Luke’s Hospital, Chicago, Illinois
December 27, 1920
United States
Blackhawk Restaurant, Chicago
April 28, 1921 July 18, 1921 March 14, 1922
RMS Aquitania Mexico SS Prince Rupert
Lunch at Sea, RMS Aquitania Picnic for the Mexican President, San Luis Potosi, Mexico Dinner at Sea, SS Prince Rupert
April 26, 1923
England
Royal Wedding Breakfast, Buckingham Palace, London
June 8, 1923
Canada
Women’s Institute Luncheon, Hotel Windsor, Alliston, Ontario
RMS Saxonia
Cornell Students Dine aboard RMS Saxonia
France
French President Lunches aboard a Luxury Train
October 19, 1927
United States
Testimonial Dinner for Charles Lindbergh, Hotel Chelsea, Atlantic City, New Jersey
February 1, 1928
United States
Broadway Association Dinner to Celebrate the Dodge Brothers’ Sign, Hotel Astor, New York
March 10, 1928
SS New York
Dinner at Sea, SS New York
March 13, 1928
SS Majestic
September 24, 1928
United States
November 25, 1928
SS Port Victoria
June 29, 1924 May 31, 1925
Dinner at Sea, Tourist Class RMS Majestic Prison Dinner, Leavenworth State Penitentiary, Kansas Menu for the Indisposed aboard the SS Fort Victoria ˆtel de la Madeleine, Firefighters Banquet, Ho Barberaz
December 9, 1928
France
April 8, 1929
SS Abangarez
Dinner for Peace and Goodwill Mission, SS Abangarez, Puerto Barrios, Guatemala
May 16, 1929
United States
First Academy Awards Banquet, Blossom Room, Roosevelt Hotel, Hollywood, California
September 28, 1929
SS Majestic
‘‘Menu for Jews’’ aboard the SS Majestic
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List of Menus Chronologically April 1, 1931
Mexico
One-Dollar Lunch, Hotel Agua Caliente, Tijuana
March 19, 1932
Australia
Luncheon to Celebrate Opening of Sydney Harbour Bridge RMS Maloja, Sydney Harbour
May 5, 1932
England
‘‘May Dinner,’’ Simpson’s on the Strand, London
August 8, 1932
Chojo Maru
Breakfast aboard a Japanese Ship, MS Chojo Maru
March 15, 1933
United States
Breakfast on the ‘‘42nd Street Special,’’ Chicago to Los Angeles by Rail
May 14, 1933
United States
President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Daily Fare, The White House, Washington, DC
May 24, 1933
England
Empire Day Luncheon, Junior Carlton Club, London
June 15, 1933
England
Royal Luncheon, Ascot Racecourse, Ascot, Berkshire
December 6, 1933
United States
Repeal Dinner, Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, New York
August 17, 1934
United States
Henry Ford’s ‘‘All Soy’’ Dinner, Century of Progress International Exposition, Chicago, Illinois
November 22, 1934
United States
German Society 150th Anniversary Dinner, Hotel Astor, New York Portuguese Luncheon, Cafe´ Royal, London
January 15, 1935
England
January 8, 1936
United States
Jackson Day Dinner, Mayflower Hotel, Washington, DC
July 8, 1936
SS Hamburg
Breakfast at Sea, SS Hamburg
October 27, 1936
Tibet
November 15, 1936
United States
Gilbert and Sullivan Dinner, Park Central Hotel, New York
December 12, 1936
France
Dinner for the Duke of Windsor aboard the Zurich Express
Dinner with a Tibetan Monk, Gyantse´, Tibet
January 24, 1937
United States
Gourmet Society Eat ‘‘Eskimo Fare,’’ Cavanagh’s, New York
March 29, 1937
RMS Orontes
Luncheon Crossing the Equator, SS Orontes
June 21, 1937 November 17, 1937 July 30, 1938
Indonesia England United States
Dinner with Amelia Earhart, Hotel Grand Preanger, Bandung (Bandoeng), Batavia Humble Meal, Cafe´ Royal, London Banquet Honoring Howard Hughes, Rice Hotel, Houston, Texas
List of Menus Chronologically November 21, 1938
France
ˆteau Lunch with the King of Romania, Cha Rambouillet
May 17, 1939
Canada
English Royals Dine in Canada, Chateau Frontenac, Quebec
June 10, 1939
SS Lurline
June 11, 1939
United States
May 7, 1940 April 11, 1941 February 20, 1943 December 13, 1943 October 20, 1944
HT Queen Mary England United States India England
February 10, 1945
Russia
May 8, 1945
England
Luncheon at Sea, SS Lurline Picnic for the English Royals, ‘‘Springwood,’’ Hyde Park, New York Officers’ Luncheon, HT Queen Mary Good Friday Wartime Lunch, Barrow-inFurness, Cumbria Wartime Luncheon, Stork Club, New York Catering Menu, Calcutta Dinner with the British Secret Service, Claridge’s Hotel, London Tripartite Dinner Meeting, Vorontsov Villa, Yalta, Ukraine VE Day Dinner, Simpson’s-in-the-Strand, London
August 15, 1945
SS Matsonia
Victory Dinner aboard the SS Matsonia
February 17, 1947
South Africa
British Royals Dine at Mount Nelson Hotel, Capetown
February 21, 1947
France
Business Dinner, Hotel Lutetia, Boulevarde Rapail, Paris
September 2, 1947
TSS Kedmah
Dinner aboard the First ‘‘Hebrew’’ Ship, TSS Kedmah
October 9, 1947
United States
Eggless, Poultryless Meals for President Harry S. Truman, The White House, Washington, DC
April 10, 1948
United States
Dinner for President Harry S. Truman, The Gridiron Club, Hotel Statler, Washington, DC Dinner to Honor President Juan Pero´n, Alvear Palace Hotel, Buenos Aires, Argentina
December 18, 1948 June 25, 1950
Argentina United States
Dinner on the Eve of the Korean War, Blair House, Washington, DC
October 11, 1951
Canada
Dinner for Princess Elizabeth, Ottowa
January 31, 1952
England
Luncheon at the Variety Club, 35 Dover Street, London
July 20, 1952 March 24, 1953
Japan RMS Queen Elizabeth
International Meal, Imperial Hotel, Tokyo Breakfast at Sea RMS Queen Elizabeth
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List of Menus Chronologically June 2, 1953
England
Coronation Dinner, Westminster Abbey, London
October 3, 1953
KLM Flight
November 14, 1953
United States
Lunch for the King and Queen of Greece, Ambassador Hotel, Los Angeles, California
June 17, 1954
United States
Lunch with the Emperor of Ethiopia, Ambassador Hotel, Los Angeles, California
April 27, 1956
England
Soviet Leaders Luncheon aboard the Train to Portsmouth
August 23, 1956
United States
Luncheon Specials of the Day, MGM Studios, Culver City, California
March 27, 1957
France
September 12, 1957
SS Strathaird
Children’s Meals aboard the SS Strathaird
March 17, 1959
United States
St. Patrick’s Day Banquet, The White House, Washington, DC
October 18, 1959
United States
Snacking at the Siesta Drive-In Movie Theater, Sarasota, Florida
April 5, 1960
United States
State Dinner, The White House, Washington, DC
April 12, 1961
Space
Dinner on the Inaugural Flight, Super Constellation, KLM Airlines
Gay Rugby Dinner, Hotel Lutetia, Paris
First Meal in Space, Vostok 1
November 13, 1961
United States
Dinner with Pablo Casals, The White House, Washington, DC
October 12, 1962
SS America
Columbus Day Dinner aboard the SS America
May 1, 1967
United States
November 23, 1967 July 21, 1969
Vietnam Moon
August 3, 1969
Romania
October 8, 1971
United States
October 14, 1971
Iran
April 15, 1973 November 9, 1975
United States France
Elvis Presley’s Wedding, Aladdin Hotel, Las Vegas Thanksgiving Day Dinner aboard YRBM 16, Ben Tre Dining in Space Luncheon Given by President Richard M. Nixon, Romanian State Guest House, Bucharest Chicago Fire Centennial Anniversary Banquet, Conrad Hilton Hotel, Chicago, Illinois Banquet to Celebrate the Persian Empire, Persepolis Week’s Menu for the First Family, The White House, Washington, DC Quiet Dinner for Two in Paris, Chez Denis, Paris
List of Menus Chronologically January 21, 1976
Concorde
July 7, 1976
United States
July 29, 1981
England
Royal Wedding Breakfast for Prince Charles and Lady Diana, Buckingham Palace, London
May 12, 1982
QE II
Lunch En Route to the Falkland Islands, RMS Queen Elizabeth 2
February 25, 1983
England
May 30, 1988
Russia
May 20, 1992
United States
December 31, 1995
France
March 3, 1997
HMY Britannia
Luncheon En Route from London to Bahrain during the Inaugural Flight of the Concorde Bicentennial Dinner, The White House, Washington, DC
Dinner with the British Prime Minister, No. 10, Downing St., London State Dinner, Hall of Facets, the Kremlin, Soviet Union Banquet of Insects, Explorer’s Club, New York Final Dinner Party Given by Franc¸ois Mitterand, Souston, Landes Final Voyage of the HMY Britannia, Karachi
October 2, 1998
United States
Banquet for the 75th Anniversary of the Biltmore Hotel, Los Angeles, California
February 24, 1999
United States
State Dinner, The White House, Washington, DC
June 16, 1999
South Africa
A Banquet to Nelson Mandela, Pretoria
September 1, 1999
China
‘‘First State’’ Banquet, Beijing Hotel, Beijing
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List of Menus by Country America
Luxurious Dinner for the King’s Officers, Boston, Massachusetts
Antarctica
Midwinter Dinner, Winter Quarters, Commonwealth Bay, Adelie Land
June 22, 1912
Argentina
Dinner to Honor President Juan Pero´n, Alvear Palace Hotel, Buenos Aires, Argentina
December 18, 1948
Australia
Centennial Banquet, Sydney, Australia, Town Hall
January 26, 1888
Dinner for Fox Films, Hotel Australia, Sydney
February 4, 1916
Austria
Canada
January 3, 1774
Dinner for the Bushmen’s Corps, Adelaide
March 5, 1900
Luncheon to Celebrate Opening of Sydney Harbour Bridge RMS Maloja, Sydney Harbour
March 19, 1932
Last Meal of the Crown Prince of Austria, Royal Hunting Lodge, Mayerling Hotel Dinner, Hoˆtel Hochschneeberg, Schneeberg
January 29, 1889 September 25, 1907
Second Annual Dinner of the Toronto Board of Trade, Horticultural Gardens, Toronto, Ontario
January 4, 1899
English Royals Dine in Canada, Chateau Frontenac, Quebec
May 17, 1939
Women’s Institute Luncheon, Hotel Windsor, Alliston, Ontario
June 8, 1923
Dinner in a Wigwam, Burnt Church Point, Miramichi Bay, New Brunswick
August 7, 1853
Hotel Dinner, Grand Hotel, Yarmouth, Nova Scotia
August 25, 1911
Dinner for the Governor-General, The Arlington, Cobourg, Ontario
September 4, 1874
Dinner for Princess Elizabeth, Ottowa
October 11, 1951
Tribute Dinner for a Cow, Red Deer, Alberta
October 16, 1912
Queen Victoria Diamond Jubilee Ball, Toronto City Armouries, Toronto
December 28, 1919
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List of Menus by Country China
‘‘First State’’ Banquet, Beijing Hotel, Beijing
Crimea
‘‘Great Martial Banquet Alfresco,’’ Scutari
Denmark
American Maize Banquet, Hotel King of Denmark, Copenhagen
March 20, 1893
Insurance Company Dinner, Copenhagen
October 4, 1896
Egypt
New Year’s Day Meal, Kosseir Dinner in a Harem, Thebes
England
September 1, 1999 August 27, 1855
January 1, 1828 March 30, 1851
Christening Feast, Cockley Cley, Norfolk
January 2, 1682
Twelfth Day Dinner and Supper in a Tudor Household, Ingatestone Hall, Essex
January 6, 1552
Gentleman’s Dinner, Ockenden House, Cuckfield
January 9, 1708/9
Meals at Shugborough Hall, Staffordshire
January 12, 1920
Samuel Pepys Gives Dinner for Friends, London
January 13, 1663
Mallard Night Feast, All Souls’ College, Oxford
January 14, 1901
Portuguese Luncheon, Cafe´ Royal, London
January 15, 1935
‘‘Upside-Down’’ Dinner, Royal Automobile Club, London
January 16, 1914
Prince Regent of England Entertains the Archduke of Russia, Royal Pavilion, Brighton
January 18, 1817
Peter the Great Dines at The King’s Arms, Godalming, Surrey
January 28, 1698
Calves Head Club Annual Feast, London
January 30, 1710
Luncheon at the Variety Club, 35 Dover Street, London
January 31, 1952
George Washington’s Birthday Celebration, Hotel Cecil, London
February 22, 1897
Coronation Feast of Queen Catherine, Westminster Hall, London
February 23, 1421
Dinner with the British Prime Minister, No. 10, Downing St., London
February 25, 1983
Inthronization Feast of the Archbishop of Canterbury, The Archbishop’s Palace, Canterbury
March 9, 1504
Ironmongers’ Company Dinner, Ironmongers Hall, Fenchurch Street, London
March 11, 1687
List of Menus by Country Fine Dining Experience, Verrey’s Restaurant, Regent Street, London
March 22, 1899
Queen’s Guard Dinner, St. James’ Palace, London
March 23, 1855
Anniversary Luncheon of the Entry of the United States into World War I, Mansion House, London
April 6, 1918
Good Friday Wartime Lunch, Barrow-inFurness, Cumbria
April 11, 1941
Vicar’s Dinner, East Tuddenham, Norfolk
April 20, 1796
Shakespeare Tercentenary Banquet, Stratfordupon-Avon
April 23, 1864
Royal Wedding Breakfast, Buckingham Palace, London
April 26, 1923
Soviet Leaders Luncheon aboard the Train to Portsmouth
April 27, 1956
Dinner for Ottoman Visitors, Mayor’s Residence, April 29, 1851 Winchester, England Dilettante Society Dinner, Grand Hotel, Trafalgar Square, London
May 3, 1918
Kosher Banquet, London
May 4, 1907
‘‘May Dinner,’’ Simpson’s on the Strand, London
May 5, 1932
VE Day Dinner, Simpson’s-in-the-Strand, London Dinner for Nobody’s Friends, Hoˆtel Metropole, London
May 8, 1945
American Banquet in England, Star and Garter, Richmond
May 13, 1891 May 18, 1853
A Wedding Feast, Bishopwearmouth, Durham
May 21, 1753
Empire Day Luncheon, Junior Carlton Club, London
May 24, 1933
Parliamentary Dinner, Carlton House, London
May 25, 1816
Coronation Dinner, Westminster Abbey, London
June 2, 1953
Wedding Supper
June 6, 1699
After-Concert Dinner, King’s College, Cambridge June 12, 1893 University, Cambridge Royal Luncheon, Ascot Racecourse, Ascot, Berkshire
June 15, 1933
Dinner for the Transatlantic Air-Race Winners, Savoy Hotel, London
June 20, 1919
British Empire Breakfast, North Pole, Dartford, London
June 26, 1902
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List of Menus by Country Coronation Dinner for the Poor, St. Martin-inthe-Fields, London
June 28, 1838
Her Majesty’s Dinner, Buckingham Palace, London
June 30, 1841
Dinner for Ottoman Visitors, Reform Club, London
July 3, 1846
Coronation Feast of King Richard III, Westminster Hall, London
July 6, 1483
Midnight Supper with Queen Victoria, Guildhall, London
July 9, 1851
Coronation Banquet of King George IV, Westminster Hall, London
July 19, 1821
Royal Wedding Breakfast, Buckingham Palace, London
July 22, 1896
First Annual Dinner of the First Vegetarian Society of England, Manchester
July 28, 1848
Royal Wedding Breakfast for Prince Charles and Lady Diana, Buckingham Palace, London
July 29, 1981
Banquet for the Official Opening of London Bridge, London
August 1, 1831
Harvest Meals in an English Medieval Manorial Household, Acton Hall, Acton, Suffolk
August 2, 1413
Daily Meals in the Poorhouse, Fishlake, Yorkshire
August 12, 1835
Ministerial Fish Dinner, The Ship Tavern, Greenwich, London
August 14, 1878
Dinner of the Wardens of the Drapers’ Company, Home of the Master of the Company, London
August 16, 1522
King James I’s Breakfast, Hoghton Tower, Preston, Lancashire
August 18, 1617
Hotel Breakfast, Exchange Station Hotel, Liverpool
August 19, 1912
Ambigu for King James II, Bodley Library, Oxford University, Oxford
September 5, 1687
Dinner Celebrating the Founding of Dulwich College, Camberwell, Surrey
September 13, 1619
Jane Austen’s Dinner, Henrietta Street, Covent Garden, London
September 14, 1813
Induction Feast of the Bishop of Bath and Wells, The Bishop’s Palace, Wells, Somerset
September 16, 1425
Installation Feast of the Archbishop of York, Cawood Castle, York
September 22, 1465
Feast for King Richard II, Durham House, London
September 23, 1387
List of Menus by Country Sheriff’s Dinner, Hall of the Fishmongers’ Company, London
September 30, 1847
Coronation Feast of King Henry IV, Great Hall of Westminster, London
October 13, 1399
Dinner with the British Secret Service, Claridge’s Hotel, London
October 20, 1944
Dinner for the Royal Horse Guards, Town Hall, Holborn, London
October 25, 1882
Dinner of the Worshipful Company of Wax Chandlers, Newcastle-upon-Tyne
October 28, 1478
Dinner for the Worshipful Company of Barbers and Surgeons, The Barber-Surgeons Hall, Monkwell Square, London
October 29, 1742
Dinner for the Palace Workmen, King’s Hall Restaurant, Holborn, London
October 31, 1913
All Hallow’s Day Dinner, New College, Oxford
November 1, 1624
Common Hospital Diet, Devon and Exeter Hospital
November 4, 1829
Coronation Feast of King Henry VI, Great Hall of Westminster, London
November 6, 1429
Lord Mayor’s Dinner, Guildhall, London
November 10, 1828
Humble Meal, Cafe´ Royal, London
November 17, 1937
Dining on a Clock Face, Trades Hall, Leicester
November 18, 1910
Dining with Queen Elizabeth I
November 20, 1576
Patriotic Dinner, The Freemasons’ Tavern, London
November 30, 1871
Australian Meat Banquet, Lambeth Baths, London
December 1, 1869
Tithe-Audit Dinner, Weston Longville, Norfolk
December 3, 1782
Funeral Feast of the Bishop of Bath and Wells, Bishop’s Palace, Wells, Somerset
December 4, 1424
Encyclopædia Britannica Dinner, Hall of Christ’s College, Cambridge
December 11, 1888
Horsemeat Banquet, London
December 19, 1867
‘‘Pease and Pork Dinner,’’ Livery House, Bristol
December 21, 1911
Noble Family’s Dinner, Aldersgate Street, London
December 23, 1626
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List of Menus by Country Queen Victoria’s Christmas Dinner, Windsor Castle, London
December 25, 1899
Elegant Dinner, Empire Hotel, Bath
December 26, 1907
Ethiopia
Dining with the Ras, The Royal Palace, Andracha, Abyssinia
January 11, 1898
France
Dinner for 36, Home of Alexandre Dumas, Paris
January 19, 1864
British MPs’ Dinner, Hotel Cosmopolitan, Nice
December 5, 1903
Luncheon in Honor of U.S. President Woodrow Wilson, Luxembourg Palace, Paris
January 20, 1919
Postrevolutionary Meal, Havre de Grace
February 3, 1796
ˆteau de la Muette, French Royal Supper, Cha Paris
February 18, 1749
Business Dinner, Hotel Lutetia, Boulevarde Rapail, Paris
February 21, 1947
Gay Rugby Dinner, Hotel Lutetia, Paris Dinner for the Duke of Orle´ans
March 27, 1957 March 28, 1690
Good Friday Dinner, Tuileries, Paris
April 4, 1828
Dinner for the Bonapartes, Tuileries Palace, Paris
April 13, 1811
Stanley Club Dinner in Honor of Louis Pasteur, Continental Hotel
April 14, 1886
Banquet of the French Vegetarian Society, Rue St. Honore´, Paris
April 21, 1881
State Dinner for King George V and Queen Mary, British Embassy, Paris
April 22, 1914
Eight-Franc Dinner, Grand Hotel, Boulevarde des Capucins, Paris Dinner for the Norwegian Royals, Elyse´e Palace, Paris
May 11, 1887
French President Lunches aboard a Luxury Train Dinner of the Three Emperors, Cafe´ Anglais, Paris
May 31, 1925
Banquet for Queen Catherine, Bishop’s Palace, Paris Dinner for the American Ambulance, Lyce´e Pasteur, Neuilly-sur-Seine
June 19, 1549
Dining with Marie-Antoinette, Le Petit Trianon, Versailles
July 24, 1788
King’s Dinner
July 31, 1826
May 27, 1908
June 7, 1867
July 14, 1916
List of Menus by Country Dinner to Honor the Prince de Conde ˆteau de Choisy Supper with the King, Cha
September 29, 1757
Banquet for the Commissioner General, Hotel Continental, Paris
October 15, 1898
All-Potato Dinner Les Invalides, Paris
October 21, 1787
ˆteau ‘‘Thousand and One Nights’’ Dinner, Cha de Bellevue
October 23, 1787
French Exhibition Banquet, Hotel du Louvre, Paris
October 26, 1867
Quiet Dinner for Two in Paris, Chez Denis, Paris
November 9, 1975
ˆteau Lunch with the King of Romania, Cha Rambouillet
November 21, 1938
Dinner at the Court of Napoleon III, Paris
November 27, 1866
Gourmet’s Dinner, Rocher de Cancale, Rue Montorgeuil, Paris Firefighters Banquet, Hoˆtel de la Madeleine, Barberaz
November 28, 1809
Dinner for the Duke of Windsor aboard the Zurich Express ˆtel, Paris Sunday Lunch in Paris, Le Grand Ho
December 12, 1936
Final Dinner Party Given by Franc¸ois Mitterand, Souston, Landes Germany
August 9, 1652
Dinner of Exotic Animals, Hamburg Prince Ernest’s Dinner
December 9, 1928
December 29, 1878 December 31, 1995 January 23, 1862 March 2, 1788
Emperor Wilhelm’s Lunch, Royal Palace, Berlin
April 9, 1909
King Ludwig’s Dinner, Hunting Lodge, the Tirol
June 13, 1885
Frederick the Great’s Dinner, Sans Souci, Potsdam
August 5, 1786
Frankfurt Congress of Princes Banquet, Ro¨mer, Frankfurt
August 21, 1863
Hungary
Coronation Banquet for the Last Ruler of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Budapest
December 30, 1916
India
Catering Menu, Calcutta
December 13, 1943
Indonesia
Dinner with Amelia Earhart, Hotel Grand Preanger, Bandung (Bandoeng), Batavia
June 21, 1937
Iran
Banquet to Celebrate the Persian Empire, Persepolis
October 14, 1971
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List of Menus by Country Ireland
Cardinal’s ‘‘Fast,’’ Dundalk
September 3, 1858
Italy
An Ancient Roman Dinner, Rome
August 22, 70 BCE
Wedding Feast, Milan
May 28, 1368
Medici Wedding Feast, Palazzo Medici, Florence
June 4, 1469
Banquet to Honor Neopolitan Princes, Florence
February 16, 1476
Dinner for the Shah of Persia, Royal Palace, Turin
July 25, 1873
Piemontese Society Banquet, All Hotel Campidoglio
December 15, 1897
King’s Lunch, Royal Palace, Milan
August 6, 1898
Japan
Mexico
Morocco New Zealand
Japanese Tiffin, Fujiya Hotel, Miyanoshita
April 25, 1907
Dinner for Ulysses S. Grant, Nagasaki
June 24, 1879
International Meal, Imperial Hotel, Tokyo
July 20, 1952
Dinner by Numbers, Grand Hotel, Yokohama
November 7, 1919
One-Dollar Lunch, Hotel Agua Caliente, Tijuana
April 1, 1931
Picnic for the Mexican President, San Luis Potosi, Mexico
July 18, 1921
Dinner with the Moors
September 6, 1663
Dinner for the Rifle Volunteers, Auckland
March 21, 1871
Masons’ Banquet to Celebrate Their New Lodge, September 15, Criterion Hotel, Taranaki 1883 Norway
Medical Conference Dinner, Bergen
August 30, 1885
Medical Dinner, Bergen
October 24, 1891
Panama
Banquet in Honor of Ferdinand de Lesseps
February 28, 1886
Peru
Peruvian Presidential Dinner, Lima
July 2, 1906
Romania
Luncheon Given by President Richard M. Nixon, August 3, 1969 Romanian State Guest House, Bucharest
Russia
Tripartite Dinner Meeting, Vorontsov Villa, Yalta, Ukraine
Scotland
February 10, 1945
Coronation Banquet for Nicholas II, Kremlin
May 15, 1896
State Dinner, Hall of Facets, the Kremlin, Soviet Union
May 30, 1988
Household of the Marquess of Tweeddale, Yester House, Gifford, East Lothian Breakfast at Central Station Hotel, Glasgow
January 5, 1817 June 27, 1908
List of Menus by Country King George IV’s Visit to Scotland, Great Hall of Parliament House, Edinburgh
August 24, 1821
Duchess of Buccleuch and Monmouth’s Table, Dalkeith Castle
November 8, 1701
20th Anniversary Banquet of the Scottish Geographical Society, North British Station Hotel, Edinburgh
November 12, 1904
Banquet for Henry Morton Stanley, Waterloo Rooms, Edinburgh
June 9, 1890
Scottish Mountaineering Club 10th Annual Dinner, Central Hotel, Edinburgh
December 2, 1898
Englishmen’s Dinner, Queen’s Hotel, Dundee
December 24, 1885
South Africa
British Royals Dine at Mount Nelson Hotel, Capetown
February 17, 1947
A Banquet to Nelson Mandela, Pretoria
June 16, 1999
Spain
Archbishop’s Meals, Valencia
February 9, 1568
Dinner for the New King, Alfonso XIII, Royal Palace, Madrid
March 18, 1902
Sri Lanka
Tiffin at the Cricket Club, Cinnamon Gardens, Colombo, Ceylon
March 31, 1906
Sweden
Dinner for the Congress of Orientalists, Stockholm
September 7, 1889
First Nobel Prize Banquet, Hall of Mirrors, Grand Hotel, Stockholm
December 10, 1901
Dinner on the Mountain, The Aletschhorn
July 17, 1859
Switzerland
Breakfast and Dinner on Mont Blanc
August 26, 1825
Syria
Dinner at the English Embassy, Aleppo
May 9, 1676
Tibet
Dinner with a Tibetan Monk, Gyantse´
October 27, 1936
Turkey
Ottoman Sultan Entertains the French Prince, Constantinople (Istanbul)
July 1, 1868
United States
Jackson Day Dinner, Mayflower Hotel, Washington, DC
January 8, 1936
Holland Society Annual Dinner, Hotel Brunswick, New York
January 10, 1888
Benjamin Franklin Honored by Typothetæ, Hotel Brunswick, New York
January 17, 1895
Dinner for Six Gentlemen, Revere House, Bowdoin Square, Boston, Massachusetts
January 22, 1848
Burns Night Supper, Sutherland’s, New York
January 25, 1882
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List of Menus by Country Gourmet Society Eat ‘‘Eskimo Fare,’’ Cavanagh’s, New York
January 24, 1937
Diet Squad Experiment, New York
January 27, 1917
Broadway Association Dinner to Celebrate the Dodge Brothers’ Sign, Hotel Astor, New York
February 1, 1928
First Annual Banquet of the Founders and Patriots of America, Hotel Manhattan, New York
February 2, 1897
Debut Dinner at the New York Vegetarian Society’s Vegetarian Restaurant No. 1, New York
February 5, 1895
Dinner with President Thomas Jefferson, The White House, Washington, DC
February 6, 1802
Mormon Ball, Social Hall, Salt Lake City, Utah
February 7, 1860
Whale Meat Luncheon, American Museum of Natural History, New York City
February 8, 1918
‘‘Gotham’s Costliest Banquet,’’ Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, New York
February 11, 1899
Former Slave Attends a Republican Dinner, Lincoln Dinner, Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, New York
February 12, 1909
YMCA Father and Son Dinner, Nyack, New York
February 13, 1918
Valentine’s Day Dinner, Sherry’s, New York
February 14, 1901
Exotic Menu for New York Epicures, The Bank Coffee House, New York
February 15, 1823
Creole Dinner for the New Orleans Press Club, The Atheneum, New Orleans, Louisiana
February 19, 1898
Wartime Luncheon, Stork Club, New York
February 20, 1943
State Dinner, The White House, Washington, DC
February 24, 1999
German-American Press Honors Prince Henry of Prussia, Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, New York
February 26, 1902
Dinner at a ‘‘Gentlemen’s Ordinary,’’ Brown’s Hotel, Washington, DC
February 27, 1847
63rd Annual Dinner of the St. David’s Society, Hotel Savoy, New York
March 1, 1898
Irish Revolutionary Veterans Dinner, Central Opera House, East Sixty-Seventh Street, New York
March 4, 1894
Abraham Lincoln’s Inauguration Ball, Patent Office, Washington, DC
March 6, 1865
List of Menus by Country Dinner for the New York Association of Union Prisoners, Murray Hill Lyceum, New York City
March 7, 1895
Dinner Given by the ‘‘Chinese Delmonico,’’ Lenox Lyceum, New York
March 8, 1891
Antebellum Riverboat Menu, Robert F. Ward, Mississippi River
March 12, 1853
Breakfast on the ‘‘42nd Street Special,’’ Chicago March 15, 1933 to Los Angeles by Rail Bill of Fare, Virginia Hotel, St. Louis
March 16, 1858
St. Patrick’s Day Banquet, The White House, Washington, DC
March 17, 1959
Charles Dickens Eats aboard an American Canal Boat
March 25, 1842
Spelling Reform Dinner, Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, New York
April 3, 1907
State Dinner, The White House, Washington, DC
April 5, 1960
Cooking Class Dinner, Cooking Academy, Fourth Avenue, New York
April 7, 1865
Dinner for President Harry S. Truman, The Gridiron Club, Hotel Statler, Washington, DC
April 10, 1948
Week’s Menu for the First Family, The White House, Washington, DC
April 15, 1973
Testimonial Banquet for Boxer Robert Fitzsimmons, Hotel Bartholdi, New York
April 16, 1897
New York Society of Restaurateurs Dinner with ‘‘Diamond Jim’’ Brady, Terrace Garden, New York
April 17, 1916
Confederate Soldier’s Dinner, Army Camp, near Pensacola, Florida
April 18, 1861
Opening Banquet Woolworth Building, Broadway, New York
April 24, 1913
Harvard Club of Boston Dinner, Hotel Somerset, April 30, 1913 Boston, Massachusetts Elvis Presley’s Wedding, Aladdin Hotel, Las Vegas
May 1, 1967
Dinner at the Sanitarium, Battle Creek, Michigan
May 2, 1900
Lewis and Clark Eat with the Nez Perce, Idaho
May 10, 1806
President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Daily Fare, The White House, Washington, DC
May 14, 1933
First Academy Awards Banquet, Blossom Room, Roosevelt Hotel, Hollywood, California
May 16, 1929
Prison Menu for a Week, Indiana State Prison
May 19, 1911
Banquet of Insects, Explorer’s Club, New York
May 20, 1992
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List of Menus by Country Seafood Feast, Squantum Club, East Providence, Rhode Island
May 22, 1901
Harriman Expedition Dinner, En Route to Seattle, Washington
May 23, 1899
Royal and Plebeian Supper, Madison Square Garden, New York
May 26, 1893
Sunday Dinner, Hotel Emery, Cincinnati, Ohio
May 29, 1892
Willard Hotel Bill of Fare, Washington, DC
June 1, 1860
Journalists’ Dinner, Bohemian Club, San Francisco, California
June 5, 1889
Picnic for the English Royals, ‘‘Springwood,’’ Hyde Park, New York
June 11, 1939
Telephone Banquet, Symphony Hall, Boston, Massachusetts
June 14, 1916
Lunch with the Emperor of Ethiopia, Ambassador Hotel, Los Angeles, California
June 17, 1954
‘‘Uncooked Banquet’’ Hotel Hygeia, New York
June 18, 1903
Yale Reunion Dinner, Bishop’s Colonnade, Savin Rock, West Haven, Connecticut
June 23, 1908
Dinner on the Eve of the Korean War, Blair House, Washington, DC
June 25, 1950
Independence Day Dinner, Park House, Mt. Clemens, Michigan
July 4, 1899
Firemen’s Dinner, American Exchange Hotel, San Francisco, California
July 5, 1856
Bicentennial Dinner, The White House, Washington, DC
July 7, 1976
Trefa Banquet, Highland House, Cincinnati, Ohio
July 11, 1883
Reform Democrats Hold a Crow Banquet, Detroit Opera House, Detroit, Michigan
July 12, 1876
Dinner of the Thirteen Club, Central Restaurant, New York
July 13, 1900
Luncheon after the Fire, Hotel St. Francis, San Francisco, California
July 23, 1906
Banquet Honoring Howard Hughes, Rice Hotel, Houston, Texas
July 30, 1938
Dinner for Admiral Togo Heihachiro, Knickerbocker Hotel, New York
August 13, 1911
Henry Ford’s ‘‘All Soy’’ Dinner, Century of Progress International Exposition, Chicago, Illinois
August 17, 1934
Mining Company Dinner, Calaveras Hotel, Angel’s Camp, California
August 20, 1914
List of Menus by Country Luncheon Specials of the Day, MGM Studios, Culver City, California
August 23, 1956
Temperance Banquet, Metropolitan Hall, New York
September 8, 1853
Fat Men’s Club Clambake, Power’s Hotel, Dorlon’s Point, South Norwalk, Connecticut
September 10, 1891
Centennial Dinner, Exchange Coffee House, Boston, Massachusetts
September 17, 1830
Meals in the Pullman Dining Car, in the Funeral September 18, Train of President William McKinley 1901 Patriotic ‘‘Hooverized’’ Dinner, Daniel’s and Fisher’s Tower, Denver
September 19, 1918
Library-Themed Dinner for the American Library Association, Annual Conference, Grand View House, Lake Placid, New York
September 20, 1894
Daily Diet of the ‘‘American Pedestrian,’’ Cambridge Park Trotting Course, Boston
September 21, 1842
Prison Dinner, Leavenworth State Penitentiary, Kansas
September 24, 1928
Dinner Out Hunting with Buffalo Bill, near Fort McPherson, Nebraska Traffic Association Banquet, Cafe´ Nat Goodwin, Crystal Pier, Santa Monica, California
September 26, 1871 September 27, 1913
Dinner in Utopia, Red Bank, Monmouth County, October 1, 1854 New Jersey Banquet for the 75th Anniversary of the Biltmore Hotel, Los Angeles, California
October 2, 1998
Druggists’ Luncheon, Steamboat Sandy Hook, New York
October 5, 1894
Remarkable Fish Banquet, Lafayette Restaurant, Centennial Grounds, Philadelphia
October 6, 1876
Esperanto Society Meeting Dinner, New England
October 7, 1911
Chicago Fire Centennial Anniversary Banquet, Conrad Hilton Hotel, Chicago, Illinois
October 8, 1971
Eggless, Poultryless Meals for President Harry S. Truman, The White House, Washington, DC
October 9, 1947
International Lunch Menu, International Casino, Times Square, New York
October 10, 1838
Hotel Supper, New Denison Hotel, Indianapolis, Indiana
October 17, 1888
Snacking at the Siesta Drive-In Movie Theater, Sarasota, Florida
October 18, 1959
Testimonial Dinner for Charles Lindbergh, Hotel Chelsea, Atlantic City, New Jersey
October 19, 1927
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List of Menus by Country Women Suffragists’s Dinner, New York City
October 22, 1913
Dinner with Sir Morton Peto, Delmonico’s, New York
October 30, 1865
Dinner with Emily Dickinson, Mount Holyoke Female Seminary, South Hadley, Massachusetts
November 2, 1847
Staff Meals, Hotel Pennsylvania, New York
November 11, 1919
Dinner with Pablo Casals, The White House, Washington, DC
November 13, 1961
Lunch for the King and Queen of Greece, Ambassador Hotel, Los Angeles, California
November 14, 1953
Gilbert and Sullivan Dinner, Park Central Hotel, November 15, New York 1936
Vietnam
Dining with James McNeill Whistler, Chelsea, London
November 16, 1875
Annual Game Dinner, Grand Pacific Hotel, Chicago, Illinois
November 19, 1892
German Society 150th Anniversary Dinner, Hotel Astor, New York
November 22, 1934
Thanksgiving on the Plains, Camp Supply, Oklahoma
November 26, 1868
Double Thanksgiving, Maison Tortoni, Seattle, Washington
November 29, 1897
Repeal Dinner, Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, New York
December 6, 1933
Dinner with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Aldine Club, 75 Fifth Avenue, New York
December 7, 1894
Fashionable Hotel Dinner, Fifth Avenue Hotel, New York
December 8, 1860
Hospital Fare, St. Luke’s Hospital, Chicago, Illinois
December 14, 1920
Chicago Press Club’s First Annual Banquet, Briggs House, Chicago, Illinois
December 16, 1870
Whittier Banquet, Hotel Brunswick, Boston, Massachusetts
December 17, 1877
Heinz Company 50th Anniversary Dinner, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
December 20, 1919
First Celebration of Forefathers’ Day Dinner, Old Colony Club of Plymouth, Massachusetts
December 22, 1769
Blackhawk Restaurant, Chicago
December 27, 1920
Thanksgiving Day Dinner aboard YRBM 16, Ben Tre
November 23, 1967
List of Menus by Country Wales
Coming-of-Age Party, Wynnstay Hall, Denbighshire
April 19, 1770
Airship R.33
Day’s Meals aboard an Airship, R.33, En Route from Norfolk, England, to Amsterdam
September 11, 1919
Concorde
Luncheon En Route from London to Bahrain during the Inaugural Flight of the Concorde
KLM Flight
Dinner on the Inaugural Flight, Super Constellation, KLM Airlines
Moon
Dining in Space
July 21, 1969
Space
First Meal in Space, Vostok 1
April 12, 1961
In Flight
January 21, 1976 October 3, 1953
Shipboard Champion of the Seas
Meal aboard a Clipper Ship En Route to Melbourne, Australia
Chojo Maru
Breakfast aboard a Japanese Ship, MS Chojo Maru
Clipper Ringleader
Dinner aboard a Clipper Ship Ringleader
November 5, 1855
HMS Assistance
Officers’ Dinner at Sea, HMS Assistance, near Gibraltar
July 10, 1675
HMS Ophir
Grand Dinner Given by the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall aboard HMS Ophir, Malta
March 26, 1901
HMY Britannia Final Voyage of the HMY Britannia, Karachi
June 3, 1856 August 8, 1932
March 3, 1997
HT Queen Mary
Officers’ Luncheon, HT Queen Mary
May 7, 1940
Maha-Chakri
Lunch aboard the Royal Yacht Maha-Chakri, Copenhagen
July 26, 1897
QE II
Lunch En Route to the Falkland Islands, RMS Queen Elizabeth 2
May 12, 1982
RMS Aquitania Lunch at Sea, RMS Aquitania
April 28, 1921
RMS Lusitania Maiden Voyage Dinner aboard the RMS Lusitania
September 9, 1907
RMS Miowera
‘‘All-Red Route’’ Luncheon aboard the RMS Miowera
November 3, 1896
RMS Orontes
Luncheon Crossing the Equator, SS Orontes
March 29, 1937
RMS Queen Elizabeth
Breakfast at Sea RMS Queen Elizabeth
March 24, 1953
RMS Saxonia
Cornell Students Dine aboard RMS Saxonia
RMS Saxonia
Second Cabin Tea aboard RMS Saxonia
RMS Titanic
First Dinner, RMS Titanic
SS New York
Dinner aboard Steamship SS New York
June 29, 1924 August 31, 1910 April 2, 1912 January 7, 1866
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List of Menus by Country SS Port Victoria
Menu for the Indisposed aboard the SS Fort Victoria
November 25, 1928
SS Abangarez
Dinner for Peace and Goodwill Mission, SS Abangarez, Puerto Barrios, Guatemala
April 8, 1929
SS America
Columbus Day Dinner aboard the SS America
October 12, 1962
SS Colon
Lunch En Route to the Canal Zone aboard the SS Colon
July 27, 1908
SS Great Western
Daily Bill of Fare aboard the SS Great Western
August 29, 1844
SS Hamburg
Breakfast at Sea, SS Hamburg
July 8, 1936
SS Imperator
Dinner aboard the Pride of the Fleet, RMS Imperator
SS Ko¨nigin Luise
Lunch at Sea, SS Ko¨nigin Luise
SS Lahn
Dinner at Sea, SS Lahn
July 16, 1900
SS Lurline
Luncheon at Sea, SS Lurline
June 10, 1939
SS Majestic
Dinner at Sea, Tourist Class RMS Majestic
March 13, 1928
SS Majestic
‘‘Menu for Jews’’ aboard the SS Majestic
September 28, 1929
SS Matsonia
Victory Dinner aboard the SS Matsonia
August 15, 1945
SS Megantic
Luncheon aboard a World War I Troop Ship, SS Megantic, En Route from Alexandria, Egypt, to Marseilles
August 11, 1916
SS New York
Dinner at Sea, SS New York
March 10, 1928
SS Prince Rupert
Dinner at Sea, SS Prince Rupert
March 14, 1922
SS Prussian
Breakfast at Sea, SS Prussian
SS Strathaird
Children’s Meals aboard the SS Strathaird
SS Zeeland
Dinner aboard an Immigrant Ship, SS Zeeland
August 4, 1920 August 28, 1905
May 6, 1875 September 12, 1957 August 10, 1907
Steamer Clyde Dining aboard a West India Steamer, SS Clyde, Barbados
November 24, 1847
TSS Kedmah
Dinner aboard the First ‘‘Hebrew’’ Ship, TSS Kedmah
September 2, 1947
USMS Philadelphia
Dinner aboard a U.S. Mail Ship, USMS Philadelphia
July 15, 1913
England
Soviet Leaders Luncheon aboard the Train to Portsmouth
April 27, 1956
France
French President Lunches aboard a Luxury Train
May 31, 1925
On Train
List of Menus by Country The Ex-King’s first meal in exile, Pullman Train United States
December 12, 1936
Breakfast on the ‘‘42nd Street Special,’’ Chicago to Los Angeles by Rail
March 15, 1933
Meals in the Pullman Dining Car, in the Funeral Train of President William McKinley
September 18, 1901
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List of Menus by Occasion Club/Society/Institute/Company Meal October 28, 1478
England
Dinner of the Worshipful Company of Wax Chandlers, Newcastle-upon-Tyne
August 16, 1522
England
Dinner of the Wardens of the Drapers’ Company, Home of the Master of the Company, London
March 11, 1687
England
Ironmongers’ Company Dinner, Ironmongers Hall, Fenchurch Street, London
January 30, 1710
England
Calves Head Club Annual Feast, London
October 29, 1742
England
Dinner for the Worshipful Company of Barbers and Surgeons, The Barber-Surgeons Hall, Monkwell Square, London
September 30, 1847
England
Sheriff’s Dinner, Hall of the Fishmongers’ Company, London
July 28, 1848
England
First Annual Dinner of the First Vegetarian Society of England, Manchester
September 8, 1853
United States
Temperance Banquet, Metropolitan Hall, New York
October 1, 1854
United States
Dinner in Utopia, Red Bank, Monmouth County, New Jersey
July 5, 1856
United States
Firemen’s Dinner, American Exchange Hotel, San Francisco, California
January 23, 1862
Germany
Dinner of Exotic Animals, Hamburg
December 1, 1869
England
Australian Meat Banquet, Lambeth Baths, London
December 16, 1870
United States
Chicago Press Club’s First Annual Banquet, Briggs House, Chicago, Illinois
November 30, 1871
England
Patriotic Dinner, The Freemasons’ Tavern, London
France
Banquet of the French Vegetarian Society, Rue St. Honore´, Paris
April 21, 1881 September 15, 1883
New Zealand
August 30, 1885
Norway
Masons’ Banquet to Celebrate Their New Lodge, Criterion Hotel, Taranaki Medical Conference Dinner, Bergen
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List of Menus by Occasion April 14, 1886 January 10, 1888
France United States
Stanley Club Dinner in Honor of Louis Pasteur, Continental Hotel Holland Society Annual Dinner, Hotel Brunswick, New York
December 11, 1888
England
Encyclopædia Britannica Dinner, Hall of Christ’s College, Cambridge
January 4, 1889
Canada
Second Annual Dinner of the Toronto Board of Trade, Horticultural Gardens, Toronto, Ontario
June 5, 1889
United States
September 7, 1889
Sweden
March 8, 1891 May 13, 1891
United States England
Journalists’ Dinner, Bohemian Club, San Francisco, California Dinner for the Congress of Orientalists, Stockholm Dinner Given by the ‘‘Chinese Delmonico,’’ Lenox Lyceum, New York Dinner for Nobody’s Friends, Hoˆtel Metropole, London
September 10, 1891
United States
Fat Men’s Club Clambake, Power’s Hotel, Dorlon’s Point, South Norwalk, Connecticut
October 24, 1891
Norway
Medical Dinner, Bergen
June 12, 1893
England
After-Concert Dinner, King’s College, Cambridge University, Cambridge
September 20, 1894
United States
Library-Themed Dinner for the American Library Association, Annual Conference, Grand View House, Lake Placid, New York
October 5, 1894
United States
Druggists’ Luncheon, Steamboat Sandy Hook, New York
January 17, 1895
United States
Benjamin Franklin Honored by Typothetæ, Hotel Brunswick, New York
February 5, 1895
United States
Debut Dinner at the New York Vegetarian Society’s Vegetarian Restaurant No. 1, New York
Denmark
Insurance Company Dinner, Copenhagen
October 4, 1896 February 2, 1897
United States
February 22, 1897
England
December 15, 1897
Italy
First Annual Banquet of the Founders and Patriots of America, Hotel Manhattan, New York George Washington’s Birthday Celebration, Hotel Cecil, London Piemontese Society Banquet, All Hotel Campidoglio
February 19, 1898
United States
Creole Dinner for the New Orleans Press Club, The Atheneum, New Orleans, Louisiana
March 1, 1898
United States
63rd Annual Dinner of the St. David’s Society, Hotel Savoy, New York
List of Menus by Occasion December 2, 1898
Scotland
Scottish Mountaineering Club 10th Annual Dinner, Central Hotel, Edinburgh
July 13, 1900
United States
Dinner of the Thirteen Club, Central Restaurant, New York
May 22, 1901
United States
Seafood Feast, Squantum Club, East Providence, Rhode Island
June 18, 1903
United States
‘‘Uncooked Banquet’’ Hotel Hygeia, New York
November 12, 1904
Scotland
20th Anniversary Banquet of the Scottish Geographical Society, North British Station Hotel, Edinburgh
March 31, 1906
Sri Lanka
Tiffin at the Cricket Club, Cinnamon Gardens, Colombo, Ceylon
April 3, 1907
United States
Spelling Reform Dinner, Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, New York
February 12, 1909
United States
Former Slave Attends a Republican Dinner, Lincoln Dinner, Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, New York
November 18, 1910
England
Dining on a Clock Face, Trades Hall, Leicester
October 7, 1911
United States
Esperanto Society Meeting Dinner, New England
April 30, 1913
United States
September 27, 1913
United States
Harvard Club of Boston Dinner, Hotel Somerset, Boston, Massachusetts Traffic Association Banquet, Cafe´ Nat Goodwin, Crystal Pier, Santa Monica, California
October 22, 1913
United States
January 16, 1914
England
August 20, 1914
United States
Mining Company Dinner, Calaveras Hotel, Angel’s Camp, California
April 17, 1916
United States
New York Society of Restaurateurs Dinner with ‘‘Diamond Jim’’ Brady, Terrace Garden, New York
June 14, 1916
United States
Telephone Banquet, Symphony Hall, Boston, Massachusetts
February 4, 1916
Australia
Dinner for Fox Films, Hotel Australia, Sydney
February 13, 1918
United States
YMCA Father and Son Dinner, Nyack, New York
September 19, 1918
United States
Patriotic ‘‘Hooverized’’ Dinner, Daniel’s and Fisher’s Tower, Denver
May 3, 1918
England
Women Suffragists’s Dinner, New York City ‘‘Upside-Down’’ Dinner, Royal Automobile Club, London
Dilettante Society Dinner, Grand Hotel, Trafalgar Square, London
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List of Menus by Occasion December 20, 1919
United States
Heinz Company 50th Anniversary Dinner, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
June 8, 1923
Canada
Women’s Institute Luncheon, Hotel Windsor, Alliston, Ontario
February 1, 1928
United States
December 9, 1928
France
Broadway Association Dinner to Celebrate the Dodge Brothers’ Sign, Hotel Astor, New York Firefighters Banquet, Hoˆtel de la Madeleine, Barberaz
May 16, 1929
United States
May 5, 1932
England
First Academy Awards Banquet, Blossom Room, Roosevelt Hotel, Hollywood, California ‘‘May Dinner,’’ Simpson’s on the Strand, London
August 17, 1934
United States
Henry Ford’s ‘‘All Soy’’ Dinner, Century of Progress International Exposition, Chicago, Illinois
November 22, 1934
United States
German Society 150th Anniversary Dinner, Hotel Astor, New York Portuguese Luncheon, Cafe´ Royal, London
January 15, 1935
England
January 24, 1937
United States
November 17, 1937 February 21, 1947 April 10, 1948 January 31, 1952
England France United States England
Gourmet Society Eat ‘‘Eskimo Fare,’’ Cavanagh’s, New York Humble Meal, Cafe´ Royal, London Business Dinner, Hotel Lutetia, Boulevarde Rapail, Paris Dinner for President Harry S. Truman, The Gridiron Club, Hotel Statler, Washington, DC Luncheon at the Variety Club, 35 Dover Street, London
Commemorative Event August 22, 70 BCE
Rome
An Ancient Roman Dinner
September 16, 1425
England
Induction Feast of the Bishop of Bath and Wells, The Bishop’s Palace, Wells, Somerset
September 22, 1465
England
Installation Feast of the Archbishop of York, Cawood Castle, York
September 13, 1619
England
Dinner Celebrating the Founding of Dulwich College, Camberwell, Surrey
December 22, 1769
America
First Celebration of Forefathers’ Day Dinner, Old Colony Club of Plymouth, Massachusetts
September 17, 1830
United States
Centennial Dinner, Exchange Coffee House, Boston, Massachusetts
January 25, 1882
United States
Burns Night Supper, Sutherland’s, New York
List of Menus by Occasion January 26, 1888 April 24, 1913
Australia
Centennial Banquet, Sydney, Australia, Town Hall
United States
Opening Banquet Woolworth Building, Broadway, New York
April 6, 1918
England
Anniversary Luncheon of the Entry of the United States into World War I, Mansion House, London
August 1, 1831
England
Banquet for the Official Opening of London Bridge, London
March 19, 1932
Australia
Luncheon to Celebrate Opening of Sydney Harbour Bridge RMS Maloja, Sydney Harbour
October 8, 1971
United States
Chicago Fire Centennial Anniversary Banquet, Conrad Hilton Hotel, Chicago, Illinois
October 14, 1971
Iran
October 2, 1998
United States
September 1, 1999
China
Banquet to Celebrate the Persian Empire, Persepolis Banquet for the 75th Anniversary of the Biltmore Hotel, Los Angeles, California ‘‘First State’’ Banquet, Beijing Hotel, Beijing
Daily Meal August 2, 1413 February 9, 1568
England Spain
Harvest Meals in an English Medieval Manorial Household, Acton Hall, Acton, Suffolk Archbishop’s Meals, Valencia
November 20, 1576
England
Dining with Queen Elizabeth I
December 23, 1626
England
Noble Family’s Dinner, Aldersgate Street, London
November 8, 1701
Scotland
February 18, 1749
France
Duchess of Buccleuch and Monmouth’s Table, Dalkeith Castle ˆteau de la Muette, French Royal Supper, Cha Paris
August 5, 1786
Germany
Frederick the Great’s Dinner, Sans Souci, Potsdam
March 2, 1788
Germany
Prince Ernest’s Dinner
July 24, 1788
France
May 10, 1806
United States
April 13, 1811 September 14, 1813
France England
Dining with Marie-Antoinette, Le Petit Trianon, Versailles Lewis and Clark Eat with the Nez Perce, Idaho Dinner for the Bonapartes, Tuileries Palace, Paris Jane Austen’s Dinner, Henrietta Street, Covent Garden, London
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List of Menus by Occasion January 5, 1817 July 31, 1826
Scotland France
Household of the Marquess of Tweeddale, Yester House, Gifford, East Lothian King’s Dinner
August 12, 1835
England
Daily Meals in the Poorhouse, Fishlake, Yorkshire
June 30, 1841
England
Her Majesty’s Dinner, Buckingham Palace, London
August 7, 1853
Canada
Dinner in a Wigwam, Burnt Church Point, Miramichi Bay, New Brunswick
April 18, 1861
United States
Confederate Soldier’s Dinner, Army Camp, near Pensacola, Florida
Austria
Last Meal of the Crown Prince of Austria, Royal Hunting Lodge, Mayerling
January 29, 1889 August 6, 1898
Italy
April 9, 1909
Germany
January 27, 1917
United States
January 12, 1920
England
May 14, 1933 June 15, 1933 December 12, 1936 April 11, 1941
United States
King’s Lunch, Royal Palace, Milan Emperor Wilhelm’s Lunch, Royal Palace, Berlin Diet Squad Experiment, New York Meals at Shugborough Hall, Staffordshire President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Daily Fare, The White House, Washington, DC
England
Royal Luncheon, Ascot Racecourse, Ascot, Berkshire
France
Dinner for the Duke of Windsor aboard the Zurich Express
England
Good Friday Wartime Lunch, Barrow-inFurness, Cumbria
October 9, 1947
United States
Eggless, Poultryless Meals for President Harry S. Truman, The White House, Washington, DC
April 15, 1973
United States
Week’s Menu for the First Family, The White House, Washington, DC
Dinner Party January 13, 1663
England
Samuel Pepys Gives Dinner for Friends, London
September 6, 1663
Morocco
Dinner with the Moors
January 9, 1708
England
Gentleman’s Dinner, Ockenden House, Cuckfield
January 3, 1774
America
Luxurious Dinner for the King’s Officers, Boston, Massachusetts
April 20, 1796
England
Vicar’s Dinner, East Tuddenham, Norfolk
List of Menus by Occasion February 6, 1802
United States
Dinner with President Thomas Jefferson, The White House, Washington, DC
January 22, 1848
United States
Dinner for Six Gentlemen, Revere House, Bowdoin Square, Boston, Massachusetts
April 29, 1851
England
Dinner for Ottoman Visitors, Mayor’s Residence, Winchester, England
August 27, 1855
Crimea
‘‘Great Martial Banquet Alfresco,’’ Scutari
January 19, 1864
France
Dinner for 36, Home of Alexandre Dumas, Paris
October 30, 1865
United States
Dinner with Sir Morton Peto, Delmonico’s, New York
November 16, 1875
United State
Dining with James McNeill Whistler, Chelsea, London
June 22, 1912
Antarctica
Midwinter Dinner, Winter Quarters, Commonwealth Bay, Adelie Land Dinner with a Tibetan Monk, Gyantse´, Tibet
October 27, 1936
Tibet
November 9, 1975
France
Quiet Dinner for Two in Paris, Chez Denis, Paris
December 31, 1995
France
Final Dinner Party Given by Franc¸ois Mitterand, Souston, Landes
Diplomatic/Political Meal May 9, 1676
Syria
May 25, 1816
England
Parliamentary Dinner, Carlton House, London
July 19, 1821
England
Coronation Banquet of King George IV, Westminster Hall, London
July 3, 1846
England
Dinner for Ottoman Visitors, Reform Club, London
July 9, 1851
England
Midnight Supper with Queen Victoria, Guildhall, London
April 29, 1851
England
Dinner for Ottoman Visitors, Mayor’s Residence, Winchester, England
August 21, 1863
Germany
Frankfurt Congress of Princes Banquet, Ro¨mer, Frankfurt
March 6, 1865
United States
June 7, 1867
France
July 1, 1868
Turkey
July 25, 1873
Italy
Dinner at the English Embassy, Aleppo
Abraham Lincoln’s Inauguration Ball, Patent Office, Washington, DC Dinner of the Three Emperors, Cafe´ Anglais, Paris Ottoman Sultan Entertains the French Prince, Constantinople (Istanbul) Dinner for the Shah of Persia, Royal Palace, Turin
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List of Menus by Occasion September 4, 1874
Canada
July 12, 1876
United States
Reform Democrats Hold a Crow Banquet, Detroit Opera House, Detroit, Michigan
England
Ministerial Fish Dinner, The Ship Tavern, Greenwich, London
August 14, 1878 June 24, 1879 March 20, 1893 May 26, 1893
Japan Denmark United States
Dinner for the Governor-General, The Arlington, Cobourg, Ontario
Dinner for Ulysses S. Grant, Nagasaki American Maize Banquet, Hotel King of Denmark, Copenhagen Royal and Plebeian Supper, Madison Square Garden, New York
January 11, 1898
Ethiopia
Dining with the Ras, The Royal Palace, Andracha, Abyssinia
February 26, 1902
United States
German-American Press Honors Prince Henry of Prussia, Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, New York
December 5, 1903
France
British MPs’ Dinner, Hotel Cosmopolitan, Nice
July 2, 1906
Peru
February 12, 1909
United States
Former Slave Attends a Republican Dinner, Lincoln Dinner, Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, New York
August 13, 1911
United States
Dinner for Admiral Togo Heihachiro, Knickerbocker Hotel, New York
April 22, 1914
France
Peruvian Presidential Dinner, Lima
State Dinner for King George V and Queen Mary, British Embassy, Paris
February 8, 1918
United States
January 20, 1919
France
Luncheon in Honor of U.S. President Woodrow Wilson, Luxembourg Palace, Paris
July 18, 1921
Mexico
Picnic for the Mexican President, San Luis Potosi, Mexico
January 8, 1936
United States
Whale Meat Luncheon, American Museum of Natural History, New York City
Jackson Day Dinner, Mayflower Hotel, Washington, DC
May 17, 1939
Canada
English Royals Dine in Canada, Chateau Frontenac, Quebec
October 20, 1944
England
Dinner with the British Secret Service, Claridge’s Hotel, London
February 10, 1945 June 25, 1950 October 11, 1951
Russia
Tripartite Dinner Meeting, Vorontsov Villa, Yalta, Ukraine
United States
Dinner on the Eve of the Korean War, Blair House, Washington, DC
Canada
Dinner for Princess Elizabeth, Ottowa
List of Menus by Occasion November 14, 1953
United States
Dinner given to King and Queen of Greece
June 17, 1954
United States
Lunch with the Emperor of Ethiopia, Ambassador Hotel, Los Angeles, California
April 27, 1956
England
Soviet Leaders Luncheon aboard the Train to Portsmouth
March 17, 1959
United States
St. Patrick’s Day Banquet, The White House, Washington, DC
April 5, 1960
United States
State Dinner, The White House, Washington, DC
November 13, 1961
United States
Dinner with Pablo Casals, The White House, Washington, DC
August 3, 1969
Romania
July 7, 1976
United States
February 25, 1983
England
May 30, 1988
Russia
February 24, 1999
United States
Luncheon Given by President Richard M. Nixon, Romanian State Guest House, Bucharest Bicentennial Dinner, The White House, Washington, DC Dinner with the British Prime Minister, No. 10, Downing St., London State Dinner, Hall of Facets, the Kremlin, Soviet Union State Dinner, The White House, Washington, DC
Holiday/Feast Day Meal January 6, 1552
England
January 1, 1828
Egypt
April 23, 1864
England
Twelfth Day Dinner and Supper in a Tudor Household, Ingatestone Hall, Essex New Year’s Day Meal, Kosseir Shakespeare Tercentenary Banquet, Stratfordupon-Avon
November 26, 1868
United States
December 25, 1899
England
Queen Victoria’s Christmas Dinner
Antarctica
Midwinter Dinner, Winter Quarters, Commonwealth Bay, Adelie Land
June 22, 1912 November 23, 1967
Vietnam
Thanksgiving on the Plains, Camp Supply, Oklahoma
Thanksgiving Day Dinner aboard YRBM 16, Ben Tre
Hotel and Restaurant Fare February 3, 1796
France
February 15, 1823
United States
Postrevolutionary Meal, Havre de Grace Exotic Menu for New York Epicures, The Bank Coffee House, New York
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List of Menus by Occasion October 10, 1838
United States
International Lunch Menu, International Casino, Times Square, New York
February 27, 1847
United States
Dinner at a ‘‘Gentlemen’s Ordinary,’’ Brown’s Hotel, Washington, DC
October 1, 1854
United States
Dinner in Utopia, Red Bank, Monmouth County, New Jersey
March 16, 1858
United States
Bill of Fare, Virginia Hotel, St. Louis
June 1, 1860
United States
Willard Hotel Bill of Fare, Washington, DC
December 8, 1860
United States
December 29, 1878
France
Fashionable Hotel Dinner, Fifth Avenue Hotel, New York Sunday Lunch in Paris, Le Grand Hoˆtel, Paris
December 24, 1885
Scotland
Englishmen’s Dinner, Queen’s Hotel, Dundee
France
Eight-Franc Dinner, Grand Hotel, Boulevarde des Capucins, Paris
May 11, 1887 October 17, 1888
United States
Hotel Supper, New Denison Hotel, Indianapolis, Indiana
May 29, 1892
United States
Sunday Dinner, Hotel Emery, Cincinnati, Ohio
November 19, 1892
United States
Annual Game Dinner, Grand Pacific Hotel, Chicago, Illinois
March 22, 1899
England
July 23, 1906 April 25, 1907
United States Japan
Fine Dining Experience, Verrey’s Restaurant, Regent Street, London Luncheon after the Fire, Hotel St. Francis, San Francisco, California Japanese Tiffin, Fujiya Hotel, Miyanoshita
September 25, 1907
Austria
Hotel Dinner, Hoˆtel Hochschneeberg, Schneeberg
December 26, 1907
England
Elegant Dinner, Empire Hotel, Bath
June 27, 1908
Scotland
Breakfast at Central Station Hotel, Glasgow
August 25, 1911
Canada
Hotel Dinner, Grand Hotel, Yarmouth, Nova Scotia
August 19, 1912
England
Hotel Breakfast, Exchange Station Hotel, Liverpool
November 7, 1919
Japan
Dinner by Numbers, Grand Hotel, Yokohama
November 11, 1919
United States
Staff Meals, Hotel Pennsylvania, New York
December 27, 1920
United States
Blackhawk Restaurant, Chicago
List of Menus by Occasion April 1, 1931
Mexico
One-Dollar Lunch, Hotel Agua Caliente, Tijuana
December 6, 1933
United States
Repeal Dinner, Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, New York
June 21, 1937 February 20, 1943 December 13, 1943 May 8, 1945 July 20, 1952
Indonesia
Dinner with Amelia Earhart, Hotel Grand Preanger, Bandung (Bandoeng), Batavia
United States
Wartime Luncheon, Stork Club, New York
India
Catering Menu, Calcutta
England
VE Day Dinner, Simpson’s-in-the-Strand, London
Japan
International Meal, Imperial Hotel, Tokyo
August 23, 1956
United States
Luncheon Specials of the Day, MGM Studios, Culver City, California
October 18, 1959
United States
Snacking at the Siesta Drive-In Movie Theater, Sarasota, Florida
September 11, 1919
Airship R.33
Day’s Meals aboard an Airship, R.33, En Route from Norfolk, England, to Amsterdam
October 3, 1953
KLM Flight
Dinner on the Inaugural Flight, Super Constellation, KLM Airlines
In-Flight Meal
April 12, 1961 July 21, 1969 January 21, 1976
Space
First Meal in Space, Vostok 1
Moon
Dining in Space
Concorde
Luncheon En Route from London to Bahrain during the Inaugural Flight of the Concorde
England
Queen’s Guard Dinner, St. James’ Palace, London
Military Meal March 23, 1855 April 18, 1861
United States
Confederate Soldier’s Dinner, Army Camp, near Pensacola, Florida
March 21, 1871
New Zealand
Dinner for the Rifle Volunteers, Auckland
October 25, 1882
England
Dinner for the Royal Horse Guards, Town Hall, Holborn, London
March 4, 1894
United States
Irish Revolutionary Veterans Dinner, Central Opera House, East Sixty-Seventh Street, New York
March 7, 1895
United States
Dinner for the New York Association of Union Prisoners, Murray Hill Lyceum, New York City
March 5, 1900
Australia
Dinner for the Bushmen’s Corps, Adelaide
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List of Menus by Occasion Outdoor Meal August 26, 1825
Switzerland
September 21, 1842
United States
August 7, 1853
Canada
Dinner in a Wigwam, Burnt Church Point, Miramichi Bay, New Brunswick
August 27, 1855
Crimea
‘‘Great Martial Banquet Alfresco,’’ Scutari
Switzerland
Dinner on the Mountain, The Aletschhorn
November 26, 1868
United States
Thanksgiving on the Plains, Camp Supply, Oklahoma
September 26, 1871
United States
Dinner Out Hunting with Buffalo Bill, near Fort McPherson, Nebraska
June 11, 1939
United States
Picnic for the English Royals, ‘‘Springwood,’’ Hyde Park, New York
July 17, 1859
Breakfast and Dinner on Mont Blanc Daily Diet of the ‘‘American Pedestrian,’’ Cambridge Park Trotting Course, Boston
Personal/Family Celebration May 28, 1368
Italy
Wedding Feast, Milan
June 4, 1469
Italy
Medici Wedding Feast, Palazzo Medici, Florence
January 2, 1682
England
Christening Feast, Cockley Cley, Norfolk
June 6, 1699
England
Wedding Supper
May 21, 1753
England
A Wedding Feast, Bishopwearmouth, Durham
April 19, 1770
Wales
Coming-of-Age Party, Wynnstay Hall, Denbighshire
July 22, 1896
England
Royal Wedding Breakfast, Buckingham Palace, London
April 26, 1923
England
Royal Wedding Breakfast, Buckingham Palace, London
May 1, 1967
United States
July 29, 1981
England
Elvis Presley’s Wedding, Aladdin Hotel, Las Vegas Royal Wedding Breakfast for Prince Charles and Lady Diana, Buckingham Palace, London, England
President/Prime Minister Meal February 6, 1802
United States
Dinner with President Thomas Jefferson, The White House, Washington, DC
March 6, 1865
United States
Abraham Lincoln’s Inauguration Ball, Patent Office, Washington, DC
July 2, 1906 April 22, 1914
Peru France
Peruvian Presidential Dinner, Lima State Dinner for King George V and Queen Mary, British Embassy, Paris
List of Menus by Occasion January 20, 1919
France
Luncheon in Honor of U.S. President Woodrow Wilson, Luxembourg Palace, Paris
July 18, 1921
Mexico
Picnic for the Mexican President, San Luis Potosi, Mexico
May 14, 1933
United States
President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Daily Fare, The White House, Washington, DC
January 8, 1936
United States
Jackson Day Dinner, Mayflower Hotel, Washington, DC
June 11, 1939
United States
Picnic for the English Royals, ‘‘Springwood,’’ Hyde Park, New York
October 9, 1947
United States
Eggless, Poultryless Meals for President Harry S. Truman, The White House, Washington, DC
April 10, 1948
United States
Dinner for President Harry S. Truman, The Gridiron Club, Hotel Statler, Washington, DC Dinner to Honor President Juan Pero´n, Alvear Palace Hotel, Buenos Aires, Argentina
December 18, 1948 April 27, 1956
Argentina England
Soviet Leaders Luncheon aboard the Train to Portsmouth
March 17, 1959
United States
St. Patrick’s Day Banquet, The White House, Washington, DC
April 5, 1960
United States
State Dinner, The White House, Washington, DC
November 13, 1961
United States
Dinner with Pablo Casals, The White House, Washington, DC
August 3, 1969
Romania
October 14, 1971
Iran
Luncheon Given by President Richard M. Nixon, Romanian State Guest House, Bucharest Banquet to Celebrate the Persian Empire, Persepolis
April 15, 1973
United States
Week’s Menu for the First Family, The White House, Washington, DC
July 7, 1976
United States
Bicentennial Dinner, The White House, Washington, DC
February 25, 1983
England
Dinner with the British Prime Minister, No. 10, Downing St., London
February 24, 1999
United States
State Dinner, The White House, Washington, DC
United States
Meals in the Pullman Dining Car, in the Funeral Train of President William McKinley
Railway Meal September 18, 1901 May 31, 1925 March 15, 1933
France United States
French President Lunches aboard a Luxury Train Breakfast on the ‘‘42nd Street Special,’’ Chicago to Los Angeles by Rail
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List of Menus by Occasion Religious Occasion February 23, 1421
England
Coronation Feast of Queen Catherine, Westminster Hall, London
December 4, 1424
England
Funeral Feast of the Bishop of Bath and Wells, Bishop’s Palace, Wells, Somerset
September 16, 1425
England
Induction Feast of the Bishop of Bath and Wells, The Bishop’s Palace, Wells, Somerset
September 22, 1465
England
Installation Feast of the Archbishop of York, Cawood Castle, York
March 9, 1504
England
Inthronization Feast of the Archbishop of Canterbury, The Archbishop’s Palace, Canterbury
April 4, 1828
France
Good Friday Dinner, Tuileries, Paris
September 3, 1858
Ireland
Cardinal’s ‘‘Fast,’’ Dundalk
July 11, 1883
United States
May 4, 1907
England
September 28, 1929
SS Majestic
‘‘Menu for Jews’’ aboard the SS Majestic
England
Good Friday Wartime Lunch, Barrow-inFurness, Cumbria
September 23, 1387
England
Feast for King Richard II, Durham House, London
October 13, 1399
England
Coronation Feast of King Henry IV, Great Hall of Westminster, London
February 23, 1421
England
Coronation Feast of Queen Catherine, Westminster Hall, London
November 6, 1429
England
Coronation Feast of King Henry VI, Great Hall of Westminster, London
February 16, 1476
Italy
Banquet to Honor Neopolitan Princes, Florence
July 6, 1483
England
April 11, 1941
Trefa Banquet, Highland House, Cincinnati, Ohio Kosher Banquet, London
Royal Meal
June 19, 1549
France
Coronation Feast of King Richard III, Westminster Hall, London Banquet for Queen Catherine, Bishop’s Palace, Paris
November 20, 1576
England
Dining with Queen Elizabeth I
August 18, 1617
England
King James I’s Breakfast, Hoghton Tower, Preston, Lancashire
August 9, 1652
France
Dinner to Honor the Prince de Conde
List of Menus by Occasion September 5, 1687 March 28, 1690
England France
January 28, 1698
England
February 18, 1749
France
September 29, 1757
France
August 5, 1786
Germany
October 23, 1787
France
July 24, 1788
France
Ambigu for King James II, Bodley Library, Oxford University, Oxford Dinner for the Duke of Orle´ans Peter the Great Dines at The King’s Arms, Godalming, Surrey ˆteau de la Muette, French Royal Supper, Cha Paris ˆteau de Choisy Supper with the King, Cha Frederick the Great’s Dinner, Sans Souci, Potsdam ˆteau ‘‘Thousand and One Nights’’ Dinner, Cha de Bellevue Dining with Marie-Antoinette, Le Petit Trianon, Versailles
March 2, 1788
Germany
April 13, 1811
France
Dinner for the Bonapartes, Tuileries Palace, Paris
January 18, 1817
England
Prince Regent of England Entertains the Archduke of Russia, Royal Pavilion, Brighton
July 19, 1821
England
Coronation Banquet of King George IV, Westminster Hall, London
August 24, 1821
Scotland
King George IV’s Visit to Scotland, Great Hall of Parliament House, Edinburgh
July 31, 1826
France
Prince Ernest’s Dinner
King’s Dinner
June 30, 1841
England
Her Majesty’s Dinner, Buckingham Palace, London
July 3, 1846
England
Dinner for Ottoman Visitors, Reform Club, London
July 9, 1851
England
Midnight Supper with Queen Victoria, Guildhall, London
November 27, 1866
France
Dinner at the Court of Napoleon III, Paris
June 7, 1867
France
Dinner of the Three Emperors, Cafe´ Anglais, Paris
July 1, 1868
Turkey
Ottoman Sultan Entertains the French Prince, Constantinople (Istanbul)
July 25, 1873
Italy
June 13, 1885 January 29, 1889
Dinner for the Shah of Persia, Royal Palace, Turin
Germany
King Ludwig’s Dinner, Hunting Lodge, the Tirol
Austria
Last Meal of the Crown Prince of Austria, Royal Hunting Lodge, Mayerling
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List of Menus by Occasion May 26, 1893
United States
July 22, 1896
England
Royal and Plebeian Supper, Madison Square Garden, New York Royal Wedding Breakfast, Buckingham Palace, London
May 15, 1896
Russia
Coronation Banquet for Nicholas II, Kremlin
July 26, 1897
Maha-Chakri
Lunch aboard the Royal Yacht Maha-Chakri, Copenhagen
August 6, 1898
Italy
King’s Lunch, Royal Palace, Milan
December 25, 1899
England
Queen Victoria’s Christmas Dinner
March 26, 1901
HMS Ophir
May 27, 1908
France
April 9, 1909
Germany
Grand Dinner Given by the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall aboard HMS Ophir, Malta Dinner for the Norwegian Royals, Elyse´e Palace, Paris Emperor Wilhelm’s Lunch, Royal Palace, Berlin
March 18, 1902
Spain
Dinner for the New King, Alfonso XIII, Royal Palace, Madrid
April 22, 1914
France
State Dinner for King George V and Queen Mary, British Embassy, Paris
December 30, 1916
Hungary
Coronation Banquet for the Last Ruler of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Budapest
April 26, 1923
England
Royal Wedding Breakfast, Buckingham Palace, London
June 15, 1933
England
Royal Luncheon, Ascot Racecourse, Ascot, Berkshire
December 12, 1936
France
November 21, 1938
France
Dinner for the Duke of Windsor aboard the Zurich Express ˆteau Lunch with the King of Romania, Cha Rambouillet
May 17, 1939
Canada
English Royals Dine in Canada, Chateau Frontenac, Quebec
June 11, 1939
United States
Picnic for the English Royals, ‘‘Springwood,’’ Hyde Park, New York
February 17, 1947
South Africa
British Royals Dine at Mount Nelson Hotel, Capetown
October 11, 1951
Canada
Dinner for Princess Elizabeth, Ottowa
June 2, 1953
England
Coronation Dinner, Westminster Abbey, London
November 14, 1953
United States
Dinner given to King and Queen of Greece
October 14, 1971
Iran
Banquet to Celebrate the Persian Empire, Persepolis
List of Menus by Occasion July 29, 1981
March 3, 1997
England
Royal Wedding Breakfast for Prince Charles and Lady Diana, Buckingham Palace, London, England
HMY Britannia Final Voyage of the HMY Britannia, Karachi
School/Hospital/Prison Meal September 13, 1619
England
Dinner Celebrating the Founding of Dulwich College, Camberwell, Surrey
November 4, 1829
England
Common Hospital Diet, Devon and Exeter Hospital
August 12, 1835
England
Daily Meals in the Poorhouse, Fishlake, Yorkshire
November 2, 1847
United States
Dinner with Emily Dickinson, Mount Holyoke Female Seminary, South Hadley, Massachusetts
May 2, 1900
United States
Dinner at the Sanitarium, Battle Creek, Michigan
January 14, 1901
England
Mallard Night Feast, All Souls’ College, Oxford
May 19, 1911
United States
Prison Menu for a Week, Indiana State Prison
December 14, 1920
United States
Hospital Fare, St. Luke’s Hospital, Chicago, Illinois
September 24, 1928
United States
Prison Dinner, Leavenworth State Penitentiary, Kansas
Shipboard Meal July 10, 1675 HMS Assistance Officers’ Dinner at Sea, HMS Assistance, near Gibraltar March 25, 1842 August 29, 1844
United States
Charles Dickens Eats aboard an American Canal Boat
SS Great Western Daily Bill of Fare aboard the SS Great Western
November 24, 1847
Steamer Clyde
Dining aboard a West India Steamer, SS Clyde, Barbados
March 12, 1853
Robert F. Ward
Antebellum Riverboat Menu, Robert F. Ward, Mississippi River
November 5, 1855 June 3, 1856
Clipper Ringleader
Dinner aboard a Clipper Ship Ringleader
Champion of the Meal aboard a Clipper Ship En Route to Seas Melbourne, Australia
January 7, 1866
SS New York
Dinner aboard Steamship SS New York
May 6, 1875
SS Prussian
Breakfast at Sea, SS Prussian
lxxxiii
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List of Menus by Occasion October 5, 1894
United States
Druggists’ Luncheon, Steamboat Sandy Hook, New York
November 3, 1896
RMS Miowera
‘‘All-Red Route’’ Luncheon aboard the RMS Miowera
July 26, 1897
Maha-Chakri
Lunch aboard the Royal Yacht Maha-Chakri, Copenhagen
July 16, 1900
SS Lahn
March 26, 1901 August 28, 1905 August 10, 1907
HMS Ophir
Dinner at Sea, SS Lahn Grand Dinner Given by the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall aboard HMS Ophir, Malta
SS Ko¨nigin Luise Lunch at Sea, SS Ko¨nigin Luise SS Zeeland
September 9, 1907
RMS Lusitania
July 27, 1908
SS Colon
Dinner aboard an Immigrant Ship, SS Zeeland Maiden Voyage Dinner aboard the RMS Lusitania Lunch En Route to the Canal Zone aboard the SS Colon
August 31, 1910
RMS Saxonia
Second Cabin Tea aboard RMS Saxonia
April 2, 1912
RMS Titanic
First Dinner, RMS Titanic
July 15, 1913
USMS Philadelphia
Dinner aboard a U.S. Mail Ship, USMS Philadelphia
August 11, 1916
SS Megantic
Luncheon aboard a World War I Troop Ship, SS Megantic, En Route from Alexandria, Egypt, to Marseilles
August 4, 1920
SS Imperator
Dinner aboard the Pride of the Fleet, RMS Imperator
April 28, 1921 March 14, 1922 June 29, 1924 November 25, 1928
RMS Aquitania Lunch at Sea, RMS Aquitania SS Prince Rupert Dinner at Sea, SS Prince Rupert RMS Saxonia
Cornell Students Dine aboard RMS Saxonia
SS Port Victoria’’ Menu for the Indisposed aboard the SS Fort Victoria
March 10, 1928
SS New york
Dinner at Sea, SS New York
March 13, 1928
SS Majestic
Dinner at Sea, Tourist Class RMS Majestic
SS Abangarez
Dinner for Peace and Goodwill Mission, SS Abangarez, Puerto Barrios, Guatemala
April 8, 1929 September 28, 1929
SS Majestic
‘‘Menu for Jews’’ aboard the SS Majestic
August 8, 1932
Chojo Maru
Breakfast aboard a Japanese Ship, MS Chojo Maru
List of Menus by Occasion July 8, 1936
SS Hamburg
Breakfast at Sea, SS Hamburg
March 29, 1937
RMS Orontes
Luncheon Crossing the Equator, SS Orontes
June 10, 1939 May 7, 1940
SS Lurline
Luncheon at Sea, SS Lurline
HT Queen Mary Officers’ Luncheon, HT Queen Mary
August 15, 1945
SS Matsonia
Victory Dinner aboard the SS Matsonia
September 2, 1947
TSS Kedmah
Dinner aboard the First ‘‘Hebrew’’ Ship, TSS Kedmah
March 24, 1953
RMS Queen Elizabeth
September 12, 1957
SS Strathaird
October 12, 1962
SS America
Columbus Day Dinner aboard the SS America
QE II
Lunch En Route to the Falkland Islands, RMS Queen Elizabeth 2
May 12, 1982 March 3, 1997
Breakfast at Sea RMS Queen Elizabeth Children’s Meals aboard the SS Strathaird
HMY Britannia Final Voyage of the HMY Britannia, Karachi
Social Event June 4, 1469
Italy
November 1, 1624
England
August 9, 1652 September 6, 1663 April 19, 1770
France Morocco Wales
Medici Wedding Feast, Palazzo Medici, Florence All Hallow’s Day Dinner, New College, Oxford Dinner to Honor the Prince de Conde Dinner with the Moors Coming-of-Age Party, Wynnstay Hall, Denbighshire
December 3, 1782
England
October 21, 1787
France
All-Potato Dinner Les Invalides, Paris
November 28, 1809
France
Gourmet’s Dinner, Rocher de Cancale, Rue Montorgeuil, Paris
November 10, 1828
England
Lord Mayor’s Dinner, Guildhall
June 28, 1838
England
Coronation Dinner for the Poor, St. Martin-inthe-Fields, London
May 22, 1901
United States
Tithe-Audit Dinner, Weston Longville, Norfolk
Seafood Feast, Squantum Club, East Providence, Rhode Island
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List of Menus by Occasion April 24, 1913 March 30, 1851
United States Egypt
Opening Banquet Woolworth Building, Broadway, New York Dinner in a Harem, Thebes
May 18, 1853
England
American Banquet in England, Star and Garter, Richmond
July 5, 1856
United States
Firemen’s Dinner, American Exchange Hotel, San Francisco, California
February 7, 1860
United States
Mormon Ball, Social Hall, Salt Lake City, Utah
April 7, 1865
United States
Cooking Class Dinner, Cooking Academy, Fourth Avenue, New York
October 26, 1867
France
French Exhibition Banquet, Hotel du Louvre, Paris
December 19, 1867
England
Horsemeat Banquet, London
October 6, 1876
United States
Remarkable Fish Banquet, Lafayette Restaurant, Centennial Grounds, Philadelphia
December 17, 1877
United States
Whittier Banquet, Hotel Brunswick, Boston, Massachusetts
February 28, 1886
Panama
Banquet in Honor of Ferdinand de Lesseps
June 9, 1890
Scotland
Banquet for Henry Morton Stanley, Waterloo Rooms, Edinburgh
September 10, 1891
United States
Fat Men’s Club Clambake, Power’s Hotel, Dorlon’s Point, South Norwalk, Connecticut
November 19, 1892
United States
Annual Game Dinner, Grand Pacific Hotel, Chicago, Illinois
June 12, 1893
England
After-Concert Dinner, King’s College, Cambridge University, Cambridge
December 7, 1894
United States
Dinner with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Aldine Club, 75 Fifth Avenue, New York
April 16, 1897
United States
Testimonial Banquet for Boxer Robert Fitzsimmons, Hotel Bartholdi, New York
November 29, 1897
United States
Double Thanksgiving, Maison Tortoni, Seattle, Washington
October 15, 1898
France
Banquet for the Commissioner General, Hotel Continental, Paris
February 11, 1899
United States
‘‘Gotham’s Costliest Banquet,’’ Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, New York
May 23, 1899
United States
Harriman Expedition Dinner, En Route to Seattle, Washington
July 4, 1899
United States
Independence Day Dinner, Park House, Mt. Clemens, Michigan
List of Menus by Occasion February 14, 1901
United States
Valentine’s Day Dinner, Sherry’s, New York
December 10, 1901
Sweden
First Nobel Prize Banquet, Hall of Mirrors, Grand Hotel, Stockholm
June 26, 1902
England
British Empire Breakfast, North Pole, Dartford, London
June 23, 1908
United States
Yale Reunion Dinner, Bishop’s Colonnade, Savin Rock, West Haven, Connecticut
October 16, 1912
Canada
Tribute Dinner for a Cow, Red Deer, Alberta
October 31, 1913
England
Dinner for the Palace Workmen, King’s Hall Restaurant, Holborn, London Dinner for the American Ambulance, Lyce´e Pasteur, Neuilly-sur-Seine
July 14, 1916
France
June 20, 1919
England
Dinner for the Transatlantic Air-Race Winners, Savoy Hotel, London
December 21, 1911
England
‘‘Pease and Pork Dinner,’’ Livery House, Bristol
December 28, 1919
Canada
Queen Victoria Diamond Jubilee Ball, Toronto City Armouries, Toronto
October 19, 1927
United States
May 24, 1933
England
Testimonial Dinner for Charles Lindbergh, Hotel Chelsea, Atlantic City, New Jersey Empire Day Luncheon, Junior Carlton Club, London
November 15, 1936
United States
Gilbert and Sullivan Dinner, Park Central Hotel, New York
July 30, 1938
United States
Banquet Honoring Howard Hughes, Rice Hotel, Houston, Texas
October 20, 1944 March 27, 1957
England
Dinner with the British Secret Service, Claridge’s Hotel, London
France
Gay Rugby Dinner, Hotel Lutetia, Paris
May 20, 1992
United States
Banquet of Insects, Explorer’s Club, New York
June 16, 1999
South Africa
A Banquet to Nelson Mandela, Pretoria
Vegetarian Meal July 28, 1848
England
September 8, 1853
United States
Temperance Banquet, Metropolitan Hall, New York
France
Banquet of the French Vegetarian Society, Rue St. Honore´, Paris
April 21, 1881
First Annual Dinner of the First Vegetarian Society of England, Manchester
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lxxxviii List of Menus by Occasion February 5, 1895
United States
Debut Dinner at the New York Vegetarian Society’s Vegetarian Restaurant No. 1, New York
June 18, 1903
United States
‘‘Uncooked Banquet’’ Hotel Hygeia, New York
August 17, 1934
United States
Henry Ford’s ‘‘All Soy’’ Dinner, Century of Progress International Exposition, Chicago, Illinois
January January 1 New Year’s Day Meal Kosseir, Egypt, 1828 When Englishman Charles Lushington’s term of office as secretary to the government of Bengal ended in 1827, he and his wife Sarah decided to return to England via Egypt rather than face the monotonous and notoriously rough sea passage around the Cape of Good Hope. The largely overland trip was itself no insignificant undertaking in those days, especially for a refined and elegant woman, and ‘‘Mrs. Charles Lushington’’ later published an account of her adventure. The couple was joined in Bombay (Mumbai) by Mountstuart Elphinstone, the Scots-born governor of Bombay, who was also returning ‘‘home.’’ At the Red Sea port of Cosseir (Kosseir) the party was obliged to wait until sufficient camels and donkeys could be procured for their journey across the desert. It was New Year’s Day, and Mrs. Lushington noted that ‘‘Anniversaries passed in strange countries, and at long distance from home, are generally celebrated by travelers with extraordinary zest and cordiality.’’ She then described their own particular celebration of this day: . . . behold our party, consisting of ten persons sitting in a comfortable tent lined with yellow baize, and cheerfully lighted up: a clean tablecloth, and the following bill of fare: roast turkey, ham, fowls, mutton in various shapes, curry, rice, and potatoes, damson tart, and a pudding; Madeira, claret, sherry, port, and Hodgson’s beer. For the dessert, Lemann’s biscuits, almonds and raisins, water-melons, pumplenose (or shaddock), and a plumcake as a finale. . . . What astonished me was the ease with which the whole arrangement of our meals was conducted: however, I believe this was principally to be attributed to the skilful superintendence of Mr. Elphinstone’s head servant, Antonio. . . . The cook, dining-tent, and apparatus, were sent forward early in the morning, before we started ourselves; and at six in the evening, our dinner was ready.
Expatriates in strange and distant places have two alternatives: to embrace the novelty of the food in their new land, or cling to the nostalgic food of ‘‘home.’’ Often, by virtue of necessity, their meals end up a blend of both, and this bill of fare is no exception. The fresh meat (turkey, fowl, and mutton) and fruit must have been sourced locally, and although damsons would have been very familiar to the English, they originated in the Middle East. Damsons are a type of plum—the name comes from ‘‘plum of Damascus,’’
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January 1
New Year’s Day Meal
which is were they are believed to have originated. The shaddock (an ancestor of the grapefruit) originated in Malaysia and the watermelon in South Africa, but they clearly adapted well to the climate in Egypt. Some of the food was making a return trip to Britain. Lehmanns’s biscuits were the first biscuits produced commercially on a wide scale in the late eighteenth century and were specifically advertised for ‘‘Travellers on the Continent.’’ The beer is even more interesting. Hodgson’s beer was ‘‘the beer in almost universal use’’ in India. It was a seasonal, October-brewed pale ale rather than a true beer, and it is said that the temperature changes and movement of the barrels on the voyage to India wreaked a particular change, ripening it to a far greater maturity than beer cool-cellared in England. Recipes ~~~ The ‘‘curry’’ on this menu demonstrates that more than simple substitution of ingredients occurs when people move between cultures. ‘‘Curry’’ is a British rather than an Indian concept. The long period of British colonial rule in India resulted in a blended Anglo-Indian cuisine that is sufficiently distinctive to be worthy of consideration in its own right. In India there is an almost infinite variety of ‘‘curries,’’ each individually spiced (and named), but most early non-Indian cookbooks simply specified generic ‘‘curry powder.’’ The following recipe, from the same era as Mrs. Lushington’s dinner, is an exception as the dish is not called ‘‘chicken curry’’ as it would be in a less authentic cook book, and the spices are listed separately rather than a pre-prepared curry powder mix being used. Fried Fowl of Muhammed Shah Take Rice, 1/2 ser (l lb. avoir.) Meat gravy, 1 ser (2 lb.) A fowl Butter, 1/2 ser (1 lb.) Cream, 1/4 ser (1/2 lb.) Milk, 1/4 ser (1/2 lb.) Boiled milk, 1/4 ser (1/2 lb.) Almonds, 1/4 ser (1/2 lb.) Aniseed (or wild onion), 2 masha Salt, 1 chittank (2 oz.) Cardamums, 4 masha, (1 1/2 drachms) Cloves, 2 masha (1 1/4 drachms) Cinnamon, 2 masha (1 1/4 ditto) Raw ginger, 1 chittank (2 oz.) Lime, 1 chittank (2 oz.) Dry coriander, 4 masha (2 1/2 drachms.) First clean the fowl, and pierce it with the point of the knife; then having ground half the weight of the ginger and salt together, rub it into the fowl; put the
January 2
Christening Feast
butter into the pot, and place it on the fire; and having mixed the curdled milk with the fowl, throw it into the pot with the butter, and dress it with a slow fire. When it is well browned, throw in a quarter of a pound of water, and take it off the fire. The cream and the milk and the ground almonds, strain through a cloth, and put them into the pot: add lemon. Then having taken about two pounds of flesh, washed and cleaned, and put it into a pot of proper size, boil it. When four pounds of water are reduced to two, take it off, strain and boil the rice in the meat gravy and sprinkle it with salt: then take it off, and having strained it, throw the rice into the pot containing the fowl; and having put in aniseed, cinnamon, cloves, and cardamums, close the mouth of the pot with flour, and replace it on the trivet and cook it with a gentle fire. When the steam rises, having taken it down, put it on a charcoal fire and place some of the coals round it, and after twenty-four minutes, open the mouth of the pot and serve it up. ‘‘Indian Cookery as Practiced By and Described By the Natives of the East,’’ in Miscellaneous Translations from Oriental Languages, trans. Sandford Arnot (London: Oriental Translation Fund, 1831).
Mince Pie: see January 9. A Conversion Chart: Indian and Imperial Measurements: A table of the relative value of the weights used, according to the best authorities, is subjoined. lb.
oz.
drs.
Drops
A Ser
=
2
0
13
13.648
Avoirdupois
A Pa ¯’o
=
0
8
3
7.888
do.
A Chattank
=
0
2
0
14.208
do.
A Ma ¯sha
=
0
0
0
10.5129
do.
A Da ¯m
=
0
0
0
2.6282
do.
A Ratti
=
0
0
0
1.3141
do.
London Oriental Institution, June 13, 1831.
January 2 Christening Feast Cockley Cley, Norfolk, England, 1682 There were two simultaneous feasts on the joyous occasion of the christening of Rector William Constable’s child in the small village of Cockley Cley in Norfolk in 1682. His parishioners were treated to ‘‘rost an boil’d bief, geese, and turkeys’’ at another house in the village, while his personal guests sat down to an even more impressive feast at the rectory. 1. A whole hog’s head, souc’d, with carrotts in the mouth and pendants in the ears, with guilded oranges thick sett.
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January 2
Christening Feast
2. 2 ox’s cheekes stewed, with 6 marrow bones. 3. A leg of veal larded, with 6 pullets. 4. A leg of mutton, with 6 rabbits. 5. A chine of bief, chine of venison, chine of mutton, chine of veal, chine of pork, supported by 4 men. 6. A venison pasty. 7. A great minced pye, with 12 small ones about it. 8. A gelt fat turkey, with 6 capons. 9. A bustard, with 6 pluver. 10. A pheasant, with 6 woodcocks. 11. A great dish of tarts made all of sweetmeats. 12. A Westphalia hamm, with 6 tongues. 13. A jowle of sturgeon. 14. A great chargr of all sorts of sweetmeats, with wine and all sorts of liquors answerable.
This was without doubt a spectacular and extravagant celebration, particularly since it took place in the depths of winter in an era when almost all stock not required for breeding were slaughtered in November. It is not known how many sat down to this feast, but there was a great amount of food. Four men were required to carry the great roasts, presumably on some sort of huge board. Each individual joint of meat was massive—a chine consists of the whole of the spine of the animal, with the meat on each side (so it the same as a ‘‘saddle’’ or double sirloin), and a venison pasty at that time was a huge affair which might contain a whole haunch of the animal. No expense seems to have been spared: oranges were an imported luxury, and the sugar (required for the large amount of sweetmeats) was very costly at the time. It was expected that guests at family celebrations would take away many of the ‘‘sugar, biskets, compacts, and caraways, marmalet, and marchpane (marzipan), with all kind of sweet suckers and superfluous banquetting stuff, with a hundred other odd and needless trifles’’ that were supplied at the feast. Life was much more fragile in the seventeenth century, and every successful milestone was worthy of celebration. A successful lying-in (confinement) meant relieved and grateful friends and family, and ‘‘groaning cake’’ and ‘‘groaning cheese’’ (‘‘groaning’’ being the very apt term for childbirth) were offered to visitors of the mother and child. Survival of the infant for the week or so to baptism (infant mortality was 17–25 percent in seventeenth-century England) was another reason for thanksgiving, and a Christening feast, or at least a Christening Cake. After a varying interval, the mother was ‘‘churched’’ or officially accepted back into the Church in a ceremony that had its roots in the ancient purification rites (parturient women were considered spiritually ‘‘unclean’’), and a Churching Feast might follow. Tragically, the little girl child who was received into the family and the church with so much fanfare on this day on 1682 died soon afterwards, and
January 3
Luxurious Dinner for the King’s Officers
the christening was quickly followed with a funeral of much more modest cost—expenses came to 6 pence. Recipes ~~~ In the days before canning and refrigeration, the only ways of preserving food were by drying, salting, pickling, or enclosing in a very thick, hard airtight pastry case. As long as the pastry did not crack or get damp, the contents would keep well—some old recipes even state that such pies would keep ‘‘a twelvemonth.’’
How to Season and Bake a Pasty of Venison When you have ordered your side or haunch of Venison by taking out the bones and sinews and the skin on the fat, season it with pepper and salt only, beat it with your rolling pin, and proportion it for your pasty, by taking away from one part, and adding to another; your paste being made with a peck of fine flower, and about four pound of butter, and a dozen eggs, work it up with cold water into as stiff a paste as you can; drive it forth for your pasty, let it be as thick as a man’s thumb, roll it upon a rolling pin, and put under it a couple of sheets of Cap-paper well flowred; then your white [fat] already being minced and beaten with water, proportion it upon your pasty, to the length and breadth of your Venison; so lay on your Venison on your said white, wash it round with your feathers, and put on a border: season your Venison at the top, and turn over your other leaf of past, so close your pasty; then drive out another border for the garnishing the sides up to the top of the pasty; so close it up together with your rolling pin, by rolling it up and down the sides and ends: and when you have flourisht your garnishing, and edg’d your pasty, vent it at the top: and indore it with butter, set it into the oven, it will ask five or six hours baking, according it may be; when it is enough, draw it, and put it on your pasty plate. William Rabisha, The Whole Body of Cookery Dissected (London, 1682).
January 3 Luxurious Dinner for the King’s Officers Boston, Massachusetts, 1774 Almost 50 years after the defining moment of the start of the American Revolutionary War—‘‘the shot heard ’round the world’’ from Lexington, Massachusetts (April 19, 1775)—a correspondent to the Boston Daily Advertiser in 1823 suggested that ‘‘one of the direct causes that excitement ripened into open resistance of the mother country, in this colony, was the luxurious mode of life of some of the King’s officers.’’ He gave as support for his argument a memorandum which he found in ‘‘an old diary of a maiden lady’’ of a dinner given to the officers on January 3, 1774, in Boston, a mere few weeks after the infamous Boston Tea Party (December 16, 1773).
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January 3
Luxurious Dinner for the King’s Officers
Boston Tea Party. Courtesy of the Library of Congress.
‘‘The fish was excellent, it was caught in cold weather on the Grand Bank—the beef uncommonly fine, came from Vermont, and was dressed by a cook, who had learned his art in France. The canvas back ducks were sent by a Provincial Commissioner, who had gone to the South, and were done to a turn—the venison came from Canada, and never was there better, or better done—and the beaver tail, dressed according to directions from an Indian Princess, came from Lake Ontario—the liquors were all good, and among them Corsica and Madeira, and Champagne wines; but these were, at length, neglected for the native Curracoa, which some of the Commissioners excelled in brewing.’’
The writer thought that the disappearance of such luxury was ‘‘among the blessed fruits of the revolution,’’ and that ‘‘the descendants of the Pilgrims in these days, though not ignorant of what are good things, delight to exhibit on their tables, among other plain good fare, the beans and hominy in which their forefathers delighted.’’ His patriotic sentiment is to be applauded, although it clearly obscured the evidence of banquet menus of his own time, which were very luxurious indeed. The luxurious lifestyle enjoyed by some was still in evidence in 1779, judging from a letter written from Philadelphia by General Nathaniel Greene (1742–1786) to General James Varnum (1748–1789): Luxury and dissipation is everywhere prevalent. When I was in Boston last Summer I thought luxury very predominant there: but they were no more to compare with than now prevailing in Philadelphia, than an Infant Babe to a full
January 4
Second Annual Dinner of the Toronto Board of Trade
grown Man. I dine’d at one table where there was a hundred and Sixty dishes: and at several others not far behind.
Recipes ~~~ The beef at this dinner would most likely have been simply roasted. ‘‘Roasting’’ refers to meat cooked on a spit directly over (or in front of) the fire. The term ‘‘roasting’’ is used now for meat cooked in the oven, but technically this is ‘‘baked,’’ not roasted. The following recipe for roasting beef comes from American Cookery by Amelia (‘‘An American Orphan’’). It was published in 1796 and was the first American cookbook by an American author (as distinct from an English cookbook republished in the colony). To Roast Beef The general rules are, to have a brisk hot fire, to be placed on a spit, to baste with salt and water, and one quarter of an hour to every pound of beef, tho’ tender beef will require less, while old tough beef will require more roasting; pricking with a fork will determine you whether done or not; rare done is the healthiest, and the taste of this age.
In June 1795, George Turner (ca. 1750–1843), an English-born American Revolutionary War officer from South Carolina, jurist, and judge in the Northwest Territory, wrote to George Washington. He sent Washington a gift of a Buffalo robe and some beaver tails and included this recipe with the letter. Canadian Recipe for Dressing Beaver’s Tails First boil the Tail till it becomes soft & then broil it upon a gridiron until the fat or oil of it exudes in every direction. After this spread over the whole a coat composed of fine crumbs of bread & parsley, chopped very fine. Again lay it upon the gridiron till it becomes brown and crisp. In this state serve it up with vinegar salt and pepper.
Canvas Back Duck: see December 17. January 4 Second Annual Dinner of the Toronto Board of Trade Horticultural Gardens, Toronto, Ontario, 1899 Although the Toronto Board of Trade was founded in 1845, it seems that it managed to avoid the annual dinner ritual for many decades. On the second occasion when the commercial and business leaders of the city did come together for a dinner, they sat down to a menu that would have held no surprises for guests used to formal dining. This was a standard civic dinner menu for the time. It could easily be transposed several decades either way, or to any other country with a British
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January 4
Second Annual Dinner of the Toronto Board of Trade MENU Oyster soup. *
Mayonnaise of Salmon.
Bread and Butter rolled.
Roast Young Turkey. Jellied Turkey.
Sugar cured Ham. Jellied Tongue. *
Roast Chicken.
Roast Duck.
Galantine of Jellied Veal.
Roast Lamb. * Spiced Beef.
Boar’s Head, stuffed. * Lobster Salad.
Chicken Salad.
Salmon Salad. *
Rolls.
Pickles.
Hot Potatoes.
Hot Tomatoes. * Madeira Jelly.
Champagne Jelly.
Italienne Creams.
Charlotte Russes.
Spanish Pies.
Macaroons.
Chocolate Creams. Filled Meringues. Fancy Cakes and Pastry.
* Strawberry, Vanilla and Lemon Ice Creams and Ices. * Celery. Cheese. Biscuits. Coffee. Lemonade. * Apples. Oranges. Grapes. Bananas. Pine apples. * Almonds. Raisins.
January 4
Second Annual Dinner of the Toronto Board of Trade
heritage, without anyone noticing. There are two surprises for us today: the first is that there is nothing obviously ‘‘Canadian’’ about the offerings. Even though the Dominion of Canada had been established in 1867, the cuisine remained firmly rooted in the British tradition (see March 19). The second is the presence of the boar’s head—a dish that would never be expected today, no matter what the occasion. Even at the end of the nineteenth century, it was becoming something of an anachronism but was no doubt presented at this dinner as a concession to the official Christmas season. The boar’s head is a richly symbolic dish with a long lineage. In medieval times it was presented with great fanfare at important feasts—held high on a platter for all to see, an apple in its jaws. The roots of the tradition go back to very ancient times in a number of cultures which revered, or feared, or held sacred the wild and fierce ruler of the forest. There was always a political agenda to great medieval feasts, and the boar’s head on a platter became a bit of theatrical propaganda, carrying a clear message to the guests that the feast-giver was the one with the power. Many Christmas traditions have pagan roots, partly because the early Church was pragmatic enough to see the value in absorbing and reassigning old traditions and making them its own. By the fourteenth century, the boar’s head had become particularly associated with Christmas—the head now representing the head of Satan, and the dish therefore symbolizing the church’s triumph over evil and paganism. Recipes ~~~ Oyster Soup One quart boiling water, one quart rich milk; stir in one teacupful rolled crackers, pepper and salt. When it comes to a boil, add one quart fresh oysters; stir all so as not to scorch; add a piece of sweet butter about the size of an egg; let it boil up once, and remove from the fire. Dish up and send to the table.
Chocolate Creams Two teacups of white sugar, one-half teacup of skim milk, one half-teacupful of chocolate. Boil the milk and sugar three minutes, briskly, then beat till stiff enough to roll into small balls, and set away to harden. Dissolve the chocolate in a bowl over steam, then drop into it the sugar balls, until well covered, and set to cool. Flavor the milk and sugar to the taste.
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January 5
Household of the Marquess of Tweeddale Mixed Pickles
Little cucumbers about two inches long, green tomatoes, ears of sweet corn about the size of the cucumbers, a dozen small white onions, some pods of string beans, and the tender pods of the radish, four or five green peppers and some bits of horse radish root; all of these soak overnight in a weak brine; drain through a colander and pack in a two-quart can and fill the can with boiling hot spiced vinegar. Gems of Fancy Cookery: A Collection of Reliable and Useful Household Recipes (Ontario, ca. 1890).
Charlotte Russe: see September 4. Macaroons: see February 17, November 15.
January 5 Household of the Marquess of Tweeddale Yester House, Gifford, East Lothian, Scotland, 1817 George, the eighth Marquess of Tweeddale (1787—1876), succeeded to his title at the age of 17. He continued to pursue his military career and did not return to live at the ancestral family home in the border country of southern Scotland until 1814. His settlement back into domestic life was complete in 1816 when he married Lady Susan Montagu, one of the daughters of the Duke of Manchester. The household manual kept by his steward survives to give us a marvellous insight into life on a great estate at the time. The steward’s job was to keep track of the household expenses, the supply and issuing of food, and the bills of fare served each day to the family, servants, visitors, and visitors’ servants. The details of the meals served each day were recorded on the right hand pages of the manual. There are no nursery meals noted on this day, for Lady Sarah had not yet borne the first of their 13 children. Family:
Servants:
Breast of Veal Sur loine of Beef Mutton Cuttelettes 1 phaisant 1 hare Boiled mutton Roast Beef
Yester House was a fine mansion set beside a stream, adjacent to beautiful woodland, and surrounded by thriving farms—totalling over 43,000 acres of fertile and productive land. Two centuries later there is great interest in the idea of ‘‘eating local,’’ but in the Marques’ time, there was no other way of life. A few items such as spices, sugar, some dried fruits, and perhaps dried
January 5
Household of the Marquess of Tweeddale
fish were obtained from faraway places, but almost everything else needed to supply a household—all the meat, grain, dairy produce, and vegetables— were produced locally. In the case of an aristocratic family that meant right on the family estate, by the farmer tenants and employees. The steward was responsible for ensuring that no food was wasted (a more difficult responsibility before refrigeration) or stolen. The left hand page of the manual had two columns—an ‘‘Account of Meat Taken Out’’ (from farm or gamekeeper) and another of meat ‘‘Given to the Cook.’’ Grain grown on the estate for baking and brewing was tracked in a separate book. Dairy produce does not seem to have been recorded—perhaps because daily milking and the inherent perishability of the product made it unnecessary. Neither was the supply of fruit and vegetables tracked—they were of less commercial value and therefore required a lower level of accountability. The bill of fare states only what main dishes were prepared for the family and servants. Bread was a staple at every meal for every class, and certainly some vegetables would have been eaten—those that could be stored over winter such as cabbage and onions and perhaps potatoes. Naturally the family had finer fare than the servants, such as pheasant and hare (which was definitely more upper class than rabbit). Recipes ~~~ It is highly unlikely in a household such as this that a dish of hare would be served without its traditional accompaniment of currant sauce or jelly. It would not have been thought necessary to record this—or other traditional accompaniments and preserves—in the daily record of meals.
To Roast a Hare Take of bread-crumbs and shred suet equal quantities, some chopped parsley and thyme, salt, pepper and nutmeg, two eggs, two spoonsfull of port wine, and a little lemon-peel. Mix these ingredients well together, and sew them up in the hare’s belly; place it before a slow fire, baste with milk till it becomes very thick, then make your fire brisk, and baste with butter. Serve with currant jelly. N.B. If not convenient the wine may be left out of the stuffing.
Red or White Currant Jelly Strip off your fruit, and put it in a jug, stand the jug in a kettle of water, and let it boil one hour, then throw your currants into a fine sieve, and press out all the juice, to every pint of which add one pound of loaf sugar; put it in your preserving pan over a clear fire, and stir it till it becomes jelly, observing to scum it carefully; when done, pour it into glasses, and when cold, lay some brandy paper on top: then cover with white paper, pricked full of holes.
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January 6
Twelfth Day Dinner and Supper in a Tudor Household [To Carve] A Breast of Veal
Is composed of two parts, the ribs and brisket, the latter is thickest, and is composed of gristels, the division of which you may easily discern, at which part you must enter your knife, and cut through it, which will separate the two parts, then proceed to help your guests to whatever part they chance to prefer. E. Hammond, Modern Domestic Cookery, and Useful Receipt Book (London, 1819).
January 6 Twelfth Day Dinner and Supper in a Tudor Household Ingatestone Hall, Essex, England, 1552 Sir William Petre was a wealthy diplomat who served four Tudor monarchs. He began the building of the family home of Ingatestone Hall—where his descendants still live—in 1540, continuing to add to it and improve it for the next two decades. In common with other medieval manorial estates, Ingatestone Hall was virtually self-sufficient (see August 2). It had its own bake-house, brew-house, buttery (general storeroom), and granary. All grain, meat, game, vegetables, fruit, freshwater fish, eggs, and dairy produce came from its farms. Virtually all that was purchased was wine, spices (including sugar), dried and salt fish, and some luxury foods such as dried fruit. Also in common with other similar households, the Petre family were expected to offer hospitality to all who claimed it, and it was an unusual day when there was only the family and its own servants and workers to feed. The intense organization required to keep track of the provisions, costs of goods that were purchased, and guests served is detailed in the account book kept by the steward of the household. Twelfth Day is the traditional end of the Christmas season, the anniversary according to the Christian calendar of the festival of the Epiphany, or the visit of the three kings to the infant Jesus, and a final day for celebrating. The dinner and supper bills of fare and guest list for Twelfth Day, 1552, were given as follows:
WENISDAY TWLEFFE DAY DYNNER Boylde beiffe 9 peces, a pestell & legge of porke, 2 legges of veale, rosting beiffe 6 peces, 3 gesse, a loyne & brest of veale, a pygge, 10 pasteis of beiffe, 2 pasteis of motton, 6 conneis, 4 pasteis of venson, 2 capons, 2 partriches, a woodecoke, 2 teles, a dosen of larkes Strangeres—Mr. Richarde Baker & his brother, Mr. Tyrell of Warley, Mr. Pownsett, with 12 messe in the hall, Harris, Drywoode, Mr. Clovell, Geffreis of Cowbridge [in Mountnessing].
January 6
Twelfth Day Dinner and Supper in a Tudor Household
SUPPER A motton & 2 oiyntes, a shoulder of venson, a brest of porke, 6 conneis, a duke, 2 capons, 2 partriches, a pastie of venson, 2 teles. Strangeres—Mr. Richarde Baker & his brother, Mr. Tyrell of Warley, Mr. Pownsett, with 8 messe of serving men and of Ingatston, besydes a grett number of boys.
A ‘‘mess’’ usually consisted of four people, so the house fed 56 visitors for dinner, and an uncertain number (27 plus the ‘‘grett number of boys’’) at supper on this day. This was solid, traditional fare, with a heavy emphasis on meat, but vegetables were probably served as well. For the poor, vegetables were subsistence food, along with a grain porridge such as frumenty (see Feburary 23). For the wealthy they appeared in meat dishes, such as stews and pies, but rarely as side dishes in their own right. Raw vegetables and fruits were suspect throughout the medieval period, perhaps because water for irrigation and rinsing was frequently contaminated. The author of the early sixteenth-century Boke of Kervynge [Carving] wrote ‘‘Beware of green sallets & rawe fruytes for they wyll make your soverayne seke [sick],’’ and a century after this meal, the diarist Samuel Pepys attributed the death of a neighbor to eating ‘‘cowcumbers.’’ As the early modern period progressed, the obstruction of the spice trade due to the expansion of the Ottoman empire switched the emphasis to herbs, and improvements in horticulture expanded the range and quality of vegetables available. The golden age of English vegetable gardening had begun. As to the meat on this menu, much of it would be familiar today. The rather alarming ‘‘duke,’’ is probably ‘‘duck’’ and a pestell (pestle) is a leg, so in this case perhaps a ham. Pigeons were a very useful source of meat, particularly over winter, and would have come from the estate’s pigeon-cotes. The only thing here unlikely to be encountered today are the larks—a common delicacy of the time, which would have been served to the most honored persons present. Recipes ~~~ Venyson Rost To rost venison tak feletes of venyson bound and cutt away the skyne and parboile it and let it be throughe stiff then lard it with salt and put it on a smale broche and rost it and if it be ned leche it abrod in leskes and lay them in a dysshe and strow on pouder of guinger and salt, and ye may do with buttes of venyson in the same manner.
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January 7
Dinner aboard Steamship
A ‘‘pestel’’ is the leg of the pig, and can refer to the ‘‘ham’’ (thigh) or the foreleg. ‘‘Endored’’ means ‘‘made golden,’’ in the case of a large piece of meat, as in this example, this was achieved by brushing with egg yolks, but in other dishes saffron or other yellow spices might be used, and occasionally real gold leaf. To Mak Pestelles of Pork Endored To mak pestelles of pork, endored tak and broche pestellis of pork and put of the skyn and rost it then tak poudur and baist it and yolk of egge draw throughe a strener and when they be rosted dry it at the greuyng up and endor hem with yolks of eggs and serue them furthe. A Noble Boke Off Cookry Ffor a Prynce Houssolde or Eny Other Estately Houssolde (ca. 1500).
Venison pasty: see January 2.
January 7 Dinner aboard Steamship SS New York, 1866 The SS New York was en route from Aspinwall (Colo´n), Panama, to New York and probably in the Bahamas, when the cabin-class passengers sat down to the following bill of fare: SOUP Green Turtle FISH Salted Cod and Egg Sauce BOILED Fowls and Parsley Sauce Mutton and Caper Sauce Corn Beef ENTREES Calves Feet & Sauce Piquante Pork Chops & Tomato Sauce Harricot Mutton Hashed Beef Heart ROAST Beef Pork Mutton Turkey & Cranberry Sauce
January 7
Dinner aboard Steamship
VEGETABLES Boiled & Mashed Potatoes, Squash Turnips, Parsnips, Onions, Rice PASTRY Plum Pudding, Hard Sauce Charlotte de Russe Small Pastry Pies Assorted Blanch Monge DESSERT Nuts Assorted Bananas Oranges Figs Tea & Coffee
The dishes represent the sort of solid, reliable food that would have been very familiar to the passengers. Presumably the steerage passengers were not so well supplied, and the first-class passengers had rather more elegant fare. The only dish that might be puzzling to a modern reader or eater is Blanch Monge, a spelling variation of blancmange (or blamange or blomange)—the chilled and moulded dessert beloved of Victorian-era dining tables and children’s birthday parties. It is most unlikely that the passengers who selected the Blanch Monge would have realized that in that one dish is encapsulated at least 600 years’ of culinary history. Blancmange comes from the French words blanc (white) and manger (to eat) and literally means ‘‘white food.’’ In early medieval times the white ingredients were chicken, rice, and almond milk, and it was an elegant dish for the tables of the very wealthy. It was sweetened, but at that time sugar was used sparingly, as an exotic imported spice—there was no clear divide between sweet and savory dishes as now. The transition to the very sweet, variously flavored, but essentially bland molded dessert made opaque with cornflour and set with gelatin took hundreds of years. Recipes ~~~ The extreme transition of blancmange is illustrated well by the following recipes, taken from cookbooks written over 400 years apart. Blank Maunger Take Capouns and seeþ hem, þenne take hem up. take Almandes blaunched. grynd hem and alay hem up with the same broth. cast the mylk in a pot. waisshe rys and do þerto and lat it seeþ. þanne take brawn of Capouns teere it small and do þerto. take white grece sugur and salt and cast þerinne. lat it
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January 8
Jackson Day Dinner
seeþ. þenne messe it forth and florissh it with aneys in confyt rede oþer whyt. and with Almaundes fryed in oyle. and serue it forth. [Interpretation: Take capons and boil them, then take them out. Take blanched almonds, grind them, and mix them with the same broth. Put the almond milk in a pot. Add washed rice and let it simmer. Then take the meat of the capons, tear it into small pieces and add it. Take white grease (lard) and sugar and salt and add. Let it simmer. Then serve it garnished with red or white aniseed comfits and with almonds fried in oil.] The Forme of Cury (ca. 1395).
Lemon Blancmange 1 quart of milk 3 oz. of ground rice 1 1/2 oz. of fresh butter the juice of 2
the yolks of 4 eggs 6 oz. of pounded sugar the rind of 1 lemon 1/2 oz. of gelatine
Make a custard with the yolks of the eggs and 1/2 pint of the milk, and, when done, put it into a basin: put half the remainder of the milk into a saucepan with the ground rice, fresh butter, lemon-rind, and 3 oz. of the sugar, and let these ingredients boil until the mixture is stiff, stirring them continually; when done, pour it into the bowl where the custard is, mixing both well together. Put the gelatine with the rest of the milk into a saucepan, and let it stand by the side of the fire to dissolve; boil for a minute or two, stir carefully into the basin, adding 3 oz. more of pounded sugar. When cold, stir in the lemon-juice, which should be carefully strained, and pour the mixture into a well-oiled mould, leaving out the lemon-peel, and set the mould in a pan of cold water until wanted for table. Use eggs that have rich-looking yolks; and, should the weather be very warm, rather a larger proportion of gelatine must be allowed. Beeton’s Book of Household Management (London, 1861).
Turtle Soup: see November 10. Salt Cod, Egg Sauce: see March 11. Harricot Mutton: see April 30. Caper Sauce: see December 8. Parsley Sauce: see May 29. Charlotte Russe: see September 4. Plum Pudding: see June 28.
January 8 Jackson Day Dinner Mayflower Hotel, Washington, DC, 1936 In 1936, as the United States geared up for a presidential election, it was estimated that 250,000 Democrats attended Jackson Day dinners at 1,700 different locations. Andrew Jackson (1797–1845), the president of the United States from 1829–1837, was especially honored on the anniversary of the
January 8
Jackson Day Dinner
Boston Jackson Day dinner with President Franklin D. Roosevelt (center) and Vice President John Nance Garner (left). (AP Photo)
Battle of New Orleans in 1815 because it was he who led the attack on the British in what was the final military engagement of the War of 1812. Jackson’s nickname of ‘‘Old Hickory’’ arose out of his ‘‘tough as old hickory wood’’ approach to troop discipline. Democrats all over the country gathered in many locations on Jackson Day in 1936 to hear the broadcast of the speech of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who attended the dinner held in Washington. According to The New York Times, diners were ‘‘openly overcharged’’ for the dinners, raising in the process a total of over $200,000, ‘‘the excess going toward the $400,000 deficit in the national party treasury.’’ Washington Democrats paid $50 (equivalent in purchasing power to approximately $777 in 2008) for the following menu:
Tomato stuffed with Fresh Lobster, Crabflakes and Shrimps, Rachel Diamond Back Terrapin Soup, au Madere Rastegais Celery Olives Nuts Breast of Capon with Irish Bacon, Southern Style Broccoli Polonaise Rice Croquette with Guava Jelly Heart of Romaine with Hearts of Palm, Artichoke, and Alligator Pear, Lorenzo Dressing
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January 8
Jackson Day Dinner Graham Bread and Cheese Sandwich Coupe of Fresh Strawberries with Nougat Ice Cream, Chantilly Gateau Jackson Demi Tasse
The Great Depression was in full swing and the purpose of the dinner was to raise funds, not eyebrows. Essentially, this menu was standard for the time, although it appears that there may have been one minor disappointment. The New York Times noted: Seeing Gateau Jackson on the menu, some of the diners expected a delicious cake containing, of course, hickory nuts, in honor of Old Hickory. They got the Mayflower Hotel’s Gateau Diplomat, renamed for the occasion. It is a pastry containing cherries.
The only other possible surprise on the menu was the rather uncommon ‘‘Rastegais.’’ Rastegaı¨s are warm hors d’oeuvres of Russian origin consisting of small ‘‘buns’’ of yeast dough with a savory filling (fish or meat). The name means ‘‘unbuttoned’’ because the dough is not completely closed over the filling, leaving it exposed in the center. They are often served as an accompaniment to soup. Recipes ~~~ Perhaps the Democrats at this dinner would have been happier with this rather more authentic old Hickory Cake. Hickory Nut or Walnut Cake Two cups of fine white sugar creamed with half a cup of butter, three eggs, twothirds of a cup of sweet milk, three cups of sifted flour, one heaping teaspoonful of baking powder sifted through the flour; a tablespoonful (level) of powdered mace, a coffeecup of hickory nut or walnut meats chopped a little. Fill the cake-pans with a layer of the cake, then a layer of the raisins upon that, then strew over these a handful of nuts, and so on until the pan is two-thirds full. Line the tins with well-buttered paper and bake in a steady, but not quick, oven. This is most excellent. Mrs. F. L Gillett and H. Ziemann, The White House Cookbook (New York, 1913).
Lorenzo dressing is said to be named after the waiter at the famous ‘‘21 Club’’ in Manhattan who invented it. As with so many recipe ‘‘inventions,’’ it is an adaptation of an existing idea, in this case a standard vinaigrette dressing. There are many recipes for Lorenzo dressing that claim to be the original. This is a basic version.
January 9
Gentleman’s Dinner
Lorenzo Dressing 2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar 6–8 tablespoons olive oil 2 tablespoons chili sauce 2 tablespoons finely chopped watercress salt, pepper to taste.
Graham Bread: see February 5. Terrapin Soup: see May 16. Guava Jelly: see May 24.
January 9 Gentleman’s Dinner Ockenden House, Cuckfield, England, 1708/9 Timothy Burrell (1643–1717), barrister-at-law, was left with an infant daughter when his third wife died in 1696. The brief entries in his journal show him to be a good and kindly man devoted to his daughter, generous with gifts at Christmas, and quite sociable. In spite of his widowed state he entertained regularly, and on this day in 1708/9 he invited Mr. Middleton, Mr. Willy, Mr. Shore, and Mr. Carpenter to dinner. He served them the following bill of fare. Peas pottage 2 carps 2 tench Capon Pullet Fried oysters Baked pudding Roast leg of mutton — Apple pudding Goos[e] Tarts Minced pies
Essentially each dish in this early eighteenth-century dinner is recognizable today, although there are a couple of minor mysteries in the composition of the overall meal. The baked ‘‘pudding,’’ appearing with the fish and meat of the first course, would have been a plain suet pudding (see June 3) whose purpose was to act as a starchy ‘‘filler’’—just as dumplings, Yorkshire puddings, or bread might serve at other meals. This meal was in the middle of winter, when stored apples and ‘‘mincemeat’’ (made as it had been since medieval times, with actual meat included) were staple ingredients in sweet dishes such as pies. Mincemeat pies are almost exclusively associated nowadays with Christmas or Thanksgiving, but they were regular items on seventeenthand eighteenth-century tables in England (and America) throughout the year. Both capon and pullet were served at this meal. It was usual at the time to specify the type of ‘‘chicken’’ suitable for each dish or meal. Today it is rare
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January 9
Gentleman’s Dinner
for a cookbook to specify, or a supermarket to stock, anything other than simply ‘‘chicken.’’ There are two factors that have led to this. In the West, the Humoral Theory (see February 23), which accepted that animals of different genders and life stages had different ‘‘temperaments’’ or qualities, and therefore different medicinal effects which had to be taken into account when planning a meal, is no longer subscribed to. The second is that modern, large-scale chicken-producing methods are geared towards the exact opposite —uniformity of product. Recipes ~~~ Capon Boiled and Larded with Lemons First scald your Capon, and take a little dust of Oatmeal to make it look white, then take three Ladlefuls of Mutton-broth, a faggot of Sweet-herbs, two or three Dates cut long in pieces, a few parboiled Currans, a little whole Pepper, a piece of whole Mace, and one Nutmeg, thicken it with Almonds, season it with Verjuice, Sugar, and a small quantity of Sweet-butter; then take up your Capon, and lard it with thick and preserv’d Lemon, and then lay your Capon in a deep Dish, for boiled Meats, and pour the Broth upon it; Garnish your Dish with Sippets and preserv’d Barberries.
Mince-Pyes Take a large Neats Tongue [calf’s tongue], parboil it, then cut away the Roof and peel it, then weigh it, and to three pound of Tongue take five pound of Beef-suet, cut the Tongue in thin slices, and shred it, but shred the Suet by it self; when they are both pretty fine, put in the Suet by degrees, keep shredding them both together until they are as fine almost as Flower, then put in three pound of Currans, being first clean washed, pick’d and dry’d, Cloves, Mace, Nutmeg, Cinamon, beat very fine, of all together three Quarters of an ounce, half a pound of White Sugar, a pound of Dates ston’d and shred small, three ounces of green Citron, three ounces of candied Orange, cut into small thin bits, the yellow Rind of two raw Limons, grated, three spoonfuls of Verjuice, a Gill of Malaga Sack, half a Gill of Rosewater; these being well mingled, fill your Pyes; have a care they do not stand too long in the Oven to dry after they are just enough.
Carp Stewed Having bled him, save the Blood, scrape off the Scales, then take out the Intrals; then put him into your Stew-pan with Mace, Ginger, Cloves, Nutmeg, Sweetherbs, and a large Onion quartered, with half a pound of Butter; mix some of the Blood with Claret; put it in, and being enough, garnish it with sliced Lemons, and green Spinage, and serve it up to the Table. William Salmons, The Family-Dictionary: or, Houshold [sic] Companion, third edition (1715).
January 10
Holland Society Annual Dinner
To Make Capons This operation belongs to the country housewife. . . . To cut them, the cock must lie on its back, and held fast, while with a very sharp knife she cuts him only skin-deep about an inch in length, between the rump and the end of the breast-bone, where the flesh is thinnest; next she makes use of a large needle to raise the flesh, for her safer cutting through it to avoid the guts, and making a cut here big enough to put her finger in, which she thrusts under the guts, and with it rakes or tears out the stone that lies nearest to it. This done, she performs the very same operation on the other side of the cock’s body, and there takes out the other stone; then she stitches up the wounds, and lets the fowl go about as at other times, till the capon is fatted in a coop, which is commonly done from Christmas to Candlemas, and after. Now if the stones are but big enough, as they lie to the back, they may be safely taken out with a greased fore-finger, without much danger of killing the creature, but when they are too small there is danger. William Ellis, The Country Housewife’s Family Companion (1750).
Pease Pottage: see March 7. Apple Pudding: see November 5.
January 10 Holland Society Annual Dinner Hotel Brunswick, New York, 1888 The Holland Society was incorporated in New York in 1885, although an informal club by that name had been in existence for about two decades. Those wishing to join had to prove their descent through the direct male line from Dutch settlers who lived in the fledgling colony before 1675. The Society’s great goal was to collect and preserve material relating to the history of the Dutch in New York, but they also fostered social and business relationships amongst themselves in the manner of other fraternal organizations. At their third annual dinner in 1888 the heritage of the members was acknowledged and celebrated in the menu, which was written in both Dutch and English. The food, however, was standard American-international banquet fare of the time—including the ‘‘Holland Pudding,’’ which was Dutch in name only. Holland was famous from early in its history for the quality of its dairy produce, and dishes in the ‘‘Holland Style’’ are usually rich in butter or cream (see April 14, for Hollandaise Sauce). Blue Point Oysters. Sauternes 1874 POTAGE. Clear Green Turtle Soup. Topaz Sherry
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January 10
Holland Society Annual Dinner
Herrings
HORS D’OEUVRE. Caviar Olives Celery Timbales Rothschild. Topaz Sherry
Radishes
´S RELEVE ` la Vierge Young Chicken Halibut a Boiled Parisienne Potatoes Sauternes 1874 Tenderloin of Beef Balzac ` l’Anglaise Be´ne´dictine Potatoes String Beans a Pontet Canet. ´ ES ENTRE Snipe en caisse, sauce Pe´rigeux French Beans au Beurre — ` la Dubarry Artichoke a Pontet Canet ` la Newburg with mushrooms Lobster a Perrier Joueˆt Special. Duminy Extra Dry Cuve´e 1884 ` l’Africaine. Sorbet a Cigarettes. Irroy Extra Dry Cuve´e ˆti Ro Canvas-back Duck with currant jelly Burgundy Pains St Hubert Celery Salad mayonnaise Duminy Extra Dry Cuve´e. 1884. Louis Roederer Grand Vin Sec. ` CES FROIDES. PIE Boned Turkey Renaissance. York Ham historic Tongue Montpelier Irroy Extra Dry
Fancy Ice Cream. Perrier Joueˆt Special
Liqueurs.
´S ENTREMETS SUCRE Holland Pudding Curac¸ao Jelly. Petits Fours. Louis Roederer Grand Vin Sec ` CES MONTE ´ ES PIE Fruit Dessert Cafe´ Moka Cognac Robin, 30 years old.
Mottoes.
Cigars.
SPIJSKAART De Weleerwaarde Heer Theo. L. Cuyler, Th. D. zal bidden over tafel. ‘‘Eet wat gaar is, Drinck wat klaar is, Spreeck wat waar is.’’
January 10
Holland Society Annual Dinner
Blauwe Landtongsche Oesters. Sauterneswijn van 1874. Soep.
Heldere Schildpadsoep.
Zijschoteltjes. Topaasche [?] Haringen, Kaviaar, Olijven, Selderij, Radijs, Paukenvorm Rothschild Gekruide Gerechten. Jong Kip Heilbot in Maagde Stijl. Gekookte Parijzer Aardappelen. Roodewijn. Ossehaas, Balzac Stijl. Pontet Canet Aardappelen Benedictinorum. Snijboonen, Engelsche Stijl. Champagnewijn. Bijzonder Perrier [?] Irroy, Buitengewoon droog. Voorgerechten. Snippen en busjes, met Perigeux saus. Louis Roederer, Doperwten met Boter. Grand vin Sec. Artisjokken in Dubaket Stijl. Kreeft in Newburgsche Stijl met Paddenstoelen. Sorbet, Afrikaansche Stijl. Gebraad [Kanefasrug?] Endvogels met Gelei van Aalbessen. Broodjes, St. Hubert Stijl. Gekruide Selderij-sla. Bourgognewijn. Koude stukken. Kalkoen van beenderen ontdaan, Renaissance Stijl. Yorksche Ham. Ossetong, Montpellier Stijl. Zoete gerechten. Hollandsche Podding. IJs in Verschillende Figuren. Curac¸ao. Koekjes. Ulevellen.
Versierde
Gelei van
Gemonteerde Stukken. Vruchten. Nagerecht. Mokka Koffie. Likeuren. Goudsche Pijpen, en Amsterdamsche Tabak, ‘‘Het Wapen der Nederlanden,’’ gebracht van Holland door den Secretaris. Fransche brandewijn van Robin, dertig jaaren oud.
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January 11
Dining with the Ras
Recipes ~~~ ` la Dubarry’’ are named after the Comtesse du Barry (1743– Dishes styled ‘‘a 1793). They always contain cauliflower, the traditional explanation being that the vegetable reminds one of the powdered wigs that were fashionable in the eighteenth century. Cold Fonds D’Artichauts, Du Barry Boil four fresh artichoke bottoms in salt water, to which has been added the juice of a lemon. Also boil a head of cauliflower. When both are cold fill the bottoms with some of the cauliflower, and cover with a well-seasoned thick mayonnaise sauce. Place each artichoke on a leaf of lettuce, and serve. Victor Hirtzler, The Hotel St.Francis Cook Book (1919).
Pouding Hollandaise (Holland Pudding) Warm a gill of milk, and add 1/2 lb. of butter; when melted stir in four wellbeaten eggs. Work this into 1 lb. of flour which has been sifted with two teaspoonfuls of baking powder. Add 1/2 lb. of picked currants which have been dried in flour. Add 4 oz. of caster sugar. Butter a mould, and decorate with strips of angelica and candied peel, or cherries. Turn in the pudding, and bake in a quick oven. Make a sweet sauce of eggs, milk, and butter, flavoured with wine. Serve very hot with the sauce round. M. Jebb Scott, Menus for Every Day in the Year (1912).
Turtle Soup: see November 10. Parisienne Potatoes: see June 23. Petit Fours: see November 14. Mottoes: see January 17. Lobster Newburg: see April 16.
January 11 Dining with the Ras The Royal Palace, Andracha, Abyssinia (Ethiopia), 1898 The ‘‘Scramble for Africa’’ had been settled to the satisfaction of the European powers at the Conference of Berlin in (1884–85), and it was assumed that no African nation would be able to mount any significant resistance to its decisions. Abyssinia (present-day Ethiopia) had been allocated to Italy, but King Menelik II (who claimed descendance from the biblical King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba) did indeed take up arms and shocked Europe with a decisive victory over the Italians at Adowa in 1896. Alexander Bulatovich (1870–1919), a Russian military officer and explorer, was sent on a diplomatic mission by the Russian Red Cross, to assist King
January 11
Dining with the Ras
Menelik II in his ongoing fight with Italy. In the book of his exploits (With the Armies of Menelik II [1900]), he described a dinner with the Ras (a nobleman) on this day. In front of the Ras and in front of me were placed two large baskets, covered with red calico cloth. A file of cooks, dressed in shirts clasped at the waist, carried in a great number of earthenware pots of various sizes, with foods. The chief cook, a rather beautiful woman, dressed more neatly than the others, with silver ear-rings and a silver necklace on the neck, removed the cloth from our baskets. The Asalafi of the Ras (a special post which in translation means ‘‘he who serves the food’’) dropped down on his knees in front of the basket and, having tasted each dish brought to him by the cook, began to take them out on chunks of injera and place them before the Ras. For me, the Ras prepared a special dinner, which, in his opinion, should satisfy the taste of a European. Here is the menu: 1) fried chicken, 2) thin slices of meat fried in a pan, 3) beef ribs grilled on hot coals, 4) afilye—an Abyssinian national dish, 5) meat that was scraped and boiled in butter, and 6) soft-boiled eggs. . . . I was hungry and, to the great satisfaction of the Ras, I ate everything with great appetite . . . A line of wine servers adroitly gave the banqueters huge horn goblets of mead [tej] through the whole room. . . . They also served red wine—‘‘Bordeaux’’—as the Ras called it—and a local vodka distilled from mead.
A. K. Bulatovich, Ethiopia Through Russian Eyes: Country in Transition 1896–1898, trans. Richard Seltzer (1993).
Alongside the delicacies specially provided for an honored guest, the meal given to Bulatovich included the staple food of Ethiopia—injera, and favorite beverage—tej. Injera is an unleavened sourdough flatbread made from an ancient grain called teff (Eragrostis tef) and is used as a base or wrap for cooked dishes. Tej is a fermented honey wine (mead). Bulatovich makes no mention at this meal of Ethiopia’s great gift to the world—coffee. Coffee originated in Ethiopia and spread to the Yemen perhaps as long as 3,000 years ago. Recipes ~~~ Bulatovich included a recipe for ‘‘the national dish’’ in the book. Afilye Afilye is prepared in the following manner. The back leg of a ram is freed from the tibial and shin bone, the meat is cut in thin long strips which hanging on the end of the bone form a kind of flower cluster. Then the meat is dipped for several minutes in a boiling sauce made from butter, pea meal, red pepper and other spices—and the dish is ready. A. K. Bulatovich, Ethiopia Through Russian Eyes: Country in Transition 1896–1898, trans. Richard Seltzer (1993).
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January 12
Meals at Shugborough Hall The National Drink
Another military traveler of the time, Captain M. S. Wellby, published An Account of a Year’s Expedition from Zeila to Cairo Through Unknown Abyssinia, and in it he describes the method of making tej. The ‘‘geichi’’ bush is a particular species of buckthorn whose bitter leaves are used to flavor and strengthen the drink in the same way that hops are used in making beer. Adjoining the bakery were the ‘‘tej’’ brewers. To drink tej is the highest bliss of some Abyssinians ; it is one of the main objects of their existence. Without tej and without women life would be a blank to them. The process of making it is simple enough. Water and honey, in the proportion of 5 to 1, are mixed together, and to this is added an infusion of the leaves of the geichi bush, which gives the drink its intoxicating strength. The longer this mixture stands, the stronger it becomes, till finally the essence of tej known as araki is distilled from it.
January 12 Meals at Shugborough Hall Staffordshire, England, 1920 The end of World War I, the ‘‘war to end all wars,’’ brought a mood of great excitement and optimism in its wake. Change was inevitable and desirable, and the old social rules and restrictions crumbled progressively as the ‘‘roaring twenties’’ got under way. The English landed gentry on their grand country estates, however, seemed oblivious to the fact that their way of life was crumbling, and they carried on much as they had always done, until the outbreak of World War II changed everything. It was a lifestyle beautifully demonstrated in the Robert Altman movie Gosford Park (2001), a lifestyle that some historians say was the best of all possible lifestyles. Many of those ‘‘upstairs’’ had never done a day’s honest toil in their lives, but for the brief period between the wars they partied on, buffered by their wealth from the looming Depression, their every whim attended to by an army of servants ‘‘downstairs.’’ The surviving household books of Shugborough Hall, the ancestral home of the Earls of Lichfield, give a clue to a very ordinary day’s meals. Lord Lichfield and his guests: Potage Parmentier Fish and Cutlets Chocolate Eclairs Sardines Diable Children in the nursery: Meat juice Chicken Broth Cutlet Rice pudding and Plum Compoˆte
January 12
Meals at Shugborough Hall
Servants’ Hall: Rabbit Pie Rice Pudding
Thomas Edward Anson, the 4th Earl of Lichfield (1883–1960), was clearly not doing any flamboyant entertaining on January 12, 1920—these are very homely meals indeed. Nevertheless, the menus provide a lot of insight into the class and family structure of the time. Dinner dishes for the family in this most English of homes appear in French—the soup is a ‘‘potage,’’ and even the profoundly English dish of deviled sardines are ‘‘sardines diable.’’ The children and servants, however, get broth, pie, and pudding, and in spite of its name, the apparently French ‘‘compoˆte’’ also has an ancient English history (see February 23). Much of the food would have been sourced from the estate and whatever vegetables were in season were also probably served, but as in the household of the Marquis of Tweeddale a century earlier (January 5), it was likely not considered necessary that they be recorded. The menu also shows the traditional English habit of a small savory dish to end the meal—in this case the great favorite of a ‘‘deviled’’ dish (usually containing cayenne, curry, mustard, or some other hot spice). Paradoxically perhaps, the other great love of the English of all classes is for bland ‘‘nursery’’ or ‘‘school’’ puddings made with milk and a starch such as rice, sago, or tapioca. Feelings can run pretty high in the most surprising circles when puddings are discussed in England. In 1853, the Committee of Management of the Carlton Club in London received a complaint from the Duke of Birmingham about ‘‘the unfair way in which Members help themselves to rice pudding.’’ Happily, it was resolved that the steward would henceforth indicate to any such member that their behavior was improper.
Recipes ~~~ Dishes styled ‘‘Parmentier’’ always contain potatoes. They are named after the eighteenth-century French scientist who worked vigorously to popularize the vegetable (see October 21). Potage Parmentier Chop onions, celery, carrots, and leeks, and fry them in butter. Pour in the boiling stock, and add some whole-peeled potatoes. Cook it for an hour, then pass it through a sieve and put it back on the fire; skim it while it simmers. Beat up the yolks of two eggs with a little cream and butter; mix this with a little of the hot soup and strain it into a tureen, then pour in the soup. Mrs. C. F. Leyel and Miss Olga Hartley, The Gentle Art of Cookery (1926).
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January 13
Samuel Pepys Gives Dinner for Friends Rice Pudding, Baked
Wash six ounces of rice, and boil it gently in a little more milk that it will absorb. When it is tender without being broken, pour it out, and mix with it a pinch of salt, two tablespoonfuls of finely-shredded suet, or, if preferred, a slice of butter, and a little grated nutmeg, or any other flavouring. Let the rice cool, then stir into it one or two eggs, according to the richness required. It will be very good without any. Bake the pudding in a moderately-heated oven, and serve with sifted sugar. Cassell’s New Dictionary of Cookery (London, 1910).
Devilled Sardines 6 Sardines. 1/2 teaspoonful Curry Powder. 1/2 teaspoonful Mustard.
Salt, Lemon Juice. Buttered Toast. Chopped Parsley
Scrape off the skins from the sardines. Mix the curry powder, mustard, and a very small pinch of salt into a thin paste with some of the oil from the sardines, then brush the fish well with the paste. Lay them on a buttered baking dish in a hot oven for 5 minutes. Cut six fingers of buttered toast, lay the sardines on them, sprinkle with a few drops of lemon juice and a little finely chopped parsley. Serve very hot, laying them side by side on a paper d’oyley. Elizabeth Craig, New Standard Cookery (1933).
Chocolate Eclairs: see November 7. January 13 Samuel Pepys Gives Dinner for Friends London, England, 1663 The English naval administrator and diarist Samuel Pepys (1633–1703) lived through one of the most turbulent times in English history—the period encompassing the English Civil War, the subsequent rule of Oliver Cromwell, and the eventual restoration of Charles II (1630–1685) to the throne. His diary is a marvellous source of information on the political and diplomatic personalities and events of the time. It is also a fascinating, sometimes very amusing, insight into all sorts of details of everyday life. Pepys was an ambitious, if slightly snobby, man, and he recorded gossipy anecdotes about the aristocracy, his career manipulations, his trips to the theatre, his affairs —and often, his meals. Pepys was also a sociable man, always very keen to be fashionable, to have all modern conveniences, and to impress with his entertaining. In 1663, he decided to give a dinner to friends and colleagues at his home on Seething Lane. The guests stayed on, as was common, until the evening, when he gave them a light supper before they left. 13th. So my poor wife rose by five o’clock in the morning, before day, and went to market and bought fowls and many other things for dinner, with which I was highly pleased, and the chine of beef was down also before six o’clock, and
January 13
Samuel Pepys Gives Dinner for Friends
my own jack, of which I was doubtfull, do carry it very well. Things being put in order, and the cook come, I went to the office, where we sat till noon and then broke up, and I home, whither by and by comes Dr. Clerke and his lady, his sister, and a she-cozen, and Mr. Pierce and his wife, which was all my guests. I had for them, after oysters, at first course, a hash of rabbits, a lamb, and a rare chine of beef [see January 2]. Next a great dish of roasted fowl, cost me about 30s., and a tart, and then fruit and cheese. My dinner was noble and enough. I had my house mighty clean and neat; my room below with a good fire in it; my dining-room above, and my chamber being made a withdrawing-chamber; and my wife’s a good fire also. I find my new table very proper, and will hold nine or ten people well, but eight with great room. After dinner the women to cards in my wife’s chamber, and the Dr. and Mr. Pierce in mine, because the diningroom smokes unless I keep a good charcoal fire, which I was not then provided with. At night to supper, had a good sack posset and cold meat, and sent my guests away about ten o’clock at night, both them and myself highly pleased with our management of this day; and indeed their company was very fine, and Mrs. Clerke a very witty, fine lady, though a little conceited and proud. So weary, so to bed. I believe this day’s feast will cost me near L5.
Dinner at this time in history was in the middle of the day, hence the need for his wife to get to the market early. In keeping with his status as a man rising fairly rapidly through the ranks of the bureaucracy, he had several servants, but for an occasion such as this he hired a ‘‘man cook’’ for the day. True roasting is done over (or in front of) the naked fire, not in an oven. The meat is placed on a spit which is turned regularly to ensure even cooking—sometimes for many hours. The job of turning the spit was a job so lowly and contemptible that the boy or man (or dog) who turned it was not even worthy of an individual name. He was the turnbroche or turnspit, or simply ‘‘Jack’’—the old version of ‘‘John Doe.’’ The name ‘‘jack’’ was then inherited by the various mechanical turning devices that were developed in the seventeenth century. Some, perhaps including Pepys’s hanging jack, were turned by the streams of smoke rising up the chimney, others were based on clock technology with pulleys and levers and springs. Recipes ~~~ A posset was a drink made from hot milk curdled with ale, wine, or other liquor, flavoured with sugar, herbs, and spices. It was essentially the same as a syllabub (see May 5) and was often drunk as a nightcap or for medicinal purposes. ‘‘Sack’’ was a general name for a class of white wines formerly imported from Spain and the Canaries, and is generally taken to refer to sherry. To Make a Sack Posset the Best Way Set a gallon of milk on the fire, put therin a grain of Musk, a whole Cinamon and large Mace, when it boils, stir in half a pound of Naple-Bisket grated, keeping of it stirring while it boyles; then beat eight eggs together, casting four of the whites away; beat them well with a ladleful of milk or two amongst them; take off the fire the aforesaid milk, and stir in your eggs; put it on the fire again
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January 14
Mallard Night Feast
(but keep it stirring for fear it curdles) having almost a pint of sack in your Bason (upon the coals, with a spoonful of Rose-water) your milk being seasoned with sugare, and taken off the fire pour into your said sack stirring of it apace; while it is so pouring forth, take out your grain of Musk, and throw thereon beaten Cinamon, and send it up. William Rabisha, The Whole Body of Cookery Dissected, Taught, and Fully Manifested (1661).
January 14 Mallard Night Feast All Souls’ College, Oxford, England, 1901 The ceremony of ‘‘Hunting the Mallard’’ is a long-standing tradition on the night of January 14 (the beginning of the new term) at All Souls’ College in Oxford. It was once held annually, and by the time of the first known reference to it in 1632 was already being reported as a rowdy drunken revel that disturbed the peace and resulted in damage to property. The ceremony fell into disrepute and was abandoned in the early eighteenth century, to be revived in 1801 (as part of the celebration of the new century), and again in 1901 and 2001, with the next event planned for 2101. The 1901 event began with a grand dinner. ˆge des Tourterelles du Sie`cle Nouveau. Pota Tourbot, Sauce du Warden. ´ perlans a ` la Custodes Jocalium. E ` la Sub-warden. Vol-au-Vent du Ris de Veau a Filets de Boeuf de L’Estates Bursar. ˆpons Rotis a ` la Roi Edouard. Cha Jambon d’Yorck. Selle du Mouton. Mallard Swapping Sauce. Pouding d’All Souls. ˆteau de Chichele. Ga Sardines de Chichele. Merluches Salade des Junior Fellows. Dessert du Common Room.
A great deal of effort obviously went into planning the dishes (or at least their names) for this dinner. The menu references the Sie`cle Nouveau (new century), college office-bearers and students, the archbishop of Canterbury and founder of the college, Henry Chicele (1364–1443), and the Custodes Jocalium or custodian of the ‘‘jewels’’ (items of value)—a grand name for the librarian. The inclusion of ‘‘King Edward’’ is a mystery save to say he appears in the chorus of the ‘‘Song of the Mallard’’—although there are no clues as to which King Edward the song refers. In spite of the collegethemed menu, it is most likely that standard recipes were used with only their names being changed for this particular dinner.
January 14
Mallard Night Feast
The focus of the evening’s festivities is a symbolic hunt around for the college totem—the mythical ‘‘swapping, swapping mallard’’ (‘‘swapping’’ is an old English word meaning ‘‘whopping’’ or huge), to the accompaniment of the traditional mallard song. The roots of the tradition are very old; the most popular and enduring explanation is that it commemorates an event in 1437 when the digging of the foundations of the college caused the release of a giant mallard from the drains where it had been trapped for a long time. Recipes ~~~ It is unclear which dish the Mallard Swapping Sauce was to accompany—presumably the Saddle of Mutton. At first sight it seems strange that there is no duck of any species on this menu, and although in many societies it is taboo to eat one’s personal or tribal totem, it is unlikely that the staunch men of Oxford would have avoided it for this reason. A traditional sauce to serve with mallard since medieval times was a sauce noir, or black sauce. Sawce Noyre for Malard Take brede and blode iboiled, and grynde it, and drawe it thurgh a cloth with vynegar. Do thereto powdor of gynger; and of peper, and the grece of the malard. Salt it, boile it wel, and serve it forth. [Interpretation: Take bread and blood boiled together and grind them and add vinegar and strain them through a cloth. Add ginger, pepper, and mallard fat. Salt it and boil it well, and serve it forth.] The Forme of Cury (1395).
What constituted the Pouding d’All Souls in this menu is unknown, but recipes for Oxford Pudding are common in cookbooks from the early eighteenth century. There are several completely different recipes—rice puddings, apricot tarts, and suet puddings all called by this name. The following recipe is a very early version; it is a fried dumpling. An Oxford Pudding A quarter of a pound of biscuit grated, a quarter of a pound of currants clean washed and picked, a quarter of a pound of suet shred small, half a large spoonful of powder-sugar, a very little salt, and some grated nutmeg; mix all well together, then take two yolks of eggs, and make it up in balls as big as a turkey’s egg. Fry them in fresh butter of a light brown; for sauce have melted butter and brown sugar, with a little sack or white wine. You must mind to keep the pan shaking about, that they may be all of a light brown. Hannah Glasse, The Art of Cookery, Made Plain and Easy (London, 1747).
Vol-au-Vent: see September 17.
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January 15
Portuguese Luncheon How to Carve a Mallard
To unbrace a duck, or mallard. Raise up the pinions and legs, but take them not off, and raise the merrythought from the breast; then lace it down each side of the breast with your knife, wriggling your knife to-and-fro, that the furrows may lie in and out. Charles Carter, The London and Country Cook (London, 1749). Merry-thought: The forked bone between the neck and breast of a bird; the furcula, wishbone. Also: the portion of a cooked bird when carved that includes this bone. Oxford English Dictionary.
January 15 Portuguese Luncheon ´ Royal, London, England, 1935 Cafe The Wine and Food Society was started in England in 1933 ‘‘to raise the standard of eating and drinking throughout the country,’’ with the well-known wine expert and gourmet Andre´ Simon (1877–1970) as its president. For the first 12 months or so their regular demonstrations focused on English and French food, beginning with an ‘‘Alsation’’ luncheon on November 14, 1933. By January 1935, the Society ventured to hold a Portuguese luncheon and was confident enough to invite the Portuguese Ambassador Rey L. Ulrich as guest of honor. The luncheon was held at the Society’s usual venue of the Cafe´ Royal and was ‘‘deliberately of a kind that might be found in a Portuguese middle-class household.’’ Caldo Verde. Grilled Fresh Sardines, Salad of Pimentos. Carne Guisado can Ervilhas e Chouric¸os. Toucinho do ceu. Queijo da Sarra.
The Times described the composition of each of these dishes for the benefit of its readers. Caldo Verde was ‘‘green soup,’’ which it described as being in its country of origin as shredded cabbage boiled in water with a little oil. On this occasion it was confessed that potatoes had been added, and butter substituted for the oil—‘‘culinary elaboration’’ that met with general approval. The sardines were almost the size of pilchards—quite large, apparently, ‘‘to those only familiar with the tinned variety’’ but nevertheless ‘‘quite good.’’ The Carne Guisado can Ervilhas e Chouric¸os should have been, said the newspaper, a stew of peas ‘‘forming a vehicle to introduce the flavour of the chouric¸o, a form of sausage made of bacon and pimento, with a suspicion of garlic,’’ but it appeared that the ratios of the ingredients were somewhat reversed, with meat predominating and the peas as a garnish.
January 15
Portuguese Luncheon
The sweetmeat which followed was Toucinho do ceu (translated as ‘‘bacon from heaven’’), which turned out to be the material familiar to the guests as ‘‘that which formed the upper layer to a Christmas cake’’—in other words marzipan (almond paste). Marzipan was a favorite sweetmeat from medieval times (see September 9) and was often used to make elaborate ‘‘mock foods’’ such as the marzipan fruit we can still buy from confectionary specialists. There is a recipe in one medieval text for ‘‘mock bacon’’ made from pink and white marzipan formed into ‘‘rashers,’’ but the Portuguese name is probably a more general reference to the fact that this delicious sweetmeat was the ‘‘bacon’’ allowed by the church (representing ‘‘heaven’’) on the many regulated fast days. The final course was the Queijo da Sarra, a cheese made from the milk of sheep which had fed entirely on clover, and was acclaimed by the guests as a great success. To lubricate the meal, four wines were served: a dry Madeira, Bucellas (a dry white), Collares (‘‘some resemblance to a fairly full Beaujolais’’), and Commendador (tawny port). The Ambassador’s response to each course was not noted, so we do not know how he felt about the replacement of oil with butter or the mere suspicion of garlic, or the other liberties taken with traditional dishes from his country. He clearly chose his words carefully, however, giving an assurance ‘‘that his country could provide more sumptuous fare, but the dishes served were interesting and appetising, and the wines had been chosen to go with the food.’’ He also graciously indicated that English people who visited Portugal would be received with friendship. Recipes ~~~ The following recipes are taken from 365 Foreign Dishes, an English publication by an unknown author in 1908. They give some idea of the English interpretation of Portuguese dishes.
Portugal Salad [with Pimentos] Slice 2 cucumbers, 2 tomatoes, 1 onion and two green peppers. Then sprinkle with 1 chopped clove of garlic, salt and pepper and cover with some thin slices of bread. Pour over all a cup of vinegar and 1/4 cup of olive-oil and serve.
Portugal Soup Boil 2 pounds of beef and 2 pig’s feet in 4 quarts of water; season with salt and pepper. Let boil well. Add 1 head of lettuce, 1/2 head of cabbage, a few thin slices of pumpkin, 2 carrots and 1 clove of garlic, all cut fine, and 1 herb bouquet. Let all cook until tender; then add 1/2 can of peas. Remove the meat; cut into thin slices; season, and serve with the soup.
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January 16
‘‘Upside-Down’’ Dinner
January 16 ‘‘Upside-Down’’ Dinner Royal Automobile Club, London, 1914 The early twentieth century was an exciting time for aviation. It seemed that every week a new record was broken or a death-defying stunt was attempted, and aviators were the superheroes of the age, feˆted and banqueted wherever they went. The Royal Automobile Club gave a special dinner in 1914 to Bentfield C. Hucks (1884–1918) and Gustave Hamel (1889–1914), in honor of their ‘‘looping the loop’’ and ‘‘upside-down’’ flying. The menu was strictly in theme. The English traditionally end their meal with a small savory (see January 12), so the normal order of courses was turned ‘‘upside-down.’’
Fine champagne et Liqueurs varie´es Cafe´ – Pe´goud ` la Chanteloup Savoury – Canape´s a Entremet – Souffle´ Hucks Le´gume – Asperges renverse´es, Sauce Gnome Salade – Ble´riot Roˆti – Be´cassines Hamel ` la Hendon Entre´e – Vol au Vent a ` l’Aviation Grosse Pie`ce – Baron de Paulliac a ` l’Aerodrome de Londres Poisson – Looping Lobsters a Consomme´ – Essence de Volaille Graham-White ` la Morane Hors d’Oevre – Caviare a
The hallmark of a fine dinner had for a very long time been a regular and predictable sequence of classical dishes reproduced faithfully and consistently. Toward the end of the nineteenth century, there began among sophisticated and rich diners (some said tasteless and obscenely wealthy diners) a new fashion for ‘‘freak dinners.’’ Hosts and hostesses tried to outdo each other with increasingly outlandish ideas: dining on horseback, or aboard a bus, or in a mock desert for example. There was sometimes a fine line between a ‘‘theme’’ dinner and a ‘‘freak’’ dinner, as there was on this particular occasion. A great deal of creativity had gone into the planning of this evening, and no opportunity was lost to apply the upside-down theme. The invitation cards and menu were printed so as to read from right to left. The table was arranged in the form of a loop, the center of which was designed to represent the Hendon Aerodrome as seen from 1000 feet in the air. The two guests of honor sat under large mirrors which reflected them upside-down at a table, the illusion being enhanced by extra table legs being screwed onto the table tops. The dishes served were named in honor of famous aviators (Louis Ble´riot, Adolphe Pe´ goud, Pierre Chanteloup, Graham-White, Robert and Le´ on Moran) and places of aviation interest (Hendon, Pauillac), and even the Gnome rotary engine was acknowledged. When it came time for him to
January 17
Benjamin Franklin Honored
respond to the toast to his health, Hucks’s reply began with ‘‘Lastly’’ and went on to ‘‘Thirdly,’’ and finished with a ‘‘Firstly.’’ When the idea of an ‘‘upside-down’’ theme was first mooted, ‘‘M. Pruger, the manager of the club, was able by careful choosing of dishes to make it a novel and most enjoyable dinner.’’ Not every guest was convinced. Nearly all said at the end of the meal that they still felt hungry. Some suggested the plan of following the upside-down dinner with one ‘‘right side up.’’ One astute dinner reflected that ‘‘The dinner requires even more practice to enjoy than flying.’’ Recipes ~~~ It was, and still is, common for chefs to invent a new recipe to honor an important person or commemorate a historic event—or at least for them to modify an existing recipe. It is impossible to know what exactly went into ‘‘Souffle Hucks,’’ but a souffle was no doubt deemed appropriate because of its light and airy nature. Apricot Souffle Twelve fresh or canned apricots eight ounces of Vienna flour four ounces of butter four ounces of castor sugar one pint of milk six yolks of eggs eight whites of eggs Drain the apricots well, and pass them through a hair sieve. Melt the butter, stir in the flour, add the milk (some of the milk may be replaced by apricot syrup) and cook over the fire until the mixture no longer adheres to the sides of the stewpan. Let it cool slightly, then beat in the yolks of eggs, add the sugar, apricot pulp, and stir in as lightly as possible, the stiffly-whisked whites of eggs. Have ready a well-buttered souffle mold, turn in the mixture and steam slowly from forty to forty-five minutes. Unmold and serve with a suitable sauce. Send to table as quickly as possible. Nicholas Soyer, Soyer’s Standard Cookery (1912).
Vol-au-Vents: see September 17. January 17 Benjamin Franklin Honored by Typothetæ Hotel Brunswick, New York, 1895 When the master-printers of New York founded their professional organization, they called themselves the Typothetæ, after the Greek word for a typesetter. They held an annual dinner on January 17, the
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January 17
Benjamin Franklin Honored ´ ES. ENTRE
MENU. *
Filets Mignons Bayard. Sprouts Saute´.
Brussels
Duchesse Potatoes. Sweetbread Cotelettes Nesselrode French Peas Blue Point Oysters. Sorbet au Rhum. Hors d’œuvres. Roti. Celery.
Olives.
Radishes.
Caviar Canapes. Potage. Cream of Asparagus.
Quails on Toast with Cresses. Entremets Sucres. Fancy Forms Ice Cream. Jelly. Friands.
Petits Fours.
` la Napolitaine. Cassolettes a
Dessert. Roquefort.
Muscovite
Croquets Parisiens.
Hors d’œuvres (Chaud).
Poisson.
Salad.
Camembert.
Mendiants.
Fruit.
Mottoes.
Escaloppes of Bass Renaissance. Potatoes Surcouf.
Pie`ces Monte´es.
Cafe´.
birthday of the most famous member of their profession, Benjamin Franklin (1706–1790). This was a typical grand banquet of the time. The nineteenth century saw a huge change in the way that great dinners were served, and the meal on this occasion had features of both the old and the new. In medieval times great feasts consisted of several courses, with each containing a large number of both ‘‘sweet’’ and ‘‘savory’’ dishes (although there was no such distinction then), all placed simultaneously on the table. One course was then completely cleared away before the next course was set up in another display of great abundance—the guests being entertained in the meanwhile. This type of service did not change, essentially, until the early nineteenth century. The idea of single dishes served in strict sequence appeared in about the early nineteenth century in Europe, supposedly due to the influence of the ` la Russian Prince Kourakin (1752–1818)—and became known as service a
January 17
Benjamin Franklin Honored
russe. The civic and corporate world in particular was reluctant to let go of ` la franc¸aise in favor of the new style of service the almost obsolete service a because it did not offer such an opportunity for grand spectacle. Pie`ces monte´es (mounted pieces) were impressive decorative food ‘‘sculptures’’ reminiscent of medieval subtelties (see September 23). Their exact form in this particular menu is not detailed, but surely they were impressive, if descriptions of earlier efforts are any guide. In 1886 there was a ‘‘dainty sugar model of the old-fashioned Franklin band press,’’ and in 1893 there were many special pieces in sugar illustrative of Franklin’s life such as ‘‘The First Printer’s Dinner’’ (Franklin snacking on a loaf of bread when he first arrived in Philadelphia). The dinner of 1892 must have been particularly amusing. As well as the superb sugar and nougat piece representing ‘‘Franklin at the case’’ there were on all tables ‘‘musical automatons, each set to start between the courses.’’ The pie`ces monte´es were marvelous examples of the patissier’s and confectioner’s skills, but they were not primarily meant to be eaten. There was no shortage of sweet treats at this dinner, however. It would have been unthinkable for an American dinner of the time to be without ice cream. There was also Muscovite jelly—a fruit or liqueur flavored jelly made in a decorative hinged ‘‘Muscovite’’ mold and served with the outside frosted. Mendiants comes from mendicant, French for beggar, supposedly because they are so delicious that everyone begs for a piece. Originally it referred to foods containing dried fruit and nuts. In the Christmas tradition of Provence in the south of France, the color of 4 of the 13 traditional dessert items represented the robes of the four mendicant monastic orders—raisins (Dominicans), hazelnuts (Augustins), dried figs (Franciscans), and almonds (Carmelites.) Now the term ‘‘Mendiant’’ usually applies to discs or broken slabs of chocolate containing these dried fruits and nuts. Finally, the ‘‘mottoes’’ were a popular form of candy containing a short saying or line of poetry, an idea that gave rise to the fortune cookie—a uniquely American invention. Recipes ~~~ Candies for Mottoes Have some small conical-shaped plaster molds, the bottoms being detruncated and rounded; they should be an inch in diameter at the bottom and one inch high. Fasten these molds on a ruler slightly apart from each other, then with this ruler imprint the molds into the starch. Put two pounds of sugar in a copper sugar basin and dissolve it; with a pint and a half of water; stand this on the fire to cook to ‘‘large ball,’’ being careful to remove all the scum and keep the sides of the pan clean. When the sugar has reached the proper degree let it fall to ‘‘small ball’’ by adding a few spoonfuls of orange flower water, then remove the pan from the fire and with a wooden spoon rub the sugar against the sides to mass it. As soon as it begins to whiten stir it well and cast it into the starch impressions, using a spring funnel for this purpose; when the box is full bestrew the
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January 18
Prince Regent of England Entertains the Archduke of Russia
candies lightly with a handful of starch and put the box in a heater for two or three hours. After the candies are hard remove them from the starch and range them on grates or on a sieve to cool thoroughly, then brush over with a camel’s hair or feather brush. To wrap up these candies spread open some variegated colored motto papers, in the center of each lay a printed motto folded in four and on this one of the candies, then fold the paper all around toward the center and use a string attached to the table to enclose the candy (this is done by giving the string a turn around the motto and pulling on it, then the motto is released and will be found firmly twisted) and form a bouquet with the fringed ends of the paper. Charles Ranhofer, The Epicurean (New York, 1894).
Duchesse potatoes: see July 11. Brussels Sprouts saute: see February 11.
January 18 Prince Regent of England Entertains the Archduke of Russia Royal Pavilion, Brighton, England, 1817 One of the most spectacular and spectacularly extravagant banquets ever held was created by the French chef Antonin Careˆme (1784–1833) for his employer the Prince Regent (1762–1830), the future King George IV. The occasion was the visit of the Archduke Nicholas of Russia (1796–1855), the future Tsar Nicholas I, and the venue was the Prince’s seaside retreat, the Royal Pavilion at Brighton. Careˆme outdid himself on this, the third banquet of the Archduke’s stay, masterminding the preparation of 127 dishes to create an event that was as much about theatre, propaganda, and the display of power and wealth as it was about food. SOUPES ` la moderne Les profitralles de volaille a Le potage sante` au consomme´ ` l’anglaise Le potage de mouton a ` la Cre`cy Le potage de riz a ` la marinie`re Le potage de pigeons a ` l’Indienne Le potage de karick a ` la d’Orle´ans Le potage a Le potage de celeri, consomme´ de volaille ´ S DE POISSON 8 RELEVE ` la Hollandaise Les perches a ` la Ge´noise La truite saumone´e a ` la cre`me Le cabillaud a ` l’Espagnol garni de laitances Le brocket a Les soles au gratin et aux truffes Le turbot, sauce aux crevettes ` l’Anglaise Les merlans frits a Le hure d’esturgeon au vin de Champagne
January 18
Prince Regent of England Entertains the Archduke of Russia
` SERVIR APRE ´ S LES POISSONS 15 ASSIETTES VOLANTS A ` la Reine De petits vol-au-vents a ˆte`s de mauviettes De petit pa ` la royale De croquettes a ` la Luxembourg De canetons a ` l’Orly De filets de poissons a ´ CES 8 GROSSES PIE Le quartier de sanglier marine ` l’Anglaise Les poulardes a ` la Napolitaine Les filets de boeuf a ` la Perigueux Les faisans truffe´s a ` la Godard moderne La dinde a ` la Monglas La longe de veau a Les perdrix aux choux et racines glace´s Le rosbif de quartier de mounton ´ ES 40 ENTRE [arranged around the releve´s de poissons as indicated] ` la d’Artois La sante de poulardes a ` la chicore`e Les ris de veau glace´s a La croustade de grives au gratin ` la reine, a ` la Chevry Les poulets a Les coˆtelettes de lapereaux en lorgnette ` la Hollandaise) (Les perches a Les quenelles de volaille en turban ` la mirepoix, ragout a ` la fiancie`re Les cailles a ` la gele´e La magnonaise de perdreaux a ` la Clermont L’emince de langues a Les poulets de´pe`ces l’Italienne ` la Ge´noise) (La truite saumone´e a Les filets de volaille en demi-deuil ` la bigarade Les aiguillettes de canrds a La darne de saumon au beurre de Montpellier ` la royale Le pain de volaille a ` la Toulouse Les filets d’agneaux a ` la cre`me) (Le cabillaud a La caisse de lapereaux au laurier La blanquette de poulardes aux champignons ` la Monglas La casserole au riz a ` la Nivernoise Les petits canetons a ` la Perigord Le saute´ de faisans a Les saute´s de perdreaux au supreˆme La chevalier de poulets garni d’Orly ` la Polonaise La timbale de nouilles a ` l’Espagnole Les escalopes de chevreuil a ` la tomate Les ballotines de poulardes a (Les soles au gratin) ` l’Espagnole Les be´casses, entre´e de broche a ` la belle vue Les filtes de volaille a ˆteletes d’aspic de filets de soles Les ha
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January 18
Prince Regent of England Entertains the Archduke of Russia ` la Milanaise Les cervelles de veaux a Les escalopes de gelinottes, sauce salmis (Le turbot, sauce aux crevettes) Les filets de poulardes glace´s aux concombres ` la Richelieu Les boudins de faisins a ` l’ancienne La salade de volaille a La noix de jambon aux ´epinards ` la Pie´montaise Les ailerons de poulardes a ` l’Anglaise) (Les merlans frits a Les pigeons au beurre d’e´crevisses ` la Maquignon La poularde a ` la Nesle, Allemande Le vol-au-vent a ` la pure´e de pommes de terres Les cotelettes de moutons a ` la Pompadour Les filets de poulardes a ´ CES MONTE ´ ES 8 PIE An Italian pavilion A Swiss hermitage Giant Parisian meringue Croque-en-bouche aux pistache A Welsh hermitage A grand oriental pavilion (the Brighton Pavilion in pastry) ` la franc¸aise Un gros nougat a Croque-en-bouche aux anis 8 ROASTS Les be´casses barde´es Le dindonneau Les faisans pique´s Les poulardes au cresson Les sarcelles au citron ` la reine Les poulets a Les gelinottes Les cailles barde´es 32 ENTREMETS (of which 16 are desserts, with indication of arrangement around roasts and grosses pie`ces) Les concombres farcies au veloute´ La gele´e de groseilles (conserve) (Les be´casses barde´es) Les gaufres aux raisins de Corinthe ` l’Anglaise Les ´epinards a (Le Pavilion Italian) Le buisson des homards Les tartelettes d’abricots pralinee´s (Les dindonneaux) La gele´e´ de marasquins fouette´e Les oeufs brouilles aux truffes ` la Parisienne) (La grosse meringue a ` la Chartres Les navets a
January 18
Prince Regent of England Entertains the Archduke of Russia Le pouding de pommes au rhum (Les faisans piques) Les diade´mes au gros sucre´ ` la magnonaise Les choux-fleurs a (L’Hermitage Suisse) ` la serviette Les truffes a Les fanchonettes aux avelines (Les poulardes au cressons) La gele´e de citrons renverse´es La croute aux champignons ` l’Espagnol Les cardes a La gele´e de fraises (conserve) (Les cailles barde´es) Les gateaux renverse´s, glace´s au gros sucre´ Le buisson de crevettes (Le Pavilion Asiatique) ` l’Italienne La salade de salsifis a ` la dauphine Les gateaux a (Les gelinottes) Le fromage Bavarois aux abricots ` l’essence de jambon Les laitues a ` la franc¸aise) (Le gros nougat a Les champignons grilles demi-glace´ ` la Chantilly Les pannequets a ` la reine) (Les poulets a ` la duchesse Les pains a ` la serviette Les truffes a (L’Hermitage Gaulois) ` la Lyonnaise Les pommes de terre a ` la rose Les gateaux d’amandes glaces a (Les sarcelles aux citrons) La gele´e de cuirassau de Hollande ` l’Espagnol Les ce´leris a 12 ASSIETTES VOLANTES 4 souffle´s de pomme ` la vanille 4 souffle´s a
The gluttonous Francophile future King George IV of England had managed to retain the services of the man already styled the ‘‘Cook of Kings and the King of Cooks’’ at great expense, and with the lure of the most vast and modern kitchens imaginable. Careˆme was a man of many paradoxes. He was acknowledged as the greatest chef of his time, yet his first love and passion was architecture. He simplified and codified French cooking yet clung to the old style of serving that demanded that all food for one course was set on the table at one time. He had the salary and kitchen of his dreams yet he was unhappy and homesick and did not stay long in the prince’s employ. Careˆme is considered to be the father of modern haute cuisine for his work in refining the classic dishes of the French repertoire. He defined
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January 18
Prince Regent of England Entertains the Archduke of Russia
four basic sauces (be´chamel, veloute´, espagnol, and allemande) that underlie all others and are the foundation of classic French cuisine. Recipes ~~~ Careˆme’s recipes are very complex and labor intensive. They require the prior preparation of multiple other stocks and flavoring mixtures, and even in professional kitchens they are rarely made today without some shortcuts. The following more accessible versions are taken from The Book of Sauces, by Charles Herman Senn (Chicago, 1915).
´ chamel Sauce (White Sauce) Be Dissolve one ounce of butter in a small stewpan, add one ounce of flour; stir over the fire for a few minutes, just long enough to cook the flour, without allowing it to brown. Stir in a pint of boiling milk; add a small onion stuck with a clove, ten white peppercorns, half a bay-leaf , a sliced carrot, a pinch of salt, and a little grated nutmeg. Stir until it boils, and allow to simmer for fifteen minutes. Pass through a tammy cloth or napkin, return to the stewpan, and finish with a small piece of butter, and half a teaspoonful of lemon juice.
´ Sauce (Velvet Sauce) Veloute 1 oz. flour 1 pint of veal stock 1/2 gill of cream 6 peppercorns nutmeg
2 oz. butter 1/4 gill mushroom liquor 1 small bouquet garni salt lemon juice
Cook the flour with an ounce of butter together without browning, stir in the stock and mushroom liquor, add the bouquet and crushed peppercorns, boil slowly for twenty minutes, stir frequently, and skim. Pass through a sieve or tammy. Keep on the side of the stove, put a few tiny pieces of butter on top to keep from forming a skin. Just before using it add the cream. Stir well and let it get thoroughly hot without boiling, season with salt if necessary, a pinch of nutmeg, and about a teaspoonful of lemon juice.
Espagnole Sauce (Spanish Sauce) 3 quarts of rich stock 1 bouquet garni 4 oz. butter 4 oz. raw ham or lean bacon 1 onion 1/2 pint tomato pulp 1 glass sherry
4 oz. lean veal 12 peppercorns 4 oz. flour (sifted) 1 carrot 2 cloves 1 gill claret some mushrooms (fresh or preserved)
January 19
Dinner for 36, Home of Alexandre Dumas
Wash and peel the carrot, turnip, and onion, cut up small and put in a stewpan with the bouquet, peppercorns, cloves, and the veal and ham, both cut into pieces. Add an ounce of butter, and stir over the fire until of a nice light brown color; this forms a true mirepoix. Pour off the fat, moisten the mirepoix with the stock, claret, sherry, and tomato pulp, boil gently for about an hour. Skim occasionally. Meanwhile, prepare a brown roux by melting 3 oz. of butter in a stewpan, stir in the flour, and cook very slowly over a moderate fire, stirring all the while with a wooden spoon until it acquires a chestnut-brown color; or place the stewpan in the oven and let it cook, stirring from time to time to prevent it from burning, and to blend the flour better. Allow the roux to cool a little, pour in gradually the prepared stock, etc., stir over the fire until it boils, let simmer slowly for another hour, skim well, and pass through a tammy cloth or fine sieve. If found too thick, add a little more stock. To prevent a thick crust forming on the top of the sauce, stir occasionally until quite cool.
Allemande Sauce 1 1/2 oz. butter 2 yolks of eggs 1 teaspoonful lemon juice nutmeg
1 oz. flour 1 tablespoonful of cream chicken stock salt, pepper
Melt the butter in a stewpan, add the flour, stir a few minutes without allowing it to brown, dilute with rather more than a pint of chicken stock, and stir until it boils. Season with pepper and salt and grated nutmeg. Let it simmer for half an hour, skim, and finish with liaison made of the yolks of eggs, the cream, and l/2 oz. of fresh butter. Stir over the fire until the eggs begin to set, but do not let it boil; add the lemon uice, and pass through fine strainer or tammy cloth.
Souffle au Vanille: see May 18. January 19 Dinner for 36 Home of Alexandre Dumas, Paris, 1864 Alexandre Dumas (1802–1870) is best known as the author of the great adventure novels The Count of Monte Cristo, The Three Musketeers, and The Man in the Iron Mask. He was also a great gourmet and wanted to be remembered for his great passion—his Grand Dictionnaire de Cuisine. He died, however, while Paris was under siege during the Franco-Prussian War, and the book was not published until 1873. The dictionary is an astounding work. It is an encyclopaedia with recipes and anecdotes (and plenty of name-dropping), intended ‘‘to be read by worldly people and used by professionals.’’ Many of the dinners that Dumas attended or held for friends were recorded in detail by himself and others, including one at his home, on January 19, 1864.
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January 19
Dinner for 36, Home of Alexandre Dumas POTAGES ` la royale Printanier a Viennoise HORS-D’ŒUVRE ` la Petites bouche´es a ` la marquise Cancale Caisses a ´S RELEVE ` l’amirale Turbots a ` l’anglaise Selles de venaison a ´ ES ENTRE ` la Rozolio Poulardes a ` la Favorite Filets de be´casses a Quenelles de rouget au veloute´ Chauds-froids d’alouettes EXTRA ` l’ananas Punch a ˆ TS RO Faisans truffe´s sauce Pe´rigueux ˆtis au cresson Chapons ro ENTREMETS Salade sue´doise Asperges en branches Petits souffle´s aux mandarines ˆteau Marie-Louise Ga DESSERT
The serving of meals in nineteenth-century France had great symmetry. There was always an even number of dishes in each course, with the correct proportions being maintained across courses. The individual dishes at this dinner are classics from the French repertoire. It can be assumed that the ` la Cancale’’ contained oysters, the name being in honor ‘‘Petites bouche´es a of Le Rocher de Cancale, one of Dumas’s favorite Paris restaurants, which was famous for them (see November 28). Recipes ~~~ Asparagus was an enormously popular vegetable in Europe in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Recipes for ‘‘Asperges en branches’’ only vary in the sauce and garnish, the stems always being simply and briefly blanched in boiling water. ` la Pompadour Asperges a Choose three bunches of the most beautiful asparagus from large young Dutch plants, that is to say white ones with purple tips. Trim them, wash and cook
January 20
Luncheon in Honor of U.S. President Woodrow Wilson
them in the ordinary way, that is to say by plunging them in boiling water. Slice them afterwards by cutting them on the bias near the tip, into pieces the length of the little finger. Use only the best parts, setting aside the rest of the stems. Put the chosen pieces in a hot napkin so as to drain them and keep them hot while you prepare your sauce. Empty a medium-size pot of butter from Vanvre or Pre´valais and put the contents in spoonfuls in a silver dish. Add a few grains of salt, a good pinch of powdered mace and a generous spoonful of pure wheat flour; and in addition the yolks of two fresh eggs diluted with four spoonfuls of the juice of sour Muscat grapes. Cook this sauce in a double boiler; do not allow it to thicken excessively and thus become too heavy. Put your sliced pieces of asparagus in the sauce, and serve it all in a covered casserole as an extra, so that this excellent course does not languish on the table and can be appreciated at the height of its perfection. From his Grand Dictionnaire de Cuisine (1873), as translated by Alan and Jane Davidson in Dumas on Food.
Dumas’s Salad Recipe Dumas held regular Wednesday evening suppers at his Paris home, and, unusually for the time, took some part in the actual preparation himself. He was particularly proud of his salad, which, he wrote ‘‘was not just like any other salad,’’ but was ‘‘a salad of great imagination.’’ It comprised five principal ingredients: slices of beet, half-moons of celery, minced truffles, rampion [bellflower Campanula rapunculus] with its leaves, and boiled potatoes. First I put the ingredients into the salad bowl, then overturn them onto a platter. Into the empty bowl I put one hard boiled egg yolk for each two persons—six for a dozen guests. These I mash with oil to form a paste, to which I add chervil, crushed tuna, macerated anchovies, Maille mustard, a large spoonful of soya, chopped gherkins, and the chopped white of the eggs. I thin this mixture by stirring in the finest vinegar obtainable. Finally I put the salad back in the bowl, and my servant tosses it [he is ordered to do this several times during the hour before it is to be served.] On the tossed salad I sprinkle a pinch of paprika, which is the Hungarian red pepper.
Louis Colman, ed., trans., The Dictionary of Cuisine (Paris: A. Lemerre, 1873).
Potage Printanier: see February 28. Chaud-froids: see July 25.
January 20 Luncheon in Honor of U.S. President Woodrow Wilson Luxembourg Palace, Paris, France, 1919 For six months in 1919, the leaders of over 30 countries met in Paris to consider how the security and peace of Europe might be maintained in the aftermath of World War I. Never had so many national leaders been in the same
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January 20
Luncheon in Honor of U.S. President Woodrow Wilson
place at the same time, and the most powerful were ‘‘the big four’’— President Woodrow Wilson (1856–1924) of the United States, the Prime Minister of Britain, David Lloyd George (1863–1945), the Prime Minister of France, Georges Clemenceau (1841–1929), and the Prime Minister of Italy, Vittorio Orlando (1860–1952). It was to be ‘‘the six months that changed the world,’’ and if the Peace Conference was not ultimately judged a success it was because the task was nigh on impossible. Nevertheless, the conference opened on January 18 in an air of great optimism. It was the first time a serving American president had traveled to Europe, and Wilson was received with great enthusiasm by the French. Two days into the conference he was feˆted at a luncheon given in his honor by the French Senate, in the Luxembourg Palace. MENU Hors d’oeuvre Bar Glace´ Ve´nitienne Selle De Paulliac Moissonneuse Dindonneau A La Broche Fonds D’artichauts Au Veloute´ Mazarine De Fruits Au Kirsch Petits Fours Varie´s Plateaux De Fruits Cafe´—Fromage VINS Graves & Me´doc En Carafes Volnay—Sauternes Th. Roederer Frappe´ Liqueurs
The luncheon for 300 guests included some of the most important political and military figures of the day. It was held in the throne room of the Bourbon Kings, the very room where Napoleon had banqueted his victorious generals. After the luncheon, coffee was served and conversation enjoyed in the magnificent Salon Victor Hugo. President Wilson’s portrait graced the cover of the very elegant menu card. It was without doubt one of the finest functions of the conference. Europe was exhausted and devastated, and already fearful of events taking place in Russia. Food shortages were severe, and many ordinary people were hungry. Did they begrudge their leaders meals such as this? It was an elegant meal—a classic sequence of chilled fish, meat, artichokes in a veloute´ sauce, and a fruit and liqueur filled cake, with the classic ‘‘bookends’’ that are among France’s enduring culinary (and linguistic) legacies to the world— hors d’œuvre and petits fours. ‘‘Hors d’œuvre’’ literally means ‘‘outside the (main) work.’’ The term is now used almost exclusively for small savory items served before the main dishes, but at one time at large banquets there
January 20
Luncheon in Honor of U.S. President Woodrow Wilson
Lloyd George of Great Britain, Vittorio Orlando of Italy, Georges Clemenceau of France, and Woodrow Wilson. (AP Photo)
might be cold hors d’œuvre served at some point during the meal, and warm hors d’œuvre served at another. Recipes ~~~ Many things go by the name of mazarine. The term originally meant a deep perforated platter that fit inside a serving dish, but it extended to refer to small tarts filled with sweetmeats and a variety of moulded sweet and savory dishes. Most dessert mazarines have a sponge cake base (a Genoese). The sponge may then be garnished with dried fruit and nuts, soaked in liqueur, reassembled and served warm. At banquets such as this it was more commonly scooped out, the hollow filled with chopped crystallized fruit, fruit puree, and a liqueur such as kirsch, and a disc of the cake was placed back to fill the base. Genoese Cake Beat the yolks of fourteen eggs for a good quarter of an hour, then stir in gradually a pound of loaf-sugar finely powdered and sifted and a dessert-spoonful of noyeau. Continue beating it for another fifteen minutes, and by degrees dredge in half a pound of very dry flour. Whisk the whites of the eggs to a snow and
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January 21
Luncheon during the Inaugural Flight of the Concorde
put them with the other ingredients. Butter the inside of your cake-mould, sift powdered sugar into it, shake out the loose sugar, put in your cake, strew sugar on the top, and bake it for an hour and a quarter in a moderately quick oven. Do not turn it out of the mould until half an hour after it has been taken from the oven. Foreign Desserts for English Tables (1862).
Veloute´ Sauce: see January 18. Petits Fours: see November 14.
January 21 Luncheon En Route from London to Bahrain during the Inaugural Flight of the Concorde, 1976 The world’s first supersonic passenger air service was inaugurated at 11:30 A.M. on January 21, 1976 when the Concorde took off from London’s Heathrow airport, bound for Bahrain. At a time when the average weekly wage for an Englishman was around 70, passengers aboard the Concorde had paid 45 more than the usual one-way first class fare for the excitement and privilege of flying at 1,350 mph and getting to their destination two hours earlier. Concorde was planned to be ‘‘an ambassador abroad for good British design.’’ The distinctive Concorde logo was on everything from the silverplated cutlery to the fine-cut glass wine goblets, and everything was designed by British designers. The crew’s polyester uniforms were created by the famous English fashion designer Hardy Amis in the corporate colors of blue and white, and the color theme was extended to the specially commissioned Royal Doulton bone china tableware. Airline food has been the butt of jokes throughout its history, but Concorde passengers were presumably expecting something out of the ordinary to come out of the sophisticated galleys of the Concorde and onto those blue and white china plates. Canape´s Smoked Salmon Breast of Duck Bigarade or Fillet Steak, Cafe´ de Paris Butter Strawberries with Double Cream Cheese
Petits Fours Coffee
January 21
Luncheon during the Inaugural Flight of the Concorde
Inaugural Concorde flight. (AP Photo)
For such a determinedly British ambassadorial flight, the caterers had clearly been unable to come up with English alternative words for canape´s or petits fours. The Oxford English Dictionary describes a canape´ as ‘‘a piece of bread or toast, etc., on which small savouries are served’’—in other words they are a particular type of small hors d’œuvre (see January 20). There are in fact older English words for these little ‘‘appetizers’’—at one time they were called ‘‘zests’’ or ‘‘whets’’ (because their function was to whet the appetite), although the words had not been in common use for a long time. Petits fours are essentially little cakes (see November 14), but there is no equivalent English phrase that gives quite the same impression of French elegance. Recipes ~~~ The classic dish of duck bigarade has ancient roots. ‘‘Bigarade’’ refers to the bitter Seville orange, which was the only ‘‘orange’’ known in Europe until the sweet orange was introduced by the Portuguese (via their South-East Asian voyages) in the sixteenth century. Originally, therefore, the dish had a bitter citrus edge to it, a great contrast to the rich fatty duck flesh. By the mid-twentieth century, many if not most of the recipes for this dish used sweet oranges—some even suggesting marmalade and adding sugar, taking the dish to a cloyingly sweet realm far away from its original. The following recipe from The Times of January 20, 1958, uses the sweet orange (which is much more easily available) but the Seville orange would give greater authenticity.
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January 21
Luncheon during the Inaugural Flight of the Concorde Duck with Sauce Bigarade
Parings of orange rind are inserted between the skin and flesh of a young duck which is stuffed with an orange cut into eight triangular pieces, a sprig of sage, a bay leaf, a finely chopped shalot, three or four cloves and the edible offal. The duck is next put in a casserole along with the juice of an orange and a tablespoon of Marsala or Vermouth. Put the lid on the casserole and cook for about 10 minutes in a fierce oven. Remove from the oven, pour off and keep the liquid. Skim off any fat and baste the duck with a little of it, then return the bird to the oven, this time leaving it uncovered. After five minutes reduce the heat and then add some slices of orange. Total cooking time should be from 25 to 35 minutes according to the size of the duck and the degree of cooking liked. Now put the duck and orange slices on a dish and keep hot. Remove any fat from the casserole and mix the remaining juice with the liquid saved from the first cooking. If necessary add a little more Marsala or Vermouth and heat over a fierce flame until the mixture is reduced to a thickish almost jelly-like sauce but taking care not to burn it. Serve duck and sauce separately, and with potatoes that have been finely sliced, piled into a dish, cooked gently in the oven with only a knob of butter and sprinkled with salt, and served in the dish in which they are cooked.
Petits fours: see November 14. Airline Catering Timeline September 13, 1919
A five-course lunch was served aboard Airship R33 during a 20-hour trip over Belgium and the Netherlands.
October 19, 1919
The first regular airline meals were served on a Handley-Page flight from London to Paris. They were prepacked lunch boxes containing sandwiches, fruit and chocolate, and cost passengers three shillings each.
May 1, 1927
Imperial Airways began its London-Paris ‘‘Silver Wing’’ service. A four-course luncheon was served during the two-and-a-half-hour flight.
May 21, 1927
Charles Lindberg was the first to fly solo across the Atlantic. The flight took 33 1/2 hours. He took five sandwiches and a quart of water, saying that it would be enough for him to get to Paris, and if he didn’t get there, it would be enough anyway.
May 2, 1928
The new Croydon (London) Airport was opened. Food for Imperial Airways’ ‘‘Silver Wing’’ service was sourced from local shops and markets in Croydon. The food was served on blue-and-white china on damask tablecloths.
1928
In the United States, Western Air Express stewards served sandwiches prepared by the Los Angeles restaurant The Pig ’n Whistle on the
January 22
Dinner for Six Gentlemen
two-hour, fifty-minute flight between LA and San Francisco. 1933
Imperial Airways offered ‘‘Tea Flights’’ over London. Passengers took ‘‘tea’’ while they flew over the city and observed the sights.
1934
United Airlines hired a Cornell University food consultant Don Magarrell to develop the first airline flight kitchen in Oakland, California.
1936
American Airlines introduced airplane galleys in their DC-3. There was no electrical power available for heating (or chilling) foods or beverages; heat was maintained in insulated thermos-type containers. Canned food was carried for emergencies. Later, the Boeing 314 had a foodheating capability via a system which used glycol, heated by the plane’s engines and circulated through pipes.
1954
The first frozen TV dinners went on sale in the United States. They had been inspired by airline food trays.
1957
TWA was the first airline to provide freshly brewed coffee in-flight.
June 30, 1971
The British entrepreneur Freddie Laker introduced his low-cost airline. He had reduced costs by cutting out some airline services, such as meals. If passengers wanted meals, they were charged extra.
1999
Delta Air Lines reduced its food service: sandwiches in its SkyDeli bags were replaced with crackers and cheese or carrots and dip, and in first class, snacks were replaced with beverages.
November 23, 1999
Captain Floyd Dean of Northwest Airlines left his cabin before takeoff on a flight from Las Vegas to Detroit, to go and get something acceptable to eat. There being nothing to his liking at the airport, he got a cab downtown and returned ninety minutes later. Passengers and his employers were not amused, and he was fired.
January 22 Dinner for Six Gentlemen Revere House, Bowdoin Square, Boston, Massachusetts, 1848 The identities of the six gentlemen entertained at this dinner at this historic venue remain a mystery. To judge from the very beautiful and heavily gold-
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January 22
Dinner for Six Gentlemen
embossed menu card, it was an exclusive, privately catered affair. Even without the benefit of seeing the menu card itself, it is clear from the list of dishes served that it was a fine and expensive dinner served in the most elegant way. The food is as elaborate as the menu card. There is a preponderance of complex, time-consuming, labor-intensive dishes rarely cooked anywhere else than in a professional kitchen—and a nineteenth-century professional kitchen at that. The chartreuse (see November 9), for example, is a complicated, highly artistic moulded dish almost never cooked nowadays. The omelette souffle seems like a simple dish, but the skill here is in the exact timing—it must be served immediately when it comes out of the oven as it begins to collapse immediately. Other dishes at this dinner are boned, larded, or jellied—techniques also requiring a great deal of skill. Making ‘‘jelly’’ at this time was not a simple matter of emptying a pack of powdered gelatin into the desired liquid and refrigerating it. It was a prolonged process beginning with boiling a pot full of calves’ feet, and repeatedly skimming, straining, concentrating, and clarifying the liquor (see July 5). Eventually the collagen in the feet broke down to ‘‘gelatin,’’ and the (now clear) liquid would set on cooling and could then be flavored and used as desired. ‘‘Larding’’ is also rarely carried out these days. The term means to thread (with a special ‘‘larding needle’’) thin strips of bacon or other fat through the flesh of the meat or fish to enrich and tenderize it. BILL OF FARE Oysters in Shell. SOUP.
FISH
A la reine.
Baked Pickerel, Larded. BOILED. Capon, Celery Sauce.
COLD DISHES.
SIDE DISHES.
Boned Quail on a Form.
Sweetbreads in cases, with
Pattie of Turkey Liver in Jelly.
Green Peas.
Lobster Salad in Border of Jelly.
Chartreuse of Partridge.
Boned Canvasback Duck sur socle. ROAST. Filet of Beef, Larded. GAME. Grouse.
Teal.
Red-head Duck.
Canvas-back Ducks.
January 22
Dinner for Six Gentlemen
PASTRY. Ornament of Cake. Omelette Souffle. Charlotte Russe. Blanc Manger. Calf’s Feet Jelly. DESSERT. Roman Punch,
Ice Cream,
Fruit.
COFFEE AND LIQUEURS.
The presentation of the dishes, too, is professional to the highest degree. Several are served ‘‘on a form’’ or ‘‘in cases’’ or ‘‘sur socle.’’ A socle is a wooden block or plinth, so to serve ‘‘sur socle’’ is an upmarket way of ‘‘planking’’ a dish. Recipes ~~~ Fillet of Beef, Larded and Marinaded Take the inside fillet of a sirloin of beef, pare off the sinews, and lard it with fat bacon; prepare a pickle with shalots, onions, carrots cut in slices, a little parsley, pepper, salt, vinegar, and sweet oil; let the beef remain in this marinade for twenty-four hours, occasionally basting it; then the fillet is to be braised the way you do a rump of beef; but it is to be observed that the braise is not to cover the larded part: when it is quite done serve with a ravigotte sauce. To braise a rump of beef . . . place it in a large braising kettle, with any trimmings of meat you may have, half a dozen onions, celery, leeks, carrots, a bunch of sweet herbs, a little mace, cloves, and half an ounce of whole pepper; add broth sufficient, close the braising kettle, and when it boils, remove it to a small slow fire, and also put lighted charcoal on the top; try the beef in about four hours’ time; it should braise very slowly, and must be perfectly tender: when done, take it out, carefully trim it and cut away the string, glaze it, and put it in the screen to dry, and before the beef is dished, glaze it again. I. Roberts, The Young Cook’s Guide: With Practical Observations (America 1841).
´ Omelette Souffle Mix the yolks of six eggs with four ounces of powdered sugar, and a spoonful of orange flower water. Whip, to a solid froth, the whites of eight or nine eggs, which mix with the yolks. Melt some butter in a spider [a long-handled,
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Dinner of Exotic Animals
three-legged frying pan], turn in the above mixture, and when it begins to turn yellow, put it on a dish kept hot, and place it in the oven. These entremets must be eaten as soon as cooked, as they soon fall. American Matron (1851).
Charlotte Russe: see September 4. Blanc Manger: see January 7. ` la Romaine (Roman Punch): see July 1. Punch a
January 23 Dinner of Exotic Animals Hamburg, Germany, 1862 On January 23, 1862, the administrators of the Zoological Society of Hamburg sat down to a most unusual bill of fare, the likes of which would be impossible to repeat in modern times, for all sorts of reasons.
Donne en l’honneur di Conseil d’Administration de la Socie´te´ zoologique de HAMBOURG par son Pre´sident le 23. Janvier 1862 DEUX POTAGES. Consomme´ de Boa Constrictor. Pure´e de pommes au Beurre de Cocos. DEUX HORS-D’OUVRES. Buisson de sauterelles garni de hannetons. Rognures de griffes de Lion au naturel. POISSON. Requin au bleu garni de jeunes. ´ S. DEUX RELEVE Croupion de shameau garni de tetes de singe.
Alligators frits.
` la Filet de Rhinoceros a Leopard.
´ ES. HUIT ENTRE Yeux de Gazelles en bellevue. Herisson sur socle. Timbale garni d’entrailles de tigre. Pieds d’Elephants en papillote. Rognons d’Hippopotame garni de feuilles de Lotus. Gallantine de pattes d’ours a la siberienne. Terrine de fore de cachalot. Serpents a sonnette gratine de millepieds.
January 23
Dinner of Exotic Animals
PONCHE DE LARMES DE CROCODILE GLACE ˆ TS QUATRE RO Autruche garni de parroquets. Quartier de Giraffe. Colibris sur broche. Roche forme d’enorme lezard, de six marsouins et de quarante queue de rats a la moelle de lion. QUATRE ENTREMENTS Pommes de pin a la Renne. Salade de sensitive de huile de Castor. Croquettes de fil de fer. Toile d’araignee en beignets. POUR EXTRA GORELLA EMPAILLE. Lait d’Hyene au musc. ˆ TISSERIE. PA Croquembouche de Coquilles de nacre et nois de Cocos. DESSERT.
A menu such as this strikes horror into some modern hearts. Even if they could bring themselves to eat the animals entrusted to their care, zoologists and zoo curators would be forbidden to do so by local food safety laws as well as international conservation regulations. The nineteenth century was a time of great scientific interest, and acclimatisation societies were founded in many countries, their brief being to expand the understanding of the flora and fauna of other countries, and to experiment with producing them elsewhere. It was not rare for them to stage dinners in which some of this exotica was eaten—ostensibly to provoke interest, but it is hard to avoid the feeling that a lot of it was for its shock or exotica value. The ethical dilemmas aside, there is a deep and abiding curiosity about eating such exotica. The first author to explore this topic was Peter Lund , in The Curiosities of Food, or the Dainties and Delicacies of Different Nations Obtained from the Animal Kingdom, first published in 1859. He acknowledged that ‘‘Amid all the multiplicity of special dainties, appreciated by different peoples, the prejudices of the stomach are, perhaps, more unconquerable than any other that tyranize over the human mind.’’ What do these strange meats actually taste like? As with the menu for February 15, to get some idea of the taste of these, the accounts of hunters, explorers, frontiersmen, and eccentrically adventurous eaters such as the English zoologist Frank Buckland (1826–1880) must be relied on. Buckland was infamous for his willingness to eat anything and everything that he could get his hands on, to the consternation sometimes of his guests. One
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Dinner of Exotic Animals
day a boa constrictor that had been killed in an accident came into his possession and he said he ‘‘cooked a bit of him; it tasted very [much] like veal, the flesh being exceedingly white and firm. If I had nothing else and could have forgotten what I was eating, I could easily have made a dinner of it.’’ His comments on horsemeat are also insightful (see December 19). quoted other authorities on various other items that appear in this menu. The flesh of a particular type of lizard ‘‘when cooked, is white, and by those whose stomachs rise above all prejudices is relished as very good’’ and ‘‘the flesh of the giraffe is said to be good eating. The Hottentots hunt the animal principally on account of its marrow, which, as a delicacy, they set high value on.’’ The famous David Livingstone, who was often starving during his exploration of Africa, described his first taste of hippopotamus: ‘‘It is a coarsegrained meat, something between pork and beef—pretty good food when one is hungry and can get nothing better.’’ Recipes ~~~ Recipes for the dishes in this menu do not appear in conventional cookbooks. Travelers’ tales often do tell how the ‘‘natives’’ prepare a dish, however. Gordon Cumming, the authority quoted by , wrote an account of his adventures in Five Years of a Hunter’s Life in the Far Interior of South Africa, in 1851, and included this explanation of ‘‘the whole art and mystery’’ of the preparation and cooking of elephants’ feet. Baked Elephants’ Paws ‘‘ . . . A party, provided with sharp-pointed sticks, dig a hole in the ground for each foot and a portion of the trunk . . . the excavated earth is banked around the margin of the holes . . . they next collect an immense quantity of dry branches and trunks of trees, . . . . These they pile above the holes to the height of eight or nine feet, then set fire to the heap . . . . When these strong fires have burnt down . . . take out the ashes with a pole about sixteen feet in length . . . . When all the ashes are thus raked out beyond the surrounding bank of earth, each elephant’s foot and portion of the trunk is lifted by two athletic men, standing side by side, who place it on their shoulders, and, approaching the pit together, they heave it into it. . . . shove in the heated bank of earth upon the foot, shoving and raking until it is completely covered with earth. The hot embers, of which there is always a great supply, are then raked to a heap above the foot and another bonfire is kindled over each and allowed to burn down and die a natural death; by which time the enormous food or trunk will be equally baked throughout its innermost parts. When the foot is supposed to be ready, it is taken out of the ground with pointed sticks, and is first well beaten, and then scraped with an assegai, whereby adhering particles of sand are got rid of. The outside is then pared off and is transfixed with a sharp stick for facility of carriage. The feet thus cooked are excellent, as is also the tongue, which very much resembles buffalo’s tongue.’’
January 24
Gourmet Society Eat ‘‘Eskimo Fare’’
January 24 Gourmet Society Eat ‘‘Eskimo Fare’’ Cavanagh’s, New York, 1937 The Gourmet Society ‘‘went Arctic’’ at their dinner on 258 West TwentyThird Street in New York City on this night, the theme being mostly in evidence on account of the guest speakers rather than the menu. As The New York Times pointed out, the society members merely ‘‘trifled with Eskimo fare’’ by only going so far as to include reindeer loin in the dinner, with ‘‘blubber and vintage fish’’ appearing only in the speeches.
Lynnhaven Bay Oyster Cocktail Hearts of Celery Queen Olives Bisque of Soft Clams Broiled Loin of Alaska Reindeer Currant Jelly Fresh Mushrooms New String Beans, Julienne Candied Sweet Potatoes Green Vegetable Salad Cavanagh Dressing Apple Pudding Hard and Brandy Sauce Cafe´, Demi-Tasse (Two Wines)
At the conclusion of the dinner, ‘‘amid wreaths of smoke,’’ the epicures settled in to enjoy the program for the evening. The supposed Arctic theme notwithstanding, the president of the society, J. George Frederick, considered the meal an illustration of the superiority of American over French cooking traditions. The French, he said, have a philosophy of regarding food as ‘‘a plastic raw material from which to create new things. It is a standard of artificiality and recreation,’’ but ‘‘through repasts like the one just finished, this country might rid itself of the American inferiority complex on cookery.’’ A lighter note was introduced by the poet and humorist Gelett Burgess (1866–1951) who declaimed (‘‘by heart . . . with lapses’’) his poem An Epic of Arctic Grub, making it into an interactive exercise by enjoining the audience to fill in the missing words at the end of each stanza. The real star of the evening, however, was the famous polar explorer and ethnologist Vilhjalmur Stefansson (1879–1962) who seized the opportunity to discuss his favorite theme—the all-meat diet. No doubt the guests at the dinner were relieved that seal blubber was not on the menu in spite of Stefansson’s enthusiasm for this ‘‘most delectable’’ form of raw fat. He likened it when fresh to ‘‘cow’s cream with a very light grating of walnut on it’’ but admitted that the fermented ‘‘decayed’’ variety was an acquired taste, as was that for ripe cheese and well-hung grouse.
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Gourmet Society Eat ‘‘Eskimo Fare’’
Stefansson had lived with the Inuit of the Canadian archipelago for prolonged periods of time and was very interested in their diet. In his record of his experiences he described one meal which was in stark contrast to the Gourmet Society event. My host was the seal-hunter whom we had first approached on the ice . . . . Our meal was of two courses: the first, meat (seal meat); the second, soup. The soup is made by pouring cold seal blood into the boiling broth immediately after the cooked meat has been taken out of the pot, and stirring briskly until the whole comes nearly (but never quite) to a boil. This makes a soup of thickness comparable to our English pea-soups, but if the pot be allowed to come to a boil, the blood will coagulate and settle to the bottom.
Stefansson became convinced that this virtually all-meat, essentially nocarbohydrate diet conferred great health benefits, and to prove his he point later took part in an experiment in which he and a colleague lived entirely on meat for twelve months and were declared perfectly healthy at its conclusion. Medical opinion remained divided on the benefits of the diet—with one expert pointing out that it was actually a high fat diet, with no more lean protein than an ordinary diet, making, he said, Stefansson’s experiment of no great significance. Recipes ~~~ Oyster Cocktail One dessertspoonful tomato sauce, one shake of tabasco, a sprinkle of horse radish, about half a dozen oysters, and the same on top. Serve in small tumblers on a plate with pounded ice around them and with oyster biscuits. My Pet Recipes, Tried and True, Contributed by the Ladies and Friends of St. Andrew’s Church (Quebec, 1900).
Venison Steak Take a steak about one inch thick. Heat 2 oz. butter in the chafing-dish, sprinkle the steak with pepper and salt; cook about five minutes on each side, then add 1 wineglass port wine, 1/2 teaspoon extract of meat, and 1 teaspoon currant jelly. Cook ten minutes and serve. Amy Richards, Cookery (Montre´al, 1895).
Arctic Food ‘‘The outside fat of your walrus sustains your little moss fire: its frozen slices give you bread, its frozen blubber gives you butter, its scrag ends make the soup.’’ Elisha Kent Kane, The Second Grinnel Expedition in Search of Sir John Franklin (Philadelphia, 1856).
January 25
Burns Night Supper
‘‘Many times . . . during my twenty-three years of Arctic exploration, I have thanked God for even a bite of raw dog.’’ Robert Edwin Peary (1856–1920), polar explorer. ‘‘Speaking of native customs I may mention, that having within the last few days killed some ptarmigan, and having no means of cooking them, we followed the Indian practice of freezing them and eating them raw. I can assure those who have not tried the experiment that, though not equal to ‘‘ perdrix rote,’’ a frozen ptarmigan, after a hard day’s march, is by no means an unwelcome addition to an Arctic traveller’s bill of fare.’’ William Kennedy, A Short Narrative of the Second Voyage of the Prince Albert, in Search of Sir John Franklin (London, 1853).
Bisque of Soft Clams: see May 22. Candied Sweet Potato: see February 1. Currant Jelly: January 5.
January 25 Burns Night Supper Sutherland’s, New York, 1882 Robert Burns (1759–1796), the much-loved national poet of Scotland, has almost a cult following. All around the world there are clubs in his honor, made up of members who have Scots heritage, or wish they had. The most important function of these clubs is to hold an annual celebration on the annivesary of their hero’s birth. Most clubs attempt a thoroughly Scottish menu on the night, as did the New York branch in 1882. BILL OF FARE. OYSTERS. SOUP. Cock-a-Leeekie. Scotch Hare. FISH. Boiled cod’s head and shouthers, Meg Dodd’s style. Fried smelts. ENTREES. Curried Rabbit. ` la St.Ronan’s Well. Stewed Ox Tails, a JOINTS. Roast. Boiled. Beef. Gigot o’Mutton. Saddle of Scotch Mutton. Round of Beef, with Kail. Singed Sheep’s Head and Trotters. Haggis. Black and White Puddings
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Burns Night Supper
Scotch Pheasants.
GAME. Bread Sauce.
Canvas-back Ducks.
PASTRY. Plum Pudding. Apple Pie. Mince Pie. Short Cake. VEGETABLES. Boiled Taties. Baked Taties. Neeps. Rumble-ty-Thump. Scotch Kail. Carrots. Oat Cake. Cheese. Celery. Coffee. DRY MONOPOLE CHAMPAGNE
There is another Scottish literary theme running through this particular menu. Sir Walter Scott (1771–1832) was a contemporary of Burns and was an enormously popular novelist. His novel St. Ronan’s Well is referenced in this menu, as is one of its characters, Meg Dodds, the landlady of the Cleikum Inn. In 1826 a book called The Cook and Housewife’s Manual attributed ‘‘Mrs. Margaret Dods’’ of the Cleikum Inn, St. Ronan’s, was published in Edinburgh. So successful was it that it was commonly believed that she was a real person, and the inn a real inn. It was eventually shown to have been written by a novelist—Christian Isobel Johnstone (1781–1857)—and is a wonderfully witty work as well as being a marvelous source of nineteenthcentury Scottish recipes (see haggis, below). Important as the bill of fare might be, the focus (and fun) of the evening revolved around a time-honored program of speeches and toasts, the highlight of which is ‘‘piping in the haggis.’’ The program of the evening was as follows: 1. The welcome by the Chairman. 2. All present recite Burns’s Selkirk Grace. Some hae meat and cannae eat, And some wad eat that want it. But we hae meat and we can eat And so the Lord be thankit
3. At the appropriate point in the meal, the company all stand, and perform a slow handclap during the piping in of the haggis. The procession consists of the piper, the chef bearing the haggis on a silver platter, the whiskey bearer, and the honored guest who will address the haggis. 4. The honored guest recites Burns’s ode To a Haggis (which must be done with great gusto and feeling), and at the line ‘‘His knife see Rustic-labour
January 26
Centennial Banquet
dight, An cut you up wi ready slight’’ he plunges his own knife into the haggis, spilling out its ‘‘gushing entrails.’’ 5. At the final line ‘‘Gie her a Haggis!’’ (‘‘her’’ being Scotland), the company applaud, raise their whiskey glasses, and make a toast ‘‘To the Haggis.’’ 6. After the meal, a short speech on some aspect of Burns’s life is given by another specially chosen guest. Cod’s head. 7. Various other toasts follow, including the Toast to the Lasses (women not being present early in the history of Burns suppers). 8. The evening ends with the traditional rendering by the company of ‘‘Auld Lang Syne.’’ Recipes ~~~ The Scotch Haggis Clean a sheep’s pluck thoroughly. Make incisions in the heart and liver to allow the blood to flow out, and parboil the whole, letting the wind-pipe lie over the side of the pot to permit the phlegm and blood to disgorge from the lungs; the water maybe changed after a few minutes’ boiling for fresh water. A halfhour’s boiling will be sufficient; but throw back the half of the liver to boil till it will grate easily; take the heart, the half of the liver, and part of the lights, trimming away all skins and black-looking parts, and mince them together. Mince also a pound of good beef-suet and four onions. Grate the other half of the liver. Have a dozen of small onions peeled and scalded in two waters to mix with this mince. Toast some oatmeal before the fire for hours, till it is of a light-brown colour and perfectly dry. Less than two tea-cupfuls of meal will do for this quantity of meat. Spread the mince on a board, and strew the meal lightly over it, with a high seasoning of pepper, salt, and a little cayenne, well mixed. Have a haggis-bag perfectly clean, and see that there be no thin part in it, else your whole labour will be lost by its bursting. Some cooks use two bags. Put in the meat with a half-pint of good beef-gravy, or as much strong broth, as will make it a thick stew. Be careful not to fill the bag too full, but allow the meat room to swell; add the juice of a lemon, or a little good vinegar; press out the air, and sew up the bag; prick it with a large needle when it first swells in the pot, to prevent bursting; let it boil slowly for three hours if large.
January 26 Centennial Banquet Sydney, Australia, Town Hall, 1888 The anniversary of the first century of white settlement was celebrated around Australia in January 1888. The dumping ground for British convicts
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Centennial Banquet
had by now become ‘‘a free and prosperous nation’’ of four million people and was on the brink of federation. A public holiday was declared in all capital cities except Adelaide—the colony of South Australia refusing to participate in the centenary celebrations on the grounds that it was built on free settlement and had no wish or need to be associated with the country’s convict past. The most spectacular celebrations took place in Sydney, and many of the rural folk of New South Wales were able to take advantage of the specially reduced train fares to enjoy the festivities. A statue of Queen Victoria was unveiled, several foundation stones laid, gifts of food were given to the poor, there were free band concerts, parades, fireworks, and a piece of former swampland was renamed Centennial Park and formally handed over for the permanent enjoyment of the people of Sydney. In the evening, for the politicians and civic leaders, there was, of course, ‘‘the inevitable banquet.’’
POTAGE. Tortue. POISSONS. ` la Royale. Saumon a ` la Mare´chal. Filet de Sole, Creˆme des Anchoies. Schnapper a ENTREES. ˆtes a ` la Reine. Les Pa Salmi des Perdrix. Chaud Froid de Volaille. RELEVES. ˆti a ` la Perigord. Dinde Ro Dinde Boulli, Sauce aux Champignons. Jambon de Yorc. Langues de Bœuf. Selle d’Agneau. Haut de Bœuf. Bœuf en Preserve. GIBIER. Faisans, Sauce au Pain. ˆte de Foie Gras en Aspic. Pa ` la Russe. Salade a Mayonnaise des Crevettes. ENTREMETS. ` l’Australienne. Gele´e a Gele´e des Oranges. Gele´e au Ponche. Charlotte aux Fraises. ` la Princesse. Pouding a Pouding aux Amandes. ` la Vanille. Creˆme a Creˆme au Fleur des Oranges. Creˆme au Chocolat. Nougat au Creˆme. Fanchettes. Bouche´es des Dames. Tartelettes au Creˆme.
January 26
Centennial Banquet
` la Nesselrode. Pouding Glace´ a Eau Glace´ aux Oranges. DESSERT. Cafe´. WINES. Sherry, Hock, Chablis, Australian Wine. Champagnes: Ruinart, Irroy, Pommery and Greno. Clarets: Mouton de Rothschild, Latour. Port. Liqueurs: Curacoa, Maraschino, Old Brandy.
The move toward Federation was already underway, but for most in Australia at this time—even for those born in the colony—England was ‘‘home.’’ Loyalty was to the Empire, and the culture was resolutely British. There was nothing intrinsically ‘‘Australian’’ about this menu, apart from the small ` l’Australienne and a few unspecified Australian concession of the Gele´e a wines. As it would have been at a comparable banquet in England, the menu was in French and the dishes were based in classic French cuisine. The first Australian cookbook had been written in 1864, by a Tasmanian politician called Edward Abbott. It was called The English and Australian Cookery Book: Cooking for the Many as Well as the Upper Ten Thousand, and it was a resounding failure, never having a second printing. It was far too eccentric with its strange blend of English recipes and aggressively Australian ideas such as ‘‘Slippery Bob’’—a delightful sounding dish of kangaroo brains. Most Australian settlers remained faithful to the cookbooks they had brought from ‘‘home,’’ such as Mrs. Beeton’s Household Manual, and the other Victorian classic Warne’s Everyday Cookery. Recipes ~~~ There was no major Australian cookbook after Abbott’s until The Art of Living in Australia by Philip Muskett in 1893. As its title suggests, it was primarily a treatise on life in the colony, but it had an appendix ‘‘with three hundred Australian cookery recipes and accessory kitchen information by Mrs. H. Wicken, Lecturer on cookery to the Technical College, Sydney.’’ ` me Fish A La Cre 4 Whiting or Schnapper. 1 gill Milk. 1 oz. Butter. 1/2 oz. Flour, and Lemon Juice. Pepper and Salt. Fillet the fish, wash the bones, and put them into half a pint of white stock, and boil them for half an hour. Strain out and mix with 1 gill of milk. Wash the
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January 27
Diet Squad Experiment
fillets and roll them up, stand them in a stewpan and cook them in this liquor, covering them with a piece of buttered paper; they will take about 20 minutes. Dish them carefully, strain the liquor, and make a sauce of it with the butter and flour by directions given. Season and flavour this and pour it over the fillets; garnish with chopped parsley and red bread crumbs, and serve hot.
Crevettes are freshwater crayfish, unless they are on a genuine French menu, in which case they are shrimps. Here is a recipe that will substitute for the Mayonnaise des Crevettes on this menu.
Prawn Salad 1 pint Prawns 6 Tomatoes Mayonnaise or Salad Dressing. Pick the prawns, leaving the skin on a few fine ones for a garnish. Peel and slice up the tomatoes and arrange them on a dish; put over them the prawns, and pour over all some mayonnaise or salad dressing. Place the other prawns round as a garnish with a few lettuce leaves broken up.
Turtle Soup: see November 10.
January 27 Diet Squad Experiment New York, 1917 In January 1917, twelve police rookies from the New York Police Department took part in a widely publicized diet experiment. There was increasing protest about the dramatic rise in the price of staple foods due to the progress of World War I, and the experiment was designed to demonstrate to the ordinary housewife that good wholesome food could be prepared very cheaply. The Hygiene Life Extension Institute was to oversee the experiment, and for its duration the rookies lived at quarters prepared for them in Lafayette Street. They were under the supervision of Miss Mary S. Rose of the Teachers College at Columbia University, with Miss Eula McClary in charge of budgeting for provisions, and the meals were cooked by Hannibal V. Parsons, ‘‘the $1,800-a-year colored chef.’’ With one day remaining, the volunteers’ bill of fare for January 27 was as follows: BREAKFAST. Oatmeal and milk. Rolls and butter. Coffee, with milk. Cost, 7 cents; 870 calories.
January 27
Diet Squad Experiment
LUNCHEON. Fried mush and syrup. White bread and butter. Steamed apricots. Tea, with milk. Cost, 7 cents; 1,100 calories. DINNER. Baked beans, with salt pork. Whole wheat bread and butter. Molasses cakes. Tea, with milk. Cost, 11 cents; 1,150 calories.
The experiment had been inspired by one a few months earlier in Chicago. It had been run by the Health Commissioner John Dill Robertson, the volunteers being six men and six women from his department, who lived for two weeks on a diet that cost 40 cents a day each, their health being monitored closely throughout the time. Volunteers were directed to eat slowly because ‘‘the faster you eat, the more you eat,’’ and although in-between meal snacks were forbidden, an unlimited quantity was allowed at meals. Not surprisingly, the volunteers gained weight (an average of 3.8 pounds each), which was seen as part of the proof positive that the experiment was a success. To reduce the cost further, towards the end of the time ‘‘butterine’’ was substituted for the real butter, and the final cost came out at a very satisfying 30 cents per person per day.
Diet squad at table. Courtesy of Library of Congress.
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January 28
Peter the Great Dines at The King’s Arms
The New York Police experiment was designed to do even better. The twelve rookies would stay on the diet for three weeks at an estimated cost of only 25 cents a day each. Additionally, half would receive meat twice a day, the other half only once a day. There was great interest in the experiment, with many organizations, schools, and hospitals as well as individuals requesting menus and recipes. The day after the experiment finished, Miss McClary headed for the White House to leave information for the First Lady, who had expressed an interest in making use of the menus. Recipes ~~~ Fried Mush Place in a saucepan Two cups of boiling water, One teaspoon of salt, Two-thirds cup of cornmeal. Stir to prevent lumping then cook slowly for one half-hour. Now rinse a bread pan with cold water and turn in the mush. Let mould for twenty-four hours, then cut in one-half inch slices. Dip in flour and fry brown in hot fat. Mrs. Mary Elizabeth Lyles Wilson, Mrs. Wilson’s Cook Book (1920).
Molasses Cakes 1 cup molasses 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 cup melted shortening 1/2 cup boiling water 3 cups flour 3 teaspoons Dr. Price’s Baking Powder
1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon soda 2 teaspoons cinnamon 1 teaspoon nutmeg 1 teaspoon cloves 1 cup stale breadcrumbs
Mix molasses, sugar, shortening and boiling water together; add flour, baking powder, salt, soda, and spices which have been sifted together; add breadcrumbs; mix well. Drop by spoonfuls on greased baking sheet and bake in moderate oven 10 to 20 minutes. Dr. Price, The New Dr. Price Cook Book (1921).
Baked Beans: see June 11. January 28 Peter the Great Dines at The King’s Arms Godalming, Surrey, England, 1698 The Tsar of Russia, Peter I (1672–1725), called ‘‘Peter the Great,’’ embarked on a great European tour in 1697–98 to study technological developments,
January 28
Peter the Great Dines at The King’s Arms
particularly in his great area of interest—shipbuilding. He spent four months in England, and on the return trip to London after visiting the docks at Portsmouth, he and his party stopped for the night of January 28 at a coaching inn in Godalming in Surrey. There were 13 at the table for dinner that night, plus 8 servants who also had to be fed. Following is the bill of fare for dinner: 5 ribs of beef (weighing three stone) 1 sheep of 56 lbs 3/4 of a lamb A shoulder roasted and a loin of veal boiled with bacon 8 pullets 4 couple of rabbits 3 dozen (bottles) of sack 1 dozen (bottles) of claret bread and beer proportionable For breakfast the next morning the company sat down to 1/2 sheep 1/4 of a lamb (19 pounds) 10 pullets 1 dozen of chickens 3 quarts of brandy 6 quarts of mulled wine 7 dozen eggs salad in proportion
It is likely that the landlord had only very brief advance warning of his special guests, and likely that he feared immediately for the financial implications of their stay. In the tradition of Royal Progresses (royal tours around the country) of the time (see April 18) royal visitors usually assumed that the honor alone would be sufficient reward. True to form, the landlord was never paid for his hospitality. According to contemporary accounts of the visit, the party was very boisterous and significant damage was done to the premises. Recipes ~~~ The mulled wine must have been welcome on a cold January night. It is a hot spiced wine drink, which in those times was often thickened with eggs and called a posset (see January 13). The salad (or ‘‘sallat’’) that appears on seventeenth century menus such as this one was not necessarily a dish made from raw vegetables, served cold. The prevailing medical view of the time was that raw fruit and vegetables were potentially dangerous. This was often the case, as the water used to irrigate and wash them was likely to be polluted. ‘‘Salads’’ referred to any
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January 29
Last Meal of the Crown Prince of Austria
predominantly vegetable dish, including the cooked, as in these seventeenthcentury examples taken from a famous cookbook of the time, The Whole Body of Cookery Dissected, by William Rabisha (London, 1682.) A Sallet of Fennel Take young Fennel, about a span long in the Spring, tye it up in bunches as you do Sparragrass; when your skillet boils, put in enough to make a dish; when it is boiled and drained, dish it up as you do Sparragras, pour on Butter and Vinegar, and send it up.
A Sallet of Green Pease When your green Pease appear, about a handful and a half from the ground, cut off enough to boil for your Sallet, let your liquor boil before you put it in; when it is tender, pour it forth into your Cullender, let all the water be drained clean out of it into a dish, with some drawn butter; season it with salt, and hack it with your knife, and toss it together in the Butter, so dish it up. Thus you may do with Turnip or Raddish-tops, that are young.
January 29 Last Meal of the Crown Prince of Austria Royal Hunting Lodge, Mayerling, Austria, 1889 The valet for Crown Prince Rudolph of Austria (1858–1889), Joseph Loschek, prepared a humble dinner for the prince and his mistress the Baroness Mary Vetsera (1871–1889) on the night of January 29, 1889. The simple meal was accompanied by two bottles of Tokay. The prince and his paramour then retired for the night, with the valet being instructed to allow no one into the room, ‘‘not even the Emperor.’’ Pheasant Mushrooms Leeks Baked Potatoes
The next morning, the prince and the baroness were both dead. The exact circumstances have fuelled speculation ever since and the truth will probably never be teased out from the spectacular cover-up efforts that were immediately set in place. The official story was that the prince had died of ‘‘apoplexy of the heart,’’ which was a masterpiece of spin-doctoring as most reports state clearly that he had a bullet wound to the head. Mary, who was officially never there, may have been poisoned, or beaten to death, or shot. The prince may have been depressed. The baroness may have been pregnant. The body
January 29
Last Meal of the Crown Prince of Austria
buried in her grave may not actually be hers. It was a murder-suicide (the most popular view), or a double suicide, or a double murder. There is an endless fascination with the idea of choice of one’s last meal, and the topic is good fuel for dinner party conversation. Those most commonly associated with the idea (and the practice) in real life are the inhabitants of Death Row, who are more likely to come from the ranks of those who have had little choice in material matters during their lives. It is unlikely that someone such as a royal prince, accustomed to fine food all his life, would have felt it necessary to make any special meal requests for his last night. The supper was a modest meal, and the pheasant no doubt from the Vienna Woods themselves. Recipes ~~~ The mushrooms are a small mystery. Mushroom season in Austria is between April and November, and by January the snow is usually thick in the woods. Royal families can afford the best horticultural methods, however, so the mushrooms at this dinner may have been grown in a dark, insulated cellar, or they may have been preserved by bottling or drying. Mushrooms, Pickled Take button mushrooms, as nearly as possible of the same size (small ones are best) and freshly gathered. Cut off the stalks, and rub away the outer skin with a piece of new flannel and some fine salt. Rinse them in salted spring water, drain quickly, and dry in a soft cloth until no water hangs about them. Boil together spice and vinegar in proportion to the mushrooms to be pickled, allowing nearly a quart of vinegar to a quart of the buttons, and with one quart of the best white wine vinegar put three small blades of mace, an ounce of crushed ginger, half the quantity of white peppercorns, and a small pinch of cayenne. When the pickle boils, put in the mushrooms, and continue the boiling until they are rather soft, which will be in from eight to ten minutes, according to their size. Fill jars, or large-mouthed bottles, and distribute the spice as evenly as possible in them. When cold, tie down securely with bladder, and remove to a dry place. Field mushrooms are much to be preferred to those artificially raised. Cassell’s Dictionary of Cookery (ca. 1870s).
Stewed Pheasant Truss the pheasant for boiling, lard it with fine strips of bacon, sprinkle with salt, pepper, and mixed spice; be careful to lard even the legs, cover with slices of bacon, and place in a stew-pan lined with bacon; moisten with equal quantities of white wine, and stock, and simmer for two hours; when done, drain the pheasants, remove the slices of bacon, and dish up covered with game sauce. 366 Menus and 1200 Recipes of the Baron Brisse (1869; from the 1905 English translation).
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January 30
Calves Head Club Annual Feast
January 30 Calves Head Club Annual Feast London, England, 1710 A correspondent to The Gentleman’s Magazine of 1820 contributed a ‘‘curious original Document’’ for the interest of its readers. He felt compelled to vouch for the authenticity of the document (a bill of fare for a feast) by noting that it appeared on the fly-leaf of a book previously owned by the Honorable Archibald Campbell (the bishop of Aberdeen), who followed it with the following handwritten declaration: That a sett of men were wicked enough to meet and feast according to the Bill of Fare in the year of our Lord 1710. And that this was truly the Bill of their eatables, besides drink, was attested to me by one of honour and reputation, and in a considerable publick post, who had the bill at first hand. This I do attest, A. Campbell, London, 1711.
This was a feast held at the Calves Head Club, a club whose origins, founder members, and club rituals were, even at the time, shrouded in secrecy and notoriety—such secrecy that its very existence as an actual club is debated. A True Bill of Bare for the Calves Head Feast, 1710. £
s.
d.
For Bread, Beer, and Ale
3
10
0
For fifty Calves Heads
5
05
0
For Bacon
1
10
0
For 6 Chickens and 2 Capons
1
00
0
For Three Joints of Veal
0
18
0
For Butter and Flower
0
15
0
For Oranges, Lemons, Vinegar and Spices
1
00
0
For Anchovies, Capers, and Samphire
0
05
0
For Oysters and Sausages
0
15
0
For Sorril, Sage, Parsley, Sweet Herbs, and Onions
0
05
0
For the use of Pewter and Linnen
1
00
0
For Firing in the Kitchen
0
15
0
For Firing in the Parlour
0
3
0
For Boat Hire and Porterage
0
05
0
For Cook’s wages
0
15
0
0
05
0
£18
06
0
For Garnishing and Strewing
January 30
Calves Head Club Annual Feast
There was no doubt, however, as to the club’s profoundly anti-Royalist sentiment. It was founded to celebrate the execution of King Charles I for treason on January 30, 1649. In a process as old as politics, the members of this club were denounced as ‘‘old Roundheads and New Commonwealth Men,’’ independents, dissenters, Presbyterians, Anabaptists, and ‘‘Atheistic King-killing Miscreants.’’ Diagram of calf’s head for carving. They were accused of all manner of sacrilegious, lewd, and destructive practices—drinking toasts from calves’ skulls, singing anti-Royalist ‘‘anthems,’’ and burning copies of the Eikon Basilike, a book of prayers and meditations said to have been written by King Charles himself. First mention of the club appears several decades after the restoration of the monarchy in 1660, and it lingered until a night of wholesale drunken revelry and property destruction in 1735—by which time membership was presumably not primarily politically motivated. The choice of the calf’s head as a motif was not mysterious. It represented the head of Charles I and echoed the practice at ancient feasts of presenting a boar’s head on a platter to symbolize the triumph over Satan (see January 4). Some descriptions of the Calves Head Feasts include other symbolic dishes too—a cod’s head to represent the physical person of Charles (as distinct from his divinely entitled regal role), and a pike with smaller fish in its mouth to indicate tyranny. Recipes ~~~ Calf’s head was a common dish at a time when no good animal protein was wasted, and a carcass had to be used up quickly before it decomposed. Almost every cookbook of the time gave multiple ways of preparing it, such as this one, from the year of the Restoration. To Boil a Calf’s Head Take the head, skin, and all unflayed, scald it, and soke it in fair water a whole night or twelve hours, then take out the brains and boil them with some sage, parsley, or mint; being boild chop them small together, butter them, and serve them in a dish with fine sippets about them: Then the head being finely cleansed, boil it in a clean cloth and close it together again in the cloth; being boild, lay it on one side by another with some fine slices of boild bacon, and lay some fine picked parsley upon it, with some borage or other flowers. Robert May, The Accomplisht Cook (London, 1660).
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January 31
Luncheon at the Variety Club
Samphire is a plant with thick fleshy leaves that grows on rocks at the seashore and was very popular when pickled. Cookbooks often suggested that pickles be ‘‘greened’’ (a highly desirable color) by cooking in brass or copper pots. The action of the pickling vinegar on the metal produced bright green copper salts—which are known now to be highly toxic. If you wish to try the following recipe, use a stainless steel pan. To Pickle Samphire Samphire being gather’d in the Month of May (when ‘tis in its Prime) let it be pick’d and laid in Salt and Water for two Days. Then taking it out, put it into a Brass-pot, and soak it very well in the best White-Wine Vinegar; it being extremely subject to Waste: afterwards having set it ove a gently Fire, let it continue close cover’d till ‘tis become very green and crisp, but not soft or tender; at that Instand it must be disposed of in Pots, ty’d down close with Leather. The Compleat Cook: Prescribing the Most Ready Ways for Dressing Flesh, and Fish, Ordering Sauces, Pickles, Jellies, &c. (London, 1710).
January 31 Luncheon at the Variety Club 35 Dover Street, London, 1952 The Variety Club began in 1927 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, as a social club for those working in show business. Its slogan (and reputation) as ‘‘the heart of show business’’ began a year later when a baby girl was abandoned in the Sheridan Square Theatre, a note pinned to her clothing, signed by ‘‘a heartbroken mother’’ who gave her baby’s name as Catherine. The mother pleaded with the good folk of show business to take care of her daughter as she could not do so herself as she had eight other children and her husband was out of work. Eleven members of the club committed to supporting baby Catherine, and the Variety Club’s charitable work for children had begun. The Variety Club of Great Britain, with its special name of ‘‘Tent 36’’ was formed in 1949, and in a little over a year had raised almost $10,000 for children’s charities. It held regular ‘‘celebrity luncheons’’ and gave regular awards for services to the entertainment industry. On January 31, 1952, the luncheon menu was Hors d’Œuvres Varie´s — Potage Longshamps — Truite de Rivie`re Meunie`re —
January 31
Luncheon at the Variety Club
Porc Roti a L’Anglaise Pommes Chateau Choux de Bruxelles — Coupe Jacques Gaufrettes — Cafe´
The menu shows the persistence of the use of French as the language of menus—a strangely resistant tradition given that few in England in the 1950s spoke it well, or at all. It is doubly strange in view of the longstanding friction, and sometimes outright war, between the two countries. French was, in fact, the language of the English aristocracy for several centuries after the Norman invasion of 1066, and many French words inevitably became absorbed into English. For the ordinary folk who tilled the fields and tended the cattle, however, English in all its dialects remained the dayto-day language. Our modern words for many food items reflects the ancient class-language division. English words for ‘‘meat’’ such as beef and pork have French origins (boeuf and porc), but the names of the animals from which those meats come—cow and pig—betray their old English origins. The nobility (for whom English was almost a second language) did not need to consider, or even speak of, the animals who provided their dinner, but the farmers, peasants, and butchers who did the dirty work in bringing them to the aristocratic tables (rarely being able to eat them themselves) never had any necessity to change their names. The sweet dishes on this menu reflect history too, but in a different way. The ice cream (in the Coupe Jacques) is one of the most modern inventions, only being possible on any scale when refrigeration technology became widespread. The gaufres or gaufrettes (wafers), on the other hand, represent the oldest ‘‘dessert’’ in history. In medieval times, a feast consisted of several courses, each of which had similar dishes, with no distinction between savory and sweet, and ended with wafers, sweet wine, and spices to aid digestion. It is from these final dishes that the dessert course finally developed. Recipes ~~~ Gaufres Put in a bowl some flour, a little salt, a spoonful of brandy, eggs, powdered sugar; moisten by degrees with cream or good milk; heat your gaufre-iron, butter it, and pour in a large spoonful of the batter; let the two sides be done equally; when done, turn them out. Eat cold. Frances Crawford, French Cookery Adapted for English Families (1853).
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January 31
Luncheon at the Variety Club Coupe Jacques
Half-fill the glass goblets with fruit salad, flavoured with kirsch, cover this with a layer of vanilla ice cream, and then add a layer of strawberry ice. Decorate with a glace´ cherry. Good Housekeeping (Home Encyclopaedia, 1951).
Pommes Chateau: see October 3.
February February 1 Broadway Association Dinner to Celebrate the Dodge Brothers’ Sign Hotel Astor, New York, 1928 The opening of the Woolworth Building in 1913 may have ‘‘brought daylight to Broadway’’ (see April 24), but it got a whole lot brighter when the Dodge Brothers’ sign on the roof of the Strand Theatre building was switched on at 7:30 P.M. on February 1, 1928. It was half a block long and five stories high and by far the largest and most brilliant electric sign on ‘‘the Great White Way.’’ Twenty miles of wire carried 280,855 watts—the largest current consumption of any other electrical sign in the city—and modern technology allowed a moving message or ‘‘motograph’’ at its base for the Dodge Brothers’ new ‘‘Victory Six’’—a six-cylinder automobile built to honor the tenth anniversary of the end of World War I. The Broadway Association, formed in 1911 to develop and promote the cultural and economic activities of that region of New York, held a dinner to celebrate the historic moment. The menu card was decorated with amusing little black and white drawings, which, with the names of the courses and dishes, paid homage to the automobile and electrical industries, to the advertising sign itself, and to and the Victory Six. WATT’S WATT ON THE MENU A DAZZLING VICTORY SERVED IN SIX CYLINDERS FIRST CYLINDER Orange Juice Coupe Sedan SECOND CYLINDER Light Bouillon Accessories Salted Nuts Celery Olives THIRD CYLINDER Electric Fish FOURTH CYLINDER Chassis of Lamb
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February 1
Broadway Association Dinner Fresh Artichoke Bases Mushroom Rivets FIFTH CYLINDER Vermont Turkey Sport Body Chestnut Interior Decoration Glazed Surface Yams Direct and Alternating Current Jelly Lettuce Spring Leaves with Improved Oiling System SIXTH CYLINDER Illuminated Ices Petits Fours (Fastest in America) High Frequency Coffee Differential Service
It is unlikely that there were any new dishes developed for this occasion. The theme was played out entirely in the renaming of regular dishes, which no doubt added to the fun of the evening and the great sense of pride in the automobile and the electrical grid—two great products of the modern industrial age. As to the actual dishes in this menu, it is highly unlikely that the ‘‘electric fish’’ on this menu was truly one of the species that are electrogenic, that is, that can generate a weak electric current. The flesh of some species of electric eel is certainly edible, and it was eaten by the ancient Egyptians and Romans, perhaps for medicinal reasons (a ‘‘shock’’ from a live fish was also used for such things as headaches, gout, epilepsy, and labor pains). The electric fish that was served here was probably an ordinary variety renamed to suit the theme. The ‘‘chassis’’ of lamb was probably some sort of joint on the bone, served with artichokes and mushrooms, undoubtedly the turkey had a chestnut stuffing and a currant jelly relish on the side, and of course the lettuce salad had an oil dressing. Perhaps the names Dodge Brothers dinner invitation. Cour- of the illuminated ices and petits fours tesy of Library of Congress. (see November 14) indicate that they were
February 2
First Annual Banquet of the Founders and Patriots of America
brilliantly colored like the Broadway sign, and the coffee that it was extra strong. Recipes ~~~ Chestnut Stuffing Shell one quart of large chestnuts. Pour on boiling water, and remove the inner brown skin. Boil in salted water or stock till soft. Mash fine. Take half for the stuffing, and mix with it one cup of fine cracker crumbs; season with one teaspoonful of salt, one saltspoonful of pepper, and one teaspoonful of chopped parsley. Moisten with one third of a cup of melted butter. Professional cooks sometimes mix a little apple sauce, flavored with wine, lemon, and sugar, with a chestnut stuffing. Mary Johnson Bailey, Mrs. Lincoln’s Boston Cook Book: What To Do and What Not To Do in Cooking (Boston: Lincoln, 1884).
‘‘Yam’’ is the botanically incorrect name in the southern states of the United States for the sweet potato. Petits Fours: see November 14. Candied Sweet Potato: see December 20.
February 2 First Annual Banquet of the Founders and Patriots of America Hotel Manhattan, New York, 1897 The Order of the Founders and Patriots of America was founded in 1896. Membership was, and is still, open to any male citizen of the United States over the age of 18 years, ‘‘of good moral character,’’ who can prove his ancestry back to one of the first colonists (before May 13, 1657) and who has forefathers in the same male line who fought on the side of the patriots in the American Revolution. More than 200 guests, members, and prominent men of the city gathered at the first annual banquet of the society to commemorate the 244th proclamation of ‘‘Burgher Government’’ for ‘‘Nieuw Amsterdam.’’ There may be some question as to the culinary authenticity of that first bill of fare, but the enthusiasm of the organizers is impossible to fault. Almost every word on the menu card honors the early history and citizens of New York. DISHES FOR YE FEASTE Thus Ayre and Earthe, bothe sea and lande, Yielde store of Nature’s Daynties.
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February 2
First Annual Banquet of the Founders and Patriots of America Sandwiches prepared for ye Palates of ye Founders and Patriots with ye proper Moysture. Oisters as Founde at ye James-towne. Chicken Soupe as compounded by ye Madam Alice Bradford. Turtle Soupe by ye Recipe of ye Anneke Jans. Celerie and raddishes growne on ye Director’s bouwerie. Almonds just received from ye West Indies. Timbales of Crabbes and Oisters as Enjoyed by ye Hendrick Hudson. Manhaddoes Sole, with Cucumbers from ye Midwout and Potatoes as Prepared by ye Madam Schuyer at Beverwyck. Salem Beefe, with Connecticut Love Apples. Chicken, as suited to the taste of ye Worshipful Governor Winthrop, with ye Beans. Nieuw Netherland’s Canvas Back Ducks, and Salad from ye Paulus Hoeck. Figge Puddinge as Comforted he Hearte of ye Reverend Cotton Mather. Pieter Stuyvesant Congealed Creame and Cakes baked at Nieuw Amsterdam. Standishe cheese. Sweets just come in from ye East Indies and Fruites from ye Islande of Jamaica. Colonial Coffee.
There will be Served ye Suitable Beverages necessary Properly to digest ye Dishes of ye Feaste from ye Cellar of ye late Director, William Kieft.
It is highly unlikely that ‘‘love apples’’ (tomatoes) and potatoes (unless they were sweet potatoes) served at this meal were enjoyed by the early colonists. Although both were products of the New World, and had been taken to England and Europe in the early sixteenth century by returning explorers, unlike maize and chocolate they were not taken up with enthusiasm. They were in fact viewed with great suspicion, perhaps because they were from the same family that includes the poisonous ‘‘deadly nightshade,’’ a highly toxic plant, Atropa belladonna, ingestion of which can prove fatal with lesser doses causing hallucinations. They were both accused of having aphrodisiac properties (hence the early name of the
February 2
First Annual Banquet of the Founders and Patriots of America
Key to the Menu Jamestown:
the first English settlement, founded in Virginia in 1607.
Alice Bradford:
wife of Plymouth Governor William Bradford.
Anneke Jans (Bogardus):
the original owner of what is now Manhattan.
Hendrick Hudson: the English seaman who, while seeking a North-West passage to the spice islands, explored what is now New York harbor and the Hudson River. Midwout:
‘‘Middle Woods,’’ on western Long Island.
Manhadoes:
an early name for what is now New York City.
Madam Schuyler (Margareta van Slichtenhorst):
the wife of Colonel Philip Pieterse Schuyler of Albany, famous for her financial assistance to the defense of the colony.
Beverwyck:
now Albany, New York.
Salem Beef:
a reference to the 150 head of cattle from Salem which saved Washington’s starving troops at Valley Forge in 1778.
Governor John Winthrop:
the English Puritan who became the first governor of the colony of Massachusetts.
Paulus Hoeck (Hook):
the site (in what is now Jersey City) of a battle in 1779, during the American Revolutionary Wars.
Cotton Mather:
New England Puritan minister; associated with the Salem witch trials.
Pieter Stuyvesant: the last Dutch director-general of the colony of New Netherland. Myles Standishe:
military advisor for Plymouth colony; arrived on the Mayflower.
tomato) and of causing various diseases such as leprosy (in the case of the potato). When the potato was introduced to the colony (or reintroduced to the New World), it became known as the Virginia potato to distinguish it from the sweet potato. Recipes ~~~ Fig Pudding One cupful of molasses one of chopped suet one of milk three and a quarter of flour two eggs
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February 3
Postrevolutionary Meal one teaspoonful of soda one of cinnamon half a teaspoonful of nutmeg one pint of figs
Mix together the molasses, suet, spice, and the figs, cut fine. Dissolve the soda with a table-spoonful of hot water, and mix with the milk. Add to the other ingredients. Beat the eggs light, and stir into the mixture. Add the flour, and beat thoroughly. Butter two small or one large brown bread mould. Turn the mixture into the mould or moulds, and steam five hours. Serve with creamy or wine sauce. Miss Parloa’s New Cookbook: A Guide to Marketing and Cooking (New York, ca. 1880).
‘‘Congealed’’ cream is the same as clotted, or clouted cream, an essential part of an authentic ‘‘Devonshire tea’’ in England. It is very thick (about 60 percent butterfat) and a golden-yellow color. Clouted Cream Take four quarts of milk from the cow, in the evening, put it into a broad earthen pan, and let it stand until the next day, then put the dish over a very slow fire, and another dish over it to keep out the dust; make it nearly hot, to set the cream; put it away to get cold, then take the cream off into a bowl, and beat it well with a spoon. It is accounted very fine in the West of England for tea and coffee, or to put over fruit pies and tarts. Richard Briggs, The English Art of Cookery (1801).
Love-Apple Sauce Boil ten very ripe tomatoes or love-apples in some stock for half an hour; add pepper and salt, and strain to a pure´e. Should your sauce not be thick enough, boil it again. Put a little meat gravy into three or four spoonfuls of the pure´e, and, when about to serve, add two ounces of butter, letting it melt in the sauce. French Domestic Cookery, by an English physician (1825).
February 3 Postrevolutionary Meal Havre de Grace, France, 1796 Theobald Wolfe Tone (1763–1798) is often referred to as ‘‘the father of Irish republicanism and separatism.’’ He eventually died for his principles by his own hand, before the sentence of death handed down to him for his part in the Irish Rebellion could be carried out. Most of his last couple of years were spent traveling. In June 1795 he fled to America to escape arrest, and in early 1976 he left there for France. The French revolutionary process that
February 3
Postrevolutionary Meal
culminated in the storming of the Bastille in 1789 was a source of great interest and inspiration to Irish revolutionaries of the time, and Tone went there to raise support for the rebellion in his homeland. Tone arrived in the French port of Le Havre on February 1, 1796, after a rough winter passage of 31 days from New York. He found the town ugly and dirty. He booked into ‘‘the Hotel de Paix, formerly the Hotel of the Intendant, but reduced to its present state by the Revolution.’’ Tone’s journal of his travel experiences is witty and engaging and provides an interesting perspective on post-revolutionary conditions. The country was reputed to be starving, and as always in times of social and economic chaos, individuals made do and made money when and how they could. Tone’s opinion of the privations and the quality of the food take up most of his journal entry on February 3. Rose early; difficult to get breakfast; got it at last; excellent coffee, and very coarse brown bread, but, as it happens, I like brown bread. Walked out to see the lions; none to see. Mass celebrating in the church; many people present, especially women; . . . went into divers coffee-houses; plenty of coffee, but no papers. No bread in two of the coffee-houses, but pastry; singular enough! Dinner: and here, as matter of curiosity, follows our bill of fare, which proves clearly that France is in a starving situation:—An excellent soup; a dish of fish, fresh from the harbour; a fore-quarter of delicate small mutton, like the Welsh; a superb turkey, and a couple of ducks roasted; pastry, cheese, and fruit after dinner, with wine ad libitum, but still the pain bis [brown bread]; provoked with the Frenchmen grumbling at the bread; made a saying: Vive le pain bis et la liberte´! I forgot the vegetables, which were excellent; very glad to see such unequivocal proofs of famine. Went to the Comedie in the evening: a neat theatre, and a very tolerable company; twenty performers in the orchestra: house full; several officers, very fine looking fellows: the audience just as gay as if there was no such thing as war and brown bread in the world. Supper just like our dinner, with wine, &c. N. B. Finances. The louis worth 5000 livres, or about 200 times its value, in assignats; the six-franc piece in proportion. My bill per diem, for such entertainment as abovementioned, is six francs, (five shillings), and my crimson damask bed 20 sols, or ten pence; coffee in the morning 12 sols, or sixpence; so that I am starving in the manner I have described, for the enormous sum of 6s 4d a day: sad! sad! Paid for my seat at the theatre, in the box next to that of the Municipalite´ 80 livres in assignats, or about fourpence sterling. Be it remembered, I lodge at the principal hotel in Havre, and I doubt not but I might retrench, perhaps, one-half, by changing my situation; but hang saving!
Recipes ~~~ To Bake a Shoulder of Mutton Lard it with streaked bacon, and put it into an earthen pan proportioned to the size of the meat, and two or three onions sliced, a parsnip and a carrot sliced also, a clove of garlic, two cloves, half a bay leaf, and some leaves of basil, adding
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February 4
Dinner for Fox Films
about a gill of water, or, which is better, broth, salt, and pepper. If the meat be larded, use less salt; then put in the meat, and set it in an oven. When it is done, strain the sauce through a sieve, squeeze the vegetables to make a lettuce cullis to thicken the sauce, and, having skimmed the whole, serve it with the meat.
To Dress Whitings Gut, wash, and well dry them, taking care to leave the liver in the fish: Cut them slightly in five or six places on each side, roll them in flour and broil them over a very brisk fire: serve them upon a napkin, or, for a side dish, with a white sauce of capers and anchovies. If you would serve them with greater delicacy, cut off the heads and take out the middle bone, arranging the pieces with the white side uppermost upon the dish, pouring the sauce over them. Menon, La Cuisinie`re Bourgeoise (1793).
February 4 Dinner for Fox Films Hotel Australia, Sydney, Australia, 1916 The movie star Theda Bara (1885–1955) became the screen’s first sex symbol when she sprang to fame in 1915 in her role as the vampire in William Fox’s silent movie A Fool There Was. The movie’s popularity firmly established the success of the new Fox Films Corporation, as well as the use of the word ‘‘vamp’’ for a sexually predatory woman. In 1916 Bara and the famous star William Farnum (1876–1956) along with representatives of the Fox Film Corporation were in Sydney, Australia, on a promotional tour. They were entertained at dinner at the Hotel Australia. MENU ‘‘Carmen’’ Cocktails Oysters a La—‘‘The Devil’s Daughter’’ Potage ‘‘Plunderer’’ Fish— ‘‘A Fool There Was’’ (And He Was Caught) A Thief’S Entre´e Claret Cup Not Brewed Within the Walls of Jericho ‘‘Princess Romanoff’’ Champagne Roast (We Hope Not from the Critics) The Sweets of ‘‘Infidelity’’ Cafe´ Noir—Strong as Samson Cigars and Cigarettes for ‘‘The Idler’’
This menu is another fine example of a ‘‘theme’’ menu, and, as with other theme menus, it is almost certain that the individual dishes were not
February 4
Dinner for Fox Films
especially invented for the dinner but were merely standard dishes renamed to enhance the fun and excitement of the evening. Every dish, and even the final cigars and cigarettes, were named in honor of a movie star, character or plot idea—Bara starred, for example, in Carmen and The Devil’s Daughter and Farnum in The Plunderer. Infidelity presumably refers to the plot of The Unchastened Woman, another Bara movie. Several other Fox Films are also acknowledged—The Idler, The Thief of Baghdad, and Princess Romanoff. Recipes ~~~ Claret Cup Put 1 bottleful claret, the thin rind of a lemon, and 1 or 2 tablespoonfuls of castor sugar into a large jug, cover, and let it stand embedded in ice for 1 hour. Add 1 wineglassful of sherry, 1 liqueur glass of brandy, 1 liqueur glass of noyeau, 1 liqueur glass of Maraschino, 2 or 3 sprigs of balm, borage, or verbena (when procurable), 1 large bottle of seltzer of soda water, and serve. A few strips of cucumber may be used instead of balm, borage, or verbena. The Australasian Cookery Book (ca. 1915).
Australia is said to have been founded ‘‘on the sheep’s back’’—an acknowledgement of the huge importance of the industry to the early colony. The type of ‘‘roast’’ at this dinner is not specified, but by far the commonest on the dinner table in Australia is roast lamb (although in the past roast mutton was even more common). The following recipe is ‘‘fancy,’’ for its time, and certainly good enough for a restaurant version of roast lamb. Roast Lamb (Basted with Coffee) 5 lb. joint of lamb 1 teaspoon dry mustard 1 breakfastcup coffee 1/2 cup cream
3/4 tablespoon salt, few slivers garlic clove (optional), cream, sugar, flour, 1 or 2 teaspoons currant jelly.
Wipe the joint of lamb with a damp cloth and rub with the salt and dry mustard. If you like garlic, insert a few slivers of the garlic clove. Roast in a hot oven for two and a half to three hours, basting it with weak stock or water and turning occasionally. When it is half cooked, baste with the coffee to which the cream and sugar have been added. When the joint is cooked, make the gravy in the usual way, using the juices in the pan and add flour and cream to make the gravy as thick as you want it. When the gravy has cooked for ten or twelve minutes, add salt and the currant jelly. ‘‘Australian Cookery of Today Illustrated,’’ The Sun News-Pictorial (Melbourne, ca. 1930).
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February 5
Debut Dinner: New York Vegetarian Society’s
February 5 Debut Dinner at the New York Vegetarian Society’s Vegetarian Restaurant No. 1, New York, 1895 The New York Vegetarian Society finally realized its ‘‘long cherished wish’’ when it opened ‘‘with some ceremony,’’ its first restaurant at 240 West Twenty-Third Street in New York City in 1895. Vegetarianism was still far from being a common lifestyle choice at the end of the nineteenth century, and the opening dinner was described in some detail in the newspapers. The New York Times pointed out that ‘‘no beverage containing the smallest percentage of alcohol is countenanced’’ at the restaurant, but it assured its readers that ‘‘to offset this privation to those who wish to experiment with the cuisine of the vegetarians, an endeavor will be made to serve the finest coffee that it is possible to make.’’ The only thing the restaurant still lacked was a first-class patissie`re, and it was hoped that before long a Hungarian or Italian would be engaged. Fruit Soup. Celery, Pickles, Olives. White Potatoes with Asparagus, Sweet Potatoes with French Peas. ENTREES. Spaghetti with Tomato Sauce, Cauliflower, Baked. Graham Bread, Entire Wheat Flour. Flageolette Beans. SALADS. Lettuce, Field Salad—French or Mayonnaise Dressing. DESSERT. Bohemian Cream, Fruit Sauce, Rice Pudding, Lemon Sauce. Fruits, Oranges, Dates, Figs, Grapes, Assorted Nuts. Tea, Coffee, Chocolate.
Present at this inaugural dinner were the president of the American Society, Rev. Henry S. Clubb, the president of the New York Society, Mr. J. W. Scott, and 40 or 50 members. Mr. Clubb gave the after-dinner speech in which he defended vegetarianism as taught by one of the association’s founding members, Sylvester Graham (1795–1851)—a man immortalized by the cereal products that bear his name. Graham was a failed preacher turned nutrition guru who developed a huge but controversial following in the first half of the nineteenth century for his doctrine of vegetarianism, temperance, and sexual restraint. The evening’s entertainment was rounded off by a vegetarian song written and sung by Mr. George Brunswick; the other guests joining in heartily for the chorus.
February 6
Dinner with President Thomas Jefferson
Recipes ~~~ Wheat-Meal Bread—Graham Bread In every cook-book I have examined, and in all the medico-dietetical works I have consulted, I find saleratus or pearlash, and salt always in the recipe for making what those books call brown, dyspepsia, or Graham bread. Those two drugs ought always to be left out. Molasses or brown sugar is also a fixture in the ordinary receipt books, and as a small quantity—a tablespoonful to a common loaf—is not harmful, the saccharine element may be left to taste. Make the sponge of unbolted wheat-meal in the ordinary way, with either hop or potato yeast, but mix it rather thin. Be sure and mold the loaves as soon as it becomes light, as the unbolted flour runs into the acetous fermentation much more rapidly than the bolted or superfine flour, and bake an hour and a quarter of an hour and a half, according to the size of the loaf. Russell Thacher Trall, The New Hydropathic Cookbook (1855).
Spaghetti Aux Tomatoes 1 lb. of spaghetti the strained juice of one tin of tomatoes 1 oz. of butter pepper and salt Mix the tomato juice with 1 pint of water and let the liquid come to the boil, throw in the spaghetti, taking care to keep the contents of the saucepan boiling fast; add the butter and seasoning, and cook until tender; time from 15 to 20 minutes. Serve very hot with grated cheese. Thomas Allinson, The Allinson Vegetarian Cookery Book (1915).
Lemon Sauce Make a teaspoonful cornflour smooth in saucepan with a little cold water. Add a gill of boiling water, juice of a lemon, and 2 ozs. sugar. Let boil a minute or two. If flavour of rind is liked, grate that in. Add a little Carmine to colour. Mrs. Mills, Reform Cookery Book (1909).
Rice Rudding: see January 12. French Dressing: see June 17.
February 6 Dinner with President Thomas Jefferson The White House, Washington, DC, 1802 Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826), the third president of the United States and one of the authors of the Declaration of Independence, was known to have a
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February 6
Dinner with President Thomas Jefferson
passionate interest in all aspects of food, from cultivation to its appearance on the dining table. Stories abound about his gardening ‘‘firsts’’ (figs, dates, various nuts) and experiments (he was said to have grown sixteen varieties of peas at Monticello), his wine collection, his kitchen gadgetry (a waffle maker, a macaroni machine, and an ice cream churn), and the fancy French ideas he brought back to America after his service as minister to France (1785–1789). It is surprising in view of his interest in food that there is such a dearth of detailed descriptions of his dinner parties. The most detailed one that does exist appears in the journal of Manasseh Cutler (1742–1823), a clergyman and congressman. Cutler and several other members of the House of Representatives and the Senate dined at the White House on February 6, 1802. The entry reads Rice soup, round of beef, turkey, mutton, ham, loin of veal, cutlets of mutton or veal, fried eggs, fried beef, a pie called macaroni, which appears to be a rich crust filled with the strillions of onions or shallots, which I took it to be, tasted very strong and not agreeable. Mr. [Meriwether] Lewis told me there was none in it: it was an Italian dish, and what appeared like onions was made of flour and butter with a particularly strong liquor mixed with them. Ice cream very good, crust wholly dried, crumbled into thin flakes; a dish somewhat like a pudding—inside white as milk or curd, very porous and light covered with cream sauce; very fine. Many other jimcracks, a great variety of fruit, plenty of wines and good. President social. We drank tea and viewed again the great cheese.
Life, Journals and Correspondence of Rev. Manasseh Cutler, LL. D, Volume II, by his grandchildren William Parker Cutler and Julia Perkins Cutler (Cincinnati: Robert Clarke & Co., 1888).
Ice cream recipe written by Thomas Jefferson. Courtesy of Library of Congress.
It is not surprising that Mr. Cutler was confused by the macaroni pie. He would hardly have been likely to have been served it elsewhere, as Jefferson (who became enamoured of it in Italy) is credited with introducing macaroni to the United States. It was often served in a pre-baked dense pastry pie shell, which served the same function as a casserole dish.
February 6
Dinner with President Thomas Jefferson
Ice cream was served regularly at Jefferson’s table. It appears to have been served in a way similar to the deep-fried ice cream that we associate with Chinese restaurants—the dish that in its turn inspired the ‘‘invention’’ of the Bombe Alaska. One visitor to Monticello wrote ‘‘ice-creams were produced in the form of balls of the frozen material inclosed in covers of warm pastry, exhibiting a curious contrast, as if the ice had just been taken from the oven.’’ Ice for the ice cream churn was harvested from the Rivanna River and stored in the vast ice house of Monticello, and in one year the supply lasted right through to the following October. Cutler makes reference to the ‘‘great cheese,’’ or ‘‘The Greatest Cheese in America for the Greatest Man in America’’ which was delivered to Jefferson on New Year’s Day in 1802, by John Leland, a Baptist preacher. The ‘‘mammoth cheese’’ measured over 4 feet in diameter, was 17-inches thick, and weighed 1,235 pounds. It had been made by the Baptist citizens of Cheshire in Massachusetts who felt themselves subject to political and religious discrimination, in acknowledgement of Jefferson’s support for the ideal of religious freedom. Recipes ~~~ Thomas Jefferson’s ice cream recipe was recorded in his own handwriting. Ice Cream 2 bottles of good cream 6 yolks of eggs 1/2 lb. sugar mix the yolks & sugar put the cream on a fire in a casserole, first putting in a stick of Vanilla. when near boiling take it off & pour it gently into the mixture of eggs & sugar. stir it well. put it on the fire again stirring it thoroughly with a spoon to prevent it’s sticking to the casserole. when near boiling take it off and strain it thro’ a towel. put it in the Sabottiere then set it in ice an hour before it is to be served. put into the ice a handful of salt. put salt on the coverlid of the Sabotiere & cover the whole with ice. leave it still half a quarter of an hour. then turn the Sabottiere in the ice 10 minutes open it to loosen with a spatula the ice from the inner sides of the Sabotiere. shut it & replace it in the ice open it from time to time to detach the ice from the sides when well taken (prise) stir it well with the Spatula. put it in moulds, justling it well down on the knee. then put the mould into the same bucket of ice. leave it there to the moment of serving it. to withdraw it, immerse the mould in warm water, turning it well till it will come out & turn it into a plate.
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February 7
Mormon Ball
February 7 Mormon Ball, Social Hall Salt Lake City, Utah, 1860 Richard Burton (1821–1890) was an English adventurer, explorer, linguist, and prolific writer. He was eccentric as well as brilliant (often traveling in disguise), with a keen interest in all sorts of cultural and religious practices, which some of his detractors interpreted as ‘‘collecting cults.’’ In 1860, apparently on a whim, he traveled to the United States to visit Salt Lake City. He was apparently intrigued by the then Mormon practice of polygamy and discussed this at a meeting with Mormon leader Brigham Young (1801–1877). In his book about this trip, City of the Saints (1861), Burton described a ‘‘highly select’’ social event in the city, the Territorial and Civil Ball. BILL OF FARE FIRST COURSE. SOUPS. Oyster, Vermicelli, Ox-Tail, Vegetable. SECOND COURSE. MEATS. Roast. Boiled. Beef, Sugar-corned Beef, Mutton, Mutton, Mountain Mutton, Chickens, Bear, Ducks, Elk, Tripe, Deer, Turkey, Chickens, Ham, Ducks, Trout, Turkeys, Salmon STEWS AND FRICASSEES. Oysters and Ox Tongues, Chickens, Beaver Tails, Ducks, Collared Head, Turkeys, VEGETABLES. Boiled. Baked. Potatoes, Potatoes, Cabbage (i.e., greens), Parsnips, Parsnips, Beans, Cauliflower, Slaw Hominy. THIRD COURSE. Pastry. Puddings.
February 7 Mince Pies, Green Apple Pie, Pineapple Pie, Quince Jelly Pie, Peach Jelly Pie Currant Jelly Pie, Blancmange.
Mormon Ball
Custards, Rice, English Plum, Apple Souffle´, Mountain, Pioneer, Jellies.
FOURTH COURSE. Cakes. Fruits. Pound, Raisins, Sponge, Grapes, Gypsy, Apples, Varieties, Snowballs, Candies. Nuts. Tea. Coffee.
The guests had paid $10 per couple to attend. Burton was intrigued and amused that this allowed only one lady per gentleman, although he noted ‘‘for all extra $2 each must be paid. . . . Premiums are offered when the time draws nigh, but space is limited, and many a Jacob is shorn of his glory by appearing with only Kachel for a follower, and without his train of Leahs, Zilpahs, and Billahs.’’ He also made some comments about the ‘‘subtantial goodies’’ served to the 250 persons present: It will be observed that the cuisine in Utah Territory has some novelties, such as bear and beaver. The former meat is a favorite throughout the West, especially when the animal is fresh from feeding; after hibernation it is hard and lean. In the Himalayas many a sportsman, after mastering an artificial aversion to eat bear’s grease, has enjoyed a grill of ‘‘cuffy.’’ The paws, which not a little resemble the human hand, are excellent experto crede, I can not pronounce ex cathedra upon beavers’ tails; there is no reason, however, why they should be inferior to the appendage of a Cape sheep. ‘‘Slaw’’ according to my informants is synonymous with sauer-kraut. Mountain, Pioneer, and Snowballs are unknown to me, except by their names, which are certainly patriotic, if not descriptive.
This is certainly an interesting menu. It is entirely in English, with no French terms at all, apart from souffle´, which does not have an English equivalent. The menu is set out in plain style, and the food also appears to have been an unfussy mix of plain food, frontier game, and homely cakes (but, unusually for the time, no ice creams). The only real puzzle is why the caterers thought it necessary to indicate that ‘‘cabbage’’ was ‘‘greens.’’
Recipes ~~~ Gipsy cake is another name for tipsy cake, or broken cake pudding. In other words it is a trifle (or tiramisu). At its simplest it is made from sponge cake soaked with some sort of liqueur or spirits, with fruit, nuts, and custard. This
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February 8
Whale Meat Luncheon
Mormon community would not have sanctioned the use of alcohol and would have substituted with fruit juice or syrup. Gipsy Cake Take a Sponge Cake (the size you wish), soak it in wine and a glass of brandy; blanch some sweet almonds; cut them lengthways in narrow chips, and stick them all over it: you may put some custard in the dish. William Kitchiner, The Cook’s Oracle, (1845).
Apple Pie: September 14. Beaver Tail: see January 3. Blancmange: January 7. Collared Head: see September 17. Hominy: May 19. Mince Pies: see January 9. Ox-tail Soup: March 21. Pound Cake: April 19. Rice Pudding: January 12.
February 8 Whale Meat Luncheon American Museum of Natural History, New York City, 1918 Thirty ‘‘selected epicures, explorers, biologists, and notables,’’ including the polar explorer Robert Peary (1856–1920) and ‘‘men prominent in scientific, business, and professional spheres,’’ including government food administrators and the zoologist William T. Hornaday (1854–1937) met on this day in the restaurant of the American Museum of Natural History to enjoy a luncheon featuring whale meat. Hors d’Oeuvre—Whale Whale pot au Feu Celery Olives Radishes Corn Pone Nut Butter Delmonico War Bread Boiled Skate Mustard Sauce Parsley Potatoes Planked Whale Steak, a la Vancouver Border of Samp Onion Sauce Vegetable Salad Ice Cream Bisque of black bread, a la Delmonico Ginger bread with raw sugar Coffee
It was a little over 12 months since the United States had entered World War I (see April 6), and the aim of the highly publicized event was to promote whale meat as a substitute for other meats that were in short supply.
February 8
Whale Meat Luncheon
The chef, Seraphin Millon, was co-opted from Delmonico’s, the most famous restaurant in New York, and he apparently worked some culinary magic on the humpback whale that was the source of the meat. Naturally, the specially selected guests waxed lyrical over the flesh, declaring it quite free from a fishy taste, and rather like venison in fact, or at least ‘‘as good as the best pot-pie,’’ perhaps even ‘‘as delicious a morsel as the most aesthetic or sophisticated palate could possibly yearn for’’ (New York Times, February 9, 1918). There was little doubt, however, that this meat was intended for the tables of the poor—it was noted to be very cheap at 12 1/2 cents a pound, conveniently available in cans, and considerably better all round than the horsemeat being promoted for the same purpose in Britain. In spite of the enthusiasm of the guests at this event, the prediction that ‘‘within two years we shall much prefer Whale Meat to Beef’’ was not realized, nor was it realized the second time around, a little over two decades later in World War II, when it was again promoted vigorously. The massive whale-hunting operations of previous times were not primarily for food, they were to supply the demand for oil and ‘‘bone’’ (the latter to supply corset manufacturers). The industry gradually declined during the nineteenth century as vast underground stores of oil were discovered and tapped, and fashions gradually changed. Recipes ~~~ Whale meat was promoted through various other avenues during the war: the Bureau of Fisheries produced a booklet called, Whales and Porpoises as Food (which included 32 recipes furnished by the American Pacific Whaling Co.), recipes for whale meat were demonstrated at the Patriotic Food Show in Chicago in January 1918, and newspapers featured it in their cookery pages. Nice Whale Meat Dish Dice one cup of whale meat and boil for fifteen minutes. Add one cup of parboiled and diced carrots. Make a sauce of the stock from the meat and carrots, thickening it with rye flour. Place all of this in a greased baking dish and cover with crust of hot mashed potatoes. Capital Times, January 3, 1918, Madison, Wisconsin; recipe from the Patriotic Food Show.
Whale Steak Cut whale meat into individual steaks 1–2 inches thick. Dip each steak in salted milk, then in finely sifted crumbs. Rub each with onion juice. Place in an oiled pan, sprinkle with olive oil, and broil in a very hot oven for 10 minutes. When browned, serve immediately. Daily News (Des Moines) April 26, 1919.
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February 9
Archbishop’s Meals
February 9 Archbishop’s Meals Valencia, Spain, 1568 There is little in the way of extant menus for sixteenth-century Spain. One that has survived is a description of two meals eaten by the Archbishop of Valencia and several gentlemen, dated February 9, 1568. The archbishop was Fernando de Loaces y Pe´rez, who died less than three weeks later, on February 29. Europe was riven with religious turmoil in the sixteenth century, and nowhere was this more aggressive and sinister than in Spain. King Philip II (1527–1598) was a fervent Catholic, determined to enforce Catholicism on all his subjects and rid the country of every trace of Protestantism, Judaism, and Islam. The Moors (Arabs from northern Africa) entered Spain in the early eighth century and occupied a large part of the Iberian peninsula for 700 years. There were many attempts by European Christian forces to expel them, but it was not until Granada was reclaimed in January 1492 that Muslim rule finally ended. The Archbishop’s congregation in 1568 included moriscos (forcibly converted Muslims, or ‘‘Moors’’) and conversos (forcibly converted Jews) as well as long-standing Catholic families. The vehement determination to rid the country of every vestige of every other religion is quite ironic in view of the content of this menu. Seven hundred years of Moorish occupation had unequivocally influenced Spanish cuisine. The Moors introduced many new ingredients to the Iberian peninsula such as sugar, eggplant, oranges, rice, rose water, and pomegranates. They also influenced the style of cooking. ‘‘Spanish’’ dishes flavored with saffron, cumin, coriander, thick stews based on dried legumes such as broad beans, Dinner: Eaten by His Lordship and 4 Gentlemen. Pan vino y naranjas dulces.
Bread, wine, and sweet oranges
2 gallinas asadas.
2 hens, roasted
6 perdices asadas.
6 partridges, roasted
Costrada de medio cabrito
Half a kid goat in a pastry crust
(5 huevos en yemas, manteca y especias). Jabalı´ asado.
(5 egg yolks, fat, and spices) Wild boar, roast
Albondigas apedreadas de carnero con 8 huevos en yemas.
Mutton meatballs with 8 egg yolks
Carnero cocido, 2 libras.
Boiled mutton, 2 pounds
Nabos en tocino.
Turnips in bacon
Puerco cocido, 2 libras.
Boiled pork, 2 pounds
Peros, 4 libras.
Apples, 4 pounds
2 cardos.
2 cardoons
Aceitunas y queso, 50 nueces.
Olives and cheese, 50 nuts (probably walnuts)
February 9
Archbishop’s Meals
Supper: Eaten by His Lordship and 2 Gentlemen. Entrada contada.
Uncommon entre´e
3 perdices asadas.
3 partridges, roasted
1 conejo.
1 rabbit
3 gazapos.
3 young rabbits
Cabezuelas de cabritos asadas.
Small heads of roast kid
Torta de queso.
Cheese pie
6 huevos.
6 eggs
Postres contados.
Uncommon desserts
chick peas, and lentils, and dishes thickened with bread all have Moorish roots. The Moors also brought their pastry-making skills with them and their love of fritters and fine pastries made with honey, nuts, rose water, and eggs. Finally, the tradition of communal dining from the same dish comes from the Arab tradition. It is unknown whether the archbishop realized that the oranges and pastry (and no doubt the spices and pulses) he enjoyed were there thanks to his religious enemy. Had he known, would he have made a concession in the name of good eating? Recipes ~~~ The following recipes are taken from Libro del Coch, published by Rupert de Nola in about 1520 and translated by Robin Carroll-Mann. Kid Pie (Pastel De Cabrito) And if by chance the kids are too fat to be roasted, you may cut them in pieces, and make them into pasteles or empanadas. And you may take fine spice and chopped parsley and put them in the empanadas with a little sweet oil and take this food to the oven; and a little before you remove it from the oven, beat some eggs with verjuice or orange juice and put it in the empanada through the vent hole on the top of the empanada, and then return it to the oven for the space of three Paternosters [see November 18]. And then remove it, and put this pastel before the lord on a plate, and open it and give it to him.
Marinated Mutton (Carnero Adobado) Take a piece of mutton, and make little pieces of it, and cast it to cook in an earthen pot, with the broth of the pot. And after cooking it well, take saffron, and cloves, and pepper, and blend it with a taste of vinegar and cook it a little with that; and then take egg yolks without the whites, and beat them very well and cast them within; and stir it in one direction until it is thick; and cast in your taste of honey and then remove it.
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February 10
Tripartite Dinner Meeting Armored Hen (Gallina Armada)
Roast a good hen. And when it is nearly half-roasted, baste it with bacon. Then take well-beaten egg yolks, then with a spoon or with the tip of a large wooden spoon rub the hen with these yolks, little by little. And then sprinkle wheat flour well-sifted with ground salt over the eggs, turning the hen constantly and swiftly; and the crust is worth more than the hen. Libro de Guisados, the 1529 Spanish edition of an earlier work written in Catalan called Libre del Coch, published in 1520 by Rupert de Nola, trans. Robin Carroll-Mann.
The Order of Serving According to the Libre del Coch, 1520 First the fruit, and after it a pottage; and then roast, then another pottage and then a stew after the pottage, unless it is blanc manger which is given at the beginning, after the fruit. Some lords eat at first all the stewed food, and then the roasted. If there are fried foods [fritters or pancakes] they must be given afterwards, as it were, and then the other fruit. And this is the way and manner in the service, according to the custom of the court of the king my lord.
February 10 Tripartite Dinner Meeting Vorontsov Villa, Yalta, Ukraine, 1945 The ‘‘Big Three’’ leaders (Franklin D. Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, and Josef Stalin) met in February 1945 at Yalta on the Crimean Peninsula to discuss the management of Germany after the expected imminent allied victory. The British headquarters and de facto 10 Downing Street, while Churchill was in residence, was the Voronstov Villa, the former home of a Russian count. The Villa had been occupied for a while by one of Hitler’s generals and consequently had avoided being stripped and damaged. The American diplomatic contingent were housed in the Livadia Palace, the Tsar’s old summer residence, and the Soviets in the Yusupov Palace, the former home of a Russian aristocrat. Churchill hosted a dinner meeting at his headquarters on the evening of February 10. The menu for the historic event was a simple typewritten piece of letterhead stationery. Caviare Pies White and Red Salmon Shamaya Salted Herrings Sturgeon in Aspic Swiss Cheese Game
February 10
Tripartite Dinner Meeting
Sausage Sucking Pig, Horse-radish Sauce — Vol-au-Vent of Game — Game Bouillon Cream of Chicken — Wite Fish, Champagne Sauce Baked Kefal — Shashlik of Mutton Wild Goat from the Steppes Pilau of Mutton — Roast Turkey Roast Quails Roast Partridge Green Peas — Ice Cream Fruit Petit Fours Roasted Almonds — Coffee
Churchill, Roosevelt, and Stalin at Yalta. Courtesy of Library of Congress.
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February 10
Tripartite Dinner Meeting
Yalta was a miserably cold location in the depths of this particularly grim winter. The location had been insisted upon by Stalin (who refused to fly), to the great irritation of Churchill. Much of Europe was starving, and those responsible for catering for the conference must have had their work cut out for them. Certainly, the likes of this bill of fare—a strange blend of Turkish/Russian/English food—would never have been seen before on a British diplomatic table, nor is it likely to ever be repeated. Many of the fish at this dinner were sourced from the Black Sea and are now endangered and subject to international conservation law. It has been estimated by the Global International Waters Assessment (GIWA) that the Black Sea fish stock has been depleted by about one third in the last two decades. Perhaps as many as 60 species (fish and plants) have become extinct, or at best are endangered. Of the fish on this menu the Caspian shemaya (Chalcalburnus chalcoides) also called ‘‘the Royal fish’’ is endangered, as is the other ‘‘royal’’ fish, the ancient sturgeon (various species of Acipensiderae), source of the finest caviar, and the Kefalor golden grey mullet (Altinbas kefal or Liza aurata ) is considered vulnerable. There are some familiar meat dishes. Kebabs in their various forms have become virtual international foods. In Turkish, kebap means roasted meat and ¸sis¸ is a skewer, and shashlik, shish-kebab, doner kebab, (or even just kebab) therefore refer to meat on skewers. Variations on the theme of skewered meat occur across Eastern Europe and Asia, as they do for pilau, and interpretations for both started to appear in English cookbooks from the seventeenth century. Recipes ~~~ Baked Mullet Clean the fish and soak for an hour in salted and acidulated water. Drain, wipe dry, stuff with seasoned crumbs, sew up, rub with butter, and put into a baking pan, adding enough hot water to keep from burning. Baste as required and serve with any preferred sauce. Olive Green, How to Cook Fish (United States, 1908).
There are many varieties of horseradish sauce both cold and hot, from a simple mix of the grated root with vinegar, sugar, and oil to rich creambased or brown-sauce based versions. Horse-radish Sauce Take one gill of whipped cream, two tablespoons of finely-grated horseradish, one tablespoon of white vinegar, a little mustard, salt and pepper, and mix well together. Vicomte de Maduit, The Vicomte in the Kitchen (London, 1937).
February 11
‘‘Gotham’s Costliest Banquet’’
Kebabs and Pilau: see March 30. Salted Herrings: see May 6. Petits Fours: see November 14.
February 11 ‘‘Gotham’s Costliest Banquet’’ Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, New York, 1899 It was a freezing February night in the streets of New York when Randolph Guggenheimer (1846–1907), president of the Municipal Council, gave a dinner for 40 guests in February 1899. In the dining room of the WaldorfAstoria, however, it was all summertime, songbirds, and roses. The dinner broke all previous standards for extravagant dining—no mean feat in a city with plenty of millionaires with a taste for conspicuous consumption. The bill for ‘‘Gotham’s Costliest Banquet’’ came to $10,000—an amount, as one newspaper pointed out, that would pay the average wages of 18 New
BUFFET RUSSE Private Wine
Oyster Cocktails.
Amontillado.
` la Princesse. Lemardelaise a
Pasado.
Green Turtle, Bolivar. Basket of Lobster. Columbine of Chicken, California Style. Roast Mountain Sheep with Puree of Chestnuts. Jelly Brussels Sprouts Saute New Asparagus with Cream Sauce and Vinaigrette
Mumm’s Extra Day
Fancy Sherbet
Moet & Chandon Brut Diamond Back Terrapin Ruddy Duck Orange and Grapefruit Salad Fresh Blueberries and Raspberries Vanilla Mousse Bonbons Fruits Coffee.
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February 11
‘‘Gotham’s Costliest Banquet’’
York working men for a year. The man behind the planning and execution of this extraordinary dinner was the maıˆtre d’hotel, the famous Oscar Tschirky (‘‘Oscar of the Waldorf’’). It was his finest hour. He had created his ‘‘heroic masterpiece.’’ ‘‘All the fruits of the earth’’ were there to delight the guests. They sat in a 12-sided arbor, beside a beautiful fountain, under a canopy of vines with bunches of magnificent grapes at hand’s reach; beautiful songbirds hidden among the foliage supplemented the musicians in a ‘‘woodland oratorio,’’ and flowers of every variety—tulips, daffodils, orchids, lilies of the valley, and complete bushes of American Beauty roses ‘‘grew’’ where the floor should have been. An artificial sun and moon mimicked the fall of night, which was then magically lit by Venetian lanterns and scores of tiny colored electric light bulbs. There seemed to be no end to the artifice. The usual small gifts for the guests—the millionaire’s equivalent of party favors—were jewelled boxes for matches, perfume, and snuff. The dinner itself was, of course, of the best that could be provided. Wine bottled before the French Revolution was opened. The mountain sheep and ruddy duck had been rushed to New York in portable refrigerators. The raspberries were a new variety grown especially for the occasion, and were served on decorative candied sugar leaves. And as for the blueberries, Oscar recalled them in an interview long after the event. ‘‘I remember those blueberries,’’ he said. ‘‘A man came to the hotel with some berries he said were New Jersey blueberries. I had never seen anything like them before, and I have never seen anything like them since. They were an inch long, like a blackberry’’ (New York Times, May 13, 1917). Recipes ~~~ ´d Brussels Sprouts Saute One pound of Brussels sprouts should be thoroughly washed and boiled, and then put into a pan over the fire, together with a good-sized lump of butter, a little salt, and tossed for eight minutes. Sprinkle over them a little chopped parsley, and serve, when done.
Puree of Chestnuts Take off the outer skins of some chestnuts, put in a pan of boiling water and boil for a few minutes with a little salt to season. Take them off, put into cold water and remove the skins. Put the chestnuts in a pan with a quart of broth, put on the fire until boiling, then move to the side and boil slowly until tender. When cooked rub the chestnuts through a wire sieve with a wooden spoon, then put them back with the remainder of the liquid to the saucepan, put in a teaspoonful of sugar and a small lump of butter, and boil them up again.
February 12
Former Slave Attends a Republican Dinner
Chocolate Bonbons Put half a pound of French chocolate in a sugar-boiler, and stand on the stove till the chocolate is soft. Dissolve half an ounce of gum arabic in a tablespoonful and a half of hot water, mix it with the softened chocolate, stir until the chocolate is smooth, then mix in two ounces of fine icing sugar. When well mixed, drop the chocolate from the spout of the sugar-boiler cutting it off with a piece of wire into pieces the size of Brazilian nuts. When the bonbons are dry, pack them in paper in cardboard boxes. Oscar Tschirky, The Cook Book (1896).
February 12 Former Slave Attends a Republican Dinner Lincoln Dinner, Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, New York, 1909 The dinner held by the Republican Club at the Waldorf-Astoria in 1909 to celebrate the birthday of President Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865) would hardly have been noteworthy on account of its menu alone. The food was standard, classic fine-dining fare of the time, and could have been provided at any similar event of a decade on either side. Huitres de Cotuit. Consomme Diablotin. Tortue Vert Clair. Radis. Olives. Celeri. Amandes Salees. Escalope de Bass a la Duchesse. Pommes Parisienne. Ris de Veau, Lafayette. Tranche de Dinde Farci, Sauce Diable. Pommes de Terre Sautees, Petits Pois Verts. Sorbet Fantaisie. Canard a Tete Rouge. Salade de Saison. Glaces Assorties. Petits Fours. Fruits. Cafe´. Ruinart Brut. Appolinaris.
The menu may have been predictable, but a ‘‘manifest air of curiosity’’ was evoked amongst the audience of 800 (which included ‘‘practically every Republican of prominence in the city’’) when the keynote speaker stood up to give his address. He was the African-American leader and former slave, Booker T. Washington (1856–1915). The former ‘‘piece of property,’’ who was eight years old when slavery was abolished, paid tribute to Lincoln as his personal liberator and that of his people and also drew a wider inference from the Emancipation Proclamation:
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Former Slave Attends a Republican Dinner By the same act that freed my race he said to the civilized and uncivilized world that man everywhere must be free, and that man everywhere must be enlightened, and the Lincoln spirit of freedom and fair play will never cease to spread and grow in power until throughout the world all men shall know the truth, and the truth shall make them free.
It was ironic that there were no women guests at this dinner at which the main discussion topic was emancipation. Women were not only prevented from voting in elections in 1909, they were prevented from attending public dinners—even if they were members of the press. It had become an issue for female reporters as early as 1868, when the New York Press Club refused to admit them to a banquet honoring author Charles Dickens; it was still an issue in 1906 when they were likewise Booker T. Washington. Courtesy of Library of refused admission to a banquet at Congress. which Mark Twain was to speak. They were, however, allowed to observe the proceedings from the ladylike distance of the public galleries of the banqueting rooms, and a small number were there to listen to Booker T. Washington on this particular night. Recipes ~~~ The following recipes are taken from The Epicurean (1894), by Charles Ranhofer, chef at Delmonico’s in New York.
The Way to Prepare Sweetbreads (Ris de Veau) Sweetbread is a glandulous substance found below the calf’s throat [the thymus gland] and is considered a most delicate morsel. Separate the throat sweetbreads from the hearts; the throat part is the largest of the two, the heart is whiter, of a round shape and more delicate and tender than the throat, place them in cold water to disgorge for several hours changing it each hour so as to
February 13
YMCA Father and Son Dinner
have them very white; lay them in a saucepan with an abundant supply of cold water, set it on the fire and when the sweetbreads are firm to the touch or poached, or more properly speaking parboiled, then refresh and suppress all the wind-pipes, fibers and fatty parts, afterward lay them under a very light weight. This blanching is for the purpose of hardening the sweetbreads so as to be able to lard them more easily. Blanched sweetbreads are used for saute´ing by cutting them in two through their thickness. For brochettes they are cut in slices and for garnishing in the shape of salpicon.
Redhead Ducks, Roasted Prepare the ducks, . . . wipe out the insides with a cloth and fill the empty space with some bread dressing combined with butter or chopped suet, thyme, bay leaf, parsley, and a few finely sliced green celery leaves, adding egg-yolks; truss, and run a skewer through to fasten them on the spit, then roast basting over with melted butter or oil. . . . lay them on the spit to roast for fourteen to eighteen minutes, more or less according to their weight; salt over, remove from the spit and untruss and serve on a very hot dish, or they can be roasted in the oven, putting them into a baking pan; pour a little fat over and set them in a hot oven; they will take a few minutes longer to cook this way, then serve on a very hot dish. Hand round separately on a folded napkin some hominy or samp the same as for canvasback ducks. Cut up the ducks and serve on very hot plates. Four slices can be taken from each duck, two on each fillet and one or two of these served to one guest.
Turtle Soup: see November 10. Petits Fours: see November 14. Pommes Parisienne: see June 23.
February 13 YMCA Father and Son Dinner Nyack, New York, 1918 The Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) was founded in 1844 by an English draper concerned for the bodily health as well as the immortal souls of the thousands of young men moving away from their families and into the big cities for work. The movement spread rapidly, and within a decade there were nearly f400 ‘‘Y’s’’ in seven countries around the world. In the early twentieth century, another type of social phenomenon developed—that of ‘‘Father and Son’’ nights. They were held under the auspices of many organizations—churches, schools, Masonic lodges, and so on—and were intended to foster a broader community concept of male mentoring, not just the filial. The men and boys of the Nyack YMCA got together on February 13, 1918 for some character-building public speaking and a plain and wholesome dinner.
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YMCA Father and Son Dinner MENU Olives Pickles Lamb, a la Lovatt Mint Sauce Potatoes Green Peas Hot Biscuits—Dr. Hoover Coffee Jellies Pie
America’s involvement in World War I was nearing its first anniversary (see April 6), and patriotism was clearly on the agenda. The American flag graced the cover of the menu, and the after-dinner toasts were to the food problem and our country as well as the boy, the school, and the church. Herbert Hoover (1874–1964), the wartime U.S. food administrator, was given special mention on the menu. As part of Hoover’s ‘‘Food Will Win the War’’ campaign, he had set some regulations two weeks before this dinner that were intended to conserve vital foods for feeding the troops and assisting war-ravaged Europe. The regulations were expected to be followed by every patriotic American as well as by industry. Wheat and meat were the most vital. Hoover determined that Mondays and Wednesdays were to be observed as ‘‘wheatless’’ (plus one meal every U.S. Food Administration poster for day was to be wheatless), Tuesday was to be the war effort. Courtesy of Library of meatless (as was one meal every day), and in Congress. addition Saturday was also to be porkless. ‘‘Wheatless’’ did not just apply to bread, but also to crackers, pasta and cakes, and so on. The only exception was a small amount allowed for thickening soups or sauces, or as a ‘‘binder’’ in corn bread or other breads. Hoover also announced the introduction of ‘‘Victory Bread,’’ effective immediately. Pure white bread was no longer allowed. Victory bread had to contain 5 percent of cereals other than wheat, with this percentage to progressively increase to 20 percent by February 24. February 13 in 1918 was a Wednesday, so a wheatless day. It is unthinkable that such patriotic and civic-minded citizens as attended this dinner would have breached the rules, and certainly the ‘‘Hoover’’ hot biscuits would have been wheat-free, as would the pie crusts.
February 13
YMCA Father and Son Dinner
Recipes ~~~ Baking Powder Biscuits (Wheatless) Rye 1 1/4 cup Rolled Oats, 1 1/3 cups Baking powder 1 1/2 teaspoons Salt, 1/2 teaspoon Sugar, 2 tablespoons Fat, 3 tablespoons Water, 2/3 cup or more Add rolled oats to dry ingredients. Chop in shortening. Add enough water to make soft dough. Roll out to 1/3 to 1/2 inch thickness. Bake 20 minutes in a moderately hot oven. Yield: 12 biscuits.
Oatmeal Crust (Individual Pies) 2 cups finely ground oatmeal 1 teaspoon fat 1 cup boiling water Scald the oatmeal with the water. Add fat and mix thoroughly. Roll very thin and line small pie or tart tins with the mixture. Bake in a hot oven. Fill with apricot marmalade or other thick mixture. If desired spread a meringue on top and brown in the oven. Thetta Quay Franks, Daily Menus for War Service (1918).
To the Women of the United States: Statement Issued by Secretary David Houston U.S. Department of Agriculture, May 5, 1917 Every woman can render important service to the Nation in its present emergency. She need not leave her home or abandon her home duties to help the armed forces. She can help to feed and clothe our armies and help to supply food to those beyond the seas by practicing effective thrift in her own household. Every ounce of food the housewife saves from being wasted in her home—all food which she or her children produce in the garden and can or preserve—every garment which care and skilled repair make it unnecessary to replace—all lessen that household’s draft on the already insufficient world supplies. To save food the housewife must learn to plan economical and properly balanced meals, which, while nourishing each member of the family properly, do not encourage overeating or offer excessive and wasteful variety. It is her duty to use all effective methods to protect food from spoilage by heat, dirt, mice or insects. She must acquire the culinary ability to utilize every bit of edible food that comes into her home. She must learn to use such foods as vegetables, beans,
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Valentine’s Day Dinner
peas, and milk products as partial substitutes for meat. She must make it her business to see that nothing nutritious is thrown away or allowed to be wasted. Waste in any individual household may seem to be insignificant, but if only a single ounce of edible food, on the average, is allowed to spoil or be thrown away in each of our 20,000,000 homes, over 1,300,000 pounds of material would be wasted each day. It takes the fruit of many acres and the work of many people to raise, prepare and distribute 464,000,000 pounds of food a year. Every ounce of food thrown away, therefore, tends also to waste the work of any army of busy citizens. Clothing is largely an agricultural product and represents the results of labor on the sheep ranges, in cotton fields and in mills and factories. Whenever a useful garment is needlessly discarded, material needed to keep some one warm or dry may be consumed merely to gratify a passing fancy. Women would do well to look upon clothing at this time more particularly from the utilitarian point of view. Leather, too, is scarce, and the proper shoeing of armies calls for great supplies of this material. There are only so many pairs of shoes in each hide, and there is a shortage of animals for leather as well as for meat. Anything that can be done to encourage adults or children to take care of their shoes and make them last longer, meaning that so much more leather is made available for other purposes. Employed women, especially those engaged in the manufacture of food or clothing, also directly serve their country and should put into their tasks the enthusiasm and energy the importance of their product warrants. While all honor is due to the women who leave their homes to nurse and care for those wounded in battle, no woman should feel that because she does not wear a nurse’s uniform she is absolved from patriotic service. The home women of the country, if they will give their minds fully to this vital subject of food conservation and train themselves in household thrift, can make of the housewife apron a uniform of national significance. Demonstrate thrift in your homes and encourage thrift among your neighbors. Make saving rather than spending your social standard. Make economy fashionable lest it become obligatory. New York Times, May 1917.
February 14 Valentine’s Day Dinner Sherry’s, New York, 1901 There was a great air of excitement and expectation among the high society in New York as Valentine’s Day approached in 1901. The new millionaire and eligible bachelor James Henry Smith (d. 1907) had announced he would give an entertainment, and nothing else had been discussed for weeks. As the newspaper pointed out, it was a difficult task to give anything that was new and original during the year of magnificent entertainments. Smith, however, called upon two of the city’s most famous society hostesses to assist, and Mrs.
February 14
Valentine’s Day Dinner
Stuyvesant Fish and Mrs. Cornelius Vanderbilt were only too happy to oblige. These formidable women did not let the host down, and the entertainment turned out to be ‘‘one of the most lavish and perfect’’ ever given in the city. The second floor of the famous Sherry’s restaurant was reserved for the dinner and the following cotillion (dance). Huitres Consomme de Tortue Verte. Olives
Celari Amandes.
Bass de Mer Normande. Aloyau de Boeuf. Aux de Champignons Frai. Pommes Duchesse. Jambon de Virginie aux Epinards. Canard Sauvage. Fried Hominy.
Gelee.
Salade. Mousse de Vanille. Gateaux. Bonbons. Cafe´. Champagne.
Appolinaris.
For the 132 especially privileged guests it was a ‘‘rose dinner’’ in honor of Valentine’s Day. The guests stepped out of the second-floor lift not into a mere hallway, but into a magnificent palm grove from which they moved to a reception room decorated with silk rugs, the walls completely covered with flowers (including masses of roses) and pink satin ribbons. When dinner was announced, an ivy screen moved aside to reveal the rose arbor where the guests were to dine. Roses were everywhere, including the ceiling. In the center of each table was a six-foot high tree covered with American Beauty roses, the lower branches starting two feet above the tables so that the guests could converse beneath the fragrant, flowery canopy. The menus were in the form of Valentine’s tied with satin ribbon. The cotillion (to which many more guests were invited) began at 11 P.M. in a mirrored ballroom decorated with green vines and yet more spring flowers in every available space. Nor was the food finished for the evening. Two suppers were provided during the cotillion—a buffet available all evening and a later one served in a more formal manner.
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Valentine’s Day Dinner
The dinner itself was typical of the time, and it must have been thought unnecessary to continue the pink Valentine rose theme to the dishes served. The only strange note is the fried hominy, which seems strangely out of place in such a formal meal. Recipes ~~~ The following recipe is from the classic fine-dining cookbook of the time, The Epicurean, published in 1894 by the famous chef of Delmonico’s restaurant, Charles Ranhofer. Roast Beef—Middle Short Loin—English Style (Rosbif d’Aloyau a 1’Anglaise) Cut along the vertebra and toward the top of the back a piece containing the greater part of the tenderloin, from the end rib to the hip; this part called the middle short loin, and is the choice piece for roasting; it is used in the best houses in England and France. The meat must be selected from a young and tender beef of deep crimson color and veined with slices of fat. Cut from the center a piece weighing, ten, twenty, or thirty pounds, more or less, according to the number of guests to be supplied, cut away the fat, and a piece of the flank seasoning with salt and pepper, and fold the flank over; the meat should be the same thickness throughout. Tie it well, making a knot at each turn of the string. It can be wrapped up in several sheets of buttered paper. A piece of beef roasted on the spit is far preferable to one cooked in the oven. It suffices to place it in the middle of an English cradle spit, but sometimes it is impossible to cook it in this way. Therefore the most practical manner is to cook it as follows: Set it in a deep pan with raised edges, and furnished with a grate slightly raised on four feet an inch and a half high. Pour into the pan a few spoonfuls of fat, put the meat on the grate, and roast it in a moderate oven allowing for a short loin weighing fifteen pounds one and a half hours, one of twenty, two hours, and one of thirty, two and a half hours, forty pounds, three and a half hours, the time always to be calculated according to the regularity of the fire and the thickness of the meat; roast the meat, basting and turning it over frequently, add a little water in case the grease threatens to burn. When nearly done salt. When the short loin is nearly cooked untie, and keep in a hot closet from fifteen to forty minutes according to the size, then serve it in a large dish; it must be cut in slices lengthwise of the meat, beginning at the sirloin and then the tenderloin. Serve on very hot plates with a sauce-boat of clear gravy passed round at the same time.
Fried Hominy When cold hominy [see May 19] is left of the previous day, it is very good wet up with an egg and a little flour, and fried. Catherine Esther Beecher, Miss Beecher’s Domestic Receipt Book (1850).
February 15
Exotic Menu for New York Epicures
February 15 Exotic Menu for New York Epicures The Bank Coffee House, New York, 1823 William Niblo (1789–1875) of New York considered himself a gourmet, and he clearly perceived a niche market for his Coffee House in the burgeoning desire for novelty in dining. He sourced exotic and recherche´ ingredients from all over the country, and on this day presented to his customers ‘‘a bill of fare rarely equalled (at least for variety) in this country, and worthy the attention, no doubt, of all who devote their time and faculties to the important object of finding new sources of gratification in eating.’’ FIRST COURSE: Green Turtle, made of Calf’s Head; Terrapin, Ox-Tail, Hen Soup in Scotch style, Fish of all kind in the market, boiled, stewed, and barbecued. SECOND COURSE: A Bald Eagle, a Hawk an Owl, an Opossum, Bear Meat, a Raccoon a wild Swan. THIRD COURSE: Venison, Mutton, Wild Turkeys, Roast Beef, Canvas Back Duck, Partridges, Quails, Snapping Turtle, Calipash and Calipee, Terrapin, etc. with the usual appendages of puddings, pies, wines, liquors, etc.
This menu was certainly varied. There were familiar dishes such as the soups and fish dishes and the puddings and pies still recognizable today.
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Exotic Menu for New York Epicures
There were the dishes that would have been less commonly eaten (at least by the urban American of the time), but not unheard of, such as bear and wild swan. Several dishes had social or racial connotations, and there were a few very unusual items. The really strange items are the bald eagle ‘‘shot on the Grouse Plains of Long Island’’ and the ‘‘remarkably fine Hawk and Owl, shot in Turtle Grove, Hoboken.’’ There is a widespread human prejudice against the eating of carnivorous animals, particularly carrion-eaters. Crows, for example are generally despised (see July 12), whereas their cousins, the rooks, are not. Perhaps the roots of this taboo lie in the ancient belief that the characteristics of the animal eaten will be taken on by the eater, or perhaps it is that the taste of their flesh, as is often alleged, is rank and offensive. The owl is particularly unusual as it has always been associated with nighttime, witches, and the underworld, and has rarely been part of the human bill of fare. Mock turtle soup, usually made from calf’s head (see July 4), had by this time become a valued dish in its own right, and was not simply a poor alternative to the real thing. Turtle flesh had been a metaphor for luxurious eating (see November 10) for well over a century, and it appeared in several forms at this dinner. Calipash and calipee refer to the upper and lower shells of the turtle and the gelatinous fatty material adjacent to them. This fat was highly desirable and was retained when the turtle was butchered, to be cut up and served in real turtle soup. At the other end of the social scale, many references of the time associate the eating of raccoon and possum with subsistence living, particularly among certain ethnic or racial groups, as in these comments: ‘‘the Negroes eat the flesh of the raccoon, which they consider a great delicacy’’ (Daniel Blowe, A Geographical, Historical, Commercial, and Agricultural View of the United States of America [Edwards & Knibb, 1820]) and ‘‘the Negroes frequently eat the flesh of the raccoon, and are very fond of it, though it has a very disagreeable and rank smell’’ (Jane Loudon, The Entertaining Naturalist [Henry G Bohn, 1850]). The interesting question raised by this bill of fare, and which was mooted by the newspapers of the time, is, What, exactly, defines epicurism? Is it a finely nuanced palate, a great knowledge of food, or the quest for dishes that are desirable simply because they are unusual? Recipes ~~~ Instructions for the cookery of animals such as raccoon and possum are more likely to appear in the journals of explorers and frontiersmen than formal cookbooks. Raccoon Whilst some of the men were attending to this important business, the others began to prepare their dinner, and being curious to see how they would cook the racoon, I remained by their fire. A more summary exercise of the culinary
February 16
Banquet to Honor Neopolitan Princes
art I never saw. Having made a fine blazing fire, they tied his hind feet to a piece of stick, and his head to another; two of them then held him in the blaze until all the fur was singed off, and then slightly eviscerating him, consigned him in that state to the pot, covering him over with pieces of fat pork to keep him down. They seemed to enjoy their repast immensely, for their talking and laughing was incessant. George William Featherstonhaugh, A Canoe Voyage up the Minnay Sotor (1847).
Possum Roasted Chill thoroughly after scraping and drawing. Save all the inside fat, let it soak in weak salt water until cooking time, then rinse it well, and partly try it out in the pan before putting in the possum. Unless he is huge, leave him whole, skewering him flat, and laying him skin side up in the pan. Set in a hot oven and cook until crisply tender, taking care there is no scorching. Roast a dozen good sized sweet potatoes—in ashes if possible, if not, bake them covered in a deep pan. Peel when done, and lay while hot around the possum, turning them over and over in the abundant gravy. He should have been lightly salted when hung up, and fully seasoned, with salt, pepper, and a trifle of mustard, when put down to cook. Dish him in a big platter, lay the potatoes, which should be partly browned, around him, add a little boiling water to the pan, shake well around, and pour the gravy over everything. Hot corn bread, strong black coffee, or else sharp cider, and very hot sharp pickles are the things to serve with him. Martha McCulloch-Williams, Dishes & Beverages of the Old South (1913).
February 16 Banquet to Honor Neopolitan Princes Florence, Italy, 1476 Benedetto Salutati was a wealthy merchant (perhaps an armourer or goldsmith) in Florence. On February 16, 1476, he held a banquet in honor of the four sons of the King of Naples (the Kingdom of Arago´n) that was ‘‘a monument to excess.’’ The guests were received into a grand room whose walls and ceiling were covered with magnificent tapestries. A table on a raised platform was covered with several layers of tablecloth, as was the habit of the time, so that as it became soiled during each course, one layer could be removed to reveal the clean cloth underneath. A fine sideboard with nine shelves displayed a huge amount of silver and gold goblets, dishes, and other tableware—including 80 bowls of perfumed water for the guests to wash their hands before the meal. As was also usual for the time, food was served and carved by skilled attendants, and tasted for poison. Fine wines were matched to the food—Malvasia, Moscatello, Vernaccia, Greco, Trebbiano, Fianello, Falsamico, Bonagia di Trapani, vino del Cilento, Fassignano, Mazzacane, and Asprino.
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Banquet to Honor Neopolitan Princes
Renaissance kitchen.
A fifteenth-century banquet was not just about food. It was an entire entertainment spectacle, and the food itself was part of the entertainment. It was colored, gilded, jellied, and decorated in many ways. There were birds in their plumage, and even a pie from which live birds flew out. The first set of offering consists of seventeen different dishes, each guest is offered gilded ornaments, cream, layered dishes made with the flesh of the upper body of kid, blanche manger, plus eight dishes of jellied capons with the duke’s coat of arms moulded on top, and a fountain which spurts perfume, and four dishes of veal, mutton, capons and boiled ham. The second set of offerings consists of groups of four dishes with roasted peacocks which have been covered again with their own feathers, their tails fanned open, these followed by dishes of veal, mutton, capons, partridges, roasted pheasants and flavourings. This continues with chicken pies accompanied with a sauce made with egg yolks, rose water and spices and sugar, pies with their pastry lids shaped like a bells and filled with live birds, once opened, the birds escape and fly freely in
February 17
British Royals Dine at Mount Nelson Hotel
the room. Once the second tablecloth is removed the third set of offerings are presented, small pies made with puff pastry, sweet batters shaped like lamps (?), milk tortes, sugar confectionary, tortes made of marzipan perfumed with musk, wafers. Giulio Bertoni, Biblioteca dell’ archivum romanicum (1921), translated by Marisa Raniolo Wilkins.
The entertainment included eight young men dressed as hunters, complete with game, dogs, and bugles. And finally, at five in the morning, sweetmeats were presented in 17 silver dishes whose lids were decorated with all sort of figures and the coats of arms of all the guests. Recipes ~~~ The spectacle of a pie containing live birds that flew out to the astonishment and delight of the guests was a favorite form of feast food entertainment right up into the seventeenth century. The following recipe is from The Italian Banquet (1598), an English translation of an earlier work, Epulario, first published in 1516, but itself a plagiarized version of a previous book. To Make Pies that Birds May Be Alive in Them and Fly Out When It Is Cut Up Make the coffin of a great pie or pastry, in the bottome thereof make a hole as big as your fist, or bigger if you will, let the sides of the coffin bee somewhat higher then ordinary pies, which done put it full of flower and bake it, and being baked, open the hole in the bottome, and take out the flower. Then having a pie of the bigness of the hole in the bottome of the coffin aforesaid, you shal put it into the coffin, withall put into the said coffin round about the aforesaid pie as many small live birds as the empty coffin will hold, besides the pie aforesaid. And this is to be done at such time as you send the pie to the table, and set before the guests: where uncovering or cutting up the lid of the great pie, all the birds will flie out, which is to delight and pleasure shew to the company. And because they shall not bee altogether mocked, you shall cut open the small pie, and in this sort you may make many others, the like you may do with a tart.
February 17 British Royals Dine at Mount Nelson Hotel Capetown, South Africa, 1947 When King George VI with Queen Elizabeth and their daughters the Princesses Elizabeth (the future Queen Elizabeth II) and Margaret Rose visited the Union of South Africa in 1947, it was the first visit of a reigning British sovereign to the former Dominion of the Empire. The royal family arrived on February 17 aboard HMS Vanguard and the diplomatic dining routine
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British Royals Dine at Mount Nelson Hotel
began immediately with a private luncheon at the governor general’s residence outside the city. In the evening of the same day they attended a state dinner in Capetown. The Times proclaimed that ‘‘characteristic South African dishes and wines were served at the banquet,’’ although they are certainly not obvious from the menu.
Hors d’oeuvres. Melon Frappe´ au Curacao. Consomme Grande Bretagne.
Cre`me a la Reine.
Filet de Sole Africaine.
Lamb Cutlets Margaret Rose.
Duckling George VI.
Turkey English–Style
Green Peas a la Menthe.
Pommes Croquettes.
Iced Aparagus with Sauce Elizabeth Plum Pudding.
Peaches Princesse.
Macaroon Royale with Camperdown Sauce
Certainly the royal family was honored in the names of the dishes, and it was common at the time for a chef to slightly alter a classic dish and rename it for a special guest. Most ‘‘South African’’ dishes have a Dutch Indonesian heritage, reflecting the early Dutch colonization of both countries, and none of these are apparent here. The only obvious concession to the continent is ` l’Africaine’’ garnish for the fish. This is a traditional garnish from the ‘‘a the classic French repertoire and consists of marble-sized balls of a black (or dark purple) variety of potato briefly cooked in boiling water then gently braised in butter with small marrows or zucchini—a dish that appears to have decidedly racist roots. Recipes ~~~ ` la Reine is a classic soup that put in a regular appearance at fine dinPotage a ners throughout the nineteenth century. It is made from a puree of chicken, but, as usual, there are many variations on the basic theme.
` la Reine Potage a This is a delicate white soup, said to be a favourite with Her Majesty [Queen Victoria]. Skin and wash carefully three young chickens or two large fowls, and boil them in five pints of nicely-flavoured veal stock for about an hour. Lift them out, pick off all the white meat, put the bodies of the birds again into the stewpan and let them simmer an hour and a half longer. Season the broth with salt and cayenne, and when it is sufficiently simmered, pour it out, let it cool, and
February 18
French Royal Supper
thoroughly take off the fat which rises to the surface. Pound the white flesh of the birds to a perfectly smooth paste, and with it a tea-cupful of finely grated white breadcrumbs. Mix gradually with this paste a small quantity of the boiling stock and press it through a fine hair sieve. Add the rest of the stock, and stir the whole over a gentle fire in a clean saucepan until it boils. Add from a pint to a pint and a half of boiling cream. Serve very hot. Cassell’s Dictionary of Cookery (London, ca. 1870s).
Wafer paper is also called rice paper. It is made from rice starch, is edible, and becomes part of the base of the macaroon. Macaroons 1/4 lb. Ground Almonds 1/2 lb. Castor Sugar 3 or 4 Whites of Eggs A Squeeze of Lemon Juice Wafer Paper. Put the almonds and sugar into a basin, and add the lemon juice and the white of eggs very gradually, beating well with a wooden spoon or spatula. Beat thoroughly and make the mixture just moist enough to drop from a spoon. Put it into a forcing-bag with a plain pipe at the end, and force out small portions onto rounds or squares of wafer paper. This quantity should make twelve. Dust over with icing sugar, which will make the macaroons crack on top, and place a halfblanched and split almond on the top of each. Bake in a very moderate oven until nicely browned, dry, and well risen. Lift onto a sieve to cool, and break off any scraps of wafer paper that extend beyond the edges. The Woman’s Book (London, 1911).
Melon Frappe´ (melon water ice): see June 20.
February 18 French Royal Supper Cha ˆ teau de la Muette, Paris, 1749 Louis XV (1710–1774) was King of France from the age of five. At the age of ˆ teau de la Muette on the death of his aunt the nine he inherited the Cha ˆteau was in the Bois de Boulogne, the forest on Duchesse du Berry. The cha the outskirts of Paris, and it had grown out of a sixteenth-century royal huntˆteau and spent a great deal of time ing lodge. Louis completely rebuilt the cha there entertaining his mistresses and also holding sessions of the Council of State. The cuisine, of course, was as elegant as unlimited wealth and power could make it. On February 18, 1749, the bill of fare for the royal supper offered the following choices:
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French Royal Supper ´ S. DEUX GRANDES ENTREE ˆble de mouton de montagne. Un ra Un quartier de veau, une blanquette dans le cuisseau. DEUX OILLES. 1 au riz. ` la jambe de bois. 1a DEUX POTAGES. ` la faubonne. 1a 1 aux choux fleurs. ´ ES. SEIZE ENTRE 1 de coˆtelettes me´le´es. ˆte´s a ` la Be`chameil. 1 de petits pa ` la duchesse. 1 de lange de moutons a 1 de petits pigeons aux truffes entie`res. 1 de haricot de mouton aux navets. 1 de boudins d’e´crivesses. ` la d’Armagnac. 1 de filets de poularde a ` la Dauphine. 1 de matelelot a 1 de noix de veau aux ´epinards. ` la Conty. 1 de membres de faisan a ` la Pe´rigueux. 1 de filets de perdreux a ` l’Urlubie. 1 de petits poulets a ` la Sainte-Me´ne´hould. 1 de ris de veau a ` l’orange. 1 sarcelles a 1 lapereaux en cre´pines. 1 poules de Caux en escalopes. ´ S. QUATRE RELEVE ` la peau goret, sauce Robert. 1 dindonneau a ˆte de be´cassines. 1 pa 1 quartier de sanglier. 1 noix de bœuf aux chou-fleurs. DEAUX GRANDS ENTREMETS. ˆte´ de jambon. 1 pa ˆteau de Savoie. 1 ga QUATRE MOYENS. 2 de boissons d’e´crivisses. ˆteau au fromage. 2 ga
ˆ TS NON MENTIONE ´ S.—SEIZE ENTREMETS. HUIT PLATS DE RO 1 de cardes au jus. 1 de creˆtes au bouillon. 1 d’amourettes. 1 de foies gras grille´s. ` la creˆme. ˆ ts meˆle´s a 1 de ragou 1 de creˆme au chocolat. 1 d’abbaise de massepain.
February 18
French Royal Supper
` l’Infante. 1 d’œufs a 1 d’huitres au gratin. ` l’espagnole. 1 de pattes de dindon a 1 d’asperges. ` la cendre. 1 de truffles a 1 de creˆme glace´e. 1 de canelons meringue´s. 1 de chou-fleurs. [one entremet appears to be missing]
The menu was arranged in the typical French haute cuisine style of a balanced, even number of dishes and courses, with many classic dishes. Recipes ~~~ D’amourette means an affair of the heart, but this dish was no romantic or aphrodisiacal dish. Strangely, the word also refers to the spinal marrow or ‘‘pith’’ of a beast. Today we would consider it offal, to be tossed aside (or disguised in sausage meat perhaps), but it was not always so. In keeping with other animal parts not favored today, it could be, and was, regularly turned into favored dishes, and the following recipe shows how the most unpromising body part can be made into a gourmet dish fit for a king. Des Amourettes du veau Frites Piths, or marrow of the back, or chine of a calf, fryd. Cut your piths in length about three or four inches, blanch them in water, and take off the outermost skin, lay them an hour in a marinade of white wine and vinegar, &c. dry them in a cloth, make a batter of ale or small beer, pour in a little oil or oiled butter, stir it well together, put in your piths, and give them a toss, and fry them of a beautiful yellow, and dish them up on a heap of fry’d parsley. Piths of mutton or lamb make as pretty a dish. William Verral, A Complete System of Cookery (1759).
Robert Sauce is one of the most enduring classic dishes. Recipes for it appear in the mid-sixteenth century, although the sauce was being made for at least 200 years. In Le Viander de Taillevent (a cookbook of the late fourteenth century) it appears as taillemasle´e. Robert Sauce Slice several Onions and fry them in Butter, turning often until they take Colour, then add a little Cullis and good Broth, Pepper, and Salt; let them boil half an Hour and reduce to a Sauce; when ready add Mustard: you may sift it for those that only like the Flavour of Onions. Franc¸ois Menon, The Professed Cook (1769).
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February 19
Creole Dinner for the New Orleans Press Club Des meringues Whites of Eggs Batter
This is done with Whites of Eggs well beat up, and as much Sugar as will make it the Consistence of a thick Batter; put a little rasped Lemon-peel in it; drop it in small Drops upon white Paper; strew Powder-sugar over; bake in a very moderate Heat; when done, glue two drops together with Caramel-sugar, and put a Bit of Sweet-meat betwixt: this is made of what size is most agreeable. Franc¸ois Menon, The Professed Cook (1769).
February 19 Creole Dinner for the New Orleans Press Club The Atheneum, New Orleans, Louisiana, 1898 The New Orleans Press Club showcased the regional cuisine, folklore, and culture at Un Petit Dine Creole when the city hosted the annual convention of the League of Press Clubs in 1898. This is the menu in English: it was also given in ‘‘Negro patois.’’ It was designed and executed by George G. Voitier, the Steward of the New Orleans Press Club. They boast of their terrapin, Tattered rags are better than to go naked.
But once taste Caœne,
Absinthe and Anisette.
And you taste something which is fine. Fricassee Caœne (pig skin).
In Louisiana they find good calas (cake eaten with coffee). Oysters, Choupique and bamboula (national dance).
Don’t tie your dogs with sausages.
Oysters from Mosquito Bayou.
Jambalaya Tchourisses (rice and blood puddings).
With a good gombo prepared by Silvie,
A Creole dinner is not complete
Without ever scolding I would pass my life.
Without a little suckling pig.
Gombo file´, Bisque ’cre´biches.
A runaway pig, stuffed and roasted.
Small vegetables with salt.
Sweet salad with chickory.
When I was a little boy
A bird in the hand
My mother would say
Is better than all the birds flying in the woods.
February 19
Creole Dinner for the New Orleans Press Club
This stewed fish, my son,
Snipes with laurel leaves en baguette.
Is mighty good.
Watercresses from Bayou des Herbes.
Courtbouillion Patassa from Bayou Patassa.
CHAMPAGNE—G. H. Mumm & Co.
HAUT SAUTERNE 1878— Calvet & Co.
A cockroach never holds its own before a hen. Chicken Pate´.
A crawfish is a darned beast! Boiled crawfish.
Lagniappe is something very good (a corruption of a Spanish word which means thrown in a market basket over and above).
Popcorn, Sugared pecans, Sweet potato bread, Thick molasses. The last drawn from the pots in the sugarhouse before it turns to sugar. A fourth of an ice cream. A fourth of a piece of cake.
Everyone knows what boils in his own pot.
Ice cream biscuit. Mulatto stomach (gingerbread).
Red beans with rice (‘‘Hopping John’’).
Tante Zizine’s poundcake.
SAINT JULIEN 1876— Calvet & Co.
There are no Skipenon grapes and no persimmons,
But we’ll give you what there is. Bananas, Oranges, Sugar cane, Mandarins. Black Creole coffee (‘‘Morning Joy’’). A singed cat fears the fire. Brulo. Cigarettes perique—corn paper. Creole cigarettes—yellow paper.
When you have no horse, you ride a donkey; When you have no donkey, you ride a goat; When you have no goat, you go on foot.
A discussion of this menu would naturally start with a definition of ‘‘Creole’’ cuisine, which inevitably requires it to be compared or contrasted with ‘‘Cajun’’ cuisine. Therein lies a problem because the debate, although
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February 20
Wartime Luncheon
long-standing and frequently heated, will never reach consensus. They may once have been completely distinct, but there has been much blending over time, and there is huge regional variation across the state of Louisiana. It is probably true to say that they have more similarities than differences. One dish in particular crosses the divide. It is gumbo, a generic name for a soup or stew or soupy stew made with whatever meat or shellfish is available (usually a mixture) and given its unique texture by the use of okra or file´ powder. There is an almost infinite number of variations depending on local tradition and available ingredients. Over 20 different sorts of gumbo were served at a famous society dinner in New Orleans in 1803. Recipes ~~~ ´ Gumbo File Put into a casserole (saucepan) a spoonful of pure lard and one of flour, stir it well until it is of a light brown. Chop an onion into small pieces and throw them in. Cut up a fat capon or chicken into small pieces and put these in the casserole with the flour and lard. Stir it all the while until the chicken is nearly done. When the whole is well browned, add a slice of ham, cut up small. Throw in two or three pods of red pepper, and salt to your taste. Now add a quart of boiling water, and leave it on the fire for two hours and a half. A quarter of an hour before dinner is served add three dozen oysters with their liquor. Just before taking the soup off the fire, put in a tablespoonful of filet, stirring it all the while. Let it boil one minute and then serve. Do not put in too much filet; the spoon should not be full. Indeed, half a tablespoonful is enough. Ce´lestine Eustis, Cooking in Old Cre´ole Days(New York, 1904).
Jambalaya of Fowls and Rice Cut up and stew a fowl; when half done, add a cup of raw rice, a slice of ham minced, and pepper and salt; let all cook together until the rice swells and absorbs all the gravy of the stewed chicken, but it must not be allowed to get hard or dry. Serve in a deep dish. Southern children are very fond of this; it is said to be an Indian dish, and very wholesome as well as palatable; it can be made of many things. Lafcadio Hearn, La Cuisine Creole(New Orleans, ca. 1885).
Calas or Callas: see March 12. February 20 Wartime Luncheon Stork Club, New York, 1943 The Stork Club was once ‘‘New York’s New Yorkiest place,’’ according to columnist Walter Winchell. The nightclub was opened in 1929 as a front for
February 20
Wartime Luncheon
mobsters by former bootlegger Sherman Billingsley and quickly became the place to be for the rich, powerful, famous, and beautiful. Anybody who was anybody came here, and came to be seen here, and almost anything could happen. The Vanderbilts, the Kennedys, the Roosevelts came, as did the Duke and Duchess of Windsor (who were famously snubbed here by Winchell). Movie stars came—Charlie Chaplin, Errol Flynn, Rita Hayworth, Grace Kelly, Marilyn Monroe, and many others. The writer Ernest Hemingway came and got into a scuffle with the warden of Sing-Sing prison, knocking him down. In 1943 the club was in its third and final location (it closed in 1965) at 3 East 53rd Street, just off Fifth Avenue, now the location of Paley Park. For such a glamorous place with such wealthy clientele, a place about which the writer Lucius Beebe said ‘‘There is no food or time of the day and night when the service of Champagne is not both appropriate and agreeable,’’ the luncheon menu for February 20, 1943, seems quite austere.
SPECIAL LUNCHEON $1.50 Fruit Cocktail * Omelette Au Fromage or Minced Chicken Curry, Rice Pilaw * Pie or Raspberry Sherbet * Demi Tasse
This was of course a small selection from the very comprehensive menu for the club. Why would the millionaire clients need a ‘‘special’’ menu for a $1.50 luncheon? Perhaps it simply made the dining decision easy, leaving energy to be better spent on people-watching and partying? Perhaps it was a discreet way of allowing those who had gained entry on account of their beauty rather than their money—the starlets and dancers hoping to snare a millionaire—to buy lunch? This was wartime, and there were rationing restrictions in place (although a former bootlegger who kept company with mobsters may not have had trouble finding his way around a few laws). Sugar in particular was in short supply and rationing regulations were put in place in early 1942. The shortage was due to a number of factors. Production in the Phillipines and Hawaii had been severely affected by the war; imports from Cuba were reduced because more was being diverted to the allies, and a ‘‘heavy diversion’’ was being made to the production of molasses for conversion to industrial alcohol, which was used in the manufacture of explosives. In January 1942, the household consumption of sugar was restricted to 50 pounds per capita (a
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Wartime Luncheon
reduction from 74 pounds in 1941) by the Office of Price Administration, and a comparable reduction for ‘‘industrial purposes’’ from 47 to 27 pounds was being contemplated. Patriotic citizens did not shop around and hoard supplies, and patriotic restaurants and hotels found various ways to reduce sugar consumption. Most dining establishments appealed to the patriotic instincts of their patrons, and many found indirect disincentives such as removing sugar bowls entirely from tables and having staff sweeten drinks ‘‘at the customer’s discretion,’’ or keeping the bowls deliberately almost empty to discourage ‘‘souveniring’’ of individually wrapped cubes. Recipes ~~~ The ‘‘special luncheons’’ at the Stork Club at this time commonly started with fruit cocktail, ended with pies and sherbet, and had an egg choice for the main. The sugar used in the fruit cocktail and desserts in 1943 would have had to come from the club’s industrial allowance.
Frozen Fruit Cocktail 1/2 cup crushed pineapple 2 cups orange pulp 3/4 cup grapefruit pulp 1/4 cup powdered sugar 1 cup lemon or lime carbonated beverage or ginger ale Add the sugar to the fruits and stir gently until sugar is dissolved. Add carbonated beverage. Set into freezing tray of automatic refrigerator. Freeze to slush. Serve as appetizer. Serves 6. The Lily Wallace New American Cookbook (1946).
Cheese Omelet One or two eggs for each person, 1 tablespoon of milk for each egg, and salt to taste. Beat the eggs and milk. Have ready and hot a smooth heavy omelet pan containing 1 tablespoon butter or other fat, and pour the egg mixture into the pan. As soon as the omelet has browned slightly on the bottom, sprinkle 1/2 cup grated cheese on it and place in a very hot oven until the omelet is cooked and the cheese melted. Fold and turn out on a hot platter. Adapted from The Lily Wallace New American Cookbook, (1946).
Pilau: see March 30. Sherbet: see April 29, June 10.
February 21
Business Dinner, Paris
Menu Notice at Fred Harvey Restaurants, 1942 Sugar, Tea, and Coffee Conservation. Because of the Government’s dramatic reduction in our allowance of the above items, we are now compelled to ask our guests to observe the following restrictions. Sugar. For Breakfast: Not to exceed two level teaspoons Luncheon or Dinner: Not to exceed one level teaspoon Coffee. One cup of hot coffee, one glass of iced coffee. Tea. One cup of tea, hot or iced.
February 21 Business Dinner Hotel Lutetia, Boulevarde Rapail, Paris, 1947 The beautiful art deco Hotel Lutetia was built on the Left Bank of Paris in 1910. The name of the hotel comes from that given to the settlement by the conquering Romans in 53 BCE—Lutetia Parisiorum, which loosely means the marshy location inhabited by the local tribe, the Parisii. In the first few decades of its existence the fashionable hotel played host to many of the rich or famous of the time, including Picasso, Matisse, J. D. Salinger, Josephine Baker, and Charles de Gaulle (who honeymooned there). These early guests were not to know that the hotel would play a far more active role in the history of the city in the 1940s. When the Germans entered Paris in June 1940, the Lutetia became the headquarters of the Gestapo. In August 1944 when the city was liberated it was requisitioned by the Allies, and in a nicely ironic turn became the repatriation center for returning prisoners of war, prison camp returnees, and displaced persons. By 1947 the Lutetia was well and truly back in business as a fine hotel, indulging its guests and arranging fine dinners such as the following one for a commercial textile company on February 21, 1947. Potage Darblay Truite Saumone´e au Chablis Jambon braise´e au Made`re ` la Franc¸aise Petits Pois a Poularde de Bresse roˆti au cresson Salade Fromages Bombe Ne´lusko Sable´s Corbeille de Fruits
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February 21
Business Dinner, Paris — VINS Sylvaner Beaujolais Vougeat 1937 Champagne frappe´ Cafe´ Liqueurs
This was a fine menu with fine wine served in typical French style. The salmon was cooked in white wine, the ham in Madeira wine, and the chicken (from Bresse, which is said to produce the finest chicken in the world) prepared with watercress, a favorite method of serving poultry since the early nineteenth century. Young, tender, fresh peas have been a favorite in France since the seventeenth century. Tiny, hard, dry ‘‘field peas’’ were a staple food of the peasants of Europe for centuries, eaten in the form of pease porridge, pottage, or pudding (see November 1, December 21). In the seventeenth century Dutch horticulturists developed the ‘‘garden pea,’’ which could be eaten fresh. It is difficult to imagine any new vegetable causing great excitement nowadays, but when these sweet, tender petits pois came on the scene, the aristocracy of seventeenth-century France went wild for them. Mme de Maintenon (1635–1719), the mistress and then second wife of Louis XIV, wrote in 1669 ‘‘The impatience to eat them, the pleasure of having eaten them, and the joy of eating them again are the three points of private gossip . . . it is both a fashion and a madness.’’ The ladies of the court of Louis XIV ate the peas straight from the pod as if they were candy, but various ways of cooking them soon developed. Recipes ~~~ Potage Darblay This is essentially a Potage Parmentier (see January 12), a potato and leek soup named for Antoine Parmentier (see October 21) with a julienne (matchstick sized slips) of vegetables, lightly cooked in butter and added just before serving.
Poulet Ro ˆ ti [au Cresson] Cover your fowl with a buttered sheet of paper or with slices of bacon, roast, and a few minutes before taking off the spit, remove the paper or bacon. When a good colour, dish up the fowl, and garnish with watercress. 366 Menus and 1200 Recipes of the Baron Brisse (1896 [1868]).
February 22
George Washington’s Birthday Celebration ´ lusko Bombe Ne
This popular dessert was named for a character in the grand opera L’Africaine. It is made by lining a mould with praline ice cream, filling it with chocolate mousse, and freezing.
February 22 George Washington’s Birthday Celebration Hotel Cecil, London, 1897 The American Society in London was founded in 1895 by a group of eminent expatriates with the dual objectives of fostering good relations between the United States and Great Britain and celebrating the heritage and traditions of their home country. Both objectives were served by inviting prominent English men and women to celebrate events such as Independence Day, Thanksgiving, and on February 22—the birthday of George Washington. Instead of the customary dinner, in 1897 the Society decided to hold a reception followed by a collation, at the Hotel Cecil. In other words, a formal ‘‘receiving’’ was to be followed by an informal light meal. The ‘‘receiving’’ on this occasion was by the U.S. Ambassador Thomas Bayard and his wife and daughter who formally greeted about 300 guests, including the President of the Society, Henry Wellcome, founder of Wellcome Pharmaceuticals, and Moncure D. Conway, the controversial clergyman and abolitionist and
MENU.
MENU.
CHAUD. Salade de Le´gumes. Consomme´ en Tasse.
Salade Italienne.
Stewed Oysters.
Salade Romaine. ` la Romaine. Punch a
Fried Oysters. Scalloped Oysters. Croquettes de Volaille.
Foie Gras Sandwiches
Lettuce and Egg
FROID.
Ham and Chicken
Mayonnaise de Homard.
ˆtisserie Franc¸aise assortie. Petite Pa
Chaudfroid de Mauviettes.
Babas au Rhum
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George Washington’s Birthday Celebration
Terrine de Foie Gras.
Gele´es varie´es.
Galantine de Volaille Salade de Volaille au Ce´leri.
Petites Glaces assorties. Cafe´ glace´.
Langue. Bœuf Presse´. Coˆte de Bœuf.
———
Boned Turkey.
Tea
Jambon d’York.
Coffee Chocolate
supporter of women’s suffrage. The New York Times was sufficiently interested to note the event, referring to it as ‘‘brilliant.’’ The informal nature of a collation is obvious from this menu. There were only a few warm dishes—tiny cups of consomme´, several dishes of cooked oysters, and some croquettes—perhaps to welcome the guests on the winter evening. The remainder of the meal was in the form of a cold buffet, which included that most informal of snacks—several varieties of sandwiches (see November 25). Recipes ~~~ Scalloped Oysters 6 quarts oysters 1 1/2 cups oyster liquor 3/4 cup milk or cream 3 cups stale bread crumbs
6 cups cracker crumbs 3 cups melted butter Salt Pepper
Mix bread and cracker crumbs and stir in butter. Put a thin layer in bottom of buttered baking dishes, cover with cleaned oysters, sprinkle with salt and pepper; repeat. Dip oyster liquor and cream over top, cover with remaining crumbs. Bake thirty minutes in hot oven. A little finely-chopped celery is an improvement. There should never be more than two layers to a dish for scalloped oysters.
Pressed Beef 12 pounds beef from flank brisket, or round 1 tablespoon salt Sweet herbs to taste
2 cups onion 2 cups carrot 1 teaspoon peppercorns 1/4 cup vinegar
Wipe and trim meat, cover with boiling water, bring to boiling point, simmer until meat is in shreds. Add vegetables and seasonings one hour before it is
February 23
Coronation Feast of Queen Catherine
done. Remove meat and pack in long, narrow pans. Reduce liquor to three cups, strain and pour over meat. Cover and press with a heavy weight. Serve cold in thin slices.
Reception Chocolate 1 pound chocolate 2 quarts boiling water
1 1/2 pounds sugar 8 quarts hot milk
Melt chocolate in double boiler, add boiling water, stir until smooth. Boil ten minutes, or cook one hour in double boiler, add sugar and one-fourth teaspoon of salt. Turn into hot milk, beat until foamy, and serve with whipped cream. Frances Lowe Smith, Recipes and Menus for Fifty (Boston, 1913).
Salade Italienne Cook in salted water one pint of green peas, half a pint of string beans, half a pint of carrots and as much turnips, both of these pushed through a tin tube; they should be a quarter of an inch in diameter, and three eighths of an inch long. First blanch the carrots and turnips, then cook them in broth with salt and sugar, and when done drain and leave them to get cool. Put into a salad bowl the carrots, green peas, some green peppers, string beans, turnips and finely cut-up chervil, tarragon, chives and finely chopped parsley; season with salt, pepper, vinegar and oil, mixed well together. Cut some beets and potatoes in an eighth of an inch thick slices, remove some rounds from these with a vegetable cutter three-quarters of an inch in diameter, then season; set the beetroots alternated with the potatoes around the base; near the top place a row of round slices of pickles half an inch in diameter; divide the height between the potatoes and the pickles with fillets of anchovies into six panels; in the center of these place a round slice of mortadelle and on the top lay some small channeled mushrooms. Charles Ranhofer, The Epicurean (1894).
Croquettes of Poultry: see August 21. Mayonnaise de Homard (Lobster mayonnaise): see March 31. Chaud-Froid: see July 25. Punch Romaine (Roman punch): see July 1.
February 23 Coronation Feast of Queen Catherine Westminster Hall, London, England, 1421 The marriage of Henry V of England to Catherine of Valois (the daughter of Charles VII of France) was intended to seal the conditions of the Treaty of Troyes in 1421 in which Henry was recognized as heir and regent of France.
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Coronation Feast of Queen Catherine
Catherine’s coronation ceremony was followed by the traditional feast— which was no less spectacular for its occurrence during the season of Lent, when ‘‘ye shall understande, that this feaste was al of fyshe.’’ FIRST COURSE.
SECOND COURSE.
THIRD COURSE.
Brawne and mustard
Gely
Dates in compost
Ded ellys in Burneur
White potage or cre`me of almandes.
Creme motle
Frument with Balien
Counger
Carpe deore
Pyke in Erbage
Solys
Turbut
Lamprey powdered
Cheuen
Tenche
Trout
Barbyll with Roche
Perche with goson
Codlyng
Freshe Samon
Fyrshe sturgeon with welkes
Playes fryed, Marlyng fryed
Halybut
Porperis rosted
Crabbys
Gurnarde
Mennes fryed
Leche Lumbard floryshed
Rocket broiled
Creuys de eawe douce
A bake mete in paste
Smelth fryed
Pranys
Tartys.
Creuys or lobster
Elys rosted with lamprey
Leche Damaske
Poudrid welkys
Lamprey freshe baken
Datys
Flampeyne
Rede schryppys
A soltetie (a Pelican and St Katherine)
A leche called the whyte leche etc. A soltetie (A Panther and St Catherine).
A march payne garnyshed A soltetie (A Tiger and St. George leading him)
The number of ‘‘fish’’ and ‘‘fast’’ days on the Christian calendar varied from one to three days a week over many centuries, and the strict observance of Lent required forty days of avoiding not just flesh-meat but also dairy products and eggs. The inclusion of whale and porpoise on the fish-day menu is usually attributed to ignorance, but their inclusion made perfect sense to the medieval
February 23
Coronation Feast of Queen Catherine
cook, cleric, and physician. The prevailing ‘‘theory of everything’’ at the time had been inherited from the ancient Greeks. Humoral theory was based on the belief that every single thing in the natural world arose from the four basic elements (fire, earth, water, air), each of which had a particular quality (hot, dry, moist, cold). In the human body these were represented by the ‘‘humours’’ (sanguine, choleric, phlegmatic, and melancholic). Imbalance in the humors resulted in disease, and both disease and mood could be manipulated by diet—which therefore required a knowledge of the ‘‘temperaments’’ of various foods. To turn away from earthly things and consider one’s mortal soul could be assisted by turning towards foods that would cool and calm the earthly passions. The prohibition was not about ‘‘fish’’ as understood today, but instead about animals that lived in the water, which were considered ‘‘cool’’ in temperament, and so would transmit this quality to the eater. Another useful characteristic of ‘‘fish’’ was that there was no visible evidence that they reproduced sexually, so fish flesh would be less likely than meat to provoke to venery. The food restrictions of Lent had other benefits that came into increased prominence after the Reformation. Lent in the Northern Hemisphere occurred at the end of winter or in early spring when food supplies were low, but new-season crops were still some way off. A prohibition on eating meat and eggs at this time made eminent sense as it preserved the breeding stock. An economic rationale also became important. A demand for fish reduced the drain on agricultural resources and supported the fishing industry. This in turn produced trained seamen and stimulated shipbuilding, which assisted the development of naval power and encouraged voyages of exploration. It is little wonder that fish days and fast days were enforced by secular as well as religious powers for many centuries. One apparent problem on this menu is the ‘‘brawne and mustard.’’ Brawn is almost always assumed to refer to ‘‘swine’s flesh’’ (usually in a dish that can be sliced), and it would be nigh on impossible to justify an aquatic origin for a pig. An older sense of the Fish. Med Life Illustrations. word referred to the flesh of
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February 24
State Dinner
any animal, and there are medieval references to such things as ‘‘brawn of lobster’’ and recipes for Lenten brawn made from fish. The white pottage, custards, tarts, and ‘‘leaches’’ were all egg-free in this menu, and the primary substitute was almond milk, which was required in vast quantities for an event such as this and must have been incredibly labor intensive to prepare without the labor-saving devices in use today. Recipes ~~~ Furmenty (frumenty) is a sort of porridge made from boiled wheat. In its simplest form (boiled in water) it was the staple food of the peasants. For the rich it formed a side dish for venison—or on fish days, for whale or porpoise—and was often enriched with wine or ale, or as in this version, with almond milk. Furmente with Porpeys Take clene whete and bete it small in a morter and fanne out clene the doust, þenne waisthe it clene and boile it tyl it be tendre and broun. þanne take the secunde mylk of Almaundes & do þerto. boile hem togidur til it be stondyng, and take þe first mylke & alye it up wiþ a penne. take up the porpays out of the Furmente & leshe hem in a dishe with hoot water. & do safroun to þe furmente. and if the porpays be salt. seeþ it by hym self, and serue it forth. Form of Cury (1390).
Compost A ‘‘compost’’ was a ‘‘stew’’ or preserve of fruit and sometimes vegetables. It is ˆte.’’ essentially the same as what is now called a ‘‘compo
Brawn: see April 28. Lamprey Freshe Baken: see March 9.
February 24 State Dinner The White House, Washington, DC, 1999 President Bill Clinton (b. 1946) and Hilary Rodham Clinton (b. 1947) were hosts to his Excellency Flt. Lt. Jerry John Rawlings, president of the Republic of Ghana and Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings, at a White House State Dinner on Wednesday, February 24, 1999. The menu was as follows: Five Spice Roasted Duck over Marinated Pears and Papaya Scallion and Vegetable Salad Gingered Red Pepper Dressing
February 24
State Dinner
Grilled Yellowtail Snapper Butternut, Celeriac, Gold Potato Hash Truffled Lobster Fricasse`e Roasted Pumpkin Sauce ˆche, Spinach and Winter Greens Salad Ma Tomatoes and Herbed Goats Cheese Baked in Brioche Basil Vinaigrette DESSERT Sweet Kente Wrapped Mango and Golden Pineapple Ice Cream Exotic Roses Raspberry Sauce Gold Bars and Ghana Coco Beans WINES Etude Pinot Blanc 1997 Wild Horse Pinot Noir 1997 Domaine Carneros ‘‘Le Reve’’ 1992
This is a thoroughly modern menu, but there are still traces in this event of old traditions of diplomatic dining, and of dishes with very old histories. The organizers of state dinners have to negotiate several sometimes competing principles when it comes to entertaining important international visitors. There is a natural wish to showcase their own national cuisine (see May 11, October 11, June 10) and often a desire also to acknowledge that of the visitor. To complicate matters, there may be religious requirements (see April 29) to be considered, as well as the personal tastes and preferences of the guest. A great deal of international discussion takes place beforehand, and the proposed menu is usually discussed and agreed upon well in advance. ‘‘Forbidden’’ ingredients in particular are notified to the host nation. Queen Elizabeth II, for example, does not eat garlic (because it is inappropriate for the royal breath to be offensive), nor does she eat raw seafood such as raw oysters (because of the food poisoning risk) or berries, which might leave seeds in the teeth, and potentially ‘‘splashy’’ dishes such as spaghetti are also not favored. Vinaigrette dressing has French roots, as can be deduced from its name, which refers to the vinaigre (vinegar) it contains. References to it appear in English in the seventeenth century, but it does not appear to have become popular (in England and the United States) until late in the nineteenth century. In its basic form it consists of oil and vinegar (usually in the proportions of 3:1) and salt. Many other things are added to the basic mix, as in this menu where it is flavored with basil. Brioche is a cake or loaf made from a yeast dough enriched with eggs and butter. The name comes from broyer or brier meaning to knead. It has been made in Europe since at least the early fifteenth century, but its roots can be traced back to Roman times. It is the same dough as makes savarin, kugelhopf, and babas and lends itself as a base to many dishes both savory and sweet.
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Dinner with the British Prime Minister
Recipe ~~~ Brioche For the yeast, take four ounces of finely sifted flour, twelve grammes of yeast, and two and a half fluid ounces of water; make this into a soft paste; put it in a dish in a warm place and cover it; keep it until it has risen to three times its former size; the yeast should jut be right, or the brioche will be heavy or bitter; take twelve ounces of sifted flour, place it on the table, make it up to a heap, and then open a hole in it; use twelve grammes of perfectly fresh butter, eight grammes of salt, a half-tumbler of milk or cream, and nine eggs; work all well together, introducing the yeast; dust a cloth with flour, put it in an earthenware bowl, and place your brioche paste in that, covering it with another cloth: let it remain twelve hours in a warm place; then the paste ought to be neither too hard nor too soft: if too soft, add more flour; if too hard another egg. The consistency ought to be about that of bread. Take the dough and turn it in from the edges, working it some half a dozen times. Put it aside again for four hours. Then work it twice as before. Make it into a round ball. Take a sheet of tin, with butter, and put the brioche on it in an oven with brisk heat. If it shows a tendency to run or spread, it must have a piece of buttered paper placed around it. Several brioches of small size can be made from this receipt. Time of baking from one-half to three-quarters of an hour. Paper forms are made expressly to bake brioches in. From Cuisiniere de la Campagne, first published in 1816, the 67th edition in 1887. Quoted in The New York Times, 1881.
February 25 Dinner with the British Prime Minister No. 10, Downing St., London, England, 1983 Margaret Thatcher (b. 1925), the Conservative Party prime minister of the United Kingdom from 1979–1990, was known for her tough, unyielding approach to many issues of the day, and as a result she attracted several unflattering nicknames, such as ‘‘The Iron Lady’’ on account of her dealings with the Soviet Union, and ‘‘Thatcher Milk-Snatcher’’ for her decision to end the free milk program in schools. As the country’s leader, however, she did have to play the welcoming hostess to visiting dignitaries and heads of state. In February 1983 one of her guests was Amintore Fanfani (1908–1999), the prime minister of Italy. Thatcher entertained him at Number 10, Downing Street, the official residence of the First Lord of the Treasury (and later the English prime minister) since 1735. The dinner was elegant in its simplicity.
Lamberhurst Priory, 1979 ˆteau Talbot, 1971 Cha Port – Brandy – Liqueurs
February 25
Dinner with the British Prime Minister
Avocado Mousse with Waldorf Salad Saute´ed Breast of Chicken with Rosemary Mixed Salad New Potatoes Hazelnut Ice Cream with Strawberries Coffee
The perhaps slightly surprising item on this menu is the presence of an English wine alongside the French, particularly in view of the guest being from a country also noted for its wines. England is hardly famous for its wine, but English wines have been appearing increasingly often on English diplomatic and royal occasions and have been achieving some success in wine competitions. Wine-making was introduced to England by the Romans when they conquered the country in the first century BCE. Since then, it has undergone several renaissances and relapses but has never completely disappeared. The Middle Ages is cited as England’s great era of wine-making, and it is often quoted that the success of the industry at this time was due to a warmer climate, and its decline to a progressive cooling in the later medieval era. Its relatively modern resurgence is by the same argument attributed to global warming. Climatologists continue to debate whether or not the ‘‘Medieval Warm Period’’ and the following ‘‘Little Ice Age’’ actually happened, but in reality there were other reasons for the decline of wine-making at this time. When Henry II married Eleanor of Aquitaine in 1152, the country gained access to the fine wines of Bordeaux, and English wine could not compete with the quantity and style of those wines. Then, in the fourteenth century, the plague swept across England and Europe, depopulating entire areas and causing decline in many agricultural industries. Another blow was the dissolution of the monasteries by Henry VIII between 1536–1541. The monasteries had always been the center for wine-making because of the need for sacramental wine. There have always been a few enthusiasts who have continued to grow grapes in the south of England, and there were brief periods in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries when the industry flourished on a small scale. Samuel Pepys (1633–1703), while writing his diary in the mid-seventeenth century, saw his first vineyard in Greenwich on the outskirts of London on May 1, 1665, and mentions tasting English wine on a number of other occasions. Since the 1950s interest in wine-making has gradually increased. The Lamberhurst Priory in Kent, which provided the wine at the prime minister’s dinner, was one of the pioneering vineyards in the revival of the British wine industry.
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German-American Press Honors Prince Henry of Prussia
ˆteau Talbot, was from BorThe French wine served at the dinner, the Cha deaux, which has in fact been ‘‘English’’ for much of its history. This particular wine has a close connection with Britain—it is said to be named for John Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury. Recipe ~~~ Avocado Mousse Serves 6 1/2 oz. (or 1 slightly rounded tablespoon) powdered gelatin 1/4 pint cold water 1/4 pint chicken stock 3 small or 2 large ripe avocado pears 1 level teaspoon salt pinch pepper 1 teaspoon onion juice, taken from finely grated onion 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce 1/4 pint mayonnaise 1/4 pint double cream Measure water into small saucepan, sprinkle over gelatin and leave for 5 minutes. Then warm gently until gelatin is dissolved and mixture clear, but do not boil. Draw pan from heat, stir in stock, and set aside. Halve avocados and remove stones; scoop out flesh into basin and mash until smooth. Add onion juice (finely grate small onion on to a saucer, and spoon out juice), add to the avocado pulp with salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce. Add gelatin mixture and stir over iced water until just beginning to thicken. Then quickly fold in mayonnaise and lightly whipped cream. Pour into 1 1/2 pint mold (or individual molds) rinsed with cold water and chill until set firm. When set, unmold and serve. Adapted from The Times, May 2, 1968.
Waldorf Salad: see October 7. February 26 German-American Press Honors Prince Henry of Prussia Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, New York, 1902 When his Royal Highness Prince Henry of Prussia (1862–1929) was sent on a visit to the United States in 1902 by his brother Kaiser Wilhelm II, it was promoted as a purely friendly visit designed to foster goodwill between the two countries. The events and celebrations planned for his stay were of course anything but lacking in formality or politics. The large-distribution German language newspaper of New York, the Staats-Zeitung, tendered a dinner in honor of the prince. It was ‘‘the largest gathering of newspaper
February 26
German-American Press Honors Prince Henry of Prussia
makers that ever sat down at one board in the history of the United States,’’ as well as ‘‘an opportunity for the Prince to get in touch with one of the principal bulwarks of a Republic’’ according to The New York Times.
MENU Oysters. Rudesheimer, 1889. Clear Green Turtle. Amontillado pasado Mousse of ham, Venetian style. Zeitinger Schlossberg, 1893. Terrapin, Philadelphia style. Champagne. Sweetbread, new century. Breast of chicken, Finoise. New peas, saute´. Canvasback Duck. Sherbet Admiral. Lettuce Salad. Chambertin, 1878. Fancy Ices Cakes. Fruit. Coffee. Liqueurs.
It was a fine menu, as would be expected. It started with the usual oysters, moved through several choice entrees including the increasingly rare terrapin, ended with the expected fancy ices and cakes, and was accompanied by a fine selection of international beverages. The format, too, was standard for the time. Many mutually congratulatory toasts and speeches were made. Women did not grace the table but were allowed to ‘‘grace the function’’ in a decorative capacity by being allowed to bedeck themselves in their finery and observe the proceedings from the galleries. The decorative finery also extended to the table. As the punch was being served the guests were delighted to receive as souvenirs (the ancestors of modern party favors) small plaster busts of the prince. When it came time to serve the obligatory ices, there was an even greater and more clever spectacle, as The New York Times reported: The army of waiters filed in with miniatures of the German Emperor, Prince Henry, President Roosevelt, the latter both in civilian attire and as a Rough Rider; Liberty, Columbia, Germania, crowns and mitres, and many huge German coats of arms—all done in ices. There were also reproductions of the yacht Meteor and of the Hohenzollern. The last two craft and the sugary statuette of President Roosevelt were placed before Prince Henry, and he clapped his hands with the rest.
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Dinner at a ‘‘Gentlemen’s Ordinary’’
Recipes ~~~ Mousse of Ham in Cases Finely mince one pound lean cooked ham, place it in a mortar with the yolks of two eggs and pound to a paste; then press through a sieve into a bowl. Season with a saltspoon grated nutmeg, a saltspoon cayenne pepper, adding one tablespoon sherry wine; mix well with a spoon, then gradually add one gill cold cream, continually mixing meanwhile. Beat to a stiff froth three egg whites and gently mix with the preparation. Fill up six small paper cases. Place the cases in a tin and bake in the oven for fifteen minutes. Remove, dress on a dish with a folded napkin and send to the table. Alexander Filippini, The International Cook Book (1914).
Terrapin, Philadelphia Style Terrapins should be boiled, or rather thrown alive into boiling water for twenty minutes, and then taken out, carefully skinned, and the toe-nails taken off. This first water in all cases should be thrown away, as all the solvents of the body are contained in it, otherwise the terrapin will have a strong taste. Boil it for two hours in fresh water, or, if the terrapins are large, until the legs can be taken off easily, or the shells become detached. Take off first the two hind legs, and then carefully take out the sand bad and the end of the alimentary canal, which generally contains the last digested food. Then break off the forelegs, clean the head, and break up the neck; cut up the entrails fine, and carefully detach the eggs. Have a bowl of cold water ready to wash off the liver in case the gall should be broken in boiling. If not broken, detach it with a sharp knife from the liver, and should it break in handling, plunge the pieces stained by it in cold water. The Dressing. For a full count terrapin: The yolks of four hard-boiled eggs should be rubbed up with one quarter pound of butter, one-half teacupful browned flour, one tablespoonful mustard, salt, cayenne pepper, and black pepper to taste. When the dressing is boiling, add the terreapin, stirring all the time to prevent scorching. Just before taking from the fire, add a tumblerful of Sherry wine an boil up once. Serve hot. Mrs. C. H. Gibson, Mrs. Charles H. Gibson’s Maryland and Virginia Cook Book (1894).
February 27 Dinner at a ‘‘Gentlemen’s Ordinary’’ Brown’s Hotel, Washington, DC, 1847 Brown’s Hotel no longer exists on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington. It replaced a previous establishment called The Indian Queen, and was replaced in turn by the Metropolitan Hotel, which survived until the 1930s.
February 27
Dinner at a ‘‘Gentlemen’s Ordinary’’
BILL OF FARE SOUP. Macaroni. FISH. Boiled Rock. ROAST. Beef, Mutton, Turkey, Duck, Goose. ENTREES. Common Duck, stewed,
Beef Steak Pie,
Braised Lamb, farcie,
Veal Liver Pique,
Kidneys, au Madeira,
Pig’s Feet, Piquant sauce,
Bouilli Beef,
Wild Duck, en salmi,
Mutton Chops, Panees,
Stewed Chicken, Madeira,
Fricasee of Veal,
Calf’s Brains, Tomato sauce,
Macaroni, au fromage,
Chicken, a la mode, GAME. Wild Ducks. BOILED.
Ham,
MUTTON, Caper sauce,
Chicken,
ROUND OF CORNED BEEF. VEGETABLES.
Boiled Potatoes, Cabbage, Carrots, Mashed Potatoes, Parsnips, Hominy, Celery, Rice DESSERTS. Fritters.
ORANGE PUDDING, in pastry. PASTRY.
Grape Pie, Mince Pie, Peach Pie, Apple Pie.
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Dinner at a ‘‘Gentlemen’s Ordinary’’ FRUIT. Shellbarks, Apples, &c.
Boarders inviting friends to their meals, will please make it known at the office. BREAKFAST, 8 ½—DINNER, (Daily) 3.—TEA, 7. SUNDAY—Dinner at 2 o’clock. WINE BILL ON THE OTHER SIDE.
The hotel, in its various incarnations is only a few blocks from the Capitol, and has born witness to some significant moments in American history. ‘‘The Star-Spangled Banner’’ was composed at the site (when it was still The Indian Queen) in 1814. President John Tyler took his oath of office at Brown’s in 1841. Abraham Lincoln stayed at Brown’s while he was in Washington in the 1840s as a Congressman. Why then, with this illustrious history, did the owner of Brown’s in 1847 consider it a ‘‘Gentlemen’s Ordinary’’? An ‘‘ordinary’’ used to mean a regular daily meal or allowance, and by extension came to apply to the inn or tavern serving such a meal at a fixed price. In seventeenth- and eighteenth-century England, the name was often associated with gambling houses frequented by aristocratic and well-off ‘‘men of fashion,’’ but this seems to have been less of a connection in the United States. The correct name for the ‘‘menu’’ at an ordinary was table ˆte—meaning the host’s table, not a ‘‘bill of fare.’’ A table d’hoˆte sugd’ho gested a common table, a more public meal, at a stated hour (as does this menu) and fixed price. A bill of fare on the other hand used to mean a list of dishes, each individually priced, from which a guest could order at will. Before it was rebuilt as Brown’s Hotel, The Indian Queen Tavern was indeed an ‘‘ordinary.’’ The story is that outside the hotel was a tall pole with a bell. At the fixed mealtime, a slave summoned the guests by ringing the bell, which could be heard for many blocks away. The word ‘‘menu’’—a French word referring to the small list or size, gradually took over from ‘‘bill of fare’’ in the nineteenth century. The change was vigorously resisted by some English gastronomes, and to this day, the famous Simpson’s on the Strand in London still provides a ‘‘bill of fare.’’ Recipes ~~~ Beef Bouilli Take part of a round of fresh beef (or if you prefer it a piece of the flank or brisket) and rub it with salt. Place skewers in the bottom of the stew-pot, and lay the meat upon them with barely water enough to cover it. To enrich the gravy you
February 28
Banquet in Honor of Ferdinand de Lesseps
may add the necks and other trimmings of whatever poultry you may happen to have; also the root of a tongue, if convenient. Cover the pot, and set it over a quick fire. When it boils and the scum has risen, skim it well, and then diminish the fire so that the meat shall only simmer; or you may set the pot on hot coals. Then put in four or five carrots sliced thin, a head of celery cut up, and four or five sliced turnips. Add a bunch of sweet herbs, and a small table-spoonful of black peppercorns tied in a thin muslin rag. Let it stew slowly for four or five hours, and then add a dozen very small onions roasted and peeled, and a large table-spoonful of capers or nasturtians. You may, if you choose, stick a clove in each onion. Simmer it half an hour longer, then take up the meat, and place it in a dish, laying the vegetables round. Skim and strain the gravy; season it with catchup, and made mustard, and serve it up in a boat. Mutton may be cooked in this manner. Miss Leslie, Directions For Cookery, In Its Various Branches (Philadelphia, 1840).
Orange Pudding Stir to a cream six ounces of white powdered sugar, with four of butter then add a wine glass of wine, the juice and chopped peel of a couple of large fresh oranges. Beat eight eggs to a froth, the whites and yolks separately mix them with a quart of milk, a couple of ounces citron, cut in small strips, and a couple of ounces of pounded crackers. Mix all the ingredients well together, line a pudding dish with pastry, put a rim of puff paste round the edge of the dish, and then turn in the pudding, and bake it in a quick oven about half an hour. The American Housewife (1841).
February 28 Banquet in Honor of Ferdinand de Lesseps, Panama, 1886 The Anglo-American Association of the Isthmus of Panama held a banquet on February 28, 1886, in honor of Count Ferdinand de Lesseps (1805– 1894). On the basis of de Lesseps’s success in Suez, the French had begun the building of a canal across the Isthmus of Panama in 1880, with de Lesseps in charge. The French team seriously misjudged both the engineering and environmental challenges. Digging across the rocky Isthmus of Panama was quite different from across the sands of Egpt, and the manpower toll wrought by malaria, cholera, and yellow fever was devastating. By the time of this banquet in 1886 it must have become apparent to those in the know that the project was in trouble and that a sea-level canal was not feasible; yet de Lesseps (who was not an engineer) remained committed to the idea. Ultimately work came to a halt in mid-1889. It was eventually resurrected by an American team and the canal finally opened in 1914. At the banquet, however, to judge from the list of toasts, it was optimism and mutual admiration all around. As was usual for such banquets held by eminent
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expatriates, the food in no way reflected their colonial postings, but was styled exactly as it would have been in the finest New York or London restaurant.
POTAGE. Printanier. HORS D’ŒVRE. Radis, Saucisson de Lyon, Olives, Beurre, Cornichon. ´. RELEVE Corbine Sauce aux Huitres. ´ ES. ENTRE Croquettes de Volaille. Filets de Boeuf Financiere. Canard aux Petits-Pois. PIECES FROIDES. ` la Moderne. Galantine de Dinde a Jambon de York Glace´. ´. PUNCH GLACE LEGUMES. Asperges Sauce Mousseline. Haricots-verts Saute´s. ROTIS. Dindon Truffe´, Marcassin, Mouton. SALADES DE SAISON. ENTREMETS. Cre`me Anglo-Americaine. Biscuits de Savoie monte´. ` la Vanille. Genoise Glace´e a Pieces en Nougat. DESSERTS. Petits gateaux glace´s et Fruits. ´. LIQUEURS ET CAFE VINS. Bordeaux. Xeres, Chateau Leoville. Sauternes Chateau Rieussec. Bourgogne. Pommard. Champagne. Veuve Clicquot.
February 28
Banquet in Honor of Ferdinand de Lesseps
Recipes ~~~ The following recipes, except for the nougats, are taken from The Table: How to Buy Bood, How to Cook It, and How to Serve It (1889) by Alessandro Filippini, one-time chef at New York’s famous Delmonico’s restaurant. ‘‘Printanier, means ‘‘spring,’’ and recipes in this style contain fresh vegetables.
Consomme Printanier Cut out, with a vegetable scoop, two carrots and one turnip; simmer them for twenty minutes in water and with a tablespoonful of salt, then drain and throw them into a quart of consomme in a saucepan with two tablespoonfuls of cooked green peas, and two tablespoonfuls of cooked string beans cut into small pieces. Add a handful of chiffonade, cook five minutes more, and serve in a hot tureen. Chiffonade for Soups. Chop well together half a head of lettuce, half a handful of sorrel, a few branches of chervil, and a little parsley. Use it in soups five minutes before serving. The classic garnish Financie`re which appears in a number of dishes in this book was so called because of its extravagance. As with many ‘‘haute cuisine’’ dishes of the time, it required multiple prior steps.
Garnishing Financiere Cut a blanched, throat sweetbread into dice-sized pieces, put it in a saucepan with two truffles, six mushrooms, twelve stoned olives, six godiveau quenelles, and two blanched chicken livers cut in pieces. Moisten with half a glassful of sherry or Madeira wine, and season with half a pinch each of salt and pepper, and a quarter of a pinch of nutmeg; add a pint of Madeira sauce, cook again for ten minutes, skim off the fat, and serve when required.
Godiveaux Forcemeat Remove the stringy tissue from half a pound of veal suet, pound it in a mortar; take the same quantity of lean veal, chopped in the machine, a quarter of a pound of very consistent pate-a-chou [choux pastry, see June 1], omitting the eggs, and pound all together. Season highly with a tablespoonful of salt, a teaspoonful of pepper, and half a teaspoonful of nutmeg. Add four raw egg yolks and two whole ones, and when well incorporated strain through a sieve, and put it on ice to be used when required in other recipes. Poach it for three minutes before serving.
Quenelles: see December 9.
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Banquet in Honor of Ferdinand de Lesseps Sauce Madeira [Demi-Glace]
Add one small glassful of mushroom liquor to one pint of good Espagnole sauce [see January 18]; also a small glassful of Madeira wine, a bouquet [of herbs] and a scant teaspoonful of pepper. Remove the fat carefully and cook for thirty minutes, leaving the sauce in a rather liquid state; then strain and use when needed. This takes the place of all Madeira sauces.
Modern nougat is an intensely white confection containing nuts, and the recipe usually includes beaten egg whites. The idea came to Europe from Arabia, where honey was used in the sweetmeat. Many early English recipes were made from a caramelized sugar syrup and were more like praline. This recipe is closer to the original idea but does not include the more recent addition of egg whites. Honey Nougat 4 tablespoons strained honey. 2 ounces almonds, blanched. 1 pound flour of sugar, or icing sugar. Make the honey hot without boiling, stir in the sugar a little at a time until it becomes too firm, then turn out on the table and knead in more sugar and also the almonds, which must be dry. When the nougat is firm enough to keep its form in a square bar like a brick split lengthwise, sugar the outside, roll it in wax paper, and keep it a day before slicing it up. Jessup Whitehead, Cooking for Profit (1886).
March March 1 63rd Annual Dinner of the St. David’s Society Hotel Savoy, New York, 1898 The St. David’s Society of New York was founded in 1835, and every year it celebrated the national day of Wales with a fine dinner. In 1898 the British consul general was invited, as were representatives of other national heritage organizations such as the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick, the St. Nicholas Society, the St. George Society, the New England Society, and the Holland Society. St. David was a revered sixth-century bishop and teacher credited with many miracles. He has been the patron saint of Wales since early medieval times, and in the eighteenth century his feast day (March 1) was adopted as the national day of the country. People of Welsh heritage have formed St. David’s societies around the world, and the day is usually celebrated with dinner, songs, and speeches. A very ancient traditional symbol of the day is the leek, although the reasons given are varied and much disputed. The leek has been proudly worn (as a cockade in the hat, for example) by the Welsh on this day for many centuries, and in more recent times a tradition has developed of eating dishes containing them. On the whole, however, there is less emphasis on traditional Welsh foods on this day than there is on many other national days such as the Irish St. Patrick’s Day (see March 17). The twin goals of most national heritage societies is to keep their tradition alive at the same time as reinforcing their allegiance to their adopted country. The traditional toasts at St. David’s society dinners were to the president of the United States and the Queen of Great Britain, ‘‘The Land We Live In,’’ ‘‘The Literature and Music of Wales,’’ ‘‘The Land of Our Fathers,’’ ‘‘The Ladies,’’ and ‘‘Our Guests.’’ In response to the toast to ‘‘The Land We Live In,’’ the journalist and Republican politician Charles Emory Smith (1842–1908) took the opportunity to ‘‘uphold the President’s attitude toward Spain.’’ He was referring to the sinking of the battleship USS Maine two weeks previously—the event that precipitated the SpanishAmerican war. On this particular occasion in 1898, the menu was written in Welsh, but the dishes themselves were from the established international classic repertoire (such as Chicken with Cress, see February 21) or unequivocally
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63rd Annual Dinner of the St. David’s Society BWYDLEN
MENU
Wystrys y Glasbywnt
Blue Point Oysters
Isgell Tyfolion Gwalia
Consomme, Chancelier
Maesrin Ifres Crwst-huliedig
Fresh Mushrooms in Crust a la Bordelaise
Gwangeniaid Cyffeithiedig y Werdd-don
Planked Shad, Vert Pre´
Cucumerau Darparedig
Cucumbers
Rhost-gig Oen Gwarnwyn a Sibr Sur
Spring Lamb with Mint Sauce
Cloron y Bermo
Dringol Ffa Ffrengig
String Beans Panachee Bermuda Potatoes
Gwydirol Grwbein y Fair-Dalaeth
Terrapin, a la Maryland
Surrfed Sant Daffyd
Sorbet St. David
Gwanwyn Gywrion Berwedig
Broiled Spring Chicken, Water Cress
Dawr-ffres
Mixed Salad
Bwydlys Cymsyg
Hufen-boten Rhewedig
Cacenau Amrywiol
Efrwythau
Sugrgestu
Coffi
Marwth 1, 1898
Ice Cream
Mixed Cakes
Fruit
Candy
Coffee
Tuesday, March 1, 1898
March 2
Prince Ernest’s Dinner
American (such as the ‘‘planked’’ fish). ‘‘Planking’’ was developed by Native Americans of the Pacific Northwest as a way of cooking food in the absence of metal baking dishes. Fresh meat or fish is slowly grilled above the coals of an open fire (or today in an oven) on specially prepared wooden planks. The technique is also a way of adding flavor to the food, as it becomes infused with the wood’s oils and smoke. Recipes ~~~ ´ Vert-pre is a green garnish (herbs, watercress) that sometimes includes potatoes. Planked Fish A white fish weighing between three and four pounds is the most satisfactory to plank. If your plank is new, oil all over very well; put it into a warm oven and gradually increase the heat until the oven is very hot, to prevent warping. Have cracker crumbs, finely chopped greens, such as parsley, onion and green peppers, at hand, and all kinds of vegetables, shrimps, mushrooms, etc. Clean and season the fish well, inside and out, and on the plank put small pieces of butter, scattering cracker crumbs and chopped greens over. On this place the fish, and after flaking with butter, scatter more greens; add seasoning, such as tomato catsup, Worcestershire sauce, one-quarter cup of sherry and strained tomato juice, keeping some of the latter for basting later on. Prepare some creamed potatoes and just before putting the fish into the oven place them around the edge of the plank in tablespoonfuls, using a fork to fashion them like roses, and flaking same with small pieces of butter. Have the oven very hot, and allow the fish to bake from one-half to three-quarters of an hour, according to the size of the fish. While the fish is baking prepare the vegetables, slicing cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, etc. Watch the fish, occasionally basting with the tomato juice. Ten minutes before removing the fish from the oven garnish with the vegetables, boiled peas (if you have some on hand), shrimps, mushrooms, truffles, etc. Do not disturb the fish or garnishings, but put the plank on a large tray and serve. It is a most attractive dish. The Neighborhood Cookbook, Council of Jewish Women (Portland, Oregon, 1914).
Terrapin: see March 1. March 2 Prince Ernest’s Dinner Germany, 1778 The British royal family has strong German ancestry, and between 1714 and 1837 many royal members had both English and Hanoverian titles. King William IV (1765–1837) of England was also King of Hanover (the connection was through his grandmother Austusta of Saxe-Coburg). When he died in 1837, the Crown of England went to his niece, Princess Victoria. In
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Prince Ernest’s Dinner
most parts of Europe, however, traditional Salic Law pertained and this forbade the inheritance of the crown by a woman. The Crown of Hanover was passed to his brother, His Royal Highness Prince Ernest Austustus (1771–1851). Before he became King of Hanover, the young prince sat down to the following dinner on March 2, 1788. Clear Gravy Soup Brown Cabbages and Boiled Jack Trouts Round of Beef Fricandeau of Veal Young Pigeons Pudding Asparagus Fricassee of Sweetbreads Roast Mutton from Schmalkalden Wild Boar’s Head Cakes Pineapples Oranges Dessert
This menu is for an everyday meal, not a state or official dinner. There are some obvious German dishes: the mutton was from the region of Schmalkalden in central Germany, and the boar’s head most likely also came from the forests of that region. There is cabbage—a vegetable inextricably linked to Germany, and one of the oldest vegetables eaten by humans. The ‘‘brown cabbage’’ may refer to either the variety of cabbage or the method of cooking. It may have been Braun-Kohl (literally ‘‘brown cabbage’’), which has a dark purplish-green, small head. A less likely possibility is that it is a well-known Scandinavian dish in which the cabbage cooked with brown sugar or molasses. The menu also includes one of the newest fruits to be enjoyed in Europe— the pineapple. The first people from the Old World to see the pineapple were some of Christopher Columbus’s men, on the island of Guadeloupe, on November 4, 1493. Unlike several of the other New World findings (potatoes and tomatoes, for example), the pineapple was an immediate success in Europe—for those who could obtain it—because it was sweet and exotic. The pineapple is a tropical fruit, and (unlike the potato and tomato) did not grow in the temperate and cool climate of Europe. It may have been first grown in Europe in Leyden in the mid-seventeeth century, and in 1712 in England—in hot-houses of course. In 1746 the writer and Earl of Orford Horace Walpole (1717–1797) noted in a letter that he had paid a guinea for two pineapples—equivalent to 141 (USD $255) today—a phenomenal price by any standards.
March 3
Final Voyage
Recipes ~~~ Braun—oder Winterkohl [Brown or Winter Cabbage] These must be washed and cut small. Make a quarter of a pound or a little more pork lard or other fat hot, and fry the sliced cabbage, stirring until it is soft. Add sugar and meat broth. Chestnuts can be added. Before serving, stir in a little flour. Adapted from Friederike Louise Lo¨ffler, Neues Kochbuch (1806).
A Fricandeau of Veal: see August 29. March 3 Final Voyage of the HMY Britannia Karachi, Pakistan, 1997 The British royal family had a yacht at their disposal from the midseventeenth century until HMY Britannia was decommissioned in December 1997. The Britannia was the 83rd royal yacht, and she had served Queen and country for over four decades. She was a floating residence for the royals, a hotel for up to 250 privileged guests, a venue for diplomatic dinners, and if the need had arisen could have been quickly converted into a hospital ship. Her last and longest voyage began in January 1997, when she set off from Portsmouth bound for Hong Kong, to take part in the celebrations that accompanied the handover of the region from Britain back to China, in June later that year. The opportunity was taken for a number of commercial and diplomatic visits at various ports en route. On March 3, the day of her scheduled arrival in Karachi, Pakistan, the following meal was served on board. Terrine of Vegetables Honey Roast Duck Breast Sole Fillets with Tarragon Assorted Salads Hot New Potatoes Lemon Mousse in Filo Pastry Cassis Sauce Cheese
The royal yacht was in Karachi for ‘‘commercial events,’’ so it does not seem likely that this dinner was held in the magnificent state dining room with its magnificent mahogany table capable of seating 56 guests. Staff in charge of provisioning, catering, and cooking aboard the Britannia did not just have to be prepared for the particular preferences of the royal
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family members who happened to be aboard at any one time, and the state or diplomatic dinners that were to be held; the admiral, 20 officers, and 220 yachtsmen who manned the ship also had to be fed. There was a personal royal chef aboard (on this voyage it was Robert Irvine), but the overall responsibility fell to the Supply Department. In addition to a number of stewards, accountants, and others, the Supply Department included one chief petty officer caterer (CPO) in charge of catering and menu planning, two CPO cooks (one in charge of the Royal and Wardroom Galleys, one in charge of the Ship’s Galley), two petty officer cooks (one each in charge of the Wardroom Galley and the Ship’s Galley), two Wardroom leading cooks, two Ship’s Galley leading cooks, four Wardroom cooks, four Ship’s Galley cooks, and one royal Marine butcher. Recipes ~~~ Lemon Mousse 4 tablespoons water 1/2 oz. powdered gelatin 8 oz. caster sugar finely grated rind and juice of 3 lemons 1/2 pint single cream 1/2 pint double cream Measure water into small saucepan and sprinkle in the gelatin. Set aside for 5 minutes to soften. Stir over low heat to dissolve gelatin, but do not allow to boil. Draw off heat. In mixing basin, combine sugar, rind, and strained juice. Stir in both creams, and whisk till thick and light. Gradually whisk in the gelatin. Hold the pan high above the basin and pour in a thin steady stream whilst mixing all the time. Continue whisking for a few minutes until the mixture shows signs of thickening up, then pour into a serving dish. Chill until firm. Remove from refrigerator for an hour before serving. The Times, January 6, 1968.
Royal Picnics Everything is kept in readiness aboard the HMY Britannia in case the royal family wishes to go ashore for a picnic. The boatswain is responsible for coordinating the trip to shore and the preparation of the equipment once the picnic ground is reached. Individual items of equipment are provided and maintained by different departments, as follows: The Royal Barge Crew: tents, poles, guys, pegs, and groundsheets. Royal Apartment Staff: food and drink hampers, blankets, games, sports equipment. Engine Room: barbeques, fuel, utensils, lamps. Communications: portable radio and radio operator.
March 4
Irish Revolutionary Veterans Dinner
March 4 Irish Revolutionary Veterans Dinner Central Opera House, East Sixty-Seventh Street, New York, 1894 When the veterans of the Irish Revolutionary Brotherhood held their eighth annual banquet to commemorate the 27th anniversary of the doomed Irish nationalist (‘‘Fenian’’) uprising of 1867, they sat down to a menu that was both a homage and a history lesson. There were four courses representing the four provinces of Ireland, and 32 individual dishes representing the number of counties. Many of the dishes were named for revolutionary heroes, battle sites, and political events; many were propaganda statements in themselves; and many were simple tongue-in-cheek self-mocking humor. Oyster Paddies. Ox Tail a la John Bull. Whisky Straight from a Ram’s Horn. Wexford Pike. Lough Erne Sparkling Fizz. ´ ES. ENTRE Spuds in their Jackets. Agitation Fricasee. Federation Hush, a la McCarthy. Leinster Hall Crow Pie. Saddle of Far-down Mutton. Home Rule Extra Dry. ROAST. Treason Felony Shanghai, with Penal Servitude Sauce. Irish Boned Turkey, Connemara Sprouts. Parliamentary Pot Roast, a la Redmond. Ribs of Radical Beef, with Union Gravy. Wild Goose, with Raparee Sauce. Irish Lame Ducks. Old Port, Brian Boru’s Cellars. DESSERT. Parliamentary Pudding, with Government Plums. Orange and Green Marmalade. Kilmainham Gruel. Mountjoy Meringue. Millbank Mince. Chatham Corn Starch. Potteen. Scaldteen. Usquebaugh, ad lib. Phenix Park Perfectos, Limerick Twist. Deoch-a-Dhorish.
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Irish Revolutionary Veterans Dinner
As it turned out, not all the dishes were served, the delinquency being due to a conspiracy on the part of the chef, who was announced on the card as ‘‘a culinary suspect, late cook in her Majesty’s service at Hotel Kilmainham.’’ No doubt this little joke was itself an acknowledgement that one of the reasons for the dreadful failure of the uprising was that the Fenian ranks were full of informers. In perhaps another nod to the confused start of the abortive revolt, the dinner was held a day early (the anniversary was on March 5), by one hour—at 11 P.M. on the night of March 4. There were of course many concessions to the reported liking of the Irish for hard liquor. Whiskey appears in several guises—as as Usquebaugh, the Gaelic word from which we get the word ‘‘whiskey,’’ and which means ‘‘water of life,’’ as Poteen, homemade ‘‘whiskey’’ illicitly distilled on a huge scale, and as Scalteen, a ‘‘drink that would make a corpse walk’’ based on hot sweetened whisky. The final menu item—Deoch-a-Dhorish—or the Irish version of the parting drink no doubt contained whiskey too. Recipes ~~~ Baked Potatoes [in Their Jackets] Select smooth, medium sized potatoes. Scrub with a small vegetable brush and bake in a hot oven for about forty minutes or until soft. Remove from the oven, break the skin slightly in order that the steam can escape and serve as quickly as possible. (Properly baked potatoes are more easily digested than potatoes cooked any other way. They are, however, better cooked in boiling water than baked in a slow oven.) If there is no oven in the school room equipment the potato may be baked in an outdoor fire. For this purpose a pit is dug and a fire built in the pit. When the fire has burned well down, bury the potatoes in the ashes and allow them to bake for about forty-five minutes. They bake with less danger of burning if wrapped in damp clay or wet paper before being put into the fire. Jessie Pinning Rich, The Irish Potato (1914).
There are a number of dishes going by the name of parliament pudding, but this one seems particularly appropriate for this dinner, as it fits with the ‘‘orange’’ theme. Parliament Pudding Cream 1 tablespoonful of butter with 3/4 cup of sugar, add the beaten yolks of 6 eggs, 1 cupful of fine bread crumbs which have been soaked in milk, and the juice and the grated rind of 1/2 an orange; stir this until very smooth, then add the beaten whites of 2 eggs. Have a pudding mould thickly buttered and dusted with dry crumbs, line with macaroons which have been moistened with orange juice; put in a layer of the batter, then a layer of sponge cake spread with orange marmalade and alternate the layers until the mould is full, having batter at the
March 5
Dinner for the Bushmen’s Corps
top. Cover and steam for three-quarters of an hour, unmould carefully and serve with hard sauce. Mrs. J. L. Lane, 365 Orange Recipes: An Orange Recipe for Every Day in the Year (ca. 1909).
Scolsheen or Scalteen Made by boiling a mixture of whiskey, water, sugar, butter and pepper (or caraway seeds) in a pot: a sovereign cure for a cold. Sometimes the word scalteen was applied to unmixed whiskey burned, and used for the same purpose. From the Irish scall, burn, singe, scald. Old Dublin Society, Dublin Historical Record (1941).
March 5 Dinner for the Bushmen’s Corps Adelaide, South Australia, 1900 When the British took on the Boers (Dutch farmer-colonists) in South Africa in the nineteenth century, it was ostensibly to protect British citizens in that country. As with most wars, however, it was ultimately over resources, and the gold of the Transvaal was a powerful drawcard. Britain called on its other colonies for assistance, and its citizens responded magnificently even if they had never set foot on the shores of ‘‘Home.’’ In Australia, each individual colony (for it was before Federation) raised contingents of ‘‘Bushmen’’— amateurs supported by public conscription—from the ranks of young men eager for the excitement of battle. On the eve of their departure for South Africa, the mayor of Adelaide gave a farewell banquet for the South Australian Bushmen’s Corps. Soup Cronje Roast Turkey a la Joubert Roast Chicken – Modder River Roast Vondam Duck Roast Goose Kruger Saddle of Transvaal Mutton Sirloin of Commandeered Beef Ox Tongue Albrecht. Pretoria Ham Sweets Kimberley Jelly a la Boer Mafeking Pudding Pastry a la Africander Fruits in Season
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Dinner for the Bushmen’s Corps
The soldiers at this dinner would have been well aware that the siege of the town of Mafeking (now Mafikeng) was now almost five months old, and that that of Kimberley had been relieved only a fortnight before, after 124 days. Perhaps as they dined they were reminded of desperate food shortages and the terrible stories of desperate measures being taken to feed everyone in the besieged towns. The man in charge in Mafeking was Colonel Robert Baden-Powell (of Boy Scout fame). A little over a week before the farewell dinner for the Bushmen, Baden-Powell noted in his diary: Our soup kitchen in town is working most successfully. Today’s work with it goes as follows: Half a horse 250 lbs.; mealie meal, 15 lbs.; oat husks, 47 lbs. This made 132 gallons. The soup was of the consistency of porridge. Fifty pounds of above will feed 100 natives.
Ironically, the Bushmen were blissfully unaware as they were banqueted that the glory of war would devolve for many of themselves into a struggle for food (and against disease). Rations were often halved, or not forthcoming, and they were frequently forced to live off the land, pillaging and foraging as they went. Recipes ~~~ The names of the dishes on this menu were clearly given to evoke some of the celebrities and events of the conflict. No doubt they were standard dishes renamed for the occasion, and it is impossible to know what the actual recipes were. A dish called Mafeking pudding did come to be popular, however, one joke being that it was a pudding so hard and gluey with thick custard that it formed (or would have formed) a suitable missile for throwing at the enemy. It is a steamed pudding, occasionally containing marmalade, but in this particular version it is the great British favorite of ‘‘golden syrup.’’ Golden syrup is made during the process of refining sugar; it is a golden colored syrup similar in consistency to molasses but of a very mild caramel flavor. Mafeking Pudding Butter a basin and line thickly with golden syrup. Take about 1/2 lb. stale breadcrumbs, 1 tablespoonful self-raising flour, 1 egg, sugar to taste, 1 tablespoonful chopped suet. Mix all together with a little milk and use to fill the basin. Steam for one and a half hours. The New Magazine, 1911.
Siege Food in Mafeking Colonel Robert Baden-Powell, in his memoir, Lessons from the Varsity of Life, described, the siege food. we learned to economise very rigidly in the matter of food, and also to devise food substitutes. When a horse was killed . . . His skin, after having
March 6
Abraham Lincoln’s Inauguration Ball
the hair scalded off, was boiled with his head and feet for many hours, chopped up small, and with the addition of a little saltpetre was served out as ‘‘brawn’’. His flesh was taken from the bones and minced in a great mincing machine and from his inside were made skins into which the meat was crammed and each man received a sausage as his ration. The bones were then boiled into a rich soup, which was dealt out at the different soup kitchens; and they were afterwards pounded up into powder with which to adulterate the flour . . . .Our flour was made from the horses’ oats, pounded and winnowed. . . . We managed thus, however, to issue every man daily a big biscuit of oatmeal. The husks of the oats were put to soak in large tubs of water for a number of hours, at the end of which the scum formed by the husks was scraped off and given as food to the hospital chickens, while the residue formed a paste closely akin to that used by bill-stickers. This was called sowens, a sour kind of mess, but very healthy and filling . . . . Amongst other things we supplied for the invalids in hospital a special blancmange which was made from the Poudre de Riz from the hairdressers and chemists shops.
March 6 Abraham Lincoln’s Inauguration Ball Patent Office, Washington, DC, 1865 President Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865) was reelected for a second term of office in 1864 and was formally inaugurated on March 4, 1865. Five weeks later the Civil War ended. A further week and Lincoln was dead, assassinated by John Wilkes Booth during a theater performance. The festivities began immediately after Lincoln’s formal inauguration. The traditional ball was planned for March 6, and it was rumored that the ‘‘supper was to be something extraordinary.’’ Judging from this bill of fare, the guests’ expectations must have been well met. In addition to the ‘‘select and tasteful variety’’ of viands, there were three ‘‘leading and conspicuous pieces from the confectioner’s hands’’— impressive decorative pieces representing the Capitol building, ‘‘the heroic deeds of the gallant army,’’ and ‘‘the proud achievements of the navy.’’ The guests too were an impressive sight. The New York Times listed and described in great detail the important attendees—the ‘‘leading men of politics’’ and the ‘‘lovely, graceful and intelligent women’’ with their elegant toilette and sumptuous jewels, noting that ‘‘There were not, however, any colored persons present, as the Washington Secessionists insisted would be the case.’’ The event itself became anything but elegant. In retrospect, the conditions were not auspicious. The grand corridor in the West Wing was set up for supper, with a table in the center, and standing room for 300 people. The
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Abraham Lincoln’s Inauguration Ball
Oyster Stews Terrapin Stews
CAKES AND TARTS
Oysters, pickled
Almond Sponge Belle Alliance
BEEF
Dame Blanche
Roast Beef
Macaroon Tart ` l’Orleans Tart a
Filet de Beef ` la mode Beef a ` l’anglais Beef a
` l’a Portugaise do. a ` la Vienne do. a Pound Cake
VEAL
Sponge Cake
Leg of Veal
Lady Cake
Fricandeau
Fancy Small Cakes
Veal Malakoff JELLIES AND CREAMS POULTRY Roast Turkey
Calf’s Foot and Wine Jelly ` la Russe Charlotte a
Boned Turkey
do. do. Vanilla
Roast Chicken Grouse, boned and roast
Blanc Mangue ` la Nelson Cre`me a
GAME
do. Chateaubriand ` la Smyrna do. a
Pheasant Quail
do. do. Nesselrode ` la Vanilla Bombe a
Venison ICE CREAM PATETES Pate`te of Duck en gele´e
Lemon
Vanilla
Pate`te de foie gras
White Coffee Chocolate
SMOKED
Burnt Almonds
Ham
Maraschino
Tongue en gele´e do. plain
FRUIT ICES
SALADES
Strawberry
Chicken
Orange
Lobster
Lemon
March 6
Abraham Lincoln’s Inauguration Ball
ORNAMENTAL PYRAMIDES
DESSERT
Nougate
Grapes, Almonds, Raisins, etc.
Orange Caramel with Fancy Cream Candy Cocoanut Macaroon Croquant Chocolate Tree Cakes
problem was, there were 5,000 people in attendance. The New York Times reported the debacle with some disgust: The crush which followed can be better imagined than depicted . . . in less than an hour the table was a wreck; a few ornaments not destroyed were removed, and the array of empty dishes and the debris of the feast were positively frightful to behold. . . . many only succeeded in ruining their toilets. . . . a demolition in a twinkling of an eye of all the confectioner’s handiwork, the frantic snatching of viands from the tables, the brandishing aloft of wine cup, and plate, and cutlery, and laden with articles alike dangerous to toilet and stomach: of munching and crunching sans ceremonies: of defilement and ruin to precious apparel, the result perhaps of weeks of the dressmaker’s effort; of the loss of temper and the loud cries of complaint. As much was wasted as was eaten, and however much there may have been provided, more than half the guests went supperless . . . the fact remains that the supper was a disaster, and detracted from the otherwise pleasant aspect of the occasion.
The newspaper sadly concluded, ‘‘The American people, we are ashamed to say, have not yet learned to behave at table: and that species of etiquette, not too prevalent in private, is certainly always absent at public suppers,’’ adding, rather snobbily, that ‘‘Doubteless the shoddy and petrolia family were represented, to a limited degree; but ‘oil’ will tell very soon, as it spreads so rapidly, and cloth not infrequently makes the man.’’ Recipes ~~~ Almond Sponge Cake Ten eggs, one pound of sugar, half pound of flour, a few drops of lemon. When these ingredients are well beaten, add half-pound of sweet almonds, blanched, and pounded in a white mortar or stout bowl. To blanch them—that is, skin them—pour boiling water upon them. Add a little peach extract, and bake in a brisk oven. This is very rich. Jennie June’s American Cookery Book (New York, 1870).
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Abraham Lincoln’s Inauguration Ball Macaroon Tarts
Commonly miscalled macaroni tarts. Patty pans lined with sweet paste, partly filled with almond macaroon mixture and baked.
Sweet Tart Pastry 8 ounces of flour 3 ounces of butter 1 tablespoonful of powdered sugar 1 egg Little salt Quarter cupful of water Rub the butter into the flour as in making short paste, add the egg, sugar and salt with the water, mix and knead it smooth. Roll out very thin, cut out pieces and line the patty pans.
Almond Macaroon Mixture 8 ounces of granulated sugar 4 whites of eggs 8 ounces of almonds 1 teaspoonful of lemon juice Put the sugar and two of the whites in a deep bowl together, and beat with a wooden paddle about fifteen minutes, then add another white and beat again, then the lemon juice and then the last white. Crush the almonds by rolling them with the rolling-pin on the table. They need not be blanched (freed from the skins) unless so preferred. When they are reduced to meal mix them with the contents of the bowl. This mixture, as well as the cake icing, should always be started with bowl and ingredients all cold, for if warm they cannot be beaten to the requisite degree of firmness. The patty pans or gem pans being already lined with the tart paste, half fill with the macaroon paste, smooth over and bake in a very slack oven The baking is the most difficult part, for with too much heat the macaroon mixture melts away to candy. These tarts, when right, rise smooth and rounded in the crusts, and are partly hollow underneath. Jessup Whitehead, The Chicago Herald Cooking School: A Professional Cook’s Book for Household Use (1883).
Charlotte Russe: see September 4. Blancmange: see January 7. Pound Cake: see April 19. Fricandeau: see April 29.
March 7
Dinner for the New York Association of Union Prisoners
March 7 Dinner for the New York Association of Union Prisoners Murray Hill Lyceum, New York City, 1895 Three decades after the end of the Civil War, over 100 former Union soldiers who had been held prisoners of the Confederacy sat down to a menu specifically designed to remind them of ‘‘Libby and other prisons.’’ Pea Soup—Old Belle Isle Style Gherkins—Pemberton Olives—Libby and Sons ` la Saulsbury Table Celery—a Boiled Salmon—Same as was served to the colored troops when captured. Roast Turkey—Sauce on march to the sea. SIDE DISHES Cornmeal Mush—Nigger peas Mule-hoof jelly, very nice Roast Beef—the kind that the officers did not have at Macon. RELISHES Poke Greens—Boiled with mule corned beef. Claret—on tap by all Southern prison keepers. DESSERT Cornmeal Cake—Sweetened with molasses. FRUIT Bad luck. BONBONS In boxes from Andersonville,. Ice-Cream—Very best Florence style. Genuine old Confederate coffee. Frosted cornbread. The guests will help themselves and bring their own knife and fork. P.S. A deposit will be required on tin cups and plates.
The men who ate and exchanged reminiscences over this meal were the lucky ones. Although the exact number of casualties of the war will never be known, most estimates put the total number of deaths at above 600,000. Of these, perhaps 60,000 died in prison camps. They died from malnutrition in one or other of its manifestations—starvation, scurvy (vitamin C deficiency), ‘‘dropsy’’ (edema, probably due to vitamin B1 deficiency), and the associated problems of diarrhea and other infections. The menu makes reference to many places and events of the war, including two of the most notorious prisons—Andersonville in Georgia, where almost 13,000 prisoners died, and Libby Prison at Richmond, Virginia. The exact
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Dinner for the New York Association of Union Prisoners
Libby Prison, Richmond, Virginia. Courtesy of Library of Congress.
ration served to prisoners varied according over the time, but it was always grossly insufficient. One Andersonville prisoner described the daily ration as consisting of half a pint of meal, a teaspoonful of salt, two ounces of meat, and half a pint of old, bug-ridden beans. The beans were often called—as they are in this menu—‘‘nigger peas.’’ The name is clearly an ethnic slur, and refers to beans (probably a variety of black bean) grown in the South specifically for the feeding of slaves. Recipes ~~~ Plain Pease Soup To a quart of split peas, and two heads of celery, and a large onion, put three quarts of broth, or soft water; let them simmer gently over a slow fire for three hours. Stir them up every quarter of an hour, to prevent the peas sticking at the bottom of the pot, and burning. J. M. Sanderson, The Complete Cook (1864).
March 7
Dinner for the New York Association of Union Prisoners Poke
The young stalks and leaves of the poke-berry plant when quite small and first beginning to sprout up from the ground in the spring, are by most persons considered very nice, and are frequently brought to market. If the least too old they acquire a strong taste, and should not be eaten, as they then become unwholesome. They are in a proper state when the part of the stalk nearest to the ground is not thicker than small asparagus. Scrape the stalks (letting the leaves remain on them) and throw them into cold water. Then tie up the poke in bundles, put it into a pot that has plenty of boiling water, and let it boil fast an hour at least. Serve it up with or without toast, and send melted butter with it in a boat. Eliza Leslie, Directions for Cookery, in its Various Branches (1840).
Hotel de Yankee First Lieut. William C. Harris spent some time in ‘‘the Tobacco Warehouse’’ (Libby Prison), and his memoir (Prison-life in the Tobacco Warehouse at Richmond, 1862) shows clearly that even in the midst of hunger, soldiers could retain their sense of humor about food. It is one o’clock, and dinner-hour. As we draw near our ‘‘mess-table,’’ we find that a jovial wag has pasted on the wall the following bill of fare: HOTEL DE YANKEE. BREAKFAST. Fried Liver, ‘‘with crumbs.’’ Liver Fried. Coffee, when purchased by boarders. Tea—ditto Bread Black Bread. Water-Soakers. Dry Toast ‘‘over gas-light.’’ DINNER. Boiled Beef. ` la mode.’’ Beef Boiled, ‘‘Secesh a Hoe-Cake, made with boarder’s meal. Roast Beef, if you can beg any from outsiders. Tomatoes and Potatoes,—if you purchase them. White Bread. Stale—ditto Annual Pudding, ‘‘only made once a year.’’ SUPPER. Codfish Fried, if bought and sent to cook. Cold Boiled Beef.
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March 8
Dinner Given by the ‘‘Chinese Delmonico’’ Boiled Beef, turned over seven or eight times. Cold Coffee, warmed over. Bread, sure. Water, sure.
Gentlemen will find this a first-class hotel; and it is kept on a Southern plan. The beds are well aired, if taken care of by the boarder himself. All extra meals can be sent to the boarder’s room, if purchased by him outside of the hotel. The proprietor earnestly requests that no money be given to servants, as he pays and clothes them liberally for their services. JEFFERSON DAVIS, Proprietor.
March 8 Dinner Given by the ‘‘Chinese Delmonico’’ Lenox Lyceum, New York, 1891 The opening of the Food and Health Exposition in New York in 1891 was celebrated with a dinner that was ‘‘as novel as it was informal,’’ according to The New York Times, which reported the event with interest. The dinner was given at a meeting of the Directors of the Exposition and was an elaborate affair arranged by Soo Kin, the proprietor of the King Hong Low restaurant in Mott Street. Soo Kin was referred to as ‘‘the Chinese Delmonico,’’ a reference to the famous Delmonico’s family and the restaurant of the same name that had been a New York fine dining institution for decades. The venue for the dinner was a small dining room in the lower hall of the Lyceum, which was decorated with beautiful embroideries and valuable bronze ornaments, the doors replaced with beaded curtains ‘‘of great antiquity and beauty.’’ The host and translator for the evening was K. P. Lee, described patronizingly as ‘‘a Yale graduate who speaks English without an accent.’’ The New York Times reporter thought that the dinner, ‘‘barring the chopsticks, was a delightful affair from soup to soup,’’ and described it thus:
1. Birds’ nest soup, that famouse Chinese delicacy, was the first course, or course of honor, according to Celestial etiquette, and with it were served thimble-sized cups of pear wine . . . a little porcelain scoop was used to eat the delicacy with and the diners got along very well with it . . . every portion was promptly dispatched. 2. Chicken and Birds’Nest Stew: the chopsticks were in order, and the trouble began. Only Mr. Lee was able to make the food stay between them long enough to get it to his lips. The other diners distributed their portions with pleasing impartiality on their own and their neighbors’ apparel and finally had to beg for a return of the soup scoops in order to taste the stew. The chopsticks for the rest of the meal were placed among the ornaments of the table. 3. Stewed Dragon’s Beard: a preparation of shark’s fin, seaweed, and Chinese ham. Pretty generally left alone. Banana wine with 2 and 3
March 8
Dinner Given by the ‘‘Chinese Delmonico’’
4. Palm Flower Duck Fricassee: small slices of breast of this rarest of Chinese ducks, placed and piled in alternate layers with bamboo shoots, ham, black mushrooms, and dried fish: was the pie`ce de resistance of this dinner. With it were handed round pots of rose wine, one of the strongest and most expensive of Celestial liquors. . . . The diners were so abstemious at this point that the waiters’ faces became quite wrinkled with contempt. 5. Seaweed Soup was the last course, and then the table was cleared and the dessert brought on. 6. This consisted of a dozen kinds of sweet cakes, several varieties of Chinese nuts, including the sacred dragon nut, water chestnut which tasted very much like our horseradish, grape fruit, and small Chinese oranges which were as sweet as honey and were stamped in black with the sign of the Emperor’s approval. 7. The pots of tea that ended the dinner were the real treat of the whole affair. They were filled with a light yellow brew from the leaves of ‘‘Water Fairy’’ tea, which was radically different from any the Americans had ever tasted and enough of it was drunk to last a sewing society for a year.
Recipes ~~~ Birds’ Nest Soup . . . is even more of a luxury in China than turtle soup is in England . . . it forms the first dish at all grand dinners. Here is a receipt for preparing Potage aux Nids d’ Hirondelles, translated from the Chinese: ‘‘Take clean white birds’ nest shreds, or birds’ nests, and soak thoroughly. Pick out all feathers. Boil in soup or water till tender, and of the colour of jadestone. Place pigeons’ eggs below, and add some ham shreds on top. Boil again slowly with little fluid. If required sweet, then boil in clear water till tender, add sugar-candy, and then eat. This is a most clear and pure article, and thick (or oily) substances should not be added. It should be boiled for a long time; for, if not boiled till tender, it will cause diarrhoea.’’
Steamed Sharks’ Fins Sun-dried sharks’ fins are to be washed clean [as follows]: First take the fins [as bought] and place in a cooking pan, add wood-ashes and boil in several waters. Then take out and scrape away the roughness [on the fins]. If not clean, boil again, and scrape again, until properly clean. Then change the water and boil again. Take out, remove the flesh, keeping only the fins. Then boil once again. Put in spring water. Be careful in changing the water, and thoroughly soak them, for it is necessary that the taste of lime should be taken out of them. Then put the fins into soup, stew three times till quite tender. Dish in a bowl, placing meat of crabs below them, and add a little ham on the top. The taste is clear, neither tender nor tough, something like the taste of pomeloes at times. James Dyer Ball, Things Chinese: Or, Notes Connected with China (1904).
Frumentie: see February 23.
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March 9
Inthronization Feast of the Archbishop of Canterbury
March 9 Inthronization Feast of the Archbishop of Canterbury The Archbishop’s Palace, Canterbury, England, 1504 William Warham’s (ca. 1450–1532) enthronement took place during Lent, the period when the devout were expected to refrain from all meat and animal products. A ‘‘fast’’ day by no means implied abstinence or frugality, however. It was still three decades before King Henry VIII’s historic break with the established Church, the Church was extraordinarily wealthy, and the Church hierarchy (mostly drawn from the powerful families of the land) were used to good living. The archbishop sat alone at this feast, there being none of sufficient rank to share the high table. Two lesser bills of fare were served to the clergy and lower officials. The feast was introduced by a ‘‘warner’’—a person or a mechanical device that ‘‘warns’’ or heralds an imminent event.
A Warner PRIMUS CURSUS. Frumentie ryall and mammonie to pottage.
Samon in foyle r.
Lynge in foyle.
Carpe in sharpe sauce.
Cunger p. in foyle.
Eeles rost r.
Lampreys with galantine.
Samon baked.
Pyke in latmer sauce.
Custard planted.
Cunger r.
Leche florentine.
Halibut r.
Fryttor dolphin. A Subtyltie 2. CURSUS.
Jolir Ipocras and prune Orendge to pottage.
Lamprons rost.
Surgion in folye with welkes.
Roches fryed.
Turbit.
Lampreys baked.
Soles.
Quince and Orenge baked.
Breame in sharpe sauce.
Tart melior.
Carpes in armine.
Leche Florentine.
Tenches florished.
Fryttor ammell.
Crevettes do.
Fryttor Pome.
March 9
Inthronization Feast of the Archbishop of Canterbury A Subtiltie with three stages. IN THE THIRDE COURSE PLATE. Wafers and Ipocras. Confertes. Sugar Plate. Fertes with other subtilties. Ipocras.
Feasts such as this ended with wafers and sweet wine, and later also nuts and candied fruit and other sweetmeats. Eventually these end-of-meal digestives became a separate course called ‘‘the banquet,’’ which evolved into our modern dessert course, as the word itself came to refer to the whole feast. Sugar was phenomenally expensive at the time of this feast and was imported as an exotic spice. The almonds too were imported. They were used in huge quantities at feasts to make the almond milk (essential at Lent), and marchpane or marzipan, essential at all great dinners (see January 15). It was reported that ‘‘all the Archbishop’s honours were drawn, depicted, and delineated after a strange manner, on gilded marchpane upon the banquetting dishes.’’ The gilding of these marzipan shapes would have been with real gold leaf. The sumptuousness of this bill of fare is also demonstrated by the type of fish served. Dolphin, being an aquatic animal, was allowed (see February 23), and rich oily fish—desirable for their meaty taste—are prominent. There were several dishes of conger (and eel), and three dishes contain lamprey. The lamprey is a primitive eel-like fish which lives a parasitic life on the blood of other fish to which it attaches itself by means of its powerful sucker-like mouth. It has always been associated with royalty—Henry I (1068–1135) was said to have died from eating ‘‘a surfeit of lampreys,’’ and Queen Elizabeth II received the traditional coronation gift of a lamprey pie in 1953. Recipes ~~~ A dish ‘‘baked’’ at this time meant essentially a pie. A very thick pastry crust or ‘‘coffin’’ functioned as a cooking container in the days before shaped metal baking dishes were developed. There are many examples of bake-metes in the other medieval menus in this book. ‘‘Meat’’ could also mean any sort of ‘‘flesh,’’ including fruit, as in the ‘‘Quince and Orenge baked’’ offered at this feast, which were therefore in the form of a pie. The following recipe for lamprey bake, taken from A Noble Boke Off Cookry ffor a Prynce Houssolde or Eny Other Estately Houssolde (ca. 1500) includes
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Dinner at Sea
two instructions that are not found in a modern cookbook—how to stop the lamprey from leaping out of the pot before he is dead, and how to ‘‘blow up’’ the lid of the coffin to raise it above the contents. A galentyne was a sort of sauce for fish, although it later came to mean a jellied savory dish.
To Mak a Freshe Lamprey Bake To bak a freche lampry tak and put a quyk lampry in a pot put ther to a porcyon of red wyne then stop the pot close that he lep not out and when he is dyinge tak him out and put hym in skaldinge water then tak hym in your handes with alyn clothe and a handfull of hay in the tother hand and strik hym so that the skyn go away and saue him hole then weshe hym and cut hym out whart a straw brod from the naville so that the stringe be lowse, then slitt hym a litill at the throt and tak out the string and kep the blode in a vesselle and it be a female thrust in your hand from the naville upwards so that the spawn com out ther as ye tak out the stringe and ye will boile it salt it a littill in the same place within that ye may cum and lowse the bone with a prik from the fische and brek it a litill from the hed and slit hym a litill from the taille then put the prik betwene the bone and the fische and drawe the bone from the taille as esly as ye may that it cum out all hole from the taile then wind the bone about thy finger and drawe it out softly for breking and so ye shall tak it out hole then chope the lampry o twhart the bak eury pece iij fingers brode and let them hold to gedure and toile them welle in the blod, and ye will mak your galentyn of crust of white bred cutt it in schyves and toiste it on a gredirne that it be somdelle broun and tak a quart of good red wyne for the bakinge of the lampry and put the bred ther in and drawe it and mak it not chargaunt and ye will ye may grind a fewe of raissins and mak it up ther with and let the fyft part be venygar put ther to pouder of cannelle a gretdele, pouder galingalle pouder lombard pouder of guinger sugur saffron and salt and let it be be tweene braun and yallowe and mak thy colour of sanders then mak a large coffyn of pured floure and put thy lampry ther in and put in the galentyn that it stand as highe as the lampery and let it haue a good lide and wet the bredes round about and lay it in the coffyn and close it round about to the pen for ye must haue a pen betweene the lidd and the coffyne to blow the pen that the lid may rise welle and luk the ovene be hoot and set it in to it.
March 10 Dinner at Sea SS New York, 1928 In spite of her name, the SS New York was a thoroughly German ship. She was built for the Hamburg-America Steamship line as part of its transAtlantic fleet, and named for her major destination. The magnificent ship was launched on April 1, 1928 and was not yet a year old when some of its passengers sat down to the following dinner, which was built around four of the cornerstones of German cuisine—goose, potatoes, cabbage, and cherries. The wild cherry probably originated somewhere in Asia but by prehistoric times was widespread in Europe. It became particularly favored in Germany,
March 10
Dinner at Sea
ABSCHIEDSESSEN
FAREWELL DINNER
Ochsenschwanzuppe
Oxtail Soup
Gebackene Sunderschnitte
Fried Fillet of Perch Pike
Kartoffelsalat
Potato Salad
Gebratene Gans
Roast Goose
Rotkohl
Kartofflen
Red Cabbage
Potatoes
Kirschenkompett
Compote of Cherries
Rahmeis, Waffeln
Ice Cream, Wafers
Kaffee
Coffee
which is still the world’s largest producer. A German cookbook written in 1553 by a woman called Sabina Welserin contains amongst its 205 recipes, four specifically for cherries—one pudding, two tarts, and one for sour cherry puffs, as well as several that use cherry syrup or jam. The cabbage is another ancient vegetable which has been eaten across Europe (where it appears to have originated) for millenia. The very earliest forms were leggy, leafy plants similar to kale—the round ‘‘head’’ was not developed until about 2,000 years ago. Welserin only mentions cabbage once, in passing, in a recipe for a ‘‘green tart,’’ but it was common in Germany as revealed in another sixteenth-century book, Ein New Kochbuch (1573), by Marx Rumpolt. He has multiple recipes for white, green, brown, and ‘‘sour’’ cabbage—the last we would recognize as sauerkraut. Red cabbage was developed somewhere about this time, and is very popular on account of its deep bright color. Rumpolt also mentions a dish of dried cherries soaked in water and wine and served warm or cold—essentially a cherry compoˆte (see August 11). The goose has also been a favorite food of humans across Europe and Asia since very ancient times. It was eaten by the ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans—all of whom prized the liver of the goose and force-fed their birds to make them fat—hence ‘‘foie gras’’ (‘‘fat liver’’). The goose is a very fatty bird, and until very recent times this was a very desired feature—the calorie density being all important at a time when food supplies were often very precarious indeed. Sabina Welserin’s book has four recipes for goose. In one for ‘‘a well roasted young goose’’ she suggests stuffing it with its own liver and ‘‘ten plums’’ before roasting it on a spit, when ‘‘it will be good.’’ In her other version of roast goose, the bird is stuffed with a delicious-sounding mixture of onions, quince, pears, and bacon—a recipe that truly gives a lie to the common belief that food at this time was stodgy and unimaginative.
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March 11
Ironmongers’ Company Dinner
Only the potato is ‘‘new’’ in German cuisine. It is a New World food, not known in Europe until it was brought back from the Americas by early sixteenth-century explorers. It is commonly repeated that the first European recipe for potatoes appeared in the Rumpolt cookbook under the heading Erdtepfel or Earth Apple, but historians now believe this was a variety of squash. The potato was only very slowly adopted in Europe, but there is no doubt that the Germans were amongst the first to make a lot of use of it, and it was while a prisoner of the Prussians that the potato’s greatest eighteenth-century advocate, Antoine Parmentier (see October 21) was converted to its value. Recipes ~~~ German Potato Salad Boil one dozen small potatoes without paring. Remove the skin and cut potatoes size of dice, also a small onion, finely minced. Put small pieces of bacon in a pan and fry brown and crisp. Add a large tablespoonful of vinegar and a pinch of salt. Pour the hot bacon fat and vinegar over the diced potatoes, toss them up lightly with a fork and serve hot. Mary at the Farm and Book of Recipes Compiled during Her Visit among the ‘‘Pennsylvania Germans’’ (1915).
The pigment in red cabbage acts in exactly the same way as litmus paper in the laboratory, and in the presence of alkali turns an unappetizing blue or grey. For this reason it is always cooked with an acid ingredient, often with apples and/or vinegar as in the following recipe. It was also commonly preserved by pickling in vinegar (see March 29). Red Cabbage, German Style One sliced red cabbage, one-half glass of vinegar, three sliced apples, two cups of bouillon, and a small piece of salt pork or bacon. Put in oven and cook as for two hours. Victor Hirtzler, The Hotel St. Francis Cook Book (1919).
Ox Tail Soup: see March 21. March 11 Ironmongers’ Company Dinner Ironmongers Hall, Fenchurch Street, London, 1687 The Ironmongers of England were already an established ‘‘brotherhood’’ by the early fourteenth century, and by 1515 they were listed as tenth in the
March 11
Ironmongers’ Company Dinner
A Bill of Faire for View and Search Day, being ye 11th of March 1686/7. A sirloyne of beef.
4 barrels of oysters.
A breast of veale.
Oranges and lemmons.
A double pole of ling.
2 gallons of Canary
Five dishes barrell codd.
4 gallons of clarrett.
A side of salmon.
1 gall. of white wine.
Twelve dabbs, twelve whitings.
Sallads, 1 quart of oyle.
2 quarts of oysters.
Some gudgeons or smelts.
1 quart of shrimps.
order of precedence of the twelve great livery companies (see October 28). Each year the company exerted its right to an annual inspection of its properties at the ‘‘View and Search Day.’’ When the inspection was completed and the notices issued to tenants where repairs were required, the warden and members retired to enjoy a dinner. The following bill of fare for the dinner is dated according to both the ‘‘old style’’ and ‘‘new style’’ calendars (see December 22), so the year is given as 1686/7. As was normal at the time, the cooking methods were not necessarily specified on the bill of fare. ‘‘Fancy’’ or ‘‘made’’ dishes would have been particularly mentioned, but other meats etc. are usually assumed to be plainly roasted or boiled and served with the standard sauces. There is far more fish and seafood on this menu compared to meat than would be expected, probably reflecting the fact that this was the Lenten season. Oysters were very popular at all levels of society and are listed twice on the menu, probably representing fresh and pickled versions. Shrimps were a little more unusual at formal dinners, as they were often considered food for the poor. A ‘‘pole,’’ or ‘‘poll’’ of ling was the head and shoulders (the most desirable part) of the fish, which was also commonly dried and salted. All forms of dried, salted fish such as the ‘‘Barrel Cod’’ on this menu were indispensible staples for fast days and for long sea voyages. They were also important as a virtually indestructible standby at a time when there were few other methods of preservation—a use reflected in its other common name of stockfish. Dried cod was so vital in early medieval times that the search for it drove many early voyages of exploration. Recipes ~~~ The method of preparing dried salt fish has not changed for centuries, and neither has the traditional garnish. Salt cod is still served with egg sauce, as in this eighteenth-century recipe. Ling was commonly served with mustard, or butter and mustard.
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March 12
Antebellum Riverboat Menu
Poor Jack and Baccalao are alternative names for dried cod. How to Boil Salt Fish, as Poor Jack or Baccalao, Tusk, Barrel Cod, Ling, etc. Salt-fish of all kinds, to be boiled, must be steeped in fresh water at least eighteen hours, or longer, according to the thickness and dryness of the fish. Let it be twelve hours in the first water, then scraped and clean it well from all dirt and loose bits that hang about it. And use a hand-brush to scrub the baccalao or poor jack, ling, and the tusk-fish; with this caution, not to break the skin so as to slip it off; for the skin of the tusk and ling especially is accounted the most delicious part of the fish. Barrel cod are generally boiled whole: the larger sort of salt fish are split down the back, and then cut into pieces of about four or five inches square. Put them in as much cold water as will cover the pieces to be boiled, and take care that the water does not come a-boil, it must only wallop or simmer, and that not above ten or fifteen minutes for barrel-cod and tusk, five or six minutes for whitings and small haddock, and not above twenty-five minutes for ling and large cod, for if the water is made to boil furiously, or the fish be kept simmering in the water longer than ten or fifteen minutes, it will eat wooly. Take it up piece by piece with a slice, and dish the fish with the skin uppermost: and garnish the dish with hard eggs quartered. Serve it up with egg-sauce, parsnips and potatoes, and with melted butter and mustard. James Jenks, The Complete Cook: Teaching the Art of Cookery in All Its Branches (1768).
Egg Sauce Boil your eggs hard, chop them up, put them into some good melted butter, and just boil them up. Elizabeth Price, The New Book of Cookery (ca. 1780).
March 12 Antebellum Riverboat Menu Robert F. Ward, Mississippi River, 1853 Accommodation for first-class passengers of the riverboats that traveled the Mississippi in the nineteenth century could be very luxurious and the dinner choices extensive, as the bill of fare for this day aboard the Robert F. Ward shows. SOUP Green Sea Turtle FISH Redfish, Baked, Browned Oyster Sauce Sheepshead, Boiled Broiled Trout Mad. [Madeira]. Wine Sauce
March 12
Ham
Antebellum Riverboat Menu
BOILED Corned Beef Turkey with Oyster Sauce Tongue Chicken Eggs Spiced Round of Beef
Mutton [Capers]
ENTREES Knuck[le] of Veal, Green Peas Turkey Wings, Celery Sauce Crabs, Stuffed Pigs Head, Tomato Sauce Oyster Pie Shoulder of Lamb Green Peas Turtle Cutlets, Mad[iera]. Wine sauce ` la Neapolitaine Macaroni a Beef
Pork
Pig
Mutton
ROASTS Turkey
Chicken
Veal
Duck
VEGETABLES OF THE SEASON GAME Saddle of Venison with Cranberry Sauce French Duck with Currant Jelly Black Duck Smothered in Wine Sauce Grouse Stuffed, with Lemon Sauce PASTRY AND DESSERT Orange, Coconut, Lemon, Green Apple, Mince, Cherry, Cranberry and Gooseberry Pies Apple, Grape, and Whortleberry Tarts Pineapple Cream Puffs Fruit, Citron and Tapioca Puddings Prune, Fruit, Sponge and Jelly Cakes Calle Fritters Lady Fingers Charlotte Russe Blanchemange English Coconut Cream White Wine and Rum Jellies Pineapple Sherbert Rose and Lemon Ice Creams FRUIT Oranges, Bananas, Figs, Grapes, Prunes, Raisins, Apples Almonds, Walnuts, Pecans, Filberts Sauternes and Claret Wines Coffee
If the cooks aboard this vessel were aiming to please everyone, they probably succeeded. There were dishes of great elegance: turtle soup— the metaphor for fine dining (see November 10 ), fish and meat with classical sauces, and an adequate selection of game. There were plenty of roasts and simple fruits for those with plain palates. There were pies, tarts, and cakes galore for the sweet tooths, and for those with nursery palates—jellies, creams and ices, as well as blanchemange with its medieval heritage (see January 7). The only concessions to local cuisine are the calle fritters and lady fingers. Callas (or calas) are rice fritters—traditional Creole snacks popular as a breakfast dish which used to be sold toutes chaud (all hot) in the streets of New Orleans. What is meant by ‘‘lady fingers’’ depends where in the world one is. They may be a variety of banana or okra, or Middle Eastern filo pastry rolls with a savory filling of minced lamb or a sweet one of honey and nuts. In the context of this menu they are sweet treats somewhere between sponge
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Dinner at Sea
cakes and cookies, very similar to the eighteenth-century Naples biscuits, or savoiardi biscuits used in trifles. Recipes ~~~ Callas A Creole cake eaten hot with coffee. One teacup of rice well boiled and mashed, one small coffee cup of sugar, two tablespoons yeast, three eggs, and flour sufficient to make a thick batter; beat the whole well together and fry in hot lard. Be careful not to have the batter too thin, or it will not fry well.
Lady Fingers Mix into a half pound of confectioner’s sugar the yolks of six eggs. Work this mixture with a spoon until very light and frothy; then mix into it the whites of six eggs that have been beaten stiff, adding at the same time a quarter of a pound of flour, dried and sifted. Place this batter into a meringue bag, and squeeze it through in strips two and one-half inches long, sprinkle over some fine sugar and bake in a moderate oven twelve to fifteen minutes. Carrie V. Shuman, Favorite Dishes: A Columbian Autograph Souvenir Cookery Book (1893).
Tapioca Pudding: see September 26. Caper Sauce: see December 8. Madeira Wine Sauce: see February 28.
March 13 Dinner at Sea, Tourist Class RMS Majestic, 1928 The White Star Line RMS Majestic left New York on March 10, 1928, on its regular voyage to Europe and England with some illustrious passengers on board. George Gershwin, the famous American composer was there, accompanying his lyricist brother Ira and his family on a trip that would be the inspiration for his orchestral composition An American in Paris. Lord Brabourne, a peer of the United Kingdom, was traveling home, as were an assortment of Austro-Hungarian aristocrats. Other celebrities included the opera star Maria Jeritza, the French tennis player Pierre Etchebaster, and Emil Ludwig, the German author. The Majestic carried over 2,500 passengers in three classes—first, tourist, and third. Presumably the celebrity guests enjoyed better fare than the tourists, who sat down to this mid-Atlantic dinner.
March 13
Dinner at Sea
Ox Tail Soup Poached Codfish, Sauce Paloise Duckling en Casserole Roast Beef, Yorkshire Pudding Fried Egg Plant Boiled and Roast Potatoes Salad: Ninette Chesterfield Pudding Ice Cream with Wafers Pineapple Oranges Dinner Rolls Tea Coffee
The 1920s and 1930s were a golden age for ocean liner travel. As many as a dozen huge ships left New York harbor each day, and there was great competition for passengers. Naturally the food was expected to be superb—and it usually was, with each shipping line trying to provide popular international choices while at the same time demonstrating its national identity. The SS New York (see March 10) was plying the trans-Atlantic route serving its very German menu at the same time as this very British meal was being served aboard the RMS Majestic. The only slightly atypical dish, for a British menu of this era, is the fried eggplant, which is more commonly associated with French and Italian cuisine. One comprehensive cookbook, Cassell’s New Dictionary of Cookery, published in 1910 says, ‘‘This delicate and delicious vegetable is rapidly coming into favour in this country.’’ Frying them in batter was a popular method of preparation. Recipes ~~~ Aubergines Fried in Batter Peel the aubergines and cut them in slices. Make a frying batter with flour, water, one egg, salt, and olive oil instead of butter. Dip each piece of aubergine in batter, and fry them in boiling fat. The Gentle Art of Cookery (London: Leyel & Hartley, 1925).
The Chesterfield pudding is a classic moulded iced pudding, one of the enduring favorites invented during the Victorian era. ` la Chesterfield Iced Pudding, a Grate one pound of pine-apple into a basin, add this to eight yolks of eggs, one pint and a half of boiled cream, one pound of sugar, and a very little salt. Stir the whole together in a stewpan over a stove-fire until the custard begins to
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Dinner at Sea
thicken; then pass it through a tammy, by rubbing with two wooden spoons, in the same manner as a pure´e, in order to force the pine-apple through the tammy. This custard must now be iced in the usual manner, and put into a mould of the shape represented in the annexed wood-cut; and in the centre of the iced-cream, some Mace´doine of red fruits, consisting of cherries, currants, strawberries, and raspberries in a cherry water-ice, must be introduced; cover the while in with the lid, and immerse the pudding in rough ice in the usual way, and keep in a cool place until wanted. When about to send the pudding to table, turn it out of the mould on to its dish, ornament the top with a kind of drooping feather formed with green angelica cut into strips, and arranged as represented in the wood-cut; garnish the base with small gauffres, filled with some of the ice-cream reserved for the purpose, place a strawberry on the top of each, and serve. Charles Elme´ Francatelli, The Modern Cook (London, 1860).
Sauce Paloise This is a Bearnaise sauce (see May 31) with fresh mint instead of tarragon. It is named after the town of Pau in the French province of Be´arn, on the border with Spain.
Yorkshire Pudding: see December 24. Ox-Tail Soup: see March 21.
March 14 Dinner at Sea SS Prince Rupert, 1922 The SS Prince Rupert was a steamship owned by the Grand Trunk Railway of Canada and traveled the sea route between Vancouver and Alaska. The food aboard the ship leaned toward the traditional and substantial, as befitted the era and the weather, and there was plenty of choice at each meal, as steamship passengers would have expected. DINNER. Oysters on Half Shell Queen Olives Celery en Branch Consomme Italienne Puree of Split Pea Boiled Filet of Salmon Colbert Sauce Harico Ox Tail Macedoine Breaded Veal Cutlets Tomato Sauce Welsh Rarebit Boiled Fowl with Bacon Bread Sauce Baked Premium Ham au Bourgeoise Roast Prime Ribs of Beef with Yorkshire Pudding
March 14
Dinner at Sea
— Shrimp Salad, Mayonnaise Brussels Sprouts Yellow Turnips Mashed & Boiled Potatoes * Steamed Marmalade Pudding Fruit Sauce Deep Apple Pie Prince Rupert Triffle Strawberry Ice Cream Assorted Cakes Canadian, American, and MacLaren’s Cheese Fresh Fruits Tea Coffee Cocoa
The only clearly Canadian dish on the menu is the MacLaren’s Cheese, a very popular Canadian product developed by Alexander Ferguson MacLaren, onetime M. P. for North Perth, Ontario. MacLaren learned cheese-making as a young man, and eventually became president of the Ontario Dairymen’s Association. He introduced his cheese in distinctive tubs in 1892 under its full title of ‘‘MacLaren’s Imperial Cheese,’’ and it was indeed sold throughout the Empire and beyond, before being eventually sold to Kraft in 1920. The most intriguing dish on this menu is without doubt Welsh rarebit. The dish basically consists of cheese on toast, and these are the two absolutely essential ingredients in a myriad of variations. There has been a great deal of vociferous and opinionated debate over many decades as to whether the correct name is ‘‘rarebit’’ or ‘‘rabbit,’’ and an equally vigorous debate as to how the dish got its name. The Oxford English Dictionary traces Welsh rabbit to 1725, with Welsh rarebit appearing 60 years later, so clearly the latter is the upstart usurper. The eminent lexicographer H. W. Fowler (author of Fowler’s Modern Language Usage in 1926) brooked no argument on the issue, stating that ‘‘Welsh Rabbit is amusing and right. Welsh Rarebit is stupid and wrong.’’ It seems likely that the change to ‘‘rarebit’’ is an example of folk etymology. The word ‘‘rabbit’’ pronounced in a effete, upper-class English accent does rather sound like ‘‘rarebit,’’ and thus in the ears of an eighteenth-century scholar, this is what it became. There are many theories about the connection between the Welsh, rabbit, and cheese, ranging from the possible to the ridiculous. It seems most likely that it is an ethnic slur disguised as a joke, and indicates that the Welsh are too poor to buy rabbit or too stupid to catch it. Alternatively it may be an ironic joke on the part of the Welsh themselves, and it demonstrates their good humor in times of adversity. A bizarre extension of the name confusion turns up on some French menus, where Welsh rabbit is literally translated as Lapin Gallois. The ethnic slur aspect has also been thoroughly worked over since the dish was named. Cookbooks contain many variations of the dish which have become specialties in their own right, for example Scotch woodcock (with anchovies), Yorkshire buck rarebit (with eggs), and English monkey (a sort of cheesy bread sauce thickened with an egg).
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March 15
Breakfast on the ‘‘42nd Street Special’’
Recipes ~~~ Welsh Rarebit 1/4 lb. grated cheese 1/4 c. cream or milk 1/2 tsp mustard 1/2 tsp salt
1 egg 2 tsp butter few grains cayenne Toast
Place the cheese, mixed with the cream or milk, in top part of double-boiler and heat until the cheese is melted. Then add the beaten egg, to which the mustard, salt, and cayenne have been added, then add the butter. Cook until it thickens, stirring constantly. Pour over toast. Welsh rarebit is often made in the chafing dish. Mary Lockwood Matthews, Elementary Home Economics: First Lessons in Sewing and Textiles, Foods and Cookery, and the Care of the House (1922).
Marmalade Pudding One-half pound of breadcrumbs, one-half pound of brown sugar, one-half pound of beef suet cut very fine, four eggs and one small can of marmalade. Mix all together, put in a close shape [i.e., in a basin or mold] and boil for three hours. Everyday Cook Book (Good Housekeeping, 1903).
Colbert Sauce: see April 17. Yorkshire Pudding: see December 24.
March 15 Breakfast on the ‘‘42nd Street Special’’ Chicago to Los Angeles by Rail, 1933 The promotional campaign run in 1933 for the Warner Brothers movie musical 42nd Street was a publicist’s wildest dream come true. President Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882–1945) himself invited the cast and crew to Washington to celebrate his inauguration, in gratitude for their support during his California campaign. A seven-car ‘‘42nd Street Special’’ train was put together and traveled across the country from Hollywood to Washington and back, inviting headlines wherever it went. By any standards the trip was a success. The movie (released on March 9) was a smash hit, the musical genre revitalized, and Warner Brothers saved from the possibility of bankruptcy. The train left Hollywood on February 21 and arrived in Washington, DC, on March 4, stopping at a hundred towns along the way to simultaneously celebrate and promote President Roosevelt’s ‘‘New Deal’’ for America and the ‘‘New Deal in Entertainment.’’ Townsfolk turned out in the thousands hoping to catch a glimpse of one of the movie celebrities aboard the train,
March 15
Breakfast on the ‘‘42nd Street Special’’
and special stops were made in the towns that were the homes of the twelve chorus girls specially chosen for the trip. The chorus girls no doubt had their own agenda and were hoping to be ‘‘discovered,’’ but for this trip they were decorative promotional aids—almost all the same height and build, but with different colored hair, but all examples of ‘‘American girlhood at its loveliest.’’ The newspapers took care to note that their loveliness would not be put at risk, and, according to the Charleston Gazette, ‘‘To enable them to retain their health and shapely grace on the long journey their meals will be scientifically prepared for them by a famous chef in an all-electric health kitchen.’’ Scientific preparation, a famous chef, and an all-electric health kitchen would not, in themselves, maintain the shapely grace of these American lovelies. Some personal discipline would have been required, as this extensive breakfast menu from the return trip demonstrates. Grapefruit Baked Apple Orange Juice Rolled Oats Shredded Wheat Calf’s Liver and Bacon French Toast, Apricot Marmalade Grilled Ham Grilled Bacon Eggs as Desired Wheat Cakes with Maple Syrup Rolls
Toast
Muffins
Coffee
Tea
Chocolate
There are two dishes on this menu of particular historic interest. French toast has a long history. It is essentially bread dipped in egg and fried, and in many old manuscripts and cookery books it is called pain perdu which is usually translated as lost bread (for the very obvious reason that perdu means lost in French). An alternative explanation is that the bread has so wonderfully enriched that it is pain pour Dieu, or God’s bread. Today bread is not treated with any particular reverence on a daily basis, but in previous times when it was the absolute staple for all classes, to throw it away was sinful as well as wasteful. There were many ways of using up stale bread; it was dipped in soup or wine, it was used to thicken stews and sauces, and it could be dipped in egg and fried. Almost every country with a bread-based diet has a version, and the names are legion. It is sometimes called Spanish toast or German toast. More poetically it goes by the names of poor knights, golden bread, bread fish, gypsy toast, gilded slices, and nun’s toast for example, and in Estonia it is called ‘‘duckling,’’ perhaps with a similar rationale to the idea of Welsh rabbit (see March 14). Muffins are interesting from a historic perspective because the name indicates how a meaning can change when migrants and colonists adapt to their
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March 16
Bill of Fare
new country. A muffin (or crumpet) in England used to be a small flat ‘‘cake’’ made from a yeast dough or batter (like bread) cooked on a griddle and often served split, toasted, and buttered. The muffin in America became a sweet cake, more like a conventional cake, cooked in small cups, like cup cakes. Recipes ~~~ Fried Toast or French Toast 12 slices bread 1/2 inch thick 1/2 teaspoon salt 3 eggs 2 cups milk Beat the eggs, add the milk and salt. Dip slices of bread into the mixture and saute in a little hot fat until a delicate brown on both sides. Serve hot. Sprinkle with powdered sugar or serve maple sirup with the toast.
Raised [‘‘English’’] Muffins 1 cup scalded milk 1 yeast cake softened in 1/4 cup warm water 3/4 teaspoon salt 4 tablespoons sugar 2 tablespoons shortening 3 1/2 cups flour 1 egg Add the scalded milk to the salt, sugar and shortening. When lukewarm, add the yeast and one and one-half cups flour. Beat thoroughly. When very light, add the beaten egg and the remaining flour. Mix well and let the dough rise until double in bulk. Shape into portions small enough to fit into muffin-tins. Brush the top with egg-white slightly beaten and sprinkle with chopped nuts. Let rise in a well-oiled tin and bake in a hot oven (400–425°F). Ruth Berolzheimer, The American Woman’s Cookbook (1939).
March 16 Bill of Fare Virginia Hotel, St. Louis, 1858 The Virginia Hotel on the corner of Green, Main, and Second streets in St. Louis was reopened in 1853 after extensive additions and renovations. Management had the express intention of providing ‘‘all of the luxuries and conveniences of home’’ to traveling businessmen visiting the city. A contemporary book about the city by Jacob N. Taylor (Sketch Book of Saint Louis [M. O. Crooks, 1858]) noted that ‘‘all will concede the fact that the table of
March 16
Bill of Fare
the Virginia Hotel is always provided with the best the market affords’’—a justifiable claim, if we are to judge from the menu provided on March 16, 1858. SOUP. Spring. — FISH. ` la Hollandaise. Fresh Cod Fish boiled a — Leg of Mutton, Caper Sauce. Beef Tongue. Ames’ Sugar Cured Ham. Corned Beef and Cabbage. — COLD DISHES. Corned Beef. Roast Beef. Ames’ Sugar Cured Ham. Beef Tongues. — ROAST. Beef. Ribs of Beef. Ham, Champagne Sauce. Leg of Veal. Saddle of Mutton. Chickens. Pork. — ENTREES. Langue de Boeuf a la Flamande. Blanquette de Veau. Emince de Dindon Friccasse. Cerville de Veau en Marinade. Salt Pork fried with Onions. Corned Beef Hashe with Fried Eggs. Coeur de Veau a la Sauce Piquante. Calves Feet a la Vinnegarette. Roll of Beef Braise au Jus. Veal Pot Pie. Kidneys Fried with Salt Pork. Scrambled Eggs with Cod Fish. Escollope de Cochon a la Sauce Robert. Ailerons de Dinde a l’Italienne. Foil de Veau Braise a l’Espagnole. Pork and Beans Baked. — RELISHES. Pickles. Horse Radish. Cheese. Worcestershire Sauce. Pickled Beets. Cranberry Sauce. — VEGETABLES. Potatoes Boiled. Potatoes Mashed. Boiled Rice. Stewed Oyster Plant. Sauer Kraut. Mashed Turnips. Fried Parsnips. Hominy. Onions.
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Bill of Fare — PASTRY. Honey Comb Pudding, Brandy Sauce. Madeira Wine Jelly. Peach Marengues. Mince Pie. Cranberry Pie. Cocoanut Pie. — DESSERT. Apples. Pecan Nuts. Layer Raisins. Coffee. — HOURS FOR MEALS. Breakfast from 6 1/2 to 10 o’clock. Dinner 12 to 3 o’clock. — Tea from 6 to 9 o’clock. — Each Waiter has a Wine Card and Pencil.
The hotel menu also included an extensive wine list, and the following set of regulations. Transient Boarder’s bills collected weekly. Seats for families are reserved for dinner only. Meals served in rooms will be charged extra. Families will not be called to meals except for Dinner. Persons inviting friends to meals will give notice at the office that seats may be reserved for them. Regular boarders, on leaving will register their names as absent, that proper credit may be given. Guests intending to depart during the night or at early hours will please give notice at the office, that they may be called in time and prevent delays.
ˆte (see February 27), hence the This menu is an example of a table d’ho advice to guests about notifying the office should they not be present for a meal. The food itself is the substantial fare of the time. It seems that hotel managements of the time could not avoid listing the entre´es in French, even without any knowledge of their correct spelling. Recipes ~~~ Honey Comb Pudding One-half cupful flour, one-half cupful of sugar, one half-cupful of milk, one half cup-full of butter, one-half pint New Orleans molasses, four eggs, one teaspooful
March 17
St. Patrick’s Day Banquet
soda. Mix flour, sugar, butter, and milk warm enough to dissolve the butter, all together; add the beaten eggs, and last, the molasses and soda beaten to a froth. Bake half an hour. Serve with cream, or foamy sauce. Mrs. Hattie Burr, The Woman Suffrage Cook Book (Boston, 1886).
Cocoanut Pie One cocoanut fresh, draw off the milk, then place the nut in a hot oven and let it stay long enough for the shell to pull off; then grate with the nut juice one teacup of powdered white sugar, one tablespoonful of butter and lard rubbed together until creamed, then take the yelks of four eggs and beat into sugar and butter until perfectly light; grate the rind of one lemon into it, and squeeze the juice of the lemon into the creamed butter and sugar; beat the white of four eggs light, and add also to creamed butter and sugar, and stir them well, add also one-half tea-cup of sweet milk. Will make three pies. Use a half pound of flour for the pastry, one tablespoonful each of butter and lard—you only want crust at the bottom of plate, and bake in quick oven. What Mrs. Fisher Knows about Old Southern Cooking (San Francisco, 1881).
Champagne Sauce: see May 27. Caper Sauce: see December 8. Hominy: see March 20, May 19.
March 17 St. Patrick’s Day Banquet The White House, Washington, DC, 1959 President Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890–1969) invited the president of Ire´n Thomas O’Kelly (1882–1966) to visit the United States in 1959. land Sea It was the first official visit of a President of Ireland to the country and was planned to coincide with the traditional St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. President O’Kelly arrived on March 16 ‘‘radiating Gaelic charm,’’ to a green carpet welcome—the traditional red one being specially replaced for the day. President Eisenhower wore a green tie, other officials wore green socks, and U.S. congressmen sported green carnations in their lapels. The green theme even extended to the St. Patrick’s Day banquet on the following evening. Historically, much political business has been facilitated over the banquet table. A potentially embarrassing diplomatic situation loomed before this event when it was realized that President O’Kelly’s visit would coincide with that of Harold Macmillan (1894–1986), prime minister of the United Kingdom—a country with a long history of unpopularity in Ireland. Some strategic rescheduling averted the problem, and President O’Kelly’s visit was a lighthearted affair. President Eisenhower joked that ‘‘everybody was Irish today,’’ to which the Irish President responded with ‘‘I salute my most distinguished subject.’’
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St. Patrick’s Day Banquet DINNER Prosciutto Ham and Melon Cream of Watercress Soup
Dry Sack
Melba Toast Celery Hearts
Assorted Olives
Chateau
Seafood Newburg
Climens
Vol-au-Vent
1950
Cucumber Sandwiches
Beaune
Roast Stuffed Long Island Duckling
Greves
Applesauce
1952
Casserole of Eggplant French Beans Almondine
Tossed Greens in Salad with Anchovy Cheese Crusts
Frosted Mint Delight Lady Fingers Pol Roger 1952
Assorted Nuts
Bon Bons
Demitasse
Mints
There had been a vogue for color-themed dinners in the previous century, with some creativity needed to have an ‘‘all-white’’ or ‘‘all-pink’’ meal. Green food is not such a challenge, however, and it would not have been difficult to plan this meal. The dishes themselves are not remarkable, and one assumes there was plenty of parsley to garnish the savory dishes. The cucumber sandwiches are a little unexpected at a formal state dinner. They are usually associated with English afternoon tea parties and garden parties—perhaps because only the upper class could afford the hot-houses to grow them, or perhaps their lightness and lack of substance symbolized their leisured and frivolous lifestyle.
March 17
St. Patrick’s Day Banquet
State dinner for the Irish president. From left, Mamie Eisenhower, President Sean O’Kelly, Mrs. O’Kelly, and President Eisenhower. (AP Photo)
Recipes ~~~ Cucumber Salad Sandwich Mix sliced cucumber with mayonnaise and spread between bread. Mrs. C. F. Leyel and Miss Olga Hartley, The Gentle Art of Cookery (1925).
Mint Ice 2 cups sugar 1 quart water 1 cup slightly bruised fresh mint leaves Juice of two lemons Green food coloring 16 crystallized mint leaves. Place the sugar and water in a pan and bring to the boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Boil five minutes. Add the fresh leaves, cover and cool. Strain. Add the lemon juice and color it a delicate shade of green. Pour into a
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Dinner for the New King, Alfonso XIII
refrigerator tray and freeze until mushy. Stir well. Freeze until firm. Serve in sherbert glasses or with fruit. If desired, garnish with the crystallized leaves. New York Times, August 4, 1962.
Cream of Watercress Soup 2 cups milk Leaves from one stalk celery 2 slices onion 2 tablespoons butter or margarine 2 tablespoons flour 3/4 teaspoon salt dash pepper 1 bunch watercress. Heat milk to scalding with celery leaves and onion. Remove vegetables. Cream together fat, flour, salt, and pepper. Add to milk and cook, stirring, until thickened. Grind watercress or chop it very fine. Add to sauce and heat. New York Times, May 31, 1951.
Vol-au-vent: see September 17. Lady Fingers: see March 12.
March 18 Dinner for the New King, Alfonso XIII Royal Palace, Madrid, Spain, 1902 Alfonso XIII (1886–1941) was proclaimed King of Spain on the day of his birth, his father having died before he was born. Until he attained his majority, Spain was ruled by his mother Queen Maria Christina. When the time of his coming of age dawned (on his sixteenth birthday), all of Spain participated in a week of feasts, parties, and bullfights. The day after his birthday, the King sat down to the following dinner. DINER DE S.M. Consomme´ brunoise au Tapioca ` l’Espagnole Frito a ` la Richelieu Filets de bœuf a Fricandeau de veau aux Epinards ` la Flamande Petits pois a ` la Broche Poulets a ˆche et betteraves Salade de ma Pain de Geˆnes Glace Abricotine
March 18
Dinner for the New King, Alfonso XIII
There is nothing on this menu that is distinctly Spanish. It could have been a dinner at any fine-dining establishment or palace in any country of Europe at the time. The ruling families of Europe had intermarried for centuries, and in spite of their frequent and bloody conflicts had developed a cuisine which was quite generic and pan-European in nature. By the nineteenth and twentieth centuries this meant that it was firmly based in the classic French tradition. ` l’Espagnole, which is The only apparent concession to Spain is the Frito a hardly any concession at all given that menus of the time were full of dishes ` l’Allemande, a ` la Franc¸aise or a ` l’Anglaise and so on. These names styled a were bestowed not by the countries themselves but by others attempting to determine the quintessential ingredients or techniques of each nation. Sometimes the connection is obvious—in dishes styled Hollandaise, for example, which always contain a lot of butter on account of the good, early reputation of the Dutch dairy industry. Some are more tenuous—Polonaise (Polish style), indicating a garnish of buttered breadcrumbs and hard boiled eggs, or Allemande (German style), a white or blond sauce possibly named after the fair-headed people of that country. The dish of peas at this dinner was ` la Flamande, meaning in the Flemish style, and the Pain de Geˆnes styled a is ‘‘bread’’ from Genoa—actually Genoese cake. Frito means fried. It comes from the Latin frigere, hence the word is recognizable in all of the Latin-based languages—fritto (Italian), frito (Portuguese and Spanish), and frit (French). Italy has its fritto misto, so perhaps this Frito ` l’Espagnole was a variation of the same idea—a number of small morsels of a a variety of foods, battered and deep fried. Recipes ~~~ Richelieu Sauce This is a rich brown game sauce, reduced with Madeira or Marsala wine, then work in a little liquefied meat extract and some finely chopped truffles.
Game Sauce (Sauce Gibier) Some game bones and trimmings, 1 pint espagnole or brown sauce, 1/2 gill sherry, onion, carrot, turnip, parsley, thyme, marjoram, bay-leaf, mace, clove.
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The Opening of the Sydney Harbour Bridge
The trimmings, carcasses, etc., of any kind of game may be used for this sauce; those of grouse or woodcock are preferable. Chop small the trimmings of game, put them in a stew-pan with a small onion, a piece of carrot, and a piece of turnip all cut in slices, a few sprigs of parsley, a sprig of thyme, one of marjoram, a bay-leaf, a small piece of mace, and one clove, moisten with the sherry, cover and put on the fire to cook for five minutes. Now add the espagnole or brown sauce, let it come quickly to a boil, and keep simmering for fifteen minutes longer. Pass through a tammy cloth, return to a clean stew-pan, season with a little salt if necessary, and keep hot in the bain-marie until required for serving. Charles Herman Senn, The Book of Sauces (1915).
Pain de Geˆnes, or Genoa Bread or Genoese Cake: see January 20. Fricandeau de veau: see April 29. Sauce Gribiche: see June 23.
March 19 Luncheon to Celebrate Opening of Sydney Harbour Bridge RMS Maloja, Sydney Harbour, Australia, 1932 The Sydney Harbour bridge has become an iconic image of the Australian city—its outline against the sky giving it the affectionate nickname of ‘‘The Coathanger.’’ It had another name during its construction—‘‘The Iron Lung,’’ because it saved many lives during The Great Depression by providing work for thousands of construction workers. Proposals for a bridge between the central business district and Sydney’s North Shore had been discussed on and off since the earliest days of the colony, but it was not until 1925 that construction began. Eight years later the bridge was officially opened at a ceremony that was not without a short, unpleasant drama. Just as the Premier was about to perform the usual tape-cutting ceremony, he was preempted by a fanatic called Francis de Groot (an Irishman, in spite of his name), who rode up on horseback, wearing full military dress and brandishing a sword, and slashed the ribbon himself, declaring the bridge open ‘‘in the name of the decent and respectable people’’ of New South Wales. De Groot was part of a paramilitary group called the New Guard which was convinced that the country was in danger of sliding into communism, and was planning a right-wing revolution. He was quickly taken into custody and further action averted, and no doubt the dignitaries and special guests (including Bradfield) were especially relieved to relax aboard the P&O ship RMS Maloja for the official luncheon. MENU Oyster Cocktail Hollandaise Soup Sole Colbert Roast Pheasant
March 19
The Opening of the Sydney Harbour Bridge
CURRIES Prawn Chicken COLD SIDEBOARD Mayonnaise of Salmon Sardines Asparagus tips en Aspic Raised Game Pie York Ham Roast Ribs of Beef Galantine of Capon Boar’s Head Pressed Ox Tongue Salad Marquise SWEETS Macedoine of Fruit Neopolitan Cream Ices CHEESE Gruyere Cheddar Stilton Dutch Cream Old Blue Cheshire
Although it was 24 years after Federation, the country was still strongly tied to its British roots, and the designer, John Bradfield, hoped and planned that the bridge would confirm the city as the ‘‘shining diamond in Britain’s empire.’’ The bridge was ‘‘all British engineering feat,’’ built with British finance and British steel. The menu of the official luncheon too was resolutely British—as was usual for official functions of the time, even to the extent of including the medieval flourish of the boar’s head (see January 4). Recipes ~~~ Marquise Salad 3 firm tomatoes 1/2 cup chopped onion 1/2 cup chopped parsley 2 tablespoons salad oil Peel tomatoes and cut in half. Mix onion and parsley, add oil; let stand two hours before using. When ready to serve line salad bowl with lettuce, place tomatoes on it and on each half put 1 tablespoon onion and parsley mixture. Pour on French dressing. Everything should be ice cold. Dr. Price, The New Dr. Price Cookbook (1921).
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March 20
American Maize Banquet Curried Prawns
1 1/2 pints Prawns. 1 oz. Butter. 1/2 oz. Flour. 1 1/2 gills Milk, 1/2 gill Stock. 1 apple Boiled Rice.
1 tablespoonful sliced Onion. 1 dessertspoonful Curry Powder. 1 dessertspoonful Lemon Juice. 1 dessertspoonful Chutney. Salt and Pepper.
Peel and slice the apple and onion. Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the sliced onion, and fry till transparent but not coloured. Then add the apple, curry powder and flour, and keep stirring while the mixture comes to the boil and boils for 2 minutes. Now gradually thin down with the milk, and add the stock—white for preference, stir till the sauce is smooth and boiling, then simmer in a covered pan for 1/2 hour. Season to taste, add the prawns, and when piping hot, the chutney, and stir in the lemon juice. Serve at once in a hot dish with a border of boiled rice. New Standard Cookery Illustrated, edited by Elizabeth Craig (1933 Australian ed.).
Oyster Cocktail: see January 24. Neapolitan Ice-Cream: see December 20. Sole Colbert: April 17. Raised Pies: see October 25.
March 20 American Maize Banquet Hotel King of Denmark, Copenhagen, Denmark, 1893 A huge international publicity campaign was put in place during the lead-up to the 1893 Columbian Exposition in Chicago, to encourage foreign participation. The theme of the exposition was the celebration of the 400th anniversary of the discovery of the New World by Christopher Columbus. To Charles Murphy, the United States’ agricultural corn agent in Europe, what better way to celebrate Columbus than via his most useful gift to the Old World? Murphy held a dinner to the ‘‘prominent citizens of Copenhagen’’ at which maize was put firmly in the spotlight by being the major ingredient in all dishes. The Chicago Times was sure that the banquet ‘‘impressed the Danish guests with some enlarged ideas as to American food products,’’ and noted that according to Murphy ‘‘the banquet has been made the theme of considerable favorable comment by the press.’’ The real agenda of course was economic. The U.S. Secretary of Agriculture J. Sterling Morton stressed this in saying
March 20
American Maize Banquet
‘‘Economy in food is the wealth of all nations’’ Mush (Maize) & milk. Grilled Oysters, rolled in Maize, mixed rye maize bread, mixed maize wheat bread. California Wines
Fried (Maize) Mush with maple syrup. Roast Turkey, Hominy (Maize) croquettes
Reisling (White)
California Fruit
Claret
Corn Flour (Maize) Pudding and California Fruit Cheese & butter with corn (Maize) bread.
Champagne
Cerealine Flake (Maize) Pudding Ices, California Raisins, Figs and assorted Fruit.
There is no doubt whatever of the importance to this country of opening up foreign markets for every product of which we are capable of raising a surplus above and beyond our own needs. This would do much to save the discouragingly low prices, which, without such an outlet, invariably attend an extra large crop. Our policy should be, however, to encourage as much as possible the export of the finished products of maize, doing the milling and keeping the offal in our own country.
Recipes ~~~ Charles Murphy, the man who gave this banquet, wrote a treatise called American Indian Corn (maize) a Cheap, Wholesome, and Nutritious Human Food in 1890 in which he included 130 ‘‘formulas’’ for the preparation and cooking of corn, and the use of maize for brewing. Hominy Croquettes 1 coffee cup of (fine) cold, boiled hominy. 1 table-spoonful of butter. 1/2 cup rich milk. Work these together until all are quite smooth and a soft paste; place the pan used for mixing in another of hot water, and heat, but do not boil, then carefully add 1 tea-spoon sugar. 2 yolks of eggs well beaten. Stir while they thicken, and when cold and stiff flour your hands and form into oval balls, dip in the beaten white of the two eggs to which you have added 1 table-spoon cold water. (1 table-spoon olive oil if liked.) 1 salt spoon salt. Then roll in fine cracker crumbs (the rolled cracker having been sifted), and fry in boiling lard.
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March 21
Dinner for the Rifle Volunteers Mrs. Henderson’s Corn Starch [Corn Flour] Pudding (Three formulas in one.) 1 pint rich milk. 2 large table-spoons corn starch. 1/2 cup sugar. 4 whites of eggs, beaten stiff. 1 salt spoon salt.
Dissolve the corn starch in a little of the milk; stir the sugar into the remainder of the milk, then place on the fire. When it begins to boil, add the dissolved corn starch. Stir constantly for a few minutes, when it will become a smooth paste. Now stir in the beaten whites and cook for three minutes; remove from the fire and flavour with vanilla, turn into a wet pudding mould, and set to cool; or, you may add one-half cocoa-nut, grated, before putting it into the mould. Serve with whipped cream around it, or a sauce of boiled custard made with the yolks, thus: 1 pint rich milk. 4 yolks of eggs, very well beaten. 1/2 cup sugar. 1 tea spoon corn starch, Wet in cold milk. Boil all together and watch carefully. Flavour with one teaspoon of vanilla. Always flavour after you have taken it from the stove. If the milk is boiled first before it is added to the other ingredients, there is less danger of the custard curdling. With still the same formula for corn starch pudding, first flavour the whole with vanilla, then take out a third of the pudding and flavour it with half a bar of chocolate, which has been grated; stir in till smooth and perfectly blended. Then put one-half of the white part into a mould (which has been wet with cold water), and smooth the top. Next put the dark part in; smooth again, and finish by putting the remaining white part in, and put away to get firm. Or, with the same formula for corn starch pudding, you may flavour with fresh fruit—strawberries, raspberries, or pine-apples. Serve with whipped cream, or boiled custard as given above.
March 21 Dinner for the Rifle Volunteers Auckland, New Zealand, 1871 In common with many other indigenous peoples around the globe, the Maori of New Zealand believed that the land belonged to the tribe, not to individuals. They resisted strongly the allocation of land to the white settlers who began arriving after the British declared sovereignty in 1840. The prolonged period of fighting (1845–1872) over the issue became known as the Maori Wars. The colonists protected themselves as best they could, forming volunteer companies to supplement the Militia. On this day, the Provincial
March 21
Dinner for the Rifle Volunteers
Superintendent of Aukland gave a dinner to thank the Rifle Volunteer representatives for their efforts. The evening was declared ‘‘the utmost success,’’ the rifle band performed a ‘‘happy selection’’ of music, and the caterer did a creditable job. The bill of fare was described by the Daily Southern Cross newspaper the next morning. Soups: Ox tail soup, oyster soup. Fish: Fried cutlets of mullet, soles au gratin. Entrees: Stewed pigeons, sweet bread, lamb cutlets and tomato sauce, oyster patties, curry of chicken, stewed ducks, rissoles. Joints: Roast beef, roast ribs of lamb, braised ham, boiled turkey, roast fowls, saddle of mutton, ox tongue, roast ducks, roast turkey, boiled fowls. Sweets: Plum pudding, almond pudding, apple pie and custard, maccaroni au gratin, Maraschino jelly, orange jelly, raspberry cream, trifle, cabinet pudding, lemon pudding, tourte preserves, mayonnaise of lobster, curac¸oa jelly, vanilla cream, almond cream, rhubarb souflet. Dessert.
This bill of fare could equally have been served at any similar event anywhere in Her Majesty’s Empire. Maintaining the style and standards of ‘‘home’’ was the guiding principle of every aspect of life. There was no thought of deliberately seeking out local ingredients or the culinary ideas of indigenous ignorant savages—in fact to do so would have been tantamount to treason. This was a staunchly British menu, and perhaps the only clue to its colonial origins comes from the fact that it was written in unpretentious English, not French. The climate of New Zealand was not much different from Britain, so new settlers were not forced to make creative substitutions for familiar ingredients. Colonists and migrants have always taken their familiar cookbooks with them, and at this time without doubt, one of the most popular was the Isabella Beeton’s household manual, first published in 1861. The entire dinner on this day could be prepared with the guidance of this classic text. Recipes ~~~ The following recipes are taken from Beetons’s Book of Household Management (1861), the amazingly comprehensive manual organized by Isabella Beeton (1836–1865) and taken to all corners of the British Empire by its colonists. Ox-Tail Soup 2 ox-tails, 2 slices of ham, 1 oz. of butter, 2 carrots, 2 turnips, 3 onions, 1 leek, 1 head of celery,
1 bunch of savoury herbs, 1 bay-leaf, 12 whole peppercorns, 4 cloves, a tablespoonful of salt, 2 tablespoonfuls of ketchup, 1/2 glass of port wine, 3 quarts of water.
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Fine Dining Experience
Cut up the tails, separating them at the joints; wash them, and put them in a stewpan, with the butter. Cut the vegetables in slices, and add them, with the peppercorns and herbs. Put in 1/2 pint of water, and stir it over a sharp fire till the juices are drawn. Fill up the stewpan with the water, and, when boiling, add the salt. Skim well, and simmer very gently for 4 hours, or until the tails are tender. Take them out, skim and strain the soup, thicken with flour, and flavour with the ketchup and port wine. Put back the tails, simmer for 5 minutes, and serve.
Sweet Macaroni Pudding 2 1/2 oz. of macaroni, 2 pints of milk, the rind of ½ lemon, 3 eggs, sugar and grated nutmeg to taste, 2 tablespoonfuls of brandy. Put the macaroni, with a pint of the milk, into a saucepan with the lemonpeel, and let it simmer gently until the macaroni is tender; then put it into a pie-dish without the peel; mix the other pint of milk with the eggs; stir these well together, adding the sugar and brandy, and pour the mixture over the macaroni. Grate a little nutmeg over the top, and bake in a moderate oven for 1/2 hour. To make this pudding look nice, a paste should be laid round the edges of the dish, and, for variety, a layer of preserve or marmalade may be placed on the macaroni: in this case omit the brandy.
Cabinet Pudding: see June 30. Oyster Soup: see January 4. Plum Pudding: see June 28. Mayonnaise of Lobster: see March 31.
March 22 Fine Dining Experience Verrey’s Restaurant, Regent Street, London, 1899 Lieutenant-Colonel Nathaniel Newnham-Davis (1854–1917) was one of England’s first restaurant critics. He had had a distinguished military career before retiring in 1894 to enjoy and write about La Vie de Luxe (The Life of Luxury), which he made the title of one of his newspaper columns. Newnham-Davis was a prolific writer as well as enthusiastic gourmet, and in 1897 he was commissioned by the editor of the Pall Mall Gazette to write a dining guide to London. The book, entitled Where and How to Dine in London, was published in 1899, and in the preface the editor says, I knew I was availing myself of the services of a thoroughly experienced, trustworthy, and capable commissioner, who would deal with the task entrusted to
March 22
Fine Dining Experience
him in a pleasantly mixed anecdotal and critical spirit, while at the same time supplying useful guidance to persons wanting to know where to dine and what they would have to pay.
In March 1899, the colonel received a phone call from an American friend who was briefly in London, and their subsequent dinner (which costs him £2:4:2; equivalent to approximately USD 261 today) was perfect material for one of his stories. Myra Washington . . . knows most people who are worth knowing in Europe, has been to most places worth seeing, and is in every way cosmopolitan . . . She had come to London from Cannes to meet John [her husband] , who was running over from America for a couple of days on business, and wanted to do as much as possible in the shortest time . . . now I was to be responsible for her evening’s amusement on the third evening. . . . so it was with a full sense of the responsibility I had incurred that I sought Mr. Krehl, the elder of the two brothers in whose hands Verrey’s now is . . . I am a very strong believer myself in small dinners, but it was difficult to make up a menu which would be sufficiently substantial, without appearing gluttonous, for two. This was the dinner that we settled on before I started home to dress: Petite marmite. ` la Russe. Oeufs a ` la Verrey. Souffle´ de filets de sole a Timbale Lucullus. ` la Princesse. Noisettes d’agneau a ` la Franc¸aise. Petits pois a Pommes Mirelle. ` l’Orange. Aiguillettes de caneton a Salade Ve´ne´tienne. Pouding Saxon. Salade de fruits. ` la Russe, with their attendant vodkhi, met with Mrs. WashThe oeufs a ington’s approval: there were no flies on them, was her expression. We did not quite agree as to the souffle´, I daring to say that though the fish part of the dish was admirable I thought the souffle´ covering might have been lighter, a statement which my guest at once countered, and, by her superior knowledge of culinary detail reduced me to silence, overcome but certainly not convinced. As to the timbale, with its savoury contents of quenelles, foie gras, cocks’-combs, and truffles, there could be no two opinions; it was excellent, and the same might be said of the noisettes, each with its accompanying fond d’artichaut, and the new peas with a leaf of mint boiled with them. Mrs. Washington would have preferred pommes souffle´es to pommes Mirelle, but I could hardly have known that when ordering dinner. The Venetian salad, a little tower of many-coloured vegetables, looking like poker chips, Mrs. Washington said, peas, beans, truffles, potatoes, beetroot, flavoured by a slice of saucisson and dressed with whipped white of eggs, was one of the triumphs of the dinner, and so was the salade de fruits.
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Fine Dining Experience
For Mrs. Washington to praise a fruit salad is a high honour, for she is one of the favoured people for whom Franc¸ois, late of the Grand Hotel, Monte Carlo and now of the Hotel Cecil, deigns to mix one with his own hands. . . . I was told that the pouding Saxon was an unnecessary item, and I was rather glad, for I had shied at it when ordering dinner.
Recipes ~~~ ` la Russe Eggs a 6 eggs 2 tablespoonfuls of caviar 1/2 pint of stock 1 teaspoonful of onion juice 1 dash of pepper. Hard-boil the eggs, remove the shells, cut them into halves lengthwise; take out the yolks without breaking the whites, and press them through a sieve, then add caviar, onion juice and pepper. Heap these back into the whites. Boil the stock until reduced one-half, baste the eggs carefully, run them into the oven until hot, pour over the remaining hot stock, and send to the table. Sarah Tyson Rorer, Many Ways for Cooking Eggs (1910).
There are several dishes that go by the name of Saxon pudding. One is similar to a trifle, with custard and layers of cake and macaroons. Another is a brown bread pudding with almonds and crystallized fruit. The following is a light and elegant version baked, as the Victorians loved to do, in a mold. Saxon Pudding According to high authority this is one of the best puddings of Germany. Boil a gill of milk, put into a stewpan half a pound of flour. Gradually dilute the flour with the milk so as to obtain a fine smooth paste. Add four ounces of butter, and salt to taste. Place the saucepan on a moderate fire, stir the preparation till it begins to thicken, then take it off the fire, but still continue working it. When the paste is smooth, place it again on the fire, working it still, and gradually introduce into it the yolks of ten eggs, four ounces of oranged sugar, four ounces of butter, and a little salt. When the preparation is frothy, introduce seven or eight whipped whites of eggs. Pour the preparation into a dome or cylinder mould which has been buttered or glazed with sugar and potato flour. Set the mould in a stewpan with boiling water reaching to half its height. Bake in a slack oven for forty minutes. Cassell’s New Dictionary of Cookery (London, 1910).
` la Franc¸aise: see July 11. Petits pois a
March 23
Queen’s Guard Dinner
March 23 Queen’s Guard Dinner St. James’ Palace, London, 1855 The Queen’s Guard is the infantry regiment charged with the responsibility of guarding the person of the monarch and the official royal residences of St. James’ Palace and Buckingham Palace. Their headquarters are at the former, and the Changing of the Guard ceremony so popular with tourists in London begins with a march from there to Buckingham Palace. On March 23, 1855, there was a ceremonial dinner at St. James’. LES HUIˆTRES. POTAGES. A la Cre´ci aux croutons. De macaroni au consomme´. POISSONS. La merluche sauce aux œufs. ` la Tartare. Les truites grille´es a ´ S. RELEVE Saddle of mutton. Les poulets garnis d’une langue et des chouxfleurs. ´ ES. ENTRE ` la Soubise. Les cotelettes de mouton a Le vol au vent aux ecre´visses. Les Kromeskys de ris de veau. Les filets de bœuf pique´s sauce poivrade. ROTS. Les pigeons, and la pintade pique´e. ´ S. RELEVE Les pommes au riz. Les fondus en caisses. ENTREMETS. La gele´e au noyau. Les epinards au jus. ` la Chantilly. ˆ tons. Les meringues a La moelle aux crou
Whether or not they knew it, in this standard Victorian menu, there is a fine acknowledgement of one of the greatest English military victories in history. Potage Cre´cy is most commonly (at least in modern times) a soup made from a pure´e of carrots. It is said to be named for the famous Battle of Cre´cy on August 26, 1346, at which a vastly outnumbered small English force defeated the huge French army of Philip V, thanks to the superb skill of the English longbowmen. Cre´cy is a village in northern France. Like so many
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stories of the origin of well-known dishes, this one is more myth and folklore than history. The most fanciful variation of the story is that in the post-battle pillaging the victorious English feasted upon the carrots growing luxuriantly in the region. The soup is undoubtedly named for the region and the root crops which are grown there, but it was certainly not invented on the battle field any more than was chicken Marengo (see July 14). Earlier versions of ` la Cressy in an eighteenththe recipe did not specify carrots alone. Potage a century French cookbook by Franc¸oise Menon is a mix of ‘‘all sorts of roots,’’ and Isabella Beeton (1836–1865) gives a combination of vegetables and lentil in her version. Recipes ~~~ Soup A La Crecy 4 carrots, 1 cut lettuce, 2 oz. butter, the crumbs of 2 French rolls, 2 quarts of medium stock.
2 sliced onions, and chervil; 1 pint of lentils, half a teacupful of rice,
Put the vegetables with the butter in the stewpan, and let them simmer 5 minutes; then add the lentils and 1 pint of the stock, and stew gently for half an hour. Now fill it up with the remainder of the stock, let it boil another hour, and put in the crumb of the rolls. When well soaked, rub all through a tammy. Have ready the rice boiled; pour the soup over this, and serve. Beeton’s Book of Household Management (1861).
Pommes au Riz Peel eight russet apples, not very large ones, and rub them over well with a lemon cut through the middle, to keep them white; take out the cores and rub the insides with a lemon; then put them in boiling water with a little cinnamon; cover the pan, and let the apples boil very slowly so as not to break. At the same time boil some rice in milk with a little sugar and a few drops of orange-flower water. When it is well swollen and very thick, keep it warm, and see whether the apples are tender; if so, take them out of the pan, skillfully, without breaking them, and dip them in pounded sugar. Arrange them on a dish (a silver one if possible) and fill up the insides with the rice. Sift pounded sugar over the tops of the apples and put them in a hot oven until they are of a light brown; serve immediately. Cookery for English Households, by a French Lady (1864).
Sauce Poivrade: see December 19. Kromeskies: see August 4. Meringues: see February 18.
March 24
Breakfast at Sea
March 24 Breakfast at Sea RMS Queen Elizabeth, 1953 When she was launched in 1938 the Cunard ship RMS Queen Elizabeth was to be the largest passenger liner ever built. With the breakout of World War II she was immediately fitted out as a troop transport ship, only picking up her intended career after the war ended. From this time on she regularly and faithfully criss-crossed the Atlantic for over 20 years, carrying mail and passengers between New York and Southampton (via Cherbourg in France). There was something for everyone amongst the meal choices aboard the Queen Elizabeth on a return trip to Southampton in 1953, as this breakfast menu shows. BREAKFAST Tuesday, March 24, 1953 Juices: Pineapple, Orange Apples Grapefruit Oranges Compote of Fruit Pure´e of Apples Compote of Figs Rolled Oats Oatmeal Porridge Bran Flakes Puffed Rice Weetabix Fried Butterfish, Tomato Sauce Kippered Herrings Eggs: Fried, Turned, Poached, Boiled Omelettes (to order): Plain, Parsley Broiled Breakfast Bacon Corned Beef Hash Cakes Pure´e Potatoes COLD
Breads: Hovis
Ox Tongue Roast Beef Radishes Sliced Tomatoes
Griddle and Buckwheat Cakes Maple and Golden Syrup Wholewheat Vienna Sultana Rye White and Graham Rolls Bath Buns Preserves Honey Marmalade
Carmalt Toast
Teas: Ceylon, China Coffee Chocolate Nescafe´ Ovaltine Instant Postum Milk Horlick’s Malted Milk Chase and Sanborn Instant Coffee
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Breakfast at Sea
Even those who are very adventurous about food tend to be conservative at breakfast. The catering manager aboard the liner had gone to a deal of trouble to ensure that every passenger could start their day as they were accustomed, even down to the choice of maple syrup (for the Americans and Canadians) or golden syrup (for the British) for the pancakes. There are all the ingredients of a continental, an American, and an English breakfast here. The cereal choices range from simple unadulterated oat porridge to modern processed and packaged cereals with well-known brand names. Those with robust British stomachs could have kippers, those with robust American stomachs could have corned meat hash cakes. There are eight different breads, plus Bath buns (a traditional fruit bun from the English town of the same name) and, of course—toast. The beverage choices are perhaps the most interesting. To have a product named on the menu of a luxury liner is, to put it mildly, a marketing triumph. There are three well-known cereal-based processed beverages here— the Instant Postum and Horlick’s (familiar to American passengers), and their English cousin, Ovaltine. The unqualified ‘‘coffee’’ is presumably the ordinary brewed variety, but discerning passengers could specify the Chase and Sanborn brand (‘‘roasted and sold in sealed tins’’) and others could chose instant coffee of the Nescafe´ brand if they wished. Recipes ~~~ Corned Beef Hash There is no elaborate receipt to follow . . . the necessity in the case is not to put things in, but to keep things out. Keep out the cold turnips. Keep out the cold mashed potatoes even, if they are not uncommonly good and fresh. Keep out the black and hard scraps and ends of meat, they will give a color and appearance and stale taste that will cause the mess to be thrown out, the good to be lost with the bad. Keep out the onions. This is the last thing that will be agreed to. Cooks of hotels have been known to quit the house rather than they would leave the onions out of the hash. But the people who live in the expensive class of hotels will leave the dish alone if you do not, and if they despise it who else is going to bring hash in fashion again? It is in the interest of true economy to make hash popular, because it uses up corned beef, which is too plentiful. To make ‘‘dry hash’’ that will be eaten and enjoyed, take 1 pressed-in cup minced corned beef. 4 medium potatoes—1 pound. 1/2 a level teaspoon good black pepper. 1 level teaspoon salt. 1 ounce fresh butter. A spoonful of hot water. Shave off all discolored outside of meat. Chop as fine as pepper-corns or wheat in a wooden bowl with a chopping knife, add the pepper, salt and butter to it. Pare the potatoes raw, steam or boil them, put them to the meat boiling hot
March 25
Charles Dickens Eats aboard an American Canal Boat
and mash together. It is not of much consequence whether it is to be baked or not but it looks better browned over and can be served hottest that way. Leave out the butter when there is plenty of fat to the meat. Those who study to make this almost forgotten dish good take care to corn fat pieces of brisket and calves udder for the purpose.
Buckwheat Cakes 2 cups buckwheat flour. 2 cups water and yeast mixed. 1 level teaspoon salt. 1 tablespoon golden syrup. 2 tablespoons melted lard. Make a sponge or batter over night of the warm water, yeast and flour. In the morning add the enriching ingredients; beat up well, and bake thin cakes on a griddle. Most people like buckwheat cakes with a little cornmeal mixed in the batter. Eggs are not needed except when accidentally the batter ferments too much, when an egg will bind and make the cake easier to bake. Serve with butter and syrup. Jessup Whitehead, Cooking for Profit. A New American Cook Book Adapted for the Use of All Who Serve Meals for a Price (Chicago, 1893).
March 25 Charles Dickens Eats aboard an American Canal Boat, 1842 English author Charles Dickens (1812–1870) was at the height of his popularity when he traveled to America for the first time in 1842. He was revelling in his success, which must have seemed particularly precious and poignant in view of his background. Dickens had experienced great hardship as a child when his father spent time in debtor’s prison, and the experience sharpened his social conscience and gave him much fodder for his novels. It also sharpened his appreciation of food and dining anecdotes and metaphors, and there are few writers who have as successfully and delightfully woven these themes throughout their stories and journals. On this day in 1842, he was aboard a canal boat, en route from Harrisburg to Pittsburgh, and he clearly took great delight in the experience. At about six o’clock, all the small tables were put together to form one long table, and everybody sat down to tea, coffee, bread, butter, salmon, shad, liver, steaks, potatoes, pickles, ham, chops, black-puddings, and sausages. ‘‘Will you try,’’ said my opposite neighbour, handing me a dish of potatoes, broken up in milk and butter, ‘‘will you try some of these fixings?’’ At eight o’clock [next morning], the shelves [i.e. bunks] being taken down and put
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Charles Dickens Eats aboard an American Canal Boat
away and the tables joined together, everybody sat down to the tea, coffee, bread, butter, salmon, shad, liver, steak, potatoes, pickles, ham, chops, black-puddings, and sausages, all over again. Some were fond of compounding this variety, and having it all on their plates at once. As each gentleman got through his own personal amount of tea, coffee, bread, butter, salmon, shad, liver, steak, potatoes, pickles, ham, chops, blackpuddings, and sausages, he rose up and walked off. When everybody had done with everything, the fragments were cleared away: and one of the waiters appearing anew in the character of a barber, shaved such of the company as desired to be shaved; while the remainder looked on, or yawned over their newspapers. Dinner was breakfast again, without the tea and coffee; and supper and breakfast were identical. American Notes for General Circulation (1842).
Recipes ~~~ One of the most famous cookbook writers in America at the time of Dickens’s visit was Eliza Leslie. The following recipes are taken from her best seller, Directions for Cookery, In Its Various Branches, published in 1840. Common Sausage Meat Having cleared it form the skin, sinews, and gristle, take six pounds of the lean of young fresh pork, and three pounds of the fat, and mince it all as fine as possible. Take some dried sage, pick off the leaves and rub them to powder, allowing three tea-spoonfuls to each pound of meat. Having mixed the fat and lean well together, and seasoned it with nine tea-spoonfuls of pepper, and the same quantity of salt, strew on the powdered sage, and mix the whole very well with your hands. Put it away in a stone jar, packing it down hard; and keep it closely covered. Set the jar in a cool dry place. When you wish to use the sausagemeat, make it into flat cakes about an inch thick and the size of a dollar; dredge them with flour, and fry them in butter or dripping, over rather a slow fire, till they are well browned on both sides, and thoroughly done. Sausages are seldom eaten except at breakfast.
Baked Shad Keep on the head and fins. Make a force-meat or stuffing of grated bread crumbs, cold boiled ham or bacon minced fine, sweet marjoram, pepper, salt, and a little powdered mace or cloves. Moisten it with beaten yolk of egg. Stuff the inside of the fish with it, reserving a little to rub over the outside, having first rubbed the fish all over with yolk of egg. Lay the fish in a deep pan, putting its tail to its mouth. Pour into the bottom of the pan a little water, and add a jill of port wine, and a piece of butter rolled in flour. Bake it well, and when it is done, send it to table with the gravy poured round it. Garnish with slices of lemon.
March 26
Grand Dinner Given by the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall A Diary in America
Frederick Marryat (1792–1848) was an English novelist and friend of Charles Dickens. He spent time in Canada and America in 1837–39, and also published an account of his impressions. In the West, when you stop at an inn, they say—‘‘What will you have? Brown meal and common doings, or white wheat and chicken fixings?’’— that is, ‘‘Will you have pork and brown bread, or white bread and fried chicken?’’ Also, ‘‘Will you have a feed or a check?’’—‘‘a dinner or luncheon?’’ I must descant a little upon the mint julep, as it is, with the thermometer at 100, one of the most delightful and insinuating potations that ever was invented, and may be drunk with equal satisfaction when the thermometer is as low as 70. There are many varieties, such as those composed of claret, Madeira, &c.; but the ingredients of the real mint julep are as follows. I learned how to make them, and succeeded pretty well. Put into a tumbler about a dozen sprigs of the tender shoots of mint, upon them put a spoonful of white sugar, and equal proportions of peach and common brandy, so as to fill it up one-third, or perhaps a little less. Then take rasped or pounded ice, and fill up the tumbler. Epicures rub the lips of the tumbler with a piece of fresh pineapple, and the tumbler itself is very often incrusted outside with stalactites of ice. As the ice melts, you drink. I once overheard two ladies talking in the next room to me, and one of them said, ‘‘Well, if I have a weakness for any one thing, it is for a mint julep!’’—a very amiable weakness, and proving her good sense and good taste. They are, in fact, like the American ladies, irresistible. But what was most remarkable, Broadway being three miles long, and the booths lining each side of it, in every booth there was a roast pig, large or small, as the centre attraction. Six miles of roast pig! and that in New York city alone; and roast pig in every other city, town, hamlet, and village, in the Union. What association can there be between roast pig and independence?
March 26 Grand Dinner Given by the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall aboard HMS Ophir, Malta, 1901 The planned extended voyage of the Duke of Cornwall (1865–1936) and his wife Princess Mary of Teck (1867–1953) to the farthest reaches of the British Empire (Australia) in early 1901 had to be postponed because of the death of his grandmother, Queen Victoria, on January 22 of that year. It was not until mid-March that the Duke (the future King George V) and Princess Mary set off on their tour. For over seven months their ‘‘wandering home’’ was the specially refitted yacht Ophir, aboard which ‘‘they made the grand tour of the Empire in a fashion never so much as dreamed of before’’ (The Times, March 9, 1901).
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Grand Dinner Given by the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall
Sherry—Amorosa Madeira—1834
Consomme´ Lavalette — ` la St. George Paupiettes de Soles a
Hock:
` la Diable Whitebait a
Marcobrunner 1893 Epigrammes d’Agneau Italienne Champagne: Moe¨t et Chandon, 1893
Aspic de Mauviettes Bellevue — Dinde Braise´ et Jambon au Champagne Epinards et Pommes
Claret: ˆteau Lafitte, 1888 Cha
— Perdreaux Roˆti au Cresson Pommes Pailles
Port—Royal White Port—1878
— ` l’Espagnole Cordons a —
Brandy—1840
Timbale de Fruits Glace Maltaise — Croustade de Foie Gras
The Duke and Duchess left London on March 15 by train for Portsmouth. The following morning they set sail, escorted by the cruisers Diadem and Niobe. By the 19th they were in the Bay of Biscay, which lived up to its reputation and gave the ships a rough time and the Duchess a bout of seasickness. There was an overnight stop in Gibraltar before the next port of Gozo in Malta, which they reached on the morning of the 25th. The following day the Duke and Duchess gave a grand dinner aboard the Ophir for various honored guests, dignitaries, and representatives of the military. The extensive remodeling of the Orient Line vessel the Ophir to convert it into a royal yacht had not included the grand dining room, which was already perfect for its illustrious guests. The chairs were upholstered in red leather, and the tables could be arranged in a horseshoe pattern to seat 56 guests. The saloon was panelled in rosewood and satinwood, and according to The Times, its ‘‘principal decoration might have been expressly designed for the occasion, for under the arched spaces at each end of the dome are the shields of Great Britain and the four leading Australian colonies.’’
March 26
Grand Dinner Given by the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall
Malta is an island with a very strategic location in the Mediterranean and has been part of many nations at different times in history. It became part of the British Empire in 1814 after the end of the Napoleonic Wars, and finally gained its independence in 1964. A common diplomatic device at state and official dinners was to pay homage to both host and guest nation by giving special names to dishes on the menu (even if the recipes themselves were little altered). St. George is the patron saint of both England and Malta, so the fish dish would appear to signify a cultural bond between the two countries. The consomme´ should probably have been written ‘‘La Valette’’ in honor of Jean de Valette—a Knight of St. John and a hero of the fight against the Ottoman Turks at the siege of Malta in 1565, for whom the Maltese capital of Valette is named. Finally, there is the ice cream (one of the most common dishes to be adapted with honorary names on diplomatic menus)—named obviously for the island of Malta. The urge to impress guests was not confined to political and diplomatic banquets. There is an apocryphal but amusing story behind the intriguingly named dish of epigrammes. An epigram is a short, witty inscription or poem which turns on an clever or paradoxical thought. The impromptu invention of epigrams was a favorite game at the gatherings of seventeenth-century poets and literati. From a culinary point of view, epigrammes are pieces of lamb breast and lamb cutlets breaded and plated (without sauce) in an alternate arrangement on a platter. The story about their origin takes place in the mid-eighteenth century, in France. A very young aristocratic wife was entertaining a number of guests when she overheard one of them remark that the previous evening he had partaken of ‘‘a feast of excellent epigrams.’’ The young hostess, keen to impress her guests the next evening, ordered her chef to prepare a dish of epigrammes. The chef had no idea what they were and was unable to find any reference to them, but not wanting to admit ignorance he simply invented a new dish. The hostess, at the insistence of her guests, proudly announced the name of the dish—Epigrammes d’Agneau (epigrams of lamb). The worldly guests were most amused, and the young lady puzzled by their amusement—but the name and the dish instantly became classics. Recipes ~~~ Epigrammes of Lamb, Italian Style Prepare and cook the epigrammes as [in next recipe]. Meanwhile cook a pound of macaroni, Italian style [second recipe], lay the half of it on a dish; dress the epigrammes on it in the form of a circle; fill up the centre with the remainder of the macaroni, and serve with some Tomato sauce apart.
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March 27
Gay Rugby Dinner Epigrammes of Lamb [Basic Preparation]
Saw off the breast of a neck of lamb in the same manner as for mutton cutlets; remove the tendon of the breast and boil in some stock with an onion and a small ‘‘bouquet garni.’’ When the lamb is done drain it, and take out all the bones; keep these, as they will be required later on. Sprinkle some salt and a little pepper over the meat; lay it flat on a dish; press, with another dish and a weight at the top of it, till cold. Then cut the breast of lamb in pieces the size and shape of cutlets, pass these through some melted butter and bread-crumbs, and through two or three beaten eggs and bread-crumbs again. Cut the bones kept for that purpose with a large knife or chopper to a point at one end, stick one in each cutlet, and fry them in hot fat to a nice golden colour.
Macaroni, Italian Style Put one pound of cooked and strained macaroni into a stewpan with two ounces of butter, three spoonfuls of tomato sauce, and as many of beef gravy: toss up the lot on the fire to mix and warm it well together, then sprinkle two handfuls of grated cheese over it, season with a little white pepper, toss it up again and turn it into a hot dish, sprinkle again a little grated cheese on the top, with three tablespoonfuls of good beef gravy and serve. E. Duret, Practical Household Cookery (London, 1891).
Whitebait a‘ la Diable (Whitebait, devilled): see August 14. March 27 Gay Rugby Dinner Hotel Lutetia, Paris, 1957 On the anniversary of the very first international rugby game in 1871, the French Rugby Federation entertained the Welsh rugby team at the magnificent Hotel Lutetia in Paris during the Five Nations competition of 1957. The dinner was as fine as would be expected from a hotel such as the Lutetia (see February 21). Le Saumon de l’Adour au Champagne Le Carre´ d’Agneau Pe´rigourdine Les Bouquets de Primeurs Le Chaud-Froid de Vollaile Rose de Mai Coeurs de Laitues Mimosa Le Plateau de Fromage L’Ananas Voile´ a l’Orientale
March 27
Gay Rugby Dinner
Les Friandises VINS Chablis 1er Cru Fourchaume 1954 Chateau Montrose Saint-Estephe 1954 Mercurey Clos du Roi 1953 Magnums Le Taittinger Blanc de Blanc 1950 Cafe´, Liqueurs
The dinner was clearly very formal and elegant, with classic dishes accompanied by fine wines. The paper menu, however, has a most unexpected illustration and caption. Above a drawing of what appears to be two rugby players holding hands, there is the phrase ‘‘gay rugby.’’ In the 1950s the word ‘‘gay’’ did not have the connotation that it does today, and the menu demonstrates how dramatically language usage can change. ‘‘Gay,’’ according to the Oxford English Dictionary has many meanings that have nothing to do with sexual orientation, but can mean for example ‘‘noble, beautiful, excellent, fine’’ as well as ‘‘lighthearted, carefree, exuberantly cheerful, merry, sportive’’—all of which could apply to keen sportsmen. The dinner itself was certainly ‘‘gay’’ in the sense of ‘‘bright or lively-looking, esp. in colour; brilliant, showy.’’ Bouquets de Primeur (new season) sounds far more colorful than simple ‘‘vegetables’’; the aspic of the chaud-froid (see July 25) was colored delicate rose pink by the addition of tomato puree, and the lettuce salad was garnished with fluffy yellow egg yolk. The dessert of Gay Rugby menu.
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March 28
´ ans Dinner for the Duke of Orle
L’Ananas Voile´ a l’Orientale would have been very showy indeed—a real masterpiece of the patissier’s art made from pineapple (or pineapple ice) decorated with a spun sugar ‘‘veil.’’ Recipes ~~~ The name of this salad comes from the garnish of egg yolks which mimics the fluffy yellow flowers of the mimosa. Salade Mimosa Make a salad dressing by mixing two parts of olive oil with one part wine vinegar and adding a little chopped parsley, chervil, chive and tarragon. Stir a tablespoonful of raw cream into every gill of dressing. Dress the small yellow leaves from the hearts of fresh lettuces with the mixture given above. Pass 1 or 2 hard-boiled eggs—yolk and white together— through a fine sieve and scatter on top of the lettuce. Rene Roussin, Royal Menus (London, 1960).
Pe´rigourdine: refers to dishes containing truffles, or with a sauce perigord (perigeaux): see April 14. Champagne Sauce (for the salmon): see May 27.
March 28 ´ ans, France, 1690 Dinner for the Duke of Orle The city of New Orleans is named in honor of Phillipe, Duke of Orle´ans (1674–1723), brother to the Sun King Louis XIV, and regent until Louis’ great-grandson and heir Louis XV came of age. The Duke was known to enjoy the good life (to the extent of being considered dissolute), and this included the pleasures of the table. One of the most famous independent cooks of the time, Franc¸ois Massialot (1660–1733) cooked for many of the royal and aristocratic families, and in one of his cookbooks he describes a meal arranged for the Duke on March 28, 1690. The First Course Side-Dishes For the first Course, An hot pye of young Rabbets and Partridges, in which may be put, during the time of serving, some good Cullise of Partridge or other Ragoo’s. A Poupeton farced with twenty or thirty young Pigeons, according to the number of Guests entertained; with all sorts of Garnitures. A Dish of Brusolles, broiled upon the Coals, with a Cullise pour’d upon it. A Dish of farced Sweet breads of Veal, broiled upon Coals, with a Ragoo.
March 28
Dinner for the Duke of Orle´ans
A Marinade of fryed Chickens. A large fat Pullet roasted after the English Way, with a Ragoo put thereupon in serving it up. A Dish of Filets cut in slices, with Gammon. A Dish of Croquets. One of Filets of a young fat Hen with Cucumbers. One of farced Fricandoe’s in a Ragoo. The Second Course. Side-Dishes Let there be three great Dishes of all sorts of wild Fowl that are in season, and four Sallets in the Cornere; proportionably to the Courses that are served up, and the Guests that sit at Table. For the Intermesses. Twelve dishes; viz. One of Gammon, garnish’d with dry’d Tongues, and Bolonia-sausages. A Cream-pye garnish’d with little Tarts. A Blanc-manger of Gellies of divers Colours. A Dish of Asparagus in Cream. One of Morilles in Cream. One of Sweet-breads of Veal and Cocks-combs farced in a Ragoo. ` la Creˆpine, broil’d upon the Grid-iron. One of Capons-livers a One of the Kidneys of Capons. One Pain au Jambon. A Dish of Truffles in a Court-bouillon. A Ragoo of the Sweet-breads of Veal, white Mushrooms and Morilles.
This was a typical dinner for an aristocratic household. In addition to the huge number of rich and elegant dishes, Massialot wrote that ‘‘There was for the Duke himself Potage de Sante´ prepared of a fat Pullet with Eggs in her, and of a Capon.’’ A Potage de Sante´ is ‘‘a soup of health,’’ and elaborate recipes for it abound in cookbooks of the time. Croquets are croquettes, which are essentially the same as kromeskies. Recipes ~~~ ´ Potage de Sante After having caus’d some good Broth of Buttock-beef, a Knuckle of Veal and Mutton, to be put into a Pot, with Capons, fat Pullets, or other Fowls proper for the Potage de Sante´, and having made the same Broth very savoury; let the Crusts be soaked with it, whilst some Herbs are boiling in another Pot, such as Sorrel, Purslain, Chervil, &c. all cut up very small. These Herbs may serve to garnish your Potage and Fowls; or they may be strain’d, so as nothing be put into the Dish, but the Broth and good Gravy, when served up to Table.
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Luncheon Crossing the Equator
Another sort of Potage de Sante´, is made quite clear, of a Chicken or Pullet, and a piece of a Fillet of Veal, without any Garniture; only it may be brought to a colour, by passing the red-hot Fire-shovel over it.
Croquets Croquets are a certain Compound made of a delicious Farce, some of the bigness of an Egg, and others of a Walnut. The first sort may be us’d for Side-dishes, or at least for Out-works, and the others only for garnishing. To that purpose, take the Breasts of large fat Pullets, Chickens and Partridges, and mince this Meat with some Bacon, Calves-udder, Veal sweet-breads, all parboil’d, Truffles, Mushrooms, Marrow, the crummy part of a Loaf, steept in Milk, and all sorts of fine Herbs, as also a little Cream-cheese, and as much Milk-cream, as shall be judg’d requisite: When the whole Mixture is well minc’d and season’d, let four or five Yolks of Eggs be put into it, and one or two Whites. With this Farce, the Croquets are to be form’d of a round Figure, then roll’d in a beaten Egg, breaded at the same time, and set by in a Dish, in order to be fried afterwards with sweet Lard, and served up hot to Table. Franc¸ois Massialot,The Court and Country Cook, English translation (London, 1702).
Blanc-manger: see January 7.
March 29 Luncheon Crossing the Equator SS Orontes, 1937 There is a very long tradition amongst seafaring nations of holding a special ceremony to ‘‘initiate’’ any new sailors on board when they cross the equator for the first time. It takes the form of a mock court held before ‘‘King Neptune’’ and his assistants at which the initiate is ‘‘tested’’ by being submitted to various humiliating (and sometimes brutal) procedures. Tourist ships have long held a very watered down version of the ‘‘Crossing the Line’’ ceremony purely for the amusement of civilian passengers. It is to be assumed that the tourist class passengers aboard SSOrontes were not too traumatized to enjoy their luncheon after the early morning crossing of the equator. LUNCHEON Grape Fruit Potage Brunoise Fresh Herrings en Marinade
March 29
Luncheon Crossing the Equator
Lancashire Hot Pot with Pickled Red Cabbage Poonah Curry Grill: Lamb Cutlets Chipped Potatoes Potatoes: Creamed, Steamed, Jacket Braised Onions COLD SIDEBOARD: Roast Mutton Chantilly Sauce Chicken and Tongue Roll Divine Sauce SALADS: Lettuce, Egg & Tomato, Beetroot, Radish, Cucumber, Spring Onion, Potato Pickles Sauces: Worcester, Tomato, Burmah Tapioca Milk Pudding Fruit Sandwich Pastry Cheese: Gouda & Danish Blue Tea Coffee will be served in the public rooms
The Orontes regularly traveled the England to Australia route, with occasional springtime cruises in the Mediterranean. This was a good, solid luncheon that clearly demonstrates its British roots. Regional dishes which derive from some common theme are often only distinguished by small details such as a garnish or accompaniment. The Lancashire hot pot at this meal was served with its traditional accompaniment of pickled red cabbage, otherwise it could have been mistaken, perhaps, for Irish stew or any one of a myriad of variations on the mutton and potato theme. The origin of the name ‘‘hot pot’’ comes ultimately from the French verb hocher, meaning to shake. It means, therefore ‘‘a shaken pot,’’ and in a culinary sense by medieval times came to mean a jumble or mish-mash of whatever ingredients were available. Sometimes it takes the form of hotch-potch, or hodge-podge, hochepot (French) or hutspot (Dutch). As the name suggests, the range of ingredients is almost infinite. Mrs. Beeton’s Book of Household Management (1861) has a recipe for hodge-podge using up minced leftover
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Luncheon Crossing the Equator
cold mutton, lettuce, and green peas. Another Victorian classic cookery book suggests that a hotch-potch may be made with a sheep’s head or feet, old green peas (soaked the night before), turnip, carrot, and leeks. There is a fish hoche-poche on the menu of August 9. Lancashire hot-pot—in the sense of the regional name—appears to be a nineteenth-century phenomenon, although meat and vegetable stews have existed there as they have everywhere, ever since there have been pots and cooks. Mutton is claimed to be the authentic meat in this ‘‘traditional’’ regional variation, and the traditional accompaniment is pickled red cabbage. It is said that the essential difference between Lancashire hot pot and other mutton and potato stews is the overlapping layer of thinly sliced potatoes on the top, but the reality is, there is no ‘‘authentic’’ Lancashire hot pot, just as there is no single authentic Irish stew or French pot-au-feu. One recipe for Lancashire hot pot from Cassell’s Dictionary of Cookery (ca. 1870s) contains oysters and curry powder!
Recipes ~~~ Lancashire Hot Pot 3/4 lb. meat 2 carrots 1 onion or leek, if possible 3 lbs. potatoes 1/2 pint vegetable stock 1 dessertspoonful of fat from the meat, or dripping 1 dessertspoonful flour pepper and salt. Cut up meat into small pieces and place in a fireproof dish or casserole. Add sliced carrots and onion or leek, and pepper and salt. Add half the potatoes. Instead of slicing potatoes, crack off lumps with a knife. Place the fat from the meat or dripping on top. Put in a moderate oven with the lid on for half an hour. Take out, add stock, blend 1 dessertspoonful flour in a little water, pour into casserole. Add remainder of potatoes and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook in a moderate oven. Remove the lid for the last 20 minutes and cook until the potatoes are brown. Food Facts Leaflet No. 119 (London: Ministry of Food, 1941).
Red Cabbage Pickle 1 large red cabbage Salt Vinegar Cloves
Whole white peppers Ginger Bay leaves Sugar
March 30
Dinner in a Harem
Remove the coarse outside leaves from the cabbage, and wash the remainder, searching for any insect life. Cut the cabbage into a large dish or platter, and sprinkle with salt; add more cabbage and salt in alternate layers; leave for three or four days, turning it several times during that interval. Drain away the moisture which the salt has extracted, put the cabbage into jars, and cover with vinegar in which two cloves, six white peppers, one small piece ginger root, bay leaf, and one teaspoonful of sugar to every pint of vinegar, have been boiled. Cover with muslin, and when cold tie down. A few slices of cooked beets improve the color. Marion Harris, Canning, Preserving and Pickling (1914).
Potates, Jacket: see March 4.
March 30 Dinner in a Harem Thebes, Egypt, 1851 Very little is known about the Victorian Englishwoman and intrepid traveler Caroline Paine (ca. 1820–1850). Her sole claim to fame is the book of her travel adventures across Egypt, North Africa, and Turkey in 1850–51—Tent to Harem: Notes of an Oriental Trip. She and her companions were staying in Luxor, and while on a sightseeing visit to the ruins of El Karnak, they received an invitation that they accepted with enthusiasm—to visit the harem of the governor. Paine had visited a harem in Turkey and was most interested to compare. Her account of the visit is interesting not only from her description of the local traditions of hospitality and the details of the meal they were served, but also for its insight into the lives of the harem women. we were here refreshed in the midst of our laborious task of sight-seeing by a delicious cup of coffee kindly sent us by the Harem of the Governor. Cups, covered with a red napkin richly embroidered with gold, were brought on a waiter, followed by coffee in a silver urn suspended over a blaze by delicate chains of silver. Before taking coffee, we were offered sherbert, presented, as usual, in large lemonade glasses, with covers. Not being thirsty, I merely sipped at it, a fault which called forth a rebuke from my friend R., who was versed in the customs of the Arabs, and said that politeness required one to drink freely. Later in the day, while the rest of our party were seated around a stone spread with hard boiled eggs, bread and tea, that had been sent to us from the boat . . . we were informed that the Harem had honored us with an invitation to visit them that afternoon. Here was an adventure, and a dilemma too [they were dusty from exploring the ruins, and had to send for clean collars and gloves]. [After coffee and sherbet] We made several attempts to take our leave; but our obliging hostess insisted upon our dining with her. Curious, as we were, to see the customs of these people, we yielded, nothing loth, to her entreaties. A crumb-cloth was spread at one end of the room, a small table of dark wood, inlaid with pearl, about the size and height of one of our ottomans, was placed upon it, and upon that was deposited the large round waiter that serves for a table. Cushions were properly arranged, and we were invited to partake. Great
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care was taken to make the invalid comfortable. Then we all seated ourselves, a la Turque. Our hostess would not sit until we were all disposed of, and the daughters stood through the dinner. There were no plates, but there were spoons, and, stranger than all, there were forks, which, it will be remembered, the Turks never use, to which she directed our attention with evident pride, and certainly she had shown a kind and delicate regard to our wants in procuring them; and we never ceased to wonder where and how she had managed to obtain such an unoriental article of luxury. Bread of excellent quality was placed, with napkins, for each person. I forgot to mention that water was brought in a ewer, with a basin, previous to our going to the table, and it should be borne in mind that this cleanly custom is never omitted by the Mohammedans. As usual, the basin was borne by an attendant, another poured water upon the hands, while a third followed with a napkin of embroidered muslin. We made these necessary preparations for the table as one would who felt it to be rather a form than an essential purifying, while our hostess engaged in it as if conscious of the nature of the duties she was about to perform. The first dish was kabobs, a favorite dish of the Turks, made of bits of mutton, one or two inches square, roasted separately on spits until quite dry and hard, and seasoned very highly with garlic. And now how should we manage in the absence of knives and plates? The manners of our hostess were gentle, courteous, almost polished, and we would not have consciously transgressed the rules of etiquette which prevailed at this board; and so we did very much as all wise persons do who wish to avoid blunders under similar circumstances—we waited for an example, and followed the one given by taking some of the kabobs with our fingers; and it was really nice, as the garlic had been omitted, and fresh green peas had been substituted. A pair of plump, finely browned chickens were next served. The mystery was, how they were to be carved without a knife. This was soon solved by our sultana, who rather gracefully commenced a demolition with her fingers. When it was in a condition to be eaten, she took a leg, and, biting off a piece of it, handed the remainder to Mrs. –, which was an act of extreme politeness. The rest of us were then urged to partake, which we did, of course. A dish of pilav, which is rice and chicken stewed together, a favorite dish with the Turks, was then brought in. When suited to their taste, like almost every thing, it is highly seasoned with garlic. But here, again, was a regard for our comfort; the garlic was omitted. It was savory, and we ate of it with spoons. Our hostess, in the mean time, was busy, picking up with her fingers delicate titbits of chicken, which she added to the pilav. She ate nothing herself, but talked all the while she was thus occupied. A dish of garlic and gumbo followed, into which we dipped pieces of bread and choked them down. With a dish of sweets and clotted milk, (yaourt) our repast was finished; and again, bathing our hands, we arose from the table with grateful, contented hearts, and wiser than when we sat down. . . . Many a hearty regret was expressed by her that we had not made her house our home while at Luxor, and some of our party regretted it also. At length, we must go. It had been a point with our kind hostess that we should remain until sundown. That time had come, and there was now no excuse for detaining us longer. She followed us down stairs, with many expressions of good
March 30
Dinner in a Harem
will and hearty blessings. We were at the gate, the hand of the black porter rested upon the latch, and we were wondering why he did not open it, when the ‘‘imsheh, imsheh,’’ (go away! go away!) which he uttered to his mistress, reminded us that we were quitting a prison, and our hearts sickened at the thought of leaving this woman, who had so graciously and agreeably entertained us, a prisoner within her own walls.
Early travelers to the ‘‘orient’’ were often more intrigued by the rituals of dinner than the actual food, although recipes for kebabs and pilau did appear in English cookbooks from the eighteenth century. Recipes ~~~ Pilau of Rice Wash, pick, and dress, in the same manner as for plain rice, observing only, that before setting in the oven, a little pounded mace must be added to the rice; then put into a stewpan a chicken half boiled and a piece of pickled pork three parts boiled, and cover with the rice. On serving, place the fowl and pork at the bottom of the dish, with the rice over, and garnish with boiled or fried button onions and halves of hard eggs, hot. John Mollard, The Art of Cookery (1836).
Accounts by early travelers to faraway places are often a source of ‘‘recipes’’ for exotic foreign dishes.
Yaourt Put into a bason a spoonful of beer yeast, or wine lees; pour on it a quart of boiling milk; when it is formed into a curd, and is become sour, take of it a table spoonful and a half to serve as a ferment to a fresh quart of milk, in the same manner of the yeast. This after a few repeats, will bcome good yaourt, and lose the taste of the yeast by degrees. William Eton, A Survey of the Turkish Empire (1801).
Kababs A dish common in Arabia called kabob or kab-ab, which is meat cut into small pieces and placed on thin skewers, alternately between slices of onion and green ginger, seasoned with pepper, salt and kian [cayenne], fried in ghee, or clarified butter, to be ate with rice and dholl [dhall], a sort of split-pea boiled with rice. James Forbes and Eliza Rose´e Montalembert, Oriental Memoirs (1834).
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Tiffin at the Cricket Club
March 31 Tiffin at the Cricket Club Cinnamon Gardens, Colombo, Ceylon, 1906 Cricket was introduced to Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) virtually immediately after the country was ceded to the British Empire in 1815. By the time Sri Lanka won its independence in 1948, the game had become firmly entrenched in the culture of the country. It is often jokingly said that in return for ‘‘curry,’’ England gave India the game of cricket, the bureaucracy, and a national language. This menu, from a ‘‘tiffin’’ catered for the Colombo Cricket Club by the famous (but no longer existing) Bristol Hotel, shows that the culinary and linguistic exchange between the two continents was rather more complex.
Cold Tiffin. Lobster Mayonnaise Pigeon & Steak Pie Cold Lamb and Mint Sauce York Ham & Rolled Tongue Beetroot Potatoes Lettuce Salads Iced Macedoine of Fruits Sultana Cakes and Marsalla Cheese Fruits
The word ‘‘tiffin’’ came into use in English at the tail-end of the eighteenth century and referred to a light, informal meal, usually presented buffet style —the ‘‘glowing Asiatic cousin’’ (according to Thomas de Quincey) of the English luncheon. In many parts of the Indian subcontinent, workers’ lunches (prepared freshly by their wives at home) were delivered in stacking containers called ‘‘tiffin-boxes’’ by dabbawalas or ‘‘tiffin-wallahs’’ on bicycles. The word ‘‘tiffin’’ is, however, of northern English origin, and originally meant ‘‘to take a little drink.’’ Its adaptation in this way has no doubt preserved a dialect word that was already dying out in its home country. Tiffin often included a number of curries (another intriguing word, see January 1) with their traditional sambals or accompaniments. At the Colombo Cricket Club on this particular day, however, the meal was as British as the heritage of the hotel that prepared it. It could just as easily have been called ‘‘luncheon’’ and served at any cricket club on English soil, with no one questioning its origins at all.
March 31
Tiffin at the Cricket Club
Recipes ~~~ Lobster Mayonnaise Take out the meat of a freshly-boiled hen lobster, and cut it into small neat squares. Trim and wash two large fresh lettuces, or any other salad, taking great care that they are quite dry before being used. Cut or tear these into neat pieces, and arrange a layer of them at the bottom of a large dish, place several pieces of lobster upon them, and repeat until the materials are finished. Just before serving pour over them a sauce made as follows: Beat the yolks of two raw eggs for two or three minutes, until they begin to feel thick, add, by drops at first, ten table-spoonfuls of best salad-oil, and four of tarragon vinegar. The mixture should be as thick and smooth as cream. The secret of making a mayonnaise is to add the liquid gradually, and to beat well between every addition. Season the sauce with half a teaspoonful of dry mustard, half a salt-spoon of salt, and half a salt-spoonful of white pepper. Cover the salad with the liquid. At the last moment, sprinkle over the lobster coral, which has been powdered and well sifted, and garnish the dish with sliced beetroot and hard-boiled eggs. Cassell’s Dictionary of Cookery (London, 1910).
Pigeon pie was often made with the feet of the pigeon sticking out of the top crust, to indicate its prestigious contents. Pigeon Pie Cut two pigeons into pieces of convenient size and fry them in two ounces of clarified dripping. Take them out of the pan and put them aside to cool. Fry a small onion (sliced) until lightly browned in the dripping used to cook the birds. Then stir in a small bunch of sweet herbs and parsley (tied together), one teaspoonful of tarragon vinegar and season with pepper, salt and nutmeg. Let the sauce boil up, and then simmer for fifteen minutes, color it with browning, and strain it into a bowl. Cut one pound of rump-steak into small pieces which should be almost square, dust them with pepper and salt, and roll them up. Place the rolls of meat in a pie-dish, together with the pieces of pigeon. Sprinkle over them some chopped parsley and a little lean minced bacon, fill up the dish with the prepared sauce, cover it closely and put it into a moderately hot oven for one hour. Let the meat get cold, add some pieces of hard-boiled egg, and cover it with pastry, leaving a small aperture in the middle of the crust, to be filled in with an ornamental rose of pastry (the latter should be baked separately) after the pie is finished. Brush the crust over with beaten egg, and bake the pie in a moderately hot oven. Nicolas Soyer, Soyer’s Standard Cookery (1912).
Sultana Cake can be made by adding sultanas to Pound Cake mixture: see April 19.
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April April 1 One-Dollar Lunch Hotel Agua Caliente, Tijuana, Mexico, 1931 The Mexican town of Tijuana is just across the border from California, and no distance at all for those who wished to avoid the restrictions of Prohibition (see December 6, December 27, August 20, October 8, and November 25) during the 1930s. The thirsty tourist trade was a gold mine for the town, the well-to-do being quite happy to buy a $5 champagne cup to wash down their bargain-priced $1 meal. Boiled Celery Heart Salad — Petite Marmite Parisienne or Cream of Fresh Artichokes, Mercedes — Selection of: Gulf Shrimps Saute en Cassolette, Timbale of Rice Provencale Potted Mock Venison with Home made Noodles, Polonaise Braised Leg of Spring Lamb with Glazed Onions and Potatoes, Boulangere Mexican Specialty: Machaca con Huevos Revueltos (Mexican Dried Beef with Scrambled Eggs) Veal Cutlet Fried in Butter, Sauce Merland Selection of Fresh Vegetables with Baked Stuffed Tomato Cold Boiled Fresh Lobster Mayonnaise Cold Roast Prime Beef Ribs, String Bean Salad — Minced Browned Sweet Potatoes Cubaine Summer Squash Saute´ in Butter — Creme Bavarois Panache or Cherry Ice or Ice Cream with Wafers
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April 1
One-Dollar Lunch — Cafe´ — TODAY’S BAR SPECIAL: Clicquot Champagne Cup 5.00
In spite of its location, this was unequivocally an American hotel serving American food with the usual mangled menu language. The hotel saw no reason to explain the French Petite Marmite Parisienne, or Potatoes, Boulangere, yet thought it necessary to translate for its over-the-border guests the token Mexican dish on offer of Machaca con Huevos Revueltos. There is always a debate about ‘‘authenticity’’ when dishes are adapted from one culture to another. In reality, however, as long as humans have been around they have been on the move, either peacefully migrating or conquering and colonizing, and wherever they have gone they have taken their ingredients and their cooking methods with them. These have had to be adapted according to local ingredients and conditions, and it is usually impossible to pin down the origin of a specific dish. Dried beef is said to be a traditional dish from Mexico—but there were no beef cattle in Central or South America until they arrived with the conquistadores. The drying of meat is a very old method of preservation around the world, and it was inevitable that in the South American continent, a local variation (and name) would be developed. In the frozen wastes of the far north, dried meat was mixed with a large amount of fat and dried berries to make pemmican. In South Africa, antelope and buffalo meat became, under the influence of the Dutch language, biltong, referring to it being cut from the buttock (bil) of the animal but resembling the tongue (tong) when dried. In South America, the flesh had chili added and became jerky—from the Peruvian word for dried meat—charqui. Machaca as it is called in this menu is from the Spanish word meaning crushed or pounded, referring to its preparation before cooking. Recipes ~~~ Here is one American take on the mexican dried beef with scrambled eggs on this menu. Buey Ahumando [Ahumado] y Huevos To a cupful of chipped beef soaked in hot water and chopped fine, add a cupful of strained tomatoes, two hard-boiled eggs cut fine, one tablespoonful of grated cheese, one grated onion, a chile pepper chopped fine and a big lump of butter. Beat all these together, break in two raw eggs and scramble in a frying-pan. May E. Southworth, One Hundred and One Mexican Dishes (San Francisco, 1906).
April 2
First Dinner
The Preparation of Charqui Described in A Journal Written on the Coasts of Chili, Peru, and Mexico, in the Years 1820, 1821, 1822, by Captain Basil Hall of the Royal Navy. The three men who had been employed in cutting up the bullock now commenced an operation, peculiar, I believe, to South America, namely, the preparation of what is called by us jerked beef, a term, probably derived from the local name charqui. The men seated themselves on low stools in the different cells, and began cutting each of the detached portions of meat into long strips, or ribbands uniform in size from end to end; some of these which were cut from the larger pieces, being several yards in length, and about two inches in width. To perform this operation neatly requires considerable expertness. The piece of meat is held in the left hand, and at each slice is hitched round so as to offer a new place to the knife; and in this way the strip of meat seems to unwind itself, like a broad tape from a ball, till at last nothing remains. We tried to perform this ourselves, but continually cut the strip across before it had attained any length. When the whole has been treated in this manner, it is allowed to hang under cover for a certain time, during which it acquires a black colour; and owing to the heat and dryness of the air, speedily loses much of its moisture. The meat is afterwards exposed to the sun till thoroughly dried, and being then made up into great bales, strongly tied around with a net-work of thongs, becomes the dried beef of commerce.
Lobster Mayonnaise: see March 31. Bavarois: see May 18.
April 2 First Dinner, RMS Titanic, 1912 The very first meal served aboard RMS Titanic was considerably more modest than the well-known and much-written about final dinner. Hor’s D’oeuvre Varies Consomme Mirrette Cream of Chicken Salmon Sweetbreads Roast Chicken Spring Lamb, Mint Sauce Braised Ham & Spinach Green Peas Cauliflower Bovin & Boiled Potatoes Golden Plover on Toast
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First Dinner Salad Pudding Sans Souci Peaches Imperial Pastry Dessert Coffee
The famous last dinner on the Titanic was served to first-class passengers on the night of April 14, just hours before the ‘‘unsinkable’’ ship hit an iceberg and went down with the loss of over 1,500 lives. It was enjoyed by the fabulously wealthy passengers who could afford the $4,350 (equivalent to $93,000 today) for a one-way fare from Southampton, England, to New York. This very first meal, on the other hand, was served to the crew of the ship on its one and only day of sea trials. The menu was preserved thanks to 5th Officer Harold Lowe (whose monthly wage was about $20), when he posted it to his fiance´e as a memento. There are a few small mysteries and one tragic irony in this menu. The dishes are for the most part instantly recognizeable. Consomme Mirrette (Mirette) is a classic clear soup with chicken quenelles, shredded lettuce, chervil, and cheese croutons. The peaches have been presented in a manner elegant enough for the ruler of an empire, although there are no clues to their exact preparation. The bovin and potatoes is the greatest mystery. In the Oxford English Dictionary there are some similar words, which may either be clues or red herrings. ‘‘Bovinia’’ are a type of large potato, but one reserved for use as cattle fodder. ‘‘Boivin’’ is a name for several sorts of the herb meadow rue, which hardly seems to be the reference here. Boivin is also
Titanic grand dining room.
April 3
Spelling Reform Dinner
the name of a character in Guy de Maupassant’s short story Old Mongilet— and Mme. Boivin does serve up ‘‘an earthenware dish containing warmedup boiled beef and potatoes’’—but there is no obvious connection between this story and the dish appearing aboard ship several decades later. The surname ‘‘Boivin’’ is said to derive from a nickname meaning a wine drinker (from the French words boivre, to drink, and vin for wine). Some food historians have suggested that the potatoes are cooked in wine, and the name is a corruption of beau vin (good wine), which seems very unlikely from either a culinary or linguistic point of view. Finally, there may be a connection with the commercial preparation Bovril—a beef extract popular in Britain since the mid-nineteenth century which was included in military and naval rations. It is likely that many of the sailors aboard the Titanic were trained in the Navy, and perhaps some of their Bovril ration was used to pep up their potatoes. Bovril and potatoes could easily have been abbreviated to bov ‘n potatoes and then interpreted as bovin and potatoes. The tragic irony is in the name of the pudding. ‘‘Sans souci’’ means ‘‘carefree.’’ Many dishes are named ‘‘sans souci,’’ without any consistent set of ingredients, so the exact nature of this pudding cannot be certain. No doubt the name summed up the feelings of the crew and passengers aboard the luxurious, unsinkable Titanic on this day of sea trials. Recipes ~~~ Braised Ham Take a ham and pare the under part; cut off the knuckle, and pare off the yellow lard; bone it without injuring the ham; dessallez it, that is to say, steep it to take out the salt; tie it up in a cloth, and put it into a braisie`re of a size to fit it; after having put in the braising ingredients as above, moisten with water, and when about half done, put in a bottle of Madeira or a glass of brandy and a bottle of champagne; leave the cover of the braisie`re off, that the seasoning may reduce; sound to know if it is enough; drain and put it upon a cover; take off the skin; glaze with a reduction of veal. If there is none sift a little sugar over it, and glaze in the oven or with a hot poker; give it a good colour; serve it upon spinage or any other vegetable. Antoine Beauvilliers, The Art of French Cookery (London, 1827).
April 3 Spelling Reform Dinner Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, New York, 1907 An article in The New York Times on April 4, 1907, announced that ‘‘The prospect of extending the campaign for simpler spelling into all Englishspeaking lands grew brighter at the dinner of the board at the WaldorfAstoria last night.’’ The newspaper was referring to a dinner held by the
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Spelling Reform Dinner
Simplified Spelling Board on its first anniversary. The aim of the board was ‘‘to bring spelling into closer accord with our pronunciation,’’ and ultimately make it easier for children to learn to read. A new list of words was published at this anniversary feast, and the menu card itself was a witty expression of the project. S.S.B. CONSEIL D’ORTHOGRAPHE ´E SIMPLIFIE ` la simplicite´ spartiate) BANQUET (a MENU ˆge (anti-re´formistes) Clovisses du moyen a Ne soyez pas une clovisse LE SAGE, Frequemment en vain, 23 POTAGE ` la Squibeau Potage a Je vis de bonne soupe et non de beau langage ` RE, Les femmes savantes, 2:7 MOLIE HORS D’ŒUVRE (quel spectacle!) Radis radicaux. Olives conservatives. Ce´le´ri simple. Amandes sale´es. Bon mots frais (et confits) POISSON (d’Avril) Filet de bar (aquatique) ` la langue du mode (c’est a ` dire potatoes) Pommes de terre a Longum iter est per praecepta, breve et efficax per exempla SENECA, Epist. 6:5 ` CE DE RESISTANCE (quelle folle!) PIE Tournedos de filet de bœuf, sauce des arlequins journalistes ` la Conseil d’Orthographe Pommes de terre (encore!) simplicissimes, a Simplifie´e Haricots verts (nous connaisons les fe`ves!) ` la Biguestique (sans rabais,—mais avec permis de circulation) Pamplemousse a ˆ TI RO Poitrine de pintade roˆti en casserole. S.S.B. grille´, en son roˆle Salade des Trois Cents Paroles. ` la fin!) ENTREMETS DE DOUCEUR (a Glace´s de Fantaisies Phone´tiques ` six et sept). Fruits (de re´forme) Petits fours (a Marrons de l’Anciennete´ (sans recours)
April 3
Spelling Reform Dinner
` supplications) Cafe´ sans phrase. Postum hygie´nique (a ` la chance Vins (et orthographes) a Rira bien qui rira le dernier
It seems odd for an organization promoting a simplification of the spelling of English words that the organization retained the standard French for the menu. Nevertheless, with many bon-mots frais (fresh good words) it acknowledged the battle between the ‘‘radical reformists’’ (radishes, fruits) and the ‘‘medieval’’ conservative (olives, clams). It was also a celebration of language itself. There are several puns and word-plays (the petits fours were ‘‘at sixes and sevens’’), the Poisson d’Avril, or April fish, is the French equivalent of the April fool, and the Marrons de l’Anciennete´ represent the metaphor of the ‘‘old chestnut.’’ To judge by the final phrase on the menu—Rira bien qui rira le dernier (he laughs well, who laughs last)—the reformists also clearly believed that they would get the last laugh. The campaign extended to the souvenirs given at the dinner which were miniature reproductions of the New England primer of the middle seventies. These had ‘‘The paper cover, the color and texture of the pages, and the style of type were like those of the age that has gone, but the spelling was that which the Simplified Spelling Board recommended last year, and some modern verses were put in place of the old-fashioned rhymes.’’ Recipes ~~~ ´ es) Salted Almonds (Amandes Sale Select fine, whole almonds, peel and lay them on a paper-covered baking sheet. Push this into a hot oven and when roasted to a fine golden brown throw them into a basin and sprinkle with a little water, slightly thickened with gum arabic, then dredge with very fine salt through a salt box having a perforated lid. Stir the almonds from time to time until dry, then leave to cool. Hazel-nuts, walnuts, and pistachios can also be salted; these are generally dressed in crimped paper cases or small fancy boxes; they are passed around with the desert, or at the same time as the hors d’oeuvre, and then left on the table during the entire length of the dinner. It is an improvement to mix these nuts and serve them together.
Fresh Fruits (Fruits Frais) Choose ripe fruits; arrange them either in baskets, fruit stands or plates garnished with green grape leaves and fresh moss. The base must be solid so that when carried they will not be dislodged; place the handsome part of the fruit on the outer side. Early fruits are always appreciated as they foretell those that are to follow in their season. Fruits for dressing are apricots, pineapples, pears, peaches, oranges, lady apples, grapes, cherries and strawberries. In case no
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Good Friday Dinner
fresh green leaves are procurable, use artificial ones made of muslin and dipped in wax. If a pineapple is to be arranged in the center of a basket, stand it on a cardboard cylinder four inches high by three inches in diameter. Charles Ranhofer (of Delmonico’s in New York), The Epicurean (1894).
April 4 Good Friday Dinner Tuileries, Paris, France, 1828 Charles X (1757–1836) acceded to the throne of France on the death of his brother Louis XVIII in 1824 and ruled the country until he was forced to abdicate during the revolution of 1830. Charles was a personally devout man, but even if he had not been, the prevailing culture would have made it impossible for him to ignore the Catholic Church’s dietary rules for fast days. Vendredi Saint (or Good Friday) fell on April 4 in 1828. It is the Friday before Easter Sunday, and therefore, during Lent, when the strictest rules applied. No animal products at all were to be eaten—no butter, milk, eggs, or cheese. Cooks since the Middle Ages became extraordinarily creative when it came to working within the rules, and some of their successes are shown in the menu for the royal family dinner on this day. Autour de plateau dormant. Quatre Potages, ` la noisette, Riz au lait d’amandes, Gruau de Bretagne a ` la provenc¸ale, ` ‘orgeat. Mitonnage a Panade a ˆtisseries a ` l’huile. Deux buissons de pa en forme et coulers d’e´crivisses et d’e´perlans frits. Quatre salade cuıˆtes. ` l’huile, De chou-fleurs a D’une mace´doine des septs racines, ` la reine et de haricots-riz, De lentilles a Des patates d’Espagne et de truffes de Pie´mont. Deux salades crues. Mace´doine verte au soya, Chicore´e blanche et piment, ˆties au vin d’Alicante. Ro ˆ tes gratine´es au chocolat. Crou Quatre corbeille de fruits crus. Vingt-quatre assiettes. garnis de fromages secs et de fruit secs, de massepains sans beurre et sans œufs, de confitures, compotes, ˆ ne ou d’abstinence. conserves, et autres sucres nomme´s de jeu
April 5
State Dinner
The pastry and massepain (marzipan) dishes were made without butter or eggs, but a wonderful illusion was created by a basket of pastries made in the shapes and colors of crayfish and smelts (small fish). The soups were particularly inventive. Almond milk stood in for meat broth, and hazelnuts graced the ‘‘British gruel.’’ A mittonage and a panade are both bread-based. The macedoine (a dish composed of small pieces) of ‘‘seven roots’’ may be an allusion to the ‘‘Tree of Life’’ whose seven roots keep it firmly earthbound, and the seven roots of medieval Jewish thought—the fundamental roots of Christian biblical faith. The only puzzle is the ‘‘fromages secs’’ on this menu. Cheese in all forms was forbidden to devout Catholics during Lent, but ‘‘fromage’’ could also mean anything compressed or molded like cheese (see April 4) and this may have referred to what would now be called ‘‘fruit cheese’’—a dense fruit puree dried and cut into strips or decorative pieces. Recipes ~~~ Almond Soup Take a pound and a half of sweet almonds and twelve bitter ones; skin them as usual, by putting them in water over the fire; pound them, putting in from time to time a drop of water to prevent their oiling; when they are quite smooth they are sufficiently done: put into a stewpan six pints of water; when it boils infuse half an ounce of coriander and half a lemon, keeping out the skin and seeds; moisten the almonds with this infusion; rub it several times through a napkin or tammy till it takes the appearance of milk; salt and sugar it properly; put it into the bain-marie; take very thin slices of bread, glaze them in the oven and throw them into the almond soup when it is going to table.
Crust Soup—Mittonage Take a household loaf and rasp it lightly, cut out the crumb without breaking it, which will answer for frying to garnish spinage dishes or soups, or for a charlotte or a panade; round the crusts handsomely, and let them simmer for a few minutes; before serving, put any vegetables on them, and pour over an empotage; serve it as hot as possible. Antoine Beauvilliers, The Art of French Cookery (1827).
April 5 State Dinner The White House, Washington, DC, 1960 President Alberto Lleras Camargo (1906–1990) of Colombia made a 13-day visit to the United States in 1960 and was entertained at a the obligatory
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April 5
State Dinner DINNER Minted Hawaiian Pineapple
Dry Sack
Consomme with Marrow Balls Melba Toast Hearts of Celery
Queen and Ripe Olives
Chateau
Filet of Sole Veronique
Climens
Cucumbers Marinated
1950
Boston Brown Bread Sandwiches
Roast Stuffed Duckling Marnier Orange Sauce Beaune
Tomato Pudding
Greves 1952
Spinach Souffle Bread Sticks
Endive and Bibb Lettuce Salad Green Goddess Dressing Toasted Chippers Pol Roger
Nesselrode Pudding
1952
Brandied Marron Sauce Petits Fours
Salted Nuts
Candies
Demitasse
state dinner in the White House by President Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890– 1969). There are some interesting contrasts in this menu. There is a combination of classic and ‘‘local’’ dishes common to diplomatic dinners. A sophisticated diner anywhere in the world would have recognized Sole Veronique—a classic French dish attributed to the famous Auguste Escoffier (1846–1935), the favorite Victorian dish of nesselrode pudding (see June 30), and the very old combination of duck with orange (see January 21). In contrast to the elegant, classical dishes, there are several that sound quite homely, such as the
April 5
State Dinner
Boston brown bread (see June 11) and the tomato pudding, although no doubt these were dainty versions of the recipes. There was clearly some attempt to feature specifically American produce: bibb lettuce was developed in Kentucky, and the pineapple, although native to central South America, certainly made its home in Hawaii. The green goddess dressing is a modern-era American invention. The most widely accepted story of its origin is that it was developed at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco in 1923, in honor of the actor George Arliss, the star of the play The Green Goddess, which was showing in the city at that time. The ‘‘green goddess’’ in the play is the deity of the fictional Indian Princedom of Rukh, and the dressing, naturally, is green, by virtue of the large amount of parsley and green onion tops. The dressing had a resurgence of popularity in the late 1950s and 1960s and appears on several state dinner menus of the time, including that for Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev (1894–1979) in 1959. Recipes ~~~ Green Goddess Dressing 1 cup mayonnaise 1 clove garlic, crushed 3 anchovies, chopped 1/4 cup finely chopped chives or green onions with tops 1/4 cup chopped parsley 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 1 tablespoon tarragon vinegar 1/2 teaspoon salt ground pepper 1/2 cup sour cream, whipped. Combine the ingredients, folding the sour cream last when the other ingredients have been well blended. Sheboygan Journal (Wisconsin), March 3, 1952.
Tomato Pudding No. 2 can of tomatoes 1 cup brown sugar 1 tsp salt 3/4 cup boiling water 3 cups white bread crumbs 1/2 cup butter Strain tomatoes through a sieve, crush pulp thoroughly to get all of it. Add boiling water and let it all bubble away on stove for 5 minutes. Heat oven to 375, while above mixture cooks, cut bread in 1/2 inch squares. Put in casserole
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April 6
Anniversary Luncheon: Entry of the U.S. into WWI
and pour melted butter over crumbs, and stir well. Then add boiling mixture. Stir again and bake for 50 minutes. The News and Tribune (Jefferson City, Missorui), February 26, 1961.
Melba Toast: see November 15. Sole Veronique: see August 13. Nesselrode Pudding: see June 30. Petits Fours: see November 14.
April 6 Anniversary Luncheon of the Entry of the United States into World War I Mansion House, London, England, 1918 On the first anniversary of the entry of the United States into the war the Lord Mayor of London gave a luncheon for 400 people at his official residence, the Mansion House. Among the guests were many officers of the U.S. Army and Navy (including Vice-Admiral Sims), the Archbishop of Canterbury, numerous diplomats from both countries, (including Winston Churchill, the minister of munitions), as well as ‘‘representatives of the Dominions and of the banking and commercial interests of the City; men of letters, actors, scientists, artists, journalists, and members of Parliament’’ (The Times, April 8, 1918). The guest of honor was Walter Hines Page, the American ambassador. At the end of the meal proper, the usual toasts were made. Arthur Balfour, (who had been prime minister between 1902–05), began with the chief toast ‘‘The Day We Celebrate,’’ after which Page presented to the mayor, to accept on behalf of the City of London, an American Flag, giving rise to an ‘‘enthusiastic outburst of applause’’ on behalf of all present. London Lord Mayoral luncheons and banquets were traditionally the epitome of civic dining, with vast amounts of food spread across multiple courses, but rationing had been in force in England to one degree or another, since early 1917. The public were reassured that the meal ‘‘was in conformity with the demands of the Food Controller. It was probably the most frugal that has ever been served at the Mansion House on a public occasion. It consisted only of soup, fish, eggs, vegetables, and fruit.’’ Clear Turtle — Salmon Souche´ Cucumber — Devilled Whitebait — Eggs Florentine — Fruit Salads Baked Custards —
April 6
Anniversary Luncheon: Entry of the U.S. into WWI Anchovy Toast — Dessert
Even in deepest darkest wartime it had been found possible to provide turtle soup, the absolute staple and symbol of the Lord Mayor’s official table. The other dishes, though hardly ‘‘frugal,’’ were certainly extremely modest. The salmon was lightly poached and served in its own liquor, a style called souche´, souchy, souchet, zoochi or some other variation of the abbreviated form of water-souchy, which is an interpretation of the Dutch waterzootje— which means, essentially, fish poached and served in its own liquor. As was traditional, it was served with a cucumber salad. The eggs florentine were (and still are) a popular way of serving eggs, atop a pile of creamed spinach. Recipes ~~~ Water Souchy Fish, Perch or Flounders. Fish Liquor. Four Parsley plants, roots and leaves. One teaspoonful of grated Horse-radish. One teaspoonful of Shalot vinegar. One teaspoonful of Cayenne sauce. One teaspoonful of Walnut ketchup. Stew the fish slowly, in just enough fish liquor to cover them, with the parsley, the horse-radish, and above sauces. When the fish are done, lay them in a deep dish, with a teaspoonful of chopped parsley; strain the liquor over them, and serve, adding a little more fish liquor if there is not enough left after the cooking to cover them. Mrs. Charles Clarke, High Class Cookery Recipes (1893).
Poached Eggs, Florentine Remove the stalks and thoroughly wash a pint and a half very fresh spinach, and plunge in a quart boiling water with half a teaspoon salt and boil for fifteen minutes. Drain on a sieve, press out all the water and chop very finely. Place in a saucepan with half ounce butter, half a gill cream, two saltspoons salt, half teaspoon sugar, two saltspoons pepper and a saltspoon grated nutmeg. Mix well and let cook for five minutes. Dress the spinach on a hot dish. Prepare twelve poached eggs without toasts. Lay them over the spinach and serve. Alexander Filippini, The International Cook Book (New York, 1906).
Turtle Soup: see November 10. ˆ tes): see December 11. Anchovy Toast (Crou Devilled Whitebait: see August 14.
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April 7
Cooking Class Dinner
April 7 Cooking Class Dinner Cooking Academy, Fourth Avenue, New York, 1865 Pierre Blot (ca. 1818–1874) was one of America’s first celebrity chefs, yet his time in the spotlight was short-lived. Details of his early life in France remain mysterious, and in the end he died in relative obscurity. In the 1860s, however, the self-styled professor of gastronomy was the ‘‘benevolent missionary of civilization’’ heaven-sent to confer the blessings of good cuisine upon the United States. He had had an inauspicious start for such fame, apparently arriving in the country in the 1850s as a political refugee, with little or no command of the language. He set about cooking in private homes and improving his language skills, and in 1863 published his first book, What to Eat and How to Cook It. Two years later, in March 1865, he opened the New York Cooking Academy. At each class the cooking of a full meal was demonstrated (it was not a ‘‘hands on’’ course), and at the end of the session, the pupils enjoyed the fruits of the lesson. On April 7, the bill of fare was as follows: Pot au Feu. Shad au gratin. Vol au vent de poulet. Salsify, Bechamel Sauce. Pommes de terre en croquettes. Tourte Francaise.
The New York Times reported on the opening of the academy with great enthusiasm. Sixty-two students were enrolled when it opened. There were three classes—two for servants and one for ‘‘ladies,’’ each class meeting twice a week for ten weeks. The ladies were mostly drawn from ‘‘the families of our most distinguished and wealthy citizens’’—ladies who were intelligent as well as wealthy and were ‘‘determined not only to know how dishes should be prepared, but also how to cook them themselves.’’ They were observed to take copious notes of every step of that art ‘‘which has so much to do with the temper of the sterner sex.’’ The newspaper eulogized Blot, reporting him as ‘‘a person of refinement and education’’ who ‘‘combines the chemistry of cooking thoroughly with the art’’ and spoke with ‘‘simplicity and clearness of style.’’ The academy was, it said, deservedly a success, and ‘‘an institution much needed by our American housewives.’’ The Pot-au-feu was an exception to the general rule in that it had to be started in advance of the class, as it took five hours to cook. Blot stressed its importance in France by telling his students that ‘‘nothing can be done without the broth or pot au feu or soup, or whatever you please to call it,’’ and that ‘‘The French army is fed on this pot-au-feu three hundred and sixty days in the year.’’
April 7
Cooking Class Dinner
Recipes ~~~ Salsify, or Oyster-Plant [in Bechamel] Scrape them, and throw one by one as they are scraped into cold water, with a few drops of vinegar; when they are all scraped, move them a little, take out of the water, and throw them in boiling water with a little salt, boil till tender, and drain; place them warm on a warm dish, and serve with brown butter, a maıˆtre d’hotel, or white sauce. While the salsify is boiling as directed above, make a Bechamel sauce; drain the salsify when done, and turn it into the Bechamel sauce as soon as the latter is finished; keep on the fire for about two minutes, stirring the while, and serve warm. Pierre Blot, Handbook of Practical Cookery for Ladies and Professional Cooks (New York: D. Appleton and Company, 1868).
Fish au Gratin Bone and skin the fish as directed. For a fish weighing about two pounds, spread one ounce of butter on a tin plate or baking-pan, spread over it half an onion, chopped ; place the pieces of fish on them; add salt, pepper, a tablespoonful of vinegar or a wine-glass of white wine, and half an ounce of butter; spread over and bake. While it is baking, put in a small saucepan one ounce of butter, and set it on the fire ; when melted, add half a tablespoonful of flour, stir, and, when it is turning yellow, add also about one gill of broth, two tablespoonfuls of meatgravy, the juice of the fish when baked (if the fish be not done when the time comes to put the juice in the pan, keep the pan in a warm place, and wait), salt, and pepper; boil gently about five minutes, stirring occasionally. Place the fish in a tin or silver dish, spread three or four mushrooms sliced over it; turn the sauce gently over the whole, dust with bread-crumbs; put half an ounce of butter, in four or five pieces, on the whole; bake ten or twelve minutes, and serve in the dish in which it is.
Pot au Feu The word pot-au-feu means the meat, vegetables, seasonings, spices, and the ‘‘pot’’ or soup-kettle itself, ie., every thing made use of in making broth. The popular meaning of the term in France is, the soup and the beef and vegetables served as releves and, with the working-classes, the only thing (with bread, wine, and fruit) composing the family dinner.
Vol-au-vent: see September 17. Bechamel Sauce: see January 18.
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April 8
Dinner for Peace and Goodwill Mission
April 8 Dinner for Peace and Goodwill Mission SS Abangarez, Puerto Barrios, Guatemala, 1929 The SS Abangarez was one of the 13 banana carriers built for the United Fruit Company between 1908–11. On one occasion while she was in the Guatemalan port of Puerto Barrios, she was the venue for a dinner to the delegates of one of the peace and goodwill missions sent to Nicaragua in the 1920s. Martini Crabmeat Cocktail Cream of Celery Essence of Tomato Iced Celery Queen Olives Redfish au Gratin Veuve Cliquot Breaded Calf’s Brains Roast Partridge, St. James. Baked Sugar Cured Ham Roast Potatoes String Beans Lettuce Salad, Mayonnaise Peach Melba ButterCream Pastry Banana Ice Cream Walnuts Apples Cluster Raisins Benedictine Brie Cheese Toasted Crackers Demi Tasse
Bananas were a rare and exotic fruit in the United States until the 1870s, because their inherent softness and rapid ripening made importation (even from so close as the Caribbean) virtually impossible. A Domestic Cyclopaedia of Practical Information published in 1877 described the banana as being ‘‘the fruit of the palm tree found in the West Indies and South America’’ and thought it necessary to give instructions as to its use: It is eaten raw, either alone or cut in slices with sugar and cream, or wine and orange juice. It is also roasted, fried, or boiled, and is made into fritters, preserves, and marmalade. It is dried in the sun and preserved as figs; meal is extracted from it by pounding and made into something resembling bread, and the fermented juice affords excellent wine. With us it is brought to the table as dessert, and proves universally acceptable.
The United Fruit Company was formed in 1895 and became incredibly powerful. At its peak it controlled 90 percent of the banana market, and in the process it controlled the government of several Central South American countries such as Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. This inextricable
April 8
Dinner for Peace and Goodwill Mission
association between a poor developing country dependent on a single crop, a corrupt minority leadership, and a large corporation with huge economic power is the origin of our phrase ‘‘banana republic.’’ Recipes ~~~ Crabmeat Cocktail A half cupful of tomato catsup, a quarter cupful of horseradish, a tablespoonful of lemon juice, a desertspoonful of Worcestershire sauce, eight drops of Tabasco sauce, a saltspoonful each of sugar and salt, ten drops of garlic vinegar and a saltspoonful of paprika. Mix the ingredients well. Allow a heaping tablespoon full of the crabmeat to each cocktail, well moistened with sauce. Garnish with a spray of fresh watercress. The Amarillo Globe, February 14, 1919.
Banana Ice Cream 1 quart of cream 6 large bananas 1/2 pound of sugar 1 teaspoonful of vanilla Put half the cream and all the sugar over the fire and stir until the sugar is dissolved; take from the fire, and, when perfectly cold, add the remaining half of the cream. Freeze the mixture, and add the bananas mashed or pressed through a colander. Put on the lid, adjust the crank, and turn until the mixture is frozen rather hard. This quantity will serve ten persons. S. T. Rorer, Ice Creams, Water Ices, Frozen Puddings Together with Refreshments for all Social Affairs (1915).
Peach Melba This classic dessert was invented by August Escoffier (1846–1935) in the 1890s. It was inspired by the performance of the opera singer Dame Nellie Melba (1861–1931)—as was Melba toast (see November 15)—in Wagner’s Lohengrin. The opera is based on the German folktale of the ‘‘Knight and the Swan,’’ and in Escoffier’s original presentation, the dessert consisted of vanilla ice cream and peaches decorated with spun sugar and served in an ice sculpture of a swan. Later Escoffier added the raspberry sauce (or puree) in place of the spun sugar, and this is the recipe recognized today.
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April 9
Emperor Wilhelm’s Lunch
April 9 Emperor Wilhelm’s Lunch Royal Palace, Berlin, Germany, 1909 Wilhelm II (1859–1941) was the last German Emperor and the last king of Prussia. He was forced to abdicate in November 1918 and immediately went into exile in the Netherlands, where he remained for the rest of his life. With World War I still several years away, it is doubtful that the Kaiser had any concern about his fate when he sat down to the following luncheon on April 9, 1909. Windsorsuppe. Windsor Soup. Steinbutten mit Colbertsauce. Turbot with Colbert Sauce. Gedaempftes Roastbeef, garnit. Steamed (boiled) Beef, garnished. Kleiner Schinken Auflauf. Small Ham Pudding. Gefuelleite Wachtetbrueste. Stuffed Quail. Kapaunen, Fruechte, Palat. Capon, Fruit, Palate. Frische gruene Bohnen. Fresh green Beans. Ananaspeise. Pineapple on skewers. Kaesestagen, Gefrorenes. Cheese Platter, Ices. Nachtisch. Dessert.
There is little on this menu that identifies it as German. The royal families of Europe formed their own international clique by virtue of their intermarriage, and they ate very similarly. The ‘‘steamed roastbeef’’ seems an odd description until one realizes that roast beef was so strongly identified with the British that in Europe any large piece of meat, however cooked, became ‘‘roastbeef’’ (rosbif in French)—even if it was mutton (see January 18). Windsor soup was a standard dish on English menus in the late Victorian and Edwardian eras. There were several forms, but it was the ‘‘brown Windsor soup’’ that became simultaneously a required dish that was symbolic of the sophisticated table, and a joke. One theory is that the name is a pun on
April 10
Dinner for President Harry S. Truman
Brown Windsor Soap, a fragrant dark brown soap introduced at the Great Exhibition of 1851, and supposedly a favorite of the Queen herself. The original form of Windsor soup appears to have been invented by the man who was Queen Victoria’s chef for a short while in the 1840s—Charles Elme´ Francatelli. His version is a complicated but ultimately very elegant white soup (see recipe here) and appears to be a far cry from the infamous thick brown sludge which was often described later in the century. There is no recipe for it in Mrs. Beeton’s extraordinarily comprehensive Household Manual (1861), so it was clearly not a well-known dish at that time. Recipes ~~~ ` la Windsor Calf’s Feet Soup a Place in a two gallon stock-pot a knuckle of veal, a pound of raw lean ham, four calf’s feet, and an old hen minus the fillets; which reserve for making quenelles with, for further use. To these add two carrots, two onions stuck with four cloves, celery, a bouquet of parsley, green onions, sweet basil, and lemon thyme, tied neatly together, moisten with half a bottle of light French white wine, and put the stock-pot on a moderate fire to boil for ten minutes or so; then fill it up from the common stock, or any white broth you may have ready, set it to boil on the stove, skim it well, and after four hours gentle ebullition, take the calfs feet out and put them in water to clean them; then take all the bones out, and lay them on a dish to cool, to be trimmed afterwards so as to leave the inner part of the feet only, all the outer skin being thinly paired off, that the feet may have a more transparent appearance; cut them into inch lengths, by half an inch in width, and put them by in a small soup pot till required. Strain the consomme´ through a napkin, thicken it moderately with a little white roux (going through the regular process for making white veloute´), then add thereto a little essence of mushrooms, and finish by incorporating with the sauce thus prepared, a leason of six yolks of eggs mixed with a little grated Parmesan, and half a pint of cream; squeeze the juice of half a lemon into it, and season with a little crystallized soluble cayenne. Pour the soup into the tureen containing two dozen very small quenelles (made with the fillets of the old hen,) some boiled macaroni cut into inch lengths, and the tendons of the calf’s feet, previously warmed in a little consomme, with the addition of half a glass of white wine. Stir the soup gently in the tureen to mix these ingredients together, and send to table. Charles Elme´ Francatelli, The Modern Cook (London, 1860).
April 10 Dinner for President Harry S. Truman The Gridiron Club, Hotel Statler, Washington, DC, 1948 The Gridiron Club was founded in Washington in 1885 for journalists of that city and immediately became prestigious by virtue of the fact that membership was (and still is) by invitation only. It is famous for its annual spring
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Dinner for President Harry S. Truman
dinner, a glamorous white-tie affair at which the current president is invited as the honored guest and speaker. The motto of the club is ‘‘The Gridiron singes but never burns,’’—referring not merely to the way that the customary steak is cooked, but to the politicians who are customarily ‘‘roasted’’ during the speeches and general hilarity that accompany the evening. The ‘‘roasting’’ on this night began with the menu cover, which featured a political cartoon that was a spoof on John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress—the ‘‘author’’ on this occasion being John ‘‘Bunion,’’ and the pilgrims a number of major political figures of the time (including Joseph Stalin) and presidential candidates racing towards the ‘‘delectable mountain,’’ at the top of which is the White House. Seafood in Aspic — Consomme Indienne Hearts of Celery Olives Rose Radishes — Terrapin Maryland Hot Corn Sticks — Sirloin Steak Bordelaise New Asparagus Hollandaise Potatoes Delmonico — Smoked Turkey and Smithfield Ham Hearts of Endive French Dressing — Baba Ring au Rum with Fresh Strawberries Bavarian Cream — Demi Tasse Duff Gordon Amontillado B. V.Burgundy San Benito Champagne Villaton Cigars Cigarettes
The motif of the Gridiron Club is—of course, a gridiron, the same motif as the original ‘‘Sublime Society of Beef-steaks’’ founded in England in 1735. A long line of such clubs with similar names followed. They were always very masculine organizations whose dining experiences focused on the simple and manly art of putting away as many steaks as possible in the evening, accompanied by as much wine and other liquor as was required to wash them down. Naturally, the menu on this night included a simple sirloin steak with Bordelaise sauce, a brown sauce with a concentrated wine base traditionally served with grilled meat, the dish being then garnished with slices of poached bone marrow. To make a classic Bordelaise sauce according to the true French tradition is a very complex, time-consuming process requiring
April 10
Dinner for President Harry S. Truman
several prior steps such as preparing a sauce espagnole (January 18) and is rarely done today outside of high-class restaurants. Recipes ~~~ Shrimps in Aspic Cover bottom of mould with layer of aspic 1/4 inch thick. When solid, garnish with pimiento and whites of hard-cooked eggs cut into shapes of fish, flowers or animals. Fill mold with [cooked] shrimp a few capers, and chopped nuts. Pour aspic over shrimp (just dissolved, not warm). Place in refrigerator until firm. Serve on lettuce leaves, garnished with radishes cut into rose shapes, sliced hard-cooked eggs and tomatoes. Serves 6.
Aspic Jelly 1 tablespoon gelatin 1 pint stock 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon mixed spices
1/8 teaspoon pepper Juice of 1/2 lemon 1 egg white 1 egg shell
Put gelatin in 1/2 cup cold water. Soak 30 minutes. Dissolve over hot water. Add stock, salt, spices, pepper, and lemon juice. Heat slowly, stirring constantly, almost to boiling point. Add egg white and egg shell. Bring to boil while beating. Boil 1 minute. Strain through cheesecloth. Pour in mold. Chill until set. The Lily Wallace New American Cookbook (1946).
Delmonico potatoes are named for the famous New York restaurant of the same name and became a popular dish very early in the restaurant’s history. The original recipe was eventually published in a book by Alexander Filippini, the man who predated the chef most usually associated with the restaurant—the famous Charles Ranhofer. Delmonico Potatoes Place four good-sized boiled and finely hashed potatoes in a frying pan with one and a half gills cold milk, half gill cream, two saltspoons salt, one saltspoon white pepper and a saltspoon grated nutmeg; mix well and cook on the range for ten minutes, lightly mixing occasionally. Then add one tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese, lightly mix again. Transfer the potatoes into a gratin dish, sprinkle another light tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese over and set in the oven to bake for six minutes, or until they have obtained a good golden colour; remove and serve. Alexander Filippini, The International Cook Book: Over 3,300 Recipes (1906).
Bordelaise Sauce: see July 13. Terrapin Maryland: see April 10. Bavarian Cream: see May 18.
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April 11
Good Friday Wartime Lunch
April 11 Good Friday Wartime Lunch Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England, 1941 Nella Last was a f49-year-old English housewife when she began keeping a diary in September 1939. She had volunteered to take part in the Mass Observation Project in which thousands of ordinary people agreed to record the day-to-day details of their lives. Her diary is a wonderful record of life on the home front and of the trials of managing under rationing. Rationing reached its peak in the second half of 1940; and the first months of 1941, until food started to arrive from the United States, were grim. A few days after her diary entry on this day in 1941, her town was extensively bombed. Good Friday. . . . I rested and read until lunch. It was easily prepared, for I made the vegetable soup yesterday, and opened a wee tin of pilchards, heated them and served them on hot toast. They were only 5 1/2 d., and yet were a better meal than two cod cutlets costing at least 2s. I feel it would be better value if, instead of bulky, flabby cod and other white fish from America, the Government brought in only dried and tinned fish. So much can be made up from a 1s. tin of salmon or tuna, and so little from the same value of white wet fish. Besides there’s the ‘‘keeping’’ value too. I packed up tea, greengage jam in a little brown pot, brown bread and butter, a little cheese and a piece of cake each, and we set off after lunch. I have been longing and yet dreading to cut this particular cake for some time now. I made it last June, when butter was more plentiful. It was one of two: and one was for Christmas, and one to be shared between Cliff and my husband for their birthdays on 11 and 13 December. I cut only one, made it do over Christmas and thought I’d cut the other at New Year. With my ‘‘squirrel’s love’’ of a little in reserve, I made do and kept putting off until it got to Easter! It’s a ‘‘perfect cake in perfect condition,’’ as my husband said. I wrapped it in grease-proof paper—four separate wrappings—then tied it and put it in an air-tight tin. I expect it’s the last good cake we will ever have—at least for years—and I do so love baking cakes and watching people enjoy them (I myself prefer bread and butter on the whole).
Grocer cancelling ration book. Courtesy of Library of Congress.
Rationing began in Britain on January 8, 1940, with restrictions on butter, bacon, and sugar and did not end until July 3, 1954—nine years after the end of
April 11
Good Friday Wartime Lunch
the war. As the war went on, more foods were rationed, although the amounts fluctuated according to supply. At the peak, in late 1942, the ration per person, per week was • One shilling and two pence worth of meat (which bought very little, and the housewife had no choice, she simply accepted what the butcher had available) • Eight ounces of sugar • Eight ounces of fat • Four ounces of bacon or ham • Two ounces of tea • Two ounces of cheese • One egg
Home baking was particularly difficult, as the sugar and fat allowances for the family had to stretch to making the jams, preserves, cakes and puddings —a job that was a normal part of a housewife and mother’s role. The Ministry of Food produced regular leaflets advising on substitutes (soy beans and flour for meat and wheat, syrup and honey for sugar, grated carrots for dried fruit in puddings, and so on), and the use of the despised dried eggs. Recipes ~~~ Easter Pie 1 lb. mixed root vegetables, 1 1/2 oz. dripping or lard, quarter pint of water, salt and pepper, quarter lb. sausage meat, 3 dried eggs, reconstituted. Cut vegetables into small dice and fry in the fat until well browned—about 15 minutes. Add the water, season well and bring to the boil. Place in a piedish. Roll the sausage meat into small balls and place amongst the vegetables and bake in a moderate oven for 15 minutes. Season eggs and beat. Pour over the vegetables, return to the oven and bake for a further 10–15 minutes. until the egg is set and browned.
Soya Marzipan Paste 2 oz. margarine, 2 tablespoons water, 1–2 teaspoons almond essence, 4 oz. soya, 4 oz. sugar.
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Good Friday Wartime Lunch
Melt margarine in water. Draw saucepan off heat, stir in almond essence, sugar and soya. Turn out, knead well, and shape into little eggs and chicks. Food Facts Leaflet No. 247 (Ministry of Food, March 1945).
Britain: WWII Rationing Timeline September 8, 1939
Ration cards issued.
January 8, 1940
Rationing of butter, bacon and sugar.
March 11, 1940
Rationing extended to include most other meats.
July 1940
Ban on making or selling of iced cakes
September 1940
Ban on manufacture of candied and crystalized fruit.
December 3, 1940
Extra Christmas rations of 4 oz sugar and 2 oz tea announced.
February 1941
The standard ‘‘National Wheatmeal’’ loaf introduced.
March 1941
Jam, marmalade, treacle, and syrup rationed.
May 5, 1941
Cheese rationing.
May 28, 1941
Lord Woolton announced egg rationing.
November 1941
Milk rationed.
December 1, 1941
Points based rationing introduced.
1942
Dried egg powder introduced.
April 6, 1942
It becomes illegal to sell white bread.
July 1942
Tea ration for those under five years old removed.
July 26, 1942
Sweets (candy) are rationed.
August 1942
Rationing peak.
1946
After the war has ended, reduction in the ration of bacon, poultry, and eggs are announced, and dried egg is no longer available.
July 1946
Bread rationed.
1947
Rationing was more severe than during the war. Potatoes are rationed.
January 1948
Bread is de-rationed.
December 1948
Jam is de-rationed.
October 1952
Tea rationing ends.
February 4, 1953
Sweets rationing ends.
March 1953
Egg rationing ends.
April 1953
Cream rationing ends.
September 26, 1953
Sugar rationing ends, after almost 14 years.
May 8, 1954
Fat (including butter) is de-rationed.
July 3, 1954
Meat de-rationed.
April 12
First Meal in Space
Good Friday Buns ‘‘Major Lloyd George, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Food . . . informed Mr. Banfield . . . that the Minister of Food had placed no prohibition on the manufacture of Good Friday buns, and bakers could make them if they wished; but they would not be given any extra fat.’’ The Times, April 3, 1941.
April 12 First Meal in Space Vostok 1, 1961 The first person to eat in zero gravity was the Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin. He orbited the earth once, at an altitude of a little over 187 miles (302 km), and a speed of 18,000 mph. The flight only lasted 108 minutes— hardly long enough to warrant much in the way of catering, but no one knew whether it would be even possible to chew and swallow in space. Thirty minutes into the flight, Gagarin made his experiment. He successfully consumed three 160 gm aluminium tubes of specially prepared space food of different consistencies.
Meat Puree Coffee Blackcurrant Marmalade
Gagarin got a little distracted by the experience, and noted: When I was eating my food, drinking water, I let go of the [note]pad, and it floated right in front of me with the pencil. Then I had to record the regular report. I took the pad, but the pencil wasn’t where it had been. It flew off somewhere. . . . I closed the log and put it in my pocket.
There was more food (and water) on board, in case of an emergency. It had been calculated that in the case of retro-rocket failure, it would take ten days for the spaceship to return ‘‘naturally.’’ Nine different foods had been developed for this first flight, although the shelf life was very limited compared to later versions. All of the food came in aluminium tubes, and the calorie
Yuri Gagarin. (AP Photo/Tass)
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April 13
Dinner for the Bonapartes
allowance per day was about 2800 Kcal, made up of 100 gm of protein, 118 gm of fat, and 308 gm of carbohydrates. Recipes ~~~ Whether it is made for breakfast or for a space flight, marmalade is marmalade. It is simply fruit boiled with sugar until it gels. In previous times it was often made so thick that it could be cut into slices or shapes—similar to the ‘‘fruit leather’’ or ‘‘fruit cheese’’ that we can buy today. The marmalade (or jam) that Gagarin ate in space was essentially no different from that made from the following recipe. Blackcurrant Marmalade Take the currants when they are fully ripe, strip them from the stalks, bruise them a little in the preserving pan, and stew them gently, keeping them turned until they are tender, which they will generally be in from ten to fifteen minutes. Pour off about three parts of the juice, which will make excellent jelly, and rub the remainder with the currants through a sieve. Weigh the pulp, boil it rapidly for a quarter of an hour, or for twenty minutes if there should be a large quantity of it; then, for each pound, stir into it, until dissolved, nine ounces of white sugar rolled or pounded fine; boil the marmalade quickly for ten minutes, stirring it often, and pour it into small pans. If well made it will cut out in firm slices. James Robinson, The Whole Art of Curing, Pickling, and Smoking Meat and Fish (1847).
The meat puree would have been like meat pate´, similar to this version, suitable for a fancy dinner party. ´ e De Volaille Pure Stew a fowl in stock with the meat of any boiled poultry or game, and pound it in a mortar with three or four yolks of hard eggs; beat it to a paste. Then take a piece of bread, soaked in either stock or milk, and a dozen of sweet almonds; pound with the meat again until well mixed; then add by degrees some stock with a spoon, and stir it strongly; observe that it is neither too thick, nor yet too thin, but of the consistence of thick cream; pass it through a tamis, and put it in a basin to keep hot; place it in a pan of boiling water till you serve. Frances Crawford, French Cookery Adapted for English Families (1852).
April 13 Dinner for the Bonapartes Tuileries Palace, Paris, France, 1811 When Napole´on Bonaparte (1769–1821) dined with his family at the Palais de Tuileries (Tuileries Palace) on April 13, 1811, it was a very new family
April 13
Dinner for the Bonapartes
indeed. Desperate for an heir, he had divorced his wife Jose´phine de Beauharnais in January 1810, and on April 1 he married Marie-Louise of Austria (1791–1847). Marie-Louise fulfilled the role required of every royal wife and gave him an heir, also called Napole´on, on March 20, 1811. Deux Potages. Au macaroni et pure´e de marrons. Deux releve´s. Une pie`ce de bœuf bouillie, garni de le´gumes, ` la Chambord. Un brochet a Quatre entre´es. ˆtelettes de mouton a ` la Soubise, Co Perdreaux de Monglas, ` la chevalie`re, Fricasse´e de poulet a Filets de canard au fumet. Deux roˆts. Un chapon au cresson, Un gigot d’agneau. Deux plats de le´gumes. Des choux-fleurs au gratin, Du ce´leri-navet au jus. Quatre entremets au sucre. Cre`me au cafe´, Gele´e d’orange, Ge´noise decore´e, ` l’Allemande. Gauffres a
This must have been a very satisfying time for Napole´on. He was Emperor of the French. He had a son and heir and a newly renovated palace, he had great plans for Europe, and he was blissfully unaware of what lay ahead. A little over 12 months later was the disastrous campaign in Russia, which was followed by his exile, first to Elba in 1814, then to St. Helena in 1815. By all accounts Napole´on was not interested in food, and it is not likely that he paid any particular attention to this meal. It is interesting, however, that the menu includes a soup made from a puree of chestnuts. Chestnuts were a staple food in Corsica, the childhood home of Napole´on. The French, when they took control of the island in 1770, tried to destroy the chestnut industry. It was, they said, ‘‘the food of laziness,’’ providing ‘‘bread’’ for the peasants and fodder for their livestock without any effort. The seventeenthcentury horticulturist John Evelyn referred to chestnuts as a ‘‘lusty, and masculine food for Rustics at all times,’’ but the wealthy enjoyed them too, in the form of extravagant sweetmeats known as marrons glace´es.
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April 14
Stanley Club Dinner in Honor of Louis Pasteur
Recipes ~~~ ` la Pure ´ e de Marrons Potage a Take boiled chestnuts, skin and pick out all the bad ones; put them in a fryingpan, with a little bit of butter, and toss them till the inner scurf comes easily off; when it is rubbed off, put them in a pot with a little stock or consomme´ and let them cook; drain, and pound them in a mortar, put them through a search, wetting them with the stock in which they were cooked; when they are thus prepared, put them in a stewpan with two spoonsful of stock; mix it well with pure´e; leave it to simmer three or four hours; take off the fat and add a little sugar, season it properly, and serve it with bread fried in butter, or a mittonage.
Beauvilliers give two versions of cre`me au cafe´. The first uses gizzards (the muscular stomach of a bird, usually a chicken) to thicken the custard-like mixture. He does give an alternative, which is a more acceptable variation for modern tastes. ` me au Cafe ´ Blanc Cre [without Gizzards] Take a pint and a half of cream; add to it the zest of a lemon and some sugar; roast two ounces of coffee; throw it into your boiling cream; cover, and let it infuse for half an hour; take out the coffee [place the cream over hot water and thicken with six egg yolks], fill the cream quickly into pots, having care to stir it; put them into hot water; leave them to take in the bain-marie without allowing it to boil; put a cover on the pot and lay fire upon it; when it has taken, take out the pots, and put them into cold water without covering them: when ready wipe, and serve. Antoine Beauvilliers, A Complete System of French Domestic Cookery (1837).
Chapon au cresson: see February 21. Gauffres: see January 31.
April 14 Stanley Club Dinner in Honor of Louis Pasteur Continental Hotel, Paris, 1886 When the members of the Stanley Club—one of the ‘‘American’’ clubs of Paris—gave a dinner to honor the French scientist Louis Pasteur (1822– 1895) on this day in 1886, they made special recognition of ‘‘the services he has rendered to the Americans afflicted with or threatened with hydrophobia (rabies), who came here for his treatment.’’ As they sat down to enjoy the following menu, they could not have realized the enormity of the debt that would ultimately be owed to him by the eating public whose food he made safe and whose wine he prevented from spoilage.
April 14
Stanley Club Dinner in Honor of Louis Pasteur
POTAGES ` la Royale Consomme´ a Mock Turtle. Hors d’oeuvre varie´e ´S RELEVE ` la Parisienne Croustades a ` la Daumont Saumon sauce a ´ ES ENTRE Filet de Boeuf, sauce Chevreuil, garni de Croquettes et de Champignons farci ` la Bigarade Caneton de Rouen a ` la Financie`re Timbale a ` la Romaine Punch a ˆ TS RO Chapone de Houdan farcie sauce Pe´rigueux SALADE ` la Russe Langouse a ENTREMETS Asperges en branches, sauce Hollandaise Pudding sauce Sabayon Bombe Vanille et Fraises Dessert varie´ VINS ˆteau Grand Moussas Made`re Cha Haut Barsac 1878 1871 Me´doc en carafes Champagne frappe´ Richebourg 1874 Ch. Heidsieck ´ ET LIQUEURS CAFE
Pasteur’s early work was on fermentation, and it was supported by the wine and beer industries who wanted a solution to the souring malady that sometimes affected their product. He ultimately proved that microorganisms were responsible, convincing him of the truth of germ theory (many of his opponents did not believe that microscopic organisms could create such havoc), allowing improvements in the manufacture of wine and beer, and ultimately also leading to his medical breakthroughs. Pasteur’s investigations also showed him that heating then cooling a liquid destroyed these ‘‘germs’’—a process that became known as Pasteurization and which was (and still is) widely applied to milk in particular.
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Stanley Club Dinner in Honor of Louis Pasteur
Recipes ~~~ There are several classic sauces in this meal, and they occur in many other menus in this book. Many sauces are variations of the four classic foundation sauces of the French repertoire (see January 18) as the Perigueux sauce recipe demonstrates. The Pe´rigord region of France is famous for its truffles, and a dish styled Pe´rigueux, Perigourdine, or something similar always contains truffles. Perigueux Sauce 1 gill brown sauce 1 gill tomato sauce 1 glass sherry 1 teaspoonful anchovy essence 1 oz. butter 3 truffles Chop finely three large truffles, put them in a small stewpan with the sherry, reduce to one-half (covered); add the brown and tomato sauce; boil for a few minutes, finish with a teaspoonful of anchovy essence and the butter. Charles Herman Senn, The Book of Sauces (Chicago, 1915).
Brown Sauce Espagnole Sauce is an example of a brown sauce (see January 18).
Tomato Sauce Cut half a pound of ripe tomatoes into slices, also half a small peeled onion, and cook them for about 20 minutes with a teaspoonful of castor sugar, a few peppercorns, half a bayleaf and half a teaspoonful of salt. Rub through a sieve or strainer, and add a pint of brown stock. Fry in an ounce of butter 1/2 ounce of flour, and stir until well browned, then pour in gradually whilst stirring, the hot tomato liquid. Boil up, skim, and let simmer for about 15 minutes, then serve.
Holland was noted for its dairy industry and its high-quality butter, and it is this that gives Hollandaise sauce its name. Hollandaise Sauce Crush about a dozen peppercorns, put them in a saucepan with 2 tablespoonfuls of French wine vinegar and 4 tablespoonfuls of water. Cover the pan and place it on the fire, boil fast to confuse the contents of the pan. It should be reduced to about one-half its volume. Stir or whisk in 4 yolks of eggs, then by degrees whisk
April 15
Week’s Menu for the First Family
in 4 to 6 oz. of fresh butter, and lastly add about a gill of hot water. Season with salt and the juice of 1/2 a lemon. Pass the sauce through a fine tammy cloth. Return it to a clean saucepan, which must stand in a pan of hot (not boiling) water. Keep it thus till required for table. Charles Herman Senn, The Book of Sauces (Chicago, 1915).
‘‘Sabayon’’ is related to the Italian word zabaglione, a frothy dessert sauce which is somewhere between a custard and an old-fashioned ‘‘posset’’ (see January 13). Sauce Sabayon Put half a pound of sugar and eight egg-yolks in a bain-marie, set it on the fire, and whip the preparation until it becomes frothy, then add half a pint of Madeira or other wine, and continue to whip until the sauce is very light and begins to thicken, then remove it at once from the bain-marie, and serve. Charles Ranhofer, The Epicurean (1894).
Mock Turtle: see July 4. ` la Romaine (Roman Punch): see July 1. Punch a
April 15 Week’s Menu for the First Family The White House, Washington, DC, 1973 In 1973, the ‘‘outraged housewives’’ of America made a political issue out of rising food prices—or, as the newspapers called it, ‘‘the great supermarket stick-up.’’ The man behind much of the campaign was Democrat Representative William R. Cotter who proposed a nationwide meat boycott, to start on April 1, 1973. The aims were to force an immediate price freeze on meat at December 1972 levels, a Congressional investigation of food prices, repeal of the Meat Import Quota Act to allow more meat into the country from overseas, and a temporary halt to the export of scarce foods. There were the usual campaign rallies, marches, and meetings, and meatless recipes were promoted and circulated. There was also a specific and very personal focus on President Richard M. Nixon (1913–1994). Housewives were asked to send their grocery receipts to him and to ask what was going onto the table at the White House. In response to the pressure, the White House released the week’s menus for Monday 9 to Sunday 15. On Sunday 15, the First Family were to sit down to a modest dinner of Meat Loaf Baked Potato, Green Beans Tossed Green Salad
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Week’s Menu for the First Family
Naturally, the immediate question was raised as to whether or not this week’s menu was typical. A number of people supposedly in the know were canvassed, and comments that Pat Nixon was ‘‘always a careful shopper’’ and that the First Family had always been modest in their food tastes and ‘‘big on vegetables’’ were published. The boycott was widely supported, and campaigners ultimately claimed a qualified success and continued to promote meatless meals twice a week. Some farmers retaliated by withholding stock from the markets, but they were unable to stop the president from putting a ceiling on meat prices. Recipes ~~~ What was purported to be Pat Nixon’s authentic recipe for her husband’s favorite meal—her ‘‘swell meatloaf’’—was widely distributed in the newspapers. It also appeared in The White House Family Cookbook by the chef of the time, Henry Haller, in 1987. Pat Nixon’s Meatloaf 2 tablespoons butter 2 garlic cloves minced 1 cup milk 2 eggs, lightly beaten Ground black pepper, to taste 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme 2 tablespoons tomato puree
1 cup finely chopped onions 3 slices white bead 2 pounds lean ground beef 1 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley 1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram 2 tablespoons bread crumbs
Grease a 13-by-9-inch baking pan. Melt butter in a saute´ pan, add garlic and saute´ until just golden, do not brown. Let cool. Dice bread and soak it in milk. In a large mixing bowl, mix ground beef by hand with sauteed onions and garlic and bread pieces. Add eggs, salt, pepper, parsley, thyme and marjoram and mix by hand in a circular motion. Turn this mixture into the prepared baking pan and pat into a loaf shape, leaving at least one inch of space around the edges to allow fat to run off. Brush the top with the tomato puree and sprinkle with bread crumbs. Refrigerate for 1 hour to allow the flavors to penetrate and to firm up the loaf. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Bake meatloaf on lower shelf of oven for 1 hour, or until meat is cooked through. Pour off accumulated fat several times while baking and after meat is fully cooked. Let stand on wire rack for five minutes before slicing. Makes 6 servings.
White House Menus April 9–14, 1973 Monday: Broiled chicken, Chinese cabbage, macaroni and cheese, spinach salad. Tuesday: There was a State Dinner on this day, so it was necessarily more elaborate: supreme of seafood, roast tenderloin of beef aux champignons,
April 16
Testimonial Banquet for Boxer Robert Fitzsimmons
bouquetiere of vegetables, bibb lettuce salad with brie cheese, crepes suzettes flambe´. Wednesday: Roast pork, Spanish rice, zucchini squash, watercress and tomato salad. Thursday: Beef stew casserole, cucumber and pea salad. Friday: Roast duckling, wild rice, mixed vegetables, grapefruit and orange salad. Saturday: Boiled ham, parslied potatoes, cabbage, carrots and turnips, and cornbread.
April 16 Testimonial Banquet for Boxer Robert Fitzsimmons Hotel Bartholdi, New York, 1897 Robert Fitzsimmons (1863–1917) was the first boxer in the world to become champion in three weight divisions (middle, heavy, and light-heavyweight). His New York friends and admirers gave a great testimonial banquet in his honor a few weeks after he became world heavyweight champion in Carson City, Nevada. The ‘‘Champion of Champions’’ won that particular fight with his famous ‘‘solar plexus’’ punch. The opportunity for word play was irresistible for the Hotel Bartholdi catering staff, although they spelled ‘‘plexus’’ incorrectly.
Blue Points. Celery.
Tomatoes.
Sherry, Orange Bitters. Olives.
Clear Green Turtle. Baked Striped Bass.
Bartholdi Sauce.
Cucumbers. Potato Hollendaise. Petit Bouche´e of Chicken, with Mushrooms.
Sauternes. Pontet Canet.
Small Tenderloin Saute, Stuffed Tomatoes. Lobster Newburg, en Casse. SOLAR PLEXIS PUNCH. Golden Quail, En Canape`.
Egyptian Cigarettes. Pommery Sec.
Water Cress. G. H.Mumm E. dry Irroy. Chicken Mayonnaise.
White Seal (Moet & Chandon)
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April 16
Testimonial Banquet for Boxer Robert Fitzsimmons Boned Turkey—Decorated.
White Rock Water (Frank T. Huntoon)
Neapolitan Ice Cream. Fancy Cake. Roquefort Cheese. Toasted Water Biscuits. Coffee. Perfectos.
Fruit.
Dewers Scotch.
The word ‘‘punch’’ meaning a drink does not come from the idea that it ‘‘packs a punch.’’ The two meanings of the word appear to come from different origins, although the Oxford English Dictionary admits that the etymology of both is uncertain. ‘‘Punch’’ meaning a blow appears to derive from ‘‘pounce’’ meaning a prick or sting (or the talon of a bird). ‘‘Punch’’ referring to a drink is usually explained as coming from panch, meaning ‘‘five’’ in several Indian languages, because it has five basic ingredients: alcohol, water, sweet (sugar), sour (usually lemon juice), and spice (or ‘‘bitter’’). This is probably too fanciful an explanation, as there have never been five fixed ingredients. A second and intriguing possibility is that it is related to puncheon, meaning a cask for liquids—specifically the one holding the sailors’ rations. Punch was a given at a certain point at every nineteenthcentury, upper-class hotel or restaurant banquet. This menu was typical in many other ways. Turtle or terrapin in one form or another—especially soup— was the indication of a highclass banquet in England or the United States. Oysters were Fitzsimmons’s boxing pose. Courtesy of Library of a virtually obligatory starter, Congress. and more often than not they
April 16
Testimonial Banquet for Boxer Robert Fitzsimmons
were the famous ‘‘Blue Point’’ variety—Atlantic oysters originally from Blue Point, Long Island, New York. Inevitably in the case of a prized delicacy, substitution frequently took place, and it is doubtful if many diners were aware of the counterfeit. Substitution of another type took place with the American classic dish lobster Newburg. The traditional story is that the concept of the dish (essentially lobster in a cream sauce) was given to Charles Ranhofer of Delmonico’s restaurant by a sea captain called Ben Wenberg. Ranhofer put the dish on the menu—naming it after Wenberg—and it was an immediate success. Ranhofer removed the dish from the menu when he and Wenberg had a disagreement, but patrons insisted on its return. Ranhofer compromised by slightly rearranging the letters of the name, and the dish became lobster Newburg. One outstanding difference between nineteenth- (and early twentieth-) century formal dinner menus is that it was fairly common for tobacco to make an appearance, as it does in the form of the Perfectos cigars. Today they seem particularly out of place at a dinner celebrating a sportsman. Recipes ~~~ ` la Newburg Lobster a 2 lb. lobster. 1/4 cup butter. 1/2 teaspoon salt. Few grains cayenne.
1 tablespoon sherry. 1 tablespoon brandy. 1/3 cup thin cream. Yolks 2 eggs.
Slight grating nutmeg. Remove lobster meat from shell and cut in slices. Melt butter, add lobster, and cook three minutes. Add seasonings and wine, cook one minute, then add cream and yolks of eggs slightly beaten. Stir until thickened. Serve with toast or Puff Paste Points.
` la Hollandaise Potatoes a Wash, pare, soak, and cut potatoes in one-fourth inch slices, shape with French vegetable cutters; or cut in one-half inch cubes. Cover three cups potato with White Stock, cook until soft, and drain. Cream one-third cup butter, add one tablespoon lemon juice, one-half teaspoon salt, and few grains of cayenne. Add to potatoes, cook three minutes, and add one-half tablespoon finely chopped parsley. Fannie Merritt-Farmer, The Boston Cooking-School Cook Book (1896).
Neapolitan Ice Cream: see December 20.
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New York Society of Restaurateurs Dinner
April 17 New York Society of Restaurateurs Dinner with ‘‘Diamond Jim’’ Brady Terrace Garden, New York, 1916 When the New York Society of Restaurateurs held their third annual dinner they invited as their guest speaker the millionaire philanthropist James Buchanan Brady (1856–1917). They had reason to honor ‘‘Diamond Jim,’’ for he was a restaurateur’s dream—a man of spectacular wealth and prodigious appetite, famously referred to by the owner of one of his favorite restaurants as ‘‘the best 25 customers I ever had.’’ On this particular evening, the menu was a modestly elegant collection of typical dishes of the time. It was accompanied by a list of fine wines (or ‘‘lubricants’’), including an impressive selection of imported and American champagnes at $2.50 to $5.00 a quart, although the honored guest himself never touched the stuff. His beverage of choice was his ‘‘golden nectar’’— orange juice, which he consumed in almost unbelievable quantities. Fruit Cocktail — Ox-tail Clear — Assorted Relishes — Yama Yama Brook Trout with Fines Herbes Cucumbers Garnished — Saddle of Spring Lamb, Colbert Sauce Garnished Fresh Mushrooms Potatoes Rissole´es — New Asparagus, Hollandaise — Roast Jumbo Squab, Stuffed Field and Beet Salad — Strawberry Ice, Fantaisie Assorted Fancy Cakes — Coffee
Brady’s appetite was the stuff of legend. A light breakfast was reported to consist of steak, chops, eggs, flapjacks, fried potatoes, hominy, corn bread, muffins, and a large volume of milk. A more substantial lunch was routinely followed by a pound or two of candy—to make the food settle better in his stomach, he said. Dinner was his main meal, and he made sure it ended with candy and was washed down with a gallon or more of his ‘‘golden nectar.’’ Stories of the dinners he gave or attended became exercises in hyperbole. He was said to routinely order double servings at a 15-course dinner. At one
April 17
New York Society of Restaurateurs Dinner
dinner party he gave for 50 friends (in honor of a race horse), the eating lasted from 4 P.M. to 9 A.M., and cost $100,000. At another, after several years of international culinary espionage, he finally got to eat a dish he had longed to try since first hearing of it. The dish was Filet de Sole Marguery, and it was the specialty of Cafe´ Marguery in Paris. The sauce recipe was a well-kept secret, but Brady was determined to try it. He threatened the owner of Rector’s—his favorite restaurant—that his patronage would be withdrawn if he could not be served the dish. The story is that not wishing to lose his ‘‘25 best customers,’’ Charlie Rector pulled his son out of college and sent him to France under an assumed name. The young man started as a dishwasher at Cafe´ Marguery, and slowly worked his way up through the restaurant hierarchy until he was privy to the secret recipe and could prepare it perfectly. The process took two years, and Diamond Jim was on the waterfront as the son’s ship sailed into New York, not even waiting until the young man had disembarked before calling out ‘‘Did you bring the sauce?’’ Finally, nine servings later, Brady was reported to have said. ‘‘If you poured some of the sauce over a Turkish towel, I believe I could eat all of it.’’ Recipes ~~~ Roast Saddle of Lamb (adapted) Remove the red skin from a small, tender, fat saddle of lamb, fold up the flanks underneath, firmly tie it all around, then lay it on a roasting pan, spread a little melted butter over the surface, pour two tablespoons water in the pan, season with teaspoon salt and half teaspoon pepper, set in the oven for one hour, turning and basting it once in a while. Remove, untie, dress on a dish.
Potatoes Rissolees Peel, wash and drain well twelve peeled sound new potatoes. Heat two tablespoons good lard in a frying pan, add potatoes and fry on the fire until a nice golden colour, turning once in a while. Sprinkle over a teaspoon salt, toss again, set in a moderate oven for twenty-five minutes. Remove, drain and serve. Alexander Filippini, The International Cook Book, (ca. 1906).
Sole, Colbert Cut off the head of a large sole, and pull off the black skin. Lift off the four fillets complete, spreading the two sides apart with two toothpicks, so they will not touch. Dip in milk, then in flour, and then in beaten eggs and fresh bread crumbs, the lower side only. Dip the top side in milk and flour. Season well with salt and pepper, and place in a pan with butter, and two ounces of butter on top of the fish. Bake in the oven, basting continually until done. Then put the sole on a platter, remove the toothpicks and fill the space with two ounces of butter that has been mixed with salt, pepper, a little chopped parsley, one spoonful of meat
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extract, and the juice of one lemon. Place the platter in the oven just long enough to melt the butter. Garnish with parsley in branches and lemons cut in half. The whole sole may be fried in swimming lard instead of baking, if desired. This way is easier, but is not the correct one. Victor Hirtzler, The Hotel St. Francis Cook Book (1919).
` la Marguery Filets de Soles a As interpreted by Charles Ranhofer, chef at Delmonico’s, in his book The Epicurean (1894). Raise the fillets from two clean, skinned soles; fold in two, pare nicely and season, range them on a buttered baking dish and bestrew the surface with shallots and mushroom peelings: moisten to cover with a white wine court bouillon and allow the liquid to come to a boil, then finish cooking the fillets in a slow oven. Drain them off singly, and dress on a dish; garnish one side with shrimp tails, and the other with blanched oysters, from which the hard parts have been removed, or mussels. Keep the whole very warm. Strain the broth the soles were cooked in, reduce it to a half-glaze, thicken with a mere spoonful of Normande sauce and finish with a piece of fresh lobster butter; pour this over the fillets and garnishings, then glaze the sauce with a gas salamander; two minutes will suffice for this. When the fish is ready to be served, brush the surface with thin lines of red butter.
April 18 Confederate Soldier’s Dinner Army Camp, near Pensacola, Florida, 1861 Two days after the beginning of the American Civil War a Confederate sergeant wrote to the editor of the Daily Constitutionalist newspaper in Augusta, Georgia. He described the conditions and the food in his camp ‘‘near Pensacola, Florida.’’ April 18th, 1861. We go to bed at nine o’clock, and rise at half-past-four o’clock; drill at seven —we have breakfast; at one we have dinner; and at seven supper. Our bill of fare for to-day was as follows: mess pork, mess beef, rice, white beans, middling bacon, sea biscuits, coffee and sugar, and we get a plenty. Each Sergeant receives one bar of soap and two candles—these articles to last five days.
The sergeant could hardly have realized that the food situation for most ordinary soldiers and citizens was going to get a whole lot worse over the next few years as the war created hardship and chaos across the country. There were many instances when soldiers on both sides had to rely on the ‘‘seabiscuit’’ alone for sustenance, and many occasions when even these were in short supply. ‘‘Sea-biscuit’’ was the staple ‘‘bread’’ or ‘‘hardtack’’ of military and seafaring men for centuries. It was known by many names in many countries, most of them unflatteringly accurate, such as teeth dullers, flour tiles, concrete
April 18
Confederate Soldier’s Dinner
Confederate camp. Courtesy of Library of Congress.
macaroons, ammo (ammunition) reserves, sheet iron crackers, worm castles (referring to their usual weevil population), and dog biscuits. The word ‘‘biscuit’’ means twice cooked (bis = twice, cuit = cooked), but the sea-biscuit variety were often baked up to four times to drive out every last drop of moisture. Their keeping powers were legendary, and it was widely believed that some biscuits made during the Civil War were reissued during the SpanishAmerican War 35 years later, the equivalent British rumor being that hardtack made in the 1850s was resupplied in World War I. Often the only way to eat the biscuits was to soak them in stew, or coffee, or if nothing else was available, in water, to make a sort of porridge. They were made from two ingredients only—flour and water, but no salt because it increased the potential for dampness by causing water absorption. Recipes ~~~ Sea-Biscuit Sea-biscuit can be made by mixing about six parts flour to one part water, kneading the dough well, rolling it out to about 1/8 thick, cutting it into squares, pricking it all over, and baking it until dry (about an hour); turn it once during baking.
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Coming-of-Age Party Sea-Biscuit for the Royal Navy
The following passage taken from The Engineer’s and Mechanic’s Encyclopædia (1836) by Luke Hebert describes how sea-biscuit was manufactured on a large scale for the Royal Navy in Plymouth, England. The baking establishment consists of 9 ovens, each 13 feet long by 11 feet wide, and 17 ½ inches in height. . . . The first operation in making the biscuits consists in mixing the flour, or rather meal and water; 13 gallons of water are first introduced into a trough, and then a sack of the meal, weighing 280 lbs. . . . An apparatus, consisting of two sets of what are called knives, each set ten in number, are then made to revolve amongst the flour and water by means of machinery. This mixing lasts one minute and a half, . . . The next process is to cast the lumps of dough under what are called the breaking-rollers—huge cylinders of iron weighing 14 cwt. each, and moved horizontally by the machinery along stout tables. The dough is thus formed into large rude masses, 6 feet long, by 3 feet broad, and several inches thick. . . . These great masses of dough are now drawn out, and cut into a number of smaller masses . . . and again thrust under the rollers, . . . they fold it up, or double one part upon another, so that the roller, at its next passage, squeezes these parts together, and forces them to mix . . . which is repeated until the mixture is so complete that not the slightest trace of any inequality is discoverable in any part of the mass. . . . the dough only requires to be cut into biscuits before it is committed to the oven. The cutting is effected by what is called the cutting-plate, consisting of a net-work of 52 sharp edged hexagonal frames, each as large as a biscuit. . . . does not actually cut it through, but leaves sufficient substance to enable the workman at the mouth of the oven to jerk the whole mass of biscuits, unbroken, into the oven. . . . One quarter of an hour is sufficient to bake the biscuit, which is afterwards placed for three days in a drying room, heated to 85°, or 90°, which completes the process.
April 19 Coming-of-Age Party Wynnstay Hall, Denbighshire, Wales, 1770 Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn, 4th Baronet, came into his title a few days before he was born due to the death of his father in an accident. He was from of the great landed families of Britain, and his mother continued to add to the family estate during his minority. By the time the 4th Baronet came of age, the family laid claim to over 100,000 acres spread across five Welsh counties and into the adjacent English county of Shropshire. The grounds of the park surrounding Wynnstay Hall itself were eight miles in circumference, and it was here that Sir Watkin held his coming-ofage (21 years old) party in 1770. Everyone was invited from his estates and
April 19
Coming-of-Age Party
the surrounding area, and ‘‘it is thought there were at least 15000 people at dinner in Sir Watkin’s park, all at the same time’’ (John Askew Roberts, Wynnstay & the Wynns [1876]). The bill of fare for the entertainment was as follows:
30 Bullocks
166 Hams
1 ditto roasted whole
100 Tongues
50 Hogs
125 Plumb puddings
50 Calves
108 Apple pies
80 Sheep
104 Pork pies
18 Lambs
30 Beef pies
70 Pies
34 Rice puddings
51 Guinea Fowls
7 Venison pies
37 Turkeys
60 Raised pies
12 Turkey Poults
80 Tarts
84 Capons
30 pieces of cut pastry
25 Pie fowls
24 Pound cakes
300 Chickens
60 Savoy cakes
360 Fowls
30 Sweetmeat cakes
96 Ducklings
12 Backs of bacon
48 Rabbits
144 Ice creams
15 Snipes
18000 Eggs
1 Leveret
150 Gallons of milk
5 Bucks
60 Quarts of cream
421 Pounds of salmon
30 Bushels of potatoes
30 Brace of tench
6000 Asparagus
40 Brace of carp
200 French beans
36 Pike
3 Dishes of green peas
60 Dozen of trout
12 Cucumbers
108 Flounders
70 Hogsheads of ale
109 Lobsters
120 Dozen of wine
96 Crabs
Brandy, rum, and shrub
10 Quarts of Shrimps
Rock-work shapes, landscapes, in
200 Crawfish
jellies, blanchmange, &c.
60 Barrels pickled oysters
A great quantity of small pastry
1 Hogshead of rock oysters
One large cask of ale, which held
20 Quarts of oysters for sauce
twenty-six hogsheads
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Not every dish would have been available to every guest. The substantial hearty food such as the whole roasted ox and plum puddings would have been for the farm workers and village folk. The family and elite guests would have enjoyed the delicate meats such as the guinea-fowl and the fashionable sweetmeats. Ice cream was a great delicacy as it required a large amount of ice (not easy in spring, before refrigeration), and was laborious to make, requiring plenty of servant power. Dishes are not ‘‘invented’’; they develop slowly over long periods of time, always built on some previous idea. Someone did not simply ‘‘invent’’ ice cream one day out of the blue; the idea evolved slowly. Drinks chilled with snow evolved into sherbets (see April 29, June 10) which became ‘‘ice cream’’ when milk or cream (and eggs) were added. Cookbooks always lag behind real practice, and although ice cream as we know it appears to have been made in Italy and France in the seventeenth century, the first written recipe in English appears in Mrs. Mary Eales’s Receipts in 1718. A similar story applies to pound cake. Baking powder-type rising agents did not appear until the early nineteenth century. Prior to this cakes were leavened with yeast (so they were like sweet fruit breads), or eggs, well beaten to incorporate air and develop the right protein ‘‘structure’’ to hold up the cake. The first mention of pound cake according to the Oxford English Dictionary was in 1743, and the first known recipe for it appears in Hannah Glasse’s Art of Cookery in 1747. Recipes ~~~ To Make a Pound Cake Take a pound of butter, beat it in an earthen pan with your hand one way, till it is like a fine thick cream, then have ready twelve eggs, but half the whites; beat them well, and beat them up with the butter, a pound of flour beat in it, a pound of sugar, and a few carraways. Beat it all well together for an hour with your hand, or a great wooden spoon, butter a pan and put it in, and then bake it an hour in a quick oven. For change, you may put in a pound of currants, clean washed and picked. Hannah Glasse, The Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy (1747).
To Make Ice Cream Take Tin Ice-Pots, fill ‘em with any Sort of Cream you like, either plain or sweeten’d, or Fruit in it; shut your Pots very close; to six Pots you must allow eighteen or twenty Pound of Ice, breaking the Ice very small; there will be some great Pieces, which lay at the Bottom and Top: You must have a Pail, and lay some Straw at the Bottom; then lay in your Ice, and put amongst it a Pound of Bay Salt; set in your Pots of Cream, and lay Ice and Salt between every Pot, that they may not touch; but the Ice must lye round ‘em on every Side; lay a good deal of Ice on the Top, cover the Pail with Straw, set it in a Cellar where no Sun or Light comes, it will be froze in four Hours, but it may stand longer; then take it out
April 20
Vicar’s Dinner
just as you use it: hold it in your Hand and it will slip out. When you wou’d freeze any Sort of Fruit, either Cherries, Rasberries, Currans, or Strawberries, fill your Tin Pots with the Fruit, but as hollow as you can; put to ‘em Lemmonade, made with Spring-Water and Lemmon-Juice sweeten’d; put enough in the Pots to make the Fruit hang together, and put ‘em in Ice as you do Cream. Mrs. Mary Eales’s Receipts (1718).
Raised Pie and Pork pie: see October 25, November 3. Savoy Cakes: see August 1 Rice pudding: see January 12. Blanchmonge (Blancmange): see January 7.
April 20 Vicar’s Dinner East Tuddenham, Norfolk, England, 1796 James Woodforde (1740–1803) became the parson in the village of Weston Longville in Norfolk, England, in 1773. For 40 years he kept a diary, and it is a marvelous source of information about everyday village life in the second half of the eighteenth century. He never married (having been jilted once he never put himself at risk again), and his unmarried niece came to live with him as his housekeeper. The parish provided him with a comfortable living, and much of the food came from the farms that went with his curacy. He kept pigs, caught fish in his own ponds, and brewed his own ale. He obviously enjoyed his food and recorded details of many of the meals in his own household. He was also, in spite of his single status, quite sociable, entertained often, and was entertained in turn by friends. On April 20, 1796, he dined at the home of a friend, Mr. Mellish, the vicar of East Tuddenham, a village about four miles away. The Mellish’s he notes in his diary, are ‘‘People of great Fortune . . . and live quite in Style.’’ Dinner was soon announced after our Arrival, which consisted of the following things, Salmon boiled and Shrimp Sauce, some White Soup, Saddle of Mutton rosted & Cucumber &c., Lambs Fry, Tongue, Breast of Veal ragoued, rice Pudding and the best part of a Rump of Beef stewed immediately after the Salmon was removed. 2nd Course. A Couple of Spring Chicken, rosted Sweetbreads, Jellies, Maccaroni, frill’d Oysters, 2. small Crabs, & made Dish of Eggs. N.B. No kind of pastrey, no Wheat Flour made use of and even the melted butter was thickened with Wheat-Meal, and the Bread all brown Wheat-Meal with one part in four of Barley Flour. The Bread was well made and eat very well indeed, may we never eat worse.
The lack of pastry and the brown bread made with part barley flour reflects the repeated severe wheat shortages that affected Britain in the second half of the eighteenth century. The harvest in 1794 was poor, and it was far worse in 1795. Just how critical the situation was is shown by the fact that in April 1795 an excise was placed on hair powder. So, while the poor rioted for bread, the rich were not able to powder their wigs to perfection. Most of
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Banquet of the French Vegetarian Society
the well-to-do, like the Mellish and Woodforde families, however, did voluntarily reduce their wheat consumption, and even the royal household stopped using flour in 1800. There were two other interesting results of the wheat shortages. Pies were a mainstay at every level of society at this time, as they were a way of storing food for long periods (as long as the thick crust did not crack or get damp, it stayed reasonably airtight). When there was not enough wheat for pastry, the pie fillings were cooked in crocks or dishes, becoming terrines, pate´s, and dishes such as cottage and shepherd’s pies with their potato ‘‘crusts.’’ Naturally the pottery industry received a stimulus, but it went one step further than mere pragmatism. For the houses of the wealthy, where illusion was all-important, crocks were made in the same shape and color of raised pies, complete with decorative edges, such as the famous Wedgwood pie crust ware. Recipes ~~~ To Make Shrimp Sauce Put half a pint of shrimps, clean picked, into a gill of good gravy; let it boil with a lump of butter rolled in flour, and a spoonful of red wine. Susannah Carter, The Frugal Housewife, or Complete Woman Cook (London, ca. 1800).
To Ragoo a Breast of Veal Take your breast of veal, put it into a large stew-pan, put in a bundle of sweet herbs, an onion, some black and white pepper, a blade or two of mace, two or three cloves, a very little piece of lemon-peel, and just cover it with water: when it is tender, take it up, bone it, put in the bones, boil it up till the gravy is very good, then strain it off, and if you have a little rich beef gravy, add a quarter of a pint, put in half an ounce of truffles and morels, a spoonful or two of catchup, two or three spoonfuls of white wine, and let them all boil together: in the meantime flour the veal, and fry it in butter till it is of a fine brown, then drain out all the butter, and pour the gravy you are boiling to the veal, with a few mushrooms: boil all together till the sauce is rich and thick, and cut the sweetbread into four. A few force-meat balls are proper in it. Lay the veal in the dish, and pour the sauce all over it. Garnish with lemons. Hannah Glasse, The Art of Cookery (London, 1796).
April 21 Banquet of the French Vegetarian Society ´ , Paris, France, 1881 Rue St. Honore France did not completely avoid the trend of enthusiasm for the vegetarian way of life that developed in Britain and America in the nineteenth century.
April 21
Banquet of the French Vegetarian Society
The Socie´te´ Ve´ge´tarienne de France was founded in 1880. At their second annual banquet, members sat down to the following bill of fare. ´ GE ´ TARIEN DU 21 AVRIL. MENU VE POTAGES Pure´e de lentilles, soupe printanie`re. Hors D’Œvre Beurre, radis, olives. ´ ES ENTRE ` la coque, Œufs a asperges en branches. QUATERMAINS [ENTREMETS] Macaroni au blanc de poule, petits pois. SACCHARINS ` la vanille, Creˆme a ruches d’amygdaline, savarin. DESSERT Fromage Suisse, compote de pommes, confiture de fraises, dattes, oranges, gaufrettes. VINS Mac¸on vieux, Saint Emilion. Pain de Graham.
The New York Times reported its founder, Hureau de Villeneuve, as suggesting that vegetarianism should be popular in France ‘‘where many members of the lower and middle classes are already vegetarians, largely by necessity.’’ History has not generally demonstrated that a dietary regime followed out of sheer necessity becomes popular on that account alone, so his words are more a reflection of De Villeneuve’s enthusiasm for the cause. French vegetarians were by no means committed to the teetotalism that often affected their colleagues elsewhere, and the menu included two classic wines from France. Wine was much more deeply embedded in the culture of France, and was still affordable even for the less well-off. It is also interesting that the menu specifically mentions Graham bread (see February 5), a
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Banquet of the French Vegetarian Society
decidedly American recipe invented by the nutrition campaigner, Sylvester Graham. Recipes ~~~ Lentil Soup Take a breakfastcupful of green lentils and put them to soak in cold water overnight. In the morning throw away any floating on the top. Drain the lentils and put them in a stew-pan or saucepan with some stock or water, and add two onions, two carrots, a turnip, a bunch of parsley, a small teaspoonful of savoury herbs and a small head of celery. If you have no celery add half a teaspoonful of bruised celery seed. You can also add a crust of stale bread. Let the whole boil, and it will be found that occasionally a dark film will rise to the surface. This must be skimmed off. The soup must boil for about four hours, or at any rate till the lentils are thoroughly soft. Then strain the soup through a wire sieve, and rub the whole of the contents through the wire sieve with the soup. This requires both time and patience. After the whole has been rubbed through the sieve the soup must be boiled up, and if made from green lentils it can be coloured green with some spinach extract (vegetable colouring, sold in bottles). If made from Egyptian (red) lentils, the soup can be coloured with a few drops of Parisian essence (burnt sugar). In warming up this soup, after the lentils have been rubbed through a sieve, it should be borne in mind that the lentil powder has a tendency to settle, and consequently the saucepan must be constantly stirred to prevent it burning. In serving the soup at table, the contents of the soup-tureen should be stirred with the soup-ladle before each help. Cassell’s Vegetarian Cookery (London, 1891).
Macaroni au Blanc de Poule Macaroni au blanc de poule is a Swiss dish, quite suitable for invalids entering upon convalescence. To make it a sufficient quantity of medium-sized macaroni should be boiled for an hour over a gentle fire. Meanwhile, melt in a saucepan a piece of butter, about an ounce, if the dish be for one person, and add to it a dessertspoonful of flour, mixing well. Pour on this gently a breakfast-cup full of milk; add a little salt and pepper, and when these are well mingled, cook the whole in a saucepan for about ten minutes. Now, if the macaroni be well done, take it out of the water, put it in a saucepan, and cover it with the dressing you have prepared, then cook it, without boiling, another ten minutes. When ready for serving, beat up one or two eggs in a cup with a very little hot milk, and pour them over the macaroni in the dish. And here permit me a word on the subject of macaroni. Properly dressed, it is an invaluable and most delicious food (to be aware how delicious, one must have eaten it, as I have done, in Italy), but unskilfully and ignorantly prepared, it is insipid, and even worse. ‘‘Never,’’ says the sapient author of Dinners and Dishes, ‘‘never ask me to back a bill for a man who has given me a macaroni pudding.’’ Macaroni is not meant for puddings; it is alien to sugar and jam, but it is bosom friends with pepper, salt, butter, and Parmesan, and as a savoury dish dressed with grated cheese and cream, or tomatoes, it is
April 22
State Dinner for King George V and Queen Mary
ambrosia. Very few invalids can digest cheese, so in cooking macaroni for them you must get as near only to the right thing as circumstances will permit. Anna Kingsford, M.D., ‘‘A Letter to Lady Pomeroy,’’ in Health, Beauty, and the Toilet. Letters to Ladies from a Lady Doctor (1886).
Potage Printanier: see February 28. Graham Bread: see February 5.
April 22 State Dinner for King George V and Queen Mary British Embassy, Paris, France, 1914 Just before the outbreak of World War I, King George V (1865–1936) and Queen Mary (1867–1953) of England traveled to France, on a visit designed to give a clear international message indicating the improved relations between the two countries that had developed since the signing of the Entente Cordiale in 1904. When heads of state travel to another country, a formal state dinner is usually given to them by the host country on the first evening of their visit. The hospitality is then returned on a subsequent evening, the responsibility falling to the ambassador of the visiting country. The King and Queen arrived in Paris on April 21, and attended the usual luncheon and the obligatory state dinner on the same day. The following evening they gave the return dinner at the British Embassy. The menu for the dinner—written in French as it would have been at any official dinner on English soil—was as classic as was expected. ` la Se´vigne´ Consomme´ de Volaille a — ` la Norve´gienne. Truites Saumone´es a — ` la Nivernaise. Longes de Veaux a Pommes Fondantes. — Poulardes Souffle´es au Champagne. — Parfait de Foie Gras au Porto. Salade Rachel. — Asperges Vertes, Sauce Mousseline. — Œufs de Vanneaux au Nid. — Mousses au Fraises. Gauffrettes Praline´es. — Pailles au Parmesan. — Dessert.
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Even though the number of courses and dishes is quite different from the medieval era, one element of those times remains at state dinners to this day—the enormous issue of seating protocol. At the Paris dinner in 1914, there were two tables. The royal table (the equivalent of the medieval high table) was set in the vast banqueting hall of the embassy, the ‘‘second table’’ in the adjacent ballroom. Many of the guests, particularly at the second table, could hardly have had time to glimpse Their Majesties, for at 9:30 the dinner was over (the toasts were dispensed with) and the royal party was off to the opera. Protocol extends to every single aspect of a banquet, and it is fraught with potential diplomatic incidents. There are two recent examples. In 2002 there was a potentially difficult situation between Iran and Spain on two issues— the serving of wine (absolutely essential to a Spanish meal, but anathema to their Muslim guests) and the covering of the hair by the women present (absolutely essential to the Iranian Muslims). The other was in January 2008 when the divorced President of France, Nicolas Sarzoky, wanted his girlfriend to accompany him on a diplomatic visit to India. Protocol rules have generally been in place for a very long time, and there is no precedent for accommodating unmarried partners in any country. Would the girlfriend be accompanied in to dinner on the arm of the Indian president, as would be usual? Where would she be seated? In the end, Carla Bruni avoided a diplomatic incident, and did not travel with her boyfriend—no doubt to the great relief of a number of state officials. Recipes ~~~ Fondante Potatoes Cut a quart of small potatoes to the size of pigeons’ eggs, put in a casserole and cover with cold water, add a pinch of salt, and bring to a boil. Then drain off the water and put the potatoes in a flat saute´ pan with two ounces of butter, and simmer very slowly until they are golden yellow. Then add a spoonful of chicken broth and simmer again until nearly dry. Sprinkle with fresh-chopped parsley, season with salt and pepper. Victor Hirtzler, The Hotel St. Francis Cook Book (1919).
Rachel Salad Cut some artichoke bottoms, boiled celery, potatoes and asparagus tips, and two truffles, in Julienne shape. Arrange the vegetables in a salad bowl in bouquets, place the truffles in the center, and pour some French dressing over all. Victor Hirtzler, The Hotel St. Francis Cook Book (1919).
April 23
Shakespeare Tercentenary Banquet
Pailles au Parmesan (Cheese Straws) Although called straws the paste is better looking and better to bake if cut with a paste cutter into strips 1/4 inch wide. Equal quantities of butter, cheese and flour are pounded together to make it, but one or two yolks and a sprinkling of water improves it. Jessup Whitehead, The Steward’s Handbook and Guide to Party Catering (1903).
Plover Eggs in a Nest: see April 29. April 23 Shakespeare Tercentenary Banquet Stratford-upon-Avon, England, 1864 On the 300th anniversary of William Shakespeare’s birth, the civic leaders and good citizens of his birthplace paid homage to their most famous son with a great festival. The streets were decorated with banners, and a huge tented pavilion was erected in a nearby field to serve as a banquet hall, ballroom, and theatre. At 3:00 in the afternoon, the Earl of Carlisle, president of the festival, and other important guests began arriving for the opening banquet. As they entered the pavilion, the local Rifle Volunteers struck up the old country air ‘‘The Warwickshire Lasses,’’ and by half-past three ‘‘the work of eating began.’’ The Times newspaper correspondent included the bill of fare in his report, noting that it was ‘‘too characteristic not to merit insertion.’’ BILL OF FARE. ‘‘Ladies, a general welcome’’—Henry VIII., I.,4 ‘‘Pray you bid these unknown friends to us welcome, for it is a way to make us better friends, more known.’’ Winter’s Tale, IV., 3 Roast Turkeys. ‘‘Why, here he comes, swelling like a turkey-cock.’’ Henry V.,V.,1. Pea-Fowl. ‘‘A very, very, pea-cock.’’ Hamlet., III., 2. Roast Fowls. ‘‘There is a fowl without a feather.’’ Comedy of Errors., III, 1. Capons. ‘‘Item, a capon, 2s.2d.’’ I. Henry IV., II., 4. Ducks. ‘‘O dainty duck!’’ Midsummer Night’s Dream, V., 7.
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Shakespeare Tercentenary Banquet Boar’s Head. ‘‘Like a full-acorned boar.’’ Cymbeline, II., 5. York Hams. ‘‘Sweet stem from York’s great stock.’’ I. Henry VI., II., 5.
Tongues. ‘‘Silence is only commendable in a neat’s tongue dried.’’ Merchant of Venice, I.,1 French Raised Pies. ‘‘They are both baked in that pie.’’ Titus Andronicus, V.,3. Mayonnaise of Salmon. ‘‘Epicurean cook sharpen with cloyless sauce his appetite.’’ Antony and Cleopatra, II., 2. Mayonnaise of Lamb. ‘‘Was never a gentle lamb more mild.’’ Richard II.,1. Braised Lamb and Beef. ‘‘What say you to a piece of beef and mustard, A dish that I do love to feed upon.’’ Taming of the Shrew, IV.,3. Roast Lamb. ‘‘Come you to seek the lamb here?’’ Measure for Measure, V.,1. Galantines of Turkeys and Fowls. ‘‘The Turkish preparation.’’ Othello, I.,3. Lobster and Mayonnaise Salads. ‘‘Salad was born to do me good.’’ II. Henry IV, IV.,10. Dressed Lobsters and Crabs. ‘‘There’s no meat like them, I could wish my best friend at such a feast.’’ Timon of Athens, I.,2. Potted Meats. ‘‘Mince it sans remorse.’’ Timon of Athens, IV.,3. Potted Lamperns and Lampreys. ‘‘From the banks of Wye, and Sandy-bottom’d Severn.’’ I. Henry IV., III.,1. Aspics of Eels, Soles, and Salmon. ‘‘Cry to it, as the Cockney did to the eels when she put them i’ the paste alive.’’ Lear, II.,4. Dessert Cakes, Jellies, and Creams. ‘‘The queen of curds and cream.’’ Winter’s Tale, IV., 3. Tourtes, Meringues, and Charlottes de Russe. ‘‘They call for dates and quinces in the pastry.’’ Romeo and Juliet, IV., 4.
April 23
Shakespeare Tercentenary Banquet
Bee Hives. ‘‘For so work the honey bees.’’ Henry V, I.,2. Fruit. ‘‘Hercules did shake down mellow fruit.’’ Coriolanus, IV., 6. Dinner Rolls. ‘‘The Roll! Where’s the Roll?’’ II. Henry IV, III.,2 Dressed Potatoes. ‘‘Let the sky rain potatoes.’’ Merry Wives, V.,5. Bitter Ale. ‘‘And here’s a pot of good double beer, neighbor: Drink, and fear not your man.’’ II. Henry VI., II.,3. Champagne, Hock, Claret, Port, and Sherry. ‘‘He calls for wine; ‘a health,’ quoth he.’’ Taming of the Shrew, III., 2.
Shakespeare would have recognized almost everything on this menu in spite of the lapse of 300 years. Mayonnaise would have been an exception, for its invention was at least two centuries away. He would have been surprised when the potatoes arrived, for when Shakespeare mentions ‘‘potatoes’’ he is referring to the sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas). The 700 guests at the banquet in 1864 would have expected, and got, the ordinary white potato (Solanum tuberosum). Both plants are native to the South American subcontinent—the New World—whose colonization followed Christopher Columbus’s arrival in 1492. By Shakespeare’s time, the sweet potato had become very popular, but it was more than 200 years before the ordinary white potato started to be eaten on any scale in England and Europe. Shakespeare may have been aware of the white potato as a horticultural curiosity, but it is clear he is referring to the sweet potato in his plays because of the context. The potato quotation in the menu comes from Merry Wives of Windsor, and the lines are spoken by Falstaff, ‘‘the fat knight,’’ just as he is about to embrace Mistress Ford. He says ‘‘My Doe, with the blacke Scut? Let the skie raine Potatoes: let it thunder, to the tune of Greensleeves, hail kissing Comfits, and snow Eringoes: Let these come a tempest of provocation, I will shelter me here.’’ This is Falstaff’s call to lust: he is invoking a deluge of aphrodisiac sweetmeats to assist his ‘‘tempest of provocation.’’ Comfits were small sugarcoated seeds, used as digestives and—for Falstaff’s purpose, to sweeten the breath. Eringo is the sea-holly, Eryngium maritimum, whose succulent root was candied and used as a sweetmeat, as medicine (for broken bones, snakebites, and a multitude of diseases) and was believed also to ‘‘promote venery.’’ Sweet potato was also reputed to ‘‘incite to venery,’’ perhaps on account of its phallic shape, and was commonly candied. Shakespeare uses ‘‘potato’’ again in this context in Troilus and Cressida when he has Thersists comment as he watches Cressida’s betrayal of Troilus ‘‘How the devill Luxury with his fat rump and potato finger, tickles these together: frye lechery, frye.’’
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Recipes ~~~ Potted Beef 2 lbs. of lean beef, 1 tablespoonful of water, 1/4 lb. of butter, a seasoning to taste of salt, cayenne, pounded mace, and black pepper. Procure a nice piece of lean beef, as free as possible from gristle, skin, &c., and put it into a jar (if at hand, one with a lid) with 1 tablespoonful of water. Cover it closely, and put the jar into a saucepan of boiling water, letting the water come within 2 inches of the top of the jar. Boil gently for 3 1/2 hours, then take the beef, chop it very small with a chopping-knife, and pound it thoroughly in a mortar. Mix with it by degrees all, or a portion, of the gravy that will have run from it, and a little clarified butter; add the seasoning, put it in small pots for use, and cover with a little butter just warmed and poured over. If much gravy is added to it, it will keep but a short time; on the contrary, if a large proportion of butter is used, it may be preserved for some time. Beeton’s Household Manual (1861).
Charlotte Russe: see September 4. Raised Pies: see October 25,November 3. Lobster Mayonnaise: see March 31. Boar’s Head: see January 4.
April 24 Opening Banquet Woolworth Building, Broadway, New York, 1913 The opening of the Woolworth building on Broadway was the social event of 1913. At an amazing 57 stories it was the world’s tallest office building (and the second tallest structure in the world, after the Eiffel Tower), so New Yorkers had reason to be proud. Frank W. Wooloworth, the man who had planned, executed, and paid for it all, invited 900 privileged guests to a special dinner in honor of the architect of the building, Cass Gilbert. The dinner was held on the 27th floor, and the menu was classical for the time: French influenced, elegant, everything of the highest quality, but nothing strange, exciting, or innovative. Caviar. Oysters. Turtle soup. Turban of Pompano with Austrian potatoes.
April 24
Opening Banquet
Breast of Guinea hen with Nesselrode sauce. Terrapin Baltimore style. Royal Punch. Roast Squab. Walnut and Grapefruit Salad. Frozen Bombe. Fancy Cakes. Coffee and Wine.
Everything else about the evening was, however, quite unbelievably spectacular. The dinner guests, as well as thousands of members of the general public waiting expectantly in the streets outside, were witness to an amazing feat of technology. A Western Union telegrapher installed in the building sent, at the appropriate moment, a signal to the White House in Washington,
Woolworth Building, New York City. Courtesy of Library of Congress.
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200 miles away, where President Woodrow Wilson was waiting. The president himself then pressed the button that lit up the entire Woolworth building instantly, ‘‘bringing daylight to Broadway.’’ The man who had made all this part of the evening possible—Thomas Edison, inventor of the electric light bulb—was also present as a guest of honor. Even though the meal was eclipsed by the fantastic light show, the guests were not, of course, disappointed. The measure of a fine chef at the time was the ability to reproduce accurately, and with great consistency, the classic dishes. In complete contrast to today, when chefs at top-end restaurants are expected to keep on coming up with new ideas, novelty for its own sake was definitely eschewed by sophisticated diners of the time. The guests on this night would have expected oysters, turtle in some form or other, several classic entrees, a glass of chilled punch before the roast to cleanse the palate, and a dessert that included ice cream and cake. Recipes ~~~ A ‘‘turban’’ in culinary terms refers to certain preparations of food arranged in a circle on a dish, or to specific dishes cooked in turban-shaped molds.
Turban of Fish 2 1/2 cups cold flaked fish (cod, haddock, halibut, or cusk). 1 1/2 cups milk. 1 slice onion. Blade of mace. Sprig of parsley. 1/4 cup butter. 1/4 cup flour. 1/2 teaspoon salt. 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Lemon juice. Yolks 2 eggs. 2/3 cup buttered cracker crumbs. Scald milk with onion, mace, and parsley; remove seasonings. Melt butter, add flour, salt, pepper, and gradually the milk; then add eggs, slightly beaten. Put a layer of fish on buttered dish, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and add a few drops of lemon juice. Cover with sauce, continuing until fish and sauce are used, shaping in pyramid form. Cover with crumbs, and bake in hot oven until crumbs are brown. Fannie Farmer Merritt, The Boston Cooking-School Cookbook (Boston, 1896).
Grapefruit Salad Cut three grapefruit in halves, crosswise, and scoop out the pulp; add one cup of English walnuts, broken in pieces, and mix lightly together. Serve on crisp white lettuce leaves, with mayonnaise. The Times Cookbook, by California Women (Los Angeles, 1905).
April 25
Japanese Tiffin
Royal Punch Take two quarts of water, three pounds of sugar, juice of six lemons, two oranges, the contents of half a can of pineapples, one wineglassful of brandy, and one-half pint of white wine. Grate the rinds of one lemon and one orange into a bowl and add the juice of all the fruit. Set the water and sugar on to boil with the juice of the pineapple and boil until thick like syrup, then pour the syrup while hot on the grated rind of the lemon, etc., and juice to draw the flavor. Chop up the pineapple, add to the strained juice and freeze. Use red wine if you would have it pink, instead of white. Aunt Babette’s Cookbook (Cincinnati, 1889).
Turtle Soup: see November 10.
April 25 Japanese Tiffin Fujiya Hotel, Miyanoshita, Japan, 1907 The Fujiya Hotel opened in 1878, only 24 years after Japan was officially opened up to the West. It was Japan’s first resort-style hotel, in a beautiful location with magnificent views, and it was designed and built specifically to cater for Western tourists and expatriates living in Tokyo and Yokohama. Over its history the hotel has played host to the Imperial family of Japan, foreign diplomats and dignitaries, and many celebrities, including John Lennon and Yoko Ono. A brochure from 1897 advised that ‘‘the cuisine is under the supervision of an experienced chef and meals are served at all hours’’ and ‘‘wines and liquors of the best qualities and brands only are supplied.’’ There was clearly no intention to showcase Japanese cuisine—presumably because that was not what the guests wanted.
BILL OF FARE TIFFIN
Thursday 25th April 1907
1. . . .. . .Soup 2. . . .. . .Tinned Sardines 3. . . .. . .Fried Fish 4. . . .. . .Irish Stew 5. . . .. . .Quails and Mushrooms ` l’Africaine 6. . . .. . .Chicken a 7. . . .. . .Beefsteak and Fried Potato Chips 8. . . .. . .Veal Curry and Rice 9. . . .. . .Brussels Sprouts 10. . . .. . .Boiled Potatoes 11. . . .. . .Cold Chicken
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Japanese Tiffin 12. . . .. . .Cold Salt Tongue 13. . . .. . .Cold Roast Beef 14. . . .. . .Cold Salt 15. . . .. . .Cold Duck 16. . . .. . .Salad 17. . . .. . .Pickles Tomato Chutney 18. . . .. . .Olives Pearl Onions 19. . . .. . .Sliced Beetroot 20. . . .. . .Horseradish 21. . . .. . .Custard Pudding 22. . . .. . .Stewed Fruits 23. . . .. . .Assorted Fruits 24. . . .. . .Sweet Grapes 25. . . .. . .Gruyere Cheese Cream Cheese 26. . . .. . .Tea and Coffee
Any dishes desired and not on the bill of fare will be charged extra. Gentlemen are requested not to Smoke in the Dining Room before 1.
This was nominally ‘‘tiffin’’ (see March 31), but far removed geographically and culinarily from its origins. Many tiffin menus from various countries and menus from Japanese hotels and ships have a numbered format such as this, presumably to make ordering simple and avoid the inconvenience or embarrassment of language problems. There is a very strange mix of dishes indeed on this menu, and the tinned sardines hardly seem the sort of fare that a high-class hotel would serve. The Japanese, however, are masters in the art of preserving and cooking seafood, so perhaps it is not as strange as it first appears. Recipes ~~~ Poulet a l’Africaine Take half a pound of red peppers and three chili peppers. Dry them in the sun, or if impossible, in the oven. When they are dry pound them in a mortar, add a quarter of a pound of shallots, two cloves of garlic, six cloves, a small piece of ginger, and two bay leaves. Pound this well together till you obtain a kind of paste. Take a chicken, cut it in five or six pieces, and brown them in butter on all sides. Add salt, two or three tablespoonfuls of the pepper paste prepared, and cook it very slowly for about ten minutes. Then dilute with hot water, so that it just covers the pieces of chicken. Let it simmer till the chicken is well cooked by which time there should be very little sauce left. This is a recipe from North Africa. In our countries the preparation of the paste could be simplified by using cayenne pepper, powdered ginger, which could be added in the mortar to the other peppers , the garlic, the shallots. This dish should be very highly spiced. X. Marcel Boulestin, What Shall We Have Today (1931).
April 26
Royal Wedding Breakfast
Tomato Chutney One peck of green tomatoes; six large green peppers; six onions; one cup of salt. Chop onions and peppers fine, slice the tomatoes about quarter of an inch thick, and sprinkle the salt over all. In the morning drain off all the salt and water, and put the tomatoes in a porcelain-lined kettle. Mix together thoroughly two pounds of brown sugar; quarter of a pound of mustard-seed; one ounce each of powdered cloves, cinnamon, ginger, and black pepper; half an ounce of allspice; quarter of an ounce each of cayenne pepper and ground mustard. Stir all into the tomatoes; cover with cider vinegar, about two quarts, and boil slowly for two hours. Very nice, but very hot. If wanted less so, omit the cayenne and ground mustard. Helen Campbell, The Easiest Way in Housekeeping and Cooking (1903).
April 26 Royal Wedding Breakfast Buckingham Palace, London, England, 1923 When King Edward VIII’s brother, the Duke of York (1895–1952), proposed to Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon (1900–2002), she initially turned him down, apparently fearing that life in the royal family would be too restricting. The Duke did manage to persuade her, however, and they were married in 1923. Then, in 1936, her life turned down a path she could hardly have predicted. All of a sudden she became Queen Consort when Edward abdicated (see December 12), and her husband inherited the throne as King George VI. She took to the role with great grace and charm, and eventually became Britain’s most loved member of the royal family—particularly as ‘‘Queen Mother’’ when her daughter inherited the throne as the current Queen Elizabeth II. In 1923 the couple was popular, young, and happy—and their wedding was a welcome event to a British public still recovering from the First World War. It was an opportunity to celebrate, and it was the first royal wedding to be recorded on film. The wedding ceremony took place in Westminster Abbey, and the wedding breakfast was held at Buckingham Palace before the couple left for the train that was to take them to their honeymoon. ` la Windsor Consomme´ a — Supreˆmes de Saumon, Reine Mary — Coˆtelletes d’Agneau, Prince Albert — ` la Strathmore Chapons a
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Royal Wedding Breakfast — ` l’Aspic Jambon et Langue decoupes a Salade Royale — Asperges, sauce Cre`me Mousseuse — Fraises, Duchesse Elizabeth Paniers de Friandises — Dessert — Cafe´
It was very common at the time to honor special persons or guests by naming dishes for them. Occasionally a new dish was created, but more often a minor alteration would be made to a classic dish—perhaps the garnish might be changed slightly, or a different herb substituted in a sauce. These alterations were no doubt noted in the chef’s personal recipe book, but without being privy to their contents, it cannot be known for sure how most of them were made. The Reine (Queen) Mary was Mary of Teck, the mother of the groom, the Duchesse Elizabeth was the bride, and Prince Albert was the groom who became King George VI. His full name was Albert Frederick Arthur George, and he was always called ‘‘Bertie’’ by his family. Recipes ~~~ Co ˆ telletes d’Agneau Grilles (Grilled Lamb Cutlets) Cutlets of half-grown lamb are best for this dish, not chops. They must be very carefully trimmed of all gristle and superfluous fat and present a neat appearance. Each cutlet should be dusted with salte and pepper, lightly brushed with olive oil, and grilled for about 2 1/2 minutes (according to size) on each side.
Sauce Albert Wash, scrape and grate 3 oz. of horseradish. Put in a saucepan with one gill of consomme´ blanc and simmer gently for 15 minutes. Add a large wineglass of cream, 3/4 pint of be´chamel sauce and a dessertspoonful of breadcrumbs. Stir and thicken over a brisk heat. Remove and force through a sieve with a wooden spoon. Replace in a saucepan and over a very gentle heat stir in the yolks of 2 eggs. Season to taste with a little salt and white pepper. Mix a coffeespoonful of fresh mustard with a dessertspoonful of vinegar and, before serving, stir into the sauce.
April 27
Soviet Leaders Luncheon
Asperges, Sauce Mousseuse This dish consists of hot boiled asparagus with a warm, fluffy sauce [mousseuse means ‘‘frothy’’]. The cooked vegetable should be well-drained and served at once—hot. Sauce Mousseuse is made by carefully folding in one part of whipped cream into two parts of Sauce Hollandaise. This sauce must be carefully and completely mixed but not beaten. Rene Roussin, Chef-de-cuisine to King George VI, Royal Menus (1960).
` la Windsor: see April 9. Consomme´ a Sauce Hollandaise: see April 14.
April 27 Soviet Leaders Luncheon aboard the Train to Portsmouth, England, 1956 Nikita Khrushchev (1894–1971), first secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, and Marshal Nikolai Bulganin (1895–1975), the prime minister of the Soviet Union, visited Great Britain in 1956. The visit was
British Prime Minister Sir Anthony Eden shakes the hand of Russian Communist Party Chief Nikita Khrushchev at London’s Victoria Station, April 18, 1956, as Soviet Premier Nikolai Bulganin, center, watches. (AP Photo)
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intended to promote friendly relations and improve trade ‘‘without prejudicing British relations with any other countries’’ because, in the words of Bulganin, ‘‘We have to live together.’’ Ukrainian exiles in England did not feel so friendly towards their old enemy, however, and on April 18, the day of the Soviet leaders’ arrival, they had staged a fast day in protest. Nevertheless, on the whole the visit went smoothly, and on April 27, accompanied by the Foreign Secretary, they left London amongst ‘‘expressions of warm goodwill.’’ They traveled by train aboard the Simplon-Orient Express to Portsmouth where they were to rejoin the Russian cruiser Ordzhonikidze for their journey home. En route they enjoyed a fine, very British luncheon, accompanied by a selection of excellent wines and cigars.
WINE LIST
MENU
Cocktails, Sherry
Fruit Cup Cocktail
Pouilly Dry Reserve
Grilled Salmon from the Tay
(Bouchard Aine) Roast Saddle of Southdown Lamb Chateau Lafitte Rothschild 1950
Mint Jelly Redcurrant Preserve
(Chateau bottled)
Parsley New Potatoes French Beans
Liebfraumilch Klosterdoctor 1952
Baby Carrots Norfolk Garden Peas
Bisquit Doubouche´ V.S.O.P. Cognac
Apple and Blackberry Pie Whipped Dairy Cream
Kummel Benedictine Drambuie
English Cheese Tray
Havana Cigars, Cigarettes
Coffee
Recipes ~~~ Mint has been a traditional accompaniment to lamb (in Britain) for a long time. The best known form is mint sauce, made with vinegar and sugar, but mint jelly is an alternative. It is made on a base of apple jelly. Adding
April 28
Lunch at Sea
chopped mint at the same time as the lemon juice in the following recipe will make mint jelly. Apple Jelly 9 lbs. apples, 4 quarts water, 4 1/2 lbs. sugar, the strained juice of 3 lemons. Pare, core, and quarter the apples. Put them in a preserving-pan with the water, and boil together until the fruit is quite tender, and forms a smooth, but not thick, pulp. Strain this through a jelly-bag or fine sieve, and, should the juice not look clear, strain a second time. Return the juice to the saucepan, and boil it rapidly for 20 minutes, add the sugar, and continue boiling for 15 minutes, stirring all the time, and removing carefully any scum which may arise from the sugar. Add the lemon juice, and boil for another 5 minutes, or until a little of the jelly, poured on a plate, will set.
Red or White Currant Jelly: see January 5.
April 28 Lunch at Sea RMS Aquitania, 1921 The RMS Aquitania—the ‘‘Ship Beautiful’’ of the Cunard Line—regularly traveled the North Atlantic route between Southampton and New York during her working life. April 28, 1921, was the last night of a westward journey; she was bringing 600 first-class passengers, 730 second-class passengers, and 1,724 third-class passengers to New York. The Aquitania carried many migrants to America during her career, and they made up a large component of the third-class passengers on this voyage. Also aboard were some celebrities, including the mayor of Dublin on a mission for White Cross Relief for Ireland, the singer John McCormack, the pugilist Frank Moran, Major Macklin of the last Shackleton expedition, Colonel D. B. Wentz ‘‘who has been shooting tigers in India,’’ and ‘‘a prize Sealyham terrier belonging to Mrs. Welch.’’ It is said that Mrs. Welch paid $2,000 extra for her passage in transferring ships to bring the dog two days earlier to Philadelphia. The following luncheon was served aboard on this final day at sea. The menu does not state which class of passengers enjoyed this meal, but it was not likely to be first class. First class menus had far more extensive choices of more elegant dishes. The food at this luncheon was plain and hearty fare in the English style.
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Lunch at Sea LUNCHEON Kidney Soup — Haddock—Grenobloise — Macaroni—Italienne — Roast Leg of Mutton—Cumberland Sauce Pig’s Cheek and Cabbage — Garden Turnips Jacket Potatoes — Rump Steak and Tomatoes—to order French Fried Potatoes — COLD Roast Beef Boiled Ham Leicester Pie Pressed Beef Oxford Brawn Salad Rice Pudding Compote of Fruit and Custard Cheese Coffee
Recipes ~~~ Kidney Soup 1 1/2 lbs. ox kidney, 1 small turnip, 3 pints cold water, 1/2 lb. shin beef, 1 1/2 oz. butter or dripping, 1 oz. potato flour, few drops browning.
1 small carrot, 1 bouquet garni, 1/2 teaspoonful salt, 1 small onion, 1 oz. flour, 1/4 teaspoonful pepper,
Cut the kidney, meat, and vegetables into neat pieces. Toss meat and kidney in flour, pepper, and salt. Melt butter in pan. Brown meat, kidney, and onions, add water, bring to the boil, and remove scum. Add carrot, turnip, and bouquet garni, simmer three to three and a half hours, and strain through a wire sieve. Save some nice pieces of kidney, rub rest of kidney and meat through sieve, but not vegetables; return to pan. Mix potato flour with a little water, add to soup, and stir till boiling. Add pepper, salt, and browning. Pour over pieces of kidney in tureens.
April 28
Lunch at Sea
Bouquet Garni 1 blade mace, sprig parsley, 1 bay leaf, 8 or 10 peppercorns. Tie together in a muslin bag. Miss H. H. Tuxford, Miss Tuxford’s Cookery for the Middle Classes (ca. 1920s).
Cumberland Sauce A sauce made by blanching the shredded zest of oranges and lemons in water, before cooking then in red wine or Port and melted red currant jelly. Served cold to accompany cold meat.
Oxford Brawn Take the head of a young porker, lay it, after being split, in soak for 24 hours in salt and water; rub it well with common salt and a quarter of an ounce of saltpetre and a quarter of a pound of moist sugar; let it lie in the salting-trough three days; wash it well, and put it on to boil until the meat will come readily from the bones; cut up the meat into small pieces; season to your taste; put it all into a brawn tin, or any earthenware vessel with a flat bottom will answer as well; the tongue should be placed in the middle upright. It is much improved if four or five tongues can be had instead of one. When cold, turn it out. The Cottage Gardener (London, 1851).
Gravy browning, as its name suggests, was added to gravies, soups, and sauces, to give the desirable rich dark color. Gravy Browning 1/2 lb. Brown Sugar 1/2 pint Boiling Water Heat an old iron pan on the fire; rub it with a little dripping. Put the sugar into it, let it melt, stir with an iron spoon till it is dark brown. Draw the pan to the side of the fire, add the water gradually, stirring all the time. Place the pan on the fire again, and stir till all is smooth. Let it cool, and pour it into a bottle, and it will keep for several months. The Manchester School of Domestic Economy and Cookery, Middle Class Cookery Book (1903).
For Brawn, see also September 22. Pig’s cheek: given that this is served with cabbage, it was most likely the cured bacon type (see December 3). Pressed Beef: see November 18.
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April 29
Dinner for Ottoman Visitors
April 29 Dinner for Ottoman Visitors Mayor’s Residence, Winchester, England, 1851 The steamer-of-war Feiza Baari arrived in England in late April 1851, carrying magnificent examples of Turkish craftsmanship for the Great Exhibition at the Crystal Palace in London. Also aboard, according to the Daily News, were a number of ‘‘distinguished persons from the Ottoman dominions,’’ including Vice-Admiral Mustapha Pacha and Gemeledin Pacha. The distinguished visitors and ship’s officers were invited to lunch by the mayor of Southampton at his country home ‘‘beautifully situated on a lofty eminence’’ outside Winchester. The dejeuner consisted of roast beef and chickens, roast lamb, galatine of veal, raised French pies, plover eggs, jellies and creams, ornamental pastry, lobster salads, plain salads, all kinds of cakes and confectionary, and of green and preserved fruits. Amongst the wines and beverages was sherbet.
Not many English cooks of the time would have been familiar with the dietary requirements of Muslim guests, but it appears that the one responsible rose to the culinary challenge and ‘‘the utmost care was taken to put nothing on the table forbidden by Mohammedan tastes or prejudices.’’ In other words, the caterers were mindful of Islamic food laws which determine what food is hala ¯l (lawful) and what is hara ¯m (unlawful). The determination is made on the basis of the type of food, the method of slaughter, and the handling of the meat after slaughter. The oriental guests’ dietary requirements notwithstanding, this was a typical Victorian meal. Although the sherbet was no doubt specifically chosen to honor the Turkish visitors, since such icy delights were already popular amongst the Victorian elite. A ‘‘sherbet,’’ however, was not always a frozen treat. The word derives from the Turkish/Arabic word for ‘‘drink’’ and originally meant a sweetened beverage made from fruit and perfumed with exotic flower essences, musk, and ambergris. Early European travelers spread the good word on their return, and the wealthy who could maintain ice pits or caves were able to chill their sherbets on the hottest days. From this idea, as refrigeration technology made the idea accessible to all, came sherbet, sorbet, granita, and the violently colored ‘‘slushies’’ and ‘‘slurpies’’ sold today. The plovers’ eggs were a real delicacy on Victorian dinner tables. They were prized on account of the beautiful ‘‘whiteness’’ of the white and were usually presented hard boiled, in ‘‘nests’’ of moss or something similar. The season was short and most were imported from Holland—the first to arrive being traditionally reserved for Her Majesty’s enjoyment.
April 29
Dinner for Ottoman Visitors
Recipes ~~~ Persian and Turkish Sherbet The method pursued by the Persians, Turks, &c. is to extract the fragrant, rich, and acidulated juices of the finest flowers and fruits, and make them, with the addition of sugar, into what we call fruit jellies or lozenges, which are dissolved in the purest spring water, and thus form the agreeable beverage denominated sherbet. For example, they evaporate the purified juice of citrons in a water bath with a slow fire, till it becomes of nearly the consistence of honey, melting, in the mean time, some finely powdered loaf sugar in a silver dish, and continually stirring it with a flat wooden spoon; when the sugar is very dry, they sprinkle over it, a little at a time, the prepared juice of citron; continuing to stir it till the whole has sufficient moisture to form a paste, which they make into lozenges, and keep in a dry and rather warm situation; in this way they prepare all the acid juices, such as barberries, lemons, gooseberries, &c.: with the less acid and more delicately flavoured fruits they proceed differently, only well heating the sugar in a silver dish, adding to it by degrees the fresh juice and stirring it constantly till a paste is formed. This must not be made into lozenges till perfectly dry, and they must be put into a box lined with paper, and kept in a dry place. They are variously prepared with orange-flowers, roses, &c. The Persians and Turks are said to prepare a favourite sherbet with violet vinegar, pomegranate-juice, and sugar formed into lozenges. M. E. Rundell, The New Family Receipt Book (1837).
American Author Harriet Beecher Stowe on Plovers’ Eggs At lunch at Stafford House, London, May 8, 1853. Meanwhile the servants moved noiselessly to and fro, taking up the various articles on the table, and offering them to the guests in a peculiarly quiet manner. One of the dishes brought to me was a plover’s nest, precisely as the plover made it, with five little blue speckled eggs in it. This mode of serving plover’s eggs, as I understand it, is one of the fashions of the day, and has something quite sylvan and picturesque about it; but it looked so, for all the world, like a robin’s nest that I used to watch out in our home orchard, that I had it not in my heart to profane the sanctity of the image by eating one of the eggs.
From Sunny Memories of Foreign Lands (1854).
Raised Pies: see October 25.
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April 30
Harvard Club of Boston Dinner
April 30 Harvard Club of Boston Dinner Hotel Somerset, Boston, Massachusetts, 1913 The Harvard Club was founded in 1908 in spite of a vote against the idea by the Class Secretaries’ Association, who were concerned that the timing was ‘‘inopportune’’ in view of the previous year’s financial crash (the ‘‘Bankers’ Panic’’). Twenty-two men were the founders, but nine months later the membership stood at 786, and by the time of this dinner it was 3,500. The aim of the club was ‘‘to give effective expression to the Harvard spirit,’’ which appeared to mean serving the university and the Boston community while having fun. Regular dinners were an integral part of the club’s life, and until it moved into its own quarters in November 1913, they were usually held at the Hotel Somerset. The menu for the dinner on April 30, 1913, was sufficiently different from the usual for the club that the newspapers saw fit to comment on the plans in advance. Corned Beef for Harvard Club The men of the Harvard Club of Boston are to sit down to corned beef and cabbage at the Hotel Somerset on Wednesday evening. Instead of the usual menu for such occasions, the members are invited to sit down to a New England Boiled Dinner. The New York Times, April 27, 1913.
The New England boiled dinner is said to be a legacy of the Irish heritage of the region. Boiled beef and cabbage is certainly associated with St. Patrick’s day dinners, but the reality is that many Irish peasants would rarely, if ever, have seen a large piece of meat on their tables. There was a thriving corned meat industry in Ireland (centered around Cork) from the late-seventeenth to early-nineteenth centuries, but most of it was for export. ‘‘Corning’’ means salting—the term comes from the old English use of the word corn to mean ‘‘grains’’ of any type, including grains of salt. Corning was a vitally important way of preserving all types of meat in the days before refrigeration, particularly for long sea voyages. The newspaper article specified that the dinner was to be ‘‘corned beef and cabbage,’’ but as with many other ‘‘traditional’’ dishes of the ‘‘one-pot’’ type (such as the French pot-au-feu, see April 7), the exact components are the subject of constant debate. The author of the White House Cook Book (1887) wrote that a piece of salt pork was usually included, many recipes include ham instead of or as well as the beef, and the range of vegetables is only limited by their availability.
April 30
Harvard Club of Boston Dinner
Recipes ~~~ A New England Boiled Dinner Select a thick piece of corned beef from the round, weighing about six pounds; wash it in cold water, and put it over the fire in a large pot, with sufficient cold water to cover it three or four inches; set the pot where its contents will slowly reach the boiling-point, and boil very gently for four hours from the time it is first placed on the fire. After the meat is put to cook, wash four large beets very carefully, without breaking the skin or cutting off the stalks or roots, and put them over the fire to boil in another pot, in plenty of actually boiling water. Then peel four large white turnips and one large yellow turnip; cut the latter in four pieces; scrape four carrots and four parsneps; peel a dozen medium-sized potatoes; trim and wash a firm head of white cabbage, cut its stalk out without breaking the leaves apart, and bind it with broad tape to keep it whole while cooking. As fast as the vegetables are prepared, lay them in plenty of cold water until they are needed for cooking. If onions are used, they should be boiled in a separate saucepan. Some families like a dish of boiled squash mashed with pepper, salt, and butter, served as part of a boiled dinner; in the fall and winter, pumpkin is often used like the squash. When the meat begins to boil, the scum which rises to the surface of the potliquor should be carefully skimmed off, and a medium-sized red or green pepper put into the pot. As already indicated, the pot must be large enough to hold both meat and vegetables; the vegetables, except the beets and onions, are to be added to the meat in proper succession, allowing sufficient time for each kind to cook. The carrots, parsneps, and turnips will boil in about two hours; the cabbage and onions, in one hour; the potatoes, squash, and pumpkin, in about half an hour. The beets will boil in from two to four hours, according to their size; they are to be taken up when tender, their skins are to be rubbed off with a wet towel, and then they are to be sliced and covered with vinegar. They are generally served cold; but if they are liked hot, they can be heated at dinner-time, with a little salt, pepper, and butter. When the boiled dinner is cooked, the meat is placed in the middle of a large platter, and the vegetables, with the exception of those specified for separate serving, are arranged around it. A piece of salt pork is sometimes boiled with the beef. Juliet Corson, Miss Corson’s Practical American Cookery (1886).
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May May 1 Elvis Presley’s Wedding Aladdin Hotel, Las Vegas, 1967 Elvis Aaron Presley (1935–1977), the ‘‘King of Rock ‘n’ Roll,’’ married Priscilla Ann Wagner (b. 1945) on May 1, 1967. Amongst the hundred or so guests at the wedding breakfast at the Aladdin Hotel in Las Vegas was the State Supreme Court Justice David Zenoff, who had performed the ceremony. Ham Eggs Southern Fried chicken Oysters Rockefeller Roast Suckling Pig Poached and Candied Salmon Lobster Eggs Minette Champagne
In addition there was, of course, a wedding cake. It was a white angel food cake decorated with pink hearts. The menu is a rather strange mix of elegant dishes that would have been at home on any fine dinner table, such as the oysters Rockefeller and poached salmon, and hearty comfort food such as the southern fried chicken—the latter no doubt included because of Elvis’s Mississippi origins. The exact, original recipe for oysters Rockefeller is one of culinary history’s best-kept secrets. The dish was invented by Jules Alciatore of the famous New Orleans restaurant Antoine’s and named for the enormously wealthy John D. Rockefeller. Many attempts at kitchen espionage and laboratory analysis have failed to uncover the secret, and amongst the many supposed ‘‘authentic’’ versions of the dish the only consistent ingredient is the oyster. Alciatore’s son Roy did supply a recipe that contained spinach to Life magazine’s The Picture Cookbook, but there is considerable doubt amongst aficionados of the real thing that spinach is an original ingredient. Craig Claiborne in his New York Times Cookbook gave two versions, both containing
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Elvis Presley’s Wedding
Elvis and Priscilla at their wedding. (AP Photo)
watercress, scallions, parsley, chopped fennel, garlic, butter, bread crumbs, and Pernod, one also having lettuce, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, and anchovy paste. As with so many eponymous dishes, there are a variety of stories to explain the name. One story is that it was called ‘‘Rockefeller’’ to indicate the richness of the ingredients, or alternatively that the color of the sauce represents the greenback dollar. Another story says that when Alciatore first prepared it, he said, ‘‘That’s a dish good enough for Rockefeller.’’ A more cynical (or ironic) tale says that Alciatore created the dish from what was left over in the kitchen at the time—and found he had a winner on his hands.
Recipes ~~~ Oysters Rockefeller 36 fresh oysters on the half shell 6 tablespoons butter 6 tablespoons finely minced raw spinach 3 tablespoons minced onion 3 tablespoons minced parsley 5 tablespoons bread crumbs Tabasco sauce to taste 1/2 teaspoon Herbsaint, or substitute Pernod 1/2 teaspoon salt
May 2
Dinner at the Sanitarium
Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add all the ingredients except the oysters. Cook, constantly stirring for 15 minutes. Press the mixture through a sieve or a food mill. Cool. Line six pie tins with rock salt. Set 6 oysters in the rock salt on each pie tin. Divide the topping into 36 equal portions. Place one portion on each oyster. Broil until topping is brown. Serves 6. Life Magazine, Picture Cookbook (1958).
Fried Chicken Cut the chicken up, separating every joint, and wash clean. Salt and pepper it, and roll into flour well. Have your fat very hot, and drop the pieces into it, and let them cook brown. The chicken is done when the fork passes easily into it. After the chicken is all cooked, leave a little of the hot fat in the skillet; then take a tablespoonful of dry flour and brown it in the fat, stirring it around, then pour water in and stir till the gravy is as thin as soup. Abby Fisher, What Mrs. Fisher Knows about Old Southern Cooking (San Francisco, 1881).
Angel (food) Cake: see September 21.
May 2 Dinner at the Sanitarium Battle Creek, Michigan, 1900 John Harvey Kellogg (1852–1943) became superintendent of the Seventh Day Adventist Church’s Battle Creek Sanitarium in 1876. He was a health and nutrition reformer, and many of his ideas on nutrition are reflected in the following example of the daily offerings in the sanitarium. MENU
FERMENTE[D] BREADS. Coarse Graham Bread Bread
DINNER.
White Bread
Fine Graham Zweiback
Tuesday, May 2 1900
UNFERMENTED BREADS.
SOUPS.
Toasted Whole-wheat Wafers
Scotch Pea
Fruit
VEGETABLES. Baked Potatoes Mashed Beans Asparagus Escalloped Tomatoes
Beaten Biscuits Browned Granose Biscuit Graham Crackers White Bread
Passover Bread Graham Bread
ENTREES.
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Dinner at the Sanitarium SALADS.
Boiled Protose Stewed Nuttolene with Potato
Protose
NUT FOODS.
GRAINS. Gran Nuts Crystal Wheat
Granola Pearl Barley
Wheatose Mould with Grape Sauce
Nuttose C
Nuttola Nutts Nuttolene Protose
COOKED FRUITS. Prune Marmalade
Stewed Apples
Dry Gluten
Strawberries
LIQUID FOODS.
FRESH FRUIT.
Vegetable Broth Boiled Milk Vegetable Cream
Caramel Cereal Cream Gluten Fruit Gruel
Oranges DESSERT. Coconut Cornstarch Pudding
ARTICLES PREPARED TO ORDER. Carbon Crackers Gluten Biscuit No. 1 Gluten Wafers Dyspeptic Wafers Pop Corn Peas Puree Junket Milk Custard Kumyss Butter Milk Milk with Lime Water Poached Yolks of Eggs Egg Nogg Floated Eggs Tomato Toast Prune Toast Grape Toast Egg Toast Snowflake Toast Cream Toast The following will be served by special order (a moderate charge being made): Bromose Malted Nuts Ambrosia Maltol Kumyzoon Articles, the names of which are printed in italics, contain milk, but will be served without milk if so ordered. Food, Dishes, Spoons, etc., must not be taken from the Dining Room. A charge will be made for articles taken in violation of this rule. Patients ordering meals in rooms should write the name and room number below. Mr. . . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . . ROOM No. . . .. . .. . .
Kellogg advocated vegetarianism, fresh air, and exercise as the basis for a healthy life. It is difficult to argue with these principles today, and they are
May 2
Dinner at the Sanitarium
Battle Creek Sanitarium. Courtesy of Library of Congress.
increasingly backed up by science. Some of his other ideas, however, seem very outlandish, and a lot less likely to attract modern adherents. He was adamant about the dangers of constipation (which caused ‘‘autointoxication’’ he said), and the safest remedy was to start every day with an enema—a practice he apparently followed himself. He also preached the advantages of sexual abstinence, and purportedly his own marriage was celibate. This menu also demonstrates a nineteenth-century phenomenon— the beginnings of the health food ‘‘industry.’’ Kellogg and some of his contemporaries began to develop early meat analogues to encourage adherence to the vegetarian regime in a population reared to believe meat was the basis of every meal. At this time the value of soy beans (see August 17) as a base for meatless meals was not well known, and most of the manufactured substitutes were based on grains and cereals. The Bromose, Protose, Wheatose, and Maltol on this menu are all examples of these ‘‘health’’ foods, as was the ‘‘Kumyzoon’’—Kellogg’s nonalcoholic substitute for kumiss, the supposedly longevity-giving Mongolian drink made from fermented mare’s milk.
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May 3
Dilettante Society Dinner
Recipes ~~~ Ella Eaton Kellogg, the wife of John Harvey Kellogg, assisted him in his health reform work. When it became clear that his patients found his recommended dietary regime most unpalatable, she took it upon herself to learn cookery and find more inviting ways to prepare wholesome food. The recipes below are from her book, Science in the Kitchen, published in 1893. Grape Toast Stem well-ripened grapes, wash well, and scald without water in a double boiler until broken; rub through a colander to remove sends and skins, and when cool, sweeten to taste. If the toast is desired for breakfast, the grapes should be prepared the day previous. Soften the toast in hot cream, as previously directed, and pack in a tureen. Heat the prepared grapes and serve, pouring a small quantity over each slice of toast. Canned grapes may be used instead of fresh ones, if desired.
Snowflake Toast Heat to boiling a quart of milk to which a half cup of cream and a little salt have been added. Thicken with a tablespoonful of flour rubbed smooth in a little cold milk. Have ready the whites of two eggs beaten to a stiff froth; and when the sauce is well cooked, turn a cupful of it on the beaten egg, stirring well meanwhile so that it will form a light, frothy mixture, to which add the remainder of the sauce. If the sauce is not sufficiently hot to coagulate the albumen, it may be heated again almost to the boiling point, but should not be allowed to boil. The sauce should be of a light, frothy consistency throughout. Serve as dressing on nicely moistened slices of zwieback.
Graham Bread: see February 5. May 3 Dilettante Society Dinner Grand Hotel, Trafalgar Square, London, England, 1891 The Dilettante Society was founded in England in about 1732. It was composed of ‘‘noblemen and gentlemen’’ wealthy enough to have done the Grand Tour of Europe and to have returned with a passion for fine and ancient art. It began as a dining club, with connotations of frivolity and heavy drinking, but however keen the members were to enjoy a good dinner, they were also connoisseurs of fine art, and wealthy enough to indulge their interest. The society ultimately did a great deal to foster the study of ancient art, and many of the classical antiquities stored in the British Museum are there as a result of its work.
May 3
Dilettante Society Dinner
MENU DU DINER. VINS.
HORS D’ŒUVRE. Salade d’Anchois. POTAGES.
Fine Dry Amontillado.
Tortue Claire. ` l’ Ivoire. Cre`me a POISSONS.
Leibfraumilch.
Turbot, sauce Hollandaise. ´ perlans, sauce Remoulade. E ENTREES. ˆte´s a ` la Windsor. Pa
Deutz & Geldermann, 1884.
` la Strasbourgeoise Souffle´s de Volaille a
G. H. Mumm, 1884.
Coˆtelletes d’Agneau aux Concombres. GROSSES PIECES. Filets de Bœuf Garnie. Jambon au Champagne. Le´gumes Divers. — Marrow Bones. ROTI. Perdreaux Barde´s ENTREMETS. Asperges en Branches.
Otard’s Old Liqueur Brandy.
Abricots en Bellevue. ˆteaux Napolitains. Ga
Sandemann’s Port, 1873.
RELEVE. ` la Diable. ˆ tes de Harengs a Crou
ˆteau Calon Segur, Cha 1874. DESSERTS. Johannis Brunnen Water.
` la Cardinal. Glace a Petits Fours.
Fruits Assortis.
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Dilettante Society Dinner
The society had a regular dinner meeting on the first Sunday of the month. The venue changed over the decades and in 1891 was in the elegant Grand Hotel in Trafalgar Square. It would be expected that the dilettantes would be connoisseurs of fine food, and in the Victorian era this meant a dinner exactly like this. All of the dishes are named in French, even the very English Windsor pies—with the rather odd exception of the marrow bones. Marrow bones were very popular as a small savory dish, and it is said that they were a regular favorite of Queen Victoria. The Victorians had huge empty tables to fill as the old ` la franc¸aise (all the dishes on the table at once, see Janumethod of service a ` la russe (dishes served sequentially). The Victorary 17) gave way to service a ians also loved ornate decoration and nicknacks. Both of these conditions contributed to the development of a huge range of tableware that was lined up impressively at place settings. There was a piece of cutlery for everything—asparagus forks, bacon forks, fish knives, and marrow spoons with long handles and slender bowls for retrieving the fatty tasty contents of the hollow bones. Recipes ~~~ Marrow Bones (to Boil) 2 marrow-bones, flour and water paste. Saw the bones in half, and the ends of the bones even, so that they can stand upright. Put a piece of flour and water paste very carefully over the ends of each, that the marrow may not boil out. Tie each bone up tightly in a very clean cloth, put it (upright if possible) into a saucepan of boiling water, and keep the water boiling until the bones are cooked. Take off the cloths, remove the paste, and serve the bones, standing upright, on a hot napkin, garnished with fresh parsley. Send some neat pieces of hot toast, 1/2 of an inch in thickness, to table with them. Ethel S. Meyer, A Practical Dictionary of Cookery: 1200 Tested Recipes (London, 1898).
ˆ te´s’’ on an English menu are now ‘‘crustless’’pies, but the word in ‘‘Pa French still references pastry. Small mutton pies were a favorite of the royal household in the nineteenth century, and ‘‘Windsor Pies’’ appear on many menus of the time. ` la Windsor Mutton Pies a Cut the lean part of a pound of loin of mutton into very small squares, season this with chopped mushrooms, parsley, and shalot, pepper and salt, and a little brown sauce or gravy, of any kind most convenient; mix altogether in a basin.
May 4
Kosher Banquet
Next, line some tartlet or patty-pans with short paste made without sugar; fill these with some of the prepared mince; cover them over with a top, press and pinch them round the edge; egg them over; place a stamped ornament on the top of the patties; make a very small hole in the centre for ventilation, to prevent their bursting while baking; push them in the oven on a baking-sheet for about twenty minutes; and when done, dish them on a napkin and send to table. Charles Elme´ Francatelli, The Cook’s Guide (London, 1863).
Hollandaise Sauce: see April 14. Petits Fours: see November 14.
May 4 Kosher Banquet London, England, 1907 As the twentieth century progressed Britain became increasingly protective of its Empire, and for economic as well as nationalistic reasons, there were many campaigns to promote the produce of its various dominions (see May 24). In May 1907 a Colonial Conference was held in London to discuss those very issues. A great opportunity serendipitously presented itself for a mutual celebration and promotion when the event coincided with the arrival of the first consignment of colonial meat that was approved for sale by the London Jewish Ecclesiastical Board. Until this time the London Beth Din (the Rabbinical court) had ‘‘refused to allow the sale even of those tinned meats which are prepared in Australia under the supervision of the Jewish authorities there’’ (Penny Illustrated, May 4, 1907). The approval, when it came, was greatly welcomed as ‘‘London Jews . . . have been paying higher prices for meat than their Gentile neighbours.’’ Messrs. F. Barnett and Co. (who had obtained the concession) invited the Colonial premiers to a kosher banquet to demonstrate the newly sanctioned products. The newspapers reported the menu with interest, although the response of the Colonial premiers to the dinner was not noted. Olives, smoked salmon, anchovies. ‘‘Frimsel’’ (a kind of vermicelli, home made). Clear mock turtle (from Australian stock). Boiled salmon, new potatoes, Indian sauce. Whitebait. Quails. Australian sweetbreads. Forequarter lamb (Australian). Australian vegetables. Surrey fowls. Sweets. Dessert (Colonial fruit). Coffee. Australian wines.
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Kosher Banquet
It is certain that the dishes on this menu were prepared according to the rules of kashrut (see July 11). Standard methods of preparation of wellknown dishes were adapted by Jewish cooks to ensure that they were kosher. This meant, for example, that at any meal at which meat was to be consumed, no milk products could be used. Oil or chicken fat, not butter, was used for frying, and milk- and cheese-based sauces were avoided. ‘‘Sweetbreads’’ appeared often on nineteenth- and early-twentiethcentury dinner tables. They are not made from sweet yeast bread dough as is commonly believed, but are in fact offal. Sweetbreads consist of the pancreas or the thymus (the more desirable) glands of a young animal and were esteemed a great delicacy. They have gone the way of much offal and are not easy to obtain nowadays, apart from occasionally in restaurants trying to stay ahead of the crowd. The Australian vegetables are a puzzle. It is difficult to guess what these might have been, given the long sea voyage they undertook. Presumably, like the meat, they had been frozen. Recipes ~~~ Croquettes are balls or cylinders of finely chopped or minced meat, fish, or vegetables held together with a thickened white sauce, rolled in bread crumbs and deep fried. The basic mixture is essentially the same as for kromeskies (see August 4), which are usually dipped in batter before frying. Like kromeskies, they can be adapted to many ingredients. A kosher version cannot be cooked in butter, as are the croquettes in the recipe given for August 21, as, according to the rules of kashrut, dairy products cannot be included at the same meal as meat. Sweetbreads are blanched (briefly pre-boiled) before being prepared in any dish. This recipe is based on one for chicken croquettes.
Sweetbread Croquettes Cook one-half tablespoon of flour in one tablespoon chicken-fat, add one-half cup of soup stock gradually, and one-half teaspoon each of onion juice, lemon juice, salt, and one-quarter teaspoon of pepper, one and one-half cups of veal or chicken, chopped very fine, one pair of brains which have been boiled, mix these well, remove from the fire and add one well-beaten egg. Turn this mixture out on a flat dish and place in ice-box to cool. Then roll into small cones, dip in beaten egg, roll again in powdered bread or cracker crumbs and drop them into boiling fat, fry until a delicate brown. To make the sweetbread version: Cut the boiled sweetbreads into small dice with a silver knife. Mix with mushrooms, using half the quantity of mushrooms that you have of sweetbreads. Use two eggs in the sauce. Florence Greenbaum, International Jewish Cook Book (New York, 1919).
May 5
‘‘May Dinner’’
The instruction to prepare the soup on Friday is in accordance with the Jewish law in relation to ceasing ‘‘work’’ on Shabbat (Sabbath), which is Saturday (begins at nightfall on Friday night). Frimsel Soup Make this soup on Friday. Put into a saucepan five pounds of beef brisket, a knuckle of veal, four quarts of water, one root each of parsley and celery, with the leaves attached, one onion, and a teaspoonful of mixed ginger, mace, saffron, and pepper tied in a bit of cloth: boil for three hours slowly, skimming off any scum that may rise: take up the meat, strain the soup, and put it in an earthen pot to stand over night. Just before dinner the next day, take off all the fat, put it in a saucepan over the fire, add four ounces of frimsels or vermicelli, and boil it up; serve as soon as the vermicelli is tender. New York Times, February 23, 1896.
Whitebait: see August 14. Mock Turtle: see July 4.
May 5 ‘‘May Dinner’’ Simpson’s on the Strand, London, England, 1932 The 1920s and 1930s were a time of burgeoning interest in food in England. The Wine and Food Society began in 1933, with the aim of raising both awareness and standards in the area of wining and dining (see January 15). The Folk Cookery Association began a few years earlier with a more regional and historic perspective. Its main aim was to ‘‘attempt to capture the charm of England’s cookery before it is completely crushed out of existence.’’ The association held regular dinners at Simpson’s on the Strand, a famous bastion of English cuisine since 1828. On the occasion of their ‘‘May Dinner’’ they were brave enough (or confident enough) to invite the French Ambassador Aime´ de Fleuriau as guest of honor. Farmers’ soup Turbot with lobster sauce Kentish chicken pudding Cornish cauliflower New potatoes Lemon snow and cherry syllabub Marrow on toast Potted Stilton cheese and West Riding riddle bread
The ambassador was impressed, or at least gracious. His reply to the inevitable question of how he enjoyed his dinner was most diplomatic. ‘‘An excellent dinner!’’ he exclaimed, to great applause. ‘‘In England I prefer to have a
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‘‘May Dinner’’
typical English dinner rather than an imitation French one. Every country should make the most of its own products.’’ The Folk Cookery Association certainly managed a meal representative of English regional food. Every country and county has its own version of ‘‘farmers’ soup,’’ but in addition to the named dishes from Kent, Cornwall, and the West Riding of Yorkshire, the lemon snow and cherry syllabub were specifically said to be from Sussex and Hampshire. The stilton cheese is an ancient blue cheese which has been made in the Midlands area of England for centuries, although it can only now be legally designated as such if it comes from specially licensed dairies in three counties—Derbyshire, Leicestershire, and Nottinghamshire. Marrow on toast (see May 3) was Queen Victoria’s favorite savory, which she had daily. ‘‘Syllabub’’ is a frothy wine and milk (or cream) dish, somewhere between a beverage and a sauce, and one of the oldest sweet treats enjoyed by those who had easy access to cows. Originally, the cow was milked directly into the wine—the height and pressure of the jet of milk providing the ‘‘froth.’’ Cows were kept in royal parks for this specific purpose, so that one could be brought to the kitchen door, should a royal person call for a syllabub. Recipes ~~~ Chicken Pudding A plump chicken or two, as required, a slice of ham, suet crust (see June 3). Empty the crop, take out the inside, and divide the chickens into neat pieces. Line a pudding basin with suet crust , arrange the pieces of chicken neatly inside, interspersed with the ham, which has also been neatly divided. Season with pepper and salt, and pour over all a little strong gravy, made of the chicken giblets. Cover in the usual way. The addition of one or two sheep’s kidneys will greatly improve this dish, as will also a few mushrooms, or, when they are in season, a few oysters. The pudding should be long and gently boiled. Phillis Brown, A Year’s Cookery (London, 1879).
Lemon Snow Pudding (A pretty dish for a juvenile party.) Pour a pint of cold water over an ounce of isinglass or gelatine. Let it soak for half an hour, then put it into a saucepan over the fire, with three-quarters of a pound of loaf sugar, and the thin rind and strained juice of two fresh lemons. Simmer gently, stirring all the time, until the isinglass is dissolved; then pour it out, and put it aside until it is cold and beginning to set. Stir in the whites of three well-beaten eggs, and whisk all together briskly till it stiffens and assumes the appearance of snow, then pile lightly in a glass dish, and make it look as rocky as possible. Cassell’s Dictionary of Cookery (London, ca. 1870s).
May 6
Breakfast at Sea
The version of syllabub made by the association was from ‘‘cream and sherry flavoured with essence of cherries.’’ This basic version only requires the addition of a little cherry liqueur instead of brandy. Syllabub 1 pint of sherry or white wine, 1/2 grated nutmeg, sugar to taste, 1 1/2 pints of milk. Put the wine into a bowl with the grated nutmeg and plenty of pounded sugar, and milk into it the above proportion of milk frothed up. Clouted cream may be laid on the top, with pounded cinnamon or nutmeg and sugar, and a little brandy may be added to the wine before the milk is put in. In some counties, cider is substituted for the wine; when this is used, brandy must always be added. Warm milk may be poured on from a spouted jug or teapot, but it must be held very high. Isabella Beeton, Beeton’s Book of Household Management (1861).
Riddle Bread The riddle-bread, used in Lancashire and Yorkshire, is prepared from oat-meal, leavened by a little sourdough, preserved in the kneading trough from one baking to another. The meal and water are, in this case, mixed thin, and left all night to ferment. Next morning, the dough is poured upon a board, cut by furrows into squares. By a motion similar to riddling corn, the dough is made to expand—hence the name of riddle-bread. Bread thus made is spread upon a cratch, or a frame of wood, crossed with strings. Here the bread becomes very hard, and will keep almost any length of time. Before eating, it is usually toasted by the fire; and, when well buttered, is remarkably pleasant. A gentleman in Lancashire observes, that the proper quantity of butter, is, the same thickness as the bread. John Briggs, The Remains of John Briggs (1825).
Marrow on Toast: see May 3. May 6 Breakfast at Sea SS Prussian, 1875 The SS Prussian of the Allan Line regularly traveled the Liverpool to Quebec route in the 1870s, carrying migrants to Canada. They came from Europe, Russia, and Great Britain and included many Mennonites looking for a better life free from persecution, and many ‘‘child emigrants,’’ who had no choice in the matter. It was hearty breakfast fare in the days before processed breakfast cereals (see May 2).
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Breakfast at Sea BREAKFAST. Spatchcock & Mushrooms Fried Ham & Eggs Fried Potatoes Mutton Chops Minced Collops Dry Hash Yarmouth Bloaters Fried Tripe & Onions Devilled Kidneys Beef Steak & Onions Porridge
Porridge and Ham and Eggs are common on modern breakfast menus, but the other dishes are either more familiar at other meals such as the spatchcock dish (now eaten at dinner) or not familiar at all. Tripe is offal, and offal is out of fashion or downright repugnant to many modern tastes. It is one of two cow stomachs: plain tripe is from the first stomach, honeycomb tripe is from the second. Tripe was one of the staple foods for poor working folk for centuries and used to be sold ready cooked from shops and street sellers— the takeout of the nineteenth century. Recipes ~~~ Tripe must be thoroughly and meticulously cleaned before use and was often sold partly ‘‘dressed,’’ that is, pre-boiled. Beeton’s Household Manual (1861) gives a general recipe for tripe, with several variations including fried. However it was cooked, tripe was almost always served with plenty of onions. Beeton also gives instructions for preparing bloaters. To Dress Tripe Tripe, onion sauce, milk and water. Ascertain that the tripe is quite fresh, and have it cleaned and dressed. Cut away the coarsest fat, and boil it in equal proportions of milk and water for 3/4 hour. Should the tripe be entirely undressed, more than double that time should be allowed for it. Have ready some onion sauce, dish the tripe, smother it with the sauce, and the remainder send to table in a tureen. Note—Tripe may be dressed in a variety of ways: it may be cut in pieces and fried in batter, stewed in gravy with mushrooms, or cut into collops, sprinkled with minced onion and savoury herbs, and fried a nice brown in clarified butter.
May 6
Breakfast at Sea
White Onion Sauce 9 large onions, or 12 middling-sized ones, 1 pint of melted butter made with milk, 1/2 teaspoonful of salt, or rather more. Peel the onions and put them into water to which a little salt has been added, to preserve their whiteness, and let them remain for 1/4 hour. Then put them in a stewpan, cover them with water, and let them boil until tender, and, if the onions should be very strong, change the water after they have been boiling for 1/4 hour. Drain them thoroughly, chop them, and rub them through a tammy or sieve. Make 1 pint of melted butter [a sauce, see below] and when that boils, put in the onions, with a seasoning of salt; stir it till it simmers, when it will be ready to serve. If these directions are carefully attended to, this onion sauce will be delicious.
Melted Butter Made with Milk 1 teaspoonful of flour, 2 oz. butter, 1/3 pint of milk, a few grains of salt. Mix the butter and flour smoothly together on a plate, put it into a lined saucepan, and pour in the milk. Keep stirring it—one way—over a sharp fire; let it boil quickly for a minute or two, and it is ready to serve. This is a very good foundation for onion, lobster, or oyster sauce: using milk instead of water makes it look so much whiter and more delicate.
Red Herrings, or Yarmouth Bloaters The best way to cook these is to make incisions in the skin across the fish, because they do not then require to be so long on the fire, and will be far better than when cut open. The hard roe makes a nice relish by pounding it in a mortar, with a little anchovy, and spreading it on toast. If very dry, soak in warm water 1 hour before dressing.
The Several Types of Herrings Herring, like cod (see March 11) was a vital commodity in previous times. Both were useful on ‘‘fast’’ days, and as they could be preserved they could be stored against times of need and for long voyages. Unlike cod, herring is too oily to airdry, so it has to be smoke dried and salted. The various methods produce slightly different products. Bloater: a whole herring, lightly salted and smoked, must be eaten within a couple of days. Those from Yarmouth, England, were particularly prized. Kipper: the fish is split, gutted, and smoked.
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Buckling: the fish is gutted, beheaded, salted, and hot smoked so that it is also ‘‘cooked.’’ White herring: the fish is salted but not smoked. Red herring: the fish is heavily salted and smoked for a long period, thus giving it a long shelf life. This process produces a red color and a spectacularly strong smell—enough to put any hunting animal off any scent, giving the metaphorical use of the phrase.
May 7 Officers’ Luncheon HT Queen Mary, 1940 The magnificent Cunard ocean liner Queen Mary was, like many other luxurious ships, commandeered for war service in 1939. She was sent to Sydney, Australia, to be fitted out as a troopship and sailed out of there on May 4, 1940, as part of Australian Troop Convoy US3. Alongside the Queen Mary were other newly converted troopships—the Aquitania, Empress of Japan, Empress of Britain, Mauretania, and Andes, escorted by the Canberra, Perth, and Leander. The Queen Mary, with 5,000 troops aboard, was still in Australian waters between Sydney and Fremantle, en route to the Clyde (a major shipbuilding center in Scotland) via Cape Town, South Africa, when the officers sat down to the following luncheon on May 7. Hors d’Œuvre Varies Consomme Fermiere
Potage Egyptienne
Broiled Whitefish, Claudine Noodles, Sicilienne Ox Tail, Saute, Printaniere Silverside of Corned Beef, Garni Creamed Spinach Mashed Turnips Baked Jacket, Puree and French Fried Potatoes TO ORDER FROM THE GRILL: Sirloin Steak and Onions COLD BUFFET Sirloin of Beef Roast Lamb Leicester Brawn Bologna Sausage Ox Tongue Boiled Ham Pressed Beef SALADS Sliced Tomato Lettuce French Dressing
Potato
Compote of Rhubarb and Custard Ice Cream and Wafers Cheese Coffee
May 7
Officers’ Luncheon
Queen Mary leaving New York Harbor, 1940. (AP Photo)
The officers presumably dined in the two-story high first-class dining room (the grand salon), but wherever they ate it was likely a far more luxurious setting than usual for the military men and army cooks. The menu could have been a hotel menu of the time. There is some residual French in the consomme´ and potage instead of ‘‘soup,’’ and a couple of traditional sauces or garnishes such as the Printanie`re and Sicilienne, but most of the dishes were recognizable, regular fare. Recipes ~~~ Australians are the greatest consumers of lamb in the world, and corned beef (i.e. salted or pickled beef) is also popular. Silverside is the cut known in the United States as ‘‘bottom round’’—so called because of the silvery strip of ‘‘skin’’ along one side. Boiled Round [or Silverside] of Beef After taking the meat out of the pickle (in which it should have been lying for about ten days), wash off the salt, skewer it up into a nice round shape, and bind it round firmly with tape, or buy it ready for cooking. As this is not a very fat part of the beef, it is best to skewer a piece of fat in as well.
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VE Day Dinner
When the meat is well bound up, put it into a saucepan with cold water to cover, and bring it to the boil. Remove the scum as it rises. The skimming should be carefully attended to, as the appearance of the joint will be much spoiled if it is neglected. When the meat comes to the boil, draw the pan to one side and let it simmer gently for 3 hours. Two hours before it is done, put in the carrots and turnips, previously scraped and peeled and cut into convenient pieces. If the vegetables are young, they will not require so long a time to cook. When the meat is done, take it up, remove the tape and skewers. NOTE: if wanted to serve cold, return joint to the pan containing liquor and leave till cold.
Egg Custard 3 yolks of eggs 2 oz. castor sugar 1 pint milk pinch of salt 1/2 teaspoonful Vanilla Essence Bring the milk to boiling point in a saucepan or in the top of a double boiler. Beat the egg yolks slightly in a basin. Stir in the sugar and salt, then pour a tablespoon or tow of the milk into the yolks, stirring quickly. Pour the diluted yolks into the milk, stirring constantly, and keep stirring until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon. New Standard Cookery Illustrated (London, 1933).
Lamb, roast: see April 17. Pressed Beef: see February 22. Brawn: see April 28.
May 8 VE Day Dinner Simpson’s-in-the-Strand, London, England, 1945 Victory in Europe Day (VE Day) was declared on May 8, 1945. The war against the Japanese in the Pacific was not to end for several months (see August 16, VJ Day), but the mood in Britain and Europe was euphoric. Many restaurants quickly put together special menus for the day, in spite of the restrictions of rationing. The famous London restaurant Simpson’s-in-theStrand made no obvious patriotic fuss and saw no need to modify the names of its dishes but got quietly on with serving traditional English food. Authorised House Charge Simpson’s 1/6 in-the-Strand Empire Port per glass
. . .. . .
Authorised Charge for Food 5/3/6
May 8 Muscat Wine . . .. . . per glass Fine Pale Brandy . . .. . . per measure
VE Day Dinner
3/6 4/-
Bill of Fare for the Day at 5/— Hors d’Œuvre — Real Turtle Soup — *Roast Loin of Pork and Apple Sauce *Jugged Hare and Red Wine Sauce *Cold Roast Turkey with Sausages and Salad *Stewed Tripe with Peas and Onion Sauce *Cold Pressed Beef and Salad # Mushroom Omelette and Peas *Minced Ham with Peas, Mushrooms, and Piquante Sauce *Salmon Salad and Mayonnaise Sauce — Boiled Potatoes Peas Roast Potatoes Cabbage — Vanilla Ice Tipsy Cake Stewed Apples and Chocolate Sauce Stewed Damsons and Custard Stewed Cherries and Custard — Welsh Rarebit with Mushrooms on — Tea or Coffee 1/——— MEALS IN ESTABLISHMENTS ORDER, 1942 By the terms of this Order, it is not permissible to serve or consume more than three courses at any one meal; nor may any person have at a meal more than one dish marked * and one marked #, or alternatively, two dishes marked #. Dishes unmarked may be ordered instead of those marked, or in addition to them, provided that the limit of three courses is not exceeded, nor the maximum permitted price.
Simpson’s-in-the-Strand is an English institution. It has been serving resolutely English food since it opened (as the Grand Cigar Divan) in 1828. After 1848 it was Simpson’s Grand Divan Tavern, and it acquired its current name
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when it reopened in 1904 after extensive renovations. In the mid-nineteenth century Simpson’s began the tradition of carving gigantic roasts from trolleys wheeled to tableside. Roasts are still the specialty of Simpson’s and they are still served in this way. The chef and management also around this time took a stand against the use of the French language on menus—and specifically against the use of the word ‘‘menu’’ itself. To this day the fare at the restaurant is according to the old English term of ‘‘Bill of Fare.’’ The reminder to patrons of the requirements of the Meals in Establishments Order of 1942 is in reference to the wartime regulations that applied to restaurants and other places serving food. The order was part of the larger picture of rationing, which did not end with the end of the war, but continued in part for another 13 years in Britain (see April 11). Recipes ~~~ ‘‘Jugged’’ means stewed slowly for a long time in a sealed container—originally an earthenware jug. It is an ancient method of cooking and is the traditional way to prepare hare. Often some of the animal’s blood is added, making it a dish that is more properly called a civet. Of course, in order to use the blood, the animal must be freshly killed, which is only possible if one can be there at the hunt, or obtain them soon after from the hunter! The first recorded recipe for jugged hare is in Hannah Glasse’s The Art of Cookery, published in 1747 (see recipe below). Mrs. Glasse does not include the hare’s blood, she would no doubt have thought it too Frenchified. In the preface of her book she—like the proprietors of Simpsons-in-the-Strand a century later—took a stand against what she saw as the most undesirable Frenchification of English food. She is quite vehement in her denunciation of the French method of cooking, saying, . . . but if gentlemen will have French cooks, they must pay for French tricks. A Frenchman in his own country will dress a fine dinner of twenty dishes, and all genteel and pretty, for the expence he will put an English lord to for dressing one dish. But then there is the little petty profit. I have heard of a cook that used six pounds of butter to fry twelve eggs; when every body knows (that understands cooking) that half a pound is full enough, or more than need be used: but then it would not be French. So much is the blind folly of this age, that they would rather be imposed on by a French booby, than give encouragement to a good English cook!
Jugged Hare Cut it into little pieces, lard them here and there with little slips of bacon, season them with Cayenne pepper and salt, put them into an earthen jug, with a blade or two of mace, an onion stuck with cloves, and a bundle of sweet-herbs; cover the jug or jar you do it in so close that nothing can get in, then set it in a pot of boiling water, and three hours will do it; then turn it out into the dish, and take
May 9
Dinner at the English Embassy
out the onion and sweet-herbs and send it to table hot. If you do not like it larded, leave it out
Tripe with Onion Sauce: see May 6. Welsh Rarebit: see March 14. Tipsy Cake: see February 7.
May 9 Dinner at the English Embassy Aleppo, Syria, 1676 Henry Teonge (1621–1690) was an English parson who became a chaplain in the Royal Navy. He was in his fifties when he went to sea, probably on account of debt—although whether it was to repay these or escape his creditors is unknown. Teonge kept a diary of his adventures, and they are a lively and fascinating insight into the seafaring life in the seventeenth century. Teonge served aboard his Majesty’s ships Assistance, Bristol, and Royal Oak. His first voyage began on June 1, 1675, and one of the early meals he describes aboard ship appears in this book (see July 10). Almost 12 months later the ship was in the harbor at Scanderoon, and Teonge took the opportunity to visit the plains of Antioch and Aleppo. The English consul in Aleppo, Mr. Gamaliell Nightingale, invited ‘‘all the nation’’ to a dinner. Teonge noted in his diary that the ‘‘treat of the Consul’s providing’’ is ‘‘such a one as I never saw before. The particulars whereof you may see; the dishes being all placed as they stood on the table.’’ This was a magnificent, and very English, feast. In the seventeenth century all of the dishes for each course were placed on the table simultaneously, in a very regular, ordered arrangement. Balance and symmetry both vertically and horizontally were very important, and the aim was an impressive display of abundance and elegance. The end of Teonge’s page is damaged, and it appears that some dishes are ‘‘missing.’’ There would probably have been at least two more dishes to ‘‘balance’’ the bottom corners of the table (some dishes were described in cookbooks as being particularly suitable for corners).
A Dish of Turkeys
A Dish of Tarts A Plate of Sauceages
A Dish of Gellys
A Dish of Gammons and Tongs A Bisque´ of Eggs
A Dish of Geese
A Dish of Biscotts A Plate of Anchovies
A Dish of Hens
A Venison Pasty A Plate of Anchovies
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A Dish of Biscotts
A Dish of Green Geese
A Great Dish with a Pyramid of Marchpane A Dish of Tarts
A Dish of Hens A Dish of Hartichoks
A Pasty
A Dish of Marchpane in Cakes A Dish of Sauceages
A Dish of Gammons
A Dish of Biscotts A Plate of Herrings
A Dish of Geese
A Dish of Turkeys A Plate of Anchovies
A Dish of Marchpane
A Pasty Hartichocks
A Dish of Hens
A Dish of Gellys A Pyramid of Marchpane
A Dish of Biscott
A Dish of Gammons Anchovies
Recipes ~~~ To Stew Hartichokes with Cream Take the meat of the Hartichokes tenderly boiled, and let them stew softly between two dishes, with cream, sack, sugar and grated nutmegg; so let it stew till it be all alike, then dish it and serve it to the table. Hannah Woolley, The Queen-Like Closet; Or, Rich Cabinet Stored with All Manner of Rare Receipts for Preserving, Candying & Cookery. Very Pleasant and Beneficial to All Ingenious Persons of the Female Sex (1670).
To Make Polony Sausages to Keep All the Year You may take a piece of a Gammon of red Bacon, and half boyl it, mince it very small: if your Gammon be not fat, take half as much bacon lard, mince it likewise: mingle them together, and beat them in a Morter: season them with Time and Sage minced very small, and good store of Pepper beaten to dust, with a little Cloves, Mace, and Nutmeg, and a pretty quantity of Salt, for they ought so to be; add to them the yolks of two eggs, and so much Red wine as will bring them up to a stiff body; mingle them well with your hands, fill them into middle skins, as big as four of your ordinary Sassages, so hang them in your Chimney for a time, and when you will use them, they must be cut out very thin round wayes, and put them in your dish with Oyl and Vinegar, and serve them for a Sallet for the second course, or for a Collation before you drink.
May 10
Lewis and Clark Eat with the Nez Perce
William Rabisha, The Whole Body of Cookery Dissected, Taught, and Fully Manifested, Methodically, Artificially, and According to the Best Tradition of the English, French, Italian, Dutch, &c. (1682).
Venison Pasty: see January 2. May 10 Lewis and Clark Eat with the Nez Perce Idaho, 1806 The expedition of Meriwether Lewis (1774–1809) and William Clark (1770– 1838) during 1804–06 was the first overland crossing of the continent to the Pacific Ocean and back. On March 23, 1806, they began their return trip home. By May 10 they reached the Snake River where they were received with great hospitality—as they had been on the outward journey—by the Nez Perce tribe. The expedition party was in poor condition. They had few remaining supplies, game was still scarce, the salmon were not yet running, and they had been forced to resort to eating some of their horses. Lewis recorded the generosity of the Indians in his journal entry for May 10. The Cheif spoke to his people and they produced us about 2 bushels of the quawmas roots dryed, four cakes of the bread of cows and a dryed salmon trout. we thanked them for this store of provision but informed them that our men not being accustomed to live on roots alone we feared it would make them sick, to obviate which we proposed exchangeing a [good] horse in reather low order for a young horse in tolerable order with a view to kill. the hospitality of the cheif revolted at the eydea of an exchange, he told us that his young men had a great abundance of young horses and if we wished to eat them we should by [be] furnished with as many as we wanted. accordingly they soon produced us two fat young horses one of which we killed, the other we informed them we would postpone killing untill we had consumed the one already killed. This is a much greater act of hospitality than we have witnessed from any nation or tribe since we have passed the Rocky mountains. in short be it spoken to their immortal honor it is the only act which deserves the appellation of hospitallity which we have witnessed in this quarter. . . . our men who have their s[t]omachs once more well filled with horsebeef and mush of the bread of cows.
The quawmas (camas) and ‘‘bread of cows’’ were staple foods of the Nez Perce and were particularly useful because they could be dried and kept for long periods. There was a special danger associated with harvesting the camas (Camassia quamash) in that it is almost identical to a similar, but highly poisonous plant (Zigadenus elegans) known as the ‘‘death camas.’’ The two often grow side by side, and are only harvested safely when the individual plant is flowering—the edible plant having blue flowers and the poisonous one greenish-white. The root can be eaten raw, dried, and pounded to make a starchy powder (its most common use), or boiled down to produce a molasses-like syrup.
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Eight-Franc Dinner
The root of the strangely named bread of cows (cous, kouse) or Cymopterus bulbosus could be eaten fresh, when it is said to taste like parsnip, but was most valuable when dried and pounded into meal. This meal was baked into hard cakes that could be kept almost indefinitely, giving it its other names of Biscuitroot and Indian biscuit. Recipes ~~~ Recipes for the preparation of ‘‘wild food’’ are not generally found in household cookbooks but rather in the journals of explorers and adventurers. One of the first white women to travel the Oregon Trail and cross the Rocky Mountains was the missionary Narcissa Whitman (1808–1847) and in her journal in February 1836 she described the Indian method of cooking camas. We nooned upon Grande Ronde river . . . The camas grows here in abundance, and it is the principal resort of the Cayuses and many other tribes, to obtain it, as they are very fond of it. It resembles an onion in shape and color, when cooked is very sweet and tastes like a fig. Their manner of cooking them is very curious: They dig a hole in the ground, throw in a heap of stones, heat them to a red heat, cover them with green grass, upon which they put the camas, and cover the whole with earth. When taken out it is black. This is the chief food of many tribes during winter.
May 11 Eight-Franc Dinner Grand Hotel, Boulevarde des Capucins, Paris, France, 1887 The Cafe´ de Paris in the magnificent Grand Hotel was the site of the famous Dinner of the Three Emperors (see June 7) in 1867. Two decades later, less exalted (but still well-to-do) guests could enjoy a fine meal, with wine, for the fixed price of eight francs (the menu does not state for which restaurant or dining room of the hotel). POTAGE ˆte Taganrok au Consomme´ Pa HORS—D’ŒUVRE Sardines, Radis, Beurre, Olives RELEVES ˆpres Bar de Seine sauce aux Ca Pommes de Terre Nature CLOS MARATHON ENTREES Tournedos Chasseur ˆtelettes d’Agneau a ` la Printaniere Co
May 11
Eight-Franc Dinner
ROT Chapon de Mans au Cresson Salads de Laitue aux Œufs ENTREMETS ` la Maıˆtre d’Ho ˆtel Haricots verts a Cre`me au Caramel Bombe Stanislaus DESSERTS Oranges, Mendiants, Pommes, Biscuits, Gauffres Macarons, Fromages ´ DOC GRAND-HOTEL ME Vin de Saint-Raphaeˇl Goˆut exquis, tonique et reconstituaunt Eaux de table Vals Saint-Jean—Vais cachet vert
Many of these dishes are on the menus of fine French-style restaurants today. The Tournedos Chasseur and Cre`me au Caramel are instantly recognizable, even for many of those who do not speak French. Fish such as the bar (bass) is still regularly served with caper sauce, lamb cutlets with spring vegˆte Taganrok is unusual. It appears to etables, and chicken with cress. The Pa be a misspelling of Taganrog, the Russian port city on the Sea of Azov. The city has a long association with the Tsars of Russia, so perhaps the dish acknowledges one of the famous guests of the dinner in 1867. The wheat from the region is also famous for its quality and makes particularly fine ˆte means paste, pastry, pasta) so it may be that the chef was simply pasta (pa indicating that he was using the finest variety in his consomme´. There are several versions of the combination of cream with caramel. The earliest is simply cream blended with caramel (i.e. burnt sugar). The French do not have a specific word for the mixture of egg and milk or cream that we call ‘‘custard.’’ They simply refer to it as cream, with the addition of a qualifying word. A basic custard sauce for fruit or pie is Cre`me Anglais (English cream.) Today’s well-known versions of caramel creams are actually caramel custards. Cre`me Brule´e is a baked custard with a layer of sugar on top which is then burnt by holding a hot salamander over it, putting it under a very hot grill, or using a kitchen blowtorch to produce a crisp caramel crust. This is based on a very old idea called ‘‘burnt cream,’’ and although the dessert is thought of as French, its origin may well be English. The third version is probably the best known and is a perennial favorite. It is Cre`me Caramel, a version of what the French call a cre`me renverse´ (a reversed or ‘‘turnedout’’ cream). In this version the burnt sugar is placed in the dish before the custard mixture, so that (after baking then chilling well) when it is turned out for serving the caramel runs down the sides of the custard.
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Lunch En Route to the Falkland Islands
Recipes ~~~ The following recipe is yet another version of a caramel custard or cream. In this recipe the caramel is not separate but is an integral part of the custard, which is not baked but set, like a jelly, with isinglass (or gelatin). ` me au Caramel Cre Put four ounces of powdered sugar in a stewpan, which stir over a slow fire till quite melted and beginning to tint, take it off the fire; in another stewpan have three quarters of a pint of milk in which you have boiled an ounce of isinglass, pour it upon the caramel, which stir occasionally until it is quite dissolved, pour into another stewpan with the yolks of five eggs, stir over the fire till it thickens, when pass through a tammie, and finish as before [when cold, set the bowl upon ice . . . keep stirring its contents, and when on the point of setting add three parts of pint of cream well whipped, mix well together and pouring into your mould, keep it on ice until wanted, and when ready to serve dip into warm water, wipe with a cloth, and turn out on your dish]. Alexis Soyer, The Gastronomic Regenerator (London, 1847).
Tournedos Thick slice of beef taken from the center of the fillet, often tied with string to keep it in a neat round shape. It is usually served on a crouton, and the sauce and garnish determine the name of the dish. Be´arnaise: With Bearnaise Sauce and a garnish of Chateau Potatoes. Bordelaise: No croutons, with Bordelaise Sauce and a garnish of marrow. Chasseur: ‘‘Hunter-style,’’ with mushrooms and sauce made with the pan juices, herbs and butter. Chevreuil: ‘‘Venison style,’’ with Sauce Chevreuil and a garnish of chestnuts. Choron: With Sauce Choron (a Bearnaise with tomato puree instead of the herbs). Paysanne: ‘‘Peasant Woman style,’’ no crouton, served on a bed of fresh vegetables braised in butter. Rossini: With foie-gras and truffles and rich meat glaze with Madeira.
Macaroons: see February 17. May 12 Lunch En Route to the Falkland Islands RMS Queen Elizabeth 2, 1982 In early May 1982, with conflict in the Falkland Islands escalating, the most famous cruise ship in the world—the Cunard Line’s Queen Elizabeth 2—was requisitioned for war service. Her luxury fittings were quickly removed and
May 12
Lunch En Route to the Falkland Islands
helicopter pads installed, and she was converted to carry 3,000 troops (a thousand more than the normal number of passengers) and all the other paraphernalia required for fleet headquarters to participate in active service. On Wednesday, May 12, she left Southampton, England, for the Falklands. The following lunch menu was served the same day. LUNCH Green Pea Soup Baked Cheese Macaroni Breaded Escalope of Veal, Viennaise Diced White Turnips Chipped Potatoes Assorted Cold Cuts Mixed Salad with Dressings Apple Pie and Whipped Cream Cheese and Biscuits Rolls and Butter Tea or Coffee
Much of the food on this menu appears to have been ‘‘comfort food’’—perhaps with 3,000 soldiers to feed the military cooks were simply playing it safe. Scientists say comfort food causes the release of the natural hormones called endorphins that reduce stress levels, and it is possible that, consciously or otherwise, the cooks chose the day’s dishes for that reason. Every nation has its own particular comfort food (or soul food) and it is usually inexpensive, unfussy, plain ‘‘home-style’’ food. It is almost always carbohydrate-heavy and easy to eat, often only requiring a spoon. In most parts of Asia, simple rice would be sufficient, and in the West it is commonly pasta, potatoes, and bread. Many puddings and other sweet dishes are comfort foods, and apple pie would probably make the comfort food list of almost everyone with British or American heritage. Recipes ~~~ Eliza Acton’s Modern Cookery for Private Families was published in 1845, and it is still a classic text. Acton was a poet and social reformer who became famous in her own time for her cookbook. She wrote it for the ordinary household cook, all the recipes were tested, and they were all easy to follow. She paved the way for all subsequent cookbooks by being the first writer to list the ingredients separately from the method instructions. The words ‘‘pie’’ and ‘‘tart’’ are often used interchangeably and there is no consistent usage in relation to the number of crusts (double, top, or bottom) —although many cooks have very strong opinions as to which is ‘‘correct.’’ Acton uses ‘‘tart,’’ and she has several variations of the apple variety.
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Dinner for Nobody’s Friends A Good Apple Tart
A pound and a quarter of apples, weighed after they are pared and cored, will be sufficient for a small tart, and four ounces more for one of moderate size. Lay a border or English puff-paste or cream-crust round the dish, just dip the apples into water, arrange them very compactly in it, higher in the centre that at the sides, and strew amongst them from three to four ounces of powdered sugar, or more should they be very acid: the grated rind, and the strained juice of half a lemon will much improve their flavour. Lay on the cover rolled thin, and ice it or not at pleasure. Send the tart to a moderately brisk oven for about half an hour. This may be converted into the old-fashioned creamed apple tart, by cutting out the cover while it is still hot, leaving only about an inch-wide border of paste round the edge, and pouring over the apples when they have become quite cold, from half to three quarters of a pint of rich boiled custard. The cover divided into triangular sippets, was formerly stuck round the inside of the tart, but ornamental leaves of puff-paste have a better effect. Well-drained whipped cream may be substituted for the custard, and piled high, and lightly over the fruit.
Cream Crust (Very good.) Flour, 1 lb; Salt, 1 small saltspoonful (more for meat pies); rich cream, 1/2 to 3/4 pint; butter, 4 oz., for richest crust, 6 oz. Stir a little salt into a pound of dry flour, and mix gradually with it sufficient thick, sweet cream to form a smooth paste; it will be found sufficiently good for common family dinners without the addition of butter; but to make an excellent crust, roll in four ounces in the usual way, after having given the paste a couple of turns. Handle it as lightly as is possible in making it, and send it to the oven as soon as it is ready; it may be used for fruit tarts, cannelons, puffs, and other varieties of small pastry, or for good meat pies. Six ounces of butter to the pound of flour will give a very rich crust.
May 13 Dinner for Nobody’s Friends Ho ˆ tel Metropole, London, England, 1891 William Stevens (1732–1807) was an English writer and biographer. He was a deeply religious man who actively supported organizations such as the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge and for the Propagation of the Gospel. He never married but was a gregarious man and his home was a regular gathering place for his friends, who included many of the prominent clergy of the time. When he became too elderly and frail to host these gatherings, his friends decided to form a dining club in his honor, the meetings to be held at some other venue. Stevens had a keen sense of humor, and one of his
May 13
Dinner for Nobody’s Friends
favorite jokes was to give nicknames to his friends. The name he gave himself was ‘‘Nobody,’’ hence the club was Nobody’s Club or The Club of Nobody’s ˆtel Metropole became a regular venue and did them proud Friends. The Ho with a menu of classic dishes at their dinner on May 13, 1891. MENU DU DINER. HORS D’ŒUVRE. Dry Sherry
— Consomme´ Printanier. Ox Tail Lie´ — ` la Danoise. Saumon a
Niersteiner
Whitebait.
G. H. Mumm & Co.,
— Souffle´es de Vollaile. ` la Cettoise. Noisettes d’Agneau a
Extra Quality,
` ME ´ RICAINE. SORBET A
— Extra Dry.
— ` la Dauphine. Filets de Bœuf a Jambon Braise´ au Made`re.
Max Sutaine & Co.,
—
Extra Quality,
Petits Pois au Beurre.
Extra Dry.
Pommes de Terre Parisiennes.
1884
— ˆties sur Canape´s. Cailles de Vignes Ro Salade.
Fine Champagne
—
Liqueur Brandy.
Asperges, Sauce Mousseline. — Mace´doine de Fruits au Liqueurs. Canape´s de Caviar. Bombe Monte Carlo. Gateaux Savoisiens. — DESSERT
Cantenac.
— Cafe´ Noir —
Cockburn’s Old Bottled Port. — Johannis Natural Mineral Water.
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May 13
Dinner for Nobody’s Friends
Recipes ~~~ Canapes, Caviare 4 squares of bread and butter 1 dessert-spoonful caviare juice of 1/2 lemon 1 small pinch cayenne 4 tiny lettuce leaves about 1 inch long. Cut 2 or 3 thin slices of white or brown bread, butter them thinly, and cut them into very neat 2-inch squares. The bread should be fresh but not crumbly, and the slices not more than 1/4 of an inch in thickness. Some little practice may be necessary to get the little squares exactly the right size, but as much of the appearance of the canape depends upon the bread and butter being of sufficient substance to hold its dressing neatly without being thick and clumsy, some attention should be given to this point. Put the caviare on ice for an hour before using; spread the caviare neatly on the squares, squeeze 3 or 4 drops of lemon juice on each canape and add 3 or 4 grains of cayenne, put a tiny little lettuce leaf on each, lay each canape on a plate, and serve. Allow 1 canape to each person. Ethel Meyer, A Practical Dictionary of Cookery (1200 Recipes) (1898).
A Mace´doine is a mixture of fruits. When presented on a formal menu it was usually an ornamental dish of jelly, often flavored with liqueur (such as noyeau or maraschino added to the jelly before it sets).
Mac¸edoine Jelly Strawberries, raspberries, grapes, currants, and cherries are the only fruit that can be used raw for a macedoine; but it is to be observed, they should be perfectly ripe; peaches, apricots, apples, and pines require to be boiled in syrup before they are put into the jelly: in the first place, have a good clear jelly prepared, rather sweet for a macedoine, because raw fruit takes off the sweetness; put a little jelly into a mould, which you set on the ice, then array the fruit variously, according as your fancy suggests; then pour in some more jelly; when that is firm, lay more fruit and jelly, and continue to do so till you have filled the mould to the top; keep the jelly in the ice till dinner time, then dip the mould into hot water, turning it into the dish you intend to serve: in winter, you may make a handsome macedoine with preserved fruit, such as greengages, peaches, pineapples, plums, and cherries. I. Roberts, The Young Cook’s Guide (1836).
Whitebait: see August 14.
May 14
President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Daily Fare
May 14 President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Daily Fare The White House, Washington, DC, 1933 The New York Times published a report of an interview with First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt on May 14, 1933. She was well aware of the public’s intense curiosity about the day-to-day life of the president and his family and was most gracious in discussing her philosophy of life and describing her efforts to create in the White House ‘‘an atmosphere of simple friendliness.’’ One of her chores was to consider the daily menus suggested by the housekeeper, Mrs. Nesbitt, and as this process was underway when the interview began she kindly handed a copy of the day’s menus to the reporter. BREAKFAST Cereal Fruit Eggs and Bacon Coffee LUNCHEON Tomato Juice Cocktail Cold Cuts Creamed Potatoes Beans Fruit Salad Cream Mayonnaise Dressing Coffee TEA Jam and Cream Cheese with Pineapple Sandwiches Assorted Cookies Pastries Candies Salted Nuts Tea DINNER Vegetable Soup Roast Beef Stuffed Potatoes Spinach Creamed Onions Combination Salad, French Dressing Strawberry Shortcake Coffee
The focus of the interview was firmly on Eleanor Roosevelt’s domestic role, and to reinforce this The Times’ single article referred to her as ‘‘First Homemaker of the nation,’’ ‘‘Hostess for the nation,’’ and ‘‘Manager of the national residence.’’ Mrs. Roosevelt gave her opinion on her most important obligation (‘‘social’’), on how to decorate a house to make it a home (a reading lamp near a chair, for example), and on the importance of an atmosphere of friendliness (it ‘‘may have far-reaching effects’’). She was known to be on an economy drive, and in response to the reporter’s question about her
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‘‘economy menus’’ she responded by saying that they were doing very little formal entertaining, and when they did, the menus were still very simple. I am doing away with all the kickshaws—no hothouse grapes—nothing out of season. I plan for good and well-cooked food, properly served, and that must be enough. Our formal dinners now include simply soup, fish, meat, salad, desert [sic].
The return to simple food no doubt pleased the president: the First Lady divulged his favorite dish, scrambled eggs, ‘‘And he likes them so well that I believe he would eat them every meal if I would serve them to him.’’ She went on to say, I should not presume to dictate to the women of the country what they should do or how they should conduct their homes. They do not need such dictation. They have too much good sense of their own. Rather, I should say, it is for me to follow their standards, to try to bring into this national home of theirs the dignity and simplicity of living of the early republic. They may disagree with me in some of the things I do—because there are a good many different opinions in a country as large as ours—but at least they will know that we are all working together for the same end.
Recipes ~~~ Strawberry Shortcake (Sufficient to Serve Six) 1 qt. strawberries 1 c. sugar Biscuit or plain cake dough. Mash or chop the berries, add the sugar to them, and let them stand until the sugar has dissolved. Bake the biscuit or plain-cake dough in a single thick layer or, if desired, bake it in individual cakes, cutting the biscuit dough with a cookie cutter and putting the cake mixture in muffin pans. Remove from the pan, cut in two with a sharp knife, and spread half of the berries over the lower piece. Set the upper piece on the berries. In the case of the large cake, sprinkle powdered sugar over the top and then on this arrange a number of the largest and finest of the berries . . . as a garniture. Cut in pieces of the desired size and serve with or without either plain or whipped cream. In preparing the individual cakes, spread a spoonful or two of the crushed berries over the top . . . and serve with whipped cream. The Woman’s Institute Library of Cookery, Vol. V. (ca. 1922).
Plain Sponge Cake 4 eggs 1 c. sugar 1 c. flour Juice and rind of 1/2 lemon
May 15
Coronation Banquet for Nicholas II
Beat the eggs until they are thick and lemon-colored. Add the sugar gradually and continue to beat. Sift the flour several times and fold into the mixture. When the ingredients are thoroughly mixed, add the grated rind and the juice of the lemon, pour into a sponge-cake pan, and bake. The Woman’s Institute Library of Cookery, Vol. IV. (ca. 1922).
May 15 Coronation Banquet for Nicholas II Kremlin, Russia, 1896 Nicholas II (1868–1918) was the last Tsar of Russia as well as King of Poland and Grand Duke of Finland. In 1896, a year and a half after his accession, the coronation ceremony was finally held in Moscow on May 14 (according to the Julian or ‘‘old-style’’ calendar). Over the next week there were many banquets, balls, and other celebrations held throughout the city. The menu cards for several of these events were especially commissioned by famous artists and have become collector’s items. The beautifully colored lithographed card for the lunch at the Kremlin on May 15 was designed by Alexander Benua (1870–1970), a painter and stage designer who worked for Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes. Crab Soup Meat or Vegetable Pies Trout from Finland Spiced Veal Cold Gellied Partridge Small Plump Hens and Chickens Salad of Artichokes with Peas Hot Sweets Ice Cream Dessert
The ordinary citizens of Russia were included in the celebrations, and one of the specially commissioned souvenir items was the indirect cause of a terrible tragedy on May 18. A huge crowd had gathered overnight in the Khodynskoye Pole (field) where food and a commemorative mug were to be distributed. The pressure of the mass of people caused the collapse of some wooden barriers, and in the ensuing chaos over a thousand people were trampled to death. The Tsar was deeply affected by the incident, seeing it as a bad omen as well as a terrible tragedy, and he visited the hospitals where the injured were treated and paid compensation and funeral expenses.
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May 16
First Academy Awards Banquet
Recipes ~~~ Raised Pie, The Russian Way Cut in scollops a small slice of salmon; pass it with fine herbs, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Do the same with a small fat liver. Then chop twelve yolks of eggs, boiled hard; raise the crust about seven inches wide, and four high; line the bottom and sides with rice stewed in consomme´ of a fowl; the rice must be cold, as well as the rest of the garnish: line the bottom with scollops of salmon, on which strew yolk of egg; place on this half the scollops of fat liver, and cover them with yolk of egg. Repeat this, and on the top put the butter with the fine herbs, in which you have passed the salmon and fat liver; cover the whole with the remainder of the rice; finish as before directed; bake it an hour and a half, and serve. Joseph Bregion and Anne Miller, The Practical Cook, English and Foreign (1845).
May 16 First Academy Awards Banquet Blossom Room, Roosevelt Hotel, Hollywood, California, 1929 The first ‘‘Oscar’s Night’’ was a very different affair from the lavish, highly publicized, grand spectacle it is today. There was no secrecy in 1929 as the winners had been announced three months before, and there was no separate awards-presentation ceremony. The original twelve Academy Awards of Merit (the official name for the Oscars) took only ten minutes to hand out at a banquet at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. MENU Terrapin Soup Jumbo Squab Perigeaux Lobster Euge´nie L.A. Salad Fruit Supreme
Within a few years, the Academy Awards presentation had captured the public’s imagination, and it seems that the event just keeps on getting bigger and attracting more hype. Only 270 guests (who paid $10 each for the privilege) were present in 1929. The host was Douglas Fairbanks Jr. (1909–2000), first president of the Academy, and his wife, actress Mary Pickford (1892–1979), handed out the awards. Two special awards were made in addition to those for the best in each of the original twelve categories. A special honorary award went to Charlie Chaplin (1889–1977) for producing, directing, writing, and starring in The Circus; the other was for the
May 16
First Academy Awards Banquet
production of The Jazz Singer, ‘‘the pioneer outstanding talking picture, which has revolutionized the industry’’. The first Academy Awards presentation was the last time that a silent movie won the Best Picture award—there would be no looking back for the industry or the public after the first ‘‘talkie.’’ Al Jolson (1886–1950), the star of The Jazz Singer, was present at the banquet and sang its signature song Dixie, but the award was accepted by studio boss Darryl F. Zanuck (1902– 1979), who was the only recipient to make a speech. Enthusiasts of all persuasions often wish to recreate an event that falls within their area of interest. Movie aficionados wishing to recreate this first Academy Awards banquet must be satisfied with using it as inspiration. The Terrapin Soup is certainly politically incorrect today, and may well be illegal, depending on the location and season. The diamondback terrapin (the usual ingredient) was so desirable for the table that concerns about the species were already being aired in the late-nineteenth century. Maryland was the first state to place seasonal restrictions on its harvesting in 1878, and every state in which the turtle is found now applies some level of protection to the species—declaring it either endangered, threatened, or a species of conservation concern. The names of dishes on a menu—unless they are absolute, long-standing classics—usually do not give enough information to be certain as to how they were prepared. ‘‘Squab’’ means a baby bird, and although it usually refers to a pigeon, young chickens are often called squab, and ‘‘jumbo squab’’ is also used to refer to either. ‘‘Perigeaux’’ (Perigueux) refers to the Perigord region of France, and dishes styled this way classically include truffles. The name ‘‘Euge´nie’’ refers to the wife of Napoleon III, the Spanish princess Euge´nie de Montijo, and the most famous interpretation is in a dish of sweetbreads invented by Charles Ranhofer, the chef at Delmonico’s. Ranhofer’s dish included truffles and fat pork and was served with a cream sauce. Other interpretations have them cooked in sherry and garnished with mushrooms and a cream sauce. Recipes ~~~ Terrapin Soup, Southern Style Scald two terrapin [this involved putting the live terrapin into boiling water for two minutes], and remove the shell, skin and intestines. Cut the terrapin in small pieces about one-quarter inch square. Heat four ounces of butter in a casserole, then add the terrapin and fry over a quick fire. Sprinkle with three tablespoonfuls of flour, add three pints of any kind of good broth and one pint of milk, season with salt and pepper, add a glass of good sherry wine, and boil until well done. Bind with the yolks of two eggs mixed with a cup of cream and a glass of dry sherry wine. Set on stove and let it come nearly to a boil, but not quite. Victor Hirtzler, The Hotel St. Francis Cookbook (San Francisco, 1919).
Sauce Perigueux: see April 14.
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English Royals Dine in Canada
May 17 English Royals Dine in Canada Chateau Frontenac, Quebec, 1939 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth of England dined for the first time on Canadian soil on May 17, 1939. They arrived in Quebec aboard the SS Empress of Australia and lunch and dinner on their first day were served ˆteau Frontenac. Every detail of their visit was reported to a fasciat the Cha nated public by the press in Canada and the United States. The New York Times was moved to comment that those charged with the catering clearly thought that ‘‘their provincial pride was at stake’’ and gave the menus of both lunch and dinner to indicate how this laudable national sentiment was expressed—and the disasters that almost sabotaged it. LUNCH. Le Melon Canteloupe Frappe´ Les Queues de Homards Frontenac La Poitrine de Poussin Grille´e Le Souffle Glace´ Grand Marnier Les Petits Fours La Corbeille de Fruits Le Cafe´ Amontillado ˆteau Yquem 1928 Cha Veuve Cliquot Gold Label 1928 DINNER. Les Perles de Sterlet Le Consomme´ du Pays Les Truites des Laurentides au Vin Blanc La Couronne d’Agneau de Que´bec aux Primeurs Le Sorbet au Champagne Les Petits Oiseaux Blancs de l’Ile d’Orleans en Aspic La Salade Gauloise La Coupe aux Fraises Chantilly Les Friandises La Corbeille de Fruits Amontillado Reina Victoria Montrachet 1926 Hospice de Beaune Haut-Brion 1928 Irroy 1928 Pommery 1928 Veuve Cliquot 1928
May 17
English Royals Dine in Canada
The problems began when ‘‘Long ago, those entrusted with the menu which should give the King and queen a good first impression of Canadian culinary capabilities decided that it should combine the exotic with the typical. In the former category come peaches from Southern France grapes from Belgium and melons from California—these gave the least trouble . . . .’’ The exotic imported fruit was simply expensive, which was of not consequence when royal visitors were to be fed. The melons served at lunch, for example, were flown in at a cost of only $2 each for freight. The weather did not cooperate with the supply of the local Canadian produce. The winter had been severe. Snowbirds only arrive in the Island of Orleans in the St. Lawrence River when the snow melts, which it had showed no sign of doing. By a ‘‘Herculean effort,’’ a thousand of the ‘‘tiny toothsome creatures’’ were eventually procured—barely sufficient when ‘‘breasts of six of them served up on toast add up to very few calories.’’ As for the trout, the ice persisted in Quebec’s Laurentide Park and the fish could not be caught. Just as a ‘‘furtive order’’ of 600 Adirondack trout was received from New York and placed in the freezers, the Fisheries Department managed to succeed. Luckily the royal arrival by sea was delayed, and freezer space was freed up by feeding the excess imported fish to the waiting newspaper men, security staff, and other officials. After the great provisioning anxiety was over, the meals themselves went smoothly apart from one brief ‘‘protocol moment.’’ Neither the King nor Queen accepted the Grand Marnier souffle´ at lunch, leaving the rest of the guests uncertain as to whether they too must also refuse. A signal from the ˆteau staff (in blue) indicated that no King’s footmen (in scarlet) and the Cha offense would be incurred, and the guests were free to enjoy the dish. Protocol also constrains royalty, and the King was clearly desperate for a cigarette at lunchtime, but it was not proper for him to smoke until the toast had been made to his royal person. The prime minister must have been made aware of the situation, and the royal couple were toasted in the 1928 champagne— upon which the King immediately lit up before a waiter could provide a light. Recipes ~~~ Snow Birds One dozen thoroughly cleaned birds; stuff each with an oyster, put them into a yellow dish, and add two ounces of boiled salt pork and three raw potatoes cut into slices; add a pint of oyster liquor, an ounce of butter; salt and pepper; cover the dish with a crust and bake in a moderate oven. F. L. Gillett, White House Cook Book (Chicago, 1887).
Melon Frappe´ (melon water ice): see June 20. Petits Fours: see November 14. Salade Gauloise: see May 27.
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May 18
American Banquet in England
May 18 American Banquet in England Star and Garter, Richmond, England, 1853 The new American Minister in London, Joseph Reed Ingersoll (1786–1868), was welcomed to his new post in 1853 by his countryman George Peabody (1795–1869) and his niece, Miss Wilcocks. PREMIER SERVICE POTAGES. A la Reine – A la Printaniere – A la Printaniere Clair Consomme´ de Vollaile aux Quenelles. Potage aux Abbatis d’Oie POISSONS. Turbot. Saumon de Gloucester. ` la Genevoise. ` la Maitre d’Hotel Truite a Rouges a Perch Suche´. Flounder Suche´. Eels en Matelotte. Spitched Eels. Gudgeons Fried. Flounders Fried. ENTREES. ` la Royale. Supreˆme de Volaille a Cailles aux Truffes. Cotelettes d’Agneau aux Concombres. ` la Monglas. ` la Perigeux. Croustades a Quenelles a ` la Dauphine. Filets de Pigeons a Filets de Levraut Garni d’Une Escaloppe. ` la Toulouse. Ris de Veau Pique a Epigramme d’Agneau aux Pois d’Asperges. ` la Bigarade. Filets de Canetons a ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Poulardes au Riz. ` la Jardienere. Filet de Boeuf a Noix de Veau en Bedeau Sauce Tomate ` la Financie`re. Timbale de Macaroni a Poulets Roti. ` l’Essence. Jambon de Westphalie a ` la Polonaise. Casserole de Riz a Chartreuse de Le´gumes Garni de Pigeon. ` la Macedoine.Selle d’Agneau. Ballotine d’Agneau a Langue de Bœuf aux Epinards. ` la Godard. Poulets a Selle de Mouton. SECOND SERVICE. ` la Parisienne. Salade a ` la Maitre d’Hotel. Pommes de Terre Nouvelles a ` la Poulette. Haricots Verts a ` la Parisienne. Salade a Canetons. Levraut. Oison.
May 18
American Banquet in England
Magnonnaise de Volaille. Dindonneaux. Carot Nouvelle Glace´, ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ` la Victoria, – a ` la Macedoine, – au Marasquin, – d’Anisette. Gele´e a Compote des Peches en Boidure de Riz. Suedoise de Raisins. ` la Chantilly, – au Chocolat, – d’Ananas. Cre`me a ` la Reine. Croque en Bouche a ` la Neapolitaine, – a ` la Conde´. Gateaux a Flans d’Abricots Verts, – au Cerises. Patisserie Mele´e. Chartreuse des Fraises. Bavarois des Abricots. RELEVES. ` la Polonaise. Baba a ` la Vanille. Pouding Glace´ aux Pistaches. Souffle´e a Beignets de Parmesan. ` la Francaise. Pitits Souffle´e a Grapes. Strawberries. Pines. Ices.
Peabody had fulfilled the American dream: he had started out in life ‘‘without any advantages of rank, or fortune, or even education,’’ reported The New York Times, and had made his fortune in the dry goods trade. He then retired to London where he continued his various commercial and banking interests, and, most importantly ‘‘contributed, in an unostentatious but most effective way, to strengthen that feeling of friendship between the people of the two great nations on which so much of their peace and prosperity must always depend.’’ Peabody had his work cut out for him. It might have been 75 years since England lost its former colony, but there was considerable residual resentment and mutual distrust. Peabody spared no expense for the evening. One hundred fifty guests sat down to this magnificent dinner and musical program. The menu (mangled French, misspellings and all) is a wonderful example of a mid-nineteenth century grand dinner. There is an enormous quantity of food, and a huge number of choices. It is a veritable glossary of classic dishes, with 20 of them ` la’’ something or styled ‘‘a other, and it is full of the ornamental sweet dishes beloved of the Victorians—gateaux, chartreuses, jellies, ices, Poulet a` la Godard.
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creams, bavarois, and souffle´s. There was also a Croque en Bouche—an elaborate ‘‘set piece’’ designed as much for display as for consumption. The Croque en Bouche is a familiar wedding cake alternative today and is most often made from small choux paste (see November 7) profiteroles covered with spun sugar, but at this time it was usually constructed of caramelized fruit. Recipes ~~~ ` la Vanille Souffle a Take a pint of milk, quarter of a pound of sugar, and one stick of vanilla, cut in small pieces; let the milk boil up, then keep it covered by the side of the fire half an hour. Take four ounces of flour, mix it with half a pint of cream in a stewpan, then pass the milk in which the vanilla is boiled into it; add two ounces of butter, and stir it over the fire till it becomes a thick paste; remove the stewpan, and immediately mix in ten yolks of eggs, one at a time; the whites are to be put in a clean basin, and kept in the larder till it is time to put the souffle in the oven; and whip them strong, and mix lightly with the souffle; it will take from twenty minutes to half an hour to bake. It is not to be taken out of the oven until the very moment it is to be served. N.B. Observe, that all souffles are prepared in the same way, and they vary only in the flavor given to them. It is of the utmost consequence to the excellency of the souffle that it is served the moment it is ready. Souffles may be either steamed or baked.
A Bavarois is a custard made with cream, sometimes eggs, and various flavorings, set with gelatine. It is sometimes called Bavarian Cream, or Bavarian Cheese (even though there is no cheese in it). Apricots, stewed and pureed, could be substituted for the strawberries in the following recipe. Bavarian Cheese of Strawberries Take a pottle [half gallon] of strawberries, fresh gathered, and make them into a pure´e, by passing them through a tammy with two spoons; afterwards put a sufficient quantity of pounded sugar to sweeten it; mix melted isinglass with this pure´e, beat a pint of cream well, and mix it with the strawberries; put it into a pewter ice-pot, surrounded with ice, and keep stirring it till it begins to get firm; immediately put it into the shape [mold], and set it in ice till it is to be served. I. Roberts, Young Cook’s Guide (1841).
Macedoine Jelly: see May 13. Epigrammes of Lamb: see March 26. Chartreuse de Legumes Garni de Pigeon: see November 9. ` la Maitre d’Hotel: see October 21. Pommes de Terre Nouvelles a Maitre d’Hotel Butter for Fish: see September 3.
May 19
Prison Menu for a Week
May 19 Prison Menu for a Week Indiana State Prison, 1911 The Indiana authorities reviewed the state prison dietary in 1911 and were pleased with their findings. Not only did the cost compare favorably with the previous year, they determined the food quality to be good: The bread is of excellent quality, corn bread being served once each day except Sunday: the meat is sweet and clean; the butterine bears the government inspector’s stamp, the vegetables are always fresh, and real coffee is served three times a day.
The prisoners’ responses to the food are not noted. MAY 14. Breakfast—Stewed figs, butter, bread and coffee. Dinner—Roast beef, mashed potatoes, gravy, raw onions, bread and coffee. Supper—Cinnamon rolls and lunch from dinner. MAY 15. Breakfast—Steamed potatoes, gravy, bread and coffee. Dinner—Bean soup, boiled beef, steamed potatoes, crackers, bread and coffee. Supper—Peach sauce, butter, bread and coffee. MAY 16. Breakfast—Hominy and beans, bread and coffee. Dinner—Boiled pork, boiled beans, pickled beets, bread and coffee. Supper—Oatmeal, milk, sugar, bread and coffee. MAY 17. Breakfast—Pork sausage, steamed potatoes, gravy, bread and coffee. Dinner—Boiled beef, home stew, potatoes, bread and coffee. Supper—Prune sauce, butter, bread and coffee. MAY 18. Breakfast—Hash beef and pork, bread, and coffee. Dinner—Boiled beef, mashed potatoes, gravy, bread and coffee. Supper—Sirup, butter, bread and coffee. MAY 19. Breakfast—Hominy, bread and coffee. Dinner—Boiled beef, New England potatoes, gravy, bread and coffee. Supper—Boiled rice, milk, sugar, bread and coffee. MAY 20. Breakfast—Hash beef and pork, bread and coffee. Dinner—Boiled beef, stewed onions and potatoes, bread and coffee. Supper—Raisins stewed, bread and coffee.
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Prison Menu for a Week
Many residential institutions throughout history—prison, asylum, poor house, school—have had a dietary based on watery soup or, if the inmates are lucky—a solid starchy filler such as the hominy on this menu. It is likely that the quantity of food in the prison was sufficient—prison authorities are too well aware that hungry prisoners cause trouble—but this menu is severely deficient in vegetables apart from potatoes and would hardly pass a dietitian’s inspection today. The individual dishes are plain and unadorned and could appear on any table today with little need for explanation. ‘‘Lunch from dinner’’ on May 14 (a Sunday) presumably means leftovers, and butterine was an early form of margarine—a cheap butter substitute made from animal fat colored yellow. Recipes ~~~ Hominy is simply corn without the ‘‘germ,’’ boiled and cooked as a cereal. Other variants are samp (coarse hominy) and grits (hominy ground into small grains.) It is therefore essentially the same as the Italian polenta. Hominy Wash the hominy very clean through three or four waters. Then put it into a pot (allowing two quarts of water to one quart of hominy) and boil it slowly five hours. When done, take it up, and drain the liquid from it through a cullender. Put the hominy into a deep dish and stir into it a small piece of fresh butter. The small grained hominy is boiled in rather less water, and generally eaten with butter and sugar. Eliza Leslie, Directions for Cookery (1844).
It is highly unlikely that the prisoners got the cream-enriched version of the following recipe. Stewed figs After the thinning out of fresh summer fruits, which occurs in October, the housekeeper who does not approve of canned things begins, to review the winter possibilities. One of these, too often over-looked, is stewed figs, which few women understand how to prepare so as to bring out their full deliciousness. The dried figs which come in strings, whole in form and cheaper in price, are best for stewing. Wash them thoroughly, soak overnight till they swelled to the size of small eggs, then simmer a few minutes until tender. They should be served very cold with an abundance of cream. Thus prepared the wholesome fig becomes practically a new fruit to most household tables. The cream is specially valuable in drawing out the full flavor of the fruit. Fort Wayne Sentinel (Indiana), January 16, 1911.
May 20
Banquet of Insects
May 20 Banquet of Insects Explorer’s Club, New York, 1992 When the New York Entomological Society decided to celebrate its first 100 years with a feast of insects, the intention was not to cause shock and revulsion but to raise awareness of the worldwide nutritional and economic significance of insects as food. One hundred forty guests enjoyed the following bill of fare on that Wednesday evening: AT THE BAR Crudite with Peppery Delight Mealworm Dip Spiced Crickets and Assorted Worms BUTLERED HOR D’OEUVRES Waxworm and Mealworm and Avocado California Roll with Tamari Dipping Sauce Wild Mushrooms in Mealworm Flour Pastry Cricket and Vegetable Tempura Mealworm Balls in Zesty Tomato Sauce Mini Bruschetta with Mealworm Ganoush Worm and Corn Fritters with Plum Dipping Sauce BUFFET Chicken Normandy with Calvados Sauce Rice Pilaf Roast Beef with Gravy Roesti Potatoes Mediterranean Pasta Melange of Vegetable Ragu Mesclun Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette Assorted Seasoned and Cricket Breads and Butter DESSERT BUFFET Lemon Squares Chocolate Cricket Torte Mini Cannoli Peach Clafouti Cricket and Mealworm Sugar Cookies Coffee and Tea
Insects belong to the Phyllum Arthropoda—animals characterized by a segmented body, appendages on each segment, and an external skeleton— as do arachnids (spiders) and crustaceans (marine arthropods). Many people gladly eat lobster (sometimes referred to as ‘‘the cockroach of the sea’’ because of it scavenging habit), and most enjoy honey (which has been regurgitated by bees) and figs (which because of the peculiar way in which they are
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Banquet of Insects
pollinated, inevitably contain the unhatched eggs of fig wasps), yet almost everyone is repelled by the idea of eating insects. What people eat, and particularly what people refuse to eat, is culturally determined. Eighty percent of the world’s population eats insects intentionally, with due regard for their nutritional value and with apparent relish, the rest also eat them but do so inadvertently. Insect fragments (and rodent hairs and excrement) inevitably find their way into food as it moves from farm to factory to dinner plate. The best to hope for is that the acceptable limits set by authorities such as the American Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for these ‘‘natural or unavoidable defects in foods that present no health hazards for humans’’ are not exceeded. Westerners each consume at least a pound (450 gm) of insects in this way over the course of a lifetime. There are at present nearly 1,500 species on the list of edible insects, and almost certainly many more are waiting to be added, and there is increasing interest in promoting this ‘‘microlivestock’’ in the Western world. Recipes ~~~ Peppery Delight Mealworm Dip 8 oz cream cheese 1 cup cooked mealworms, minced 3 tablespoon onion, minced 1 tablespoon milk 1 teaspoon horseradish 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon pepper 1/3 cup slivered almonds, toasted Place almonds in a 300°F oven for about 5 minutes or until slightly brown. Combine all ingredients except almonds until well blended. Heat in a baking dish for 15 minutes at 350°F. Place in serving dish and sprinkle with almonds. Serve with vegetables, crackers, breads or chips.
Chocolate Cricket Torte (Makes 1 8" springform pan) 1 lb butter 4 oz unsweetened chocolate 12 oz semi sweet chocolate 8 eggs, separated 1 cup sugar 1 cup strong liquid coffee 2 cups crickets, toasted and roughly chopped Butter and flour springform pan. Place chocolates and butter in a bowl over a pot of simmering water to melt. Let cool to room temperature. Whisk together egg yolks, sugar and coffee until well combined. Fold in crickets. Whip egg whites until stiff and fold into chocolate mixture. Bake at 350° F for 30–40
May 21
A Wedding Feast
minutes. Center should still be moist. Allow to cool 10 minutes before removing from pan. Louis Sorkin, American Museum of Natural History.
Defect Action Levels of Some Foods Chocolate and chocolate liquor.—Insect filth: Average is 60 or more insect fragments per 100 grams when six 100-gram subsamples are examined or any 1 subsample contains 90 or more insect fragments. Peanut butter.—Insect filth: Average of 30 or more insect fragments per 100 grams. Rodent filth: Average of 1 or more rodent hairs per 100 grams. Raisins, golden.—Insects and insect eggs: 10 or more whole or equivalent insects and 35 drosophila [fruit fly] eggs per 8 oz. Tomato paste, pizza and other sauces.—Drosophila fly: Average of 30 or more fly eggs per 100 grams or 15 or more fly eggs and 1 or more maggots per 100 grams or 2 or more maggots per 100 grams in a minimum of 12 subsamples. Wheat flour.—Insect filth: Average of 75 or more insect fragments per 50 grams. Source: www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/dalbook.html#CHPTR.
May 21 A Wedding Feast Bishopwearmouth, Durham, England 1753 A description of the wedding of a young couple in Bishopwearmouth in the Northeast of England made its way into a newspaper in Boston, America, in 1753. May 21: A very particular wedding was solemnized at Bishop-wearmouth between two young persons. All acquaintances and relations on both sides were invited to the nuptials. They set forward to church about half an hour past seven, preceded by three violins and a bagpipe. Seventy couple went hand in hand, all distinguished by blue cockades, besides an innumerable multitude which did not observe such just regularity. The bill of fare for dinner was as follows:—5 bushels of malt brewed for table beer, 10 bushels for ale, 16 quarters of lamb, 8 turkies, 10 green geese, 8 hams, 4 dozen of hens, 12 ducks, 20 quarters of mutton, 10 quarters of veal, 16 neat’s tongues, a quarter of beef roasted whole, 20 stones of beef boiled, 6 bushels of white peas, 80 pounds of butter, 16 pies ; the bride’s pie was carried between two persons, on a hand-barrow to the bake-house; 20 gallons of brandy, 8 dozen of lemons, 7 stones of double refined sugar, 10 bushels of wheat, a hundred weight of tobacco, 6 gross of pipes, tarts, whip-possets, cheese-cakes, and jellies innumerable. All things were carried on with the strictest order and decorum till near eleven o’clock at night, when the young couple were put to bed, with all the formalities of singing, throwing the stocking, and sack posset.
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A Wedding Feast
Why was this called a ‘‘particular’’ wedding? The Oxford English Dictionary gives a number of meanings of the word ‘‘particular,’’ and the one that seems to be suggested by the tone of this report is that it is something ‘‘so unusual as to excite attention, peculiar, odd, strange.’’ There is no hint in the report, however, as to just what exactly it was about this ceremony that made it so unusual as to have that effect on the other side of the world. Perhaps it had something to do with the spectacle of 70 pairs of bluecockaded guests walking hand in hand to the church? A cockade is a knot or rosette of ribbons worn to demonstrate a particular allegiance. A few decades later a blue cockade in England became symbolic of ‘‘true Protestantism’’— that is, of virulent anti-Catholicism; a hundred years later in the United States it came to represent the Confederate Secession movement; amongst some German Freemasons it was worn as a symbol of freedom and equality. There are no clues in the report as to their significance at this wedding, so it must remain conjecture. The version of the report that appeared in the The Boston Weekly NewsLetter, which was identical in all other respects, specifically mentioned that this couple were ‘‘Salters.’’ There was a salt industry in this part of England from medieval times, and this in turn drove the development of the coal and shipping industries, so that by the time of this event the area was thriving, but this wedding hardly seems noteworthy on account of its size and extravagance alone. The bill-of-fare for the wedding feast was standard for the time, although in an era noted for its huge pies, perhaps one requiring two persons and a handbarrow to take it to the bakehouse was a little unusual. A bride pye was the high point of the wedding feast at this time. It was eventually superseded by the bride cake, which became the modern wedding cake. The shell of these large pies was of the coffin type—that is, it was made from very thick, hard pastry, usually of rye flour, and was not meant to be eaten. The lid was removed and the contents scooped out, in exactly the same way as we would use a casserole dish today. It was the norm for these pies to be taken to the local baker for cooking; for a fee they would be placed in the still-hot bread oven after the bread was removed and cooked in the residual heat. Recipes ~~~ There were no specific ingredients to a bride pie, it contained whatever delicacies could be procured at the time. Pies of this nature were often called ‘‘battalia’’ pies, from the Latin beatilles, meaning small precious things. This recipe, from a cookbook of the era, demonstrates the concept very well:
Batalia Pye, or Bride Pye Take young Chickens as big as black Birds, Quails, young Partridges, and Larks, and squab Pigeons; truss them, and put them in your Pye; then have Ox-palates
May 22
Seafood Feast
boiled, blanched, and cut in pieces, Lamb-stones, Sweet-breads, cut in halves or quarters, Coxcombs blanched, a quart of Oysters dipped in Eggs, and dredged over with grated Bread, Marrow. Having so done, Sheep’s Tongues boiled, peeled, and cut in slices; season all with Salt, Pepper, Cloves, Mace, and Nutmegs, beaten and mixed together; put Butter at the bottom of the Pye, and place the rest in with yolks of hard Eggs, Knots of Eggs, Cocks-stones and Treads, Forc’d-meat Balls; cover all with Butter, and cover up the Pye; put in five or six spoonfuls of Water when it goes into the Oven, and when ’tis drawn, pour it out and put in Gravy. Eliza Smith, The Compleat Housewife . . . The Second Edition (London, 1728).
‘‘A Receipt for All Young Ladies That Are Going To Be Married’’ To Make a Sack-Posset. From famed Barbadoes on the Western Main Fetch sugar half a pound; fetch sack from Spain A pint; and from the Eastern Indian Coast Nutmeg, the glory of our Northern toast. O’er flaming coals together let them heat Till the all-conquering sack dissolves the sweet. O’er such another fire set eggs, twice ten, New born from crowing cock and speckled hen; Stir them with steady hand, and conscience pricking To see the untimely fate of twenty chicken. From shining shelf take down your brazen skillet, A quart of milk from gentle cow will fill it. When boiled and cooked, put milk and sack to egg, Unite them firmly like the triple League. Then covered close, together let them dwell Till Miss twice sings: You must not kiss and tell. From, The New York Gazette, February 13, 1744.
May 22 Seafood Feast Squantum Club, East Providence, Rhode Island, 1901 The Squantum Club was ‘‘Rhode Island’s most famous social organization’’ around the turn of the century. The name of the club is derived ultimately from that of the Indian Squantum or Squanto, who is said to have helped the Pilgrims in 1621. He is a shadowy, controversial figure, but nevertheless his name is firmly embedded in the history of the area. In the first few decades of the nineteenth century a tradition of ‘‘Squantum Festivals’’ developed in New England at which white Americans had a fine time ‘‘playing Indian.’’ A focus of these festivals was a seafood feast or clambake, apparently in
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Seafood Feast
recognition of the importance of fish to the Indians in the area and the Indians’ role in assisting the new settlers to acquire a taste for it. Only the most delicate types of fish made it to elegant tables at that time. Shellfish was the food of the poor in England for centuries, obtained by scavenging from the seashore, and fish for most ordinary folk meant the hard dry salted variety which was for ‘‘fast’’ days, was cheap and kept well, but was often not particularly palatable. By the end of the nineteenth century the seafood bounty of the East was thoroughly appreciated, and the Squantum Club revived and refined the idea of Squantum feasts. On May 22, 1901, the Squantum Club held one of its regular seafood feasts but was unable to resist ‘‘playing Indian’’ completely, and the menu was written in an Indian dialect as well as English. The menu cover read:
SQUANTUMET At Squantum Sequanakeeswush=neesneechick=nab=neese May (or Spring month) twenty-second `nnug paskugit tashepawsuck nquit Nquittemitta One thousand nine hundred one
And the food for lunch and dinner was as follows:
NOMPAEMETSUONK
POHSHEQUAEMETSUONK
Lunch (or Breakfast)
Dinner
Ashau ¯ nt-kenugkiyeuonk
Nippi sickisuog-nootattamwaetchuash
Lobster salad (or mixture)
Clam broth (or water) in cups
Pease-sitchipuck-sickissuog
Sickissuog-kengkiyeuonk
Little neck clams
Clam chowder (or mixture)
Petukqui namaig Balls of fish
Abbamochashau ¯ ntabawsuck Deviled lobster in shells
Issattonaneise-aunachimonash
Apwosu-missuckequocke
Doughnuts (or bread nuts)
Broiled Bluefish
Puttuckqunnegonash
Neahketeamuk-acawme´
May 22 Crackers (or cakes)
Seafood Feast
French-fried potatoes (or plant from the other side)
Munnunnug-machipoquat
APWOSU
Cheese (or milk soured)
Baked, or roasted Sickissuog Tautog Ashau Blackfish ¯ nteaug Clams Lobsters Quahocke Quahogs Neahketeamuk-weekonash Sweet Potatoes Wuttattash Punch (or drink) Uhpuonkash Cigarettes (or pipe and tobacco) Miscuppauog Sickissu-puttockquinege Soup
Clam fritters (or cakes) Kenugkiyeuonk Salad Nasaump Indian Pudding
Munnunnug-machiopoquat Puttuckqunnegonash Cheese
Crackers
Wunnemechimmuonk-wenomeneash Fruit (or ‘‘rare apples’’ and ‘‘grapes’’) Acawme´ manusqussedash Coffee (or ‘‘across the water beans’’)
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Recipes ~~~
Soft Clam Bisque Separate the soft from the hard portions, cut the latter small and cook them with an equal bulk of water for fifteen minutes to extract the flavor. Strain and discard the tough portions. Blend together 2 level tablespoonfuls of butter and flour without allowing them to boil; when smooth, add gradually 3 cups of milk and stir until boiling. Add the soft parts of the clams and simmer for five minutes. Pour in the strained liquor, season to taste and sprinkle a little finely chopped parsley over the top before serving. The Atlanta Constitution, August 11, 1912.
Deviled Lobster Boil and pick a lobster. Boil one pint of cream with one quarter of a pound of butter, one teaspoonful of flour, a little mustard, one small saltspoonful of cayenne, half a teaspoonful of salt. After it has boiled, mix in the yolks of two eggs and stir well. If not sufficiently thick, add a little more flour. Let the lobster be well picked, warm all together and put in the shell. Cover with bread or cracker crumbs and butter and put in the oven and brown. Before putting in the mustard to boil mix it with a little cream. Trenton Evening Times, January 2, 1907.
Baked Indian Pudding Boil one pint of milk; stir in four tablespoons yellow Indian meal and cook ten minutes. Cool it and add one pint of cold milk, half a cup New Orleans molasses, half a teaspoon each of salt and cinnamon, and two eggs well beaten with half a cup of sugar. Bake in a hot oven two hours; when it has baked half an hour add one cup of cold milk. Do not stir it in. Eat with cream or butter. This is a genuine New England Indian pudding. Los Angeles Times Cook Book (1905).
May 23 Harriman Expedition Dinner En Route to Seattle, Washington, 1899 The American Railroad executive E. H. Harriman (1848–1909) was ordered by his doctor to take a vacation early in 1899. Harriman threw himself into the idea with as much vigor and attention to detail as he had the work which had exhausted him and came up with a magnificent plan. His vacation was to
May 23
Harriman Expedition Dinner
be a scientific expedition to explore the coast of Alaska, to study and photograph its wild beauty, and catalog its flora and fauna. The expedition covered 9,000 miles in two months and was an amazing achievement all round, although it did have its darker side. Harriman was later accused of looting and stealing Alaskan artifacts and treasures and relics, but the matter, in the way of such accusations against rich men, never really came to anything. On May 23, Harriman’s party left New York aboard a private luxury train for Seattle, where the expedition was to start. The group of experts, guests, and family members sat down to a fine dinner on their first night together. Neck clams, green turtle consomme, cucumbers. Baked blue fish with fine herbs, potato Saratoga. Prime roast beef, roast Philadelphia capon, potatoes, spinach, peas. Peach fritters, tomato salad. Apple tapioca pudding, hard and brandy sauce, ice cream, assorted cake. Preserved fruit marmalade, dried Canton ginger. English and graham wafers, strawberries and cream. Roquefort, Canadian Camembert and Edam Cheese, Danish water crackers. Cafe´ noir.
Recipes ~~~ Saratoga Potatoes Pare potatoes, and slice thin as wafers, either with a potato-slicer or a thinbladed, very sharp knife. Lay in very cold water at least an hour before using. If for breakfast, over-night is better. Have boiling lard at least three inches deep in a frying kettle or pan. Dry the potatoes thoroughly in a towel, and drop in a few slices at a time, frying to golden brown. Take out with a skimmer, and lay on double brown paper in the oven to dry, salting them lightly. They may be eaten either hot or cold. Three medium-sized potatoes will make a large dishful; or, as they keep perfectly well, enough may be done for several meals, heating them a few minutes in the oven before using. Helen Campbell, The Easiest Way in Housekeeping and Cooking (1903).
Peach Fritters Peel the peaches, split each in two and take out the stones; dust a little powdered sugar over them; dip each piece in the batter, and fry in hot fat. A sauce to be served with them may be made as follows: Put an ounce of butter in a saucepan, and whisk it to a cream; add four ounces of sugar gradually. Beat the yolks of two eggs; add to them a dash of nutmeg and a gill each of cold water and rum; stir this into the luke-warm batter, and allow it to heat gradually. Stir constantly until of a smooth, creamy consistency, and serve. The batter is made as follows: Beat the yolks of three eggs; add to them a gill of milk, or half of a
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Empire Day Luncheon
cupful, a saltspoonful of salt, four ounces of flour; mix. If old flour is used, a little more milk may be found necessary. White House Cook Book (Chicago, 1887).
Brandy Sauce, Cold Two cupfuls of powdered sugar, half a cupful of butter, one wine-glassful of brandy, cinnamon and nutmeg, a teaspoonful of each. Warm the butter slightly, and work it to a light cream with the sugar, then add the brandy and spices; beat it hard and set aside until wanted. Should be put into a mold to look nicely, and serve on a flat dish. White House Cook Book (Chicago, 1887).
Plain Cold, Hard Sauce Stir together one cupful of white sugar, and half a cupful of butter, until it is creamy and light; add flavoring to taste. This is very nice, flavored with the juice of raspberries or strawberries, or beat into it a cupful of ripe strawberries or raspberries and the white of an egg, beaten stiff. White House Cook Book (Chicago, 1887).
May 24 Empire Day Luncheon Junior Carlton Club, London, England, 1933 Empire Day was a Canadian idea, first put forth in 1898 ‘‘to advance the cause of unity within the Empire.’’ The birthday of Queen Victoria (1819– 1901) was, according to The Times, chosen ‘‘so that ultimately the anniversary of her Majesty’s birthday throughout the length and breadth of her dominions might be associated in the minds of her subjects (especially of the young) with that vast Empire which has in so large a measure been the product of her long and glorious reign.’’ One of the major aims was to remind the subjects of the Empire of the ‘‘duties and responsibilities attaching to British citizenship.’’ A national duty is to keep as much of the profit at home as possible. As a promotional exercise for Empire products a special luncheon was held on Pall Mall in London by the Empire Marketing Board on Empire Day in 1933. The 187 major ingredients were sourced (many of them as gifts) from 45 of the Dominions and Colonies of the British Empire. The Times newspaper report gave the details: The soups will include North Borneo bird’s nest, Straits Settlements shark’s fin, Fiji cucumber, and Ascension Islands green turtle; and among the fish dishes will be Irish salmon, Dover sole, grilled mackerel with Uganda chilly sauce,
May 24
Empire Day Luncheon
whitebait with Kelantan Malayan pepper, Halibut with Bombay chutney sauce, and fried whiting with New Zealand melted butter. Roast Welsh milk lamb, Surrey fowl and Ulster bacon, braised sweetbread and Jersey peas, liver and Canadian bacon, and Indian mutton curry will be among the hot dishes, while the cold side-table will include a baron of Scotch beef, New Zealand lamb, Gambia ground-nut rissoles, English veal, and wild duck and Windward Islands Guava jelly. Among the sweets will be Malta figs and cream, Turk’s Island tamarinds, Rhodesian buckwheat cakes and maple syrup, Mauritius pineapple, Canadian apple pie, Kenya coffee mould, and Banbury pancakes.
Britain’s industrial growth and international trade were begun slowing as the twentieth century advanced, and it became increasingly necessary for her to look to her own lands for necessary goods. The campaign began in earnest in 1923 with a series of events designed to educate the public as to the necessity to make the Empire self-supporting. In October the British housewife was encouraged to participate in an ‘‘Empire shopping week,’’ and in the following month a series of exhibitions arranged by the British Empire Producers’ Organization, the Army and Navy Cooperative Society, the Dominion Governments, the Governments of India, and the Colonial Agencies began around the country. The British housewife was encouraged to buy Empire goods, by which she would save not just the Empire, but indeed the whole world. If every housewife would prefer Empire goods to the extent of half-a-crown, it would mean about one and a half million pounds per week to the Empire. It was necessary for the future of the world that there should be a strong British Empire, and we could only be strong if we were self-supporting.
The Empire Marketing Board had been established in 1926 to continue this ‘‘practical propaganda’’ by way of a variety of promotional and educational activities. A series of formal Empire dinners was held, and a small booklet of Empire menus was published to help the average Briton to follow suit. There was no earthly reason not to participate, for as well as costsaving, ‘‘we have every clime and every season within our borders, and cold storage has annihilated distance, we may dine as elegantly, as exotically, as we choose. . . . and gigot de pre´-sale´ is only leg of mutton after all.’’ The board also commissioned a series of advertisements in the Radio Times in 1929 to promote specific ‘‘Empire-quality’’ goods such as East African coffee, Canadian apples, South African oranges, Indian rice from Bengal and Burma, and Irish free state butter, eggs and bacon (and Southern Rhodesian tobacco and cigarettes). Buying from the colonies was all very well of course, but Empire begins at home, and the public were particularly exhorted to buy British when possible, and especially to ‘‘Eat more fish. Caught by British Fishermen.’’ Recipes ~~~ The guava is a tropical fruit native to the Americas, Caribbean, and parts of North Africa. The jelly made from the fruit was highly prized and became
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Parliamentary Dinner
an important industry in the West Indies. Large quantities were exported to Britain, where it was considered a great delicacy. The basic method of making it is the same as for any other fruit jelly. Guava Jelly 8 lbs. ripe guavas. 1 lb. sugar-candy. 10 limes. Peel and cut the guavas in four, boil in a little water, and press out the juice through a cloth; add the juice of the limes and the sugar; boil and skim very carefully till it will jelly. Guava cheese is made in the same way, only the fruit must be rubbed through a coarse sieve. The Englishwoman in India: Information for Ladies . . . By a Lady Resident (1864).
Coffee Mould 1/4 pint milk 1/2 oz. gelatine
2 tablespoons coffee essence 2 tablespoonfuls sugar.
Soak the gelatine in a little cold milk; when dissolved add to it the remainder of the milk and coffee essence and boil; add the sugar, pour into a wet mould, turn out when set. Strong coffee can be used instead of essence, but must be very carefully strained. Laurie’s Household Encyclopaedia (London, 1931).
Birds’ Nest: see March 8. Sharks’ Fin: see March 8. Buckwheat Cakes: see March 24.
May 25 Parliamentary Dinner Carlton House, London, England, 1816 It is not unusual for individual dishes at a banquet to be named after famous people, and a dinner served by the English clergyman Thomas Ackland (1791–1844) in 1816 was unusually replete with such dishes. A writer for the radical newspaper The Morning Chronicle took great delight in reporting that Sir Thomas Ackland gave a splendid dinner to the Prince Regent’s Ministers, and a large party of Parliamentary Friends. With that good taste which is so eminently his character, he lost no opportunity of delicately complimenting his Ministerial friends ; and even his Bill of Fare, furnished by the Carlton House Cook, breathed the language of Saintly flattery—as it was received with great applause by the company, we have obtained a copy, and present it to our readers.
May 25
Parliamentary Dinner
POISSONS. ` la Pole; Harent laite´, sauce moutarde a ` la bonhommie de Curtis; Turbot, sauce a ` la Rose; Ecrevisses, sauce avare a ` la Provenc¸ale de Lascelles. Morue a ROTS. Dindon, garni d’effronterie au galimatias de Castlereagh Dindonneau nouveau, sauce Binning; Oison au Wood; ` la Peel; Perdreau Rouge a Be´casse au Vyse; Canard sauvage au Joseph Yorke. ENTREES. ` la veille financie`re au Vansittart; Cotelettes d’agneau a Teˆte de veau au naturel de Bragge; ` la Tartare au Vesey; Poulet gros a ` l’Allemande au Bloomfield; Palais de Bœuf, a Chou-croute garnie des petites platitudes de Robinson; HORS D’ŒUVRES. ` la Comptou; Boudin noir a Cotelettes de porc frais, sauce Lopez; Pieds de chochon au Hiley; Saucisson au Sturges. PATISSERIES. ` la Gower; Vol-au-vents de cervelle de veau a Deux petits pate´s aux Cranbourne et Valletort, &c. &c. &c. DESSERT. Gele´e de groseilles au Warrender; ` la Kirkwall; Petit pot de rhum a Quatre mendian[t]s aux Marryatt, Leslie Foster, Holmes, et Wallhouse Littleton, &c.
This menu is a veritable catalogue of the MPs and other politicians of the day, with many of their foibles exposed. It is hard to say whether it is gently mocking or savagely satirical, and it is likely that some of its targets would have been insulted by the dishes named for them. The ‘‘turkey garnished with effrontery and gibberish’’ was assigned to Robert Stewart Castlereagh (1769–1822), an Anglo-Irish Whig politician who crossed the floor (meaning he changed his Parliamentary allegiance and left the Whigs to join the Tories) in 1795 and was involved in several controversial events—namely, the passing of the Irish Act of Union in 1800 and a duel against the Foreign Secretary George Canning (1770–1827). The Poulet Gros (fat chicken) represents William Vesey-Fitzgerald (1783–1843), an Irish statesman who managed to obtain significant political advancement in
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Royal and Plebeian Supper
spite of his dubious behavior. The Quatre Mendiants (literally, four beggars, see January 17) are John Leslie Foster (1781–1842), William (‘‘Billy’’) Holmes (1779–1851), Edward Wallhouse Littleton (1791–1863), and Joseph Marryat (1790–1876), brother of Frederick Marryat (1792–1848) the author of Mr Midshipman Easy. The correspondent who submitted the article considered the possibility that the Gele´e de groseilles (literally, jelly of gooseberries) was in fact what would be called in English a gooseberry fool. A ‘‘fool’’ (culinarily speaking) is ‘‘a dish composed of fruit stewed, crushed, and mixed with milk, cream, or custard’’ and is commonly made from gooseberries. In this menu the ‘‘fool’’ is George Warrender (1782–1849), a Scottish MP and First Lord of the Admiralty who was known as a bon vivant, hence his nickname of ‘‘Sir Gorge Provender.’’ Recipes ~~~ To Make a Gooseberry Fool Take two quarts of gooseberries, set them on the fire in about a quart of water. When they begin to simmer, turn yellow, and begin to plump, throw them into a cullender to drain the water out; then with the back of a spoon carefully squeeze the pulp, throw the sieve into a dish, make them pretty sweet, and let them stand until they are cold. In the meantime take two quarts of new milk, and the yolks of four eggs beat up with a little grated nutmeg; stir it softly over a slow fire; when it begins to simmer, take it off, and by degrees stir it into the gooseberries. Let it stand till it is cold, and serve it up. If you make it with cream you need not put any eggs in: and if it is not thick enough, it is only boiling more gooseberries. But that you must do as you think proper. Hannah Glasse, The Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy (1947).
Glasse’s book also includes recipes for other ‘‘fools,’’ including a ‘‘Westminster fool,’’ which, on the basis of its name alone, would have suited the theme of this menu even more perfectly. It is a sort of trifle, with custard poured over a base of sherry-soaked bread. May 26 Royal and Plebeian Supper Madison Square Garden, New York, 1893 When their Royal Highnesses Infanta Don ˜ a Eulalie (1864–1958) and Infante Don Antonio (1866–1930) of Spain visited New York in 1893, there was more agonizing over the rules of protocol than there was over the catering arrangements. The political and civic dignitaries were apparently relieved when the Infanta let it be known that ‘‘she would be guided entirely by American etiquette during her stay here, and that she did not desire any of the ceremony which attaches to Courts.’’
May 26
Royal and Plebeian Supper
On the evening of May 26, there was a gala ball tendered by ‘‘the Circulo Colon-Cervantes of the City of New York under the auspices of their Excellencies the Ministers Plenipotentiary and Envoys Extraordinary of Spain, Mexico, Peru, and Brazil to the United States’’ (The New York Times). The ball was ‘‘of the most exclusive character,’’ and the ball supper was spectacular. All guests were seated in the same room, but the royal visitors and the other particularly honored guests sat at an elevated table as they would have in medieval times, and there were two separate menus. Many of the dishes were named in honor of Spain, its royal family, and the mutual history of the two countries. MENU AT THE TABLE OF THE INFANTA. Little Neck Clams. POTAGE. Consomme´ de Volaille.
Chablis.
HORS D’ŒUVRES. Timbale Pinta. Amontillado. Olives Espagnole. Amandes Sale´ POISSON. ` la Barcelona. Escaloppe de Bass, a
Pomme Gastronomme.
´. RELEVE Chablis. Filet de Bœuf Mignon, Sauce Madere. ` la Reine. Tomate, a ´ E. ENTRE Amontillado. ` l’Americain. Terrapine a PUNCH. Colombo. ˆ TI. RO Chapon Farcie, aux Truffe et Marron. SALADE. ˆteau Latour. Cha Salade de Lartno. ` CE FROID. PIE ˆte´s de Foie Gras. Pa ˆte´s de Gibier. Pa Gallantine de Chapon, aux Truffe. ´. GLACE Santa Maria Champagne. Biscuit Diplomatique.
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Royal and Plebeian Supper DESSERT. Gateaux Assortis. Fruit Glace´s. Coraquet. Fruits de Saison. ` CE MONTE ´ E. PIE Cafe´.
MENU AT THE OTHER TABLES. POTAGE. Consomme´ en Tasse. HORS D’ŒUVRES. Chablis. Olives. Radis. Amandes Sale´ POISSON. Saumon, Sauce Tartar. ´. RELEVE Chablis. ` la Barcelonnaise. Filet de Bœuf, a Pommes Parisienne. ´ E. ENTRE ˆte´s de Ris de Veau. Pa Le´gumes. Petits Pois. St. Julien. PUNCH. Espagnole. ˆ TI. RO Pigeons sur Canape, aux Cresson. SALADE. Champagne. Salade de Volaille. Mayonnaise d’Homard.
Santa Maria.
´. GLACE Columbus.
DESSERT. Gateaux Assortis. Bonbons. Cafe´.
Biscuit Madrid.
Cosaques.
May 26
Royal and Plebeian Supper
In spite of the relaxation of the rules of etiquette, there were some embarrassingly uncertain moments as guests were presented to the royal couple, with several whom were overanxious overdoing the bowing (one also genuflecting), walking backward (it is improper to turn one’s back on a royal person; one must take several steps backward before turning away), and getting entangled in others’ gowns. The excitement of being presented first to the Infanta caused several guest to completely overlook the fact that Don Antonio also had to be acknowledged. The hierarchy in the two menus is quite clear. The menu for the lesser guests (the newspapers referred to it as the Plebian version) did not include the terrapin, the truffled dishes, or the foie gras, for example, and their wine selection was less fine. Recipes ~~~ Foie gras (‘‘fat liver’’) has been a favorite delicacy for millennia: the ancient Egyptians and Romans are known to have enjoyed it. It has recently been the subject of some controversy based on the alleged treatment of geese and ducks, and for some it is considered an unethical product. It was originally ˆte´, meaning passerved in a pastry shell (the legacy remaining in the name pa try), although today only the filling is served. Charles Ranhofer, the chef to ˆte´ de foie gras in his book Delmonico’s of New York, gave a long recipe for pa The Epicurean (1894). It is summarized here.
´ de Foie Gras Pa ˆte Ranhofer wrote, ‘‘This cold pie is intended for very large suppers.’’ The construction is complex and requires several steps. A Foie Gras terrine is made, which becomes the filling. A raised pie shell is baked ‘‘blind,’’ then filled with chopped savory jelly and slices of foie gras, ‘‘finish filling with the prettiest slices, dressing them in a compact circle, and filling the inside of this with fine chopped jelly. Fasten the pie on a cold dish, surround the base with croutons of jelly, and on top of the chopped jelly lay a fine truffle, peeled and cooked in wine.’’
Terrine of Foies Gras Put two and a half pounds of fat ducks’ liver in a terrine, after removing the gall, seasoned with foies gras spices and larded with large fillets of raw truffles. Pound the truffle parings with five ounces of fresh chopped fat pork and six ounces of very white lean veal or pork meat, free from sinews, also chopped up finely, and four ounces of raw lean ham, adding the liver parings, salt and spices. Infuse a piece of cinnamon stick in a little Madeira wine, pass it through a sieve and mix it with the forcemeat, also six spoonfuls of cooked fine herbs; season the whole to perfection.
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May 27
Dinner for the Norwegian Royals ´ s de Foie Gras Spices for Pa ˆte
Four ounces of nutmeg, four ounces of cloves, four ounces of basil, four of marjoram, four ounces of thyme, two and a half ounces of black pepper, three ounces of white pepper, two and one-third ounces of bay leaf, two and a half ounces of mace, two and a half ounces of ginger, two and a third of coriander seeds, one and two-thirds ounce of sweet pepper. One ounce of these mixed spices to every two pounds of salt.
Potatoes Gastronome From some raw potatoes trim cylindrical one inch in diameter by an inch and a quarter long; blanch them for ten minutes, then drain off and finish cooking in clarified butter; when done pour this butter off and add salt, lemon juice, a small quantity of meat glaze, chopped truffles and a little Madeira wine. Range and serve in a vegetable dish. Charles Ranhofer, The Epicurean (1894).
Pommes Parisienne: see June 23. Sauce Madere : see February 28.
May 27 Dinner for the Norwegian Royals ´ e Palace, Paris, France, 1908 Elyse When King Haakon VII (1872–1957) and Queen Maud (1869–1938) of Norway visited France in 1908 they were subject to the usual round of official banquets and receptions. The man in charge of the dinner held at the Elyse´e Palace on May 27 was Auguste Escoffier (1846–1935), one of the most famous chefs of all time. Escoffier is considered the father of haute cuisine. He took the ornate dishes and complex methods of Antonine Careˆme (see January 18) and simpli` fied and codified them, and he promoted and popularized the modern service a la Russe (see January 17). His book Le Guide Culinaire, published in 1903, is still required reading today for serious chefs and culinary students. MENU DU DINER Offert par M. le President Fallieres a LL. MM le Roi et la Reine de Norvege 27 Mai 1908 Melon frappe´ Consomme´ The´odora ` l’ancienne Cre`me de Volaille a Truites Saumone´e u vin du Rhin ` la Parisienne Poulets de grain a Selle de Pre´-sale´ Forestie`re
May 27
Dinner for the Norwegian Royals
Foies gras frais glace´s au Xe´re`s ` l’orange Granite´ a Sorbets au kummel Dindonneaux au truffe´s Jambons d’York au Champagne Salade Gauloises Asperges d’Argenteuil sauce Cre`me Poires Crassanes Friandises Dessert
A feature of this menu is that the provenance and exact type of many of the main ingredients is specified. To the best chefs, this is extremely important. The asparagus was from Argenteuil, a few miles northwest of Paris. Argenteuil asparagus has white stalks grading to purplish below the green tips and has been famous since the seventeenth century. The ‘‘pears’’ are specifically Crassanes, or Passe´-Crassanes, which are grown from pears grafted onto quince stock and are a superb cooking variety. The Selle de Pre´-sale´ Forestie`re is lamb with particularly delicate slightly salted flesh due its being raised on the salt marshes of Normandy and the Atlantic coast. Dinners such as this always included a frozen punch, sorbet, or granita part way through the meal to ‘‘cleanse the palate’’ for what was to follow. For some reason Escoffier chose to present two variations at this dinner. Kummel is a liqueur flavored with caraway seed, which has been considered a good digestive aid for many centuries. The original ‘‘comfits’’ served at the end of a meal from ancient times were usually made from caraway seeds coated in sugar and are much like the multicolored fennel seeds that are commonly given in Indian restaurants. Recipes ~~~ A consomme´ is a clear soup (broth, bouilli) with a base of meat, fish, or occasionally vegetable stock. The various garnishes determine the name of the soup. Many examples appear on the menus in this book. ´ The ´ odora Consomme Put in the consomme´, equal parts of small chicken dumplings, royal, and boiled asparagus tips. Before serving add some chopped chervil. The Hotel St. Francis Cook Book (1919).
Champagne Sauce [for ham] 3/4 pint Espagnole Sauce 1 glass of champagne
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Wedding Feast 2 cloves 6 peppercorns 1 bay leaf
Put the cloves, peppercorns, bay leaf, and espagnole sauce into a stewpan on the fire; let it reduce a little, add the champagne, and the essence remaining from the braised ham. Reduce the whole for ten minutes, or longer if found too thin. Strain through a pointed strainer and serve with braised ham. Charles Herman Senn, The Book of Sauces (1915).
Salad Gauloise This is a ‘‘compound salad.’’ It usually consists of a mixture of mushrooms, truffles, asparagus tips, globe artichokes and celery, with a mayonnaise dressing. Some recipes include potato.
Melon Frappe´ (melon water ice): see June 20. May 28 Wedding Feast Milan, Italy, 1368 When Lionel, the Duke of Clarence (1338–1368) and second son of King Edward III of England was to be married to Violante of the enormously powerful Visconti family of Milan in 1368, he traveled from London with a retinue that included 2,000 English horsemen. At that time, London was a medieval city of wooden buildings and unpaved streets, but in northern Italy the Renaissance had already begun, and there was a great flowering of all the arts—architectural, artistic—and culinary. Dynastic marriages were about power and politics, and the wedding that Galeazzo Visconti gave for his daughter left no doubt as to who had the edge on sophistication. After the ceremony in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, a spectacular banquet was held in the open courtyard in front of his palace in the Piazza dell’Arenga. The illustrious guests were seated according to rank at two huge tables, and amongst them were the French chronicler Jean Froissart (ca. 1337–ca.1405), the Italian poet and humanist Petrarch (1301–1374), and possibly also the author of the Canterbury Tales, Geoffrey Chaucer (1343–1400.) It was said that the banquet was so sumptuous that the leftovers would have fed 10,000 men. There were 18 courses of fabulous food, much of which was gilded with real gold. With each course, Gian Galeazzo, the bride’s brother and other well-born young men brought fantastic and extravagant gifts to the table, as recorded in Bernadino Corio’s Storia di Milano, published in 1503 (translated by Marisa Raniolo Wilkins):
May 28
Wedding Feast
In the first spread was a double offering [i.e. it was served in duplicate, as a mark of special honor], that is meat and fish for the Duke’s table; presented were two gilded piglets with fire coming from their mouths: some fish called golden piglets [porcellete—perhaps porcelain crabs]; and accompanying these were two greyhounds with velvet collars and silk cords, and twelve pairs of bloodhounds with golden chains: leather collars and silk cords, that is every pair of bloodhound tied on to one strand, then joined into fours. The second spread consisted of gilded hares and gilded pikes, with twelve pairs of greyhounds with silk collars and golden clasps, and cords, six made of silk, one per pair, and six gos-hawks with buttons and with tags, six made of silver and with the enamelled coat of arms of Signor Galeazzo and Signor Conte. The third spread was an entire calf all gilded, and gilded trout, and twelve hunting dogs with velvet collars, and clasps and golden studs; with silk cords, that is one per pair. The fourth spread consisted of golden quails and partridges, with roasted gilded trout, twelve sparrow hawks with pressed harnesses, silk hoods, and silver buttons, accompanied by twelve hunting dogs with gilded chains, twelve of imitation gold with ties, six in all, that is one per pair. The fifth spread consisted of gilded ducks, gilded herons, gilded carp, falcons, six with little caps made of velvet with pearls and buttons on top, and with silver tags with their emblems on top. The sixth spread consisted of beef, fat capons with garlic sauce and sturgeon in water and twelve metal cuirasses with silver clasps with the insignias of the favourite signori. The seventh spread consisted of capons and meat in lemon sauce with fish in the same sauce with twelve suits of [tournament] armour, twelve saddles, and an equal number of lances, all with the corresponding insignias, and golden shields, two for each armoured man, two saddles decorated with silver and enamel for the bridegroom and the others made of imitation gold. The eighth spread consisted of beef pies also some made with fat eels, and twelve suits of war amour, two decorated with silver for the bridegroom. The ninth spread consisted of meat moulded in jelly [aspic] and fish, with twelve pieces of gold brocade and twelve of silk. The tenth spread consisted of meat moulded in jelly and fish, chiefly lampreys, and two silver and enamelled flasks; six basins made of silver, gold and enamel, one flask filled with Malvesia and the other with Vernaccia wine. The eleventh spread consisted of roasted kid, and roasted shad, with six pairs of horses and saddles decorated with gilded silver, six lances, six golden targets, six metal helmets two made of gilded silver for the Count and one other of imitation gold. The twelfth spread consisted of hare and venison on golden trays, with many other different fish on silver trays, and six great coursers with saddles decorated with gold and each with the emblem of the squad to which they belonged. There were two decorated especially for the bridegroom. The thirteenth spread consisted of beef and venison moulds and six steeds with gilded bridles and green velvet cloaks with a button and a red bow at the edge of the cloak and with silk fringes. The fourteenth spread consisted of capons and poultry in red sauce and the green [sauce] of citrons and tench reversed [turned inside-out], six steeds with
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Sunday Dinner
gilded bridles, red velvet cloaks with buttons and with gold bows and crimson velvet halters. The fifteenth spread consisted of peacocks, salted [pickled] tongue, carp, with vegetables, and a heavy mantle and hood covered with pearls and lined with ermine. The sixteenth spread consisted of rabbits, peacocks, roasted swans and ducks, with a great silver basin: a clasp, a ruby, a diamond, a pearl, and [other valuable jewels]. The seventeenth spread consisted of junket and cheese with twelve fat oxen. The eighteenth spread consisted of fruit and sweetmeats, and two coursers for the bridegroom, called the Lion and the Abbott.
Recipes ~~~ The following recipes are taken from the Italian work Epulario, first published in 1516 but based on earlier works. The following recipes are from the English translation, published in 1598. To Dresse Capon, Peacocke, Feisant, and Other Foule Shoveler, Puet, Ducke, Crane, wild Goose, Heron and Storke, are all good and would be stuffed with Garlike, onions, or such like things. Peacocke, Feisant, Partrich, wild Henne, Quailes, Thrush, blacke Bird, and all other good Birds are to be rosted. Pigeons are good both rosted and sodden [boiled], yet best rosted. King Doves and wild Pigeons are good rosted, but better boiled with Pepper, Sage, Parsely, and Margerum. Capon is good both boiled and rosted, and likewise the Henne.
To Make Good Garlike Sauce Take blanched Almonds well stamped [crushed, or ground], and being halfe beaten, put as much Garlike to them as you think good, and stampe them together, tempering them with water least it be oiley, then take crummes of white bread what quantity you will, and soke it either in leane broth, of flesh or fish as time serveth; this sauce you may keepe and use with all meats, fat or leane as you thinke good.
May 29 Sunday Dinner Hotel Emery, Cincinnati, Ohio, 1892 When the Hotel Emery opened its doors in Cincinnati in 1877 it was well ahead of its time. The site incorporated an arcade of shops, a restaurant, and offices all under the same roof as the hotel. Guests at the hotel could choose to stay on the ‘‘American Plan’’ (meals included) or the ‘‘European
May 29
Sunday Dinner
Plan’’ (meals not included). The Hotel Emery’s charges at this time started at $1 a day which presumably applied to the European plan, so that guests wishing to enjoy the Sunday dinner on May 29 would have had to pay extra. SOUP Cream of Asparagus. Consomme Royal. — Sliced Tomatoes. Cucumbers. Olives. Young Onions. FISH Filet of Sole, au Vin Blang. Potatoes Quartier. BOILED Boiled Chicken, Parsley Sauce.
Roast Beef,
ROAST Spring Lamb, Mint Sauce.
ENTREES Mountain Oysters, Fried, Villeroy. Larded Sweetbreads, Braised French Peas. Queen Fritters, a la Vanilla. — Wine Sherbet. SALADS Chicken Mayonnaise. Lettuce French Dressing. VEGETABLES Mashed Potatoes. Asparagus. String Beans. Egg Plant. DESSERT Fruit Pudding, Brandy Sauce. Strawberry Ice Cream. Pear Pie. Blance Mange, Vanilla Sauce. Apple Pie. Strawberries. Charlotte Russe. Assorted Cakes. Apples. Oranges. Bananas. — Water Crackers and Cheese. Coffee.
It was of course traditional at this time for a hotel menu to appear to be written at least partly in French, even if the actual knowledge of the language was rudimentary and resulted in such phrases as Vin blang (presumably vin blanc or white wine) and Blance mange (blanc-mange, see January
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7). The choice of French (or approximately French-sounding) words was intended to give an air of sophistication to an establishment, and the habit persisted well into the twentieth century. Sometimes, however, the choice of words is not to add refinement but to avoid vulgarity, as with the ‘‘mountain oysters’’ on this menu. Mountain oysters are steer testicles. They are known by a variety of coy or coarse names such as cowboy caviar, swinging beef, barnyard jewels, Mississippi Valley scallops, farm oysters, and calf fries. In France they are sold as animelles (‘‘little animals’’, see September 29) or rognons blancs (‘‘white kidneys’’). In old English cookbooks they are referred to rather prosaically as ‘‘stones’’—and even those of the cockerel were considered delicacies. Recipes ~~~ Mountain Oysters These are usually served breaded and deep fried. The Emery Hotel took this dish well away from the ranch and made it very high class by serving it with a classic Sauce Villeroi (albeit misspelled). As with most classic sauces, the ‘‘correct’’ way is long and involved, requiring several preliminary steps, and they were rarely prepared this way in the domestic kitchen. Simpler versions appear in many books, such as the very comprehensive The Book of Sauces, (1915) by Charles Herman Senn. The book also described the four basic ‘‘grand sauces’’ of the classic French repertoire which are the foundation of many of the dishes in this book. The recipes below are taken from this book.
Villeroi Sauce Prepare a Bechamel or other rich white sauce, and mix it with finely chopped cooked ham or tongue or both, and finish with a liaison of yolks of eggs and fresh butter or cream.
Parsley Sauce Prepare half a pint of Bechamel or other white sauce, to this add 1 dessertspoonful of finely chopped and washed parsley and a few drops of lemon-juice.
Vanilla Sauce Boil 1 gill of milk with 1/2 a vanilla pod; cream 3 egg yolks with 1 oz. of castor sugar, and pour over, whilst stirring, the milk. Return all into the stewpan and stir over the fire till it thickens, but must not boil. Strain and serve as required (hot or cold).
May 30
State Dinner
Brandy Sauce 4 oz. loaf sugar 1/2 oz. cornflour 1/2 gill brandy 1/2 pint water. Put the sugar and rather more than a gill and a half of water in a copper stewpan, boil a few minutes, take off the scum, and reduce to a thin syrup. Mix the cornflour with a little cold water, stir into the boiling syrup, and whisk over the fire for about five minutes. Add the brandy, strain, and serve hot with the pudding.
Blancmange: see January 7. Charlotte Russe: see September 4. Queen Fritters: see June 1.
May 30 State Dinner Hall of Facets, the Kremlin, Soviet Union, 1988 In 1988 the general secretary of the Soviet Union, Mikhail S. Gorbachev (b. 1931) and U.S. President Ronald Reagan (1911–2004) met for their fourth scheduled summit. The previous conferences had been held in Geneva, Rejkjavik, and Washington, and the negotiations were ultimately to assist the end of the Cold War. The fourth and final meeting was in Moscow. As is usual for such diplomatic occasions, official dinners were part of the proceedings. On the night of May 30, about a hundred guests attended the state dinner at the Kremlin in honor of President and Mrs. Reagan. The Soviet news agency Tass released details of the menu. Fresh Caviar Puff Rasstegay Assorted Fish with Lemon Stuffed Turkey Fillet with Fruits Fish Soup a la Suzdal Asparagus Cream Pike-Perch Baked with Crabmeat Loin of Veal Stewed with Vegetables Fruit Cream Parfait with Nuts Fruit Tea Coffee Pastries Cakes The Wines Manavi Georgian White Wine, 1985 Mukuzani Georgian Red Wine, 1985 Sovetskoye Sparkling Brut Yubileiny Armenian Brandy, 1977
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The evening was described in the usual glowing terms by the newspapers the next day. The dining room was opulent, and the first ladies elegant (Nancy Reagan in red chiffon, Raisa Gorbachev in blue and lavender), but no comment was made about the food itself. The menu was typical for a diplomatic dinner, centered around internationally recognized classical dishes, with a few concessions to ‘‘Russian’’ cuisine. The caviar of course was virtually obligatory as it is a rare and famous product of the region. The only other local dishes were the rasstegay (or rastegaı¨s—see January 8) and the fish sourced from one of the waterways of the Suzdal region northeast of Moscow. The only surprise at the dinner was President Reagan’s speech, in which he appeared to illustrate his theme of ‘‘not just the tragedy of war, but the problems of pacifism, the nobility of patriotism, as well as the love of peace’’ with a lengthy description of the plot of Friendly Persuasion, a 1956 film starring Gary Cooper. The newspapers the next day also did not fail to point out that the president at one point appeared to doze off during Gorbachev’s speech. Recipes ~~~ The following recipe comes from La Cuisine Franc¸aise. French Cooking for Every Home. Adapted to American Requirements (Chicago, 1893), but the author, Franc¸ois Tanty, was an expert in Russian cuisine. He served as chef to the tsar of Russia and was also proprietor of the Grand Hotel and the Restaurant Dussaux at St. Petersburg and purveyor to the French and Russian Armies. Russian Fish Soup For five persons: Fresh perch, 4 lbs. Vegetables, 2 onions, 4 carrots, 4 stalks of celery, some parsley, thyme and laurel 1st. Clean and wash carefully about 4 lbs. very fresh perch. Take the fillets off and put them apart. 2d. Put the heads and the back bones in a kettle with two onions, 2 carrots, 2 celery stalks, some parsley, thyme and laurel, 2 quarts of water, a little salt, let boil for 1 hour. 3d. Slice in ‘‘julienne’’ (See No. 8), 2 celery stalks and 2 carrots, let them cook in some water until quite tender, then let them drip. 4th. Put the dripped vegetables in a sauce pan with the fillets, pour over the fish ‘‘stock’’ and let cook again for 1/4 hour. This soup, which may be made with quite every kind of fish, provided it is very fresh, can be served advantageously with lean [i.e. fast-day] dinners and is matchless for camping parties.
Rastegay (rastegais): see January 8.
May 31
French President Lunches aboard a Luxury Train
May 31 French President Lunches aboard a Luxury Train France, 1925 In May 1925 French President Gaston Doumergue (1863–1937) visited the Bas-Rhin (Lower Rhine) de´partement of France—an area that has at several times in its history belonged to Germany. He traveled in a train run by the Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits (International Sleeping-Car Company), which had been formed in 1872 by the Belgian businessman George Nagelmackers and was modeled on the American Pullman design. The menu was classic and elegant, as guests aboard a luxury train would have expected. ´ JEUNER DE Oeufs Frits Catalane Tournedos Be´arnaise Pommes Noisette Asperges Sauce Gribich Terrine de Canard Truffe´e Glace Plombie`re Dessert
George Pullman (and his followers) designed their trains to be hotels (or palaces) on wheels, and passengers expected elegant multi-course meals. Kitchens took up part of the dining car, and some trains had dedicated kitchen cars but space was still very restricted compared with that in a normal restaurant—or even an ordinary home. A great deal of care went into equipment, storage, and provisioning arrangements to maximize efficiency. Dishes needed to be either capable of being prepared ahead of time (such as the ice cream and the sauces) or quickly cooked with minimum equipment (such as the eggs, the tournedos, and the pommes noisette). Railroad chefs aboard luxury trains also had to be able to whip up at short notice special dishes to accommodate the dietary requirements or whims of their wealthy passengers. Recipes ~~~ Bearnaise Sauce 1/2 gill tarragon vinegar 6 peppercorns, crushed 1 tablespoonful of white sauce 4 oz. butter meat glaze
3 shallots finely chopped 4 yolks of eggs 1 sprig thyme lemon- juice
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French President Lunches aboard a Luxury Train
Put the shallots, peppercorns and thyme with the vinegar in a stewpan, cover and boil until well reduced, remove the thyme, add the sauce and a little dissolved meat glaze. Whisk in the yolks of eggs, taking care not to let the sauce boil, remove the stewpan from the fire, and work in by degrees the butter. Only a little butter must be added at a time, otherwise the sauce will get oily. Strain through a pointed strainer or tammy. A little finely chopped fresh tarragon and chervil, and a few drops of lemon-juice may be added after the sauce is strained. Bearnaise Sauce (Brune): Prepare an ordinary Bearnaise as above, with the addition of meat glaze to give it a brown color.
Gribiche Sauce Take half a pint of Mayonnaise sauce, and add sufficient mixed mustard to flavor, then stir in some finely chopped fresh savory herbs (fines herbes) and serve.
Pommes Noisette Noisette is French for hazelnut, and the dish consists of potato cut into small balls the size of the nuts, and gently fried in butter until lightly brown (nut-brown). Charles Herman Senn, The Book of Sauces (1915).
Tournedos: see May 11. Glace´ Plombie`re: see November 21. Oeufs Frits Catalane: Dishes styled ‘‘Catalane’’ often have a garnish of eggplant (aubergine) and rice but in the case of eggs sometimes refers to an accompaniment of tomatoes and peppers.
June June 1 Willard Hotel Bill of Fare Washington, DC, 1860 Author Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804–1864) said of Willard’s Hotel ‘‘This hotel, in fact, may be much more justly called the center of Washington and the Union than either the Capitol, the White House or the State Department. You exchange nods with governors of sovereign States; you elbow illustrious men, and tread on the toes of generals.’’ He was speaking during the Civil War, which had officially gotten underway a few weeks before the hotel offered this menu to its guests on June 1.
SOUP. Clamb a la Royal. FISH. Striped Bass, barbacued. BOILED. Corned Beef. Ham and Cabbage. Leg of Mutton, Caper Sauce. Smoked Tongue. Chicken, Cream Sauce. Jowl and Greens. Roulade of Beef, braized, with Onions. COLD DISHES. Pressed Brisket of Corned Beef. Ham. Mutton. Fowl. Smoked Tongue.
Roast Beef.
SIDE DISHES. Small Tenderloin of Beefsteak, broiled and glace, with rich Gravy. Lamb Cotelettes, saute and glace, on Croutons, Fine Herb sauce. Vol-au-Vent furnished with Snipe, in Comporte, a la Rine. Broiled Young Spring Chicken, on Toast, Butter and Parsley Sauce. Stuffed Shoulder of Lamb, braized, Tomato sauce. Baked Cod-fish and Potatoes, Normand fashion. Calf’s Head and Feet, braized, Piquante Sauce. Broiled Squabs, on Croutons, fresh Butter Sauce. Chicken Pot-pie, sauce, in Fine Herbs, Virginia style.
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Willard Hotel Bill of Fare Stewed Mutton, with Vegetables, Spanish sauce. Baked Macaroni and Cheese, Italian style. Stewed White Beans, a la Maitre d’Hotel. Queen Fritters, with Sugar. Baked Shad Roe, au Gratin.
Beef.
ROAST. Lamb, Mint sauce. Tame Duck. Chicken. Pork.
Green Peas.
Ham, Sweet sauce.
VEGETABLES. Mashed Potatoes. Plain Potatoes. Homony. Fried Parsnips. Asparagus. Onions.
Cucumbers.
RELISHES. Cranberry Sauce.
Rice.
Pickled Beets.
PASTRY AND DESSERT. Gooseberry Pie. Rice Pudding. Vanilla Ice-cream. Sponge Cake.
Oranges.
FRUITS. Pecan Nuts. Raisins.
Almonds.
NOTICE:—Gentlemen having friends to dine will please give notice at the office. Meals, Lunches, or Fruit, sent to room, or carried from the table by guests, will be Charged extra. Waiters are furnished with wine cards and pencils. THE GONG will be rung for the early dinner only. No Seats will be Reserved at the Breakfast Table.
President Abraham Lincoln was a frequent guest at the Willard and had stayed there between February 23 and March 4, 1860, when the discovery of an assassination plot in Baltimore caused a sudden change in his plans. The notes at the bottom of the menu advising guests about the gong and the extra charge for fruit carried away from the table (and the lack of individual prices for items) suggest that this was a ‘‘Table d’Hote’’ type (see October 10) meal. There is a huge range of food here, solidly meat-based as was the norm, with a standard selection of sweet items at the end. Recipes ~~~ Queen Fritters are made from choux paste (the same as is used to make profiteroles [see November 11]).
June 2
Coronation Dinner
Queen Fritters 1 cup water—1/2 pint full measure. 2 ounces butter or lard—large egg size. 1 round cup flour—4 ounces. 5 eggs. Set the water on to boil in a saucepan and the butter (or lard) in it. Stir in the flour all at once and work the paste thus made with a spoon till smooth and well cooked. Take it from the fire and work in the eggs one at a time, beating in one well before adding another, and when all are in beat the mixture thoroughly against the side of the saucepan. Make some lard hot. It will take half a saucepanful. Drop pieces of the batter about as large as eggs and watch them swell and expand in the hot lard and become hollow and light. Only four or five at a time can be fried because they need plenty of room. If dropped small, say, not much larger than a walnut, the above will make 25 fritters. They show their remarkable lightness better, however, when made larger. Jessup Whitehead, Cooking for Profit (Chicago, 1882).
To Cook a Shad Roe Drop into boiling water, and cook gently for twenty minutes; then take from the fire, and drain. Butter a tin plate, and lay the drained roe upon it. Dredge well with salt and pepper, and spread soft butter over it; then dredge thickly with flour. Cook in the oven for half an hour, basting frequently with salt, pepper, flour, butter and water. F. L. Gillette, The White House Cook Book (1887).
Macaroni, Italian style: see March 26. Rice Pudding: see January 12. Sponge Cake: see May 14. Maitre d’Hotel Butter/Sauce: see September 3.
June 2 Coronation Dinner Westminster Abbey, London, England, 1953 The coronation of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was just the tonic Britain needed in the drab post-World War II years. The immediate postwar optimism and excitement had long since given way to the dreary reality of everyday life. Eight years later, the British were still struggling with rationing, and it was not to end for thirteen more months. The royal family were not exempt from the restrictions, and the royal kitchens would have been expected to cater for the various coronation functions with rationing firmly in mind. Immediately after the ceremony, the Queen and her family had luncheon in the Earl Marshal’s room at the Abbey. The Earl Marshal is an ancient
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Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. (AP Photo)
hereditary office of state held by the Duke of Norfolk, and it brings with it the responsibility of arranging important functions such as coronations. It was a modest lunch for such a significant occasion, but grand state banquets were to follow on the next two days. Consomme´ Royale. Filet de Boeuf Mascotte. Salade. ` la Mangue. Glace´ a
The event was celebrated all over the country with breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and banquets in every hotel, restaurant, and pub. A great number of Her Majesty’s subjects, however, dined in a very novel situation—in front of the newfangled household gadget called a television. Newspapers and magazines kindly published recipes that could be prepared in advance, so that mother too could escape from the kitchen and watch the spectacle on the tiny black and white screen.
June 2
Coronation Dinner
Some of Her Majesty’s subjects were specially catered for on the day. Fourteen hundred of the well-to-do who could afford the 12 guineas a head dined at the Savoy. The faithful who lined up for hours in the rain along the procession route were well served with refreshment stalls, and ‘‘hot dogs’’ and tea were the most popular snacks. Forty-three thousand troops from home and abroad, on duty in various roles, were issued with special ‘‘Haversack rations’’ that contained ‘‘one cheese roll, one Spam roll, one bar of chocolate, one portion fruit slab cake, one apple, 2 oz barley sugar, with modifications where necessary for overseas detachments.’’ Meat was still rationed, but the Ministry of Food gave concessions to towns and villages who applied in advance to hold a traditional coronation ox-roasting, provided they undertook to give the meat away for free and that there was a tradition of such an event at coronations in the community. Recipes ~~~ ´ Royale Consomme 2 pints beef consomme´ Egg royal garnish 2 whole eggs 3 yolks 1/2 pint single cream salt, pinch of sugar, pinch of nutmeg Vegetable garnish: 2 tablespoons pimento cut in pieces, 2 tomatoes peeled, seeded and cut in strips. Heat beef consomme´, reduce to appropriate strength and season to taste. To Make the Egg Royal: Whisk the eggs and egg yolks together with the cream, add the seasoning. Grease a souffle dish with butter and pour in the mixture. Poach in a tin of hot water in the oven for about twenty minutes or until set. When cold turn out and cut in small diamond shapes. Garnish the hot soup with egg royal and thin strips of pimento and tomato. Mrs. McKee’s Royal Cookery Book (1964). Mrs. McKee was cook to Her Majesty The Queen and Her Majesty The Queen Mother.
Filet de Boeuf Mascotte 600g Mid-cut Beef Fillet 24g Salted Butter 1/5 Bunch Watercress 0.4pt Madeira Sauce Mascotte Garnish Salt and Pepper for seasoning
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Roast the fillet of beef and slice, placing the pieces on a serving plate. Add on one side the Mascotte garnish then nape the sauce over the meat. Add the watercress to decorate. For the Madeira Sauce add 1fl. oz. of Madeira to 0.4 pt. of Half Glaze Sauce. For the Mascotte Garnish quarter one and a half globe artichokes. Add cocotte potatoes and whole peeled truffles. Season and add a small amount of parsley then combine. The Official website of The British Monarchy, http://www.royal.gov.uk/output/ page2227.asp.
Pommes Cocotte ˆteau, but cut much smaller. As for Pommes Cha ˆteau. Pommes Cha Take twenty potatoes, turn them with a knife into olive shape, boil them in salted water for five minutes; drain them and put them on a baking-tin with salt and butter or dripping. Cook them in a very hot oven for thirty minutes, moving them about from time to time. Sprinkle on a little chopped parsley before serving. Mrs. Brian Luck, The Belgian Cook Book (1915).
The most famous dish associated with the festivities was ‘‘coronation chicken.’’ It was invented by Constance Spry and Rosemary Hume of the Cordon Bleu Cookery School for an informal luncheon for the foreign visitors in London to attend the coronation. It instantly became a popular classic. One would not venture to serve, to a large number of guests of varying and unknown tastes, a curry dish in the generally accepted sense of this term. . . . I doubt whether many of the three hundred odd guests at the coronation luncheon detected this ingredient in a chicken dish which was distinguished mainly by a delicate and nut-like flavour in the sauce. For convenience in serving on the occasion mentioned, the chicken was arranged at one end of an oblong dish, and a rice salad as given below was arranged at the other.
Coronation Chicken (Cold) (For 6–8) 2 young roasting chickens; water and a little wine to cover; carrot; a bouquet garni; salt; 3–4 peppercorns; cream of curry sauce (recipe follows). Poach the chickens, with carrot, bouquet, salt, and peppercorns, in water and a little wine, enough barely to cover, for about 40 minutes or until tender. Allow to cool in the liquid. Joint the birds, remove the bones with care. Prepare the sauce given below. Mix the chicken and the sauce together, arrange on a dish, cover with the extra sauce.
June 3
Meal aboard a Clipper Ship
Cream of Curry Sauce 1 tablespoon oil 2 oz onion finely chopped 1 dessertspoon curry powder 1 good teaspoon tomato pure´e 1 wine-glass each of red wine and water bay leaf, salt and pepper, sugar slice or two of lemon and a squeeze of juice , possibly more 1–2 tablespoons apricot pure´e 3/4 pint mayonnaise 2–3 tablespoons lightly whipped cream a little extra whipped cream Heat the oil, add onion and cook gently 3–4 minutes, add curry powder. Cook again 1–2 minutes. Add pure´e, wine, water, and bay-leaf. Bring to boil, add salt, sugar to taste, pepper and the lemon and lemon juice. Simmer with the pan uncovered 5–10 minutes. Strain and cool. Add by degrees to the mayonnaise, with the apricot pure´e to taste. Adjust seasoning, adding a little more lemon juice if necessary. Finish with the whipped cream. Take a small amount of sauce (enough to coat the chicken) and mix with a little extra cream and seasoning. The Constance Spry Cookbook (1956).
June 3 Meal aboard a Clipper Ship En Route to Melbourne, Australia, 1856 The discovery of gold in the colonies of New South Wales and Victoria, Australia, in 1851 set off a great wave of migration. The discovery also proved a gold mine to those companies and individuals who could provide transport or services to emigrants willing to spend every penny they had to make their fortune. The shipbuilding industry was given a great spur, with fierce competition to build bigger and faster ships for the lucrative trade. When it was first built, the Champion of the Seas of the Black Ball Line was the second largest clipper ship plying the Liverpool-to-Melbourne route. The passengers aboard the ship on June 3, 1856, were within a few days of arriving in Australia, after leaving England on March 9. There were no doubt the full complement of 500 passengers aboard, spread over first, second, and steerage classes. Some of them, probably the second-class passengers, sat down to this bill of fare on the day.
Salmon Roast Beef Mutton Puddings Roast Shdr Mutton Beef Steaks Cold Ham
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Meal aboard a Clipper Ship Boil’d Leg Mutton Stew’d Kidneys Roast Loin Mutton Roast Beef Mutton Chops Gooseberry Tart Rhubarb— " Plum— " Jam Roll Pudding Tapioca – " Marmalade Tartlets Currant Fritters
This was a solid, sustaining meal of plain British fare, made up of large joints of meat and plenty of puddings. To the British, ‘‘pudding’’ today usually means dessert, but until recently it was equally likely to be a savory item. The word derives from the French boudin, meaning sausage, which originally meant entrails stuffed with meat. Eventually the word came to apply to the stuffing itself, so a fish or rabbit could be cooked ‘‘with a pudding in its belly.’’ Eventually the starchy mass itself, however cooked, became the pudding, even when the arrangement was reversed, and the starch became the casing or base for some other sort of filling, including the sweet. Every regional cuisine has its starchy filler—whether it is frumenty (see September 23), hominy (see May 19) or hasty pudding, polenta, Yorkshire pudding (see December 24), or in Asian countries—rice. The principle is the same—to fill the stomach and reduce the appetite for the more expensive protein. The classic pudding dough is made from suet and flour and could be boiled, steamed, or baked. It lent itself to an almost infinite number of variations—although if one was very poor, an unfilled lump of plain dough boiled as a dumpling might be dinner. Recipes ~~~ Eliza Acton (1799–1859) was the first cookbook writer to list ingredients separately, and her book Modern Cookery for Private Families (1845) became a classic in its own time. She gave a basic recipe that can be filled or cooked as required. Suet-Crust, For Meat or Fruit Puddings Clear off the skin from some fresh beef kidney-suet, and with a sharp knife slice it thin, free it entirely from fibre, and mince it very fine: six ounces thus prepared will be found quite sufficient for a pound of flour. Mix them well together, add half a teaspoonful of salt for meat puddings, and a third as much for fruit ones, and sufficient cold water to make the whole into a very firm paste; work it smooth, and roll it out of equal thickness when it is used. The weight of suet should be taken after it is minced. This crust is so much lighter, and more
June 4
Medici Wedding Feast
wholesome than that which is made with butter, that we cannot refrain from recommending it in preference to our readers. Some cooks merely slice the suet in thin shavings, mix it with the flour, and beat the crust with a paste roller, until the flour and suet are perfectly incorporated. Flour, 2 Ibs.; suet, 12 ozs.; salt, 1 teaspoonful; water, 1 pint.
Mutton Pudding Mutton freed perfectly from fat, and mixed with two or three sliced kidneys, makes an excellent pudding. The meat may be sprinkled with fine herbs as it is laid into the crust. This will require rather less boiling than the preceding puddings, but it is made in precisely the same way. [In summary, she says to line a buttered basin with dough, fill it, cover with the remaining dough, tie it all in a floured cloth, and boil for several hours.]
Jam Roll Pudding The same dough, flattened out, spread with jam, rolled, wrapped in a cloth and boiled gives the Jam Roll Pudding on this menu.
Tapioca Pudding: see September 26. June 4 Medici Wedding Feast Palazzo Medici, Florence, Italy, 1469 When Lorenzo de’ Medici, known as Lorenzo the Magnificent (1449–1492), married Clarice Orsini (ca. 1453–1487), a young woman from a noble Roman family, the Medici family orchestrated a celebration that simultaneously demonstrated both modest humility and abundant generosity. The couple had been married by proxy in February, in an arrangement that united the wealth of the Medicis to the nobility of the Orsinis in a way entirely satisfactory to both families. In early June, Clarice and her retinue arrived in Florence for the religious ceremony in the Church of San Lorenzo, which took place on Sunday, June 4, and was followed by the nuptial feast. The feasting went on for days. The whole population participated as vast quantities of food and wine began to be distributed throughout the city before the wedding day. The 200 or so special guests were banqueted at the Medici Palace for three days. One guest was Piero de Marco Parenti (1450– 1519), and he wrote a long account of the events in a letter to a friend. Tables were set up in the palace and courtyards, the men and women strictly segregated as was the custom. In the garden under a loggia sat the bride and 50 young women, inside the palace were the groom’s mother and the older women, in the entrance hall were the groom and his brother with the young men, and the elders of the city were at other tables. The tables in the courtyard were set around Donatello’s famous bronze statue of David, which had
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been commissioned by the groom’s grandfather Cosimo de’ Medici (1389– 1465). Music and dancing continued throughout the whole event. Parenti discussed the table settings, the manner of serving, and the food itself. There were five banquets each day for three days (Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday), ‘‘the order of which was alike.’’ Each course was announced by trumpeters and carried in on great silver platters by a procession of bearers. The serving was orchestrated with great precision so that the food was laid on each table at exactly the same time and cleared at the same time. Parenti also gave a summary of the food ‘‘particularly the Sweetmeats and Sugar-Plums,’’ of which over 5,000 pounds were consumed. On Monday morning to all who had received veal, jelly was given, and then about 1500 trenchers full were presented to others. Many religious [monks and nuns] also received gifts of fowls, fish, sweetmeats, wine, and similar things. After the guests at the first tables had finished many hundreds ate. They say that between the house here and that of Messer Carlo. more than a thousand people ate, and at Messer Carlo’s every day one hundred barrels of wine were drunk. The banquets [for the special guests] were prepared for a marriage rather than for a magnificent feast, and I think this was done de industria as an example to others not to exceed the modesty and simplicity suitable to marriages, so there was never more than one roast. In the morning a small dish, then some boiled meat, then a roast, after that wafers, marzipan and sugared almonds and pine-seeds, then jars of pinocchiati [sugared pine-nuts] and sweetmeats. In the evening jelly, a roast, fritters, wafers, almonds, and jars of sweetmeats. On Tuesday morning, instead of the roast were sweet pies of succulent vegetables on trenchers; the wines were excellent malvasy, trebbiano, and red wine.
Recipes ~~~ The Italians at this time were the masters of pastry work and confectionary. The pinocchiati mentioned in the account were a particular favorite. They are essentially pine nut pralines.
On Pine Nuts Pine kernels are drawn from pine nuts, which hold resin when they are separated, and when eaten in food generate the best of humors, settle thirst, take away the imbalance of humors of the stomach and purge the urine. Pine kernels are eaten rather frequently with raisins and are even believed to incite latent passion. They also have the same force seasoned with sugar. The nobler and rich eat these often in Lent at the first and last course. Sugar is melted, and pine nuts are rolled in it with a scoop and made into the shape of a pastille. Gold leaf is added to these, for magnificence, I believe, and for pleasure. De Honesta Voluptate et Valetudine (Platina, 1475), trans. Mary Ella Milham, 1998.
June 5
Journalists’ Dinner
June 5 Journalists’ Dinner Bohemian Club, San Francisco, California, 1889 The Bohemian Club was founded in San Francisco in 1872, initially as a journalists’ club. It fairly quickly accepted other (wealthier) members and has developed a reputation in more recent times as an all-male ‘‘secret society’’ of the rich and powerful. In 1889 a young English journalist who had only been in America for a couple of weeks attended a banquet at the club. His name was called Rudyard Kipling (1865–1936), and he was to become famous as the author of many books such as The Jungle Book and the Just So Stories. The guest of honor at the dinner was Lieutenant James W. Carlin, of the U.S. Navy. A few months previously Carlin had acted with great heroism during a typhoon in Samoa, when his captain was swept overboard and his ship sunk. Kipling had mixed feelings about the speeches but was impressed with the food. He wrote ‘‘Devoured a dinner, the memory of which will descend with me into the hungry grave.’’ Huitres. ` la Reine. Potage a POISSON ` la Hollandaise Truite a ENTREES ` la Maryland Terrapin a Filet de Bœuf, Perigueux Ris de Veau, en caisse PONCHE A LA CARLIN LEGUMES Asperges froid Petits Pois vert ROTI Poularde des Maus DESSERT Tutti Frutti Fruits Divers Pie`ces Monte´s Cafe´
This was a fine dinner of elegant, classic dishes without the overwhelming quantities and huge number of choices so common on late-nineteenthcentury menus. The caterer could not quite relinquish the Pie`ces Monte´s— the highly decorative show-off pieces of the pastry cook-confectioner that had been enormously important earlier in the century. He could certainly not ignore the expectation of ice cream and presented it in the form of tuttifrutti (Italian, meaning ‘‘all fruit’’).
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Recipes ~~~ ` la Maryland was said to be the finest of the classic ways of preparTerrapin a ing turtle. ` la Maryland Terrapin a Carefully cut up two terrapins as described [below]; place them in a saucepan with half a wine-glass of good Madeira wine, half a pinch of salt, and a very little cayenne pepper, also an ounce of good butter. Mix well a cupful of good, sweet cream with the yolks of three boiled eggs, and add it to the terrapin, briskly shuffling constantly, while thoroughly heating, but without letting it come to a boil. Pour into a hot tureen, and serve very hot.
Terrapin: How to Prepare It Take live terrapin, and blanch them in boiling water for two minutes. Remove the skin from the feet, and put them back to cook with some salt in the saucepan until they feel soft to the touch; then put them aside to cool. Remove the carcass, cut it in medium-sized pieces, removing the entrails, being careful not to break the gall-bag. Put the pieces in a smaller saucepan, adding two teaspoonfuls of pepper, a little nutmeg, according to the quantity, a tablespoonful of salt, and a glassful of Madeira wine. Cook for five minutes, and put it away in the ice-box for further use.
Tutti-Frutti Prepare a pint of vanilla ice-cream, half a pint of strawberry ice-cream, and half a pint of lemon water-ice; let them remain in the freezers. Put four ounces of candied cherries onto a plate, cut them in halves, and add two candied apricots cut into small pieces. Take six tutti-frutti molds, open one of them, and lay on the cover a spoonful of strawberry ice-cream, with a spoonful of the lemon water-ice, one beside the other, press the sixth part of the candied fruits onto the ice-cream in the cover of the mold, filling the bottom with vanilla icecream, and close together firmly. Lay it immediately into a pail with broken ice and rock-salt at the bottom, cover the mold slightly with more ice and salt, then proceed to prepare the other five molds exactly the same. When they are all in the pail and covered as the first one, fill it up entirely with broken ice and salt, and let it freeze for one hour. Have a vessel containing warm water ready at hand, and prepare six small dessert-plates with a small fancy paper on each, lift up the molds, one after the other, wash them off quickly with the warm water, and unmold the tutti-fruttis onto the cold plates, and serve. Alexander Filippini, The Table: How to Buy Food, How to Cook It and How to Serve It (1889).
` la Reine: see February 17. Potage a Sauce Perigueux: see April 14.
June 6
Wedding Supper
June 6 Wedding Supper England, 1699 When Lady Arran, widow of the Irish peer Lord Richard Butler, wished to arrange the wedding supper for their only child Charlotte to Charles Cornwallis, 4th Baron Corwallis of Eye in June 1699, she called on one of the most famous cooks of the time. Patrick Lamb was for ‘‘near fifty years Master-Cook to their late Majesties King Charles II, King James II. King William and Queen Mary, and to her present Majesty Queen Anne.’’ He was clearly a man of great stamina to have spent five decades in the extraordinarily demanding job of master cook, particularly in a place such as St. James’ palace. He also found time to write a cookbook, and in it he included the bill of fare for Lady Arran’s daughter’s wedding.
Placement of dishes at wedding supper.
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Wedding Supper
Lamb’s bill of fare for this single course ambigu (see September 5) was not simply a list of dishes. The method of service at the end of the seventeenth century was as it had been since the Middle Ages (see May 9)—all dishes for each course (with no separation of ‘‘sweet’’ and ‘‘savory’’) were placed on the table before the guests entered the dining room, with geometrical precision and absolute regard for symmetry both horizontally and vertically. The spectacle was all-important—and much of the food must have been cold before the guests managed to eat it. Recipes ~~~ To Stew Pease the French Way Take Lettice, and cut them in little Bits, and three or four Onions, Slices of Bacon, a little Butter, Pepper, and Salt, and toss them over a Stove till the Lettice is hot; then add your Pease, and hold them stewing until they are tender; then add to them a little Boiling Water or good Broth; So let them stew softly, and serve them with a Piece of Bacon in the Middle of the Dish, broil’d with Parsley and grated Bread. So serve it to the first Course.
To Make Fine Custards Take a Quart of Cream, and boil with whole Spice, then put Rosewater, with the Yolks of ten Eggs, and five Whites, and when the Cream is almost cold, put the Eggs into it, and stir it very well; then fill up your Custards [i.e. the pastry shells] and bake them. Serve them with French Confits to them. Patrick Lamb Royal Cookery; or, The Complete Court-Cook. Containing the Choicest Receipts in All the Particular Branches of Cookery, Now in Use in the Queen’s Palaces (London, 1701).
From the Preface of His Book: Patrick Lamb Explains His Mission . . . the Author has not here undertaken to cook out an Art of Gluttony, or to teach the Rich and Lazy, how to grow fatter, by ranging Epicurism under the several headings of Jellies, Soupes, and Pottages; but his chief Aim was to represent the Grandeur of the English Court and Nation, by an Instance which lay most within his View and Province: the Magnificence, I mean, of those publick Regales made on the more solemn Occasions of admitting Princes to their Thrones, Peers to their Honours, Ambassadors to their Audience, and Persons of Figure to the Nuptial-Bed. Now, these are Solemnities which call for good Looks and better Chear than ordinary; what in other Cases might be justly term’d Profuseness, does, in this, change its Name, and become a Debt, both to Custom and Decency . . .
Sorbet au Champagne: see November 13.
June 7
Dinner of the Three Emperors
June 7 Dinner of the Three Emperors ´ Anglais, Paris, France, 1867 Cafe Paris was ‘‘bloated with Majesties and Highnesses’’ from April to October 1867, thanks to the success of the city’s first Universal Exposition. Over 100 members of royalty from all over the world visited the city during that time, and three of the most powerful got together one evening over dinner. SOUPS. Impe´ratrice Fontanges RELEVES. ` la Reine Souffle a Filets de Sole a la Venitienne Escalope de Turbot au Gratin Selle de Mouton Pure´e Bretonne ENTREES. ` la Portugaise Poulet a ˆte´ Chaud de Cailles Pa ` la Parisienne Homards a Sorbets au Champagne ˆ TS. RO Canetons a la Rouennaise Ortolans sur Canape ENTREMETS. ` l’Espagnole Aubergines a Asperges en Branches Cassolette Princesse Bombe Glace´e VINS. Madere Retour de l’Inde 1810 Xeres Retour de l’Inde 1821 ˆteaux d’Yquem 1847 Cha Chambertin 1846 ˆteaux Margaux 1847 Cha ˆteaux Lafite 1848 Cha
The venue for the exposition was a building erected on the Champ de Mars, the same site where the Eiffel Tower would be constructed two expositions and 22 years later. The dinner was held across the city on the other side of the Seine, at one of the most famous restaurants in Europe— the Cafe´ Anglais (which no longer exists), and the famous guests were Tsar
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Dinner of the Three Emperors
Alexander II (1818–1881), his son the Tsarevich (1845–1894) who became Alexander III, and Wilhelm I (1797–1888) of Prussia, who was accompanied by Prince Otto von Bismarck (1815–1898). The chef was Adolphe Dugle´re´ who had trained under the legendary Antonin Careˆme (see January 18) and was a celebrity in his own right. Dugle´re´ was no doubt given carte blanche to produce this dinner for the illustrious guests, and he created a meal of pure, classic French dishes, served in the customary manner of the time. In spite of the luxury and range of dishes, it is said that the Tsar complained (or perhaps merely commented) on the lack of the traditional French delicacy, foie gras. The proprietor instantly replied ‘‘Sire, in Gastronomie Franc¸aise it is not the custom to eat foie gras in the month of June. If you will but wait until October, you will have no cause for regret.’’ Naturally, he made sure to send the Tsar a good supply of foie gras (see May 26) when October came around. Recipes ~~~ As with so many of the classic dishes of the time, each recipe is based on a subset of previously prepared components. ` la Bretonne Braized Leg of Mutton, a Prepare and braize a leg of mutton as directed . . . [The leg is boned, larded, stuffed with forcemeat, and braised with the usual vegetables for about four hours.]; when done, glaze and dish it up on a bed of white haricot beans dressed ` la Bretonne; garnish it round with a border of potatoes cut in the shape of large a olives, and fried in butter, of a light colour; ornament the bone with a paper ruffle, and send it to table.
` la Bretonne White Haricot Beans, a Boil the haricot beans as directed above, and when done, drain them in a colander, put them in a stewpan with some Bretonne sauce (see next recipe) and set them to simmer over the stove-fire for five minutes; toss them together, and dish them up.
Bretonne Sauce Cut two large onions into thin slices; fry them of a light brown colour, in a little butter; then add sufficient brown sauce, according to the quantity required, a little consomme´, and a pinch of pepper; boil the sauce gently for quarter of an hour, then pass it as you would a pure´e, through the tammy, and put it into a bain-marie for use. Charles Elme´ Francatelli, The Modern Cook (1860).
June 8
Women’s Institute Luncheon
June 8 Women’s Institute Luncheon Hotel Windsor, Alliston, Ontario, Canada, 1923 The Alliston Women’s Institute gave a luncheon during the visit of the lieutenant governor of Ontario, Henry Cockshutt (1868–1944) in 1923. Canada belongs to the Commonwealth of Nations, an association of independent sovereign states that represents about a third of the world’s population. The Commonwealth is a legacy of the British Empire, and most of its members are former colonies of Britain. In Canada, the official representative of the English monarch is the lieutenant governor who plays various constitutional and community roles. The Alliston women presented a simple menu of everyday food, made more homely by its accompanying quotations. Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow you may go hungry. MENU Olives Radishes Celery Clear Tomato Soup ‘‘The onion is a homely plant, And rank as most that grows, And yet it beats to mix with soup, The lily of the rose.’’ ROASTS Roast Lamb with Mint Sauce Roast Pork with Apple Sauce VEGETABLES New Potatoes Green Peas The turnpike road to a man’s heart lies through his stomach. SALADS Lettuce and Tomato Salad The daintiest last to make the end most sweet. DESSERT Strawberry Short Cake and Cream Apple Pie Lemon Pie Ice Cream Tea
Ice Drink
Coffee
Never speak ill o’them wha’s bread ye eat.
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Banquet for Henry Morton Stanley
Many of the traditional accompaniments to roast meat—such as the lamb with mint, and pork with apple—have been served for centuries, and the reason lies in old agricultural practices. It is often said that the flesh of pigs has a natural taste affinity with apples. More likely it is simply pragmatic— wherever the country was suitable for apple orchards, pigs were often kept and allowed to forage for the dropped fruit which would otherwise have been wasted—so whenever there was pork there were apples available to cook with it. Turkey, a bird from the Americas, was paired with cranberries, also from the Americas. The lamb and mint combination may go back to ancient mountain sheep grazing on wild mint, and there may be an association too with the traditional ‘‘bitter herbs’’ eaten with lamb at Easter in the Middle East. Recipes ~~~ Tomato Soup One pint of stewed tomatoes, add a pinch of soda, stir till it ceases foaming, then add one pint boiling water and one pint milk, strain and put on the stove, and when near boiling, add a tablespoonful of cornstarch, wet it with a little cold milk, one tablespoon butter, a little pepper and salt to taste.
Lemon Pie Take two lemons, three eggs, two tablespoonfuls melted butter, eight tablespoonfuls white sugar; squeeze the juice of the lemons and grate the rind of one, stir together the yolks of three eggs and white of one with sugar, butter, juice and rind, then one (coffee) cup of sweet cream or milk, beat all for a minute or two; have ready a plate lined with paste, into which pour the mixture which will be sufficient for two pies of the ordinary size. Bake till the pastry is done. Meanwhile beat the remaining whites to a stiff froth and stir in four spoonfuls of white sugar. Take the pies from the oven and return them quickly to the oven and bake a delicate brown. Take care that the oven be not too hot, or they will brown too quickly and cause the pie to fall when taken out. My Pet Recipes, Tried and True, Contributed by The Ladies and Friends of St. Andrew’s Church (Quebec, 1900).
Strawberry Shortcake: see May 14. June 9 Banquet for Henry Morton Stanley Waterloo Rooms, Edinburgh, Scotland, 1890 Henry Morton Stanley (1841–1904), the man commissioned by The New York Herald to seek the missing African explorer David Livingstone (1813–1873), visited Scotland in 1890, and a dinner was given in his honor by the Royal Scottish Geographical Society. Stanley did find Livingstone (who had been
June 9
Banquet for Henry Morton Stanley
out of contact with the outside world for six years) on November 10, 1871, near Lake Tanganyika, and according to popular but unsubstantiated history greeted him with the famous words, ‘‘Dr. Livingstone, I presume?’’ Morton had a mixed reception on his return to England. There was controversy over the accuracy of the accounts of his experiences, some of his methods were criticized and his behavior considered ungentlemanly—and worse, he had chosen to take up American citizenship. He was, however, keenly sought as a dinner speaker and attracted hero-worshipping crowds wherever he went. On the occasion of this dinner, the planners had gone to a deal of trouble to feature his African experiences. In addition to ‘‘the usual dishes,’’ the menu included the following: White Nile soup, Salmon with Red Sea sauce, ` la Congo, Pigeon cutlets a Zanzibar curry and rice, Egyptian quails and cresses, Ivory jelly, Niam-Niam cream, ` la Ruwenzori. Bananas a
The African theme continued to the decorations, but no apparent cultural dissonance was caused by the procession into the dinner being preceded by three Scottish pipers playing a lively quickstep. Behind the chairman was ‘‘a miniature African forest, formed of tall palms and grasses, which had a fine appearance,’’ and there were representations of a paddle steamer The Stanley, and one of the jungle with the relief party emerging from it. One hundred twenty ‘‘influential gentlemen’’ attended the dinner, the ladies being allowed to occupy the balconies after dinner, to listen to the speeches. The exact recipes for the dishes were invented or adapted for the day. The ‘‘Niam-Niam cream’’ is particularly intriguing. There is a group of people in Central Africa, in the area now called the eastern Sudan, who are called Niam-Niam. The name apparently means ‘‘great eaters’’ and may refer to their reputation for cannibalism. It is apparently pronounced something like ‘‘Yum-Yum,’’ and ‘‘yum’’ according to the Oxford English Dictionary is an ‘‘echoic’’ word—that is, it is ‘‘an exclamation of pleasurable anticipation, with implication of sensual or gustatory satisfaction; frequently reduplicated as yum-yum.’’ ‘‘Creams’’ were popular dishes from the seventeenth through the nineteenth centuries—and still are. They are essentially flavored and chilled cream or custard, and the basic idea is almost infinitely variable (see July 3, September 29). The islands of the Zanzibar archipelago (now part of Tanzania) used to be called the Spice Islands (as did some of the Indonesian Islands). Zanzibar was on the major trading route for spices and at one time grew 90 percent of the world’s cloves, as well as significant amounts of nutmeg, cinnamon, and pepper. It is not surprising that ‘‘curry’’ (i.e. spicy) dishes are common in East Africa.
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Banquet for Henry Morton Stanley
Stanley meets Livingston. Courtesy of Library of Congress.
Recipes ~~~ Ivory jelly actually used to be made from the dust produced during the manufacture of the handles of knives and forks from real elephants’ tusks. Frank Buckland (1826–1880), the naturalist famous for eating anything that came his way (see January 23, December 19), wrote Curiosities of Natural History in 1859. He included a recipe for the jelly, first saying of the dust that it is sold at the rate of sixpence a pound; and when properly boiled, and otherwise treated, makes the finest, purest, and most nutritious animal jelly that we know of. I lately recommended this ivory jelly to a patient who required some form of food highly nutritious, but yet not bulky, and my prescription answered admirably. The ivory-dust can be procured at most of the large ivory-turners in London. Years ago ivory jelly used to be a fashionable remedy, and much sought after, and it only now requires to be known to be appreciated.
Receipt to Make Ivory-Dust Jelly In a brown stewing-pan with a cover, put 1 Ib. of ivory-dust, and three quarts of water; let it gently simmer for twelve hours, or until it is reduced to one
June 10
Luncheon at Sea
quart; then put it away to cool, and take the clear jelly off. Add wine and sugar ad libitum.
Quail with Cresses This is a variation of the age-old chicken (or other bird) with cress (see February 21).
June 10 Luncheon at Sea SS Lurline, 1939 The SS Lurline was built for the Matson Line and launched in 1932. For most of her working life she traveled between San Francisco and Honolulu and was, like other luxury cruise ships, pressed into service as a military transport ship during World War II. The outbreak of the war was still a few months away when the Lurline’s passengers sat down to the following delightful set of luncheon choices.
Spring Onions APPETIZERS
Garden Radishes
Filet of Marinated Herring in Cream Chilled Tomato Juice Iced Hawaiian Pineapple Poi Cocktail Smoked Salmon French Sardines in Oil
American Meat Salad
Cantaloupe SOUP Potage Parmentier (Potato and Leek Soup) Consomme Palestro FISH Boiled Rock Cod, Parsley Butter, New Potatoes EGGS Shirred Eggs, Cubanaise ================================= SPECIAL: BOILED SHORT RIBS OF BEEF, TURNIPS HORSERADISH SAUCE, BOILED POTATOES, CELERY. ================================= ENTREES Stuffed Breast of Veal with Creamed Carrots and New Peas Curry of Chicken with Rice, Madras Condiment Platter Assorted Fresh Vegetable Platter with Ravioli
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Luncheon at Sea
VEGETABLES Creamed Carrots and Peas
Baked Hubbard Squash
Steamed Rice POTATOES Mashed in Cream
Saratoga Chips
COLD BUFFET Homemade Head Cheese, Vinaigrette Smoked Breast of Gosling Assorted Cold Cuts with Matson Fresh and Smoked Sausages Prime Ribs of Beef, Vegetable Salad
Boiled Polish Ham
SALADS Fruit
Hearts of Lettuce Spanish
DRESSINGS French
Russian
Paprika
DESSERTS Pineapple Sherbet
Diplomate Pudding, Lemon Sauce
CHEESE Brie
Liederkranz
BEVERAGES Ceylon, Oolong, Green, Lipton or Orange Pekoe Teas Coffee
Iced Tea
Iced Coffee
Milk
Almost every long menu has its little quirks and mysteries, and it is odd that the composer of this menu felt the need to explain the Potage Parmentier but not the Consomme´ Palsetro and chose to mention one tea by brand name (Lipton). As with most luxury cruise ships, the menu offers a range of international choices in the hope and expectation that every passenger would find something appealing. It is surprising that there are only two concessions to Hawaiian cuisine—the poi cocktail and the pineapple dishes. Although the pineapple originated in South America, thanks to the Dole company in the early 1900s Hawaii became its adopted home, and within half a century it was producing over eighty percent of the world’s crop. Almost every country has its starchy staple, and in Hawaii it was the taro (Colocasia esculenta), and the usual way of preparing it was as poi. Poi is made by baking the roots, then pounding them to a thick paste which can be stored for long periods to be retrieved and mixed with water to the desired consistency when wanted. It is eaten from a communal bowl, for poi in more ways than one is the center of family and community life. It seems that sometime around the time of this menu, the poi cocktail was developed, apparently as a concession to non-Hawaiians.
June 10
Luncheon at Sea
Recipes ~~~ Before it was a frozen concoction, ‘‘sherbet’’ was a simple fruit drink (see April 29). The type of frozen sherbet that included beaten egg whites is a later development. Pineapple Sherbet 1 quart water 2 cups crushed pineapple, 2 cups sugar fresh or canned 1 lemon 2 egg-whites Boil water and sugar together for five minutes. Scald the pineapple in the boiling sirup, and rub through a sieve. Cool, add lemon-juice and freeze to a mush. Add the beaten whites of the eggs and continue freezing. Ruth Berolzheimer, The American Woman’s Cook Book (1939).
‘‘Shirred’’ eggs, have nothing to do with the decorative needlework technique. The name may be related to ‘‘shard’’ referring to a broken piece of pottery, perhaps because eggs were often cooked on pottery plates. Shirred Eggs Cover the bottoms of individual dishes with a little butter and a few fresh breadcrumbs; drop into each dish two fresh eggs; stand this dish in a pan of hot water and cook in the oven until the whites are ‘‘set.’’ Put a tiny bit of butter in the middle of each, and a dusting of salt and pepper. Sarah Tyson Rorer, Many Ways for Cooking Eggs (1903).
Poi, According to Mark Twain Poi is the chief article of food among the natives, and is prepared from the taro plant. The taro root looks like a thick, or if you please, corpulent, sweet potato in shape, but is of a light purple color when boiled. When boiled it substitutes as passable substitute for bread. The buck Kanakas bake it underground, then mash it up well with a lava pestle, mix water with it until it becomes a paste, set it aside and let it ferment, and then it is poi—an unseductive mixture it is, almost tasteless before it ferments and too sour for a luxury afterward. But nothing is more nutritious. When solely used, however, it produces acrid humors, a fact which sufficiently accounts for the humorous character of the Kanakas. I think there must be as much of a knack in handling poi as there is in eating with chopsticks. The forefinger is thrust into the mess and stirred quickly round several times and drawn as quickly out, thickly coated, just as if it were poulticed; the head is thrown back, the finger inserted in the mouth and the delicacy stripped off and swallowed—the eye closing gently, meanwhile,
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Picnic for the English Royals
in a languid sort of ecstacy. Many a different finger goes into the same bowl and many a different kind of dirt and shade and quality of flavor is added to the virtue of its contents. Roughing It (1872).
Poi Cocktail The ‘‘poi’’ cocktail is prepared by diluting the paste with milk, then adding sugar or salt, and serving ice cold. The drink is found to be very beneficial to dyspeptics and those recovering from fever. The New York Times, December 4, 1898.
Potage Parmentier: see January 12 Saratoga Chips: see May 23.
June 11 Picnic for the English Royals ‘‘Springwood,’’ Hyde Park, New York, 1939 No reigning British monarch had ever set foot on American soil when President Franklin Delano Roosevelt (1882–1945) invited the King and Queen of England to visit in 1939. One hundred sixty-three years after independence there were still scattered spots of ill-feeling and mistrust on both sides, and with war in Europe seeming inevitable and imminent, Roosevelt was determined to forge a new alliance. The visit was a resounding success on all fronts, and Roosevelt’s intention of greater political alliance between the two countries was realized. It was not all business, however, and a great deal of effort went into ensuring that the social side of the visit was also a success. This was the province of Eleanor Roosevelt (1884–1962), the enormously popular first lady. When the planned menus for the visit were made public, one in particular caused a great deal of uneasiness and debate, but Eleanor trusted her instincts, stuck to her guns, and refused to change the plans.
Beer and soft drinks. Hot dogs (if weather permits). Cold Ham from various States. Turkey, smoked and plain. Various salads. Baked beans and brown bread. Doughnuts and ginger bread. Cookies. Coffee.
June 11
Picnic for the English Royals
This was to be a picnic lunch at ‘‘Top Cottage,’’ the hilltop retreat on the Springwood estate. Many thought that a picnic was undignified and a picnic featuring hot dogs was beyond the pale. One of the anxious critics was Eleanor’s mother-in-law, Sara Roosevelt, and Eleanor wrote about the decision in her newspaper column ‘‘My Day.’’ May 25, 1939. Oh dear, oh dear, so many people are worried that the ‘‘dignity’’ of our country will be imperiled by inviting Royalty to a picnic, particularly a hot dog picnic! My mother-in-law has sent me a letter which begs that she control me in some way. In order to spare my feelings, she has written on the back a little message: ‘‘Only one of many such.’’ She did not know, poor darling, that I have ‘‘many such’’ right here in Washington. Let me assure you, dear readers, that if it is hot there will be no hot dogs, and even if it is cool there will be plenty of other food, and the elder members of the family and the more important guests will be served with due formality.
Some concessions have to be made for royalty, however, and although the day was informal (guests were advised not to extend their hands in meeting the King and Queen), the picnic was no rough outdoor experience, nor was
From left, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt; King George; Sarah Delano Roosevelt, the president’s mother; Queen Elizabeth; and President Franklin D. Roosevelt on the front porch of the Roosevelt family home at Hyde Park, New York, June 11, 1939. (AP Photo)
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Picnic for the English Royals
it a small family get-together. A select number of the 150 guests sat with the royals on the front porch of the cottage, at proper tables, with proper plates and cutlery. There was picnic entertainment too, in the form of a presentation of Indian folklore by two ‘‘royal’’ American Indians (dressed of course, in full regalia), Princess Te-Ata and the baritone Ish-Ti-Opi. The concerned citizens and diplomats need not have worried. King George VI (1895–1952) and Queen Elizabeth (1900–2002) had a fine old time, and to the delight of all involved in the preparations, the King asked for a second hot dog. Recipes ~~~ Boston Baked Beans 1 pint pea beans 1/8 pound salt pork, part fat 1 small onion 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 2 tablespoons molasses Soak beans in cold water overnight. In the morning drain and turn into a bean-pot; or simmer until skins begin to burst, but not long enough to be mushy, then turn into the bean-pot. Pour boiling water over salt pork. Scrape the rind until white, score in half-inch strips, and bury meat in beans, leaving only the rind exposed. Mix salt, mustard and molasses in a cup, fill with hot water, stir until well mixed, and pour over the pork and beans. Add water to cover, and bake in a 250–350 F. oven six to eight hours, adding more water to cover until the last hour, when pot cover is removed and pork raised to the surface to crisp.
Boston Brown Bread 1 cup corn-meal 1 cup rye flour 1 cup graham flour 1 teaspoon salt 1/4 molasses 2 cups sour milk or 1 3/4 cups sweet milk. 3/4 tablespoon soda Mix and sift the dry ingredients. Mix the molasses and milk and add to the dry ingredients. Beat thoroughly and turn into well-greased molds, filling each mold about two-thirds full. Cover and steam three hours. Remove the covers and bake the bread (375 F.) long enough to dry it off.
June 12
After-Concert Dinner
Sweet Milk Doughnuts 2 tablespoons shortening 1 cup sugar 3 eggs 1 cup milk 3 teaspoons baking-powder 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract Flour Beat the eggs till very light, add the sugar and when foamy add the melted shortening. Sift the baking-powder, salt and nutmeg with one cup of flour and stir into first mixture, alternating with the milk. Add the lemon flavoring and just enough flour to make a soft dough which can be handled. Roll out threefourths inch thick on a lightly floured board. A soft dough makes light, tender doughnuts when cooked. Fry in deep fat (360–370 F.) and drain on unglazed paper. Ruth Berolzheimer. The American Woman’s Cook Book (sometimes called the Delineator Cook Book) (1939).
June 12 After-Concert Dinner King’s College, Cambridge University, Cambridge, England, 1893 The Cambridge University Musical Society (CUMS) celebrated its 50th anniversary in 1893 with a weekend of festivities that was astonishing in its scope. The highlight of the celebrations was a performance of contemporary music by six eminent living composers, each of whom agreed to attend and conduct his own piece. At the last minute Edvard Greig was prevented from attending due to illness, but the other five—Max Bruch, Saint-Saens, Boito, Tchaikovsky, and the society’s own conductor C. V. Stanford performed as planned. So astonishingly impressive was the musical program that it precipitated another unprecedented event—the cooperation of the organizers of the college boat races, who, in ‘‘a touching act of homage’’ delayed the start by half an hour so as not to affect the afternoon concert. Naturally, an edible bill of fare followed the musical one. One hundred guests attended a dinner after the concert, for which they had paid one guinea per head. The meal was fine and classical, as would be expected, although entirely without the historic significance of the musical event that preceded it. POTAGES. Consomme´ Se´vigne´. Pure´e d’Asperges.
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After-Concert Dinner POISSONS. Saumon, sauce capres. Blanchailles frites au Naturel et Diable. ´ ES. ENTRE ` Corbeilles a la Financie`re. ` l’Essence. Timbales de Volaille a ´. RELEVE Selle de Mouton. ` l’Italienne. Haricots verts. Fonds d’artichaut a ˆ TI. RO Canetons et Petits Pois. ˆ TS. ENTREME ` la Vanille. Souffle´e a ` Champagne aux Fruit. Gele´e a Bombe glace´e aux almondes praline´e. SAVOURIE. ` la Darmstadt. ˆ tes a C[r]ou
There were no women present at this dinner. Women were not eligible for full membership of the CUMS; they were merely allowed to be associates. They were, however, allowed to attend the ‘‘Conversazione’’ at the Fitzwilliam Museum, which followed the dinner. About a thousand people filled the museum to enjoy more music—this time performed by the Blue Hungarian Band—and to be suitably awestruck by the wonderful electric lighting, specially installed in time for the occasion. Recipes ~~~ Consomme´ Sevigne´ is a classic clear soup served with quenelles of chicken and usually garnished with asparagus tips and a julienne of lettuce. It was named (almost two centuries later) in honor of the aristocratic French woman Marie de Rabutin-Chantal, Marquise de Sevigne´ (1626–1696). She is famous on account of the detailed and witty correspondence with her daughter which is a marvellous source of information and gossip about the seventeenth-century French court.
´ Sevigne ´ Consomme One quart of consomme´. 2 ounces of cooked chicken. Two Eggs. Three tablespoons of Milk.
June 13
King Ludwig’s Dinner
Twelve drops of Almond Essence. Salt, Cayenne, and Nutmeg. Pound the chicken and pass it through a hair sieve. Then mix with it the eggs, milk, salt, cayenne, nutmeg, and almond essence. When thoroughly blended, turn the mixture into three of four small dariole moulds well greased, and steam slowly for twenty minutes, or until set. Turn out very carefully, cut into fancy shapes, and serve in the consomme´. A few asparagus points and chervil leaves may also be served in this soup.
Timbales de Volaille Half a pound of quenelle meat. Six ounces of the breast of a cooked Chicken. Two ounces of lean cooked Ham. Six Mushrooms. One Truffle One gill of White Sauce. Cut the chicken into very small pieces. Chop up the mushrooms, truffles, and ham, and stir into the white sauce. Butter well nine small timbale moulds; line them neatly with the quenelle meat, not leaving a particle uncoated; fill in with the minced chicken; coat them neatly over the top with the quenelle meat. Steam them for twenty minutes; dish in a circle on spinach or mashed potatoes; pour good white sauce over and round, and serve peas or mixed vegetables in the centre. Mrs. Charles Clarke (of the National Training School for Cookery in London), High Class Cookery Recipes (1893).
Quenelles, Quenelle Meat: see October 15. Blanchailles Frites au Naturel et Diable (Whitebait, natural and devilled): see August 14. Caper Sauce: see December 8.
June 13 King Ludwig’s Dinner Hunting Lodge, the Tirol, 1885 Ludwig II (1845–1886) was king of Bavaria from 1864 until shortly before his death. He was called the Swan King, for his love of the bird, and the Fairy Tale King for the fantastic castles he built. He was also called ‘‘Mad King’’ Ludwig. Certainly his behavior was eccentric and embarrassing at times, which might have been explained by some of the strange aspects of his upbringing. It was also feared that he was homosexual and would therefore not do his kingly duty and produce an heir. In June 1889 he was declared insane by a psychiatrist who did not examine him, and three days later he drowned in a lake. The official verdict was that his death was accidental.
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King Ludwig’s Dinner
Ludwig was certainly passionate about many artistic endeavours such as architecture and music. He also loved food, although his dental problems meant that it had to be soft. Some of his odd (or perhaps simply lonely) behavior related to his meals. He ate at odd hours, with imaginary guests, and on one occasion invited his favorite horse to the dinner table to eat from the fine china. The staff at his various castles had to be ready to present him with a meal at any time as he would turn up without warning. He took imaginary journeys around the riding pavilion, his staff waiting with a picnic basket for when he dismounted at his imaginary location. He was in a real location, at his hunting lodge in the Tirol, when he enjoyed the following dinner on June 13, 1885. Consomme with liver dumplings. Hechtenkraut (Fish Pudding with Sauerkraut). Trout with Hollandaise sauce. Lemon sorbet. Chicken fricassee. Pate´ made from wild venison and peas. Fruits in wine jelly, vanilla ice cream, and orange sauce.
These dishes fulfilled Ludwig’s need for soft food, and they were clearly ‘‘German.’’ Perhaps they were comfort food for the troubled king. Recipes ~~~ Calf’s Liver Dumplings Mince half a pound of cooked calf’s liver; take out all the veins, skin, etc., and then mix well with two tablespoons of beef marrow or butter; add a pinch of marjoram, grated lemon rind, a clove of garlic mixed to a paste with salt, a pinch of mace, and pepper; add enough bread crumbs to make the mixture neither stiff nor thin. Bread crumbs swell in boiling, and if too many are used the dumplings will be hard. Form in balls and cook in boiling soup ten minutes. Bertha M. Wood, Foods of the Foreign-Born in Relation to Health (Boston, 1922).
Fish Pudding Take cold boiled fish, the part that is white, and mashed potatoes, an equal quantity; mix well together, breaking the fish very fine; add two ounces of melted butter, or cream instead of the butter; season with salt and pepper. Butter a pudding dish, put the mixture in, keeping the top rough, and put it in the oven till heated through, and the top nicely browned. Jennie June, American Cookery Book (New York, 1870).
Hollandaise Sauce: see April 14. Sauerkraut: see July 8.
June 14
Telephone Banquet
June 14 Telephone Banquet Symphony Hall, Boston, Massachusetts, 1916 The Golden Jubilee of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1916 was celebrated with a whole week of events and demonstrations. The culmination of the celebration was a banquet held by the MIT Alumni Association in Symphony Hall, Boston, on the night of June 14. For the 1,500 guests (and the similar number observing the proceedings from the balconies) it was, by all accounts, a singularly exciting evening. The food itself bore no responsibility for the excitement—although doubtless it was very fine, it was stock standard banquet fare. Clear Green Turtle — Medaillon of Penobscot Salmon, Hollandaise Sauce New Peas — Filet of Beef, Larded, Fresh Mushroom Sauce Potatoes, Fines Herbes String Beans — Sweetbreads Glace with Asparagus Tips Cigarettes — Roast Jumbo Quail, Farcies Lettuce and Tomato Salad — Fancy Frozen Puddings and Ices Assorted Cakes Cigars — Coffee Clysmic Water
According to the American Telephone Company, it was ‘‘the most elaborate trans-continental telephone stunt ever staged’’ that absorbed the attention of the ‘‘Techys’’ present not just in Boston, but at locations in 34 other cities across the country where simultaneous alumni banquets were held. Beginning at 9 P.M., there was a spectacular demonstration of ‘‘transcontinental telephony.’’ A telephone rollcall was made from Boston to each of the participating cities, and greetings were exchanged between the notable men present. Each guest was provided with an individual receiver—and it was gratifying for the engineers and scientists that the clarity of the communication exceeded all expectations. Among the guests who exchanged greetings at the banquet were Alexander Graham Bell (1847–1922), the man credited with the invention of the telephone, Orville Wright (1871–1948)—along with his brother Wilbur, a pioneer
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Royal Luncheon
of ‘‘the flying machine,’’ and Thomas Edison (1847–1931) the inventor of (among many other things) the electric light bulb (see April 24). During the evening, the president of MIT, Richard C. Maclaurin (1870– 1920) announced that $3.5 million had been pledged for ‘‘new technology’’ during the course of the evening—the massive total thanks to a mysterious benefactor known only as ‘‘Mr. Smith’’ who had pledged $5 for every $3 donated by others. The evening ended with a rendition of the ‘‘Star Spangled Banner’’ sung in unison by all of the alumni clubs. The vogue for bottled water is often assumed to be a modern one, and it attracts a fair amount of controversy on a number of counts. The plastic bottles are shaping up to be an environmental disaster, and in countries such as the United States where the water supply is clean, they represent a lucrative marketing triumph. The ground was prepared for the modern popularity of bottled mineral waters by the health reform and temperance movements of the nineteenth century. As happens today, the supposed unique qualities of water from various sources was extolled with the help of testimonials from professionals (especially medical) and consumers. The ‘‘Clysmic Water’’ on this menu came from the Clysmic Mineral Spring in Waukesha, Wisconsin, and was marketed commercially as early as 1878. In 1907 a vigorous new marketing program—what would now be called a ‘‘branding’’ exercise— was commenced with the slogan ‘‘The King of Table Waters.’’ Recipes ~~~ Mushroom Sauce Place one and one-half cups of milk in a saucepan and add four tablespoons of flour. Stir until dissolved and then bring to a boil. Cook for five minutes and then add One cup of diced and par-boiled mushrooms One well-beaten egg One teaspoon of salt One teaspoon of paprika Three tablespoons of finely chopped parsley Beat to mix then cook for two minutes and use. Mary A. Wilson, Mrs. Wilson’s Cook Book (Philadelphia, 1920).
Hollandaise Sauce: see, April 14. June 15 Royal Luncheon Ascot Racecourse, Ascot, Berkshire, England, 1933 The English have been passionately fond of horse racing for centuries— and none are more fond than the English royal family. One of the most famous racecourses in the country was founded in 1711 by Queen Anne
June 15
Royal Luncheon
(1665–1714) at Ascot, a convenient six miles from the royal residence at Windsor Castle. In June a special race meeting called Royal Ascot Week is the high point of the social season, and, as the name suggests, the royal family always attends. June 15, 1933, was the second day of Ascot week, and it dawned brilliantly sunny. King George V (1865–1936) and Queen Mary (1867–1953) drove up in semi-state to the Royal Enclosure and watched the races and enjoyed lunch from the Royal Box. MENU Mayonnaise de Homard — Selles d’Agneau Printanie`re Poulets Devonshire Cailles Malmaison en Aspic ˆte´s de Mouton a ` la Windsor Petites Pa — ` la Franc¸aise Petits pois a Pommes nouvelles persille´es — BUFFET Derby Beef, Jambon, Langue, Agneau, Roast Beef, Poulet, Pigeon Pie. — Asperges Vinaigrette Salade de Tomate — Eton Mess Petits Gateau
Even at a race meeting, this royal menu was formal, as was (and still is) the dress code in the Royal Enclosure. Men must wear morning coats and top hats at all times (and be ready to doff them as the monarch drives by in the traditional open carriage), and women must wear a proper hat (that is, one that covers the crown of the head). The menu is in French, as royal menus still are—although a little English sneaks in occasionally in a very inconsistent way. There is no logical or historic reason why beef on this menu is not bœuf, but lamb is agneau. Recipes ~~~ Eton Mess This is traditionally served at Eton College at the annual prize-giving day picnic. According to Rene Roussin, the royal chef of the 1930s, it is a mixture of chopped
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A Banquet to Nelson Mandela
up strawberries mixed with plenty of thick cream. It now usually contains pieces of meringue. ‘‘Mess’’ may refer to the appearance of the dish, or to a specific quantity of food—as the military uses the word (see January 6).
Ox Tongue An Ox Tongue for a cold table should be soaked in a preparation known as a saumure, which is made as follows: 2 quarts water 2 1/2 lb. coarse salt 5 oz. moist brown sugar 6 juniper berries 1 small sprig of thyme 1 small bay leaf Put all the above ingredients into a large saucepan and boil, stirring occasionally, for one hour. Let the liquid cool. Prick a raw, fresh tongue all over with a large needle or a very thin-tined fork and rub it energetically with 1 oz. of coarse salt to which a generous pinch of saltpetre has been added. Put the tongue in a deep, narrow basin and pour the cold saumure over it so that it is completely bathed in the liquid. Leave for 6 days in summer, 8 in winter. Before cooking the tongue should be placed for 3 to 4 hours in plain cold water. Then put it in a saucepan with ample fresh cold water, bring it to the boil and cook it till it is done, allowing about 2 hours for a medium to small tongue, 3 for a large one. As soon as the tongue has been taken from the water, remove the skin—it will come away easily—and at once wrap the tongue in buttered paper. Contact with the air will quickly dry and discolour it. Put it in a cool place to chill. Prepare a dressing of 1/2 lb. of gelatine dissolved in 3 1/2 gills of water and stain it a dark scarlet-brown with 2 or 3 drops of cochineal and a little browning. When the tongue is really cold, coat it with a thin layer of this quick-setting dressing so that it presents a shiny, dark red appearance. Rene Roussin, Royal Menus (1960).
Mayonnaise de Homard (lobster mayonnaise): see March 31. ˆte´s de Mouton a ` la Windsor: see May 3. Petites Pa ` la Franc¸aise: see July 11. Petits Pois a Pommes Nouvelles Persille´es: see December 6.
June 16 A Banquet to Nelson Mandela Pretoria, South Africa, 1999 A lavish banquet was held in honor of Nelson Mandela when he retired as president of South Africa in 1999. The advance publicity about the banquet advised that ‘‘food indigenous to South Africa’’ would be served.
June 16
A Banquet to Nelson Mandela
Smoked Chicken Timbales on a bed of Salad with edible flowers, and Morogo Mayo. Medallions of Beef Fillet on a Leek Rosti in a Pastry Cage, served with tied bundles of vegetables. African Chocolate next to Chocolate Pots filled with Marbled Chocolate Mousse and Berry Coulis. Individual loaves of Health Bread. South African wine. Coffee and Inauguration Chocolates.
It is difficult if not impossible to justify the publicists’ claims about the local origin of the ingredients on this menu. The only real claimant is the morogo—‘‘the South African National Dish’’ which is a staple food in many rural areas. The word comes from the Tswana (a Bantu) language and is a generic word for vegetables, although it is most commonly used to mean wild spinach (of which there are several species). It is useful because it can be dried and is highly nutritious because it is contains 36 percent protein— higher than many varieties of soybean. The only other contender is the coffee, which certainly originated in the African continent—but it is indigenous to Ethiopia, not South Africa. As for the other dishes, their origins are distant indeed. Chicken and cattle of one species or another have been domesticated and eaten for millennia all over the world; there is no evidence that they are ‘‘indigenous’’ to South Africa, or anywhere in Africa for that matter. The leek probably originated around the Mediterranean and was popularized and spread around Europe by the Romans. To further the divide, at this dinner the leeks were cooked in a Swiss style as ro ¨ sti, a word related to roasted and referring to ‘‘cakes’’ fried crisp and golden. The chocolate used at the dinner may technically have been grown locally —both Cadbury and Nestle´ have factories in South Africa where it has become an important crop. It is, however, unequivocally a New World food, having originated in Central South America. The statement about the banquet brings up the whole question of authenticity in cuisine. The reality is that cooking, like other cultural practices, is in a constant state of adaptation and blending. It seems impossible to imagine Italian food without the tomato, or Indian without the potato or chilli, but these are both also New World foods, not known outside the South African continent until the last decade of the fifteenth century. Recipes ~~~ Preparing a Dish of Morogo Cook the leaves in boiling water. Add tomatoes and onions or potatoes and onions. Flavour the dish with salt and pepper.
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June 17
Lunch with the Emperor of Ethiopia Chocolate Mousse
Put a three-quart mould in a wooden pail, first lining the bottom with fine ice and a thin layer of coarse salt. Pack the space between the mould and the pail solidly with fine ice and coarse salt, using two quarts of salt and ice enough to fill the space. Whip one quart of cream, and drain it in a sieve. Whip again all the cream that drains through. Put in a small pan one ounce of Walter Baker & Co.’s Premium No. 1 Chocolate, three tablespoonfuls of sugar and one of boiling water, and stir over a hot fire until smooth and glossy. Add three tablespoonfuls of cream. Sprinkle a cupful of powdered sugar over the whipped cream. Pour the chocolate in a thin stream into the cream, and stir gently until well mixed. Wipe out the chilled mould, and turn the cream into it. Cover, and then place a little ice lightly on top. Wet a piece of carpet in water, and cover the top of the pail. Set away for three or four hours; then take the mould from the ice, dip it in cold water, wipe, and then turn the mousse out on a flat dish. Maria Parloa, Chocolate and Cocoa Recipes and Home Made Candy Recipes (1909).
An African Explorer’s View of Wild Spinach Samuel White Baker, who traveled to Africa in 1861 hoping to discover the source of the Nile, had this to say about one evening’s dinner in his book The Albert N’yanza, The Great Basin of the Nile (1868): Fortunately there were three varieties of plants growing wild in great profusion, that, when boiled, were a good substitute for spinach; thus we were rich in vegetables, although without a morsel of fat or animal food. Our dinner consisted daily of a mess of black porridge of bitter mouldy flour that no English pig would condescend to notice, and a large dish of spinach. ‘‘Better a dinner of herbs where love is,’’ etc. often occurred to me; but I am not sure that I was quite of that opinion after a fortnight’s grazing upon spinach.
June 17 Lunch with the Emperor of Ethiopia Ambassador Hotel, Los Angeles, California, 1954 His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie of Ethiopia (1892–1965) visited the United States for the first time in 1954, at the invitation of President Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890–1969). The purpose of his visit was to stimulate interest in his country and the intended modernization and to raise capital for the necessary developments in agriculture and industry. Selassie, who traced his ancestry back to the biblical King Solomon and Queen of Sheba, was accompanied on his royal visit by his youngest son and one granddaughter. While they were in California the royal family visited
June 17
Lunch with the Emperor of Ethiopia
Yosemite and attended a variety of official functions. On June 17 they were welcomed by the City of Los Angeles (represented by Mayor Norris Poulson) at a luncheon. Musical entertainment was provided by the City of Los Angeles Symphonic Chorus and Manny Harmon and his orchestra, and the bill of fare was by the Ambassador Hotel. Melon Balls Orientale Stuffed Boneless Squab Chicken, Narcisse Parisienne Rissole Potato Asparagus Polonaise Beaudry Salad French Dressing Orange Fantaisie Petit Fours Glace.
As the second half of the twentieth century progressed there was a gradual move away from classically prepared and classically named dishes, which means that it can be difficult or impossible to know exactly what was served. Simultaneously, French was also losing its monopoly as the universal culinary language, which in theory should have made menus more easily understood. Sophisticated diners, however—even those who spoke not a word of French—knew what they would get when they ordered classic dishes such ` la Reine. Customers and guests do want to as Sole Colbert or Consomme´ a know what to expect, and eventually the trend away from classic cuisine and French menus caused the evolution of the modern menu, in which detailed descriptions (almost like recipes) substitute for short, well-known phrases. The menu for this luncheon is on the cusp of those changes. Ostensibly it is in English, so that there are squab chickens and potatoes but the word order and qualifying words are French, so that these are styled Narcisse and Parisienne, respectively. Some of these qualifying words are from the classic repertoire, and assuming that the chef did not take too many liberties, the asparagus dish in the Polonaise (Polish) style would have had browned breadcrumbs and hard boiled egg (see here and October 20) and the potatoes would have been cut into small balls and saute´ed. The Beaudry salad was presumably a local or hotel specialty named in honor of Prudent Beaudry (1818–1893), the mayor of Los Angeles from 1874–76. As for the chicken Narcisse—there is no common classic chicken dish by this name, although there was an Edwardian era dish called Cre`me a la Narcisse, which was a rich almond ice cream.
Recipes ~~~ French Dressing is the English name for what the French call vinaigrette. Purists say it should consist only of the best-quality olive oil and lemon juice
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‘‘Uncooked Banquet’’
or wine vinegar, in proportion of 3:1, plus salt and pepper, but there are as many variations and additions as there are cooks. French Dressing Two teaspoonfuls of salt, one teaspoonful of mustard, one-quarter teaspoonful of black pepper, one-half teaspoonful of paprika, the juice of one lemon, and the same amount of vinegar. Put in a quart bottle, fill with olive oil, and shake thoroughly.
Asparagus Polonaise Put four pounds of boiled fresh, or two cans, of asparagus on a platter. Have the asparagus very hot. Sprinkle the tips with salt and pepper, one chopped boiled egg, and some chopped parsley. Melt in a pan, three ounces of sweet butter, add two tablespoonsful of bread crumbs, fry until brown, and pour over the tips of the asparagus. Victor Hirzler, The Hotel St. Francis Cook Book (1919).
June 18 ‘‘Uncooked Banquet’’ Hotel Hygeia, New York, 1903 An enthusiastic group of vegetarians, physical culturists, Christian Scientists, members of the One Hundred Year Club, and various other ‘‘food reformers’’ met on this date in New York to partake of a ‘‘new and infallible nature cure.’’ They were in the experienced hands of the one and only ‘‘elementary cook’’ in the entire region, who prepared for them a banquet of ‘‘marvelous dishes’’ without the aid of heat in any form. Such ‘‘relics of barbarism’’ as cooking ranges were eschewed by these food reformers, as were animal flesh and intoxicating liquors and the use of condiments such as vinegar. The New York Times reported the bill of fare with some amusement the next day. The first course was soup natural, ripe olives and almonds. . . . The soup was made of milk, ground grain and celery. . . . the next dish was brought in. It was a salad called Brassica-Lactula . . . consisted of a piece of lettuce, sliced tomatoes, cucumbers, and some pignolias. Nuts, it may be said here, formed the better half of nearly every dish . . . the third course. This consisted of oatflakes and cream, pecans and brazil nuts, bread, sweet butter, fruit-oryza, and raisistata. What the two latter dishes were was a secret which was not divulged. The bread, however, also called crackers-avena, resembled a small yellow brick. It was made by grinding the grain, soaking it in water, and then letting it dry in a form. The next course was called Fructo-Salata. It was another salad, the ingredients this time being sliced oranges, bananas, strawberries, figs, dates and other fruits.
June 18
‘‘Uncooked Banquet’’
Then came Persian prunes, dried fruit, cream cheese, and finally some cantaloupes filled with ice cream. The whole dinner was washed down with fruit punch, which was very refreshing, but its only resemblance to any more stimulating beverage was that there was a cherry stuck in it.
Humans started to use fire for cooking at least 350,000 years ago, perhaps a great deal earlier, and evolutionary biologists believe that the human jaw shows evidence of adaptation away from eating very tough, uncooked food. It is probably fair to say that most people, most of the time, like most of their food to be cooked. This certainly applies to meat; the occasional gourmet choice of steak tartare being the exception that proves the rule. Fruit and salad vegetables are obvious options, although they were once viewed with some suspicion. The seventeenth-century diarist Samuel Pepys (1633–1703) was sure that one of his neighbors had died from eating ‘‘cowcumbers,’’ for example. This belief in the health risks of eating raw food was probably distantly due to the old humoral theory (see February 23) that determined many of them to be undesirably ‘‘cold’’ in their effects, but it is possible that there was an awareness that they might be associated with disease—an event that would now be attributed to contact with contaminated water. The intentional following of an uncooked diet would be an incomprehensible choice to our ancestors, but such a movement began towards the end of the nineteenth century in the wake of the vegetarian movement (although not all raw foodists were vegetarian). Adherents of the raw food diet have been almost evangelical about the health benefits of the regime, as well as its ethical correctness. Recipes ~~~ The following recipes are taken from Uncooked Foods & How to Use Them, a book published in 1924 by the organizers of the uncooked banquet—Eugene Christian and his wife Molly Griswold Christian.
Cream Cheese Take thick cream and tie it in a wet cloth. Stir a teaspoonful of salt into every pint of cream. Hang it in a cool airy place for three or four days to drain. Then turn it into a clean cloth, which must be put into a mold and under a weight for about twenty-four hours longer, when it will be fit for use.
Cream of Celery Oat Flakes, Cream, Celery, Celery Salt, Flaked Wheat.
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‘‘Uncooked Banquet’’
Make same as tomato, only add tender celery chopped fine, instead of tomato, and a dash of celery salt.
Cream of Tomato Soup Oat Flakes, Milk or Cream, Fresh Tomatoes, Salt. Take one pound of oat flakes, cover well with warm milk and let stand three or four hours, or until very soft. Then mash through a coarse strainer, which will produce a very thick cream, which forms the body of the soup. Add to this sufficient milk or cream (cream preferred) to make quantity desired, and the juice of half a dozen ripe tomatoes. Any cream soup can be made in the same way, using different articles. Much care should be exercised in adding the milk, so as not to destroy the thick, creamy consistency of the soup.
Why This Book Was Written The following text is from the preface to Uncooked Foods written by Eugene Christian in 1924. SOME years ago we, the authors of this work, both became so impaired in health as to almost totally disqualify us for the performance of our daily work. A very exhaustive study of our condition convinced us that it was caused mainly, if not wholly, by incorrect habits in eating. This brought forth a very careful and studied series of experiments in diet which was confined entirely to cooked foods, because we at that time accepted implicitly the common theory that foods could be predigested and improved by heat. Failing utterly in this, our attention was turned toward what have been called natural foods, but what in reality mean food in its elementary or unchanged state. Less than a year of study and experimenting with this system of feeding resulted in the total elimination of all stomach disorders and our complete restoration to perfect health. From scientific research, in addition to these failures and successes, we have studied out a system of both eating and drinking, which has been tried by many others under our direction, and in every instance health, strength and vitality have come to those who have obeyed our instructions. In order to bring this theory more conspicuously before the public we gave a seven course dinner or banquet of uncooked foods, which was attended by many distinguished New York people. It received much attention by the New York press, and was widely commented on all over this and foreign countries through the press exchanges. A flood of inquiries concerning the use of uncooked food, especially referring to their remedial values, followed this publicity. This gave the first hint of the great interest that the public is now taking in this method of living.
June 19
Banquet for Queen Catherine
June 19 Banquet for Queen Catherine Bishop’s Palace, Paris, France, 1549 Henry II (1519–1559) became King on March 31, 1547, on the death of his father Francis I (1494–1547). The traditional site for the coronation of French kings was the cathedral at Rheims, and Henry was crowned there on July 25, 1547. It was believed at the time that kings and queens should be seen, and to do that they undertook royal progresses (tours) across the country, making triumphal entries into the cities and towns. The ‘‘entry’’ of a king or queen into a city was an occasion of great celebration with processions, banquets, tournaments, and all sorts of other festivities. In the two years after his coronation Henry made nearly 30 entries—and finally, it was Paris’s turn. Henry entered Paris on June 16, and Queen Catherine (1519–1589), who had been Catherine de’ Medici, entered on June 18. The splendor of their entries surpassed all previous in scale and originality. Planning had begun months before, with not just the arrangement for the various festivities to be made, but many issues of protocol had to be solved such as the order of precedence for presentation to the monarchs and who could and could not wear scarlet. On the day after her entry the king and queen attended mass at Notre Dame, and in the evening the City of Paris gave a great banquet in her honor. It was not held in the Hotel de Ville as originally planned, but the palace of the bishop of Paris. It is not known how many guests were at the banquet, but the list of food is impressive. 30 peacocks, 33 pheasants, 21 swans, 9 cranes, 33 ducks, 33 ibises, 33 egrets, 33 young herons, 30 young goats, 99 young pigeons, 99 turtle doves, 13 partridges, 33 goslings 3 young bustards, 13 young capons, 90 quails, 66 boiling chickens, 66 Indian chickens, 30 capons, 90 spring chicken in vinegar,
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Banquet for Queen Catherine 66 chickens ‘‘cooked as grouse,’’ 66 rabbits, 30 goats. 144 artichokes 500 asparagus and 4 bushels of beans. There were also pastries and sweetmeats of great variety.
Most of the meat consisted of birds, which were considered fine food suitable for royalty, their intrinsic value being greater because they were harder to catch, and because being creatures of the air they were closer to God. There was no beef (although it may have been used in broths, and the fatty marrow was always prized) because the meat itself was considered coarse and ordinary, and fit for the lower classes. The ‘‘Indian chickens’’ are interesting. They are turkeys—and this dinner represents one of the earliest recorded use of the New World bird. The events of the entries of Henry and Catherine were not all feasting and merriment, however, and one particular spectacle was symbolic of the rest of Henry’s reign. One of the entertainments at the conclusion of the queen’s coronation was an auto-da-fe, or burning of heretics (that is, Protestants) in the Place de Gre`ve. Four men convicted of Lutheranism were chained to huge beams attached to pulleys and were burned slowly by being raised and lowered into a huge fire. It is said that Henry was greatly upset by the spectacle, but this did not prevent his reign being marked and marred by savage persecution of the Protestant Huguenots. Recipes ~~~ Before the technological developments of the Industrial Revolution enabled the manufacture of shaped metal baking dishes, meat was cooked either by roasting on a spit in front of a fire or in an oven after being encased in a pastry shell or ‘‘coffin’’ which functioned like a modern casserole dish. The pastry of these ‘‘pies’’ or bake-metes was very thick and very hard, and was not necessarily meant to be eaten. Small birds such as pigeons were often cooked this way as it prevented them from drying out and allowed them to be served in a gravy or sauce. To Bake Pygeons in Short Paest as You Make to Your Baken Apples Season youre pigeons with peper saffron cloues and mace, with vergis [verjuice] and salte, then putte them into youre paeste, and so cloose them up, and bake them, they wyl bake in halfe an houre, then take them forthe, and yf ye thinke theym drye, take a lyttle vergis and butter and put to theim and serve theym. A Proper Newe Booke of Cokerye (ca. 1545).
June 20
Dinner for the Transatlantic Air-Race Winners
Each dish would have been accompanied by the appropriate sauce. It would not have been considered necessary to list them—this was often simply assumed. A common sauce for fish and small birds was a galantine (the word now means a sort of jellied dish), and the following one shows the heritage of bread stuffing for turkey. Galandine for a Crane or Hearne [Heron] or Any Other Foule That Is Black Meat Toste Bread and lay it in soke in vinagre, and straine it with Vinagre and a little Claret wine, boile it on a chafing dish of coles and put in it sugar, Cinnamon, and Ginger. A. W., A Boke of Cookrye (1591).
June 20 Dinner for the Transatlantic Air-Race Winners Savoy Hotel, London, England, 1919 In 1913, the Daily Mail, a British newspaper, offered a prize of £10,000 for the first aviator to cross the North Atlantic. The competition was put on hold almost immediately when the First World War broke out but was resumed again at the war’s end in 1918. Aviation technology and aviator skills were inevitably accelerated by the war, and there was a great deal of interest in the revived competition. The war also resulted in a change of the rules—the British newspaper now determined that the race was open to any nationality except those of ‘‘enemy origin.’’ The eventual winners of the competition—Captain John Alcock (1892– 1919) of the Royal Air Force and Lieutenant Arthur Whitten-Brown (1886– 1948) of the Royal Flying Service began their attempt on the afternoon of June 14, 1919, from St. John’s, Newfoundland, in a Vickers Vimy bomber. They arrived in Clifden, Ireland, 16 hours 27 minutes later after a flight of 1890 nautical miles. The event was simultaneously a great adventure, a superb engineering feat, and an example of great personal heroism. The Directors of the Associated Newspapers (Limited) gave a luncheon to honor the aviators, and the Secretary of State for War, Winston Churchill (1874–1965), presented the cheque—and announced the extra honor of a knighthood to the winners. Even the menu was a celebration of their achievement. Melon Frappe´ au Maraschino. Oeufs Poche´s Alcock. ` la Brown. Supreˆme de Soˆle a ` la Vickers Vimy. Salade Clifden Poulet de Printemps a Surprise Britannia Gateau Grand Succe`s Cafe´
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Dinner for the Transatlantic Air-Race Winners
The de´cor too, was in theme. The top table was covered with linen fabric used in making the wings of an aeroplane, with, at intervals, red, white, and blue centre-pieces similar to those used to identify British machines. In the middle of these circles were clusters of red roses. Suspended in the ceiling in front of the airmen was a model of an aeroplane filled with pink and mauve sweet peas. Two smaller models, similarly loaded, hung from candelabra in the centre of the room, which was also draped with the flags of Newfoundland, Ireland, and the Allies.
The flight itself was not without its food story. Not only did the men nearly freeze due to the heating problems, they were also very hungry as all they had to sustain themselves during the long flight—the weight of every article aboard being critical—were some sandwiches. As very hungry people do, they fantasized about the meal they would have when (and if) they arrived— deciding on a dish of duck and green peas. Recipes ~~~ Poached Eggs Unless an egg-poacher is used, eggs are best poached in a large frying-pan nearly filled with water. A little vinegar and salt should be added to the water, as the eggs will set more quickly. Each egg should first be broken into a separate cup, and then slipped into the rapidly boiling water; cover them up and allow them to boil only just long enough to have the whites set, which will take about 2 minutes. Quite newly laid eggs take a little longer. Have ready hot buttered toast, remove the eggs from the water with an egg-slice, and slip them on the toast. Always have plates and dishes very hot for all kinds of egg dishes. Dr. Allinson’s Cook Book (1915).
Melon is often paired with a cherry liqueur such as maraschino (made from maraschino cherries) or kirsch (made from morello cherries). In both these liqueurs, the cherry pits add an almond-like flavor. A little maraschino liqueur can be added to the following recipe, to create a version of the dish in the menu. It can be served ‘‘slushy’’ if wished. Melon Water Ice To make a quart of melon-water ice, skin and pound the whole of a ripe melon, and pass it through a sieve. Mix with a pint of juice a syrup made of a quart of water and a pound and a half of sugar and the juice of a lemon. Freeze in the usual manner. Cassell’s New Dictionary of Cookery (1910).
June 21
Dinner with Amelia Earhart
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June 21 Dinner with Amelia Earhart Hotel Grand Preanger, Bandung (Bandoeng), Batavia (Indonesia), 1937 Amelia Earhart (1897–1937) was an American aviatrix and author who set many aviation records. Among many other feats she was the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and nonstop across the continental United States. She was only the 16th woman to be awarded a pilot’s licence, and her fame did much to advance the acceptance of female pilots. She was attempting an equatorial around-the-world flight when she disappeared in 1937. Earhart and her navigator, Fred Noonan, had set off from Florida on Amelia Earhart in the cockpit of a plane. June 1 in their Lockheed Electra. They (AP Photo) arrived in Bandoeng, Indonesia, on June 21 and stayed in the Grand Hotel Preagar where they had dinner. Mock Turtle lie´. Medaillons de Merluza poˆche´, Sce. Caviar Pommes Vapeur. Beefsteak au beurre noir. Choux de Bruxelles frais. Pommes Anna. ` la Strassbourgeoise. Pie`ce de Langue a Peˆches Siberienne. Fruits. Cafe´.
The progress of the flight was delayed in Bandoeng by the weather, and Earhart and Noonan did not set off again until June 27. They left Lae in Papua New Guinea on July 2 and were planning to stop at Howland Island in the central Pacific Ocean. They never arrived. The mystery has
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Dinner with Amelia Earhart
never been solved, although it has fueled many theories and many archeological expeditions. Recipes ~~~ ‘‘Black butter’’ sometimes refers to a fruit preserve (usually an apple puree) cooked with spices, but in this context it means a savory sauce made by heating butter until it is dark brown (not actually black). Sometimes vinegar and capers or parsley are added. It is a classic sauce with a history dating back to medieval times. It is also called brown butter and burnt butter sauce. It is a classic accompaniment to fish and sometimes steak. Black Butter Sauce 1 1/2 oz. butter, 1 teaspoonful finely chopped parsley, 1/2 teaspoonful vinegar. Put the butter in an omelette pan, fry over a quick fire until it becomes a nutbrown color, then add the vinegar and parsley. Pour over the article to be served. Charles Herman Senn, The Book of Sauces (1915).
Pommes (de terre) Anna is a classic French dish. Occasionally (but not classically) cheese is included. There are various theories as to whom it is named after. The favorite theory is that it was Anna Deslions, a famous and very beautiful nineteenth -century French courtesan who never charged her clients, but was happy to accept gifts such as homes in the country and fabulous jewels. Pommes de Terre Anna Peel and cut raw potatoes into thin slices—all of the same thinness otherwise they will not cook evenly. Put them into cold water for about quarter of an hour. Butter the dish they are to be cooked in, and then arrange in it the slices of potatoes (which must be dried when they come out of the cold water). The slices of potatoes must be arranged in layers and tightly packed, and melted butter or little pieces of butter put generously over each layer. The dish must be entirely filled with potato slices, and butter spread over the top. The lid must be made airtight with a paste made of flour and water. Bake it in a slow oven for fortyfive minutes. Then take out the dish, cut the potato cake in it across in four pieces, turn them upside down, put the cover on again and bake for another ten minutes. Serve on a very hot plate, pouring the melted butter in the dish over the cake. C. F. Leyel and O. Hartley. The Gentle Art of Cookery (1925).
Mock Turtle lie´ (soup): see July 4.
June 22
Midwinter Dinner
June 22 Midwinter Dinner Winter Quarters, Commonwealth Bay, Adelie Land, Antarctica, 1912 The mid-winter equinox is always celebrated with great enthusiasm in Antarctica. As with the Christmas celebration in the northern hemisphere, it marks the welcome return of the sun and the lengthening days—an event that is even more significant after months of almost complete darkness and great boredom. The members of the Australasian Antarctic Expedition of 1922 threw themselves into the occasion with the usual great enthusiasm. The cooks for the day were Walter Hannam (1885–1964) and Francis Bickerton (1889–1954), and their efforts were recorded by the expedition leader, Douglas Mawson (1882–1958.) Their menu de dinner to us was a marvel of gorgeous delicacies. After the toasts and speeches came a musical and dramatic programme, punctuated by choice choruses. The washing up was completed by all hands at midnight. Outside, the wind was not to be undone; it surpassed itself with an unusual burst of ninety-five miles per hour.
Menu du Diner ` la Reine Escoffier Potage a Noisettes de Phoque Haricots Verts Champignons en Sauce Antarctique
Claret Tintara
` la Terre Ade´lie Pingouin a ` la Menthe Petits Pois a Pommes Nouvelles
Burgundy Chauvenet 1898
Asperges au Beurre Fondu Plum Pudding Union Jack ˆte´ de Groseilles Pa
Port Ko¨pke
Desserts Cafe´ During dinner the Blizzard will render the usual accompaniments . . . The Tempest, for Ever and Ever, etc.
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Midwinter Dinner
Of course, any fine menu of the time was in French, even when the party guests were Australian, and the location was Lat. 67° 00& amp;amp;quot; S. Long. 142° 36" E. Food has a social, cultural, and symbolic value beyond its simple caloric and nutritional requirement, and this is never more so than when people are far from home, in inhospitable and dangerous surroundings. Explorers in all times and continents have noted the importance of maintaining the traditional celebrations of their homeland (and mid-winter in the Antarctic clearly substituted for Christmas), and the great moraleboosting effect of good food. Giving grand names to the dishes clearly enhanced the fun—canned or dried asparagus and mushrooms do not sound nearly so elegant as Asperges au Beurre Fondu and Champignons en Sauce Antarctique. No doubt many of the ingredients—such as the dried fruit for the obligatory plum pudding had been hoarded for the day—but the main dishes were definitely local in spite of their French names: pingouin is obviously penguin, and phoque is seal. Recipes ~~~ The Antarctic Treaty’s Protocol on Environmental Protection, signed in 1991, makes recreation of this menu impossible. It prohibits even the ‘‘disturbing’’ of any wildlife on the frozen continent. Antarctic Food: Through the Eyes of Explorers During the early Antarctic expeditions, explorers were very reliant on local species to supply their food needs—and to give variety to their provisions. Antarctic cooks simply adapted standard recipes, and named their dishes accordingly, so that there are records of dishes such as the noisettes of seal in the menu above, penguin ragout, and seal liver maitre d’hotel. The situation was different during an off-base expedition when ingredients, equipment, and time were at a premium, and conditions severe. At these times a generic one-pot hot dish called ‘‘hooch’’ was often made, using whatever meat and whatever flavorings were available. The penguin, as an animal, seems to be made up of an equal proportion of mammal, fish, and fowl. If it is possible to imagine a piece of beef, an odoriferous codfish, and a canvas-back duck, roasted in a pot, with blood and cod-liver oil for sauce, the illustration will be complete.
Frederick Cook, Through the First Antarctic Night (1900). We were on tinned food. It was supplemented by penguin meat and Kerguelen cabbage when available. The former was black meat. We ate the breasts of the penguins grilled or fried in butter. It was just like steak. We did not bother with the rest of the birds, only the breasts.
June 23
Yale Reunion Dinner
Arthur Scholes, Fourteen Men: Story of the Australian Antarctic Expedition to Heard Island (1949). . . . breakfast . . . usually consisted of a plate of porridge followed by seal or penguin steak, and a better breakfast it would be hard to obtain. Appetites in the Antarctic are seldom, or never, small, and penguin breast cooked as Dickason or Browning could cook it was a delicacy worth travelling some way to taste.
Raymond Priestley, Antarctic Adventure: Scott’s Northern Party (1914). I tasted penguin steak the other day and found the meat excellent, almost like ptarmigan.
Tryggve Gran’s Antarctic Diary 1910–1913. We got six adelie and 1 Emperor penguins & a seal. So we have as much blubber as keep the pot boiling for a month at least. We had for supper . . . stewed penguin heart liver eyes tongues toes & God knows what else with a cup of water.
Harry McNeish, in Quest for a Continent by Walter Sullivan (1914). Different hooches were made by adding new ingredients—like seal, horse, curry powder, salt, sugar, oatmeal, or chocolate—to the mixture. Hoosh is the hot meal that used to be eaten on a sled journey.
Meredith Hooper, A for Antarctica (1991).
Potage a la Reine: see February 17.
June 23 Yale Reunion Dinner Bishop’s Colonnade, Savin Rock, West Haven, Connecticut, 1908 Bishop’s Colonnade Restaurant became the regular venue for Yale reunions as soon as it opened in 1904. It was a spectacular venue built on pilings right out over the Long Island Sound, and it was the fashionable place to be and be seen until it was destroyed by fire in 1921. The restaurant could accommodate almost a thousand guests at one time, and in addition to the live music there was much to entertain the guests while they were waiting for their meals. There were fine views across the water, of the ferries and other boats, and the activities in the adjacent park, but there was also—most unusually for the time—a gleaming, pure white open kitchen, so that diners could observe the food preparation. The restaurant was famous for its fine menu, and it is likely that the ‘‘Class of ’88’’ would have been pleased by their meal.
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Yale Reunion Dinner Lobster Cocktail — Canape, Bove — Olives Radishes Salted Almonds — Consomme Pierre le Grand — Paupiette of Sea Trout, Venetienne Cucumbers Creamed Celery with Mushrooms — Roman Punch — Filet of Beef, a la Richelieu June Peas, Anglais Fresh Tomatoes, Boera — Squab Guinea Hen au Cresson Potatoes Parisienne — Salad Colonnade — Nesselrode Surprise — Cafe´ Demi Tasse Roquefort Cheese Guava Jelly
A fine dining restaurant of the time would have been expected to serve all the classic dishes, plus one or two of its own signature dishes. The best known of the Colonnade’s signature dishes was not given to the Yale men, although it did appear on the regular menu for the same day. It was crab meat Tokyo—a dish that gives new meaning to the modern idea of fusion cuisine. The crab meat was served in brown bean pots with ‘‘Mongol sauce’’ made from a mixture of tomato and pea soups. Perhaps the Yale guests were fortunate to receive the salad colonnade, although there does not appear to be any surviving recipe. Of the classic dishes, the paupiettes are interesting because the idea incorporates so much culinary history. A paupiette (or poupiette, polpet, poupet etc) is a thin slice of meat or fish rolled around some sort of filling, so it is similar to a turban (see April 24). The French word is related to the Italian word polpetta referring to a type of meatball (polpa means flesh), and in one form or another they have been popular since at least the sixteenth century. The name is an example of a French modification of an old concept, to make it sound fashionable. In English, the same dish (when made with beef or veal) is called an olive. The word olive in this context is an example of folk etymology—the process by which an unfamiliar word is changed to match a more familiar word with similar pronunciation, often due to a
June 23
Yale Reunion Dinner
mistaken belief about its meaning. In very old English manuscripts, they are called alowes (aloes, etc.), which originally referred to small birds (an alouette is a lark), which in a convoluted way explains why they are also called ‘‘beef birds.’’ Recipes ~~~ Venitienne Sauce 1/2 pint Allemande or Bechamel sauce, 1 oz. lobster butter, 1 dessertspoonful meat glaze, the juice of half a lemon, pepper, nutmeg, and salt, 1 teaspoonful finely chopped tarragon leaves. Heat up the sauce, stir in the lobster butter and meat glaze when required for serving, add lemon juice, sufficient pepper, grated nutmeg, and salt to taste, and, last of all, the chopped tarragon. Charles Herman Senn, The Book of Sauces (1915).
Filet of Beef, a la Richelieu Trim the fillet as for larding, but instead of larding the smooth surface . . . it is to be neatly covered with a thin layer of beef-suet, about a quarter of an inch thick, fastened on with string tied all along the fillet at distances of an inch from each other. The fillet is to be braized in all respects as in the foregoing cases, excepting that a glass of wine or brandy should be added. When done, clarify, reduce, and incorporate the stock with some Richelieu sauce [see below]; garnish round the base with quenelles, truffles, mushrooms; pour the sauce over all, and serve quite hot. Charles Elme´ Francatelli, The Cook’s Guide & Butler’s Assistant (1867).
Richelieu Sauce Peel, slice, and fry four onions, add a few roast game bones chopped fine, and an ounce of flour; mix well together, moisten with a glass of sherry, and half a pint of good stock, a little pepper and salt, and a bit of glaze; stir over the fire for a quarter of an hour, then rub through a tammy or hair sieve, and keep hot in a small stewpan for use. Charles Elme´ Francatelli, The Cook’s Guide & Butler’s Assistant (1867).
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Dinner for Ulysses S. Grant Potatoes Parisienne
Parisienne potatoes are cut into small balls from raw potatoes with a French vegetable cutter or a round spoon. They may be either fried, or boiled and served with maitre d’hotel sauce [see September 3]. Marion Harland, Marion Harland’s Complete Cook Book (Indianapolis, 1903).
Squab Guinea Hen au Cresson: this is a variation of the classic Poulet au Cresson. See February 21. ` la Romaine (Roman punch): see July 1. Punch a Salted Almonds: see April 3.
June 24 Dinner for Ulysses S. Grant Nagasaki, Japan, 1879 Ulysses S. Grant (1822–1885) and his family set off on a two-year aroundthe-world tour when he completed his term as the eighteenth president of the United States. On June 24 he and his party were entertained at a civic dinner in Nagasaki, Japan. The English language newspaper, the Japan Weekly Mail, reported the bill of fare of the ‘‘native dinner.’’ Menu of Native Dinner Given in Honour of General U. S. Grant By the Citizens of Nagasaki on June 24, 1879 First Course. Naga-noshi.—On white wooden stand and mounted with ‘‘hosho’’ paper and gold and silver cords. Matsu-no-dai.—On white wooden stand and mounted with isinglass, dried cuttle fish, and edible sea-weed. A set of three unglazed porcelain wine cups, on white wooden stand. A bowl of water for washing wine cups, on white wooden tray. A long-handled wine holder—decorated with red ‘‘hosho’’ paper, gold and silver cords, and paper flower at mouthpiece. A hoop-handled wine holder—decorated in the same way as above. A pile of dried sardine. Zauni.—Composed of crane, pauyu, biche-de-mer, seaweed, potatoes, rice, bread, and cabbage. A pile of pickled gilum. A pile of sea moon. Soup.—Prepared of red snappers. A pile of black and white bean. Main Course. Namasu.—Composed of snappers, clam, chestnut rock, mushroom, and ginger.
June 24
Dinner for Ulysses S. Grant
Soup.—Composed of dock, truffle, round turnips, and dried bonito. Pickled vegetables.—Composed of melon, long turnips, ‘‘shiso,’’ pressed salt, and aromatic shrub. Tsubo.—Snipe, egg plant, and bean jelly. Takamori.—Boiled rice. Hira-sara.—Red snapper, shrimp, potatoes, mushroom, and cabbage. Soup.—Bass and orange flower. Choku. Powdered bonito flavoured with plum juice and walnut. Sashimi.—Sliced raw carp. Dai-hiki.—Mashed fish. Yakimono.—Baked red snapper in bamboo basket. Soup.—Isinglass and ‘‘jimmaso.’’ Nakazara.—Fish broiled with pickled beans, wine, rice, hot and cold water. Powdered tea and sweetmeat composed of white and red bean jelly, cake, and boiled black mushroom. Interval: tea and sweetmeats. Interval Course. Shimadai.—Decorated with plum trees; bamboos, and tortoise, and composed of varieties of fish. Shimadai.—Decorated with peony and shackio (a doll with long-red hair), and composed of mashed fish, kisu (kind of fish), shrimps, potatoes, rabbits, golden fish, and ginger in shape of flower. Dish of Sashimi (sliced raw. fish).—Decorated with cherry tree and sea gull, and composed of live carp, black ‘‘Kuwai,’’ muscles of whale, ‘‘shiso’’ and horse radish. Dish of Sashimi.—Decorated. with chrysanthemum and birds, and composed of live snapper, long turnips, sea moss, cabbage, and horse radish. Dish of Sashimi.—Decorated with ‘‘Yebisu’’ (an idol), and composed of live sole, zingeber mioga, rock mushroom, modsuku (kind of sea moss), and horse radish. Dish of Sashimi.—Decorated with scenery of carp climbing up a waterfall, and composed of live bass, lettuce, sea moss, and branches of ‘‘shiso.’’ Final Count. Pears prepared with horse radish. Wheat flour cake. Powdered ice. Fruits. And Soup.—Carp, mushroom, and aromatic shrub. Sara-hiki.—Red snappers prepared into alternate squares of red and white and ‘‘matsuna.’’ Oh-tsubo.—Skylark, wheat flour cake, and gourd. Soup.—Stoke, buckwheat, and egg-plant. Oh-hira.—Mashed pauyu, fungus, lily roots, and stem of pumpkins, all prepared with arrowroots and horseradish. Oh-choku.—Vermicelli of arrowroots and powdered ice. Soup.—Shell fish and sea moss.
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June 24
Dinner for Ulysses S. Grant
Suzuributa.—Mashed fish, eggs, ‘‘sushi’’ of shrimps, plum cake, black mushroom, plum, and finely cut orange. Hachi.—Quail and loquat cake. Hachi-zakana.—Three different preparations of red snappers (Ikada, Koganemushi, and Midoriyaki), long roots dressed with ‘‘Uni,’’ aralia, and pickled ginger. Oh-ju. Fried snappers, shrimps, eggs, egg-plants, and mashed long turnips. Shimadai.—Decorated with scenery of Futamiga-ura, and composed of mashed fish, pauyu, bolone, jelly, and chestnut Shimadai. Decorated with the old couple of Takasago under pine, bamboo and plum trees in snow, and composed of shrimps in shape of ship, Ai fish, potato, black and common Kuwai (kind of water potato), eggs, and Arame (kind of sea-weed). Shimadia. Decorated with pine trees and cranes, and composed of varieties of fish. And Sweetmeats and variety of fishes in box.
The occasion was described as ‘‘regal in its quality.’’ Entertainment was provided by 36 Geishas dressed in costumes which incorporated Japanese and American flags ‘‘arranged as the customary crest on the back,’’ who danced and sang specially arranged pieces. There were over 50 ‘‘courses’’ of food, most of which would have been very unfamiliar to the members of Grant’s party. Japan had been opened up to the West for only a little over two decades, and very few Europeans and Americans had any experience with Japanese cuisine. Fish (salt and fresh-water, some of it raw) and other produce of the sea— including whale and seaweed—dominated this meal. The biche (beche) de mer (Holothuria species) is a creature of the deep sea floor. Westerners find the animal ugly and its flesh tasteless, but it has been an enormously important food in Asia since ancient times. The name comes from the Portuguese bicho de mar (vermin of the sea)—the Portuguese being early traders in the Indonesian waters where it is harvested. It is also known as trepang, seacucumber, and sea-slug. Traditional processing involves throwing it into boiling water, splitting and gutting it, then drying (and sometimes smoking) the flesh, whereupon it can be kept for long periods of time. Recipes ~~~ Peony Eggs Boil five eggs hard. Place in cold water. Remove shells carefully, so as not to blemish whites. Carefully cut off top with thread, one end between teeth, the other between fingers, drawing thread through egg. Remove the yolks. Boil a small pink snapper (fish) in hot water for ten minutes, or steam for thirty. Remove all bones and fins, and chop together until fine. Mix with finely mashed
June 25
Dinner on the Eve of the Korean War
miso, pepper, and salt. Chop yolks daintily and fluffily, and mix with fish meat. Fill the whites with this mixture. Now place the filled whites in center of a lettuce head and arrange fine strips of udo shoots round it. To fix lettuce head properly, all the leaves should be carefully adjusted and separated, washed, and then put back into shape again. It looks now like a bouquet, and is held together with toothpicks.
Boiled Whale or Bass Two pounds of fish; one half teacupful of syou; orange and lemon skin; two long, large radishes; two tablespoonfuls of vinegar; salt, and dash of cayenne pepper. Take off all bones and slice the fish daintily in long slices, and then in halfinch dice. Sprinkle with salt, and leave for about fifteen minutes. Cut radishes in long, even, delicate strips. Boil for a few minutes, strain, then add half a cupful of syou sauce and two tablespoonfuls of a fine vinegar. When it boils, drop in the fish slices. Boil up, then push to back of range, and, covered tight, let it simmer for half an hour. Grate the peels of half a lemon and half an orange, and sprinkle over the fish, after having removed it to a hot platter. Serve with boiled rice. Sara Bosse and Onoto Watanna [pseud.], Chinese-Japanese Cook Book (Chicago, 1914).
June 25 Dinner on the Eve of the Korean War Blair House, Washington, DC, 1950 The North Korean Army (armed and equipped by the Soviet Union) crossed the 38th parallel into South Korea (armed and equipped by the United States) early in the morning of June 25, 1950, leaving their individual allies no choice but to enter the conflict. President Harry S. Truman (1884–1971) and his chief military and foreign affairs advisors met that evening at Blair House, the temporary home of the president while the White House was undergoing extensive repairs. After preliminary cocktails, the 14 most powerful men in the nation continued their discussions over dinner.
Fruit Cup Fried Breast of Chicken Current Jelly Cream Gravy Shoestring Potatoes Buttered Asparagus Scalloped Tomatoes Hot Biscuits
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June 25
Dinner on the Eve of the Korean War Hearts of Lettuce Russian Dressing Vanilla Ice Cream Chocolate Sauce Cup Cakes
The meeting was clearly convened at very short notice, and in view of the political agenda it is highly unlikely that the menu items came up for discussion, if they were noticed at all. It seems ironic, more than half a century later, that the lettuce salad was served with Russian Dressing. During the first world war ‘‘sauerkraut’’ had been renamed ‘‘liberty cabbage’’ as a demonstration of anti-German sentiment, and a similar nationalistic fervor resulted in Bismarck herrings becoming Eisenhower herrings in World War II, and french fries briefly becoming freedom fries during the Gulf War. Perhaps, had the chef anticipated the intensity of feeling about ‘‘traitorous’’ culinary language, he might have poured something like ‘‘MacArthur dressing’’ over the lettuce. In view of the gravity of the situation, the dessert selection seems a little incongruous. Some of the most powerful men in the world, on the eve of a major international conflict, regaled themselves with treats regularly found at children’s birthday parties. Or perhaps they were a conscious decision on the part of the chef—intended as comfort food for this enormously stressful evening. Recipes ~~~ The name Russian dressing comes from the earliest versions that included a distinctly Russian ingredient, caviar. Russian Dressing Make one-half pint of mayonnaise dressing and add to it the following: Two hard-boiled eggs chopped fine, two to four tablespoons of tomato catsup, one tablespoon of finely chopped parsley, one teaspoon of finely chopped or grated white onion or shallot, after these ingredients are mixed, fold them into one cup of mayonnaise and serve. Enough for ten people. Florence Kreisler Greenbaum, The International Jewish Cookbook (1919).
Cup cakes are so called because originally they were actually baked in small tea-cups. Cup Cakes Take four well-beaten eggs, mix with them four ounces of powdered loaf-sugar and four ounces of fine dry flour. Rub the insides of ten or twelve small cups with butter, sift sugar into them, strew in a few currants well cleaned and dried, and
June 26
British Empire Breakfast
half fill the cups with the mixture. Bake until they are well browned, and when cold turn them into a dish. Richard Bentley, Everybody’s Pudding Book. Foreign Desserts for English Tables (1862).
Baking Powder Biscuits 3 cups flour. 1 teaspoon salt. 2 teaspoons cream of tartar.
1 1/2 tablespoons shortening. 1 teaspoon soda. 1 cup milk.
Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together. Rub shortening in with finger tips. Add milk slowly and mix to a soft dough. Roll out on a lightly floured board to 1/2 inch thickness. Cut with a biscuit cutter. Bake in a quick oven (450°F.) 10 to 15 minutes. Yield: 12 biscuits. The Lily Wallace New American Cookbook (New York, 1946).
June 26 British Empire Breakfast North Pole, Dartford, London, England, 1902 All of Britain was feverish with excitement as the coronation day of King Edward VII approached in 1902. The ceremony was to be on June 26, and hotels, restaurants, and public houses around the country expected a very profitable few days as a by-product of the great wave of patriotic sentiment. It turned out to be an expensive exercise for caterers and restaurateurs, however, as the King developed acute appendicitis and coronation festivities were postponed at the last minute, to be finally held on August 9. The intriguingly named North Pole restaurant close to the old Naval yards of Deptford had planned an Empire-themed breakfast for the day. The chef would have had an overflowing larder full of supplies in preparation. Did the meal go ahead as planned, with presumably fewer guests? Was much food thrown out? It was certainly a fine breakfast selection that was offered. Scotch Oatmeal Porridge. Newfoundland Cod Fish Cakes. British Columbian Salmon. Filleted Sole. Welsh Rarebit. Omelette. Tomato Egg. Cream of Ham. Roast Beef of Old England. New Zealand Lamb.
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June 26
British Empire Breakfast Australian Ox Tongue. York Ham. Roast Chicken. Indian Curry. Irish Butter. Canadian Honey. Natal Jams Marmalade made from Orange Colony P. Indian Tea. Ceylon Coffee. Trinidad Cocoa. Demarara Sugar. Tasmanian Apples. Jamaica Bananas. Malta Oranges. Singapore Pineapples. North Pole Ices. Borneo Cigars.
Egyptian Cigarettes.
The meal offered on this day was certainly hearty, but it was not what is thought of today as a ‘‘traditional English breakfast.’’ There is surprisingly little agreement as to the essential components of this type of breakfast. Most would consider bacon and eggs to be the foundation, but some would add sausages, or black pudding, or ‘‘bubble and squeak.’’ Others would insist on baked beans (from a can), or mushrooms, or fried tomatoes, or fried bread. Many would vigorously debate the inclusion of tomato ketchup or ‘‘brown sauce,’’ or any sauce at all. The fact is, the concept of a ‘‘traditional’’ British breakfast is very recent. In the Victorian era, a middle-class household would have expected at breakfast a number of savory choices (often based on leftovers from the previous night’s dinner), including a variety of egg dishes, and such things as kippers, liver and bacon, potted shrimps, and the AngloIndian favorite of ‘‘kedgeree’’ (see June 27), along with copious amounts of toast, butter, and marmalade or jam. The number of choices has dribbled away over the century, and the remaining quickly cooked dishes that do not require an army of servants are the ones that remain. Recipes ~~~ Orange Marmalade Wash and dry well 6 Seville Oranges, also 1 lemon, squeeze the juice out of these, saving the pips, and put the rinds through a mincer or cut into slices; then weight the juice and rind, and allow 3 pints cold water to the 1 lb. fruit, pour a little of this water over the pips, allow to stand until the following day, boil the mixture, putting the pips into a piece of muslin and boiling with the oranges for one hour; then weight this again and allow 1 lb. sugar to 1 lb. fruit and water, boil altogether for 1 hour or until the orange chips are transparent. Put into jars and keep airtight. Miss Tuxford, Cookery for the Middle Classes (ca. 1925).
Welsh Rarebit (rabbit): see March 14. Porridge, Oatmeal: see June 27.
June 27
Breakfast at Central Station Hotel
June 27 Breakfast at Central Station Hotel Glasgow, Scotland, 1908 There was intense competition between railway companies in the late nineteenth century in Great Britain. Successful railways were enormously lucrative businesses, and although most of the emphasis was on speed, companies tied up the peripheral profits by running their own hotels at major train intersections. Caledonian Railway Company passengers in Glasgow in 1908 could stay at the Central Station Hotel, which had a great range of breakfast choices, Scottish and otherwise. Porridge and Cream. Coffee. Chocolate. Cocoa. — Fresh Herrings. Fried Whitings. Kedgeree of Salmon. Findon Haddock. — Mutton Chops and Tomatoes. Saute Kidneys. Minced Collops. Grilled Ham. Bacon. Boiled Eggs. Poached Eggs. Scrambled Eggs. Savoury Omelette. Lyonnaise Potatoes. — Cold Roast Beef. Chicken. York Ham. Spiced Beef. Ox-Tongue. Galantine. — Raspberry Jam. Marmalade. Black Currant Jam. — Apples. Bananas. Stewed Prunes. Figs. Tea.
FRUIT CHARGED EXTRA.
For those guests who wanted to ‘‘eat local’’ as one would say now, there was the quintessential Scottish dish of porridge. There was also Findon haddock (or ‘‘Finnan Haddie’’)—a regional variation of the great British breakfast and supper favorite of cured and smoked fish from the town of Findon, south of Aberdeen. Another popular British breakfast (or supper) dish is the kedgeree. Like ‘‘curry’’ (see January 1) and mulligatawny soup (see September 15) it is a peculiarly Anglo-English dish and a legacy of the Empire. The name comes from the Hindi khichr or Sanskrit k’rsara which means ‘‘a dish of rice and sesamum.’’ In India it refers to a dish of rice cooked with pulses and sometimes eggs. In Britain it is almost always made from rice and precooked (often leftover) fish and hard boiled eggs.
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June 28
Coronation Dinner for the Poor
Recipes ~~~ Porridge, Oatmeal Oatmeal porridge is a leading article of food with the Scottish peasantry. It is generally accompanied with milk, when milk is to be had; when milk is very scarce butter is sometimes used, and sometimes sugar. Put a pint and a half of water, or milk and water, into the saucepan, and add a pinch of salt. When the liquid fully boils, as it is rising in the pan, sprinkle gradually two ounces of oatmeal into it with the left hand, and at the same time stir briskly with a fork held in the right hand. Keep stirring until the lumps are beaten out. Boil the mixture for quarter of an hour, pour it on a plate, and eat it with milk and sugar or treacle.
Kedgeree Kegeree, or kidgeree, is an Indian dish, generally used for breakfast: it may be made of the cooked remnants of such fish as salmon, brill, soles, John Dory, whiting, and shrimps. Boil three quarters of a pound of rice in the same way as for curry. When soft and dry, put it into a saucepan, first with two ounces of butter, and afterwards with a quarter of a pound of the flesh of the fish, freed from skin and bone, and divided into small pieces. Season with cayenne, salt, and pepper—as much as may be required. Salt the kegeree over the fire until quite hot, then add two well-beaten eggs, mix thoroughly, and serve at once.
Findon or ‘‘Finnan’’ Haddocks These haddocks are held in great esteem for their peculiar and delicate flavour. The genuine Finnan may be known by its odour and creamy yellow colour. Strip off the skin, and broil before the fire or over a quick, clear one. Rub the fish over with butter, and serve hot. Some persons prefer to cut them in pieces and steam them in a basin of boiling water or milk. Heat the basin first, pour boiling water or milk on them, and cover closely with a plate; if kept on a hot stove, they will require from ten to fifteen minutes, and when drained, should be placed on a hot dish and rubbed over with butter. Serve hot. Excellent as a breakfast dish. Cassell’s New Dictionary of Cookery (1910).
Poached Eggs: see June 20. Lyonnaise Potatoes: see October 17.
June 28 Coronation Dinner for the Poor St. Martin-in-the-Fields, London, England, 1838 The approach to the poor was, in Victorian England, punitive, because the underlying philosophy was that many of them were deserving of their state
June 28
Coronation Dinner for the Poor
by virtue of their laziness or prodigality. Consequently, living conditions in the workhouses were deliberately set to act as disincentives, and many were worse than prisons (see August 12). The public face of the institutions, however, was one of great Christian charity towards the inmates, and a great deal of publicity was generated by the authorities of workhouses at Christmas when details of the dinners generously provided to inmates took up several columns of the newspaper each year. In 1838 there was a second marvelous opportunity to demonstrate this generosity when Queen Victoria was crowned, as this letter to The Times shows. Sir, I beg leave to hand you the bill of fare provided for every inmate of our workhouse, upon the occasion of Her Majesty’s coronation;—viz. six ounces of roast beef free from bone, half a pound of potatoes, three-quarters of a pound of plum pudding, and one pint of porter. I regret your reporter did not receive this information, but I suppose our porter had the fear of the Poor Law Commissioners before his eyes. Robert Cuff, Chairman of the Board of Guardians, St. Martin-in-the-Fields, Pall Mall East, June 29, 1838.
Similar treats were extended to inmates of other institutions such as orphanages and schools, and ‘‘the food, generally speaking, was of an excellent description, and the greatest attention was paid to the poor by the various parochial authorities.’’ Over 600 children were given a ‘‘substantial dinner of roast beef and plum pudding’’ as their coronation treat, in a tent set up on Palace Green opposite Kensington Palace. The dinner at Christmas and on these rare special occasions did not vary throughout the entire era. It was always beef and plum pudding. The inmates of the workhouse at St. Martin-in-the-Fields a mere six months before (‘‘paupers 440, mostly infirm and superannuated’’) had, for their Christmas dinner allowance ‘‘one pound of roast beef, half a pound of potatoes, 12 ounces of plum pudding, and one pint of porter.’’ Some workhouse inmates were very lucky, being allowed beef and pudding ‘‘ad libitum,’’ and some even got tobacco and tea. At the Dover Union warehouse the expenses of the coronation dinner caused some discussion, and The Times reported the less than charitable action of the reverend gentleman who chaired the meeting to settle the dispute. Meeting on the previous day: some discussion whether the pint of beer should be paid by a subscription, not out of the rates. In relation to the Dover Union workhouse, only 6 guardians were present, 3 for and 3 against: the rev. chairman, having the casting vote, gave the same against the poor people. It was hoped that a more kindly feeling might have influenced the breast of this worthy gentleman in holy orders. If no kindness is permitted, it is no wonder that the unions get into disrepute among the rate-payers of the respective parishes.
Recipes ~~~ The attitude to the poor was quite different at a community level. It was the Christian duty of every household (or housewife) to provide for the poor in their own neighborhood—where one would presumably be personally aware
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June 29
Cornell Students Dine Aboard
of those that had fallen on hard times in spite of themselves and were therefore deserving of charity. Many nineteenth-century cookbooks had chapters on cooking for the poor, and the recipes often served the double purpose of using up scraps and leftovers, thus avoiding wicked waste. Cheap Plum Pudding without Eggs or Milk Eight ounces beef-suet, minced; ten ounces of flour; eight ounces currants or raisins; two tablespoonsful of sugar; one tea-spoonful of salt; the zest of two carrots grated, and one glass of sweet wine. Tie up tight in a cloth, boil three hours, and serve with sweet sauce. ‘‘Cheap Dishes and Cookery for the Poor,’’ in The Cook and Housewife’s Manual by Christian Isobel Johnstone (1856).
June 29 Cornell Students Dine aboard RMS Saxonia, 1924 The European summer tour became a traditional rite of passage for young college men in the late-nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries, and in 1924 the Cornell men of the Class of ’24 thought of a novel way to attend the Olympic games in Paris and ‘‘the usual Continental attractions.’’ They chartered the entire third cabin (class) of the newly refurbished RMS Saxonia. The ‘‘College Third Cabin’’ arrangement was both ‘‘unique and truly an innovation in shipping circles’’ and exclusive, for ‘‘immigrants and outsiders have been definitely excluded from both sailings’’ (Capital Times [Wisconsin], March 14, 1924). The Cornell men were on the last night of their outward journey when they enjoyed the traditional Diner d’Adieu (farewell dinner) with the Captain. CUNARD COLLEGE SPECIAL. CAPTAIN’S DINNER.
THIRD CABIN.
DINER D’ADIEU. Portugaise au Cornell. Boiled Salmon—Williams. Escaloppe de Veau, Harvard. Spaghetti, Amherst. Roast Turkey—Northwestern. Green Corn, Yale. Colgate and Michigan Potatoes. Plum Pudding—Dartmouth. Canteloupe—Princeton. Glaces—Oberlin. Dessert, Rice. Coffee, Ohio.
The Saxonia chefs had clearly created a special college-themed menu for the night. It is likely that the dishes were classics slightly varied or simply
June 29
Cornell Students Dine Aboard
renamed for the occasion as to create ten new dishes for one dinner would be an enormous undertaking for any kitchen. It is not known for certain what was in the dishes at this dinner, especially considering that even basic cooking terms were used quite loosely. An escaloppe, for example, is traditionally taken to mean a thin slice of boneless meat which is fried. It takes its name from the shape of the piece that is rounded like a scallop shell and hence is also called a collop or scollop. Escaloppes are usually made from veal, but the term is interpreted very broadly, and in some recipe books can refer to fish or even vegetables and fruit. An escaloppe is also sometimes made with minced meat, sometimes filled and rolled like a paupiette or olive (see June 23) and occasionally the nomenclature gets very confused and it is a piece of meat with a bone—a dish more usually called a chop, or a cutlet (which can also be boneless). The ‘‘College Third Cabin’’ idea captured the imagination so well and was so successful that the Cornell Alumni News of August 1925 announced that ‘‘The College Third Cabin movement may now almost be classed as a species of emigration, and one liner sailed for Europe this summer carrying only girls in its third cabin.’’ Presumably the parents of these young women were more likely to agree to their daughters traveling to Europe for the summer on an all-girls tour. Recipes ~~~ Veal Collops, Braised Cut about a pound of fillet of veal into neat rounds half an inch thick and about the size of a crown piece. Pick the leaves from a handful of parsley, wash them and chop them small, then mix with them a minced shallot and a small bunch of chives. Butter a stewpan thickly, sprinkle some of the herbs into it, and place in it alternate layers of veal and herbs until all the ingredients are used. Season each layer of veal with salt and pepper, and add a small slice of butter or a teaspoonful of olive oil occasionally. Cover the whole with slices of bacon, and lay a round of oiled paper on the top. Put the lid on the stewpan, put a few red-hot cinders upon it (if this can be done) and stew the veal as gently as possible over a slow fire until it is tender. Arrange the pieces of veal in a dish. Half a glassful of light wine should be poured in when the meat is half-dressed. Put a little brown sauce into the stewpan, let it boil, and pour it over the collops. Cassell’s New Dictionary of Cookery (1910).
The following recipe is minimalist. Some versions include bacon and garlic. Potage Portugaise Mix one quart of tomato sauce with one quart of consomme´ and bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper, and add a cup of boiled rice before serving. Victor Hirtzler, Hotel St. Francis Cook Book (1919).
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June 30
Her Majesty’s Dinner
June 30 Her Majesty’s Dinner Buckingham Palace, London, England, 1841 The young Queen Victoria (1819–1901) entertained the King and Queen of the Belgians on a number of occasions in the summer of 1841. She was not merely doing her duty in receiving other royals, it was a family event too, as King Leopold I (1790–1865) was uncle to both herself and Albert. With the Coldstream Guards playing in the background, about 40 aristocratic and important persons sat down to the following repast on June 30. 4 Potages: Printannier. A la Reine. ` la Tortue¨. 2a 4 Poissons: ` la sauce Ge´ne´voise. Les Truites a ` la sauce homard Le Turbot a Les Filets de merlans frits. Les white-bait frits. 4 Hors d’œvres: `te´s de homards. Les Petites pa 4 Releve´s: ` la sauce Pe´rigeuex. ˆ ffe´s a Les Poulardes tru Le Jambon glace´ de feˆves de marais. ` la Royale. La Selle d’agneau farcie a ` la Napolitaine. Le Filet de Bœuf pique´ a 16 Entree´s: 2 Les Nageoires de Tortue¨ sauce au vin de Made`re. ` l’e´carlate aux concombres. 2 Les Filets de poulets a ˆtelettes de mouton braise´es a ` la pure´e d’artichauds. 2 Les Co 2 Les Aiguillettes de canetons aux pois verts. ` la Toulouse. 2 Les Riz de veaux pique´s glace´s a ˆtelettes de pigeons pane´es a ` l’Allemande. 2 Les Co ` l’essence. 2 Les Chartreuse de tendons d’agneau a ` la Mazarine. 2 Les Timbales de macaroni a Side Board: Haunch of Venison. Roast Beef. Roast Mutton. Vegetables. SECOND SERVICE
2 de Cailles.
ˆts: 6 Ro 2 Le´vrauts. 6 Releve´s
2 de Poulets.
June 30
Her Majesty’s Dinner
` la Nesselrode. ` la fe´cule de pommes de terre. 2 Les puddings a 2 Les souffles a 2 Les puddings de Cabinet. 2 Flancs: Le Pavillon Mauresque La Tente Militaire. 4 Contre-Flancs: ` la vanille. Le Nougat aux amandes. Le Biscuit de Savoie a La Sultane Parisie`nne. Le Croque-en-bouche historie´. 16 Entremeˆts: ` la Franc¸aise. ˆ ffes au vin de Champagne. Les tru Les petits pois a ` la Lyonnaise. ` la poulette. Les artichauts a Les haricoˆts verts a ` la Belle-vue. Le Buisson de prawns sur socle. L’aspic de blancs de volaille a L’anguilles en bolute au beurre de Montpellier. La salade de le´gumes ` la Italie`nne. a La gele´e de groseilles garnie de peˆches. La Mace´doine de fruits. Les tartelettes de framboises. Le Bavaroix de chocolat panache´. ˆline´es. Les Ge´noises aux fruites transparents. La creˆme aux amandes pra ` la Parisie`nne. ˆteaux de Pe´thiviers. Les petites pains a Les ga
Victoria was suffering for the second time with what she referred to as the ‘‘unavoidable inconvenience’’ of the married state—that is, she was pregnant (with the future Edward VII). It would have been most improper to mention this directly in the newspaper reports of course, but it was noted in The Times that the Queen of the Belgians brought with her ‘‘a series of beautiful robes, (commonly called baby linen) principally composed of Valenciennes and Brussels lace, and a great proportion of them ornamented with elaborate embroidery, the work of her own hands, as a present to Her Majesty Queen Victoria.’’ There would have been no strange ‘‘English’’ dishes on this menu for the Belgian guests. The aristocrats of Europe were essentially a huge single family, intermarried for reasons of politics and power, who enjoyed a generic upper-class cuisine. Menus were always in French and rarely made a feature of national specialties. The exceptions on this menu are the various plain roasts displayed on the sideboard, which are listed in plain English (and which the French, ironically, would have listed as rosbif) and are unequivocally considered to be English specialties. There certainly appears to be an intention to be fashionable, however, as two of the puddings appeared to have come on the scene in the early part of the nineteenth century. Cabinet pudding is a steamed pudding made with custard and cake (or bread, for the economical version), in a shaped mold. Its heritage is mysterious, although it does appear to have a political connection as it is sometimes called Chancellor’s pudding or Diplomat pudding. Nesselrode pudding is an iced pudding made from chestnuts. It is named for the Russian diplomat Count Karl Nesselrode (1780–1862) and was said to have been invented for him by his own chef. It became
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Her Majesty’s Dinner
enormously popular and almost obligatory at fine dinner parties over the next century. Recipes ~~~ Charles Elme´ Francatelli (1805–1876) was chef to Queen Victoria at the time of this dinner. He included the menu in one of his cookbooks—The Modern Cook (1860). The following recipes for two enormously popular Victorian puddings are taken from this. Cabinet Pudding Spread the inside of a plain mould with butter, and ornament the sides with dried cherries and candied citron; fill the mould with alternate layers of sponge-cakes and ratafias or macaroons; then fill up the mould with a lemon custard made with eight yolks of eggs, a pint of milk or cream, six ounces of sugar, a glass of brandy, and the grated rind of a lemon. This custard must not be set, but merely mixed up. Steam the pudding in the usual way, for about an hour and a half, and when done, dish it up with either arrowroot sauce, or a custard.
Nesselrode Pudding Boil three dozen chestnuts in water, and when done, peel, pound, and rub them through a sieve; put this pulp into a stewpan with eight yolks of eggs, a pint of cream, two sticks of vanilla, previously pounded, half a pint of pine-apple syrup, and very little salt; stir these ingredients over a stove-fire until the eggs are sufficiently set in the custard, then rub the whole through a tammy, and put the cream into a basin. Cut four ounces of green citron, six ounces of pine-apple (previously simmered in the syrup above alluded to), and place these in a basin with six ounces of dried cherries, and four ounces of Smyrna raisins; to these add two wine-glasses of maraschino, and allow the fruit to steep for several hours. Place the chestnut cream in a freezing-pot immersed in rough ice, and freeze it in the usual manner; then add half a pint of whipped cream and the fruit. Mix the pudding, and continue working the freezing-pot for a few minutes longer; when the pudding is thoroughly set firm, put it in the mould, cover it down, and immerse it in ice until it is required to be sent to table.
Potage Printanier: see February 28. Potage a la Reine: see February 17. Sauce Perigeuex: see April 14. Petit Pois a la Francaise: see July 11.
Menus from History
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MENUS FROM HISTORY Historic Meals and Recipes for Every Day of the Year Volume 2
Janet Clarkson
GREENWOOD PRESS
An Imprint of ABC-CLIO, LLC
Copyright 2009 by Janet Clarkson All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review, without prior permission in writing from the publisher. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Clarkson, Janet, 1947– Menus from history : historic meals and recipes for every day of the year / Janet Clarkson. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978–0–313–34930–0 (hard copy : alk. paper) — ISBN 978–0–313–34931–7 (ebook) 1. Cookery—History. 2. Dinners and dining—History. 3. Food habits—History. 4. Menus. 5. Cookery, International. I. Title. TX645.C534 2009 641.3—dc22 2009011351 13 12 11 10 9
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This book is also available on the World Wide Web as an eBook. Visit www.abc-clio.com for details. ABC-CLIO, LLC 130 Cremona Drive, P.O. Box 1911 Santa Barbara, California 93116-1911 This book is printed on acid-free paper Manufactured in the United States of America The publisher has done its best to make sure the instructions and/or recipes in this book are correct. However, users should apply judgment and experience when preparing recipes, especially parents and teachers working with young people. The publisher accepts no responsibility for the outcome of any recipe included in this volume.
Contents Volume 1 Acknowledgments Preface
xxiii xxv
Introduction
xxvii
List of Menus Chronologically
xxxi
List of Menus by Country
xlix
List of Menus by Occasion
lxvii
January 1 New Year’s Day Meal, Kosseir, Egypt, 1828
1
January 2 Christening Feast, Cockley Cley, Norfolk, England, 1682
3
January 3 Luxurious Dinner for the King’s Officers, Boston, Massachusetts, 1774
5
January 4 Second Annual Dinner of the Toronto Board of Trade, Horticultural Gardens, Toronto, Ontario, 1899
7
January 5 Household of the Marquess of Tweeddale, Yester House, Gifford, East Lothian, Scotland, 1817
10
January 6 Twelfth Day Dinner and Supper in a Tudor Household, Ingatestone Hall, Essex, England, 1552
12
January 7 Dinner aboard Steamship SS New York, 1866
14
January 8 Jackson Day Dinner, Mayflower Hotel, Washington, DC, 1936
16
January 9 Gentleman’s Dinner, Ockenden House, Cuckfield, England, 1708/9
19
January 10 Holland Society Annual Dinner, Hotel Brunswick, New York, 1888
21
January 11 Dining with the Ras, The Royal Palace, Andracha, Abyssinia (Ethiopia), 1898
24
January 12 Meals at Shugborough Hall, Staffordshire, England, 1920
26
vi
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January 13 Samuel Pepys Gives Dinner for Friends, London, England, 1663
28
January 14 Mallard Night Feast, All Souls’ College, Oxford, England, 1901
30
January 15 Portuguese Luncheon, Cafe´ Royal, London, England, 1935
32
January 16 ‘‘Upside-Down’’ Dinner, Royal Automobile Club, London, 1914
34
January 17 Benjamin Franklin Honored by Typothetæ, Hotel Brunswick, New York, 1895
35
January 18 Prince Regent of England Entertains the Archduke of Russia, Royal Pavilion, Brighton, England, 1817
38
January 19 Dinner for 36, Home of Alexandre Dumas, Paris, 1864
43
January 20 Luncheon in Honor of U.S. President Woodrow Wilson, Luxembourg Palace, Paris, France, 1919
45
January 21 Luncheon En Route from London to Bahrain during the Inaugural Flight of the Concorde, 1976
48
January 22 Dinner for Six Gentlemen, Revere House, Bowdoin Square, Boston, Massachusetts, 1848
51
January 23 Dinner of Exotic Animals, Hamburg, Germany, 1862
54
January 24 Gourmet Society Eat ‘‘Eskimo Fare,’’ Cavanagh’s, New York, 1937
57
January 25 Burns Night Supper, Sutherland’s, New York, 1882
59
January 26 Centennial Banquet, Sydney, Australia, Town Hall, 1888
61
January 27 Diet Squad Experiment, New York, 1917
64
January 28 Peter the Great Dines at The King’s Arms, Godalming, Surrey, England, 1698
66
January 29 Last Meal of the Crown Prince of Austria, Royal Hunting Lodge, Mayerling, Austria, 1889
68
January 30 Calves Head Club Annual Feast, London, England, 1710
70
January 31 Luncheon at the Variety Club, 35 Dover Street, London, 1952
72
February 1 Broadway Association Dinner to Celebrate the Dodge Brothers’ Sign, Hotel Astor, New York, 1928
75
February 2 First Annual Banquet of the Founders and Patriots of America, Hotel Manhattan, New York, 1897
77
February 3 Postrevolutionary Meal, Havre de Grace, France, 1796
80
Contents
February 4 Dinner for Fox Films, Hotel Australia, Sydney, Australia, 1916
82
February 5 Debut Dinner at the New York Vegetarian Society’s Vegetarian Restaurant No. 1, New York, 1895
84
February 6 Dinner with President Thomas Jefferson, The White House, Washington, DC, 1802
85
February 7 Mormon Ball, Social Hall, Salt Lake City, Utah, 1860
88
February 8 Whale Meat Luncheon, American Museum of Natural History, New York City, 1918
90
February 9 Archbishop’s Meals, Valencia, Spain, 1568
92
February 10 Tripartite Dinner Meeting, Vorontsov Villa, Yalta, Ukraine, 1945
94
February 11 ‘‘Gotham’s Costliest Banquet,’’ Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, New York, 1899
97
February 12 Former Slave Attends a Republican Dinner, Lincoln Dinner, Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, New York, 1909
99
February 13 YMCA Father and Son Dinner, Nyack, New York, 1918
101
February 14 Valentine’s Day Dinner, Sherry’s, New York, 1901
104
February 15 Exotic Menu for New York Epicures, The Bank Coffee House, New York, 1823
107
February 16 Banquet to Honor Neopolitan Princes, Florence, Italy, 1476
109
February 17 British Royals Dine at Mount Nelson Hotel, Capetown, South Africa, 1947
111
ˆteau de la Muette, Paris, 1749 February 18 French Royal Supper, Cha
113
February 19 Creole Dinner for the New Orleans Press Club, The Atheneum, New Orleans, Louisiana, 1898
116
February 20 Wartime Luncheon, Stork Club, New York, 1943
118
February 21 Business Dinner, Hotel Lutetia, Boulevarde Rapail, Paris, 1947
121
February 22 George Washington’s Birthday Celebration, Hotel Cecil, London, 1897
123
February 23 Coronation Feast of Queen Catherine, Westminster Hall, London, England, 1421
125
February 24 State Dinner, The White House, Washington, DC, 1999
128
vii
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February 25 Dinner with the British Prime Minister, No. 10, Downing St., London, England, 1983
130
February 26 German-American Press Honors Prince Henry of Prussia, Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, New York, 1902
132
February 27 Dinner at a ‘‘Gentlemen’s Ordinary,’’ Brown’s Hotel, Washington, DC, 1847
134
February 28 Banquet in Honor of Ferdinand de Lesseps, Panama, 1886 137 March 1 63rd Annual Dinner of the St. David’s Society, Hotel Savoy, New York, 1898
141
March 2 Prince Ernest’s Dinner, Germany, 1778
143
March 3 Final Voyage of the HMY Britannia, Karachi, Pakistan, 1997
145
March 4 Irish Revolutionary Veterans Dinner, Central Opera House, East Sixty-Seventh Street, New York, 1894
147
March 5 Dinner for the Bushmen’s Corps, Adelaide, South Australia, 1900
149
March 6 Abraham Lincoln’s Inauguration Ball, Patent Office, Washington, DC, 1865
151
March 7 Dinner for the New York Association of Union Prisoners, Murray Hill Lyceum, New York City, 1895
155
March 8 Dinner Given by the ‘‘Chinese Delmonico,’’ Lenox Lyceum, New York, 1891
158
March 9 Inthronization Feast of the Archbishop of Canterbury, The Archbishop’s Palace, Canterbury, England, 1504
160
March 10 Dinner at Sea, SS New York, 1928
162
March 11 Ironmongers’ Company Dinner, Ironmongers Hall, Fenchurch Street, London, 1687
164
March 12 Antebellum Riverboat Menu, Robert F. Ward, Mississippi River, 1853
166
March 13 Dinner at Sea, Tourist Class RMS Majestic, 1928
168
March 14 Dinner at Sea, SS Prince Rupert, 1922
170
March 15 Breakfast on the ‘‘42nd Street Special,’’ Chicago to Los Angeles by Rail, 1933
172
March 16 Bill of Fare, Virginia Hotel, St. Louis, 1858
174
March 17 St. Patrick’s Day Banquet, The White House, Washington, DC, 1959
177
Contents
March 18 Dinner for the New King, Alfonso XIII, Royal Palace, Madrid, Spain, 1902
180
March 19 Luncheon to Celebrate Opening of Sydney Harbour Bridge RMS Maloja, Sydney Harbour, Australia, 1932
182
March 20 American Maize Banquet, Hotel King of Denmark, Copenhagen, Denmark, 1893
184
March 21 Dinner for the Rifle Volunteers, Auckland, New Zealand, 1871
186
March 22 Fine Dining Experience, Verrey’s Restaurant, Regent Street, 188 London, 1899 March 23 Queen’s Guard Dinner, St. James’ Palace, London, 1855
191
March 24 Breakfast at Sea RMS Queen Elizabeth, 1953
193
March 25 Charles Dickens Eats aboard an American Canal Boat, 1842
195
March 26 Grand Dinner Given by the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall aboard HMS Ophir, Malta, 1901
197
March 27 Gay Rugby Dinner, Hotel Lutetia, Paris, 1957
200
March 28 Dinner for the Duke of Orle´ans, France, 1690
202
March 29 Luncheon Crossing the Equator, SS Orontes, 1937
204
March 30 Dinner in a Harem, Thebes, Egypt, 1851
207
March 31 Tiffin at the Cricket Club, Cinnamon Gardens, Colombo, Ceylon, 1906
210
April 1 One-Dollar Lunch, Hotel Agua Caliente, Tijuana, Mexico, 1931 213 April 2 First Dinner, RMS Titanic, 1912
215
April 3 Spelling Reform Dinner, Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, New York, 1907 217 April 4 Good Friday Dinner, Tuileries, Paris, France, 1828
220
April 5 State Dinner, The White House, Washington, DC, 1960
221
April 6 Anniversary Luncheon of the Entry of the United States into World War I, Mansion House, London, England, 1918
224
April 7 Cooking Class Dinner, Cooking Academy, Fourth Avenue, New York, 1865
226
April 8 Dinner for Peace and Goodwill Mission, SS Abangarez, Puerto Barrios, Guatemala, 1929
228
April 9 Emperor Wilhelm’s Lunch, Royal Palace, Berlin, Germany, 1909
230
ix
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April 10 Dinner for President Harry S. Truman, The Gridiron Club, Hotel Statler, Washington, DC, 1948
231
April 11 Good Friday Wartime Lunch, Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England, 1941
234
April 12 First Meal in Space, Vostok 1, 1961
237
April 13 Dinner for the Bonapartes, Tuileries Palace, Paris, France, 1811
238
April 14 Stanley Club Dinner in Honor of Louis Pasteur, Continental Hotel, Paris, 1886
240
April 15 Week’s Menu for the First Family, The White House, Washington, DC, 1973
243
April 16 Testimonial Banquet for Boxer Robert Fitzsimmons, Hotel Bartholdi, New York, 1897
245
April 17 New York Society of Restaurateurs Dinner with ‘‘Diamond Jim’’ Brady, Terrace Garden, New York, 1916
248
April 18 Confederate Soldier’s Dinner, Army Camp, near Pensacola, Florida, 1861
250
April 19 Coming-of-Age Party, Wynnstay Hall, Denbighshire, Wales, 1770
252
April 20 Vicar’s Dinner, East Tuddenham, Norfolk, England, 1796
255
April 21 Banquet of the French Vegetarian Society, Rue St. Honore´, Paris, France, 1881
256
April 22 State Dinner for King George V and Queen Mary, British Embassy, Paris, France, 1914
259
April 23 Shakespeare Tercentenary Banquet, Stratford-upon-Avon, England, 1864
261
April 24 Opening Banquet Woolworth Building, Broadway, New York, 1913
264
April 25 Japanese Tiffin, Fujiya Hotel, Miyanoshita, Japan, 1907
267
April 26 Royal Wedding Breakfast, Buckingham Palace, London, England, 1923
269
April 27 Soviet Leaders Luncheon aboard the Train to Portsmouth, England, 1956
271
April 28 Lunch at Sea, RMS Aquitania, 1921
273
April 29 Dinner for Ottoman Visitors, Mayor’s Residence, Winchester, England, 1851
276
Contents
April 30 Harvard Club of Boston Dinner, Hotel Somerset, Boston, Massachusetts, 1913
278
May 1 Elvis Presley’s Wedding, Aladdin Hotel, Las Vegas, 1967
281
May 2 Dinner at the Sanitarium, Battle Creek, Michigan, 1900
283
May 3 Dilettante Society Dinner, Grand Hotel, Trafalgar Square, London, England, 1891
286
May 4 Kosher Banquet, London, England, 1907
289
May 5 ‘‘May Dinner,’’ Simpson’s on the Strand, London, England, 1932
291
May 6 Breakfast at Sea, SS Prussian, 1875
293
May 7 Officers’ Luncheon, HT Queen Mary, 1940
296
May 8 VE Day Dinner, Simpson’s-in-the-Strand, London, England, 1945
298
May 9 Dinner at the English Embassy, Aleppo, Syria, 1676
301
May 10 Lewis and Clark Eat with the Nez Perce, Idaho, 1806
303
May 11 Eight-Franc Dinner, Grand Hotel, Boulevarde des Capucins, Paris, France, 1887
304
May 12 Lunch En Route to the Falkland Islands, RMS Queen Elizabeth 2, 1982
306
ˆtel Metropole, London, May 13 Dinner for Nobody’s Friends, Ho England, 1891
308
May 14 President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Daily Fare, The White House, Washington, DC, 1933
311
May 15 Coronation Banquet for Nicholas II, Kremlin, Russia, 1896
313
May 16 First Academy Awards Banquet, Blossom Room, Roosevelt Hotel, Hollywood, California, 1929
314
May 17 English Royals Dine in Canada, Chateau Frontenac, Quebec, 1939
316
May 18 American Banquet in England, Star and Garter, Richmond, England, 1853
318
May 19 Prison Menu for a Week, Indiana State Prison, 1911
321
May 20 Banquet of Insects, Explorer’s Club, New York, 1992
323
May 21 A Wedding Feast, Bishopwearmouth, Durham, England 1753
325
May 22 Seafood Feast, Squantum Club, East Providence, Rhode Island, 1901
327
xi
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May 23 Harriman Expedition Dinner, En Route to Seattle, Washington, 1899
330
May 24 Empire Day Luncheon, Junior Carlton Club, London, England, 1933
332
May 25 Parliamentary Dinner, Carlton House, London, England, 1816
334
May 26 Royal and Plebeian Supper, Madison Square Garden, New York, 1893
336
May 27 Dinner for the Norwegian Royals, Elyse´e Palace, Paris, France, 1908
340
May 28 Wedding Feast, Milan, Italy, 1368
342
May 29 Sunday Dinner, Hotel Emery, Cincinnati, Ohio, 1892
344
May 30 State Dinner, Hall of Facets, the Kremlin, Soviet Union, 1988
347
May 31 French President Lunches aboard a Luxury Train, France, 1925
349
June 1 Willard Hotel Bill of Fare, Washington, DC, 1860
351
June 2 Coronation Dinner, Westminster Abbey, London, England, 1953
353
June 3 Meal aboard a Clipper Ship En Route to Melbourne, Australia, 1856
357
June 4 Medici Wedding Feast, Palazzo Medici, Florence, Italy, 1469
359
June 5 Journalists’ Dinner, Bohemian Club, San Francisco, California, 1889
361
June 6 Wedding Supper, England, 1699
363
June 7 Dinner of the Three Emperors, Cafe´ Anglais, Paris, France, 1867
365
June 8 Women’s Institute Luncheon, Hotel Windsor, Alliston, Ontario, Canada, 1923
367
June 9 Banquet for Henry Morton Stanley, Waterloo Rooms, Edinburgh, Scotland, 1890
368
June 10 Luncheon at Sea, SS Lurline, 1939
371
June 11 Picnic for the English Royals, ‘‘Springwood,’’ Hyde Park, New York, 1939
374
June 12 After-Concert Dinner, King’s College, Cambridge University, Cambridge, England, 1893
377
June 13 King Ludwig’s Dinner, Hunting Lodge, the Tirol, 1885
379
Contents
June 14 Telephone Banquet, Symphony Hall, Boston, Massachusetts, 1916
381
June 15 Royal Luncheon, Ascot Racecourse, Ascot, Berkshire, England, 1933
382
June 16 A Banquet to Nelson Mandela, Pretoria, South Africa, 1999
384
June 17 Lunch with the Emperor of Ethiopia, Ambassador Hotel, Los Angeles, California, 1954
386
June 18 ‘‘Uncooked Banquet’’ Hotel Hygeia, New York, 1903
388
June 19 Banquet for Queen Catherine, Bishop’s Palace, Paris, France, 1549
391
June 20 Dinner for the Transatlantic Air-Race Winners, Savoy Hotel, London, England, 1919
393
June 21 Dinner with Amelia Earhart, Hotel Grand Preanger, Bandung (Bandoeng), Batavia (Indonesia), 1937
395
June 22 Midwinter Dinner, Winter Quarters, Commonwealth Bay, Adelie Land, Antarctica, 1912
397
June 23 Yale Reunion Dinner, Bishop’s Colonnade, Savin Rock, West Haven, Connecticut, 1908
399
June 24 Dinner for Ulysses S. Grant, Nagasaki, Japan, 1879
402
June 25 Dinner on the Eve of the Korean War, Blair House, Washington, DC, 1950
405
June 26 British Empire Breakfast, North Pole, Dartford, London, England, 1902
407
June 27 Breakfast at Central Station Hotel, Glasgow, Scotland, 1908
409
June 28 Coronation Dinner for the Poor, St. Martin-in-the-Fields, London, England, 1838
410
June 29 Cornell Students Dine aboard RMS Saxonia, 1924
412
June 30 Her Majesty’s Dinner, Buckingham Palace, London, England, 1841
414
Volume 2 List of Menus Chronologically
xxiii
List of Menus by Country
xli
List of Menus by Occasion
lix
xiii
xiv
Contents
July 1 Ottoman Sultan Entertains the French Prince, Constantinople (Istanbul), Turkey, 1868
417
July 2 Peruvian Presidential Dinner, Lima, Peru, 1906
420
July 3 Dinner for Ottoman Visitors, Reform Club, London, England, 1846
421
July 4 Independence Day Dinner, Park House, Mt. Clemens, Michigan, 1899
424
July 5 Firemen’s Dinner, American Exchange Hotel, San Francisco, California, 1856
426
July 6 Coronation Feast of King Richard III, Westminster Hall, London, England, 1483
431
July 7 Bicentennial Dinner, The White House, Washington, DC, 1976
433
July 8 Breakfast at Sea, SS Hamburg, 1936
436
July 9 Midnight Supper with Queen Victoria, Guildhall, London, England, 1851
438
July 10 Officers’ Dinner at Sea, HMS Assistance, near Gibraltar, 1675
440
July 11 Trefa Banquet, Highland House, Cincinnati, Ohio, 1883
442
July 12 Reform Democrats Hold a Crow Banquet, Detroit Opera House, Detroit, Michigan, 1876
444
July 13 Dinner of the Thirteen Club, Central Restaurant, New York, 1900
446
July 14 Dinner for the American Ambulance, Lyce´e Pasteur, Neuillysur-Seine, France, 1916
447
July 15 Dinner aboard a U.S. Mail Ship, USMS Philadelphia, 1913
449
July 16 Dinner at Sea, SS Lahn, 1900
451
July 17 Dinner on the Mountain, The Aletschhorn, Switzerland, 1859
453
July 18 Picnic for the Mexican President, San Luis Potosi, Mexico, 1921
454
July 19 Coronation Banquet of King George IV, Westminster Hall, London, England, 1821
456
July 20 International Meal, Imperial Hotel, Tokyo, Japan, 1952
458
July 21 Dining in Space, The Moon, 1969
460
July 22 Royal Wedding Breakfast, Buckingham Palace, London, England, 1896
462
July 23 Luncheon after the Fire, Hotel St. Francis, San Francisco, California, 1906
464
Contents
July 24 Dining with Marie-Antoinette, Le Petit Trianon, Versailles, France, 1788
465
July 25 Dinner for the Shah of Persia, Royal Palace, Turin, Italy, 1873
468
July 26 Lunch aboard the Royal Yacht Maha-Chakri, Copenhagen, Denmark, 1897
470
July 27 Lunch En Route to the Canal Zone aboard the SS Colon, 1908
472
July 28 First Annual Dinner of the First Vegetarian Society of England, Manchester, England, 1848
474
July 29 Royal Wedding Breakfast for Prince Charles and Lady Diana, Buckingham Palace, London, England, 1981
475
July 30 Banquet Honoring Howard Hughes, Rice Hotel, Houston, Texas, 1938
478
July 31 King’s Dinner, France, 1826
480
August 1 Banquet for the Official Opening of London Bridge, London, England, 1831
483
August 2 Harvest Meals in an English Medieval Manorial Household, Acton Hall, Acton, Suffolk, 1413
485
August 3 Luncheon Given by President Richard M. Nixon, Romanian State Guest House, Bucharest, Romania, 1969
487
August 4 Dinner aboard the Pride of the Fleet, RMS Imperator, 1920
489
August 5 Frederick the Great’s Dinner, Sans Souci, Potsdam, Germany, 1786
491
August 6 King’s Lunch, Royal Palace, Milan, Italy, 1898
493
August 7 Dinner in a Wigwam, Burnt Church Point, Miramichi Bay, New Brunswick, Canada, 1853
495
August 8 Breakfast aboard a Japanese Ship, MS Chojo Maru, 1932
497
August 9 Dinner to Honor the Prince de Conde, France, 1652
499
August 10 Dinner aboard an Immigrant Ship, SS Zeeland, 1907
500
August 11 Luncheon aboard a World War I Troop Ship, SS Megantic, En Route from Alexandria, Egypt, to Marseilles, France, 1916
502
August 12 Daily Meals in the Poorhouse, Fishlake, Yorkshire, England, 1835
504
August 13 Dinner for Admiral Togo Heihachiro, Knickerbocker Hotel, New York, 1911
506
August 14 Ministerial Fish Dinner, The Ship Tavern, Greenwich, London, England, 1878
508
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August 15 Victory Dinner aboard the SS Matsonia, 1945
510
August 16 Dinner of the Wardens of the Drapers’ Company, Home of the Master of the Company, London, England, 1522
512
August 17 Henry Ford’s ‘‘All Soy’’ Dinner, Century of Progress International Exposition, Chicago, Illinois, 1934
513
August 18 King James I’s Breakfast, Hoghton Tower, Preston, Lancashire, England, 1617
516
August 19 Hotel Breakfast, Exchange Station Hotel, Liverpool, England, 1912
519
August 20 Mining Company Dinner, Calaveras Hotel, Angel’s Camp, California, 1914
521
¨mer, Frankfurt, August 21 Frankfurt Congress of Princes Banquet, Ro Germany, 1863
523
August 22 An Ancient Roman Dinner, Rome, 70 BCE
526
August 23 Luncheon Specials of the Day, MGM Studios, Culver City, California, 1956
527
August 24 King George IV’s Visit to Scotland, Great Hall of Parliament House, Edinburgh, 1821
530
August 25 Hotel Dinner, Grand Hotel, Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada, 1911
533
August 26 Breakfast and Dinner on Mont Blanc, Switzerland, 1825
536
August 27 ‘‘Great Martial Banquet Alfresco,’’ Scutari, Crimea, 1855
537
August 28 Lunch at Sea, SS Ko ¨nigin Luise, 1905
539
August 29 Daily Bill of Fare aboard the SS Great Western, 1844
541
August 30 Medical Conference Dinner, Bergen, Norway, 1885
543
August 31 Second Cabin Tea aboard RMS Saxonia, 1910
545
September 1 ‘‘First State’’ Banquet, Beijing Hotel, Beijing, China, 1999
547
September 2 Dinner aboard the First ‘‘Hebrew’’ Ship, TSS Kedmah, 1947
548
September 3 Cardinal’s ‘‘Fast,’’ Dundalk, Ireland, 1858
550
September 4 Dinner for the Governor-General, The Arlington, Cobourg, Ontario, Canada, 1874
553
September 5 Ambigu for King James II, Bodley Library, Oxford University, Oxford, England, 1687
555
September 6 Dinner with the Moors, Morocco, 1663
557
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September 7 Dinner for the Congress of Orientalists, Stockholm, Sweden, 1889
559
September 8 Temperance Banquet, Metropolitan Hall, New York, 1853
562
September 9 Maiden Voyage Dinner aboard the RMS Lusitania, 1907
564
September 10 Fat Men’s Club Clambake, Power’s Hotel, Dorlon’s Point, South Norwalk, Connecticut, 1891
566
September 11 Day’s Meals aboard an Airship, R.33, En Route from Norfolk, England, to Amsterdam, 1919
568
September 12 Children’s Meals aboard the SS Strathaird, 1957
569
September 13 Dinner Celebrating the Founding of Dulwich College, Camberwell, Surrey, England, 1619
571
September 14 Jane Austen’s Dinner, Henrietta Street, Covent Garden, London, 1813
574
September 15 Masons’ Banquet to Celebrate Their New Lodge, Criterion Hotel, Taranaki, New Zealand, 1883
575
September 16 Induction Feast of the Bishop of Bath and Wells, The Bishop’s Palace, Wells, Somerset, England, 1425
577
September 17 Centennial Dinner, Exchange Coffee House, Boston, Massachusetts, 1830
579
September 18 Meals in the Pullman Dining Car, in the Funeral Train of President William McKinley, 1901
581
September 19 Patriotic ‘‘Hooverized’’ Dinner, Daniel’s and Fisher’s Tower, Denver, Colorado, 1918
584
September 20 Library-Themed Dinner for the American Library Association, Annual Conference, Grand View House, Lake Placid, New York, 1894
587
September 21 Daily Diet of the ‘‘American Pedestrian,’’ Cambridge Park Trotting Course, Boston, 1842
590
September 22 Installation Feast of the Archbishop of York, Cawood Castle, York, England, 1465
591
September 23 Feast for King Richard II, Durham House, London, England, 1387
594
September 24 Prison Dinner, Leavenworth State Penitentiary, Kansas, 1928
596
ˆtel Hochschneeberg, Schneeberg, September 25 Hotel Dinner, Ho Austria, 1907
598
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September 26 Dinner Out Hunting with Buffalo Bill, near Fort McPherson, Nebraska, 1871
600
September 27 Traffic Association Banquet, Cafe´ Nat Goodwin, Crystal Pier, Santa Monica, California, 1913
602
September 28 ‘‘Menu for Jews’’ aboard the SS Majestic, 1929
604
ˆteau de Choisy, France, 1757 September 29 Supper with the King, Cha
506
September 30 Sheriff’s Dinner, Hall of the Fishmongers’ Company, London, England, 1847
608
October 1 Dinner in Utopia, Red Bank, Monmouth County, New Jersey, 1854
611
October 2 Banquet for the 75th Anniversary of the Biltmore Hotel, Los Angeles, California, 1998
613
October 3 Dinner on the Inaugural Flight, Super Constellation, KLM Airlines, 1953
616
October 4 Insurance Company Dinner, Copenhagen, Denmark, 1896
618
October 5 Druggists’ Luncheon, Steamboat Sandy Hook, New York, 1894
620
October 6 Remarkable Fish Banquet, Lafayette Restaurant, Centennial Grounds, Philadelphia, 1876
622
October 7 Esperanto Society Meeting Dinner, New England, 1911
625
October 8 Chicago Fire Centennial Anniversary Banquet, Conrad Hilton Hotel, Chicago, Illinois, 1971
627
October 9 Eggless, Poultryless Meals for President Harry S. Truman, The White House, Washington, DC, 1947
629
October 10 International Lunch Menu, International Casino, Times Square, New York, 1938
632
October 11 Dinner for Princess Elizabeth, Ottowa, Canada, 1951
634
October 12 Columbus Day Dinner aboard the SS America, 1962
636
October 13 Coronation Feast of King Henry IV, Great Hall of Westminster, London, England, 1399
639
October 14 Banquet to Celebrate the Persian Empire, Persepolis, Iran, 1971
642
October 15 Banquet for the Commissioner General, Hotel Continental, Paris, France, 1898
644
October 16 Tribute Dinner for a Cow, Red Deer, Alberta, Canada, 1912
647
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October 17 Hotel Supper, New Denison Hotel, Indianapolis, Indiana, 1888
649
October 18 Snacking at the Siesta Drive-In Movie Theater, Sarasota, Florida, 1959
651
October 19 Testimonial Dinner for Charles Lindbergh, Hotel Chelsea, Atlantic City, New Jersey, 1927
653
October 20 Dinner with the British Secret Service, Claridge’s Hotel, London, England, 1944
655
October 21 All-Potato Dinner Les Invalides, Paris, France, 1787
656
October 22 Women Suffragists’s Dinner, New York City, 1913
658
ˆteau October 23 ‘‘Thousand and One Nights’’ Dinner, Cha de Bellevue, France, 1787
660
October 24 Medical Dinner, Bergen, Norway, 1891
662
October 25 Dinner for the Royal Horse Guards, Town Hall, Holborn, London, England, 1882
664
October 26 French Exhibition Banquet, Hotel du Louvre, Paris, France, 1867
667
October 27 Dinner with a Tibetan Monk, Gyantse´, Tibet, 1936
669
October 28 Dinner of the Worshipful Company of Wax Chandlers, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England, 1478
672
October 29 Dinner for the Worshipful Company of Barbers and Surgeons, The Barber-Surgeons Hall, Monkwell Square, London, England, 1742
673
October 30 Dinner with Sir Morton Peto, Delmonico’s, New York, 1865
675
October 31 Dinner for the Palace Workmen, King’s Hall Restaurant, Holborn, London, England, 1913
678
November 1 All Hallow’s Day Dinner, New College, Oxford, England, 1624
681
November 2 Dinner with Emily Dickinson, Mount Holyoke Female Seminary, South Hadley, Massachusetts, 1847
683
November 3 ‘‘All-Red Route’’ Luncheon aboard the RMS Miowera, 1896
684
November 4 Common Hospital Diet, Devon and Exeter Hospital, England, 1829
687
November 5 Dinner aboard a Clipper Ship Ringleader, 1855
688
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November 6 Coronation Feast of King Henry VI, Great Hall of Westminster, London, England, 1429
690
November 7 Dinner by Numbers, Grand Hotel, Yokohama, Japan, 1919
692
November 8 Duchess of Buccleuch and Monmouth’s Table, Dalkeith Castle, Scotland, 1701
695
November 9 Quiet Dinner for Two in Paris, Chez Denis, Paris, 1975
697
November 10 Lord Mayor’s Dinner, Guildhall, London, 1828
700
November 11 Staff Meals, Hotel Pennsylvania, New York, 1919
702
November 12 20th Anniversary Banquet of the Scottish Geographical Society, North British Station Hotel, Edinburgh, Scotland, 1904
704
November 13 Dinner with Pablo Casals, The White House, Washington, DC, 1961
706
November 14 Lunch for the King and Queen of Greece, Ambassador Hotel, Los Angeles, California, 1953
708
November 15 Gilbert and Sullivan Dinner, Park Central Hotel, New York, 1936
711
November 16 Dining with James McNeill Whistler, Chelsea, London, England, 1875
713
November 17 Humble Meal, Cafe´ Royal, London, England, 1937
715
November 18 Dining on a Clock Face, Trades Hall, Leicester, England, 1910
717
November 19 Annual Game Dinner, Grand Pacific Hotel, Chicago, Illinois, 1892
719
November 20 Dining with Queen Elizabeth I, England, 1576
722
ˆteau Rambouillet, November 21 Lunch with the King of Romania, Cha France, 1938
724
November 22 German Society 150th Anniversary Dinner, Hotel Astor, New York, 1934
726
November 23 Thanksgiving Day Dinner aboard YRBM 16, Ben Tre, Vietnam, 1967
727
November 24 Dining aboard a West India Steamer, SS Clyde, Barbados, 1847
730
November 25 Menu for the Indisposed aboard the SS Fort Victoria, 1928
731
November 26 Thanksgiving on the Plains, Camp Supply, Oklahoma, 1868
734
Contents
November 27 Dinner at the Court of Napoleon III, Paris, France, 1866
736
November 28 Gourmet’s Dinner, Rocher de Cancale, Rue Montorgeuil, 738 Paris, France, 1809 November 29 Double Thanksgiving, Maison Tortoni, Seattle, Washington, 1897
740
November 30 Patriotic Dinner, The Freemasons’ Tavern, London, England, 1871
742
December 1 Australian Meat Banquet, Lambeth Baths, London, England, 1869
745
December 2 Scottish Mountaineering Club 10th Annual Dinner, Central Hotel, Edinburgh, Scotland, 1898
746
December 3 Tithe-Audit Dinner, Weston Longville, Norfolk, England, 1782
748
December 4 Funeral Feast of the Bishop of Bath and Wells, Bishop’s Palace, Wells, Somerset, England, 1424
750
December 5 British MPs’ Dinner, Hotel Cosmopolitan, Nice, France, 1903
752
December 6 Repeal Dinner, Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, New York, 1933
753
December 7 Dinner with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Aldine Club, 75 Fifth Avenue, New York, 1894
756
December 8 Fashionable Hotel Dinner, Fifth Avenue Hotel, New York, 1860
758
December 9 Firefighters Banquet, Hoˆtel de la Madeleine, Barberaz, France, 1928
761
December 10 First Nobel Prize Banquet, Hall of Mirrors, Grand Hotel, 763 Stockholm, Sweden, 1901 December 11 Encyclopædia Britannica Dinner, Hall of Christ’s College, Cambridge, England, 1888
764
December 12 Dinner for the Duke of Windsor aboard the Zurich Express, 1936
766
December 13 Catering Menu, Calcutta, India, 1943
768
December 14 Hospital Fare, St. Luke’s Hospital, Chicago, Illinois, 1920
770
December 15 Piemontese Society Banquet, All Hotel Campidoglio, Italy, 1897
773
December 16 Chicago Press Club’s First Annual Banquet, Briggs House, Chicago, Illinois, 1870
775
xxi
xxii
Contents
December 17 Whittier Banquet, Hotel Brunswick, Boston, Massachusetts, 1877
777
December 18 Dinner to Honor President Juan Pero´n, Alvear Palace Hotel, Buenos Aires, Argentina, 1948
781
December 19 Horsemeat Banquet, London, England, 1867
782
December 20 Heinz Company 50th Anniversary Dinner, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 1919
785
December 21 ‘‘Pease and Pork Dinner,’’ Livery House, Bristol, England, 1911
787
December 22 First Celebration of Forefathers’ Day Dinner, Old Colony Club of Plymouth, Massachusetts, 1769
788
December 23 Noble Family’s Dinner, Aldersgate Street, London, England, 1626
790
December 24 Englishmen’s Dinner, Queen’s Hotel, Dundee, Scotland, 1885
792
December 25 Queen Victoria’s Christmas Dinner, Windsor Castle, London, England, 1899
794
December 26 Elegant Dinner, Empire Hotel, Bath, England, 1907
796
December 27 Blackhawk Restaurant, Chicago, 1920
799
December 28 Queen Victoria Diamond Jubilee Ball, Toronto City Armouries, Toronto, Canada, 1897
801
ˆtel, Paris, December 29 Sunday Lunch in Paris, Le Grand Ho France, 1878
803
December 30 Coronation Banquet for the Last Ruler of the AustroHungarian Empire, Budapest, Hungary, 1916
805
December 31 Final Dinner Party Given by Franc¸ois Mitterand, Souston, Landes, France, 1995
806
Glossary
809
Selected Bibliography
815
General Index
819
Recipes Index
827
List of Menus Chronologically August 22, 70 BCE May 28, 1368
Italy
An Ancient Roman Dinner, Rome
Italy
Wedding Feast, Milan
September 23, 1387
England
Feast for King Richard II, Durham House, London
October 13, 1399
England
Coronation Feast of King Henry IV, Great Hall of Westminster, London
August 2, 1413
England
Harvest Meals in an English Medieval Manorial Household, Acton Hall, Acton, Suffolk
February 23, 1421
England
Coronation Feast of Queen Catherine, Westminster Hall, London
December 4, 1424
England
Funeral Feast of the Bishop of Bath and Wells, Bishop’s Palace, Wells, Somerset
September 16, 1425
England
Induction Feast of the Bishop of Bath and Wells, The Bishop’s Palace, Wells, Somerset
November 6, 1429
England
Coronation Feast of King Henry VI, Great Hall of Westminster, London
September 22, 1465
England
Installation Feast of the Archbishop of York, Cawood Castle, York
September 22, 1465
England
Installation Feast of the Archbishop of York, Cawood Castle, York
June 4, 1469
Italy
October 28, 1478
England
Dinner of the Worshipful Company of Wax Chandlers, Newcastle-upon-Tyne
July 6, 1483
England
Coronation Feast of King Richard III, Westminster Hall, London
March 9, 1504
England
Inthronization Feast of the Archbishop of Canterbury, The Archbishop’s Palace, Canterbury
August 16, 1522
England
Dinner of the Wardens of the Drapers’ Company, Home of the Master of the Company, London
France
Banquet for Queen Catherine, Bishop’s Palace, Paris
June 19, 1549
Medici Wedding Feast, Palazzo Medici, Florence
xxiv
List of Menus Chronologically January 6, 1552
England
February 9, 1568
Spain
Twelfth Day Dinner and Supper in a Tudor Household, Ingatestone Hall, Essex Archbishop’s Meals, Valencia
November 20, 1576
England
Dining with Queen Elizabeth I
August 18, 1617
England
King James I’s Breakfast, Hoghton Tower, Preston, Lancashire
September 13, 1619
England
Dinner Celebrating the Founding of Dulwich College, Camberwell, Surrey
November 1, 1624
England
All Hallow’s Day Dinner, New College, Oxford
December 23, 1626
England
Noble Family’s Dinner, Aldersgate Street, London
August 9, 1652
France
Dinner to Honor the Prince de Conde
January 13, 1663
England
Samuel Pepys Gives Dinner for Friends, London
September 6, 1663
Morocco
Dinner with the Moors
July 10, 1675
HMS Assistance
May 9, 1676
Syria
Officers’ Dinner at Sea, HMS Assistance, near Gibraltar Dinner at the English Embassy, Aleppo
January 2, 1682
England
Christening Feast, Cockley Cley, Norfolk
March 11, 1687
England
Ironmongers’ Company Dinner, Ironmongers Hall, Fenchurch Street, London
September 5, 1687
England
Ambigu for King James II, Bodley Library, Oxford University, Oxford Dinner for the Duke of Orle´ans
March 28, 1690 January 28, 1698
France England
Peter the Great Dines at The King’s Arms, Godalming, Surrey
June 6, 1699
England
Wedding Supper
November 8, 1701
Scotland
Duchess of Buccleuch and Monmouth’s Table, Dalkeith Castle
January 9, 1708/9
England
Gentleman’s Dinner, Ockenden House, Cuckfield
January 30, 1710
England
Calves Head Club Annual Feast, London
October 29, 1742
England
Dinner for the Worshipful Company of Barbers and Surgeons, The Barber-Surgeons Hall, Monkwell Square, London ˆteau de la Muette, French Royal Supper, Cha Paris
February 18, 1749
France
List of Menus Chronologically May 21, 1753
England
September 29, 1757
France
December 22, 1769
America
April 19, 1770
Wales
A Wedding Feast, Bishopwearmouth, Durham ˆteau de Choisy Supper with the King, Cha First Celebration of Forefathers’ Day Dinner, Old Colony Club of Plymouth, Massachusetts Coming-of-Age Party, Wynnstay Hall, Denbighshire
January 3, 1774
America
Luxurious Dinner for the King’s Officers, Boston, Massachusetts
December 3, 1782
England
Tithe-Audit Dinner, Weston Longville, Norfolk
August 5, 1786
Germany
Frederick the Great’s Dinner, Sans Souci, Potsdam
October 21, 1787
France
All-Potato Dinner Les Invalides, Paris
October 23, 1787
France
ˆteau ‘‘Thousand and One Nights’’ Dinner, Cha de Bellevue
March 2, 1788 July 24, 1788 April 20, 1796
Germany France England
Prince Ernest’s Dinner Dining with Marie-Antoinette, Le Petit Trianon, Versailles Vicar’s Dinner, East Tuddenham, Norfolk
February 3, 1796
France
Postrevolutionary Meal, Havre de Grace
February 6, 1802
United States
Dinner with President Thomas Jefferson, The White House, Washington, DC
May 10, 1806
United States
Lewis and Clark Eat with the Nez Perce, Idaho
November 28, 1809
France
Gourmet’s Dinner, Rocher de Cancale, Rue Montorgeuil, Paris
April 13, 1811
France
Dinner for the Bonapartes, Tuileries Palace, Paris
September 14, 1813
England
Jane Austen’s Dinner, Henrietta Street, Covent Garden, London
May 25, 1816
England
Parliamentary Dinner, Carlton House, London
January 5, 1817
Scotland
Household of the Marquess of Tweeddale, Yester House, Gifford, East Lothian
January 18, 1817
England
Prince Regent of England Entertains the Archduke of Russia, Royal Pavilion, Brighton
July 19, 1821
England
Coronation Banquet of King George IV, Westminster Hall, London
August 24, 1821
Scotland
King George IV’s Visit to Scotland, Great Hall of Parliament House, Edinburgh
xxv
xxvi
List of Menus Chronologically February 15, 1823 August 26, 1825
United States Switzerland
Exotic Menu for New York Epicures, The Bank Coffee House, New York Breakfast and Dinner on Mont Blanc
July 31, 1826
France
King’s Dinner
January 1, 1828
Egypt
New Year’s Day Meal, Kosseir
France
Good Friday Dinner, Tuileries, Paris
April 4, 1828 November 10, 1828
England
Lord Mayor’s Dinner, Guildhall, London
November 4, 1829
England
Common Hospital Diet, Devon and Exeter Hospital
September 17, 1830
United States
Centennial Dinner, Exchange Coffee House, Boston, Massachusetts
August 1, 1831
England
Banquet for the Official Opening of London Bridge, London
August 12, 1835
England
Daily Meals in the Poorhouse, Fishlake, Yorkshire
October 10, 1838
United States
International Lunch Menu, International Casino, Times Square, New York
June 28, 1838
England
Coronation Dinner for the Poor, St. Martin-inthe-Fields, London
June 30, 1841
England
Her Majesty’s Dinner, Buckingham Palace, London
March 25, 1842
United States
Charles Dickens Eats aboard an American Canal Boat
September 21, 1842
United States
Daily Diet of the ‘‘American Pedestrian,’’ Cambridge Park Trotting Course, Boston
August 29, 1844
SS Great Western
July 3, 1846
England
February 27, 1847
United States
September 30, 1847 November 2, 1847 November 24, 1847 January 22, 1848 July 28, 1848
England
Daily Bill of Fare aboard the SS Great Western Dinner for Ottoman Visitors, Reform Club, London Dinner at a ‘‘Gentlemen’s Ordinary,’’ Brown’s Hotel, Washington, DC Sheriff’s Dinner, Hall of the Fishmongers’ Company, London
United States
Dinner with Emily Dickinson, Mount Holyoke Female Seminary, South Hadley, Massachusetts
Clyde
Dining aboard a West India Steamer, SS Clyde, Barbados
United States England
Dinner for Six Gentlemen, Revere House, Bowdoin Square, Boston, Massachusetts First Annual Dinner of the First Vegetarian Society of England, Manchester
List of Menus Chronologically March 30, 1851
Egypt
Dinner in a Harem, Thebes
April 29, 1851
England
Dinner for Ottoman Visitors, Mayor’s Residence, Winchester, England
July 9, 1851
England
Midnight Supper with Queen Victoria, Guildhall, London
March 12, 1853
United States
Antebellum Riverboat Menu, Robert F. Ward, Mississippi River
May 18, 1853
England
American Banquet in England, Star and Garter, Richmond
August 7, 1853
Canada
Dinner in a Wigwam, Burnt Church Point, Miramichi Bay, New Brunswick
September 8, 1853
United States
Temperance Banquet, Metropolitan Hall, New York
October 1, 1854
United States
Dinner in Utopia, Red Bank, Monmouth County, New Jersey
March 23, 1855
England
Queen’s Guard Dinner, St. James’ Palace, London
August 27, 1855
Crimea
‘‘Great Martial Banquet Alfresco,’’ Scutari
November 5, 1855
Clipper Ringleader Dinner aboard a Clipper Ship Ringleader
June 3, 1856
Champion of the Seas
July 5, 1856
United States
Firemen’s Dinner, American Exchange Hotel, San Francisco, California
March 16, 1858
United States
Bill of Fare, Virginia Hotel, St. Louis
September 3, 1858 July 17, 1859
Ireland Switzerland
Meal aboard a Clipper Ship En Route to Melbourne, Australia
Cardinal’s ‘‘Fast,’’ Dundalk Dinner on the Mountain, The Aletschhorn
February 7, 1860
United States
Mormon Ball, Social Hall, Salt Lake City, Utah
June 1, 1860
United States
Willard Hotel Bill of Fare, Washington, DC
December 8, 1860
United States
Fashionable Hotel Dinner, Fifth Avenue Hotel, New York
April 18, 1861
United States
Confederate Soldier’s Dinner, Army Camp, near Pensacola, Florida
January 23, 1862
Germany
Dinner of Exotic Animals, Hamburg
August 21, 1863
Germany
Frankfurt Congress of Princes Banquet, Ro¨mer, Frankfurt
January 19, 1864
France
Dinner for 36, Home of Alexandre Dumas
xxvii
xxviii
List of Menus Chronologically April 23, 1864
England
Shakespeare Tercentenary Banquet, Stratfordupon-Avon
March 6, 1865
United States
Abraham Lincoln’s Inauguration Ball, Patent Office, Washington, DC
April 7, 1865
United States
Cooking Class Dinner, Cooking Academy, Fourth Avenue, New York
October 30, 1865
United States
Dinner with Sir Morton Peto, Delmonico’s, New York
January 7, 1866
SS New York
Dinner aboard Steamship SS New York
November 27, 1866
France
Dinner at the Court of Napoleon III, Paris
June 7, 1867
France
Dinner of the Three Emperors, Cafe´ Anglais, Paris
October 26, 1867
France
French Exhibition Banquet, Hotel du Louvre, Paris
December 19, 1867
England
Horsemeat Banquet, London
July 1, 1868
Turkey
Ottoman Sultan Entertains the French Prince, Constantinople (Istanbul)
November 26, 1868 December 1, 1869
United States
Thanksgiving on the Plains, Camp Supply, Oklahoma
England
Australian Meat Banquet, Lambeth Baths, London
December 16, 1870
United States
Chicago Press Club’s First Annual Banquet, Briggs House, Chicago, Illinois
March 21, 1871
New Zealand
Dinner for the Rifle Volunteers, Auckland
November 30, 1871
England
Patriotic Dinner, The Freemasons’ Tavern, London
July 25, 1873
Italy
Dinner for the Shah of Persia, Royal Palace, Turin
September 4, 1874
Canada
Dinner for the Governor-General, The Arlington, Cobourg, Ontario
September 26, 1871
United States
Dinner Out Hunting with Buffalo Bill, near Fort McPherson, Nebraska
May 6, 1875
SS Prussian
July 12, 1876
United States
Reform Democrats Hold a Crow Banquet, Detroit Opera House, Detroit, Michigan
October 6, 1876
United States
Remarkable Fish Banquet, Lafayette Restaurant, Centennial Grounds, Philadelphia
December 17, 1877
United States
Whittier Banquet, Hotel Brunswick, Boston, Massachusetts
August 14, 1878
England
Breakfast at Sea, SS Prussian
Ministerial Fish Dinner, The Ship Tavern, Greenwich, London
List of Menus Chronologically November 16, 1875
United States
December 29, 1878
France
Dining with James McNeill Whistler, Chelsea, London ˆtel, Paris Sunday Lunch in Paris, Le Grand Ho
June 24, 1879
Japan
Dinner for Ulysses S. Grant, Nagasaki
April 21, 1881
France
Banquet of the French Vegetarian Society, Rue St. Honore´, Paris
January 25, 1882
United States
October 25, 1882
England
Burns Night Supper, Sutherland’s, New York Dinner for the Royal Horse Guards, Town Hall, Holborn, London
July 11, 1883
United States
Trefa Banquet, Highland House, Cincinnati, Ohio
September 15, 1883
New Zealand
Masons’ Banquet to Celebrate Their New Lodge, Criterion Hotel, Taranaki
June 13, 1885
Germany
King Ludwig’s Dinner, Hunting Lodge, the Tirol
August 30, 1885
Norway
Medical Conference Dinner, Bergen
December 24, 1885
Scotland
Englishmen’s Dinner, Queen’s Hotel, Dundee
February 28, 1886
Panama
Banquet in Honor of Ferdinand de Lesseps
April 14, 1886
France
Stanley Club Dinner in Honor of Louis Pasteur, Continental Hotel
May 11, 1887
France
Eight-Franc Dinner, Grand Hotel, Boulevarde des Capucins, Paris
January 10, 1888
United States
January 26, 1888
Australia
October 17, 1888
United States
Holland Society Annual Dinner, Hotel Brunswick, New York Centennial Banquet, Sydney, Australia, Town Hall Hotel Supper, New Denison Hotel, Indianapolis, Indiana
December 11, 1888
England
Encyclopædia Britannica Dinner, Hall of Christ’s College, Cambridge
January 29, 1889
Austria
Last Meal of the Crown Prince of Austria, Royal Hunting Lodge, Mayerling
June 5, 1889
United States
Journalists’ Dinner, Bohemian Club, San Francisco, California
September 7, 1889
Sweden
Dinner for the Congress of Orientalists, Stockholm
June 9, 1890
Scotland
Banquet for Henry Morton Stanley, Waterloo Rooms, Edinburgh
xxix
xxx
List of Menus Chronologically March 8, 1891 May 13, 1891
United States England
September 10, 1891
United States
October 24, 1891
Norway
Dinner Given by the ‘‘Chinese Delmonico,’’ Lenox Lyceum, New York Dinner for Nobody’s Friends, Hoˆtel Metropole, London Fat Men’s Club Clambake, Power’s Hotel, Dorlon’s Point, South Norwalk, Connecticut Medical Dinner, Bergen
May 29, 1892
United States
Sunday Dinner, Hotel Emery, Cincinnati, Ohio
November 19, 1892
United States
Annual Game Dinner, Grand Pacific Hotel, Chicago, Illinois
March 20, 1893
Denmark
May 26, 1893
United States
American Maize Banquet, Hotel King of Denmark, Copenhagen Royal and Plebeian Supper, Madison Square Garden, New York
June 12, 1893
England
After-Concert Dinner, King’s College, Cambridge University, Cambridge
March 4, 1894
United States
Irish Revolutionary Veterans Dinner, Central Opera House, East Sixty-Seventh Street, New York
September 20, 1894
United States
Library-Themed Dinner for the American Library Association, Annual Conference, Grand View House, Lake Placid, New York
October 5, 1894
United States
Druggists’ Luncheon, Steamboat Sandy Hook, New York
December 7, 1894
United States
Dinner with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Aldine Club, 75 Fifth Avenue, New York
January 17, 1895
United States
Benjamin Franklin Honored by Typothetæ, Hotel Brunswick, New York
February 5, 1895
United States
Debut Dinner at the New York Vegetarian Society’s Vegetarian Restaurant No. 1, New York
March 7, 1895
United States
Dinner for the New York Association of Union Prisoners, Murray Hill Lyceum, New York City
May 15, 1896
Russia
Coronation Banquet for Nicholas II, Kremlin
July 22, 1896
England
Royal Wedding Breakfast, Buckingham Palace, London
October 4, 1896
Denmark
Insurance Company Dinner, Copenhagen
November 3, 1896
RMS Miowera
‘‘All-Red Route’’ Luncheon aboard the RMS Miowera
February 2, 1897
United States
First Annual Banquet of the Founders and Patriots of America, Hotel Manhattan, New York
List of Menus Chronologically February 22, 1897
England
George Washington’s Birthday Celebration, Hotel Cecil, London
April 16, 1897
United States
Testimonial Banquet for Boxer Robert Fitzsimmons, Hotel Bartholdi, New York
July 26, 1897
Maha-Chakri
Lunch aboard the Royal Yacht Maha-Chakri, Copenhagen
November 29, 1897
United States
Double Thanksgiving, Maison Tortoni, Seattle, Washington
December 15, 1897
Italy
Piemontese Society Banquet, All Hotel Campidoglio
January 11, 1898
Ethiopia
Dining with the Ras, The Royal Palace, Andracha, Abyssinia
February 19, 1898
United States
Creole Dinner for the New Orleans Press Club, The Atheneum, New Orleans, Louisiana
March 1, 1898
United States
63rd Annual Dinner of the St. David’s Society, Hotel Savoy, New York
August 6, 1898
Italy
King’s Lunch, Royal Palace, Milan
October 15, 1898
France
December 2, 1898
Scotland
Scottish Mountaineering Club 10th Annual Dinner, Central Hotel, Edinburgh
January 4, 1899
Canada
Second Annual Dinner of the Toronto Board of Trade, Horticultural Gardens, Toronto, Ontario
United States
‘‘Gotham’s Costliest Banquet,’’ Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, New York
February 11, 1899 March 22, 1899
England
Banquet for the Commissioner General, Hotel Continental, Paris
Fine Dining Experience, Verrey’s Restaurant, Regent Street, London
May 23, 1899
United States
Harriman Expedition Dinner, En Route to Seattle, Washington
July 4, 1899
United States
Independence Day Dinner, Park House, Mt. Clemens, Michigan
December 25, 1899
England
Queen Victoria’s Christmas Dinner, Windsor Castle, London
March 5, 1900
Australia
Dinner for the Bushmen’s Corps, Adelaide
May 2, 1900
United States
Dinner at the Sanitarium, Battle Creek, Michigan
July 13, 1900
United States
Dinner of the Thirteen Club, Central Restaurant, New York
July 16, 1900
SS Lahn
Dinner at Sea, SS Lahn
January 14, 1901
England
Mallard Night Feast, All Souls’ College, Oxford
xxxi
xxxii
List of Menus Chronologically February 14, 1901 March 26, 1901
United States HMS Ophir
Valentine’s Day Dinner, Sherry’s, New York Grand Dinner Given by the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall aboard HMS Ophir, Malta
May 22, 1901
United States
Seafood Feast, Squantum Club, East Providence, Rhode Island
September 18, 1901
United States
Meals in the Pullman Dining Car, in the Funeral Train of President William McKinley
December 10, 1901
Sweden
February 26, 1902 March 18, 1902
United States Spain
First Nobel Prize Banquet, Hall of Mirrors, Grand Hotel, Stockholm German-American Press Honors Prince Henry of Prussia, Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, New York Dinner for the New King, Alfonso XIII, Royal Palace, Madrid
June 26, 1902
England
June 18, 1903
United States
‘‘Uncooked Banquet’’ Hotel Hygeia, New York
France
British MPs’ Dinner, Hotel Cosmopolitan, Nice
December 5, 1903 November 12, 1904
Scotland
August 28, 1905
SS Ko¨nigin Luise
March 31, 1906
Sri Lanka
British Empire Breakfast, North Pole, Dartford, London
20th Anniversary Banquet of the Scottish Geographical Society, North British Station Hotel, Edinburgh Lunch at Sea, SS Ko¨nigin Luise Tiffin at the Cricket Club, Cinnamon Gardens, Colombo, Ceylon
July 2, 1906
Peru
July 23, 1906
United States
Luncheon after the Fire, Hotel St. Francis, San Francisco, California
April 3, 1907
United States
Spelling Reform Dinner, Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, New York
April 25, 1907 May 4, 1907 August 10, 1907 September 9, 1907
Japan England SS Zeeland RMS Lusitania
September 25, 1907
Austria
December 26, 1907
England
May 27, 1908
France
Peruvian Presidential Dinner, Lima
Japanese Tiffin, Fujiya Hotel, Miyanoshita Kosher Banquet, London Dinner aboard an Immigrant Ship, SS Zeeland Maiden Voyage Dinner aboard the RMS Lusitania Hotel Dinner, Hoˆtel Hochschneeberg, Schneeberg Elegant Dinner, Empire Hotel, Bath Dinner for the Norwegian Royals, Elyse´e Palace, Paris
List of Menus Chronologically June 23, 1908
United States
Yale Reunion Dinner, Bishop’s Colonnade, Savin Rock, West Haven, Connecticut
June 27, 1908
Scotland
Breakfast at Central Station Hotel, Glasgow
July 27, 1908
SS Colon
Lunch En Route to the Canal Zone aboard the SS Colon
February 12, 1909
United States
April 9, 1909
Germany
Former Slave Attends a Republican Dinner, Lincoln Dinner, Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, New York Emperor Wilhelm’s Lunch, Royal Palace, Berlin
August 31, 1910
RMS Saxonia
November 18, 1910
England
Dining on a Clock Face, Trades Hall, Leicester
May 19, 1911
United States
Prison Menu for a Week, Indiana State Prison
August 13, 1911
United States
Dinner for Admiral Togo Heihachiro, Knickerbocker Hotel, New York
August 25, 1911
Canada
October 7, 1911
United States
Esperanto Society Meeting Dinner, New England
December 21, 1911
England
‘‘Pease and Pork Dinner,’’ Livery House, Bristol
April 2, 1912 June 22, 1912
RMS Titanic Antarctica
Second Cabin Tea aboard RMS Saxonia
Hotel Dinner, Grand Hotel, Yarmouth, Nova Scotia
First Dinner, RMS Titanic Midwinter Dinner, Winter Quarters, Commonwealth Bay, Adelie Land
August 19, 1912
England
Hotel Breakfast, Exchange Station Hotel, Liverpool
October 16, 1912
Canada
Tribute Dinner for a Cow, Red Deer, Alberta
April 24, 1913
United States
Opening Banquet Woolworth Building, Broadway, New York
April 30, 1913
United States
Harvard Club of Boston Dinner, Hotel Somerset, Boston, Massachusetts
July 15, 1913 USMS Philadelphia Dinner aboard a U.S. Mail Ship, USMS Philadelphia September United States Traffic Association Banquet, Cafe´ Nat 27, 1913 Goodwin, Crystal Pier, Santa Monica, California October 22, 1913
United States
Women Suffragists’s Dinner, New York City
October 31, 1913
England
Dinner for the Palace Workmen, King’s Hall Restaurant, Holborn, London
xxxiii
xxxiv
List of Menus Chronologically January 16, 1914
England
‘‘Upside-Down’’ Dinner, Royal Automobile Club, London
France
State Dinner for King George V and Queen Mary, British Embassy, Paris
August 20, 1914
United States
Mining Company Dinner, Calaveras Hotel, Angel’s Camp, California
February 4, 1916
Australia
Dinner for Fox Films, Hotel Australia, Sydney
April 17, 1916
United States
New York Society of Restaurateurs Dinner with ‘‘Diamond Jim’’ Brady, Terrace Garden, New York
June 14, 1916
United States
Telephone Banquet, Symphony Hall, Boston, Massachusetts Dinner for the American Ambulance, Lyce´e Pasteur, Neuilly-sur-Seine
April 22, 1914
July 14, 1916
France
August 11, 1916
SS Megantic
Luncheon aboard a World War I Troop Ship, SS Megantic, En Route from Alexandria, Egypt, to Marseilles
December 30, 1916
Hungary
Coronation Banquet for the Last Ruler of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Budapest
January 27, 1917
United States
Diet Squad Experiment, New York
February 8, 1918
United States
Whale Meat Luncheon, American Museum of Natural History, New York City
February 13, 1918
United States
YMCA Father and Son Dinner, Nyack, New York
April 6, 1918
England
Anniversary Luncheon of the Entry of the United States into World War I, Mansion House, London
May 3, 1918
England
Dilettante Society Dinner, Grand Hotel, Trafalgar Square, London
September 19, 1918
United States
January 20, 1919
France
Luncheon in Honor of U.S. President Woodrow Wilson, Luxembourg Palace, Paris
England
Dinner for the Transatlantic Air-Race Winners, Savoy Hotel, London
Airship R.33
Day’s Meals aboard an Airship, R.33, En Route from Norfolk, England, to Amsterdam
June 20, 1919 September 11, 1919 November 7, 1919
Japan
Patriotic ‘‘Hooverized’’ Dinner, Daniel’s and Fisher’s Tower, Denver
Dinner by Numbers, Grand Hotel, Yokohama
November 11, 1919
United States
Staff Meals, Hotel Pennsylvania, New York
December 20, 1919
United States
Heinz Company 50th Anniversary Dinner, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
List of Menus Chronologically December 28, 1919
Canada
Queen Victoria Diamond Jubilee Ball, Toronto City Armouries, Toronto
January 12, 1920
England
Meals at Shugborough Hall, Staffordshire
August 4, 1920
SS Imperator
Dinner aboard the Pride of the Fleet, RMS Imperator
December 14, 1920
United States
Hospital Fare, St. Luke’s Hospital, Chicago, Illinois
December 27, 1920
United States
Blackhawk Restaurant, Chicago
April 28, 1921 July 18, 1921 March 14, 1922
RMS Aquitania Mexico SS Prince Rupert
Lunch at Sea, RMS Aquitania Picnic for the Mexican President, San Luis Potosi, Mexico Dinner at Sea, SS Prince Rupert
April 26, 1923
England
Royal Wedding Breakfast, Buckingham Palace, London
June 8, 1923
Canada
Women’s Institute Luncheon, Hotel Windsor, Alliston, Ontario
RMS Saxonia
Cornell Students Dine aboard RMS Saxonia
France
French President Lunches aboard a Luxury Train
October 19, 1927
United States
Testimonial Dinner for Charles Lindbergh, Hotel Chelsea, Atlantic City, New Jersey
February 1, 1928
United States
Broadway Association Dinner to Celebrate the Dodge Brothers’ Sign, Hotel Astor, New York
March 10, 1928
SS New York
Dinner at Sea, SS New York
March 13, 1928
SS Majestic
September 24, 1928
United States
November 25, 1928
SS Port Victoria
June 29, 1924 May 31, 1925
Dinner at Sea, Tourist Class RMS Majestic Prison Dinner, Leavenworth State Penitentiary, Kansas Menu for the Indisposed aboard the SS Fort Victoria ˆtel de la Madeleine, Firefighters Banquet, Ho Barberaz
December 9, 1928
France
April 8, 1929
SS Abangarez
Dinner for Peace and Goodwill Mission, SS Abangarez, Puerto Barrios, Guatemala
May 16, 1929
United States
First Academy Awards Banquet, Blossom Room, Roosevelt Hotel, Hollywood, California
September 28, 1929
SS Majestic
‘‘Menu for Jews’’ aboard the SS Majestic
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List of Menus Chronologically April 1, 1931
Mexico
One-Dollar Lunch, Hotel Agua Caliente, Tijuana
March 19, 1932
Australia
Luncheon to Celebrate Opening of Sydney Harbour Bridge RMS Maloja, Sydney Harbour
May 5, 1932
England
‘‘May Dinner,’’ Simpson’s on the Strand, London
August 8, 1932
Chojo Maru
Breakfast aboard a Japanese Ship, MS Chojo Maru
March 15, 1933
United States
Breakfast on the ‘‘42nd Street Special,’’ Chicago to Los Angeles by Rail
May 14, 1933
United States
President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Daily Fare, The White House, Washington, DC
May 24, 1933
England
Empire Day Luncheon, Junior Carlton Club, London
June 15, 1933
England
Royal Luncheon, Ascot Racecourse, Ascot, Berkshire
December 6, 1933
United States
Repeal Dinner, Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, New York
August 17, 1934
United States
Henry Ford’s ‘‘All Soy’’ Dinner, Century of Progress International Exposition, Chicago, Illinois
November 22, 1934
United States
German Society 150th Anniversary Dinner, Hotel Astor, New York Portuguese Luncheon, Cafe´ Royal, London
January 15, 1935
England
January 8, 1936
United States
Jackson Day Dinner, Mayflower Hotel, Washington, DC
July 8, 1936
SS Hamburg
Breakfast at Sea, SS Hamburg
October 27, 1936
Tibet
November 15, 1936
United States
Gilbert and Sullivan Dinner, Park Central Hotel, New York
December 12, 1936
France
Dinner for the Duke of Windsor aboard the Zurich Express
Dinner with a Tibetan Monk, Gyantse´, Tibet
January 24, 1937
United States
Gourmet Society Eat ‘‘Eskimo Fare,’’ Cavanagh’s, New York
March 29, 1937
RMS Orontes
Luncheon Crossing the Equator, SS Orontes
June 21, 1937 November 17, 1937 July 30, 1938
Indonesia England United States
Dinner with Amelia Earhart, Hotel Grand Preanger, Bandung (Bandoeng), Batavia Humble Meal, Cafe´ Royal, London Banquet Honoring Howard Hughes, Rice Hotel, Houston, Texas
List of Menus Chronologically November 21, 1938
France
ˆteau Lunch with the King of Romania, Cha Rambouillet
May 17, 1939
Canada
English Royals Dine in Canada, Chateau Frontenac, Quebec
June 10, 1939
SS Lurline
June 11, 1939
United States
May 7, 1940 April 11, 1941 February 20, 1943 December 13, 1943 October 20, 1944
HT Queen Mary England United States India England
February 10, 1945
Russia
May 8, 1945
England
Luncheon at Sea, SS Lurline Picnic for the English Royals, ‘‘Springwood,’’ Hyde Park, New York Officers’ Luncheon, HT Queen Mary Good Friday Wartime Lunch, Barrow-inFurness, Cumbria Wartime Luncheon, Stork Club, New York Catering Menu, Calcutta Dinner with the British Secret Service, Claridge’s Hotel, London Tripartite Dinner Meeting, Vorontsov Villa, Yalta, Ukraine VE Day Dinner, Simpson’s-in-the-Strand, London
August 15, 1945
SS Matsonia
Victory Dinner aboard the SS Matsonia
February 17, 1947
South Africa
British Royals Dine at Mount Nelson Hotel, Capetown
February 21, 1947
France
Business Dinner, Hotel Lutetia, Boulevarde Rapail, Paris
September 2, 1947
TSS Kedmah
Dinner aboard the First ‘‘Hebrew’’ Ship, TSS Kedmah
October 9, 1947
United States
Eggless, Poultryless Meals for President Harry S. Truman, The White House, Washington, DC
April 10, 1948
United States
Dinner for President Harry S. Truman, The Gridiron Club, Hotel Statler, Washington, DC Dinner to Honor President Juan Pero´n, Alvear Palace Hotel, Buenos Aires, Argentina
December 18, 1948 June 25, 1950
Argentina United States
Dinner on the Eve of the Korean War, Blair House, Washington, DC
October 11, 1951
Canada
Dinner for Princess Elizabeth, Ottowa
January 31, 1952
England
Luncheon at the Variety Club, 35 Dover Street, London
July 20, 1952 March 24, 1953
Japan RMS Queen Elizabeth
International Meal, Imperial Hotel, Tokyo Breakfast at Sea RMS Queen Elizabeth
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List of Menus Chronologically June 2, 1953
England
Coronation Dinner, Westminster Abbey, London
October 3, 1953
KLM Flight
November 14, 1953
United States
Lunch for the King and Queen of Greece, Ambassador Hotel, Los Angeles, California
June 17, 1954
United States
Lunch with the Emperor of Ethiopia, Ambassador Hotel, Los Angeles, California
April 27, 1956
England
Soviet Leaders Luncheon aboard the Train to Portsmouth
August 23, 1956
United States
Luncheon Specials of the Day, MGM Studios, Culver City, California
March 27, 1957
France
September 12, 1957
SS Strathaird
Children’s Meals aboard the SS Strathaird
March 17, 1959
United States
St. Patrick’s Day Banquet, The White House, Washington, DC
October 18, 1959
United States
Snacking at the Siesta Drive-In Movie Theater, Sarasota, Florida
April 5, 1960
United States
State Dinner, The White House, Washington, DC
April 12, 1961
Space
Dinner on the Inaugural Flight, Super Constellation, KLM Airlines
Gay Rugby Dinner, Hotel Lutetia, Paris
First Meal in Space, Vostok 1
November 13, 1961
United States
Dinner with Pablo Casals, The White House, Washington, DC
October 12, 1962
SS America
Columbus Day Dinner aboard the SS America
May 1, 1967
United States
November 23, 1967 July 21, 1969
Vietnam Moon
August 3, 1969
Romania
October 8, 1971
United States
October 14, 1971
Iran
April 15, 1973 November 9, 1975
United States France
Elvis Presley’s Wedding, Aladdin Hotel, Las Vegas Thanksgiving Day Dinner aboard YRBM 16, Ben Tre Dining in Space Luncheon Given by President Richard M. Nixon, Romanian State Guest House, Bucharest Chicago Fire Centennial Anniversary Banquet, Conrad Hilton Hotel, Chicago, Illinois Banquet to Celebrate the Persian Empire, Persepolis Week’s Menu for the First Family, The White House, Washington, DC Quiet Dinner for Two in Paris, Chez Denis, Paris
List of Menus Chronologically January 21, 1976
Concorde
July 7, 1976
United States
July 29, 1981
England
Royal Wedding Breakfast for Prince Charles and Lady Diana, Buckingham Palace, London
May 12, 1982
QE II
Lunch En Route to the Falkland Islands, RMS Queen Elizabeth 2
February 25, 1983
England
May 30, 1988
Russia
May 20, 1992
United States
December 31, 1995
France
March 3, 1997
HMY Britannia
Luncheon En Route from London to Bahrain during the Inaugural Flight of the Concorde Bicentennial Dinner, The White House, Washington, DC
Dinner with the British Prime Minister, No. 10, Downing St., London State Dinner, Hall of Facets, the Kremlin, Soviet Union Banquet of Insects, Explorer’s Club, New York Final Dinner Party Given by Franc¸ois Mitterand, Souston, Landes Final Voyage of the HMY Britannia, Karachi
October 2, 1998
United States
Banquet for the 75th Anniversary of the Biltmore Hotel, Los Angeles, California
February 24, 1999
United States
State Dinner, The White House, Washington, DC
June 16, 1999
South Africa
A Banquet to Nelson Mandela, Pretoria
September 1, 1999
China
‘‘First State’’ Banquet, Beijing Hotel, Beijing
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List of Menus by Country America
Luxurious Dinner for the King’s Officers, Boston, Massachusetts
Antarctica
Midwinter Dinner, Winter Quarters, Commonwealth Bay, Adelie Land
June 22, 1912
Argentina
Dinner to Honor President Juan Pero´n, Alvear Palace Hotel, Buenos Aires, Argentina
December 18, 1948
Australia
Centennial Banquet, Sydney, Australia, Town Hall
January 26, 1888
Dinner for Fox Films, Hotel Australia, Sydney
February 4, 1916
Austria
Canada
January 3, 1774
Dinner for the Bushmen’s Corps, Adelaide
March 5, 1900
Luncheon to Celebrate Opening of Sydney Harbour Bridge RMS Maloja, Sydney Harbour
March 19, 1932
Last Meal of the Crown Prince of Austria, Royal Hunting Lodge, Mayerling Hotel Dinner, Hoˆtel Hochschneeberg, Schneeberg
January 29, 1889 September 25, 1907
Second Annual Dinner of the Toronto Board of Trade, Horticultural Gardens, Toronto, Ontario
January 4, 1899
English Royals Dine in Canada, Chateau Frontenac, Quebec
May 17, 1939
Women’s Institute Luncheon, Hotel Windsor, Alliston, Ontario
June 8, 1923
Dinner in a Wigwam, Burnt Church Point, Miramichi Bay, New Brunswick
August 7, 1853
Hotel Dinner, Grand Hotel, Yarmouth, Nova Scotia
August 25, 1911
Dinner for the Governor-General, The Arlington, Cobourg, Ontario
September 4, 1874
Dinner for Princess Elizabeth, Ottowa
October 11, 1951
Tribute Dinner for a Cow, Red Deer, Alberta
October 16, 1912
Queen Victoria Diamond Jubilee Ball, Toronto City Armouries, Toronto
December 28, 1919
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List of Menus by Country China
‘‘First State’’ Banquet, Beijing Hotel, Beijing
Crimea
‘‘Great Martial Banquet Alfresco,’’ Scutari
Denmark
American Maize Banquet, Hotel King of Denmark, Copenhagen
March 20, 1893
Insurance Company Dinner, Copenhagen
October 4, 1896
Egypt
New Year’s Day Meal, Kosseir Dinner in a Harem, Thebes
England
September 1, 1999 August 27, 1855
January 1, 1828 March 30, 1851
Christening Feast, Cockley Cley, Norfolk
January 2, 1682
Twelfth Day Dinner and Supper in a Tudor Household, Ingatestone Hall, Essex
January 6, 1552
Gentleman’s Dinner, Ockenden House, Cuckfield
January 9, 1708/9
Meals at Shugborough Hall, Staffordshire
January 12, 1920
Samuel Pepys Gives Dinner for Friends, London
January 13, 1663
Mallard Night Feast, All Souls’ College, Oxford
January 14, 1901
Portuguese Luncheon, Cafe´ Royal, London
January 15, 1935
‘‘Upside-Down’’ Dinner, Royal Automobile Club, London
January 16, 1914
Prince Regent of England Entertains the Archduke of Russia, Royal Pavilion, Brighton
January 18, 1817
Peter the Great Dines at The King’s Arms, Godalming, Surrey
January 28, 1698
Calves Head Club Annual Feast, London
January 30, 1710
Luncheon at the Variety Club, 35 Dover Street, London
January 31, 1952
George Washington’s Birthday Celebration, Hotel Cecil, London
February 22, 1897
Coronation Feast of Queen Catherine, Westminster Hall, London
February 23, 1421
Dinner with the British Prime Minister, No. 10, Downing St., London
February 25, 1983
Inthronization Feast of the Archbishop of Canterbury, The Archbishop’s Palace, Canterbury
March 9, 1504
Ironmongers’ Company Dinner, Ironmongers Hall, Fenchurch Street, London
March 11, 1687
List of Menus by Country Fine Dining Experience, Verrey’s Restaurant, Regent Street, London
March 22, 1899
Queen’s Guard Dinner, St. James’ Palace, London
March 23, 1855
Anniversary Luncheon of the Entry of the United States into World War I, Mansion House, London
April 6, 1918
Good Friday Wartime Lunch, Barrow-inFurness, Cumbria
April 11, 1941
Vicar’s Dinner, East Tuddenham, Norfolk
April 20, 1796
Shakespeare Tercentenary Banquet, Stratfordupon-Avon
April 23, 1864
Royal Wedding Breakfast, Buckingham Palace, London
April 26, 1923
Soviet Leaders Luncheon aboard the Train to Portsmouth
April 27, 1956
Dinner for Ottoman Visitors, Mayor’s Residence, April 29, 1851 Winchester, England Dilettante Society Dinner, Grand Hotel, Trafalgar Square, London
May 3, 1918
Kosher Banquet, London
May 4, 1907
‘‘May Dinner,’’ Simpson’s on the Strand, London
May 5, 1932
VE Day Dinner, Simpson’s-in-the-Strand, London Dinner for Nobody’s Friends, Hoˆtel Metropole, London
May 8, 1945
American Banquet in England, Star and Garter, Richmond
May 13, 1891 May 18, 1853
A Wedding Feast, Bishopwearmouth, Durham
May 21, 1753
Empire Day Luncheon, Junior Carlton Club, London
May 24, 1933
Parliamentary Dinner, Carlton House, London
May 25, 1816
Coronation Dinner, Westminster Abbey, London
June 2, 1953
Wedding Supper
June 6, 1699
After-Concert Dinner, King’s College, Cambridge June 12, 1893 University, Cambridge Royal Luncheon, Ascot Racecourse, Ascot, Berkshire
June 15, 1933
Dinner for the Transatlantic Air-Race Winners, Savoy Hotel, London
June 20, 1919
British Empire Breakfast, North Pole, Dartford, London
June 26, 1902
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List of Menus by Country Coronation Dinner for the Poor, St. Martin-inthe-Fields, London
June 28, 1838
Her Majesty’s Dinner, Buckingham Palace, London
June 30, 1841
Dinner for Ottoman Visitors, Reform Club, London
July 3, 1846
Coronation Feast of King Richard III, Westminster Hall, London
July 6, 1483
Midnight Supper with Queen Victoria, Guildhall, London
July 9, 1851
Coronation Banquet of King George IV, Westminster Hall, London
July 19, 1821
Royal Wedding Breakfast, Buckingham Palace, London
July 22, 1896
First Annual Dinner of the First Vegetarian Society of England, Manchester
July 28, 1848
Royal Wedding Breakfast for Prince Charles and Lady Diana, Buckingham Palace, London
July 29, 1981
Banquet for the Official Opening of London Bridge, London
August 1, 1831
Harvest Meals in an English Medieval Manorial Household, Acton Hall, Acton, Suffolk
August 2, 1413
Daily Meals in the Poorhouse, Fishlake, Yorkshire
August 12, 1835
Ministerial Fish Dinner, The Ship Tavern, Greenwich, London
August 14, 1878
Dinner of the Wardens of the Drapers’ Company, Home of the Master of the Company, London
August 16, 1522
King James I’s Breakfast, Hoghton Tower, Preston, Lancashire
August 18, 1617
Hotel Breakfast, Exchange Station Hotel, Liverpool
August 19, 1912
Ambigu for King James II, Bodley Library, Oxford University, Oxford
September 5, 1687
Dinner Celebrating the Founding of Dulwich College, Camberwell, Surrey
September 13, 1619
Jane Austen’s Dinner, Henrietta Street, Covent Garden, London
September 14, 1813
Induction Feast of the Bishop of Bath and Wells, The Bishop’s Palace, Wells, Somerset
September 16, 1425
Installation Feast of the Archbishop of York, Cawood Castle, York
September 22, 1465
Feast for King Richard II, Durham House, London
September 23, 1387
List of Menus by Country Sheriff’s Dinner, Hall of the Fishmongers’ Company, London
September 30, 1847
Coronation Feast of King Henry IV, Great Hall of Westminster, London
October 13, 1399
Dinner with the British Secret Service, Claridge’s Hotel, London
October 20, 1944
Dinner for the Royal Horse Guards, Town Hall, Holborn, London
October 25, 1882
Dinner of the Worshipful Company of Wax Chandlers, Newcastle-upon-Tyne
October 28, 1478
Dinner for the Worshipful Company of Barbers and Surgeons, The Barber-Surgeons Hall, Monkwell Square, London
October 29, 1742
Dinner for the Palace Workmen, King’s Hall Restaurant, Holborn, London
October 31, 1913
All Hallow’s Day Dinner, New College, Oxford
November 1, 1624
Common Hospital Diet, Devon and Exeter Hospital
November 4, 1829
Coronation Feast of King Henry VI, Great Hall of Westminster, London
November 6, 1429
Lord Mayor’s Dinner, Guildhall, London
November 10, 1828
Humble Meal, Cafe´ Royal, London
November 17, 1937
Dining on a Clock Face, Trades Hall, Leicester
November 18, 1910
Dining with Queen Elizabeth I
November 20, 1576
Patriotic Dinner, The Freemasons’ Tavern, London
November 30, 1871
Australian Meat Banquet, Lambeth Baths, London
December 1, 1869
Tithe-Audit Dinner, Weston Longville, Norfolk
December 3, 1782
Funeral Feast of the Bishop of Bath and Wells, Bishop’s Palace, Wells, Somerset
December 4, 1424
Encyclopædia Britannica Dinner, Hall of Christ’s College, Cambridge
December 11, 1888
Horsemeat Banquet, London
December 19, 1867
‘‘Pease and Pork Dinner,’’ Livery House, Bristol
December 21, 1911
Noble Family’s Dinner, Aldersgate Street, London
December 23, 1626
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List of Menus by Country Queen Victoria’s Christmas Dinner, Windsor Castle, London
December 25, 1899
Elegant Dinner, Empire Hotel, Bath
December 26, 1907
Ethiopia
Dining with the Ras, The Royal Palace, Andracha, Abyssinia
January 11, 1898
France
Dinner for 36, Home of Alexandre Dumas, Paris
January 19, 1864
British MPs’ Dinner, Hotel Cosmopolitan, Nice
December 5, 1903
Luncheon in Honor of U.S. President Woodrow Wilson, Luxembourg Palace, Paris
January 20, 1919
Postrevolutionary Meal, Havre de Grace
February 3, 1796
ˆteau de la Muette, French Royal Supper, Cha Paris
February 18, 1749
Business Dinner, Hotel Lutetia, Boulevarde Rapail, Paris
February 21, 1947
Gay Rugby Dinner, Hotel Lutetia, Paris Dinner for the Duke of Orle´ans
March 27, 1957 March 28, 1690
Good Friday Dinner, Tuileries, Paris
April 4, 1828
Dinner for the Bonapartes, Tuileries Palace, Paris
April 13, 1811
Stanley Club Dinner in Honor of Louis Pasteur, Continental Hotel
April 14, 1886
Banquet of the French Vegetarian Society, Rue St. Honore´, Paris
April 21, 1881
State Dinner for King George V and Queen Mary, British Embassy, Paris
April 22, 1914
Eight-Franc Dinner, Grand Hotel, Boulevarde des Capucins, Paris Dinner for the Norwegian Royals, Elyse´e Palace, Paris
May 11, 1887
French President Lunches aboard a Luxury Train Dinner of the Three Emperors, Cafe´ Anglais, Paris
May 31, 1925
Banquet for Queen Catherine, Bishop’s Palace, Paris Dinner for the American Ambulance, Lyce´e Pasteur, Neuilly-sur-Seine
June 19, 1549
Dining with Marie-Antoinette, Le Petit Trianon, Versailles
July 24, 1788
King’s Dinner
July 31, 1826
May 27, 1908
June 7, 1867
July 14, 1916
List of Menus by Country Dinner to Honor the Prince de Conde ˆteau de Choisy Supper with the King, Cha
September 29, 1757
Banquet for the Commissioner General, Hotel Continental, Paris
October 15, 1898
All-Potato Dinner Les Invalides, Paris
October 21, 1787
ˆteau ‘‘Thousand and One Nights’’ Dinner, Cha de Bellevue
October 23, 1787
French Exhibition Banquet, Hotel du Louvre, Paris
October 26, 1867
Quiet Dinner for Two in Paris, Chez Denis, Paris
November 9, 1975
ˆteau Lunch with the King of Romania, Cha Rambouillet
November 21, 1938
Dinner at the Court of Napoleon III, Paris
November 27, 1866
Gourmet’s Dinner, Rocher de Cancale, Rue Montorgeuil, Paris Firefighters Banquet, Hoˆtel de la Madeleine, Barberaz
November 28, 1809
Dinner for the Duke of Windsor aboard the Zurich Express ˆtel, Paris Sunday Lunch in Paris, Le Grand Ho
December 12, 1936
Final Dinner Party Given by Franc¸ois Mitterand, Souston, Landes Germany
August 9, 1652
Dinner of Exotic Animals, Hamburg Prince Ernest’s Dinner
December 9, 1928
December 29, 1878 December 31, 1995 January 23, 1862 March 2, 1788
Emperor Wilhelm’s Lunch, Royal Palace, Berlin
April 9, 1909
King Ludwig’s Dinner, Hunting Lodge, the Tirol
June 13, 1885
Frederick the Great’s Dinner, Sans Souci, Potsdam
August 5, 1786
Frankfurt Congress of Princes Banquet, Ro¨mer, Frankfurt
August 21, 1863
Hungary
Coronation Banquet for the Last Ruler of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Budapest
December 30, 1916
India
Catering Menu, Calcutta
December 13, 1943
Indonesia
Dinner with Amelia Earhart, Hotel Grand Preanger, Bandung (Bandoeng), Batavia
June 21, 1937
Iran
Banquet to Celebrate the Persian Empire, Persepolis
October 14, 1971
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List of Menus by Country Ireland
Cardinal’s ‘‘Fast,’’ Dundalk
September 3, 1858
Italy
An Ancient Roman Dinner, Rome
August 22, 70 BCE
Wedding Feast, Milan
May 28, 1368
Medici Wedding Feast, Palazzo Medici, Florence
June 4, 1469
Banquet to Honor Neopolitan Princes, Florence
February 16, 1476
Dinner for the Shah of Persia, Royal Palace, Turin
July 25, 1873
Piemontese Society Banquet, All Hotel Campidoglio
December 15, 1897
King’s Lunch, Royal Palace, Milan
August 6, 1898
Japan
Mexico
Morocco New Zealand
Japanese Tiffin, Fujiya Hotel, Miyanoshita
April 25, 1907
Dinner for Ulysses S. Grant, Nagasaki
June 24, 1879
International Meal, Imperial Hotel, Tokyo
July 20, 1952
Dinner by Numbers, Grand Hotel, Yokohama
November 7, 1919
One-Dollar Lunch, Hotel Agua Caliente, Tijuana
April 1, 1931
Picnic for the Mexican President, San Luis Potosi, Mexico
July 18, 1921
Dinner with the Moors
September 6, 1663
Dinner for the Rifle Volunteers, Auckland
March 21, 1871
Masons’ Banquet to Celebrate Their New Lodge, September 15, Criterion Hotel, Taranaki 1883 Norway
Medical Conference Dinner, Bergen
August 30, 1885
Medical Dinner, Bergen
October 24, 1891
Panama
Banquet in Honor of Ferdinand de Lesseps
February 28, 1886
Peru
Peruvian Presidential Dinner, Lima
July 2, 1906
Romania
Luncheon Given by President Richard M. Nixon, August 3, 1969 Romanian State Guest House, Bucharest
Russia
Tripartite Dinner Meeting, Vorontsov Villa, Yalta, Ukraine
Scotland
February 10, 1945
Coronation Banquet for Nicholas II, Kremlin
May 15, 1896
State Dinner, Hall of Facets, the Kremlin, Soviet Union
May 30, 1988
Household of the Marquess of Tweeddale, Yester House, Gifford, East Lothian Breakfast at Central Station Hotel, Glasgow
January 5, 1817 June 27, 1908
List of Menus by Country King George IV’s Visit to Scotland, Great Hall of Parliament House, Edinburgh
August 24, 1821
Duchess of Buccleuch and Monmouth’s Table, Dalkeith Castle
November 8, 1701
20th Anniversary Banquet of the Scottish Geographical Society, North British Station Hotel, Edinburgh
November 12, 1904
Banquet for Henry Morton Stanley, Waterloo Rooms, Edinburgh
June 9, 1890
Scottish Mountaineering Club 10th Annual Dinner, Central Hotel, Edinburgh
December 2, 1898
Englishmen’s Dinner, Queen’s Hotel, Dundee
December 24, 1885
South Africa
British Royals Dine at Mount Nelson Hotel, Capetown
February 17, 1947
A Banquet to Nelson Mandela, Pretoria
June 16, 1999
Spain
Archbishop’s Meals, Valencia
February 9, 1568
Dinner for the New King, Alfonso XIII, Royal Palace, Madrid
March 18, 1902
Sri Lanka
Tiffin at the Cricket Club, Cinnamon Gardens, Colombo, Ceylon
March 31, 1906
Sweden
Dinner for the Congress of Orientalists, Stockholm
September 7, 1889
First Nobel Prize Banquet, Hall of Mirrors, Grand Hotel, Stockholm
December 10, 1901
Dinner on the Mountain, The Aletschhorn
July 17, 1859
Switzerland
Breakfast and Dinner on Mont Blanc
August 26, 1825
Syria
Dinner at the English Embassy, Aleppo
May 9, 1676
Tibet
Dinner with a Tibetan Monk, Gyantse´
October 27, 1936
Turkey
Ottoman Sultan Entertains the French Prince, Constantinople (Istanbul)
July 1, 1868
United States
Jackson Day Dinner, Mayflower Hotel, Washington, DC
January 8, 1936
Holland Society Annual Dinner, Hotel Brunswick, New York
January 10, 1888
Benjamin Franklin Honored by Typothetæ, Hotel Brunswick, New York
January 17, 1895
Dinner for Six Gentlemen, Revere House, Bowdoin Square, Boston, Massachusetts
January 22, 1848
Burns Night Supper, Sutherland’s, New York
January 25, 1882
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List of Menus by Country Gourmet Society Eat ‘‘Eskimo Fare,’’ Cavanagh’s, New York
January 24, 1937
Diet Squad Experiment, New York
January 27, 1917
Broadway Association Dinner to Celebrate the Dodge Brothers’ Sign, Hotel Astor, New York
February 1, 1928
First Annual Banquet of the Founders and Patriots of America, Hotel Manhattan, New York
February 2, 1897
Debut Dinner at the New York Vegetarian Society’s Vegetarian Restaurant No. 1, New York
February 5, 1895
Dinner with President Thomas Jefferson, The White House, Washington, DC
February 6, 1802
Mormon Ball, Social Hall, Salt Lake City, Utah
February 7, 1860
Whale Meat Luncheon, American Museum of Natural History, New York City
February 8, 1918
‘‘Gotham’s Costliest Banquet,’’ Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, New York
February 11, 1899
Former Slave Attends a Republican Dinner, Lincoln Dinner, Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, New York
February 12, 1909
YMCA Father and Son Dinner, Nyack, New York
February 13, 1918
Valentine’s Day Dinner, Sherry’s, New York
February 14, 1901
Exotic Menu for New York Epicures, The Bank Coffee House, New York
February 15, 1823
Creole Dinner for the New Orleans Press Club, The Atheneum, New Orleans, Louisiana
February 19, 1898
Wartime Luncheon, Stork Club, New York
February 20, 1943
State Dinner, The White House, Washington, DC
February 24, 1999
German-American Press Honors Prince Henry of Prussia, Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, New York
February 26, 1902
Dinner at a ‘‘Gentlemen’s Ordinary,’’ Brown’s Hotel, Washington, DC
February 27, 1847
63rd Annual Dinner of the St. David’s Society, Hotel Savoy, New York
March 1, 1898
Irish Revolutionary Veterans Dinner, Central Opera House, East Sixty-Seventh Street, New York
March 4, 1894
Abraham Lincoln’s Inauguration Ball, Patent Office, Washington, DC
March 6, 1865
List of Menus by Country Dinner for the New York Association of Union Prisoners, Murray Hill Lyceum, New York City
March 7, 1895
Dinner Given by the ‘‘Chinese Delmonico,’’ Lenox Lyceum, New York
March 8, 1891
Antebellum Riverboat Menu, Robert F. Ward, Mississippi River
March 12, 1853
Breakfast on the ‘‘42nd Street Special,’’ Chicago March 15, 1933 to Los Angeles by Rail Bill of Fare, Virginia Hotel, St. Louis
March 16, 1858
St. Patrick’s Day Banquet, The White House, Washington, DC
March 17, 1959
Charles Dickens Eats aboard an American Canal Boat
March 25, 1842
Spelling Reform Dinner, Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, New York
April 3, 1907
State Dinner, The White House, Washington, DC
April 5, 1960
Cooking Class Dinner, Cooking Academy, Fourth Avenue, New York
April 7, 1865
Dinner for President Harry S. Truman, The Gridiron Club, Hotel Statler, Washington, DC
April 10, 1948
Week’s Menu for the First Family, The White House, Washington, DC
April 15, 1973
Testimonial Banquet for Boxer Robert Fitzsimmons, Hotel Bartholdi, New York
April 16, 1897
New York Society of Restaurateurs Dinner with ‘‘Diamond Jim’’ Brady, Terrace Garden, New York
April 17, 1916
Confederate Soldier’s Dinner, Army Camp, near Pensacola, Florida
April 18, 1861
Opening Banquet Woolworth Building, Broadway, New York
April 24, 1913
Harvard Club of Boston Dinner, Hotel Somerset, April 30, 1913 Boston, Massachusetts Elvis Presley’s Wedding, Aladdin Hotel, Las Vegas
May 1, 1967
Dinner at the Sanitarium, Battle Creek, Michigan
May 2, 1900
Lewis and Clark Eat with the Nez Perce, Idaho
May 10, 1806
President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Daily Fare, The White House, Washington, DC
May 14, 1933
First Academy Awards Banquet, Blossom Room, Roosevelt Hotel, Hollywood, California
May 16, 1929
Prison Menu for a Week, Indiana State Prison
May 19, 1911
Banquet of Insects, Explorer’s Club, New York
May 20, 1992
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List of Menus by Country Seafood Feast, Squantum Club, East Providence, Rhode Island
May 22, 1901
Harriman Expedition Dinner, En Route to Seattle, Washington
May 23, 1899
Royal and Plebeian Supper, Madison Square Garden, New York
May 26, 1893
Sunday Dinner, Hotel Emery, Cincinnati, Ohio
May 29, 1892
Willard Hotel Bill of Fare, Washington, DC
June 1, 1860
Journalists’ Dinner, Bohemian Club, San Francisco, California
June 5, 1889
Picnic for the English Royals, ‘‘Springwood,’’ Hyde Park, New York
June 11, 1939
Telephone Banquet, Symphony Hall, Boston, Massachusetts
June 14, 1916
Lunch with the Emperor of Ethiopia, Ambassador Hotel, Los Angeles, California
June 17, 1954
‘‘Uncooked Banquet’’ Hotel Hygeia, New York
June 18, 1903
Yale Reunion Dinner, Bishop’s Colonnade, Savin Rock, West Haven, Connecticut
June 23, 1908
Dinner on the Eve of the Korean War, Blair House, Washington, DC
June 25, 1950
Independence Day Dinner, Park House, Mt. Clemens, Michigan
July 4, 1899
Firemen’s Dinner, American Exchange Hotel, San Francisco, California
July 5, 1856
Bicentennial Dinner, The White House, Washington, DC
July 7, 1976
Trefa Banquet, Highland House, Cincinnati, Ohio
July 11, 1883
Reform Democrats Hold a Crow Banquet, Detroit Opera House, Detroit, Michigan
July 12, 1876
Dinner of the Thirteen Club, Central Restaurant, New York
July 13, 1900
Luncheon after the Fire, Hotel St. Francis, San Francisco, California
July 23, 1906
Banquet Honoring Howard Hughes, Rice Hotel, Houston, Texas
July 30, 1938
Dinner for Admiral Togo Heihachiro, Knickerbocker Hotel, New York
August 13, 1911
Henry Ford’s ‘‘All Soy’’ Dinner, Century of Progress International Exposition, Chicago, Illinois
August 17, 1934
Mining Company Dinner, Calaveras Hotel, Angel’s Camp, California
August 20, 1914
List of Menus by Country Luncheon Specials of the Day, MGM Studios, Culver City, California
August 23, 1956
Temperance Banquet, Metropolitan Hall, New York
September 8, 1853
Fat Men’s Club Clambake, Power’s Hotel, Dorlon’s Point, South Norwalk, Connecticut
September 10, 1891
Centennial Dinner, Exchange Coffee House, Boston, Massachusetts
September 17, 1830
Meals in the Pullman Dining Car, in the Funeral September 18, Train of President William McKinley 1901 Patriotic ‘‘Hooverized’’ Dinner, Daniel’s and Fisher’s Tower, Denver
September 19, 1918
Library-Themed Dinner for the American Library Association, Annual Conference, Grand View House, Lake Placid, New York
September 20, 1894
Daily Diet of the ‘‘American Pedestrian,’’ Cambridge Park Trotting Course, Boston
September 21, 1842
Prison Dinner, Leavenworth State Penitentiary, Kansas
September 24, 1928
Dinner Out Hunting with Buffalo Bill, near Fort McPherson, Nebraska Traffic Association Banquet, Cafe´ Nat Goodwin, Crystal Pier, Santa Monica, California
September 26, 1871 September 27, 1913
Dinner in Utopia, Red Bank, Monmouth County, October 1, 1854 New Jersey Banquet for the 75th Anniversary of the Biltmore Hotel, Los Angeles, California
October 2, 1998
Druggists’ Luncheon, Steamboat Sandy Hook, New York
October 5, 1894
Remarkable Fish Banquet, Lafayette Restaurant, Centennial Grounds, Philadelphia
October 6, 1876
Esperanto Society Meeting Dinner, New England
October 7, 1911
Chicago Fire Centennial Anniversary Banquet, Conrad Hilton Hotel, Chicago, Illinois
October 8, 1971
Eggless, Poultryless Meals for President Harry S. Truman, The White House, Washington, DC
October 9, 1947
International Lunch Menu, International Casino, Times Square, New York
October 10, 1838
Hotel Supper, New Denison Hotel, Indianapolis, Indiana
October 17, 1888
Snacking at the Siesta Drive-In Movie Theater, Sarasota, Florida
October 18, 1959
Testimonial Dinner for Charles Lindbergh, Hotel Chelsea, Atlantic City, New Jersey
October 19, 1927
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List of Menus by Country Women Suffragists’s Dinner, New York City
October 22, 1913
Dinner with Sir Morton Peto, Delmonico’s, New York
October 30, 1865
Dinner with Emily Dickinson, Mount Holyoke Female Seminary, South Hadley, Massachusetts
November 2, 1847
Staff Meals, Hotel Pennsylvania, New York
November 11, 1919
Dinner with Pablo Casals, The White House, Washington, DC
November 13, 1961
Lunch for the King and Queen of Greece, Ambassador Hotel, Los Angeles, California
November 14, 1953
Gilbert and Sullivan Dinner, Park Central Hotel, November 15, New York 1936
Vietnam
Dining with James McNeill Whistler, Chelsea, London
November 16, 1875
Annual Game Dinner, Grand Pacific Hotel, Chicago, Illinois
November 19, 1892
German Society 150th Anniversary Dinner, Hotel Astor, New York
November 22, 1934
Thanksgiving on the Plains, Camp Supply, Oklahoma
November 26, 1868
Double Thanksgiving, Maison Tortoni, Seattle, Washington
November 29, 1897
Repeal Dinner, Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, New York
December 6, 1933
Dinner with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Aldine Club, 75 Fifth Avenue, New York
December 7, 1894
Fashionable Hotel Dinner, Fifth Avenue Hotel, New York
December 8, 1860
Hospital Fare, St. Luke’s Hospital, Chicago, Illinois
December 14, 1920
Chicago Press Club’s First Annual Banquet, Briggs House, Chicago, Illinois
December 16, 1870
Whittier Banquet, Hotel Brunswick, Boston, Massachusetts
December 17, 1877
Heinz Company 50th Anniversary Dinner, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
December 20, 1919
First Celebration of Forefathers’ Day Dinner, Old Colony Club of Plymouth, Massachusetts
December 22, 1769
Blackhawk Restaurant, Chicago
December 27, 1920
Thanksgiving Day Dinner aboard YRBM 16, Ben Tre
November 23, 1967
List of Menus by Country Wales
Coming-of-Age Party, Wynnstay Hall, Denbighshire
April 19, 1770
Airship R.33
Day’s Meals aboard an Airship, R.33, En Route from Norfolk, England, to Amsterdam
September 11, 1919
Concorde
Luncheon En Route from London to Bahrain during the Inaugural Flight of the Concorde
KLM Flight
Dinner on the Inaugural Flight, Super Constellation, KLM Airlines
Moon
Dining in Space
July 21, 1969
Space
First Meal in Space, Vostok 1
April 12, 1961
In Flight
January 21, 1976 October 3, 1953
Shipboard Champion of the Seas
Meal aboard a Clipper Ship En Route to Melbourne, Australia
Chojo Maru
Breakfast aboard a Japanese Ship, MS Chojo Maru
Clipper Ringleader
Dinner aboard a Clipper Ship Ringleader
November 5, 1855
HMS Assistance
Officers’ Dinner at Sea, HMS Assistance, near Gibraltar
July 10, 1675
HMS Ophir
Grand Dinner Given by the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall aboard HMS Ophir, Malta
March 26, 1901
HMY Britannia Final Voyage of the HMY Britannia, Karachi
June 3, 1856 August 8, 1932
March 3, 1997
HT Queen Mary
Officers’ Luncheon, HT Queen Mary
May 7, 1940
Maha-Chakri
Lunch aboard the Royal Yacht Maha-Chakri, Copenhagen
July 26, 1897
QE II
Lunch En Route to the Falkland Islands, RMS Queen Elizabeth 2
May 12, 1982
RMS Aquitania Lunch at Sea, RMS Aquitania
April 28, 1921
RMS Lusitania Maiden Voyage Dinner aboard the RMS Lusitania
September 9, 1907
RMS Miowera
‘‘All-Red Route’’ Luncheon aboard the RMS Miowera
November 3, 1896
RMS Orontes
Luncheon Crossing the Equator, SS Orontes
March 29, 1937
RMS Queen Elizabeth
Breakfast at Sea RMS Queen Elizabeth
March 24, 1953
RMS Saxonia
Cornell Students Dine aboard RMS Saxonia
RMS Saxonia
Second Cabin Tea aboard RMS Saxonia
RMS Titanic
First Dinner, RMS Titanic
SS New York
Dinner aboard Steamship SS New York
June 29, 1924 August 31, 1910 April 2, 1912 January 7, 1866
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List of Menus by Country SS Port Victoria
Menu for the Indisposed aboard the SS Fort Victoria
November 25, 1928
SS Abangarez
Dinner for Peace and Goodwill Mission, SS Abangarez, Puerto Barrios, Guatemala
April 8, 1929
SS America
Columbus Day Dinner aboard the SS America
October 12, 1962
SS Colon
Lunch En Route to the Canal Zone aboard the SS Colon
July 27, 1908
SS Great Western
Daily Bill of Fare aboard the SS Great Western
August 29, 1844
SS Hamburg
Breakfast at Sea, SS Hamburg
July 8, 1936
SS Imperator
Dinner aboard the Pride of the Fleet, RMS Imperator
SS Ko¨nigin Luise
Lunch at Sea, SS Ko¨nigin Luise
SS Lahn
Dinner at Sea, SS Lahn
July 16, 1900
SS Lurline
Luncheon at Sea, SS Lurline
June 10, 1939
SS Majestic
Dinner at Sea, Tourist Class RMS Majestic
March 13, 1928
SS Majestic
‘‘Menu for Jews’’ aboard the SS Majestic
September 28, 1929
SS Matsonia
Victory Dinner aboard the SS Matsonia
August 15, 1945
SS Megantic
Luncheon aboard a World War I Troop Ship, SS Megantic, En Route from Alexandria, Egypt, to Marseilles
August 11, 1916
SS New York
Dinner at Sea, SS New York
March 10, 1928
SS Prince Rupert
Dinner at Sea, SS Prince Rupert
March 14, 1922
SS Prussian
Breakfast at Sea, SS Prussian
SS Strathaird
Children’s Meals aboard the SS Strathaird
SS Zeeland
Dinner aboard an Immigrant Ship, SS Zeeland
August 4, 1920 August 28, 1905
May 6, 1875 September 12, 1957 August 10, 1907
Steamer Clyde Dining aboard a West India Steamer, SS Clyde, Barbados
November 24, 1847
TSS Kedmah
Dinner aboard the First ‘‘Hebrew’’ Ship, TSS Kedmah
September 2, 1947
USMS Philadelphia
Dinner aboard a U.S. Mail Ship, USMS Philadelphia
July 15, 1913
England
Soviet Leaders Luncheon aboard the Train to Portsmouth
April 27, 1956
France
French President Lunches aboard a Luxury Train
May 31, 1925
On Train
List of Menus by Country The Ex-King’s first meal in exile, Pullman Train United States
December 12, 1936
Breakfast on the ‘‘42nd Street Special,’’ Chicago to Los Angeles by Rail
March 15, 1933
Meals in the Pullman Dining Car, in the Funeral Train of President William McKinley
September 18, 1901
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List of Menus by Occasion Club/Society/Institute/Company Meal October 28, 1478
England
Dinner of the Worshipful Company of Wax Chandlers, Newcastle-upon-Tyne
August 16, 1522
England
Dinner of the Wardens of the Drapers’ Company, Home of the Master of the Company, London
March 11, 1687
England
Ironmongers’ Company Dinner, Ironmongers Hall, Fenchurch Street, London
January 30, 1710
England
Calves Head Club Annual Feast, London
October 29, 1742
England
Dinner for the Worshipful Company of Barbers and Surgeons, The Barber-Surgeons Hall, Monkwell Square, London
September 30, 1847
England
Sheriff’s Dinner, Hall of the Fishmongers’ Company, London
July 28, 1848
England
First Annual Dinner of the First Vegetarian Society of England, Manchester
September 8, 1853
United States
Temperance Banquet, Metropolitan Hall, New York
October 1, 1854
United States
Dinner in Utopia, Red Bank, Monmouth County, New Jersey
July 5, 1856
United States
Firemen’s Dinner, American Exchange Hotel, San Francisco, California
January 23, 1862
Germany
Dinner of Exotic Animals, Hamburg
December 1, 1869
England
Australian Meat Banquet, Lambeth Baths, London
December 16, 1870
United States
Chicago Press Club’s First Annual Banquet, Briggs House, Chicago, Illinois
November 30, 1871
England
Patriotic Dinner, The Freemasons’ Tavern, London
France
Banquet of the French Vegetarian Society, Rue St. Honore´, Paris
April 21, 1881 September 15, 1883
New Zealand
August 30, 1885
Norway
Masons’ Banquet to Celebrate Their New Lodge, Criterion Hotel, Taranaki Medical Conference Dinner, Bergen
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List of Menus by Occasion April 14, 1886 January 10, 1888
France United States
Stanley Club Dinner in Honor of Louis Pasteur, Continental Hotel Holland Society Annual Dinner, Hotel Brunswick, New York
December 11, 1888
England
Encyclopædia Britannica Dinner, Hall of Christ’s College, Cambridge
January 4, 1889
Canada
Second Annual Dinner of the Toronto Board of Trade, Horticultural Gardens, Toronto, Ontario
June 5, 1889
United States
September 7, 1889
Sweden
March 8, 1891 May 13, 1891
United States England
Journalists’ Dinner, Bohemian Club, San Francisco, California Dinner for the Congress of Orientalists, Stockholm Dinner Given by the ‘‘Chinese Delmonico,’’ Lenox Lyceum, New York Dinner for Nobody’s Friends, Hoˆtel Metropole, London
September 10, 1891
United States
Fat Men’s Club Clambake, Power’s Hotel, Dorlon’s Point, South Norwalk, Connecticut
October 24, 1891
Norway
Medical Dinner, Bergen
June 12, 1893
England
After-Concert Dinner, King’s College, Cambridge University, Cambridge
September 20, 1894
United States
Library-Themed Dinner for the American Library Association, Annual Conference, Grand View House, Lake Placid, New York
October 5, 1894
United States
Druggists’ Luncheon, Steamboat Sandy Hook, New York
January 17, 1895
United States
Benjamin Franklin Honored by Typothetæ, Hotel Brunswick, New York, 1895
February 5, 1895
United States
Debut Dinner at the New York Vegetarian Society’s Vegetarian Restaurant No. 1, New York
Denmark
Insurance Company Dinner, Copenhagen
October 4, 1896 February 2, 1897
United States
February 22, 1897
England
December 15, 1897
Italy
First Annual Banquet of the Founders and Patriots of America, Hotel Manhattan, New York George Washington’s Birthday Celebration, Hotel Cecil, London Piemontese Society Banquet, All Hotel Campidoglio
February 19, 1898
United States
Creole Dinner for the New Orleans Press Club, The Atheneum, New Orleans, Louisiana
March 1, 1898
United States
63rd Annual Dinner of the St. David’s Society, Hotel Savoy, New York
List of Menus by Occasion December 2, 1898
Scotland
Scottish Mountaineering Club 10th Annual Dinner, Central Hotel, Edinburgh
July 13, 1900
United States
Dinner of the Thirteen Club, Central Restaurant, New York
May 22, 1901
United States
Seafood Feast, Squantum Club, East Providence, Rhode Island
June 18, 1903
United States
‘‘Uncooked Banquet’’ Hotel Hygeia, New York
November 12, 1904
Scotland
20th Anniversary Banquet of the Scottish Geographical Society, North British Station Hotel, Edinburgh
March 31, 1906
Sri Lanka
Tiffin at the Cricket Club, Cinnamon Gardens, Colombo, Ceylon
April 3, 1907
United States
Spelling Reform Dinner, Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, New York
February 12, 1909
United States
Former Slave Attends a Republican Dinner, Lincoln Dinner, Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, New York
November 18, 1910
England
Dining on a Clock Face, Trades Hall, Leicester
October 7, 1911
United States
Esperanto Society Meeting Dinner, New England
April 30, 1913
United States
September 27, 1913
United States
Harvard Club of Boston Dinner, Hotel Somerset, Boston, Massachusetts Traffic Association Banquet, Cafe´ Nat Goodwin, Crystal Pier, Santa Monica, California
October 22, 1913
United States
January 16, 1914
England
August 20, 1914
United States
Mining Company Dinner, Calaveras Hotel, Angel’s Camp, California
April 17, 1916
United States
New York Society of Restaurateurs Dinner with ‘‘Diamond Jim’’ Brady, Terrace Garden, New York
June 14, 1916
United States
Telephone Banquet, Symphony Hall, Boston, Massachusetts
February 4, 1916
Australia
Dinner for Fox Films, Hotel Australia, Sydney
February 13, 1918
United States
YMCA Father and Son Dinner, Nyack, New York
September 19, 1918
United States
Patriotic ‘‘Hooverized’’ Dinner, Daniel’s and Fisher’s Tower, Denver
May 3, 1918
England
Women Suffragists’s Dinner, New York City ‘‘Upside-Down’’ Dinner, Royal Automobile Club, London
Dilettante Society Dinner, Grand Hotel, Trafalgar Square, London
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List of Menus by Occasion December 20, 1919
United States
Heinz Company 50th Anniversary Dinner, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
June 8, 1923
Canada
Women’s Institute Luncheon, Hotel Windsor, Alliston, Ontario
February 1, 1928
United States
December 9, 1928
France
Broadway Association Dinner to Celebrate the Dodge Brothers’ Sign, Hotel Astor, New York Firefighters Banquet, Hoˆtel de la Madeleine, Barberaz
May 16, 1929
United States
May 5, 1932
England
First Academy Awards Banquet, Blossom Room, Roosevelt Hotel, Hollywood, California ‘‘May Dinner,’’ Simpson’s on the Strand, London
August 17, 1934
United States
Henry Ford’s ‘‘All Soy’’ Dinner, Century of Progress International Exposition, Chicago, Illinois
November 22, 1934
United States
German Society 150th Anniversary Dinner, Hotel Astor, New York Portuguese Luncheon, Cafe´ Royal, London
January 15, 1935
England
January 24, 1937
United States
November 17, 1937 February 21, 1947 April 10, 1948 January 31, 1952
England France United States England
Gourmet Society Eat ‘‘Eskimo Fare,’’ Cavanagh’s, New York Humble Meal, Cafe´ Royal, London Business Dinner, Hotel Lutetia, Boulevarde Rapail, Paris Dinner for President Harry S. Truman, The Gridiron Club, Hotel Statler, Washington, DC Luncheon at the Variety Club, 35 Dover Street, London
Commemorative Event August 22, 70 BCE
Rome
An Ancient Roman Dinner
September 16, 1425
England
Induction Feast of the Bishop of Bath and Wells, The Bishop’s Palace, Wells, Somerset
September 22, 1465
England
Installation Feast of the Archbishop of York, Cawood Castle, York
September 13, 1619
England
Dinner Celebrating the Founding of Dulwich College, Camberwell, Surrey
December 22, 1769
America
First Celebration of Forefathers’ Day Dinner, Old Colony Club of Plymouth, Massachusetts
September 17, 1830
United States
Centennial Dinner, Exchange Coffee House, Boston, Massachusetts
January 25, 1882
United States
Burns Night Supper, Sutherland’s, New York
List of Menus by Occasion January 26, 1888 April 24, 1913
Australia
Centennial Banquet, Sydney, Australia, Town Hall
United States
Opening Banquet Woolworth Building, Broadway, New York
April 6, 1918
England
Anniversary Luncheon of the Entry of the United States into World War I, Mansion House, London
August 1, 1831
England
Banquet for the Official Opening of London Bridge, London
March 19, 1932
Australia
Luncheon to Celebrate Opening of Sydney Harbour Bridge RMS Maloja, Sydney Harbour
October 8, 1971
United States
Chicago Fire Centennial Anniversary Banquet, Conrad Hilton Hotel, Chicago, Illinois
October 14, 1971
Iran
October 2, 1998
United States
September 1, 1999
China
Banquet to Celebrate the Persian Empire, Persepolis Banquet for the 75th Anniversary of the Biltmore Hotel, Los Angeles, California ‘‘First State’’ Banquet, Beijing Hotel, Beijing
Daily Meal August 2, 1413 February 9, 1568
England Spain
Harvest Meals in an English Medieval Manorial Household, Acton Hall, Acton, Suffolk Archbishop’s Meals, Valencia
November 20, 1576
England
Dining with Queen Elizabeth I
December 23, 1626
England
Noble Family’s Dinner, Aldersgate Street, London
November 8, 1701
Scotland
February 18, 1749
France
Duchess of Buccleuch and Monmouth’s Table, Dalkeith Castle ˆteau de la Muette, French Royal Supper, Cha Paris
August 5, 1786
Germany
Frederick the Great’s Dinner, Sans Souci, Potsdam
March 2, 1788
Germany
Prince Ernest’s Dinner
July 24, 1788
France
May 10, 1806
United States
April 13, 1811 September 14, 1813
France England
Dining with Marie-Antoinette, Le Petit Trianon, Versailles Lewis and Clark Eat with the Nez Perce, Idaho Dinner for the Bonapartes, Tuileries Palace, Paris Jane Austen’s Dinner, Henrietta Street, Covent Garden, London
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List of Menus by Occasion January 5, 1817 July 31, 1826
Scotland France
Household of the Marquess of Tweeddale, Yester House, Gifford, East Lothian King’s Dinner
August 12, 1835
England
Daily Meals in the Poorhouse, Fishlake, Yorkshire
June 30, 1841
England
Her Majesty’s Dinner, Buckingham Palace, London
August 7, 1853
Canada
Dinner in a Wigwam, Burnt Church Point, Miramichi Bay, New Brunswick
April 18, 1861
United States
Confederate Soldier’s Dinner, Army Camp, near Pensacola, Florida
Austria
Last Meal of the Crown Prince of Austria, Royal Hunting Lodge, Mayerling
January 29, 1889 August 6, 1898
Italy
April 9, 1909
Germany
January 27, 1917
United States
January 12, 1920
England
May 14, 1933 June 15, 1933 December 12, 1936 April 11, 1941
United States
King’s Lunch, Royal Palace, Milan Emperor Wilhelm’s Lunch, Royal Palace, Berlin Diet Squad Experiment, New York Meals at Shugborough Hall, Staffordshire President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Daily Fare, The White House, Washington, DC
England
Royal Luncheon, Ascot Racecourse, Ascot, Berkshire
France
Dinner for the Duke of Windsor aboard the Zurich Express
England
Good Friday Wartime Lunch, Barrow-inFurness, Cumbria
October 9, 1947
United States
Eggless, Poultryless Meals for President Harry S. Truman, The White House, Washington, DC
April 15, 1973
United States
Week’s Menu for the First Family, The White House, Washington, DC
Dinner Party January 13, 1663
England
Samuel Pepys Gives Dinner for Friends, London
September 6, 1663
Morocco
Dinner with the Moors
January 9, 1708
England
Gentleman’s Dinner, Ockenden House, Cuckfield
January 3, 1774
America
Luxurious Dinner for the King’s Officers, Boston, Massachusetts
April 20, 1796
England
Vicar’s Dinner, East Tuddenham, Norfolk
List of Menus by Occasion February 6, 1802
United States
Dinner with President Thomas Jefferson, The White House, Washington, DC
January 22, 1848
United States
Dinner for Six Gentlemen, Revere House, Bowdoin Square, Boston, Massachusetts
April 29, 1851
England
Dinner for Ottoman Visitors, Mayor’s Residence, Winchester, England
August 27, 1855
Crimea
‘‘Great Martial Banquet Alfresco,’’ Scutari
January 19, 1864
France
Dinner for 36, Home of Alexandre Dumas, Paris
October 30, 1865
United States
Dinner with Sir Morton Peto, Delmonico’s, New York
November 16, 1875
United State
Dining with James McNeill Whistler, Chelsea, London
June 22, 1912
Antarctica
Midwinter Dinner, Winter Quarters, Commonwealth Bay, Adelie Land Dinner with a Tibetan Monk, Gyantse´, Tibet
October 27, 1936
Tibet
November 9, 1975
France
Quiet Dinner for Two in Paris, Chez Denis, Paris
December 31, 1995
France
Final Dinner Party Given by Franc¸ois Mitterand, Souston, Landes
Diplomatic/Political Meal May 9, 1676
Syria
May 25, 1816
England
Parliamentary Dinner, Carlton House, London
July 19, 1821
England
Coronation Banquet of King George IV, Westminster Hall, London
July 3, 1846
England
Dinner for Ottoman Visitors, Reform Club, London
July 9, 1851
England
Midnight Supper with Queen Victoria, Guildhall, London
April 29, 1851
England
Dinner for Ottoman Visitors, Mayor’s Residence, Winchester, England
August 21, 1863
Germany
Frankfurt Congress of Princes Banquet, Ro¨mer, Frankfurt
March 6, 1865
United States
June 7, 1867
France
July 1, 1868
Turkey
July 25, 1873
Italy
Dinner at the English Embassy, Aleppo
Abraham Lincoln’s Inauguration Ball, Patent Office, Washington, DC Dinner of the Three Emperors, Cafe´ Anglais, Paris Ottoman Sultan Entertains the French Prince, Constantinople (Istanbul) Dinner for the Shah of Persia, Royal Palace, Turin
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List of Menus by Occasion September 4, 1874
Canada
July 12, 1876
United States
Reform Democrats Hold a Crow Banquet, Detroit Opera House, Detroit, Michigan
England
Ministerial Fish Dinner, The Ship Tavern, Greenwich, London
August 14, 1878 June 24, 1879 March 20, 1893 May 26, 1893
Japan Denmark United States
Dinner for the Governor-General, The Arlington, Cobourg, Ontario
Dinner for Ulysses S. Grant, Nagasaki American Maize Banquet, Hotel King of Denmark, Copenhagen Royal and Plebeian Supper, Madison Square Garden, New York
January 11, 1898
Ethiopia
Dining with the Ras, The Royal Palace, Andracha, Abyssinia
February 26, 1902
United States
German-American Press Honors Prince Henry of Prussia, Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, New York
December 5, 1903
France
British MPs’ Dinner, Hotel Cosmopolitan, Nice
July 2, 1906
Peru
February 12, 1909
United States
Former Slave Attends a Republican Dinner, Lincoln Dinner, Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, New York
August 13, 1911
United States
Dinner for Admiral Togo Heihachiro, Knickerbocker Hotel, New York
April 22, 1914
France
Peruvian Presidential Dinner, Lima
State Dinner for King George V and Queen Mary, British Embassy, Paris
February 8, 1918
United States
January 20, 1919
France
Luncheon in Honor of U.S. President Woodrow Wilson, Luxembourg Palace, Paris
July 18, 1921
Mexico
Picnic for the Mexican President, San Luis Potosi, Mexico
January 8, 1936
United States
Whale Meat Luncheon, American Museum of Natural History, New York City
Jackson Day Dinner, Mayflower Hotel, Washington, DC
May 17, 1939
Canada
English Royals Dine in Canada, Chateau Frontenac, Quebec
October 20, 1944
England
Dinner with the British Secret Service, Claridge’s Hotel, London
February 10, 1945 June 25, 1950 October 11, 1951
Russia
Tripartite Dinner Meeting, Vorontsov Villa, Yalta, Ukraine
United States
Dinner on the Eve of the Korean War, Blair House, Washington, DC
Canada
Dinner for Princess Elizabeth, Ottowa
List of Menus by Occasion November 14, 1953
United States
Dinner given to King and Queen of Greece
June 17, 1954
United States
Lunch with the Emperor of Ethiopia, Ambassador Hotel, Los Angeles, California
April 27, 1956
England
Soviet Leaders Luncheon aboard the Train to Portsmouth
March 17, 1959
United States
St. Patrick’s Day Banquet, The White House, Washington, DC
April 5, 1960
United States
State Dinner, The White House, Washington, DC
November 13, 1961
United States
Dinner with Pablo Casals, The White House, Washington, DC
August 3, 1969
Romania
July 7, 1976
United States
February 25, 1983
England
May 30, 1988
Russia
February 24, 1999
United States
Luncheon Given by President Richard M. Nixon, Romanian State Guest House, Bucharest Bicentennial Dinner, The White House, Washington, DC Dinner with the British Prime Minister, No. 10, Downing St., London State Dinner, Hall of Facets, the Kremlin, Soviet Union State Dinner, The White House, Washington, DC
Holiday/Feast Day Meal January 6, 1552
England
January 1, 1828
Egypt
April 23, 1864
England
Twelfth Day Dinner and Supper in a Tudor Household, Ingatestone Hall, Essex New Year’s Day Meal, Kosseir Shakespeare Tercentenary Banquet, Stratfordupon-Avon
November 26, 1868
United States
December 25, 1899
England
Queen Victoria’s Christmas Dinner
Antarctica
Midwinter Dinner, Winter Quarters, Commonwealth Bay, Adelie Land
June 22, 1912 November 23, 1967
Vietnam
Thanksgiving on the Plains, Camp Supply, Oklahoma
Thanksgiving Day Dinner aboard YRBM 16, Ben Tre
Hotel and Restaurant Fare February 3, 1796
France
February 15, 1823
United States
Postrevolutionary Meal, Havre de Grace Exotic Menu for New York Epicures, The Bank Coffee House, New York
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List of Menus by Occasion October 10, 1838
United States
International Lunch Menu, International Casino, Times Square, New York
February 27, 1847
United States
Dinner at a ‘‘Gentlemen’s Ordinary,’’ Brown’s Hotel, Washington, DC
October 1, 1854
United States
Dinner in Utopia, Red Bank, Monmouth County, New Jersey
March 16, 1858
United States
Bill of Fare, Virginia Hotel, St. Louis
June 1, 1860
United States
Willard Hotel Bill of Fare, Washington, DC
December 8, 1860
United States
December 29, 1878
France
Fashionable Hotel Dinner, Fifth Avenue Hotel, New York Sunday Lunch in Paris, Le Grand Hoˆtel, Paris
December 24, 1885
Scotland
Englishmen’s Dinner, Queen’s Hotel, Dundee
France
Eight-Franc Dinner, Grand Hotel, Boulevarde des Capucins, Paris
May 11, 1887 October 17, 1888
United States
Hotel Supper, New Denison Hotel, Indianapolis, Indiana
May 29, 1892
United States
Sunday Dinner, Hotel Emery, Cincinnati, Ohio
November 19, 1892
United States
Annual Game Dinner, Grand Pacific Hotel, Chicago, Illinois
March 22, 1899
England
July 23, 1906 April 25, 1907
United States Japan
Fine Dining Experience, Verrey’s Restaurant, Regent Street, London Luncheon after the Fire, Hotel St. Francis, San Francisco, California Japanese Tiffin, Fujiya Hotel, Miyanoshita
September 25, 1907
Austria
Hotel Dinner, Hoˆtel Hochschneeberg, Schneeberg
December 26, 1907
England
Elegant Dinner, Empire Hotel, Bath
June 27, 1908
Scotland
Breakfast at Central Station Hotel, Glasgow
August 25, 1911
Canada
Hotel Dinner, Grand Hotel, Yarmouth, Nova Scotia
August 19, 1912
England
Hotel Breakfast, Exchange Station Hotel, Liverpool
November 7, 1919
Japan
Dinner by Numbers, Grand Hotel, Yokohama
November 11, 1919
United States
Staff Meals, Hotel Pennsylvania, New York
December 27, 1920
United States
Blackhawk Restaurant, Chicago
List of Menus by Occasion April 1, 1931
Mexico
One-Dollar Lunch, Hotel Agua Caliente, Tijuana
December 6, 1933
United States
Repeal Dinner, Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, New York
June 21, 1937 February 20, 1943 December 13, 1943 May 8, 1945 July 20, 1952
Indonesia
Dinner with Amelia Earhart, Hotel Grand Preanger, Bandung (Bandoeng), Batavia
United States
Wartime Luncheon, Stork Club, New York
India
Catering Menu, Calcutta
England
VE Day Dinner, Simpson’s-in-the-Strand, London
Japan
International Meal, Imperial Hotel, Tokyo
August 23, 1956
United States
Luncheon Specials of the Day, MGM Studios, Culver City, California
October 18, 1959
United States
Snacking at the Siesta Drive-In Movie Theater, Sarasota, Florida
September 11, 1919
Airship R.33
Day’s Meals aboard an Airship, R.33, En Route from Norfolk, England, to Amsterdam
October 3, 1953
KLM Flight
Dinner on the Inaugural Flight, Super Constellation, KLM Airlines
In-Flight Meal
April 12, 1961 July 21, 1969 January 21, 1976
Space
First Meal in Space, Vostok 1
Moon
Dining in Space
Concorde
Luncheon En Route from London to Bahrain during the Inaugural Flight of the Concorde
England
Queen’s Guard Dinner, St. James’ Palace, London
Military Meal March 23, 1855 April 18, 1861
United States
Confederate Soldier’s Dinner, Army Camp, near Pensacola, Florida
March 21, 1871
New Zealand
Dinner for the Rifle Volunteers, Auckland
October 25, 1882
England
Dinner for the Royal Horse Guards, Town Hall, Holborn, London
March 4, 1894
United States
Irish Revolutionary Veterans Dinner, Central Opera House, East Sixty-Seventh Street, New York
March 7, 1895
United States
Dinner for the New York Association of Union Prisoners, Murray Hill Lyceum, New York City
March 5, 1900
Australia
Dinner for the Bushmen’s Corps, Adelaide
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List of Menus by Occasion Outdoor Meal August 26, 1825
Switzerland
September 21, 1842
United States
August 7, 1853
Canada
Dinner in a Wigwam, Burnt Church Point, Miramichi Bay, New Brunswick
August 27, 1855
Crimea
‘‘Great Martial Banquet Alfresco,’’ Scutari
Switzerland
Dinner on the Mountain, The Aletschhorn
November 26, 1868
United States
Thanksgiving on the Plains, Camp Supply, Oklahoma
September 26, 1871
United States
Dinner Out Hunting with Buffalo Bill, near Fort McPherson, Nebraska
June 11, 1939
United States
Picnic for the English Royals, ‘‘Springwood,’’ Hyde Park, New York
July 17, 1859
Breakfast and Dinner on Mont Blanc Daily Diet of the ‘‘American Pedestrian,’’ Cambridge Park Trotting Course, Boston
Personal/Family Celebration May 28, 1368
Italy
Wedding Feast, Milan
June 4, 1469
Italy
Medici Wedding Feast, Palazzo Medici, Florence
January 2, 1682
England
Christening Feast, Cockley Cley, Norfolk
June 6, 1699
England
Wedding Supper
May 21, 1753
England
A Wedding Feast, Bishopwearmouth, Durham
April 19, 1770
Wales
Coming-of-Age Party, Wynnstay Hall, Denbighshire
July 22, 1896
England
Royal Wedding Breakfast, Buckingham Palace, London
April 26, 1923
England
Royal Wedding Breakfast, Buckingham Palace, London
May 1, 1967
United States
July 29, 1981
England
Elvis Presley’s Wedding, Aladdin Hotel, Las Vegas Royal Wedding Breakfast for Prince Charles and Lady Diana, Buckingham Palace, London, England
President/Prime Minister Meal February 6, 1802
United States
Dinner with President Thomas Jefferson, The White House, Washington, DC
March 6, 1865
United States
Abraham Lincoln’s Inauguration Ball, Patent Office, Washington, DC
July 2, 1906 April 22, 1914
Peru France
Peruvian Presidential Dinner, Lima State Dinner for King George V and Queen Mary, British Embassy, Paris
List of Menus by Occasion January 20, 1919
France
Luncheon in Honor of U.S. President Woodrow Wilson, Luxembourg Palace, Paris
July 18, 1921
Mexico
Picnic for the Mexican President, San Luis Potosi, Mexico
May 14, 1933
United States
President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Daily Fare, The White House, Washington, DC
January 8, 1936
United States
Jackson Day Dinner, Mayflower Hotel, Washington, DC
June 11, 1939
United States
Picnic for the English Royals, ‘‘Springwood,’’ Hyde Park, New York
October 9, 1947
United States
Eggless, Poultryless Meals for President Harry S. Truman, The White House, Washington, DC
April 10, 1948
United States
Dinner for President Harry S. Truman, The Gridiron Club, Hotel Statler, Washington, DC Dinner to Honor President Juan Pero´n, Alvear Palace Hotel, Buenos Aires, Argentina
December 18, 1948 April 27, 1956
Argentina England
Soviet Leaders Luncheon aboard the Train to Portsmouth
March 17, 1959
United States
St. Patrick’s Day Banquet, The White House, Washington, DC
April 5, 1960
United States
State Dinner, The White House, Washington, DC
November 13, 1961
United States
Dinner with Pablo Casals, The White House, Washington, DC
August 3, 1969
Romania
October 14, 1971
Iran
Luncheon Given by President Richard M. Nixon, Romanian State Guest House, Bucharest Banquet to Celebrate the Persian Empire, Persepolis
April 15, 1973
United States
Week’s Menu for the First Family, The White House, Washington, DC
July 7, 1976
United States
Bicentennial Dinner, The White House, Washington, DC
February 25, 1983
England
Dinner with the British Prime Minister, No. 10, Downing St., London
February 24, 1999
United States
State Dinner, The White House, Washington, DC
United States
Meals in the Pullman Dining Car, in the Funeral Train of President William McKinley
Railway Meal September 18, 1901 May 31, 1925 March 15, 1933
France United States
French President Lunches aboard a Luxury Train Breakfast on the ‘‘42nd Street Special,’’ Chicago to Los Angeles by Rail
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List of Menus by Occasion Religious Occasion February 23, 1421
England
Coronation Feast of Queen Catherine, Westminster Hall, London
December 4, 1424
England
Funeral Feast of the Bishop of Bath and Wells, Bishop’s Palace, Wells, Somerset
September 16, 1425
England
Induction Feast of the Bishop of Bath and Wells, The Bishop’s Palace, Wells, Somerset
September 22, 1465
England
Installation Feast of the Archbishop of York, Cawood Castle, York
March 9, 1504
England
Inthronization Feast of the Archbishop of Canterbury, The Archbishop’s Palace, Canterbury
April 4, 1828
France
Good Friday Dinner, Tuileries, Paris
September 3, 1858
Ireland
Cardinal’s ‘‘Fast,’’ Dundalk
July 11, 1883
United States
May 4, 1907
England
September 28, 1929
SS Majestic
‘‘Menu for Jews’’ aboard the SS Majestic
England
Good Friday Wartime Lunch, Barrow-inFurness, Cumbria
September 23, 1387
England
Feast for King Richard II, Durham House, London
October 13, 1399
England
Coronation Feast of King Henry IV, Great Hall of Westminster, London
February 23, 1421
England
Coronation Feast of Queen Catherine, Westminster Hall, London
November 6, 1429
England
Coronation Feast of King Henry VI, Great Hall of Westminster, London
February 16, 1476
Italy
Banquet to Honor Neopolitan Princes, Florence
July 6, 1483
England
April 11, 1941
Trefa Banquet, Highland House, Cincinnati, Ohio Kosher Banquet, London
Royal Meal
June 19, 1549
France
Coronation Feast of King Richard III, Westminster Hall, London Banquet for Queen Catherine, Bishop’s Palace, Paris
November 20, 1576
England
Dining with Queen Elizabeth I
August 18, 1617
England
King James I’s Breakfast, Hoghton Tower, Preston, Lancashire
August 9, 1652
France
Dinner to Honor the Prince de Conde
List of Menus by Occasion September 5, 1687 March 28, 1690
England France
January 28, 1698
England
February 18, 1749
France
September 29, 1757
France
August 5, 1786
Germany
October 23, 1787
France
July 24, 1788
France
Ambigu for King James II, Bodley Library, Oxford University, Oxford Dinner for the Duke of Orle´ans Peter the Great Dines at The King’s Arms, Godalming, Surrey ˆteau de la Muette, French Royal Supper, Cha Paris ˆteau de Choisy Supper with the King, Cha Frederick the Great’s Dinner, Sans Souci, Potsdam ˆteau ‘‘Thousand and One Nights’’ Dinner, Cha de Bellevue Dining with Marie-Antoinette, Le Petit Trianon, Versailles
March 2, 1788
Germany
April 13, 1811
France
Dinner for the Bonapartes, Tuileries Palace, Paris
January 18, 1817
England
Prince Regent of England Entertains the Archduke of Russia, Royal Pavilion, Brighton
July 19, 1821
England
Coronation Banquet of King George IV, Westminster Hall, London
August 24, 1821
Scotland
King George IV’s Visit to Scotland, Great Hall of Parliament House, Edinburgh
July 31, 1826
France
Prince Ernest’s Dinner
King’s Dinner
June 30, 1841
England
Her Majesty’s Dinner, Buckingham Palace, London
July 3, 1846
England
Dinner for Ottoman Visitors, Reform Club, London
July 9, 1851
England
Midnight Supper with Queen Victoria, Guildhall, London
November 27, 1866
France
Dinner at the Court of Napoleon III, Paris
June 7, 1867
France
Dinner of the Three Emperors, Cafe´ Anglais, Paris
July 1, 1868
Turkey
Ottoman Sultan Entertains the French Prince, Constantinople (Istanbul)
July 25, 1873
Italy
June 13, 1885 January 29, 1889
Dinner for the Shah of Persia, Royal Palace, Turin
Germany
King Ludwig’s Dinner, Hunting Lodge, the Tirol
Austria
Last Meal of the Crown Prince of Austria, Royal Hunting Lodge, Mayerling
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List of Menus by Occasion May 26, 1893
United States
July 22, 1896
England
Royal and Plebeian Supper, Madison Square Garden, New York Royal Wedding Breakfast, Buckingham Palace, London
May 15, 1896
Russia
Coronation Banquet for Nicholas II, Kremlin
July 26, 1897
Maha-Chakri
Lunch aboard the Royal Yacht Maha-Chakri, Copenhagen
August 6, 1898
Italy
King’s Lunch, Royal Palace, Milan
December 25, 1899
England
Queen Victoria’s Christmas Dinner
March 26, 1901
HMS Ophir
May 27, 1908
France
April 9, 1909
Germany
Grand Dinner Given by the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall aboard HMS Ophir, Malta Dinner for the Norwegian Royals, Elyse´e Palace, Paris Emperor Wilhelm’s Lunch, Royal Palace, Berlin
March 18, 1902
Spain
Dinner for the New King, Alfonso XIII, Royal Palace, Madrid
April 22, 1914
France
State Dinner for King George V and Queen Mary, British Embassy, Paris
December 30, 1916
Hungary
Coronation Banquet for the Last Ruler of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Budapest
April 26, 1923
England
Royal Wedding Breakfast, Buckingham Palace, London
June 15, 1933
England
Royal Luncheon, Ascot Racecourse, Ascot, Berkshire
December 12, 1936
France
November 21, 1938
France
Dinner for the Duke of Windsor aboard the Zurich Express ˆteau Lunch with the King of Romania, Cha Rambouillet
May 17, 1939
Canada
English Royals Dine in Canada, Chateau Frontenac, Quebec
June 11, 1939
United States
Picnic for the English Royals, ‘‘Springwood,’’ Hyde Park, New York
February 17, 1947
South Africa
British Royals Dine at Mount Nelson Hotel, Capetown
October 11, 1951
Canada
Dinner for Princess Elizabeth, Ottowa
June 2, 1953
England
Coronation Dinner, Westminster Abbey, London
November 14, 1953
United States
Dinner given to King and Queen of Greece
October 14, 1971
Iran
Banquet to Celebrate the Persian Empire, Persepolis
List of Menus by Occasion July 29, 1981
March 3, 1997
England
Royal Wedding Breakfast for Prince Charles and Lady Diana, Buckingham Palace, London, England
HMY Britannia Final Voyage of the HMY Britannia, Karachi
School/Hospital/Prison Meal September 13, 1619
England
Dinner Celebrating the Founding of Dulwich College, Camberwell, Surrey
November 4, 1829
England
Common Hospital Diet, Devon and Exeter Hospital
August 12, 1835
England
Daily Meals in the Poorhouse, Fishlake, Yorkshire
November 2, 1847
United States
Dinner with Emily Dickinson, Mount Holyoke Female Seminary, South Hadley, Massachusetts
May 2, 1900
United States
Dinner at the Sanitarium, Battle Creek, Michigan
January 14, 1901
England
Mallard Night Feast, All Souls’ College, Oxford
May 19, 1911
United States
Prison Menu for a Week, Indiana State Prison
December 14, 1920
United States
Hospital Fare, St. Luke’s Hospital, Chicago, Illinois
September 24, 1928
United States
Prison Dinner, Leavenworth State Penitentiary, Kansas
Shipboard Meal July 10, 1675 HMS Assistance Officers’ Dinner at Sea, HMS Assistance, near Gibraltar March 25, 1842 August 29, 1844
United States
Charles Dickens Eats aboard an American Canal Boat
SS Great Western Daily Bill of Fare aboard the SS Great Western
November 24, 1847
Steamer Clyde
Dining aboard a West India Steamer, SS Clyde, Barbados
March 12, 1853
Robert F. Ward
Antebellum Riverboat Menu, Robert F. Ward, Mississippi River
November 5, 1855 June 3, 1856
Clipper Ringleader
Dinner aboard a Clipper Ship Ringleader
Champion of the Meal aboard a Clipper Ship En Route to Seas Melbourne, Australia
January 7, 1866
SS New York
Dinner aboard Steamship SS New York
May 6, 1875
SS Prussian
Breakfast at Sea, SS Prussian
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List of Menus by Occasion October 5, 1894
United States
Druggists’ Luncheon, Steamboat Sandy Hook, New York
November 3, 1896
RMS Miowera
‘‘All-Red Route’’ Luncheon aboard the RMS Miowera
July 26, 1897
Maha-Chakri
Lunch aboard the Royal Yacht Maha-Chakri, Copenhagen
July 16, 1900
SS Lahn
March 26, 1901 August 28, 1905 August 10, 1907
HMS Ophir
Dinner at Sea, SS Lahn Grand Dinner Given by the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall aboard HMS Ophir, Malta
SS Ko¨nigin Luise Lunch at Sea, SS Ko¨nigin Luise SS Zeeland
September 9, 1907
RMS Lusitania
July 27, 1908
SS Colon
Dinner aboard an Immigrant Ship, SS Zeeland Maiden Voyage Dinner aboard the RMS Lusitania Lunch En Route to the Canal Zone aboard the SS Colon
August 31, 1910
RMS Saxonia
Second Cabin Tea aboard RMS Saxonia
April 2, 1912
RMS Titanic
First Dinner, RMS Titanic
July 15, 1913
USMS Philadelphia
Dinner aboard a U.S. Mail Ship, USMS Philadelphia
August 11, 1916
SS Megantic
Luncheon aboard a World War I Troop Ship, SS Megantic, En Route from Alexandria, Egypt, to Marseilles
August 4, 1920
SS Imperator
Dinner aboard the Pride of the Fleet, RMS Imperator
April 28, 1921 March 14, 1922 June 29, 1924 November 25, 1928
RMS Aquitania Lunch at Sea, RMS Aquitania SS Prince Rupert Dinner at Sea, SS Prince Rupert RMS Saxonia
Cornell Students Dine aboard RMS Saxonia
SS Port Victoria’’ Menu for the Indisposed aboard the SS Fort Victoria
March 10, 1928
SS New york
Dinner at Sea, SS New York
March 13, 1928
SS Majestic
Dinner at Sea, Tourist Class RMS Majestic
SS Abangarez
Dinner for Peace and Goodwill Mission, SS Abangarez, Puerto Barrios, Guatemala
April 8, 1929 September 28, 1929
SS Majestic
‘‘Menu for Jews’’ aboard the SS Majestic
August 8, 1932
Chojo Maru
Breakfast aboard a Japanese Ship, MS Chojo Maru
List of Menus by Occasion July 8, 1936
SS Hamburg
Breakfast at Sea, SS Hamburg
March 29, 1937
RMS Orontes
Luncheon Crossing the Equator, SS Orontes
June 10, 1939 May 7, 1940
SS Lurline
Luncheon at Sea, SS Lurline
HT Queen Mary Officers’ Luncheon, HT Queen Mary
August 15, 1945
SS Matsonia
Victory Dinner aboard the SS Matsonia
September 2, 1947
TSS Kedmah
Dinner aboard the First ‘‘Hebrew’’ Ship, TSS Kedmah
March 24, 1953
RMS Queen Elizabeth
September 12, 1957
SS Strathaird
October 12, 1962
SS America
Columbus Day Dinner aboard the SS America
QE II
Lunch En Route to the Falkland Islands, RMS Queen Elizabeth 2
May 12, 1982 March 3, 1997
Breakfast at Sea RMS Queen Elizabeth Children’s Meals aboard the SS Strathaird
HMY Britannia Final Voyage of the HMY Britannia, Karachi
Social Event June 4, 1469
Italy
November 1, 1624
England
August 9, 1652 September 6, 1663 April 19, 1770
France Morocco Wales
Medici Wedding Feast, Palazzo Medici, Florence All Hallow’s Day Dinner, New College, Oxford Dinner to Honor the Prince de Conde Dinner with the Moors Coming-of-Age Party, Wynnstay Hall, Denbighshire
December 3, 1782
England
October 21, 1787
France
All-Potato Dinner Les Invalides, Paris
November 28, 1809
France
Gourmet’s Dinner, Rocher de Cancale, Rue Montorgeuil, Paris
November 10, 1828
England
Lord Mayor’s Dinner, Guildhall
June 28, 1838
England
Coronation Dinner for the Poor, St. Martin-inthe-Fields, London
May 22, 1901
United States
Tithe-Audit Dinner, Weston Longville, Norfolk
Seafood Feast, Squantum Club, East Providence, Rhode Island
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List of Menus by Occasion April 24, 1913 March 30, 1851
United States Egypt
Opening Banquet Woolworth Building, Broadway, New York Dinner in a Harem, Thebes
May 18, 1853
England
American Banquet in England, Star and Garter, Richmond
July 5, 1856
United States
Firemen’s Dinner, American Exchange Hotel, San Francisco, California
February 7, 1860
United States
Mormon Ball, Social Hall, Salt Lake City, Utah
April 7, 1865
United States
Cooking Class Dinner, Cooking Academy, Fourth Avenue, New York
October 26, 1867
France
French Exhibition Banquet, Hotel du Louvre, Paris
December 19, 1867
England
Horsemeat Banquet, London
October 6, 1876
United States
Remarkable Fish Banquet, Lafayette Restaurant, Centennial Grounds, Philadelphia
December 17, 1877
United States
Whittier Banquet, Hotel Brunswick, Boston, Massachusetts
February 28, 1886
Panama
Banquet in Honor of Ferdinand de Lesseps
June 9, 1890
Scotland
Banquet for Henry Morton Stanley, Waterloo Rooms, Edinburgh
September 10, 1891
United States
Fat Men’s Club Clambake, Power’s Hotel, Dorlon’s Point, South Norwalk, Connecticut
November 19, 1892
United States
Annual Game Dinner, Grand Pacific Hotel, Chicago, Illinois
June 12, 1893
England
After-Concert Dinner, King’s College, Cambridge University, Cambridge
December 7, 1894
United States
Dinner with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Aldine Club, 75 Fifth Avenue, New York
April 16, 1897
United States
Testimonial Banquet for Boxer Robert Fitzsimmons, Hotel Bartholdi, New York
November 29, 1897
United States
Double Thanksgiving, Maison Tortoni, Seattle, Washington
October 15, 1898
France
Banquet for the Commissioner General, Hotel Continental, Paris
February 11, 1899
United States
‘‘Gotham’s Costliest Banquet,’’ Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, New York
May 23, 1899
United States
Harriman Expedition Dinner, En Route to Seattle, Washington
July 4, 1899
United States
Independence Day Dinner, Park House, Mt. Clemens, Michigan
List of Menus by Occasion February 14, 1901
United States
Valentine’s Day Dinner, Sherry’s, New York
December 10, 1901
Sweden
First Nobel Prize Banquet, Hall of Mirrors, Grand Hotel, Stockholm
June 26, 1902
England
British Empire Breakfast, North Pole, Dartford, London
June 23, 1908
United States
Yale Reunion Dinner, Bishop’s Colonnade, Savin Rock, West Haven, Connecticut
October 16, 1912
Canada
Tribute Dinner for a Cow, Red Deer, Alberta
October 31, 1913
England
Dinner for the Palace Workmen, King’s Hall Restaurant, Holborn, London Dinner for the American Ambulance, Lyce´e Pasteur, Neuilly-sur-Seine
July 14, 1916
France
June 20, 1919
England
Dinner for the Transatlantic Air-Race Winners, Savoy Hotel, London
December 21, 1911
England
‘‘Pease and Pork Dinner,’’ Livery House, Bristol
December 28, 1919
Canada
Queen Victoria Diamond Jubilee Ball, Toronto City Armouries, Toronto
October 19, 1927
United States
May 24, 1933
England
Testimonial Dinner for Charles Lindbergh, Hotel Chelsea, Atlantic City, New Jersey Empire Day Luncheon, Junior Carlton Club, London
November 15, 1936
United States
Gilbert and Sullivan Dinner, Park Central Hotel, New York
July 30, 1938
United States
Banquet Honoring Howard Hughes, Rice Hotel, Houston, Texas
October 20, 1944 March 27, 1957
England
Dinner with the British Secret Service, Claridge’s Hotel, London
France
Gay Rugby Dinner, Hotel Lutetia, Paris
May 20, 1992
United States
Banquet of Insects, Explorer’s Club, New York
June 16, 1999
South Africa
A Banquet to Nelson Mandela, Pretoria
Vegetarian Meal July 28, 1848
England
September 8, 1853
United States
Temperance Banquet, Metropolitan Hall, New York
France
Banquet of the French Vegetarian Society, Rue St. Honore´, Paris
April 21, 1881
First Annual Dinner of the First Vegetarian Society of England, Manchester
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List of Menus by Occasion February 5, 1895
United States
Debut Dinner at the New York Vegetarian Society’s Vegetarian Restaurant No. 1, New York
June 18, 1903
United States
‘‘Uncooked Banquet’’ Hotel Hygeia, New York
August 17, 1934
United States
Henry Ford’s ‘‘All Soy’’ Dinner, Century of Progress International Exposition, Chicago, Illinois
July July 1 Ottoman Sultan Entertains the French Prince Constantinople (Istanbul), Turkey, 1868 Prince Napole´on-Jerome Bonaparte (1822–1891) was close adviser to his cousin Napoleon III and in 1852 was named heir-presumptive of the Second Empire. In 1868 he traveled to Turkey and was entertained at a sumptuous dinner by the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, Abdu ¨ laziz (1830–1876). Banquets held by the royal and imperial courts of many Eastern and Asian countries at this time appeared to look to European cuisine as the gold standard of diplomatic dining—at least when a European dignitary was the honored guest. On this occasion the dinner was a real mix of French and Turkish dishes (or at least dishes named that way), although the order of service was quite European. ` la Reine Potage a * BEUREQ ` la Turque Poissons a Filet de boeuf Godard ` l’Orientale Poulets nouveaux a ˆtelettes d’Agneau aux petits—pois Co * HIAR DOMASSY * Homard en Belle Vue Asperges Bouillies, sauce au beurre * PUNCH A LA ROMAINE * ˆtis au jus Dindonneaux ro * PILAW * Visnali ekmek Gele´e mace´doine de fruits Faouk-gheuksu
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July 1
Ottoman Sultan Entertains the French Prince
Several of the classic French dishes with their classic garnishes are here, ` la Reine, fillet of beef a ` la Godard, lobster en Bellevue, and such as Potage a the ubiquitous punch Romaine. Two more are given French-styled names ` la Turque’’ and the chicken that are a nod to the host country—the fish ‘‘a ` l’Orientale.’’ Interspersed with these are the bo ` re`k (savory pas‘‘a ¨rek or bu tries), pilaf (pilau), and vis¸neli-ekmek (a sweet bread with cherries). The Sultan perhaps wanted to show his sophistication and knowledge of European cuisine as well as demonstrate his own culture to his guest. Pilau (see March 30) is a rice-based staple dish common in the East. Rice is the basis of Eastern cuisine as bread is in the West, and—like the other ricebased dishes of risotto, paella, and biryani—it is capable of infinite variation from peasant staple to aristocratic art form, depending on the circumstances. The fromage glace´ (iced cheese) sounds odd but is essentially ice cream. In the words of a Sporting Magazine correspondent in 1812 ‘‘fromage at Paris is a lax term for any substance compressed. Thus a fromage d’Italie is a Bologna sausage and a fromage glace´ is a kind of ice’’ (see April 4)
Stewarding for the Sultan The food for the Sultan is cooked by one man and his aids, and none others touch it. It is cooked in silver vessels, and when done each kettle is sealed by a slip of paper and a stamp, and this is broken in the presence by the High Chamberlain, who takes one spoonful of each separate kettle before the Sultan tastes it. This is to prevent the Sultan’s being poisoned. The food is almost always served up to the Sultan in the same vessels in which it was cooked, and these are often of gold, but when of baser metal the kettle is set into a rich golden bell-shaped holder, the handle of which is held by a slave while the Sultan eats. Each kettle is a course, and is served with bread and a kind of pancake, which is held on a golden tray by another slave. It requires just twice as many slaves as there are courses to serve a dinner to him. . . . The Sultan never uses a plate. He takes all his food direct from the little kettles, and never uses a table and rarely a knife or fork. A spoon, his bread or pancake or fingers are far handier. The whole household is at liberty to take meals where it suits him or her best, and thus everyone is served with a small tray, with a spoon, with a great chunk of bread, and the higher ones only get the pancakes.
The New York Herald, quoted inThe Steward’s Handbook by Jessup Whitehead (1903).
Recipes ~~~ The first two recipes are taken from the first book of Turkish recipes to be published in English—the Turkish Cookery Book: A Collection of Receipts, Cmpiled by Turabi Efendi, from the Bst Turkish Authorities—in 1862.
July 1
Ottoman Sultan Entertains the French Prince
` ghi [Boureq] Tu`rk Bu`re Put on the dresser a pound of flour, make a hole in the centre, in which put a teaspoonful of salt, break in two eggs, mix all together; then add sufficient water, and form it a softish flexible paste, divide it in two, and roll them out the size of the baking tin you intend to use; then sprinkle some melted fresh butter over, and fold over the edges of the paste so as to hide the butter; throw a little flour both under and over, and roll them out again as before, repeat the same five or six times more; then butter the baking tin, in which lay the two pieces of paste; then lay any preparation you choose all over it, half an inch thick, an cover it with the other paste; then make about fifteen deep holes in the paste here and there with the point of a knife, and bake it a nice brown on both sides. When done, cut it in diamonds, dish up tastefully, and serve hot.
` ghi [Visnali ekmek] Vishna` Ekme Put a pound of loaf sugar into a stewpan with a pint of water, put it on the fire. When boiling, skim it, then add two pounds of morella cherries with the stalks taken off and the stones taken out, stir with a wooden spoon, and boil them down until getting tender; then cut two French penny rolls lengthwise in eight slices, put the yolks of two eggs in a basin, with eight tablespoonfuls of milk, and beat it up well; dip quickly each slice in it, and fry till a nice colour on both sides in hot fresh butter. When all done, lay them in a convenient pie dish, then put the cherries over with the syrup; if you find the syrup too thick, add a little water, set it on a moderate charcoal fire, and let it simmer until the syrup is absorbed, then serve.
Roman Punch, No. 1 Grate the yellow rind of four lemons and two oranges upon two pounds of loaf sugar. Squeeze the juice of the lemons and oranges; cover it and let it stand until next day. Strain it through a sieve, mix with the sugar; add a bottle of champagne and the whites of eight eggs beaten to a froth. It may be frozen or not, as desired. For winter use snow instead of ice.
Roman Punch, No. 2 Make two quarts of lemonade, rich with pure juice lemon fruit; add one tablespoon of extract of lemon. Work well and freeze; just before serving, add for each quart of ice half a pint of brandy and half a pint of Jamaica rum. Mix well and serve in high glasses, as this makes what is called a semi or half ice. It is usually served at dinners as a coup de milieu. Mrs. F. L. Gillette and Hugo Zieman, The White House Cook Book (1903).
Pilau: see March 30. ` la Reine: see February 17. Potage a Gele´e mace´doine de fruits: see May 13.
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July 2
Peruvian Presidential Dinner
July 2 Peruvian Presidential Dinner Lima, Peru, 1906 The President of Peru, Jose´ Pardo y Barreda (1864–1947) was honored at a dinner in Lima in 1906. The occasion is not specified on the menu, but the dinner demonstrates the generic nature of diplomatic cuisine. There are no Peruvian, or any other South American specialties here. Both the language and the style of dishes are French—the international standard of banquet cuisine at this time. Frivolites Assorties Galantine de Dindoneau a la Gelee Alouettes Lucullus Filet de Boeuf Sauce Madeire Aspic de Foie Gras Dindoneau Rotis Truffe Petites Salade a la Russe Dessert Assortis Fruits de Saison * Xeres Rhin Champagne Frappe´
There are two dishes worth highlighting at this dinner. Alouettes are larks —tiny songbirds common in European gardens. They are now protected, but until recent times were much prized by gourmets for their delicate flesh. Small birds seem to be eaten in two situations. The resourceful poor have always eaten whatever they can pick or snare, including ‘‘pests’’ such as the sparrow and the rook. The palate-jaded wealthy, on the other hand have always gone to extraordinary lengths to secure supplies of the rare, the fat, and the tasty such as the ortolan (see December 31) and the lark. The dish of larks as it was presented at this dinner was prepared in a particularly extravagant manner because it was styled ‘‘Lucullus’’ after the ancient Roman gourmet of that name (see November 17). ` la Russe. ‘‘Russian’’ style dishes The other interesting dish is the Salade a became fashionable in the second half of the nineteenth century, and borsch (see December 26) and Russian salad appear on many banquet menus. Russian salad has many variations, but most commonly it consists of chopped vegetables, with or without meat or fish, with a mayonnaise-style dressing. As with the history of many dishes, the popular theory of the origin of Russian Salad does not always fit the facts. The details of the story vary, but Russian Salad is usually said to have been invented in the 1860’s by a French Chef in Russia, by the name of Olivier—which accounts for its alternative name of Salade Olivier. The dish however appeared on the menu at the
July 3
Dinner for Ottoman Visitors
Inauguration ball of President James Buchanan in Washington in 1857. A recipe for it appears in a cookbook written in 1863 in England (see below), which would be an astonishingly short time for it to be formalised in this way if it was a new invention. Recipes ~~~ Russian Salad This is composed of cooked carrots, beetroot, parsnips, either punched or scooped in shapes, or merely cut in neatly-formed squares or oblongs; to these add common gherkins also cut, a few capers, some scraped horseradish, lobster or prawns, or ham, or any kind of meat cut up in small squares; season with mayonaise, vinegaret, or Tartar sauce; and when dished up either in a bowl or in an aspic, or cold vegetable border, garnish the surface of the salad with very small round balls of Russian caviare, to be obtained at Crosse and Blackwells, Soho-square. The Cook’s Guide and Housekeepers and Butler’s Assistant, Charles Elme´, Francatelli. 1863
Many dishes styled ‘‘Lucullan’’ contain quantities of truffles, as does the following recipe. Larks with Truffle Prepare four dozen of larks and take off the fillets; melt some butter in a saute´pan; put in the fillets like scollops, and put over them truffles cut like farthings; put into a stewpan four spoonfuls of espagnole and two of consomme´, and add the carcases or de´bris of the larks from which the gizzards have been taken, with a glass of champagne; let it stew half an hour; skim and rub it through a tammy; reduce it to half glaze; the fillets and truffles being cooked, drain off the butter, preserving the juice; put the fillets, truffles, and juice into the fumet, without allowing it to boil; toss it well, and finish with half a pat of butter. Antoine Beauvilliers, The Art of French Cookery (1827).
Sauce Madeira: see February 28. July 3 Dinner for Ottoman Visitors Reform Club, London, England, 1846 The famous Victorian chef, Alexis Soyer (1810–1858), was an expert at mass catering. He was instrumental in developing the soup kitchens of Ireland during the potato famine and improving the feeding of the ordinary soldier in the Crimea (see August 17). On July 3, 1846, however, in his role as chef
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Dinner for Ottoman Visitors
to the elite Reform Club on Pall Mall, he had a mere 200 to feed. The guests of honor who were to receive the full benefits of his creative genius were Ibrahim Pasha (1789–1848), the Viceroy of Ottoman-ruled Egypt and his retinue. It appears that money was no object on this occasion, and Soyer’s inventive powers were given free reign. FIRST SERVICE: ` la Victoria, quatre a ` la Louis Phillipe, quatre a ` la ColSeize Potages: Quatre a ` la Comte de Paris, aux legumes printaniers. bert, quatre a ` la Mazarine, quatre de saumons de Seize Poissons: Quartre de turbots, sauce a ` la creˆme, quatre de buissons de filets de merlans a ` l’Egyptienne, Severne a quatre de truites saumone´e en matelotte marinie`re. Seize Releve´s: Quatre de chapons a Nelson, quatre de saddleback of Southdown ` la Soyer, quatre de poulardes en diadeˆme, quatre de saddleback mouton roˆti a ˆti a ` la Se´vigne´. d’agneau ro ` l’Anglaise. Baron of Beef a Entre´e pagodatique de ris de Luxor. SECOND SERVICE: ` l’ambassadrice, six de Cinquante-Quatre Entre´es: Six de poussins printaniers a ` la re´form, quatre de ris de veau pique´s en Mace´doine de cotelettes de mouton a le´gumes, quatre de petits vol-au-vents aux laitances de maquereaux, quatre de timballes de riz qux queues d’agneau, quatre de jambonneau braise´es au vin ` la Russe aux le´gumes vertes, quatre de de Made`re, quatre de volailles farcies a ˆte´s chaudes de cailles a ` la banquie`re, quatre de rissolettes a ` la Pompadour, pa ` la Beyrout, six de cotolettes d’agneau a ` la quatre de grenadines de bœuf a Vicomtesse, et quatre de turbans epigramme de levereau au fume´. ˆts: Quatre de turkey poult pique´s et barde´s, quatre de cannetons au jus Seize Ro de bigarades, quatre de levereaux au jus de groseilles, et quatre de gros chapons au cresson. Cinquante-quatre Entrements: Six de gele´es de Mace´doine de fruits au Dantsie, quatre de turbans de meringues demi-glace´e, quatre de Charlotte Prussienne, ` la volie´re, six de croquantes d’amandes aux ce´rises, quatre de galantines a ` l’Indienne, quatre de salades de volaille a ` la quatre de mirotons de homard a Soyer, quatre de haricots verts au beurre noissette, six de tartelettes praline´es ` aux abricots, quatre de pain de peˆ ches au noyeau, quatre de petits pois a ` l’Ananas. l’Anglo-Francaise, et quatre de gele´es cristalise´s a ` l’Ibrahim Pasha, le ga ˆteau Britannique a ` Releve´s de Roˆts: La creˆme d’Egypte a l’amiral, quatre de jambons glace´es en surprise, quatre de manivaux de cham` la re´form, pignons au curac¸ao en surprise, quatre de cotelettes en surprise a deux de meringues Chinoise pagoda aux fraises.
July 3
Dinner for Ottoman Visitors
Soyer performed as expected and produced a meal that was ‘‘recherche´ and excellent in all its departments.’’ Two particularly novel and original dishes were singled out for exhaustive description by the press. They were pie`ces monte`es—large ornamental edible constructions reminiscent of medieval subtleties (see September 23), and Soyer’s special skill and passion. The Gateau Britannique a l’amiral was the representation of an old manof-war, filled with frozen peach mousse and fruits, and complete with English and Egyptian flags made of edible rice paper. As the meal progressed, the melting ice caused the sponge cake hull to slump into a wreck, to the amusement of many of the guests. The Cream of Egypt l’Ibrahim Pacha consisted of a pyramid of meringue ‘‘stones’’ and sheets of ‘‘waved sugar’’ two-and-ahalf-feet high, surrounded by fruit and surmounted by an elegant pineapple cream on the top of which there appeared a portrait of the Pasha’s father Mehemet Ali. The illustrious guest carefully picked up the portrait, and ‘‘after showing it to several of his suite, placed it in his bosom. What was his Highness’s astonishment however, on again looking at the spot, to observe in the cream, as under a glass, a highly-finished portrait of himself, surrounded by a very carefully-executed frame’’ (Soyer 1847). The chef was prevailed upon to share the secret of the portraits via an interpreter. In the end, ‘‘though everything was eatable in it, this magnificent dish was respected, and remained untouched until the end of the banquet, though everybody tried to partake of the fruit which surrounded it.’’ Recipes ~~~ Soyer’s signature dish was featured on this menu, as it still is at the Reform Club today. Reform Club Mutton-Cutlets For ten nicely trimmed cutlets, seasoned with salt and white pepper, mince very finely a quarter-pound of lean dressed ham; and with it mix a quarter-pound of fine bread-crumbs. Brush the cutlets with egg, and dip them into the ham and crumbs, and fry them for ten minutes in a saute-pan, in which oil to fry them has been made quite hot (if the pan will not hold the whole, keep hot those already done till the whole are finished). They should be full of gravy; serve on a border of mashed potatoes, with the bones pointing outwards, and pour plenty of ‘‘Reform Sauce’’ over the cutlets. Christian Isobel Johnstone, The Cook and Housewife’s Manual (1847).
` la Re ´ form Sauce a Cut up two middling-sized onions into thin slices and put them into a stewpan with two sprigs of parsley, two of thyme, two bay-leaves, two ounces of lean uncooked ham, half a clove of garlic, half a blade of mace, and an ounce of fresh butter; stir them ten minutes over a sharp fire, then add two tablespoonfuls of Tarragon vinegar, and one of Chili vinegar, boil it one minute; then add a pint
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July 4
Independence Day Dinner
of brown sauce, or sauce Espagnole [see January 18], three tablespoonfuls of preserved tomatoes, and eight of Consomme; place it over the fire until boiling, then put it at the corner, let it simmer ten minutes, skim it well, then place it again over the fire, keeping it stirred, and reduce until it adheres to the back of the spoon; then add a good tablespoonful of red currant jelly, and half do. of chopped mushrooms; season a little more if required with pepper and salt; stir it until the jelly is melted, then pass it through a tammie into another stewpan. When ready to serve, make it hot, and add the white of a hard-boiled egg cut into strips half an inch long, and thick in proportion, four white blanched mushrooms, one gherkin, two green Indian pickles, and half an ounce of cooked ham, or tongue, all cut in strips like the white of egg; do not let it boil afterwards. This sauce must be poured over whatever it is served with. Alexis Soyer, The Gastronomic Regenerator (1847).
Macedoine de Fruits: see May 13. July 4 Independence Day Dinner Park House, Mt. Clemens, Michigan, 1899 Commodore George Dewey (1837–1917), the man called ‘‘The Hero of Manila’’ was honored at a dinner in Michigan on the fourth of July 1899. Dewey was not present himself—he did not return from his tour of duty in the Phillipines until September of 1899—but his image, captioned with ‘‘The Hero of Manila,’’ was on the cover of the menu. Dewey had a thoroughly distinguished naval career. He destroyed the Spanish naval forces in Manila Bay during the brief Spanish-American War (April-–December 1898), without losing any of his own men in combat. According to the Navy Department Library, he is the only person in the history of the U.S. Navy to have attained the rank of Admiral of the Navy, an honor awarded to him in 1899 in recognition of his victory. LITTLE NECK CLAMS. CONSOMME, Royal, with Rice. Lettuce.
Young Onions.
Pickled Beets.
MOCK TURTLE. Gherkins.
Olives.
Tomatoes.
Cucumbers.
BAKED BLUEFISH, Fine Herbs. Potato Croquettes. BOILED OX TONGUE, with Spinach. PRIME ROAST BEEF, au Jus. ROAST TAME DUCK, Apple Sauce. SPRING LAMB, Mint Sauce.
July 4
Independence Day Dinner
ICE, a l’Orange. SOFT SHELL CRABS, Fried, Tartar Sauce. TURKEY WINGS, Fricasseed, with Peas. CHARLOTTE OF APPLES, Wine Sauce. Green Peas.
Fried Eggplant.
Mashed Potatoes. WATERCRESS SALAD. Tomato Catsup.
Boiled Potatoes. MAYONNAISE OF CHICKEN.
Worcestershire Sauce.
Chow-Chow. CHERRY PIE.
Wax Beans.
Gherkins.
Salad Dressing.
FIG MINCE PIE.
CUSTARD PIE.
STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE. ` ME DE MENTHE JELLY. CRE CARAMEL ICE CREAM. HOME-MADE BREAD. Assorted Fruit.
WATERMELON. ASSORTED CAKES.
Mixed Nuts.
Layer Raisins.
American, Edam, Roquefort, and Swiss Cheese. Water Crackers. TEA.
COFFEE.
BUTTERMILK.
MILK.
The dinner was typical for the time, starting with oysters, offering an iced punch after the heavy meat dishes, and ending with pies, jellies, and ice cream. It was not over-fussy, however—the menu was in English, there were no pie`ces monte´es (large decorative pastry constructions), and a range of everyday relishes were offered. The organizers also made no attempt to name menu dishes after the hero they were honoring, nor is there any other reference to the Navy or the seafaring life. Recipes ~~~ Soft Shell Crabs Use them only when freshly caught, as the shells harden after twenty-four hours. Pull off the sand bags, and the shaggy substance from the side; then wash, and wipe dry; sprinkle with salt and pepper; roll in crumbs, then in egg, again in crumbs; and fry in smoking hot lard. Mary Johnson Bailey Lincoln, Mrs. Lincoln’s Boston Cook Book (Boston, 1884).
Mock turtle soup was usually made from a calf’s head, because the large amount of cartilage produced the same desirable ‘‘texture’’ (what would now be called ‘‘mouthfeel’’) of turtle. It was initially used as a substitute
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Firemen’s Dinner
when real turtle became more scarce and expensive, but eventually became popular in its own right, so that it is not unusual to see both turtle soup and mock turtle soup on the same menu. Mock Turtle Soup The calf’s head should be soaked in cold water, and washed very clean. To a large head, take six quarts of water; boil it four hours; [The head may be dressed for dinner . . . ] strain the liquor into a stone jar, and set it away to cool over night, or until the fat cools; then skim off the fat; take two quarts of the liquor, one dozen cloves, one dozen pepper-corns, salt, two onions, two carrots, and two turnips cut fine; boil this two hours cut into small pieces what you have left of the head, or as much as is required, put it into a soupot, with the rest of the stock, and boil it one hour; strain the liquor in which the vegetables were boiled into this, and let it boil an hour and a half; then add three spoonfuls of browned flour, braided into half a pound of butter, and a pint of red wine; give it one boil. Have ready some forcemeat balls, made of some of the head and brains, chopped fine and seasoned with pepper, salt, cloves, and sweet herbs, mixed very hard with two eggs, and fried in hot butter; also six eggs boiled hard, and two lemons sliced; put the forcemeat balls, lemon, the yolk of the eggs, and three tablespoonfuls of soy, into the bottom of the tureen; then turn the soup on this, and send it to the table very hot. All this will make about five quarts of soup. E. Putnam, Mrs. Putnam’s Receipt Book (New York, 1867).
Watercress Salad Carefully wash a pint of fresh watercresses, free them from all decayed leaves, break them in lengths of about two inches, and shake them dry in a clean towel; arrange them neatly on a cold dish, and dress them with three tablespoonfuls of oil, one of vinegar, and a dust of salt and pepper. Dandelion, oyster-plant, chicory, escarole, and nasturtium may be served in the same way. Miss Corson’s Practical American Cookery and Household Management (1886).
Potato Croquettes: see December 7. Chow-Chow: see July 27. Strawberry Shortcake: see May 14.
July 5 Firemen’s Dinner American Exchange Hotel, San Francisco, California, 1856 The first hotel to open in San Francisco was in 1846, two years before gold was discovered. It was the City Hotel, a rough public house where guests shared rooms, and often a bed. Within a decade the town was booming, and many new hotels had opened including the American Exchange Hotel—a decent family hotel with a separate ladies’ entrance. It was at this venue that
July 5
Firemen’s Dinner
Fire Engine Co. menu. Courtesy of Library of Congress.
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the Howard Engine Company No. 3 of San Francisco gave a complimentary dinner for ‘‘our brother firemen Eureka No. 2 of Stockton’’ on July 5, 1856.
SOUP Oyster,
Terrapin
FISH Boiled Salmon, Anchovy Sauce Boiled Cod and Oyster Sauce. Baked " , Madeira " Fried Smelts. Lobster BOILED Turkey, American Style. Chicken and Salad. Turkey, and Oyster Sauce. Smoked Tongue and Jelly. Mutton, and Caper Sauce. Corned Beef, Pressed. Beef, and Pickle Sauce. Ham, Ornamented. SIDE DISHES Turkey Giblet. Fillet Beef, Larded and Garnished. Oyster Patties. Chicken Pie, Am. Style. Hare Chop, in Salmi. Chicken Braise, Oyster Sauce. Fried Brains. Lamb Chop, Green Peas. Financier Patties. Sparerib Pork. Fillet Veal a la Tartare. Calf’s Head in Turtle. Venison Steak and Jelly. Tame Duck and Olives. Bone Turkey. ROAST Turkey, Am. Style. Goose, Tame. Turkey, New Style, and Chestnuts Duck, Tame. Turkey, Truffle. Hare, Champagne Sauce. Chicken Larded. Tenderloin Beef. Pig Stuffed, Jelly Sauce. Pork. Mutton Saddle, Cran. Sauce. Snipe. Venison Saddle, Cur. Sauce. Plover. OLIVES, ANCHOVIES, SARDINES. VEGETABLES Green Peas, Cauliflowers, Boiled Potatoes, Onions, Green Corn Squash. Tomatoes, Stuffed. Sweet Potatoes, Turnip. Tomatoes, Stewed. Mashed Potatoes, Spinach, Tomatoes, Plain. Celery, Lettuce. COFFEE AND CHEESE ——————————————————————————————
Apples.
Oranges. Pears.
DESSERT Pine Apples. Watermelon.
Raisins. Prunes, Figs, Nuts.
July 5
Firemen’s Dinner
JELLIES, ETC. Champagne Jelly. Calf’s Foot Jelly. Fruit Jelly. Fruit Marange. Charlotte Russe. Pine Apple.
ICE CREAMS Cherbet.
Lemon.
PASTRY Blueberry, Peach, Blackberry, Strawberry, Apple, Gooseberry, Mince. Jelly Tarts. Custard. PUDDINGS Lafayette. Vanilla. FANCY CAKES Pound Cake. Lemon Pie. Almond Cake. Ladies Fingers. Washington Pie. Ornamental Croquette. WINES Champagne. Hock. Sauterne. Brown Sherry. Pale Sherry. Madeira.
French—however badly spelled or misused—was still the usual menu language in America, Europe, and Britain at this time, so it is interesting that apart from the single ‘‘a la Tartare’’ there are no French terms on this extraordinarily comprehensive Gold Rush era menu. America had clearly already established its love of sweet dishes by this time, as the dessert choices show. The ices and jellies would have required significant quantities of ice for the churns, presumably cut and brought down from the mountains and stored in well-insulated cellars as far into summer as possible. ‘‘Jelly’’ is a quick, easy dessert treat today, made in moments from a packet of flavored gelatin and hot water, the only time element to be taken into consideration being the cooling and setting time. Once upon a time it was the opposite—an incredibly laborious process because the gelatin had to be made first. Gelatin is a protein produced by the breakdown of collagen in animal tissue. It is extracted by the long, slow simmering of bones, and the long, tedious process of concentrating and clarifying the resulting broth which then becomes the jelly when flavoring is added. Ox-heels and calves feet were particularly useful, and this menu includes ‘‘calf’s foot jelly,’’ although it does not tell us what flavor it was. An earlier method of obtaining gelatin was to use hartshorn, which is exactly what is says—the horns of a deer. Another gelling agent was isinglass (used in the recipe here) made from the swim bladder of fish such as the cod and sturgeon. In more recent times plant gels have become available that are acceptable to vegetarians or those
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with religious reasons for avoiding some forms of gelatin, such as pectin, agar, and carrageenan (Irish moss). Recipes ~~~ The recipe for jelly below is taken from Modern Household Cookery published in 1854 by Sarah Josepha Hale. She was the influential editor of Godey’s Lady’s Book, one of America’s very successful nineteenth-century women’s magazines, as well as a number of cookbooks.
Calf’s Foot Jelly The stock for this must be made the day before. Cut up six neat’s [calves] feet in shreds, wash them and put them in a pot; cover with water, and boil six hours; strain into a flat dish; when cold, remove the oil from the surface, and wash with warm water. Beat ten eggs into a basin, add the rind and juice of ten lemons, four sticks of cassia, four blades of mace, and a few cloves; beat all together; put the stock to melt in a large stewpan, and when melted add the other articles; stir constantly till boiling; then add as much sugar as will sweeten it (about a pound and a quarter will be enough), and half a bottle of sherry; pour into a flannel bag and pour back till clear; fill into moulds or glasses.
Washington pie is actually made from a sponge cake mixture, like the famous Boston cream pie. It is probably called pie because it was cooked in shallow pans or pie dishes.
Washington Pie Three quarters of a pound of sugar; half a pound of butter beat to a cream; add a cup of cream, half a teaspoonful of saleratus, six eggs beat up well; flavor it with lemon; add a pound of flour; bake it in round tin pans, or a wooden box-cover, about fifteen or twenty minutes; when cold, lay one on a plate, and spread over it marmalade, or any other jelly, as thick as the cake; then cover it with another cake. Frost it, or not, as you please. Filling: Two ounces of butter, quarter of a pound of sugar, two eggs, and one lemon; beat all together without boiling. E. Putnam, Mrs. Putnam’s Receipt Book: And Young Housekeeper’s Assistant (New York, 1867).
Caper Sauce: see December 8. Charlotte Russe: see September 4. Ladies Fingers: see March 12. Lemon Pie: see June 8. Pound Cake: see April 19. Oyster Sauce: see August 7. Sauce Madeira: see February 28.
July 6
Coronation Feast of King Richard III
July 6 Coronation Feast of King Richard III Westminster Hall, London, England, 1483 There was a mere ten days between the declaration of Richard III (1452– 1485) as king of England and his coronation—an impossibly short time, it would seem, to prepare a sufficiently magnificent feast. The organization for the planned coronation of his nephew, Edward V was, however, already well underway, and no doubt the catering continued without much regard to the intense political machinations going on outside the kitchens. By the time of Richard III’s coronation, Edward and his younger brother had disappeared to become remembered in history as ‘‘The Princes in the Tower,’’ their uncle indelibly, but controversially, associated with their murder.
FIRST COURSE.
SECOND COURSE.
THIRD COURSE.
Frumentie with veneson and bruett Tuskayne
Gely partied with a devise
Blaundsorr
Viand comford riall
Viand blanc in barre
Nosewis in compost
Mamory riall
Pecokes in his hakell and trapper
Venyson rost
Bief and moton
Roo reversed in purpill
Telle in barre
Fesaunt in trayne
Runers rost
Langettes de lyre
Cignett rost
Betorr rost
Pety chek in bolyen
Crane rost
Peiene rost
Egrettes rost
Capons of hault grece in lymony
partriche rost
Rabettes souker rost
Heronshewe rost
Pomes birt
Quailes rost
Gret carpe of venyson rost
Scotwhelpes rost
Briddes brauncher rost
Grett luce in eger doulce
Rollettes of veneson farced
Freshe sturgion with fenell
Leche solace
Gret carpe and breme in foile
Creves de ew doulce
Fretor Robert riall
Leche frument riall planted
Leche fiole and canell
Gret flampayne riall
Frettour rosett and jasmine
Frittour crispe
Custard Edward planted
Tart burbonet bake
Rosettes florished
A sotiltie
Venyson bake
Oranges bake
A sotiltie
Quynces bake A sotilty
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Coronation Feast of King Richard III
A fine three-course meal was prepared for the king and the most noble guests, although the third course was never served due to the lateness of the hour. It was preceded by ‘‘an’ harold [herald] of arms proclaymyng the feast’’ throughout the hall. Perhaps as many as 3,000 guests were fed on this day, and as at all great medieval feasts, there were separate bills of fare for different social ranks. The ‘‘lordes and ladyes’’ received two courses of ten dishes each, the ‘‘comons,’’ a single course of six dishes. The lesser folk would have enjoyed, and been suitably impressed by, the soltities (subtelties, see September 23) but were not offered the finest dishes—the fine birds such as the peacock, cygnet, crane, egret, and partridge, nor the most finely decorated jellies, custards, and other pastries. Some of the dishes on this bill of fare remain mysterious. There are many obstacles in the study of very old manuscripts: deciphering the handwriting, scribal errors, sometimes a mix of languages, and inconsistent spelling. The English are not known for eating dog—but what else could ‘‘scotwhelps’’ be (see also September 22)? The third-course dish ‘‘Nosewis in compost’’ is a puzzle. ‘‘Composts’’ (February 23) were common dishes at feasts, but ‘‘nosewis’’ remains a mystery. Does it reference ‘‘nose,’’ which also meant the blossom end of a fruit, and therefore mean a fragrant dish? It does not seem likely that it references ‘‘nosewort’’ which is garden cress. This feast clearly demonstrates the great medieval love of spices and flavorings. There is a persisting myth that spices were used very heavily in the middle ages to disguise the taste of rotting meat. The wealthy could afford to have meat killed as they needed it and could afford to buy exotic imported spices: neither of these were available to the poor. People in the middle ages enjoyed well-flavored food, just as today. The range of spices and flavorings used at this feast includes some ingredients rarely used today. The purchase list included long pepper (Piper longum, or Javanese long pepper), graynes (grains) of paradise (or Guinea pepper), and quantities of rosewater, damask water, and saunders (sandalwood, used for its fragrance and also to give a red coloring) as well as cloves, liquorice, galingal, annes (aniseed), mustard (over a barrel full), saffron (11 ¼ lb.), pepper (28 lb.), cinnamon (39 lb.), and ginger (26 lb.) plus ‘‘26 lb. and one firkin’’ of green ginger in syrup, and a considerable quantity of pure gold leaf. A considerable range of sauces were made in the medieval period. Many would have been included in this meal as traditional accompaniments to some of the dishes; two are specifically mentioned—‘‘Robert’’ with the fritters, and eger doulce (aigre-douce, or sweet and sour sauce) with the luce (pike). Recipes ~~~ Sauce Robert is an onion sauce that was still popular many centuries later. The following recipe is taken from a late-fourteenth-century French manuscript called Le Viander de Taillevent.
July 7
Bicentennial Dinner
Barbe Robert [Sauce Robert] Take small onions fried in lard (or butter according to the day), verjuice, vinegar, mustard, Small Spices and salt. Boil everything together.
The following recipe is from The Forme of Cury by the master cooks of King Richard II, written about 1390 . An egurdouce was a ‘‘sweet and sour’’ dish (from the French aigre meaning sour and douce meaning sweet). Recipes of the time almost never gave any quantities, and the instructions were very minimalist. At the time very few people were literate, and cooks learned by doing. The books were meant as aides-memoire for the master cooks, not as detailed sets of instructions for anyone to follow. The language is difficult to understand today, and this means that the recipes are open to wide interpretation. One translation is given here.
Egurdouce of Fysshe Take Loches oþer Tenches oþer Solys smyte hem on pecys. fry hem in oyle. take half wyne half vynegur and sugur & make a siryp. do þerto oynouns icorue raisouns coraunce. and grete raysouns. do þerto hole spices. gode powdours and salt. messe þe fyssh & lay þe sewe aboue and serue forth. Translation: Take loaches or tenches or soles, chop them in pieces, fry them in oil. Take half wine half vinegar and sugar, and make a syrup. Add cut onions, currants and raisins. Add whole spices, good powders (spices) and salt. Serve the fish with the sauce about it and serve it forth.
Frumenty: see February 23. July 7 Bicentennial Dinner The White House, Washington, DC, 1976 During the Bicentennial of the American Revolution, President Gerald Ford (1913–2006) invited Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip of England to visit the United States. The royal visitors arrived on July 6, and in the usual tradition, they were welcomed at a state dinner at the White House the next evening.
Sterling Chenin Blanc 1972
New England Lobster en Bellevue Sauce Re´moulade
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July 7
Bicentennial Dinner
Beaulieu
Saddle of Veal
Vineyard
Rice Croquettes
Cabernet Sauvignon
Broccoli Mornay
1968 Garden Salad Trappist Cheese Schramsberg Blanc de Blancs 1973 Peach Ice Cream Bombe with Fresh Raspberries Petits Fours Demitasse
The 224 guests included Telly Savalas, Bob Hope, and Captain and Tenille, who were also to provide entertainment. The dinner was held in a massive tent complete with carpeted floor, red velvet walls, crystal chandeliers, and air conditioning. Guests were seated at tables of eight to ten. The tables were laid with cloths of mist grey cotton printed with sprigs of daisies and bands of
President Gerald Ford and Queen Elizabeth. Courtesy of the Ford Library.
July 7
Bicentennial Dinner
pink ribbon, and the centerpieces were mixed summer flowers—adding, said The New York Times, ‘‘an impressionstic touch.’’ State dinners must be organized with military precision. The time frame is often very tight, and on this evening the dinner had to be completed in one hour and fifteen minutes—without any appearance of hurrying. With over 200 guests to serve, this meant that a substantial amount of the preparation had to be done in advance. It was ‘‘an all-purpose international menu,’’ as official dinners usually are. The dishes were described in detail in The New York Times, and Chef Henry Haller provided several of his recipes for the paper. Recipes ~~~ Broccoli Mornay 1 1/2 cups veal or chicken stock 1 head of broccoli 7 tablespoons flour 3 large egg yolks, beaten until thin. 2 to 3 tablespoons lemon juice 1 cup whipped cream
1 1/2 cups milk 6 tablespoons butter 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese 2 tablespoons butter salt and white pepper to taste butter and grated Parmesan cheese for topping.
Cut broccoli into small flowerets, reserving leaves and stems for later use in soup. Wash flowerets well and cook for about eight minutes in rapidly boiling well-salted water until tender but still firmly al dente. Drain in a colander and blanch under cold running water. Drain on absorbent paper towel. Arrange in a single layer in one or two lightly buttered gratin dishes. Melt butter in a large saucepan and when it is hot, stir in flour. Let bubble very gently over very low heat for 3 or 4 minutes. Bring veal stock and milk to a boil together and pour all at once into bubbling roux, stirring constantly. Simmer uncovered for about five minutes, stirring frequently until sauce is thick and smooth. Stir in cheese and butter over low heat, until cheese and butter are completely melted. Remove from heat. Slowly pour some of the hot sauce into beaten egg yolks, beating constantly as you do so. When half the sauce has been added, slowly pour egg mixture back into sauce remaining in the saucepan, beating constantly. Heat for 2 or 3 minutes, stirring, being careful not to let sauce boil. Remove from heat and adjust seasonings, adding lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Fold in whipped cream. Cool to lukewarm. Pour sauce over cooked broccoli in 12 inch long oval gratin dish. Broccoli should be well covered with sauce. Dot liberally with butter and sprinkle with a thin layer of grated cheese. Place under hot broiler for about 7–8 minutes, or until sauce is bubbling and golden brown on top. Serve immediately.
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July 8
Breakfast at Sea
July 8 Breakfast at Sea SS Hamburg, 1936 The SS Hamburg was built for the Hamburg-Amerika Line for the transatlantic route and launched in 1926. She regularly carried passengers between Hamburg and New York until she was converted for wartime use by the Nazis. The passengers who were presented with this substantial menu on the morning of July 8, 1936, could be forgiven for thinking that it was brunch rather than simply breakfast. FRUIT Oranges, Grapefruit, Apples, Cantaloupe, Honey Dew Melon Stewed Prunes Baked Apples Raspberries, Huckleberries and Cream. FRUIT AND VEGETABLE JUICE Orange, Grapefruit, Tomato, and Sauerkraut Juice. PRESERVES Four Fruit, Black Currant and Apricot Marmalade, Quince and Strawberry Jelly Honey BEVERAGES Coffee Hamburg Mixture Coffee New York Mixture (extra strong if desired) Coffee HAG and . . . Coffee Engl. Breakfast Tea, Orange Pekoe, Ceylon, Oolong, Marco Polo, Linden Blossom, Peppermint, Camomile, Elder Blossom Tea Cocoa Chocolate Milk Malted Milk TOAST, PASTRY, BRAN MUFFINS AND GINGER BREAD CEREALS Oatmeal, Hominy, Buckwheat-Porridge, Rice and Milk Puffed Rice Grape Nuts Kellogg’s All Bran Cream of Wheat Corn Flakes Shredded Wheat Fleischmann’s Yeast EGGS, OMELETTES AND CAKES. Fried Eggs with Chicken Liver Scrambled Eggs. . . Poached Eggs Turkish Omelet with Artichoke Bottoms German, Apple, of Cherry Pancake Buckwheat, Wheat, Hominy, or Rice Cake with Sausage, Bacon, Maple Syrup or Honey FISH Fried Sea Bass Salted Mackerel, Melted Butter
July 8
Breakfast at Sea
MEAT ` la Minute Veal Chops with Spaghetti Steak a Mutton Tenderloin with Bacon Steak Tartare FROM THE GRILL Kippered Herring Smoked Haddock Sweetbread with Beechnut Bacon Tenderloin Steak Lamb Chops Deerfoot Sausage Breakfast Ham Beechnut Bacon POTATOES Prepared in any style COLD DISHES Roast Veal Roast Beef Rolled Ham Boiled Ham Home-made Sausage Tea Sausage CHEESE Gervais Swiss
There are two interesting facets to this menu. The first is the number of choices mentioned by brand name, which may represent passenger demand or clever product placement and incentives on the part of the companies concerned. Aside from the coffee and cereal, two American small-goods manufactures are featured alongside the traditional experts in that business—the Germans. Deerfoot Sausage was made by a Masachussets company started in 1847. The company managed every point of the process, from rearing the pigs to packaging, and made a virtue of their higher price with their motto, ‘‘they cost more—try them and see why.’’ The success of Beechnut Bacon was a similar marketing triumph. The company pioneered the packaging of its bacon in clear glass jars, proudly displaying its fat and the fact that it was sliced to ‘‘micrometer thinness to insure a crisp fry.’’ The other feature is the number of ‘‘health foods.’’ Sauerkraut juice has a reputation for its health giving properties—in particular its benefits to the bowel—and no doubt was included for the benefit of the German passengers. It is high in vitamin C, which certainly made it valuable in the past on long sea voyages to prevent the dreaded scurvy. Sauerkraut has been made along the same lines since ancient times, by the process of lacto-fermentation of cabbage. Several species of bacteria (for example, leuconostoc, lactobacillus, pediococcus) are able to cause fermentation of sugars in the cabbage, and a by-product of the process is the production of lactic acid. It is the high acidity which allows the sauerkraut to keep for long periods of time, in the same way that vinegar is used in pickling. Bowel function is a preoccupation of a significant proportion of people—particularly travelers, and the All-Bran, bran muffins, and prunes were there for the benefit of the American passengers, as was the Fleischmann’s Yeast, which was advertised on the basis that three cakes a day would cure constipation.
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July 9
Midnight Supper with Queen Victoria
Recipes ~~~ The True German Way of Making Sour Crout, or Sour Cabbage Take white cabbages, and clean them well from all the green and superfluous leaves; cut through the middle, and take the hearts out; cut and slice the cabbages as small as possible, but cut them no longer than they are perfectly nice and fine. Rub the inside of the cask well with yeast, it will help to sour the cabbage, and prevent the salt liquor from running out. When there is a quantity cut (not all which is to be done), spread it upon a dry table, salt it moderately, and roll it well. Do not pull too much at a time, as it cannot be worked thro’ sufficiently; strew a little coriander-seed over it, if agreeable. Put it into the cask, and press it down very hard; repeat this till the cask is quite full; cover it with vine-leaves, put a dry cloth over them, and leave it till next morning, then put on the head of the cask over the leaves and cloth, and put a very heavy weight upon it, to keep it quite close. October is the proper time to do it; it will be fit to eat in two months. When the cabbage is taken out to dress, be careful to take off all that looks whitish; it is not good till it begins to grow yellow; the deeper the cabbage lies, the finer and better it will be. When what is wanted is taken out for one dressing, cover the cabbage with vine-leaves, as long as they can be got, and when they fail, with a dry cloth. Take great care the salt liquor does not run out, if it does, the cabbage will infallibly spoil. Boil the cabbage with a good deal of butter in a well-tinn’d vessel; put no more water than just enough to cover it, with a sheet of paper over it, and let it boil till sufficiently done. Charlotte Mason, The Ladies’ Assistant (London, 1787).
Buckwheat Cakes: see March 24. Cream of Whea: seet December 14. Hominy: see May 19. Oatmeal Porridge: see June 27. Poached Eggs: see June 20.
July 9 Midnight Supper with Queen Victoria Guildhall, London, England, 1851 The Corporation of the City of London held a grand entertainment on July 9, 1851, to celebrate the successful collection of the objects of the Great Exhibition of the Industry of All Nations that was to open in October of the same year. Queen Victoria (1819–1901) honored the company with her attendance— the Great Exhibition was, after all, the special project of her husband Prince Albert (1819–1861). The Queen observed the quadrilles, then took a turn around the hall herself, to the gratification of the other guests, and then
July 9
Midnight Supper with Queen Victoria
returned to her throne. The company slowly filed past and made their obeisance (which took some considerable time), and at midnight Her Majesty and the Royal Party were conducted by the mayor to a crypt under the hall, where supper was waiting. THE ROYAL TABLE. ` la Reine. ` l’Aurore. Pure´e de Volaille a Potage a ` la Mace´doine. ` la Russe. Cailles a Bordure de Legumes a ` la Gele´e. Noix de Veau a Cotelettes d’Agneau aux Petits Pois. ` la Belle-Vue. Aspic de Levrauts a Saumon au Beurre de Montpellier. ` la Ravigote. Mayonnaise de Volaille a Boudin de Foies Gras aux Trufles. ˆte´ de Canetons a ` la Rouennaise. Pa Jambon de Mayence au Vin de Made`re. ` la Pompadour. ` la Chinoise. Chapons a Cochon de lait a ˆte´ Monstre a ` la Cite´ de Londres. Pa Hure de Sanglier de la Foreˆt des Ardennes. `l’Amazone. Galantine Impe´riale de Chapons a ` l’Albion. Pyramide de Volaille a Buisson de Trufles de Pe´rigord. Buisson de Crevettes. Sue´doise de Fraises. Compote de Peˆches aux Amandes. ` la d’Artois. Pain de Ce´rises. Gateaux a ` la Gele´e. Bavaroise de Groseilles. Mace´doine de Fruits a ` l’Orange. Compote d’Ananas. Feuilletage a ` la Cre`me. Croque-en-Bouche a Baba en Surprise.
Some rare and special wines accompanied the dinner, including an amontillado ‘‘of curious antiquity’’ and a sherry that was 125 years old which had been bottled for the Emperor Napoleon. The food was also of ‘‘the most recherche´ character’’—a great nineteenth-century compliment meaning that it was rare, or particularly choice, and had been especially sourced at great effort for the occasion. ˆte´ Monstre a ` la Cite´ de Londres, or City of London pie, is an almost The Pa legendary dish. There is a recipe by this name in the curiously titled Archimagirus Anglo-Gallicus by Theodore Mayerne, ‘‘Physician to the late King Charles,’’ published in 1658. It appears as the first entry in the book, suggesting its importance, then it disappears from culinary history for nearly two centuries. In 1864, the author of Chambers Book of Days gives a brief biography of Mayerne in which he mentions the pie, then rather mysteriously says that ‘‘some half-a-dozen years ago, with very slight alterations— only adopted after deep consultation, to suit the palates of the present day —a pie was made from the above recipe, which gave complete satisfaction to the party of connoisseurs in culinary matters, who heartily and merrily par-took of it.’’ It may be that this midnight supper (the slight incongruity of the dates notwithstanding) was the very event at which the pie was recreated.
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July 10
Officers’ Dinner at Sea
Recipes ~~~ The London Pye Take of Marrow-bons, eight, cock-Sparrowes, or Larks, eighteen, Potato-roots, one pound, Eringo-roots, a quarter of a pound, Lattice-stalks two ounces, Chestnuts forty, Dates half a pound, Oysters, a peck, Citron-rindes preserved, a quarter of a pound, Hartichokes, two or three, Yelks of hard Egs, twelve, Lemmons sliced, two, Barberries picled, one handfull, Gross Pepper, a quarter of an ounce, Large mace half an ounce, Corrents a quarter of a pound. Liquor it when it is baked with white-wine, butter and sugar.
General Observations on Pies You must generally observe that no kind of flesh whatsoever may be put in paste before it be mortified, therefore you must let that flesh which you do intend to put in paste to be sufficiently mortified, which may be done by hanging it in the Aire, or by burying of it under ground, for the space of twenty and four houres, after which you must beat the said flesh-meat more or less with a wooden rowlett or Pestell according to the said fleshes thickness and hardness, which is a third way to mortifie it: so likewise must you observe that beef and mutton must be more beaten and mortified, than any other flesh whatsoever. Theodore Mayerne, Archimagirus Anglo-Gallicus (London, 1658).
Sue´doise (of apples): see December 26.
July 10 Officers’ Dinner at Sea HMS Assistance, near Gibraltar, 1675 Henry Teonge (1621–1690), an English parson, joined a small squadron of His Majesty’s ships in 1675 as a Navy chaplain. The frigates were to reinforce an earlier squadron which had been sent on an expedition against the ‘‘Barbary States’’ of North African (of Morocco, Algiers, Tunis, and Tripoli) who had menaced shipping in the area for centuries. By May the following year Teonge was enjoying his visit to Aleppo (see May 9), but on July 10, 1675 the squadron was only a few weeks into its voyage and was nearing the Rock of Lisbon, on the coast of Portugal. Captain William Houlding decided to give a fine dinner to his officers aboard his flagship, HMS Assistance. Teonge wrote We are past the Cape Roca [Rock of Lisbon], but could not discover it by reason of the fog. This day our noble Captain feasted the officers of his small squadron with four dishes of meat: viz. four excellent hens and a piece of pork boiled in a dish; a gigget of excellent mutton and turnips; a piece of beef of eight ribs, well
July 10
Officers’ Dinner at Sea
seasoned and roasted; and a couple of very fat green geese; last of all, a great Cheshire cheese; a rare feast at shore. His liquors were answerable, viz. Canary, sherry, Rhenish, claret, white wine, cider, ale, beer, all of the best sort; and punch like ditchwater; with which we conclude the day and week in drinking to the King and all that we love; while the wind blows fair.
The Diary of Henry Teonge, edited by Sir E. Denison Ross and Eileen Power (New York: Harper & Brothers, 1927).
At this early stage of the voyage there was plenty of fresh food still. Animals were kept aboard and killed as needed, but there was a finite supply and once they were all gone, the crew were reliant on salted meat (often referred to as ‘‘salt horse’’) until land was reached again. This salted meat was sometimes so old and hard that a day’s ration would be towed behind the ship on a rope to try to soften it and make it less salty. A couple of Teonge’s comments seem strange and need some explaining. They show how words change in meaning over time. ‘‘Green’’ geese were not discolored because the flesh was decomposing. ‘‘Green’’ in this context means young, as in ‘‘green cheese.’’ Teonge also seems to be suggesting that the punch was unpleasant, but he means as common as ditchwater—in other words, very plentiful. Cheshire cheese is Britain’s oldest named cheese, and references to it date to the eleventh century. Originally it simply meant any cheese made in the region of Cheshire, rather than a particular style. It was the cheese favored by the Royal Navy, which purchased vast quantities of it for victualling its ships for long voyages, and in fact in the nineteenth century it was the only cheese purchased by the Navy. Recipes ~~~ William Rabisha wrote a popular cookbook called The Whole Body of Cookery Dissected in 1661. The following recipes are from this book. His recipe for ‘‘baked’’ goose is what would be called a pie today—the pastry shell acting like a casserole dish, and also—if the crust did not become damp or cracked —like a can, allowing the contents to be kept for quite some time. Pies were often prepared especially to take aboard ship for this reason. Rabisha suggested that a rabbit could be included along with the goose, but it is fairly certain that no live rabbits were aboard the Assistance as there has been a longstanding belief amongst sailors that they bring bad luck on board ship. How to Bake a Goose Break the bones of your Goose, and parboil him, then season him with Pepper and Salt, a little Cloves and Mace; if you please, you may bake a Rabbet or two with it, because your stubble-Geese are very fat, and your Rabbets dry, you need not lard either: Bake it in good hot butter paste. Tis the Goodwifes pye upon the season, or against a good time; by the Rules aforesaid, you may bake any other gross flesh or fowl, according to its nature or quality.
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July 11
Trefa Banquet How to Roast a Jigget of Mutton
Your Jigget of Mutton is the leg and half the loyn cut to it, draw it with Lemmon-pill and Time, roast it soberly, save the gravie in a dish under it, put therin Claret-wine, two or three Onions cut in halves, two Anchovies, a spoonful or two of Elder-Vinegar, let this boyl up together; then put in a few minced Capers and Sampier, with a Nutmeg sliced; this is sauce for your Jigget of Mutton; you may add what gravie you have to it; and Oyster-liquor.
July 11 Trefa Banquet Highland House, Cincinnati, Ohio, 1883 The dinner held by the Hebrew Union College on the evening of July 11 for 200 guests (both Jew and Gentile) should have been one of great pride and celebration. The first class of four American-trained rabbis had just graduated. The larger picture was the hope, at least in the eyes of the college founder Rabbi Isaac Mayer Wise, that a new era of religious unity was approaching in which the various factions within Judaism—from strict Orthodox to liberal Reformists—would be reconciled. Not even in the worst nightmare of those present could the evening have turned into a greater disaster. It was not just a ruined evening. Irreparable damage was done to the hope of religious unity, and the ruin was all on account of the food.
MENU
RELEVEE Poulets, a la Viennoise Asparges Sauce, Vinaigrette Pommes
Little Neck Clams (Half Shell)
‘‘Punch Romaine’’ [Pate] Grenouilles a la Cre`me and Cauliflower
Amontillado
ROTI
Sherry POTAGES
Vol au Vents de Pigeons, a la Tyrolienne Salade de Saitue [Laitue]
Consomme Royal
‘‘G. H. Mumm Extra Dry’’
‘‘Sauternes’’ POISSONS
HORS-D’OEVERS Bouchies de Volaille, a la Regeurs
Fillet de Boef, aux Champignons
Olives Caviv, Sardelles de Hollands
Soft Shell Crabs,
Brissotine au Supreme Tomatoe,
July 11
Trefa Banquet
A l’Amarique, Pommes Duchesse
Mayonnaise
Salade of Shrimp,
SUCRES
‘‘St. Julien’’ ´ E. ENTRE
Assorted and Ornamental Cakes
Sweet Breads, a la Monglas
ENTREMENTS
Ice Cream.
Petits Pois, a la Francaise ‘‘Deidesheimer’’
Fromages Varies ‘‘Martell Cognac’’
Fruits Varies Cafe´ Noir
To say that this was an unacceptable meal to many if not most of those present would be an understatement of gargantuan proportions. All religions have rules (or at least strong traditions) in relation to food. The body of Jewish law that deals with what food can and cannot be eaten is called Kashrut. As with all law, religious or otherwise, interpretations vary and are the subject of constant debate, even amongst the most devout. The rules are extensive, but amongst other things they determine which animals may be eaten (and which parts), how the animals must be killed, how the meat must be handled before it is eaten, and what may not be eaten with it (specifically, milk and milk products). Food that meets this standard is kosher (allowed); food that does not is trefa (forbidden). The first dish to appear was clams, which are completely forbidden (treif) as are all shellfish. Several rabbis left the dining hall immediately. Others refused to eat anything at all but stayed to listen to the speeches. Worse (or more) was to come. Crab and shrimp turned up later in the meal. Dairy produce—forbidden at the same meal as meat—appeared in several guises, in the cream sauce for the frog and cauliflower dish (frogs being treif in any case), the mayonnaise, the ice cream, and the cheese course. The blaming, scapegoating, and denials began immediately, but whether the debacle was due to error, ignorance, stupidity, or sabotage, the damage was done.
Recipes ~~~ All vegetables are kosher, but as insects are treif, all vegetables must be carefully inspected for them. ` la Franc¸aise and Potatoes Duchesse are classic ways of preparPetits Pois a ing these vegetables.
` la Franc¸aise Petits Pois, a Put one pint of fresh-shelled green peas into a saucepan with a little cold water, stirring in a piece of butter; add salt and a bunch of parsley; cook with the lid on. When sufficiently done and the liquid reduced add a small piece of kneaded butter; then take from the fire and finish by incorporating a large piece of butter
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July 12
Reform Democrats Hold a Crow Banquet
divided in small bits. The peas should be well buttered and thickened so that the liquid be entirely absorbed. Kneaded butter is frequently used at the last moment to thicken sauces and cook small vegetables. In order to prepare this auxiliary, it is necessary to lay a piece of butter on a plate or in a small vessel, and incorporate into it slowly with a wooden spoon, a sufficient quantity of flour to form a smooth paste, but not too consistent, so that it can easily be dissolved by the heat.
Potatoes, Duchess Peel and cut up some raw potatoes; boil them in salted water, drain it off as soon as they are done and cover over with a clean cloth; let steam for a few moments in a slack oven, then remove and rub a few at a time through a sieve; put this puree into a saucepan, and for each pound stir in quickly one ounce of butter, live raw egg-yolks, salt, nutmeg, a pinch of sugar and two tablespoonfuls of good raw cream, and a handful of grated parmesan. Pour the preparation on a floured table and roll in one and three-quarter inch diameter balls, lengthen these and roll them in bread-crumbs to have them assume an oblong form two and fiveeighths inches by one and three-quarter inches; flatten to the thickness of half an inch, cut off the four corners, dip them in melted butter, then in breadcrumbs and lay them on a liberally buttered baking sheet, pouring more butter over; push into a very hot oven and when of a fine color remove from the oven and serve. Charles Ranhofer, The Epicurean (1894).
‘‘Sweet Breads’’ (Sweetbreads): Kosher recipe for, see May 5. ` la Romaine (Roman punch): see July 1. Punch a
July 12 Reform Democrats Hold a Crow Banquet Detroit Opera House, Detroit, Michigan, 1876 The presidential election in America’s centennial year was the closest and most controversial in history. Neither candidate won the required majority of the Electoral College vote, and the issue was not resolved until the eve of the inauguration of Rutherford B. Hayes in March 1877. At the Democratic National Convention in June 1876, the political reformer Samuel J. Tilden (1814–1886) was chosen as the presidential candidate, and the party believed it had its best chance of winning in 20 years. In July the Reform Democrats held a banquet in Detroit with the following bill of fare. SOUPS. Mack Crow Ni. FISH Crowfish. Crowabs.
July 12
Reform Democrats Hold a Crow Banquet
SIDE DISHES. Crow de Pullette Tilden Crow. Jonkelly Sauce Crow tracks from St.Louis. ROAST. Crow rib. Fillet de Crow with greens. Crow mo to every subscriber. MADE DISHES. Scalloped crow. Crow tarts. Crow a la St. Louis. Hendricks crow on toast. Onistguvment crow. Crow.
Crow.
Crow.
BOILED. Crow.
Crow.
Crow.
Crow.
DESSERT AND DRINKS. Croweem cakes. Brandy and crowton. Crowman punch. Crow whisky. Thurman whine. Mumm.
The Detroit Tribune summed up the evening by saying ‘‘on the whole it was a funny gathering, and many funny things were said.’’ The dinner was nominally held by the ‘‘Onist Men Onistguvment Club’’ (honest men, honest government club) and the guests were ‘‘the starving wretches who, for sixteen years have been obliged to keep their noses out of the public crib.’’ The newspaper made no specific comment about the menu, obviously assuming that it could speak for itself. But what was it saying? This was a menu full of metaphorical crow. The English language is rich with food metaphors: people talk turkey, tell fishy stories, have half-baked ideas, and face raw facts. Sometimes people are forced to eat their words, eat humble pie, or eat crow. There has been a long-standing prejudice about eating crows, although their close relatives the rooks are considered quite palatable. There is a general tendency for humans to avoid choosing carrion-eaters as food, and crows are also seen as harbingers of death in many cultures. The phrase was originally ‘‘to eat boiled crow,’’ meaning to be forced to eat something distasteful. It first appeared in the 1850s, and in the election of 1872 became inextricably linked with the American political scene when Horace Greeley became the ‘‘boiled crow’’—perhaps unappetizing to both parties when he switched allegiance from the Liberal Republican Party to the Democrats. There can be many shades of meaning to ‘‘eating crow.’’ It came to mean the same as eating one’s words, or eating humble pie—that is, admitting error, being humiliated, and recanting. At this banquet, the ‘‘crow’’ (particularly ‘‘boiled crow’’) seems to be a metaphor for the Republican Party, which the reformists were going to eat up. The banqueters were also clearly ‘‘crowing about’’ their plans. The menu extends the joke by including some other examples of word play —mack crow ni is presumably macaroni and crowabs are presumably crabs.
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July 13
Dinner of the Thirteen Club
The political propaganda message was also emphasized by the honoring of several key players and locations in the names of dishes. Recipes ~~~ Macaroni Soup Boil a pound of the best macaroni in a pound of good stock; when it becomes tender, take out half of it. To the remainder add some more stock, and boil it till the macaroni will pulp through a fine sieve. Add a pint of boiling cream, the macaroni that was first taken out, and half a pound of grated Parmesan cheese; make it hot again, but do not let it boil. Serve with a French roll. T. Webster and Mrs. Parkes, An Encyclopaedia of Domestic Economy (New York, 1855).
July 13 Dinner of the Thirteen Club Central Restaurant, New York, 1900 The fear of anything associated with the number 13 (triskaidekaphobia) occurs in several cultures around the world. The phobia appears to have very ancient and obscure origins, which has led to it having a great variety of modern explanations. For many, the fear determines many daily acts. For others it is a ridiculous and primitive superstition needing 189th Regular Dinner—Menu serious debunking. A group of the latter individuals formed I Little Necks the Thirteen Club in New York in 1881. Their particular goal II Consomme´ anglaise was to debunk the superstiIII Celery tious belief that if thirteen IV Filet of bluefish, bordelaise, potatoes julienne dined together at the same table, one of them would die ` la reine V Sweetbreads in cases a within the year. By the end of VI French peas the decade there were 400 VII Domestic duck, apple sauce members, and in the lifetime of the club they included five VIII Lettuce and tomato salad U.S. presidents. They held IX Ice cream regular dinners on the thirteenth of every month. X Cake Club members tempted fate XI Fruit in as many ways as they could. XII Roquefort cheese It was particularly relished when the 13th fell on a Friday XIII Coffee (as it did in 1900) as this was
July 14
Dinner for the American Ambulance
held in particular horror by those suffering from paraskavedekatriaphobia. No opportunity was lost to invoke the number 13. Dinner began at 13 past the hour and finished at 13 o’clock (i.e., 1 A.M.), 13 sat to a table, and there were 13 dishes, 13 toasts and 13 responses, and the club had 13 officials. The club motto was ‘‘We who are about to die, salute you.’’ The de´cor frequently featured such things as opened umbrellas, coffins, and skeletons; there was much funereal black, or unlucky green. Diners might have to pass under a ladder to enter, and salt was deliberately spilled. On one momentous occasion the guests were 13 undertakers who had escaped injury in car number 13 in a rail accident the previous week. The idea would have been anathema in France, where the fear of thirteen at table was sufficient that an independent gentleman could make a career of becoming a professional quatorizie`me or fourteenth guest. This gentleman would be an agreeable, cultured individual and a good conversationalist, and he would dress each evening in the correct attire—ready at a moment’s notice should a footman be sent for him. He was dismissed at a moment’s notice if the invited guest turned up, even if he had not yet eaten (although he would still be paid). Recipes ~~~ Bordelaise sauce is one of the basic sauces from the French classic repertoire. Bordelaise sauce Simmer four shallots, chopped very fine, in two ounces of butter. When thoroughly warmed through add one-half glass of Bordeaux claret and reduce until nearly dry. Then add one pint of brown gravy and boil for five minutes. Then add one-quarter of a pound of sliced parboiled beef marrow, and a little chopped garlic, if that flavor is desired. Sprinkle with chopped parsley, and before serving stir in slowly two ounces of fresh butter. Serve poured over meats, or separate. Victor Hirtzler, The Hotel St. Francis Cook Book (1919).
´ Anglaise (Plain Consomme ´) Consomme [Is] made with plenty of veal bones to give it a gelatinous taste; served with green peas and small squares of white chicken meat in each plate. Charles Fellows, The Culinary Handbook (Chicago, ca. 1904).
July 14 Dinner for the American Ambulance ´ e Pasteur, Neuilly-sur-Seine, France, 1916 Lyce Long before the United States entered World War I the country gave a huge amount of assistance to its old revolutionary friend, France. The United
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July 14
Dinner for the American Ambulance
States had founded an american hospital at Neuilly in 1906, and within weeks of the outbreak of World War I in 1914 the Lyce´e Pasteur (Pasteur School) building was converted by the American team into ‘‘a large Hospital for the wounded of every nation.’’ It was referred to as the ‘‘Ambulance Section’’ or even just ‘‘the American Ambulance.’’ The word ambulance in French does not simply refer to a vehicle as it does in Englishspeaking countries. Originally it referred to an entire mobile military hospital such as used to be used at the front line. It was only later that it came to mean any military hospital, as well as the emergency transport vehicle. The American Ambulance Field Service grew out of this hospital, and many young American men became volunteer drivers. Some of them became famous later in life for their literary work, including Ernest Hemingway, E. E. Cummings, John Dos Passos, and Dashiell Hammett. American Ambulance menu cover. On ‘‘Bastille Day,’’ France’s national day, a dinner was held at the Lyce´e building, to thank those involved in the American Ambulance.
´ JEUNER DE ~~~ ` la Gele`e Jambon d’York a Œufs poche´s Mornay Poulet saute´ Marengo Pate´ en croute de l’Ambulance Salade de Saison Glaces Panache´es ˆteaux secs Ga Coupe de fruits refraichis Cafe´ Graves Premie`res :-: Medoc Cigares.
July 15
Dinner aboard a U.S. Mail Ship
The chicken Marengo on this menu was probably chosen deliberately. The dish is named after the famous battle in which Napoleon soundly defeated the Austrians on June 14, 1800. Aside from the fact that it was the anniversary of the event, it would have been very appropriate to draw attention to a French victory as the nation geared up to war again. The greatest myth about the dish is that it was created by Napoleon’s Chef Dunan immediately after the battle, with the only ingredients he could scrounge up. In reality, Napoleon was notoriously disinterested in food, Dunan was not in his employ at the time, and—most tellingly—the first written mention of it does not appear for nearly two decades. The truth is, nineteenth-century chefs loved naming recipes after famous people and events. Recipes ~~~ Ingredients for many so-called classic dishes are often quite varied, and chicken Marengo is no exception. Different recipes include tomatoes, crayfish, mushrooms (or truffles), garlic, parsley, ham, and lemon juice, with a garnish of croutons and/or fried eggs. The following recipe is from a French cookbook, The 366 Menus and 1200 Recipes of the Baron Brisse, published in 1868.
` la Marengo Chicken a Cut up a chicken into joints, and cook in olive oil and a little salt, put in the legs before the other pieces, as they take longer to cook. When a good colour and nearly done, add a bouquet of mixed herbs, pepper, mushrooms, and some slices of truffles; place the chicken on a dish, and add the oil drip by drop to some Italian sauce; stir the whole time. When warm, pour over the chicken, and garnish with fried eggs and sippets of fried bread. If preferred, clarified butter may be used instead of oil.
Italian Sauce Simmer a lump of butter as big as two eggs in a saucepan, with two tablespoonsful of chopped parsley, one tablespoonful of chopped eschalots, and the same quantity of minced mushrooms, add a bottle of white wine; reduce the sauce, and moisten with a tumblerful of veloute´ sauce and half a tumblerful of stock; boil over a quick fire, skim off all grease, and as soon as the sauce is thick enough, take off the fire, and keep warm in a bain-marie.
July 15 Dinner aboard a U.S. Mail Ship USMS Philadelphia, 1913 The men aboard the United States Mail Ship Philadelphia sat down to the following dinner on July 15, 1913. It is unclear from the menu whether this
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July 15
Dinner aboard a U.S. Mail Ship
was an officers’ meal, but the range of choices seems rather generous for ordinary seamen of the time. Ox Tail Soup — Codfish, Parsley Sauce — Corned Beef and Cabbage — Boiled Fowl & Bacon — Roast Lamb and Mint Sauce — Green Peas Baked and Boiled Potatoes — Cold Meats: Roast Beef Boiled Ham — Cabinet Pudding Assorted Cakes Ice Cream — Edam Cheese — Dessert Coffee
The ship regularly traveled the transatlantic route and apparently also carried very valuable cargo at times. In January 1909 it is said she had $343,470 in silver ingots aboard when she left New York. Cooks aboard ships have unique problems to cope with. There is no provisioning between ports, so stores must be very accurately gauged and planned. Fresh food is a particular problem, especially the sort of fruit and vegetables that cannot be frozen such as salad vegetables and other perishables such as milk, butter, and eggs. In the past the great lengths of time a vessel was at sea presented huge problems. Today it is rare for a ship to be more than a week away from land, although in practice there may be all sorts of reasons why going ashore is impossible—during times of international conflict and severe weather for example. Recipes ~~~ Whether or not a vessel belongs to the Navy, a cruise line, or another commercial interest, there are always large numbers of men to be fed. The following recipes are taken from the General Mess Manual and Cookbook for Use on Board Vessels of the United States Navy, published in 1904. Each recipe provides 100 servings.
July 16
Dinner at Sea
Boiled Fish [and Parsley Sauce] Place 75 pounds of fish in cold water, adding plenty of salt and 1 pint of vinegar. Place on the fire in pans or fish kettles and allow to simmer until tender. Take out fish when cooked. Make sauce with 2 quarts of water and 1 quart of milk. Put on Fire until it boils. Thicken with cornstarch or flour; chop a bunch of parsley with pepper and stir into the sauce. Pour over fish and serve. (NOTE. This sauce is suitable for all boiled and baked fish.)
Roast Lamb Use 90 pounds of lamb. Wipe thoroughly with towel soaked in salt water and place in dry pans, adding three sliced onions and three sliced carrots. Dredge with pepper, salt, and flour, using the latter liberally. Roast in closed oven for thirty minutes, then baste with boiling water, and cook for one hour and a half, watching the meat carefully and seeing that there is plenty of water in the pan with which to baste it. Upon removing the meat when done, stir into the gravy a little more flour, add 2 quarts of boiling water, and let it simmer for five minutes in the oven or on top of the galley.
Boiled Potatoes Sixty pounds of potatoes will be required. Wash thoroughly; place in copper in cold water and boil for thirty-five minutes.
Cabinet Pudding: see June 30. July 16 Dinner at Sea SS Lahn, 1900 The SS Lahn was a ship of the Norddeutscher Lloyd Bremen Line. She was launched in 1887, and until October 1901 she regularly sailed the BremenSouthampton-New York route. There was accommodation aboard for 1,030 passengers, including 700 in third class—a large proportion of whom (on the outward journey) were German migrants who entered their new country through the control point at Ellis Island. The Lahn left Bremen for New York on July 10 and must have been somewhere in the Atlantic after its routine stops at Cherbourg and Southampton when the passengers (the class is not stated) sat down to the following dinner. Consomme aux pates d’Italie Fondue au parmesan Roast beef au jus Potatoes a la poulette Fried chicken a la viennoisse Mock turtle ragout
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July 16
Dinner at Sea Roast capon Plums Lettuce salad Pudding a l’Italienne Strawberry ice-cream Pastry Fruit Coffee
Menus aboard the ships of this shipping line were always written in both German and English. The ‘‘English’’ was culinary English, which means it was Anglo-French. The menu language becomes even more convoluted on account of the Italian contribution to the dishes. On the German side of the ˆ te´ d’Italie menu the soup contains nudeln (noodles), which becomes pa (‘‘paste’’ from Italy—i.e., pasta) on the English side. Noodles and pasta are the same thing of course, both being small pieces of dough boiled, but to the English and French, it was ‘‘pasta’’ that was put into clear soup, not noodles. The most intriguing dish on this menu is the fondue. The word comes from the French word fondre (to melt) and generally means a dish composed of melted cheese. The dish is claimed by the Swiss as their own speciality, but in reality melted cheese dishes have been popular for millennia—there is mention in Homer’s Iliad of a mixture of Pramian wine, goat’s cheese and barley flour—because they are a useful way of using up leftover ends of cheese. Recipes by the name of fondue only really start to appear in English cookbooks in the last few decades of the nineteenth century. Most of them have very little resemblance to the obligatory 1970s party favorite of a bowl of cheesy sauce sitting over a small flame, with long-handled forks with which to spear then dip a variety of tidbits. Depending on the additional ingredients and variety of cooking methods, a fondue can resemble Welsh rabbit (see March 14, a souffle´, or even an omelette, so it is pointless then to argue about an ‘‘authentic’’ fondue. Recipes ~~~ Given that there are a number of types of fondue, this one would be appropriate for its position in this menu. It is really more like a souffle´. Fondue of Cheese Take three ounces of flour, moisten with half a pint of cream and half a pint of milk, and a quarter of a pound of butter; stir all these ingredients over a brisk fire till they become paste; remove it from the fire, and mix in eight yolks of eggs, a quarter a of a pound of grated Parmesan cheese, and a quarter of a pound of fine Gruyere cheese, cut into dice. When the dinner is called, whip the whites; mix them in also, and bake the fondue in a tolerably quick oven. This same mixture answers for small fondues in paper cases. The Thorough Good Cook. George Augustus Sala. 1896.
July 17
Dinner on the Mountain
Potatoes a la Poulette These are potatoes cooked, sliced, then reheated gently in Poulette Sauce (see below).
Poulette Sauce Melt an ounce of butter and stir in ½ ounce of flour, cook for a few minutes without browning the flour, then stir in 1 pint of white stock, stir till it boils, and cook for at least 15 minutes, thicken with 2 yolks of eggs, season with salt and pepper, and finish with half an ounce of fresh butter. The Book of Sauces. Charles Herman Senn. Chicago. 1915
July 17 Dinner on the Mountain The Aletschhorn, Switzerland, 1859 The English mountaineer Francis Fox Tuckett (1834–1913) and his three companions made the first ascent of the Aletshorn on June 18, 1859. He had put forth the idea some days before with the landlord of the hotel where he was staying on one of his ‘‘pedestrian tours’’ of Switzerland, but local opinion was that it was too early in the season and likely to be dangerous. Tuckett ‘‘throws out a hint’’ to several walking companions, and the hint rapidly becomes a bonne ide´e (good idea), and then a firm commitment to attempt the ‘‘doubtless difficult, but yet possible’’ climb. The preparations got under way immediately, according to Peaks, Passes, and Glaciers written by the Alpine Club in 1862: . . . numerous solemn consultations in the kitchen, at which everybody assisted . . . the great tin can, carried like a knapsack, and holding an indefinite number of bottles, was produced and nearly filled with good, sound vin du pays—not for want of anything better, but because there is much truth in Bennen’s remark ‘‘its all one up aloft.’’ A bottle or two of champagne was added, by way of enabling me to study the expansion of gaseous bodies under diminished atmospheric pressure—of course, for no other purpose. As for solids, it need not be here told how poulet and ham, sausage and mutton, bread, cheese, butter and honey, with other good things galore, were duly consigned to a roomy ‘‘Hutte’’ or basket, nor how ‘‘noch ein stu ¨ ck’’ [‘‘a little’’] of this, that, and the other, was added to fill up any crannies, till all were satisfied that there was no danger of a deficiency.
By the night of July 17, they had found an ideal resting place for the night in a narrow cave with a spring which ‘‘proved a very convenient source of supply for our subsequent culinary operation.’’ . . . our arrangements for the night being at length completed, we began to think about dinner: so, lighting my Russian furnace [a camp stove], a ‘‘casserole’’ of water was boiling merrily in less than five minutes, and a cake of Chollet’s
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July 18
Picnic for the Mexican President
‘‘Julienne au gras’’ being sliced into it, we were soon busily engaged upon a couple of quarts of really excellent soup and vegetables, as a first course, followed by pie`ces de re´sistance and entremets in the shape of mutton, veal, ham, and sausage. The soup, both from the manner of its production and intrinsic excellence, seemed to make a profound impression on my companions, who had, I suspect, previously imagined the brown-looking cakes out of which vegetables seemed to spring into existence flowers from a conjuror’s hat, to be ‘‘der Herr’s’’ supply of cavendish. . . . Bohren especially could not get the ‘‘vortreffliche Suppe’’ [‘‘excellent soup’’ ] out of his head
After a short sleep and an early breakfast they set off for the peak, after ‘‘a moderate but sufficient supply of provisions and a bottle of champagne were consigned to a knapsack, the wine-can strapped on the porter’s shoulders.’’ The ‘‘champagne experiment’’ was, unfortunately for science, a failure as the bottle was forgotten en route to the top. The cakes of ‘‘portable soup’’ (the forerunner of stock-cubes) which were so well received on the cold mountainside were made by the famous French firm of Chollet and Co. They were by far the world’s major producer of dried vegetables to armies and expeditions. Soyer used them in the Crimea (see August 27) as did the great wagon trains on the westward migration routes in America. Recipes ~~~ A ‘‘julienne’’ is a mix of thinly sliced vegetables. The ‘‘maigre’’ soup is meatless, for fast days, the gras (‘‘fat’’) version contained meat stock. Julienne au gras Cut in small pieces or thin slices, carrots, turnips, parsnips, leeks, celery, potatoes, onions, each equal parts; chop some lettuce, sorrel and chervil; fry them all in fresh butter and then add enough rich (fat) broth; place on a low heat until everything is thoroughly cooked, then pour in a soup bowl, in which, if you wish, you have already added bread, or vermicelli or any other pulp, or better yet, a small quantity of potatoes: you can add asparagus and peas, in the season, making an even better julienne. ` L’usage De La Ville Et De La CamManuel Du Cuisinier et de La Cuisinie`re A pagne (1829).
July 18 Picnic for the Mexican President San Luis Potosi, Mexico, 1921 The National Chamber of Commerce and Trade in San Luis Potosi, Mexico, chose an unusual form of entertainment to honor Mexican President Alvaro ´n (1880–1928). They took him on a picnic on July 18, 1921. Obrego´n Obrego was President of Mexico between 1921–1924. He maintained a good
July 18
Picnic for the Mexican President
relationship with the United States and instigated reforms at many levels in postrevolutionary Mexico but was assassinated in 1928 by a religious fanatic. COMIDA CAMPESTRE Arroz a la valenciana. (Rice, Valencia style) Cabrito en barbacoa. (Barbequed goat) Lechon con salsa ranchera. (Suckling pig with ranch dressing) Frijoles (Beans) Dulce (Sweets) Cafe´ (Coffee) Cerveza (Beer)
`a, meaning a frameThe word barbecue is derived from the Arawak barbaco work of sticks supported by posts. The word had two uses—it applied to a sleeping frame and also a frame over which meat or fish could be dried and smoked. The Arawak are the indigenous people of the West Indies, and barbecue comes down through the Spanish word baracoa. The word first appeared in English in the late-seventeenth century under a wide variety of spellings. Experts and enthusiasts debate the supposed differences between salsa and sauce—how thick or smooth it should be and whether cooked or not— but both words are derived from sal, the Latin for salt—as does the word salad. Salt, salsa, sauce, and salad were all originally intended as ‘‘seasoning’’ for a meal. Recipes ~~~ Goat is cooked in the same way as sheep and can be substituted in this recipe. Barbecued Sheep Dig a hole in ground, in it build a wood fire, and drive four stakes or posts just far enough away so they will not burn; on these build a rack of poles to support the carcass. These should be of a kind of wood that will not flavor the meat. When the wood in the pit has burned to coals, lay sheep on rack, have a bent stick with
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July 19
Coronation Banquet of King George IV
a large sponge tied on one end, and the other fastened on one corner of the rack, and turn so that it will hang over the mutton; make a mixture of ground mustard and vinegar, salt and pepper, add sufficient water to fill the sponge the necessary number of times, and let it drip over the meat until done; have another fire burning near from which to add coals as they are needed. Estelle Woods Wilcox, Buckeye Cookery (Minneapolis, 1877).
Dulce can mean any form of sweet dish. Dulce (Baked Raisins) Pick the stems from each raisin and wash in boiling red wine; then put them in an infusion of cognac, Marsala wine and slices of fresh lemon for three days. Remove and heap them in bunches about the size of large goose-eggs and wrap each bunch in large fig leaves, layer upon layer, and bake for a half-hour in a light oven. When serving turn the leaves back and send to the table hot. May. E. Southwood, One Hundred & One Mexican Dishes (1906).
Frijoles (Beans) In the bottom of a bean-jar put a whole onion with a clove stuck in it, three whole cloves of garlic, four pieces of mustard pickle and three tablespoonfuls of the mustard vinegar. Over this put a layer of uncooked red beans and a piece of salt pork, then more beans; over all a tablespoonful of sugar. Fill with hot water and bake slowly all day. Renew with hot water from time to time. May. E. Southwood, One Hundred & One Mexican Dishes (1906).
July 19 Coronation Banquet of King George IV Westminster Hall, London, England, 1821 George IV (1762–1830) was a gluttonous, spendthrift womanizer—the complete antithesis of his father, the much loved but intermittently ‘‘mad’’ George III. The new king started as he meant to continue, by spending £240,000 (equivalent to over £16 million today) on his coronation—making it the most expensive ever held in Britain. The ceremony was followed, as was traditional, by a magnificent feast. HOT DISHES.—160 tureens of soup, 80 of turtle, 40 of rice, and 40 vermicelli; 160 dishes of fish, comprising 80 of turbot, 40 of trout, 40 of salmon; 160 hot joints, including 80 of venison, 40 of roast beef, with three barons, 40 of mutton and veal; 160 dishes of vegetables, including potatoes, peas, and cauliflowers; 480 sauce-boats, 240 of lobsters, 120 butter, 120 mint.
July 19
Coronation Banquet of King George IV
COLD DISHES.—80 dishes of braized ham; 80 savory pies; 80 dishes of daubed geese, two in each; 80 dishes of savory cakes; 80 pieces of beef braized; 80 dishes of capons braized, two in each; 1,190 side-dishes of various sorts; 320 dishes of mounted pastry; 320 dishes of small pastry; 400 dishes of jellies and creams; 160 dishes of shell-fish, 80 of lobster, and 80 of crayfish; 161 dishes of cold roast fowls; 80 dishes of cold house-lamb.
Three hundred guests sat down to this banquet. There was one notable absence—the King’s wife, Caroline of Brunswick (1768–1821), whom he had hated since meeting her the day before their wedding and had prevented from attending the proceedings. Galleries had been specially constructed for the occasion in Westminster Hall so that the less important visitors could have the honor of watching the feast. The gallery guests were hungry—it had been a long day coronation-watching—and at least one peer of the realm managed to throw a capon in a handkerchief to his hungry relatives. The most interesting dish served at the feast was not listed on the formal bill of fare. It was dillegrout, a symbolic dish that had been served to the monarch at coronations ever since 1066. This was the last occasion on which it was served. The story is that William the Conqueror crowned himself King of England on Christmas Day in 1066 but postponed the festivities until he was joined by his wife, Matilda of Flanders. At the subsequent feast he was so taken with a simple white soup that he presented the cook with a manor and lands in Addington. The dish became the symbolic rent ‘‘paid’’ at the coronation of every subsequent monarch. The exact nature of the soup is not certain. Initially it appears to have been made from almond milk, chicken, and spices, but at George IV’s coronation it may have been more in the nature of a savory white ‘‘pudding’’ of herbs and pork boiled in a pig’s caul.
Coronation of George IV. Courtesy of Library of Congress.
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International Meal Quantities of Food and Wine for the Coronation Banquet. 7,442 lbs. of beef; 7,133 lbs. of veal; 2,474 lbs. of mutton; 20 quarters of house-lamb; 20 legs of house-lamb; 5 saddles of lamb; 55 quarters of grass-lamb; 160 lambs’ sweetbreads; 389 cow-heels; 400 calves’ feet; 250 lbs. of suet; 160 geese; 720 pullets and capons; 1,610 chickens; 520 hens for stock; 1,730 lbs. of bacon; 550 lbs. of lard; 912 lbs. of butter; 84 hundred of eggs.
Champagne, 100 dozen; Burgundy, 20 dozen; claret, upwards of 200 dozen; hock, 50 dozen; Moselle, 50 dozen; Madeira, 50 dozen; sherry and port, about 350 dozen; iced punch, 100 gallons.
The feast was also the last time that the traditional ceremony of the challenge by the King’s champion (see October 13) was held. Various noblemen performed traditional honorary roles. Lord Denbigh (1796–1865) had the honor of serving the King, which required him at one point to cut up an 11pound pineapple—a rare and exotic hothouse treat at the time. Recipes ~~~ Vermicelli Soup, White or Brown Blanch as much vermicelli as is wanted, by putting it on the fire in cold water; let it boil up, then strain it off, and put it into cold water; let the vermicelli stay in the water until it is cold (if it is left on a sieve to drain while hot, it becomes lumpy, and will not dissolve again), strain it quite dry from the cold water, put as much best stock as you want soup. If it is for white, make a liaison of six eggs.
A Fowl a la Daube Bone a large fowl without cutting the skin, and singe it; put in it a small piece of the prime of Westphalia ham (about the size of the breast of the fowl), then fill it with a good force-meat, and braise it in a white braise; when done, take it up and dry it; then glaze it, and put mushrooms on the dish, and the fowl at the top: garnish either with croutons, or paste baked for that purpose.
Braised Ham: see April 2. July 20 International Meal Imperial Hotel, Tokyo, Japan, 1952 The Imperial Hotel in Tokyo was designed by the famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright to replace the old timber hotel that had stood on the site since 1890. The new hotel had only just opened in 1923 when a devastating
July 20
International Meal
earthquake hit Tokyo and Yokohama, killing thousands. The hotel was slightly damaged, but functional, and instantly became a refuge for embassy officials and the homeless. ´ la carte menu, but for those guests The hotel provided a comprehensive a who wanted their luncheon choices simplified, they offered a ‘‘Tiffin’’ menu. TIFFIN Potage Pure´e Cre´cy ~~ Fried Halibut, Tartar Sauce Y 470 Brochette of Chicken with Pilaff Y 500 Minute Steak with Fried Potatoes Y 600 Coleslaw ~~ Roll Butter Coffee
This appears to be a three-course menu, with the choice of main course determining the cost of the meal. The only classic ‘‘tiffin ‘‘ (see different interpretations March 31 and April 25) feature of this meal is that it was offered at lunchtime, not at dinner. The food itself, the progression of courses, and the type of food served were entirely European. Only the name remains to give an ‘‘Asian’’ cast to the meal, perhaps to remind the guests that they were in fact away from home. The three main choices would have been familiar and unthreatening to the guests. There is the traditional fish with Tartare sauce and the ubiquitous steak and chips, and even the apparently Eastern concept of skewered meat and pilaff had been well known in America and Europe since the seventeenth century (see March 30). The single vegetable or salad side offered with all of these main meals is coleslaw, a dish with a very interesting linguistic history. The word comes from two Dutch words—kool meaning cabbage and the word for salad, pronounced sla, and together they have given rise to a huge number of spellings of ‘‘coleslaw.’’ Folk etymology (see March 14) has engendered some strange interpretations of the basic cabbage salad idea, and the changed language in its turn triggered a change in the whole concept. At some time, the word ‘‘cole’’ was heard as ‘‘cold,’’ which also fitted the dish, so it stuck. There were two results of this. One, that the ‘‘cold’’ now referring to the temperature, the ‘‘slaw’’ is left to represent the cabbage. It was then only one small step for someone to make a dramatic change to the basic (but now completely hidden) concept, and come up with ‘‘hot slaw.’’ Recipes ~~~ Tartar(e) sauce is a common accompaniment to seafood. The recipe has evolved somewhat since it became popular in the first half of the nineteenth century. It was made with mustard and vinegar with chopped shalots and
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Dining in Space
herbs; now it is more common to use mayonnaise and usually includes capers and gherkins. Tartare Sauce 2 yolks of eggs, mustard, 1/4 gill tarragon vinegar, 2 tablespoonfuls chopped gherkins, 1 tablespoonful of chopped parsley,
cayenne, 1 pint salad oil, [1 tablespoon] Bechamel or Veloute´e sauce, 1 tablespoonful of chopped capers, 1/4 teaspoonful of mixed tarragon and chervil finely chopped.
Put the yolks of eggs in a basin, place it in a shallow pan containing some crushed ice, add a teaspoonful of salt, a good pinch of white pepper, a pinch of cayenne, and a teaspoonful of mustard; stir well together, and add, gradually, the salad oil and tarragon vinegar. When the sauce is smooth and creamy stir in a good tablespoonful of cold Bechamel or veloutee sauce, add the gherkins, capers, parsley, tarragon, and chervil. Do not mix the gherkins, capers, etc., until the sauce is finished, as it is likely to cause the sauce to turn if put in too soon. A few drops of lemon juice may be added if the sauce is found too thick. Charles Herman Senn, The Book of Sauces (1915).
` la Crecy: see March 23. Soup a July 21 Dining in Space The Moon, 1969 The Apollo 11 space flight was the first mission to land men on the moon. There were three men on board—Commander Neil Armstrong, Command Module Pilot Michael Collins, and Lunar Module Pilot ‘‘Buzz’’ Aldrin. The spaceship was launched on July 16 at 13:32 UTC (Coordinated Universal Time). At 02:56 UTC on July 21, Armstrong stepped out of the lunar module onto the moon’s surface, closely followed by Aldrin—Collins remaining behind in the command module. Space food had improved a great deal in the eight years since Yuri Gagarin became the first man in orbit (see April 12). The Apollo 11 astronauts had a range of food choices in individual meal packs, and they were much more recognizable as real food than the early aluminium tubes of paste. The food was presented in various forms indicated by the legends R (rehydratable), DB (dry bite), WP (wet pack), IMB (intermediate moisture bite), and SBP (spoon bowl packet). Armstrong and Aldrin ate two meals during their excursion to the moon and back in the lunar module. There were additional items aboard the lunar module, and these included extra beverages, dried fruit, candy bars, bread, ham salad (tube), and two wet packs of turkey and gravy.
July 21
Dining in Space
Lunar Module MEAL A
MEAL B
Bacon squares (8) (IMB)
Beef Stew (R)
Peaches (R)
Cream of chicken soup (R)
Sugar cookie cubs (6) (DB)
Date fruit cake (4) (IMB)
Coffee (R)
Grape Punch (R)
Pineapple-grapefruit drink (R)
Orange drink (R)
Meals aboard the Command Module DAY 1 AND DAY 5 (21st)
DAY 2 (18th)
DAY 3 (19th)
DAY 4 (20th)
MEAL A (breakfast) Peaches (R)
Fruit cocktail (R)
Peaches (R)
Canadian bacon and applesauce (R)
Bacon Squares (8) (IMB)
Sausage Patties (SBP)
Bacon squares (8) (IMB)
Sugar coated corn flakes (R)
Strawberry Cubes (4) (DB)
Cinnamon toasted bread cubes (4) (DB)
Apricot cereal (4) (db)
Cocoa (R)
Grape Drink (R)
Cocoa (R)
Grape Drink (R)
Orange-grapefruit drink (R)
Orange Drink (R)
Grapefruit Drink (R)
Orange Drink (R)
Beef and potatoes (WP)
Frankfurters (WP) Cream of Chicken soup (R)
Shrimp cocktail (R)
Butterscotch pudding (R)
Applesauce (R)
Ham and potatoes (WP)
MEAL B
Turkey and Gravy (WP)
Brownies (4) (IMB) Chocolate Pudding Chocolate Pudding Fruit Cocktail (R) (R) (R) Grape punch (R)
Orange-grapefruit drink (R)
Orange-grapefruit drink (R)
Date fruit cake (4) (IMB) Grapefruit drink (R)
MEAL C Salmon salad (R)
Spaghetti with meat sauce (SBP)
Chicken and rice (SBP)
Pork and scalloped Chicken stew (SBP) Coconut cubes (4) potatoes (SBP) (DB)
Sugar cookie cubes Pineapple fruit (6) (DB) cake (IMB) Cocoa (R) Pineapplegrapefruit drink (R)
Grape punch (R)
Tuna sala (R)
Beef Stew (WP)
Butterscotch pudding (R)
Banana pudding (R)
Cocoa (R)
Grape punch (R)
Grapefruit drink (R)
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July 22
Royal Wedding Breakfast
There are special problems associated with eating in space. There is no refrigeration, so food must be preserved in other ways. Fuel must be conserved as much as possible. The zero gravity situation means that droplets of water and food crumbs can float around and cause all sorts of problems with equipment. The confined space and great risks mean an increased risk of tension—and food being one way of reducing stress, the psychological benefits of having a range of familiar food is very important. All meals must also fulfil calorie and nutritional requirements. The entire meal plan for the command module indicates how these problems were addressed during the Apollo 11 flight. The dining plan began with Meal B on day 1 (the astronauts having had breakfast before takeoff.) July 22 Royal Wedding Breakfast Buckingham Palace, London, England, 1896 Princess Maud of Wales (1869–1938), the granddaughter of Queen Victoria, married her first cousin, Prince Carl of Denmark (1872–1957), the future King Haakon VII of Norway, on July 22, 1896. The public celebrations surrounding the wedding were, as would be expected, at a lower key than that of her older brother and heir to the throne (the future George V) three years earlier, but in spite of the minimal street decorations, the newspapers had much to report. Princess Maud was popular and beautiful and looked ‘‘collected and self-possessed,’’ and her groom was handsome in his military uniform, and the sun shone all day. Queen Victoria had managed to marry off yet another of her descendants into another royal house of Europe, and the diplomatic alliance was unquestionably sensible and useful. The ceremony was carried out in the chapel at Buckingham Palace, and the wedding breakfast followed. POTAGES. A la Princess. ` la Windsor. Vermicelle a ´ ES (CHAUDES). ENTRE ` l’Italienne. Coˆtelettes d’Agneau a Aiguillettes de Canetons aux pois. ´ S. RELEVE ` la Napolitaine. Filets de Bœuf a Poulets gras au Cressons. ´ ES (FROIDES) ENTRE ˆ tes. Chaudfroids de Volaille sur Crou Salades d’Homard. ` l’Aspic. Jambons decoupe´s a ` l’Aspic. Langues decoupe´s a Mayonnaises de Volaille. ` la Gele´e. Roulades de Veau a
July 22
Royal Wedding Breakfast
— Haricots verts. Epinards. — Gele´es et Creˆmes.
It is always interesting to see what is chosen for important feasts when money is no object. This menu was fine and classic, without any vulgar novelties or surprises. There were no dishes especially created for the day—the ` la Princess had been created in honor of the bride’s mother, PrinPotage a cess Alexandra of Denmark, before her own wedding in 1863, and the Vermi` la Windsor was one version of the classic Windsor soup invented by celle a Queen Victoria’s chef Charles Elme´ Francatelli (see April 9). Even though this was a royal wedding breakfast, it was held at lunchtime and would have been a little less formal than at dinner. The number of cold dishes also suggests a summer lunchtime meal. Recipes ~~~ Aiguillettes are thin strips or slices. Using this preparation of duck would have made for easier serving than using whole duck, which would then have needed carving. Braized Ducks, with Stewed Peas Braize the ducks as directed in the foregoing case [see below], and when done, dish them up with stewed peas round them; sauce with a brown sauce in which some of the broth from the ducks has been reduced. They may also be prepared as follows: Put two ounces of butter in a stewpan on the fire when melted, add two tablespoonfuls of flour, and stir this over the fire until the roux becomes of a fawn-colour; then add a quart of good broth or gravy, carefully working the whole while mixing. Stir this sauce on the fire, and when it boils, put the ducks trussed for boiling into it, and also a quart of young peas, and a faggot of parsley and green onions. Allow these to stew very gently by the side of the stove for about an hour; when the ducks are done, take them out of the sauce, skim off all the grease, remove the faggot of parsley; and if there is too much sauce, boil it down to its proper consistency, pour the peas and sauce over the ducks, previously dished up, and serve.
Braized Ducks They should be trussed in the usual way, and placed in an oval stewpan with a carrot, an onion stuck with two cloves, and a garnished faggot of parsley; moisten with sufficient white stock to cover the ducks, put a buttered paper over them and set them to boil gently on a slow fire for about an hour. Charles Elme´ Francatelli, The Modern Cook (1846).
Chaud-froid: see July 25. Poulets Gras au Cressons: see February 21.
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July 23
Luncheon after the Fire
July 23 Luncheon after the Fire Hotel St. Francis, San Francisco, California, 1906 The Hotel St. Francis opened on March 21, 1904, and was immediately recognized as one of the finest hotels in the world. Two years later, early in the morning of April 18, 1906, San Francisco suffered a devastating earthquake that was quickly followed by an even more devastating fire. It is said that the Hotel St. Francis was the last building to catch fire, and it was one of the few to survive—severely damaged but with its structure intact. Repair and restoration of the hotel began immediately. In the amazingly short time of a little over four months, it was open again for business on July 23 in the form of the St. Francis Annex—a temporary structure, ‘‘fitted with all modern conveniences,’’ built in the center of Union Square park. The first meal in the new hotel was a luncheon held on this day by the Californian Promotion Committee. Grapefruit Essence of Chicken, in cups Celery
Salted Almonds
Olives
Fillet of Striped Bass, Meuniere Cleo Potatoes Broiled Squab on Toast Lettuce and Tomato Salad Fancy Ice Cream Assorted Cakes Coffee St. Francis Cocktail St. Francis White Seal Baron R. De Luze Dry Comet Apollinaris
The chef of the Hotel St. Francis from 1904–1926 was Victor Hirtzler (ca. 1875–1935), a gifted and theatrical man who had worked for Tsar Nicholas II and King Don Carlos of Portugal. San Francisco was already noted for its food, but Hirtzler almost single-handedly elevated its culinary reputation to one of the finest food cities in the world. He prided himself on offering a vast array of dishes to the hotel guests: there were 203 different choices amongst the egg dishes for example. Like celebrity chefs before and since, Hirtzler also published a cookbook, which he named in honor of the hotel, as he explained in the preface:
July 24
Dining with Marie-Antoinette
I have named my book The Hotel St. Francis Cook Book in compliment to the house which has given me in so generous measure the opportunity to produce and reproduce, always with the object of reflecting a cuisine that is the best possible.
Recipes ~~~ Essence of chicken Put in a casserole one chopped raw fowl, or plenty of carcasses, necks, etc., of raw chickens. Add the whites of three eggs, stir well, and add slowly two quarts of strong chicken broth. Bring to a boil, strain through a napkin, and serve in cups.
` re Sauce Meunie This is a butter sauce and is principally used for fish. Place the fish or meat on a platter and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper, chopped parsley and the juice of a lemon. Heat in frying pan four ounces of butter to a hazelnut color and pour over the dish.
´ o Potatoes Cle Cut raw potatoes in pear shapes the size of an egg, parboil in salt water, then put in a well-buttered pan pointed end up, sprinkle with melted butter and roast in oven, basting all the time till brown. When done, salt and serve on napkin, garnished with parsley.
Broiled Squab Split the squab, season well, roll in oil and broil. Serve on a piece of freshlymade toast, cover with maitre d’hotel sauce, and garnish with half a lemon and watercress. Maitre d’hoˆtel sauce. One-quarter pound of fresh butter, juice of one lemon, and chopped parsley. Mix well. This sauce is not to be used hot. Victor Hirtzler, The Hotel St. Francis Cook Book (1919 edition).
Salted Almonds: see April 3. July 24 Dining with Marie-Antoinette Le Petit Trianon, Versailles, France, 1788 Marie-Antoinette (1755–1793) was an Austrian Archduchess who became Queen of France only a few years after she had married the future Louis
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July 24
Dining with Marie-Antoinette
XVI of France in 1770, at the age of 14. Marie-Antoinette has probably been unfairly treated by history, which has judged her guilty of a lifetime of lavish expenditure, frivolous lifestyle, and a lack of concern about her subjects. She has certainly been cleared of uttering the infamous phrase ‘‘let them eat cake’’ when she heard of the hungry at the gates, asking for bread—the story was part of the postrevolutionary anti-royalist propaganda. ˆteau known as the Petit TriaThe young king gave his wife the small cha non in the grounds of the Palace of Versailles for her personal use and pleasure. It had been built originally for Mme. de Pompadour, the mistress of his grandfather, Louis XV. Marie-Antoinette certainly made the Petit Trianon her place of escape. No one could enter without her express permission (even, it is said, her own husband), and it was here that she could play at being a country shepherdess. The meals, of course, were anything but in the rural peasant style, as this menu for July 24, 1788, shows. QUATRE POTAGES Le riz Le Scheiber Les croutons aux laitues Les croutons unis pour Madame. ´ ES DEUX GRANDES ENTRE La pie`ce de bœuf aux choux ` la broche. La longe de veau a ´ ES SEIZE ENTRE ˆte´s a ` l’espagnol Les pa ˆtelettes de mouton grille´es Les co Les hatelets de lapereaux ` la mare´chale Les ailes de poulardes a Les abatis de dindon au consomme´ ` la chicore´e Les carre´s de mouton pique´s a ` la ravigote Le dindon poele a Le ris de veau au papillote La teˆte de veau sauce pointue ` la tartare Les poulets a ` la broche Le cochon de lait a La poule de Caux au consomme´ ` l’orange Le caneton de Rouen a Les filets de poularde en casserole au riz Le poulet froid La blanquette de poularde aux concombres QUATRE HORS-D’ŒUVRE Les filets de lapereaux ` la broche Le carre´ de veau a Le jarret de veau au consomme´ Le dindonneau froid
July 24
Dining with Marie-Antoinette
DIX PLATS DE ROTS Les poulets Le chapon pane´ Le levraut Le dindonneau Les perdreaux Les lapreaux SEIZE PETITS ENTREMETS [not detailed]
This was the typical meal structure in aristocratic France at the time, with a strictly even number of dishes in each course, with great symmetry in the overall numbers. Recipes ~~~ Hatelets or Atelets are ornamental silver skewers. Meat for hatelets was usually coated with egg and breadcrumbs before grilling or frying, and eventually the word also came to apply to this sauce or coating. Levereaux are hares. The following recipe specifies rabbit, but hare (or any other meat) can be substituted. Rabbits, en Hatelet Cut up your rabbits, and stew them with half a glass of white wine, some broth, a bunch of herbs, salt and whole pepper. When they are done, and the sauce reduced so as to hang about the meat, let them cool, and put them upon small skewers; wet them with an egg beat up, and grate bread over them; then, dip them in their fat, and grate bread over them a second time, and grill them; serve them dry upon the skewers. Franc¸ois Menon, The French Family Cook (Cuisine Bourgeoise) (1793).
Ravigote sauce, here served with the turkey (dindon), is a bright green sauce that has been popular for centuries. The name comes from the French verb ravigoter, meaning to cheer or revive. This quality supposedly comes from the four herbs it traditionally contained—tarragon, chervil, chives, and burnet, all of which are considered restorative. There are several versions, depending on whether it is to be served warm (as here) or cold (a vinaigrette style). Sauce Ravigote Chop a Clove of Garlick, Charvil [Chervil], Burnet, Taragon, Garden Cresses, Civet, all in proportion to their Flavour; when well washed and squeezed, infuse it with a little Cullis without boiling; sift it with Expression; then add a Bit of
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July 25
Dinner for the Shah of Persia
Butter, Flour, Pepper, and Salt, boil it to a good Consistence and add a Lemon Squeeze sufficient to make it relishing or tart tasted. Franc¸ois Menon, The Professed Cook (1769).
` l’orange (Duck with orange): see January 21. Le caneton de Rouen a
July 25 Dinner for the Shah of Persia Royal Palace, Turin, Italy, 1873 In 1873, the longest-reigning royal ruler in the history of Persia (Iran), Nasser al-Din Shah Qajar (1831–1896) became the first Persian monarch to visit Europe. Naturally, while in Italy he was the guest of King Victor Emmanuel (1820–1878) and his family. The visit caused great excitement, not least amongst the press who avidly reported every detail of the tour. The Times correspondent in Italy included the menu of one of the state dinners at the royal palace in Turin. ` l’Impe´riale. Potage.—Sagon a ˆ tons. (Maigre.) Princess aux e´crou ` la Russe et aguilletes de soles. Petits pate´s a ` la Jean Bart; sauce Ame´ricaine. Truites a ` l’Anglaise; sauce Madeˆre. Filet de bœuf a Crepinettes d’estourgeon; sauce Genoise. ` la Rohan. Supreˆme de poulard a ` la Parisienne. Chaudfroid de cailles a ` l’Allemande. Fonds d’artichauts garnis, haricots a ˆteau Margau. Vins.—Xeres, 1824; Cha HORS D’ŒUVRES. ` la Russe et jambonneau de pintades. Canape´s de caviar a (Maigre)—Mayonnaise de bar en Bellevue. Vins.—Johannisberger de la cave de Metternich. ` la Romaine. Punch a (Roˆt.) Faisans pique´s et ortolans; bouquetin; salade. Savarin au noyau. Suedoise garnie de fruit. Croquembouche de pastilles d’abricot. DESSERT. ` l’Espagnole; Framboise; (Glace´s.) Ecume de chocolat a Cedrat. (Tokay, 1670)
Journalists do not of course simply confine themselves to reporting facts. The event was an irresistible opportunity for English and European
July 25
Dinner for the Shah of Persia
newspapers to make patriotic and jingoistic comments. The Times reporter noted that ‘‘The Italian papers amuse themselves with long particulars respecting the habits of the Shah and his numerous suite the justice they continue to do to Christian meals, notwithstanding their alleged preference for the messes of their private orthodox cookery.’’ (‘‘Messes’’ in this case not being pejorative, but referring to ‘‘servings’’—see January 6.) The European newspapers could also not be expected to resist noting that the roasted ‘‘bouquetin’’ (stambecco, or chamois) appearing on the menu was killed by King Victor Emmanuel himself at Valdieri (in the Piedmont region), adding ‘‘It is thus that those who can dine in Italy.’’ Other than the special royal contribution, this menu was typical of a highclass dinner in Europe at the time. The most expensive ingredients were sturgeon, caviar, and ortolans, the most visually pleasing presentations— the suedoise, chaud-froid (see recipe here) and croque-en-bouche, and the classic garnishes and sauces, with punch and the finest wines served at the exactly correct moments. The day being a Friday, there were also several ‘‘maigre’’ (meatless) options for those adhering strictly to the rules of the Catholic Church. Recipes ~~~ Chaud-froid literally means warm-cold. There are various meanings in cooking. The classic chaud-froid is made from boneless poultry cooled then coated in a jellied white, pink, or brown sauce. Chauds-froid were very popular at nineteenth-century dinners partly because they could be prepared well in advance, but also because they were highly decorative, the glazed and garnished meat often being arranged in a spectacular pyramid on an elevated dish. The 366 Menus and 1200 Recipes of the Baron Brisse (1868; English translation 1905) gives the method of making a chaud-froid of partridge. The method is exactly the same for a chaud-froid of quail. Chaud-Froid de Perdreaux Roast your partridges, fillet them; pound all the meat off the carcasses in a mortar with truffles and mushrooms; simmer the bones in a tumblerful of white wine, season with truffle trimmings, eschalots, and a laurel leaf; leave on the fire until reduced to about three quarters the quantity; squeeze through a cloth, add two tablespoons of clear stock to it, stir half of this sauce into the pounded meat, mix it thoroughly with a wooden spoon in a saucepan until it boils, pass through a tammy, and leave till cold. Place the fillets round an entre´e dish with slices of truffle, cut the same shape, between each one; fill the centre with the pure´e, cover the whole with the remainder of the sauce, and garnish round with clear meat jelly.
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July 26
Lunch aboard the Royal Yacht
Croque-en-bouche means, literally, ‘‘crisp in the mouth.’’ It refers to a pyramid of sweets decorated with a spun sugar coating that provides the crunch. Today they are made (often for weddings) with profiteroles—small buns made of choux paste (see November 7), but in the nineteenth century they were often made from caramelized fruits, such as the apricots in this case. ` la Romaine (Roman punch): see July 1. Punch a Sauce Madeira: see February 28. Suedoise: see December 26.
July 26 Lunch aboard the Royal Yacht Maha-Chakri, Copenhagen, Denmark, 1897 His Majesty the King of Siam Chulalongkorn (1853–1910), also known as Rama V and ‘‘The Great Beloved King,’’ was the first Siamese (Thai) king to visit Europe (and Russia) when he made a nine-month tour in 1897. On July 26 he and his retinue were aboard the royal yacht in Copenhagen harbor. DEJEUNER * Hors d’oeuvres Consomme double en tasse Homard a la Parisienne Gigot de Pres-sale a la Danoise Chaud-Froid de volaille a la Siamoise Sarcelles sur canape Coeur do laitue Bombe Royale Palmier Deserts and Fruits
At first glance this would seem to be a very European menu for a nineteenth-century king of Thailand. The ‘‘gold standard’’ for those diplomatic dinners attended by Europeans even in Asia had been European style for a long time. Chulalongkorn’s father, King Mongkut, was determined to bring the technological advances of the West to his country and to that end had hired English tutors for his 80-odd children by his 39 wives. Once he became king himself, Chulalongkorn sent many of his sons, brothers, and nephews to school in England. ` la Danoise and a ` la Siamoise, suggesting The menu does contain dishes a that this was indeed a diplomatic dinner, and both host and guest countries were to be acknowledged. This produces an intriguing scenario at this din` la Siamoise. ner—the king of Siam sitting down to a European dish styled a
July 26
Lunch aboard the Royal Yacht
Classic French cuisine has many dishes named for particular countries or regions. They represent what the adapting country saw as the quintessential features of the local cuisine they were acknowledging. Sometimes this is ` la Perigeux or Perigord style, which always conobvious—such as dishes a tains truffles, which the region is famous for, but often it is less obvious, and there is little consistency across recipes with the same name. Recipes ~~~ Sarcelles are teals. Small birds (grouse, snipe, squab, woodcock, etc.) were often served on a canape´, which originally meant a piece of toast (see January 21). The following recipe specifies grouse, but the method is the same for any small bird. Grouse, Roasted Plain Singe, draw, wipe, and truss two fine fat grouse. Place them in a roasting-pan with half a cupful of water, spread a little butter over each, and season with a pinch of salt. Put them into a brisk oven, and let cook for eighteen minutes, taking care to baste frequently with their own gravy; then untruss. Have a hot serving-dish ready; place two bread canapes [below] on it; arrange the grouse over, and decorate the dish with a little watercress. Strain the gravy into a sauce-bowl, and serve it separately.
Canapes for Game Cut out the desired number of canapes from a loaf of American bread (a stale one is preferable) one and a half inches thick. Trim neatly, pare off the crusts; then cut out a piece in the centre of each, from end to end, so that the cavity will hold the bird easily when sending to the table. Spread a little butter over them, place on a tin plate; then brown in the hot oven until they obtain a good golden color. Remove from out the oven, arrange them on a hot dish, and they will be ready to serve. Alexander Filippini, The Delmonico Cook Book : How to Buy Food, How to Cook It, and How to Serve It (ca. 1890).
` la Siamoise in his book The Alexis Soyer gave a recipe for Pork Cutlets a Gastronomic Regenerator, published in 1847. This is the sauce recipe. ` la Siamoise’’ Sauce ‘‘a Peel forty button onions, then put half a teaspoonful of sugar in a stewpan, and place it over the fire; when melted and beginning to brown, add two ounces of butter and the onions keep tossing them over the fire until they get rather brown, add a pint of brown sauce, and half the quantity of consomme; let boil on the corner of the stove till the onions are done, keeping it well skimmed,
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July 27
Lunch En Route to the Canal Zone
the onions must be tender but not broke. Take them out carefully with a colander spoon and place them in a clean stewpan; reduce the sauce till it adheres to the back of the spoon, add a tablespoonful of French mustard, and pass it through a tammie over the onions; have also twenty little balls the size of marbles, cut from some gherkins, which put in the sauce, warm altogether, but do not boil, dress the onions and gherkins in the centre, sauce over and serve.
Chaud-froid: see July 25.
July 27 Lunch En Route to the Canal Zone aboard the SS Colon, 1908 Until the completion of the Panama Canal in 1914, the only way to sail between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and avoid the treacherous Cape Horn (and more than halve the distance) was to cross the narrow Isthmus of Panama by train. The Panama Railroad Steamship Line owned five steam ships, one of which was the SS Colon, to carry its passengers to its rail links. The SS Colon traveled between New York and the railroad company’s Atlan´n (Aspinwall). On July 27, passengers sat down to the foltic terminus of Colo lowing luncheon. White Onions Bean Soup Chow Chow Baked Pork and Beans Mutton Stew Currrant Fritters Baked Potatoes Stewed Prunes Baked Apples Tea, Cake, Coffee Cold Cuts to Order Roast Beef Roast Mutton Boiled Veal Corned Beef Ham Tongue Sardines Corned Pork Bologna Smoked Salmon Cold Slaw American, Edam, Roquefort Cheese Assorted Crackers.
This was a substantial but simple meal, and it is likely that it did not vary a great deal each day. There are no fancy dishes and the menu is written in English. There are no delicate or fragile fresh ingredients. The apples, potatoes, onions, and the cabbage for the coleslaw—or ‘‘cold slaw’’ as it is called on this menu (see July 20) are all capable of prolonged storage without spoiling. Guests who so desired had the choice of enlivening their abundant plain meats with chow-chow, a very popular mixed vegetable pickle.
July 27
Lunch En Route to the Canal Zone
Recipes ~~~ Chow-Chow (Superior English Recipe) This excellent pickle is seldom made at home, as we can get the imported article so much better than it can be made from the usual recipes. This we vouch for as being as near the genuine article as can be made: One quart of young, tiny cucumbers, not over two inches long, two quarts of very small white onions, two quarts of tender string beans, each one cut in halves, three quarts of green tomatoes, sliced and chopped very coarsely, two fresh heads of cauliflower, cut into small pieces, or two heads of white, hard cabbage. After preparing these articles, put them in a stone jar, mix them together, sprinkling salt between them sparingly. Let them stand twenty-four hours, then drain off all the brine that has accumulated. Now put these vegetables in a preserving kettle over the fire, sprinkling through them an ounce of turmeric for coloring, six red peppers, chopped coarsely, four tablespoonfuls of mustard seed, two of celery seed, two of whole allspice, two of whole cloves, a coffee cup of sugar, and two-thirds of a teacup of best ground mixed mustard. Pour on enough of the best cider vinegar to cover the whole well; cover tightly and simmer all well until it is cooked all through and seems tender, watching and stirring it often. Put in bottles or glass jars. It grows better as it grows older, especially if sealed when hot.
Currant Fritters Two cupfuls dry, fine, bread-crumbs, two tablespoonfuls of prepared flour, two cups of milk, one-half pound currants, washed and well-dried, five eggs whipped very light, one-half cup powdered sugar, one tablespoonful butter, one half teaspoonful mixed cinnamon and nutmeg. Boil the milk and pour over the bread. Mix and put in the butter. Let it get cold. Beat in next the yolks and sugar, the seasoning, flour, and stiff whites; finally, the currants dredged whitely with flour. The batter should be thick. Drop in great spoonfuls into the hot lard and fry. Drain them and send hot to table. Eat with a mixture of wine and powdered sugar.
Bologna Sausage Two pounds of lean pork, two pounds of lean veal, two pounds of fresh lean beef, two pounds of fat salt pork, one pound beef suet, ten tablespoonfuls of powdered sage, one ounce each of parsley, savory, marjoram and thyme, mixed. Two teaspoonfuls of cayenne pepper, the same of black, one grated nutmeg, one teaspoonful of cloves, one minced onion, salt to taste. Chop or grind the meat and suet; season, and stuff into beef skins; tie these up, prick each in several places to allow the escape of steam; put into hot, not boiling water, and heat gradually to the boiling point. Cook slowly for one hour; take out the skins and lay them to dry in the sun, upon clean, sweet straw or hay. Rub the outside of the skins with oil or melted butter, and place in a cool, dry cellar. If you wish to keep them more
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July 28
First Annual Dinner of the First Vegetarian Society of England
than a week, rub ginger or pepper on the outside, then wash it off before using. This is eaten without further cooking. Cut in round slices and lay sliced lemon around the edge of the dish, as many like to squeeze a few drops upon the sausage before eating. These are very nice smoked like hams. F. L. Gillette, White House Cookbook (1887).
Baked Apples: see December 14.
July 28 First Annual Dinner of the First Vegetarian Society of England Manchester, England, 1848 The Vegetarian Society of the United Kingdom was formed in September 1847, at a meeting held at a vegetarian hospital in Ramsgate, Kent. The first annual meeting was held the following year in Manchester, and 232 attendees (almost half the membership) sat down to a dinner devoid of both animal flesh and ‘‘intoxicating beverages.’’ The Globe newspaper recorded the feast with great interest. FIRST COURSE: Large savoury omelet, vegetables, rice fritters, vegetables, beetroot; onion and sage fritters, vegetables, savoury pie; mushroom pie, vegetables, bread and parsley fritters; beetroot, vegetables, force-meat fritters, vegetables, large macaroni omelet; water the only beverage. SECOND COURSE: Plum pudding, moulded rice, almonds and raisins, cheesecakes, figs; custards, grapes, flummery; sponge cakes, red and white currants, moulded sago, fruit tarts; water the only beverage.
The word ‘‘vegetarian’’ had been in use for about a decade (the more common term had been ‘‘Pythagoreans,’’ after the famous Greek philosopher and mathematician who espoused such a diet), but the formation of the new society consolidated ‘‘vegetarian’’ as the name of choice for those who elected to abstain from eating the flesh of animals. Throughout history individuals and small groups have avoided animal flesh for a variety of reasons, but it was an uncommon choice (amongst those with the economic freedom to choose) until the nineteenth century. The early movement was driven by Christian religious groups and was underpinned by the philosophy that it was spiritually bankrupt to kill animals for food. It was associated with the high moral ground in other, less obvious ways too. Vegetarians of the time (as at this dinner) almost always abstained from alcohol, and many also from all condiments including salt. The rationale for the avoidance of condiments is not clear, but it does appear that they were considered too stimulating. The argument is reminiscent of the ancient humoral theory (see February 23) that explained the medieval prohibition of meat on days of particular religious observance, that it was ‘‘heating’’ and therefore stimulated the passions (and especially lust).
July 29
Royal Wedding Breakfast for Prince Charles and Lady Diana
Recipes ~~~ Root, Herb, and Other Savoury Pies Potatoes two pounds onions two ounces; butter one ounce; water half a pint. Pare and cut the potatoes; put a layer of onions cut small between the layers of potatoes; season with pepper and salt; lay the butter at the top in small pieces pour in the water cover the whole with paste and bake. The onions may be replaced by mushrooms cut small. Hard boiled eggs cut in slices or small pieces may be distributed between the layers. Half an ounce of tapioca or sago is an improvement; these should be well washed and steeped in cold water before they are added; or they may be reduced to a jelly and added to the pie when baked. When mushrooms are not used, the flavour may be improved by the addition of a little ketchup which may either be added when the pie is made, or poured in with a little melted butter, etc., after the pie has been baked. Some add a little celery or powdered sage, sliced turnips, carrots, asparagus or other vegetables.
Fritters [‘‘Other Kinds’’] Bread crumbs four ounces boiling water or milk half pint; eggs two to four; butter half an ounce. Pour the boiling fluid upon the bread crumbs, and let them soak one hour; beat the mixture with a fork removing all hard pieces add the beaten eggs and butter; and if intended to be sweet, add from two to four ounces of sugar, and a little lemon rind and juice; also if preferred three ounces of currants or four of chopped apples or other fruit, and fry. If intended to be savoury, substitute for the sugar etc., onions previously boiled in two or three waters and chopped small, two to four ounces; oatmeal one ounce; sage one tea spoonful; lemon thyme and sweet marjoram half a tea spoonful of each; a little pepper and salt. Mix the whole well, adding more fluid when necessary; fry and serve up with brown sauce. This mixture may also be baked whole as an omelet, in a buttered dish. John Smith, The Principles and Practice of Vegetarian Cookery (1860).
Sponge Cake: see May 14. July 29 Royal Wedding Breakfast for Prince Charles and Lady Diana Buckingham Palace, London, England, 1981 When Prince Charles (b. 1948), the heir to the throne of England, married Lady Diana Spencer (1961–1997) in Westminster Abbey on July 29, 1981, the event was watched around the world. The ceremony finished at 12:10 P.M., and the royal party returned to Buckingham Palace, where, after their public appearance on the balcony, they sat down to the traditional wedding breakfast. Visiting heads of state (hereditary monarchs and elected
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Royal Wedding Breakfast for Prince Charles and Lady Diana
presidents) and important political figures were entertained by the prime minister at in informal lunch at the Bank of England—the wedding breakfast itself was a private affair for 120 guests made up of family members and close friends. The menu, prepared by the palace staff, was elegant and light as was appropriate for a summer lunch after an exhausting and no doubt stressful morning. Only one dish was specially created—a chicken dish named in honor of the new Princess of Wales. Quenelles de Barbue Cardinal, (Brill in Lobster Sauce) Supreˆme de Volaille Princesse de Galles, (Chicken Breasts stuffed with Lamb Mousse, coated in brioche crumbs and fried in butter) ` la Cre`me, Pommes Nouvelles, Fe`ve au Beurre, Maı¨s a (Buttered Beans, Creamed Corn, New Potatoes) Salade (Salad) Fraises et Cre`me Caille´e (Strawberries with Cornish Cream) Wine Brauneberger Juffer Spatlese 1976 Chateau Latour 1959 Krug 1969 Taylor’s Port 1955
The total cost of this simple luncheon for 120 guests was $40,000—but that did include the five-tier wedding cake.
Facts about The Royal Wedding Cake The cooks were Chief Petty Officer David Avery who was assisted by Training Officer Lieutenant Motley at the Royal Navy Cookery School. Every single nut and piece of dried fruit was hand picked, a process that took two days and was code-named ‘‘Operation Sultana.’’ Navy Rum was included in the recipe. It was made nearly three months before the event, to allow it to mature. The cake had five tiers; the largest layer took 8 1/2 hours to cook and measured 4 1/2 feet in diameter. The cake weighed 224 lbs. (49 lbs. of which were in the marzipan and icing).
July 29
Royal Wedding Breakfast for Prince Charles and Lady Diana
It was decorated with the interwoven initials ‘‘C’’ and ‘‘D,’’ sugar flowers, sugar doves, and Naval insignia. Prince Charles cut the cake with his ceremonial sword.
Recipes ~~~ Lobster sauce has been a traditional accompaniment to fish such as brill for a long time. Lobster Sauce, to Serve with Turbot, Salmon, Brill, &c. (Very Good.) 1 middling-sized hen lobster, 3/4 pint of melted butter, 1 tablespoonful of anchovy sauce, 1/2 oz. of butter, salt and cayenne to taste, a little pounded mace when liked, 2 or 3 tablespoonfuls of cream. Choose a hen lobster, as this is indispensable, in order to render this sauce as good as it ought to be. Pick the meat from the shells, and cut it into small square pieces; put the spawn, which will be found under the tail of the lobster, into a mortar with 1/2 oz. of butter, and pound it quite smooth; rub it through a hairsieve, and cover up till wanted. Make 3/4 pint of melted butter [see next recipe]; put in all the ingredients except the lobster-meat, and well mix the sauce before the lobster is added to it, as it should retain its square form, and not come to table shredded and ragged. Put in the meat, let it get thoroughly hot, but do not allow it to boil, as the colour would immediately be spoiled; for it should be remembered that this sauce should always have a bright red appearance. If it is intended to be served with turbot or brill, a little of the spawn (dried and rubbed through a sieve without butter) should be saved to garnish with; but as the goodness, flavour, and appearance of the sauce so much depend on having a proper quantity of spawn, the less used for garnishing the better.
Melted Butter [Sauce] 1/4 lb. of butter, a dessertspoonful of flour, 1 wineglassful of water, salt to taste. Cut the butter up into small pieces, put it in a saucepan, dredge over the flour, and add the water and a seasoning of salt; stir it one way constantly till the whole of the ingredients are melted and thoroughly blended. Let it just boil, when it is ready to serve. If the butter is to be melted with cream, use the same quantity as of water, but omit the flour; keep stirring it, but do not allow it to boil. Beeton’s Household Manual (1861).
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July 30
Banquet Honoring Howard Hughes
July 30 Banquet Honoring Howard Hughes Rice Hotel, Houston, Texas, 1938 Howard Hughes (1905–1976) was an American engineer, industrialists, film producer, philanthropist, and passionate aviator, and one of the world’s wealthiest men. An eccentric billionaire can, by definition, indulge any of his whims, but Hughes in spite of his wealth was a tortured soul. He was phobic about germs all his life, and as a result avoided a great deal of normal, everyday social contact such as shaking hands, and he had to pick everything up with paper towels. The severity of his symptoms fluctuated but he may well have suffered from obsessive-compulsive disorder. Many of his anxieties and obsessive behaviors centered around food; he would eat the same foods for months on end, then change his preferences without any warning; he gave his staff elaborate rituals about opening cans of food; at times he would sort the peas on his plate according to size; his food was cooked with a stopwatch and if there was the shortest delay between cooking and serving the staff would have to throw out the meal and start over. Hughes was often invited to banquets and dinners by groups wishing to honor him for his achievements, or prevail upon him for donations or investment. Presumably when he was in the grip of his social anxiety and food phobia he refused those invitations. On July 30, 1938, he (and his ‘‘intrepid crew’’) did attend a dinner given ‘‘in celebration of his just completed Round-The-World air flight publicizing the World’s Fair to be held in New York City’’ and in recognition of ‘‘Their RemarkableFlight Around the World, and in Appreciation of Their Invaluable Contribution to the Scientific Development of Commercial Aviation.’’ The dinner was given by ‘‘his Fellow Townsmen of Houston, Texas,’’ and sponsored by the Houston Chamber of Commerce. MENU Cantaloupe and Watermelon, Parisienne. Hearts of Colorado Celery. Ripe and Green Jumbo Olives. Smothered Chicken on Toast. Potatoes au Gratin. New Butter Beans. Lettuce, Tomato, Asparagus Tips Salad, French Dressing. ` la Howard. Ice Cream a Cakes. Coffee and Cream.
Hughes’s tastes were known to be for plain food, and this menu certainly is not fancy or fussy. The ice cream is named in his honor, although the flavor is not mentioned. He was very fond of ice cream and remained faithful to one flavor for a long time before suddenly changing it. There is a famous story about his developing a passion for Baskin-Robbins’ banana nut ice cream just
July 30
Banquet Honoring Howard Hughes
as the company discontinued it. His staff made a special order for the minimum amount of 350 gallons, but by the time it was delivered, Hughes had changed his preference to French vanilla. Recipes ~~~ Smothered Chicken 1 broiler chicken about 2 1/2 pounds 4 tablespoons butter 2 tablespoons flour 1–2 teaspoon salt 1 pint milk Put chicken in greased shallow pan, skin side down, and sprinkle lightly with salt. Prepare a sauce of butter, flour, salt and milk. Pour sauce over chicken and cook in moderate oven 1 hour. Turn chicken and continue cooking 1–2 hour longer or until tender and lightly browned Chillicothe Constitution-Tribune, June 12, 1936.
Potatoes au Gratin Grease a baking dish. Arrange slices of cold boiled potatoes on bottom. Sprinkle with grated cheese, salt and pepper. Dot with butter. Repeat process until all materials needed are used. Add enough milk to almost cover the top later. Bake in hot oven (400° F.) 20 to 25 minutes. Allow one medium sized potato per serving. The Lily Wallace New American Cookbook (1946).
One of Hughes’s long-term favorite ice cream flavors was cherry. Cherry Ice Cream One cup cherry juice, drained from can of sour, pitted, very red cherries; 2–3 cups sweetened condensed milk; one teaspoon lemon juice; 1–2 cup cherry pulp measured after being put through food chopper, 1 cup whipping cream. Blend sweetened condensed milk, cherry juice, and lemon juice thoroughly. Add measured cherry pulp. Chill. Whip cream to custard-like consistency and fold into chilled mixture. Pour into freezing pan of automatic refrigerator. Place in freezing unit. After mixture is about half frozen, remove from refrigerator. Scrape mixture from sides and bottom of pan. Beat until smooth but not until melted. Smooth out and replace in freezing tray until frozen for servings. Chillicothe Constitution-Tribune, July 2, 1936.
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July 31
King’s Dinner
July 31 King’s Dinner France, 1826 A correspondent to the Dublin Literary Gazette in 1830 included in his letter an extract from the French journal Voleur. The article contained details of the French royal family dinners, and the correspondent commented: A man of letters has pretended that we might judge the manners of a nation by the luxury or frugality of the great. If this opinion is well founded, the following document is precious for the history of its old monarchy, of the republic, and the restoration. We merely guarantee the facts, and leave it to moralists to appreciated the consequences.
The monarch in question was Charles X, and another of the menus from the article is featured on April 4. The royal family dinner on July 31 was according to the following bill of fare: ˆ tons aux racines. Crou ˆte´ de cailles. Pa Ailes de canetons aux navets. Marinade de poulets aux epinards. ˆtelette de mouton pane´e. Co Filet de poularde aux olives. Brioche. Haricots blancs. Poule de Caux. Œufs brouille´s. Artichokes en feuillage. Culs blancs. Faisans. Tourte d’abricots.
What does this menu reveal about the French nation at that the time? Is the meal any more or less grand than it would have been served at dinner on an ordinary day in an English royal household? The individual dishes are not much of a clue. Menus in England were written in French, and the only word that really gives this away as being French is the brioche, a bread enriched with butter and eggs (see February 24) which rarely appeared on English menus by that name. Duck is common on English menus, although the particular combination with turnips is very French. One unusual note is the presence of the boiled eggs. Eggs in any form have always been considered a lunchtime dish, so it is possible that this was in fact lunch. Recipes ~~~ Caneton aux navets (duck with turnips) is one of the classic and popular French dishes. There are many variations of the basic idea. In today’s menu, the wings (ailes) alone were used, but the basic recipe is the same.
July 31
King’s Dinner
Canard aux Navets Roast a duck; let it be rather underdone; then separate the legs and wings from the body, thus making five pieces. Next fry a few slices of turnips in butter, with a little powdered sugar to colour them; then throw in a pinch of flour, and moisten with stock and a little gravy, seasoning to your taste, and adding some parsley and green onions; skim, and when the turnips are done, put them into a stewpan separately, with a very little of their sauce. Boil the duck in the remaining sauce; then skim, and serve altogether. French Domestic Cookery, by an English Physician (1825).
Haricots Blancs Put some new white haricot beans into boiling water with salt; let them stew till half done; strain them through a sieve when you take them off the fire, and put them on again to finish in stock, with a carrot, a bunch of sweet herbs, and an onion stuck with a clove; serve with what meat you choose, or soup. E. Crawford, French Cookery Adapted for English Families (1853).
Artichokes were served two ways at this dinner—with the leaves, and as culs blancs (the bottoms, in white sauce). Artichauts En Feuillage (Artichokes with the Leaves) Scald them first in boiling Water a few minutes; then boil them in Broth, with a faggot of sweet Herbs, a few slices of Lard under them, and two or three Cloves; drain, and take the Choaks out as the first; pour a Cullis therein, mixed with Butter, Pepper, Salt, and a Lemon Squeeze. B. Clermont, The Professed Cook; or, The Modern Art of Cookery, Pastry, and Confectionary (1778).
Brioche: see February 24. Tourte d’Abricots: see August 24.
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August August 1 Banquet for the Official Opening of London Bridge London, England, 1831 The citizens of London celebrated with great pride in 1831 when the ‘‘new’’ London Bridge was completed. The previous bridge had stood for 600 years: this ‘‘new’’ bridge was to last only 136 years, its construction proving to be inadequate for modern traffic. It was sold in 1968 and reassembled at Lake Havasu in Arizona, as a tourist attraction. The official opening was held on August 1, which was also the anniversary of the accession of the German House of Hanover to the throne of England in 1714. The date was no doubt chosen to honor King William (1765–1837), who, with Queen Adelaide (1792–1849), were the guests of honor at the spectacular opening ceremony. Fifteen hundred guests attended the banquet which was held on the bridge itself, under a magnificent canopy formed of the flags of all nations. Below are the quantities needed for the celebration.
370 dishes of chickens 150 hams and tongues 75 raised French pies, etc. 75 pigeon pies 40 sirloins of beef 50 quarters of lamb 250 dishes of shellfish, etc. 200 ditto salads, cucumbers, etc. 200 fruit tarts 200 jellies, creams, & strawberries 350 lb. weight pine apples 100 dishes hothouse grapes 100 dishes nectarines, peaches, apricots, etc. 100 dishes greengages, Orlean plums, etc. 100 dishes currant, gooseberry, raisin, etc. 150 ornamented Savoy cakes 300 dishes ice cream etc. 300 turtles, roast chickens, etc. 840 dozen of the choicest wines
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August 1
Banquet for the Official Opening of London Bridge
True to ancient tradition, the royal table was the most beautifully decorated. At its center was an ornate three-piece plateau of ‘‘exquisite workmanship’’ over six-feet long with pillars, figures of the three Graces, and 48 candles, ‘‘the effect, when lighted . . . may be conceived but not adequately described.’’ Also in keeping with tradition, the royal table was served the finest of the dishes prepared by the caterer, Mr. Leech of the famous London Coffee House in Ludgate-hill. Refrigeration science was still in its infancy at this time, and there were certainly no commercial applications. How then, did the caterer prepare sufficient food for 1,500 people—a task that would have taken many days of preparation? One of caterers’ best friends for centuries had been the pie. A pastry shell, if not cracked or damp, would remain airtight and preserve food for a long time (although it would not meet food safety requirements today). The French pies and pigeon pies on this menu could have been prepared well in advance and set aside, perhaps for extra security remaining in their metal ‘‘molds’’ until serving time. The folk of the nineteenth century had a prolonged love affair with decorative molded dishes of all sorts, thanks to the technological developments of the Industrial Revolution. Sprung metal molds in a huge variety of complex, ornate designs were made which removed the necessity to ‘‘raise’’ pies by hand—the standard method since the medieval era. ‘‘French pies’’ were particularly highly decorated raised pies and were standard items at fine banquets. Pigeon pies were also associated with the well-to-do. Birds were considered delicate food suitable for finer folk,
London Bridge, opening day. Courtesy of Library of Congress.
August 2
Harvest Meals in an English Medieval Manorial Household
and in any case only the wealthy were able to maintain pigeon-cotes. The pies were often made with the pigeons’ feet sticking up out of the top of the pie to identify the contents. Molds were also used for cold ‘‘set’’ dishes such as jellies and custards, chartreuses (see November 9) of meat and vegetables, as well as puddings and cakes—including the Savoy cakes which appear on this and almost every other civic menu of the time. Recipes ~~~ Savoy Cake, or Sponge Cake in a Mould Take nine Eggs, their weight of Sugar, and six of Flour, some grated Lemon, or a few drops of Essence of Lemon, and half a gill of Orange-flower Water, work them as in the last receipt [see below]; put in the orange-flower water when you take it from the fire; be very careful the mould is quite dry: rub it all over the inside with Butter, put some pounded Sugar round the mould upon the butter, and shake it well to get it out of the crevices: tie a slip of paper round the mould, fill it three parts full with the mixture, and bake it one hour in a slack oven; when done, let it stand for a few minutes, and take it from the mould, which may be done by shaking it a little. [‘‘previous receipt’’] Break into a round-bottomed Preserving Pan, nine good sized Eggs, with one pound of sifted Loaf Sugar, and some grated Lemon Peel;— set the pan over a very slow fire, and whisk it till it is quite warm (but not too hot to set the Eggs) remove the pan from the fire, and whisk it till cold, which may be a quarter of an hour, then stir in the flour lightly with a spattle. William Kitchiner, The Cook’s Oracle (1836).
Pigeon Pie Do not put any beefsteak in the bottom of the pie, as it soaks up the juice in which the pigeons ought to be done, and leaves them dry; therefore, if it is put in, let it be at the top; put butter, thyme, pepper, and salt into each; boil the gizzards first; put in the pigeons, wrapping each in a vine-leaf, and over it a thin slice of bacon. If there is any salmi of game or pigeons, put in a little; if not, put in water, with hard yolks: farce-balls may be added, and a clove of garlic; stick some of the pigeons’ feet in the middle of the crust. For a nice pie, use puff paste; but any other will do for a family pie. Domestic Economy, and Cookery, for Rich and Poor (London, 1827).
August 2 Harvest Meals in an English Medieval Manorial Household Acton Hall, Acton, Suffolk, 1413 Dame Alice de Breyene was a wealthy English gentlewoman when she was widowed in 1386. She left her marital home in Gloucestershire and returned
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Harvest Meals in an English Medieval Manorial Household
with her two daughters to Suffolk to be close to her family, and set up home at Acton Hall. The manor house was set in an estate of 900 acres of farm and woodland and had its own brew house, bakehouse, and chapel. The household book kept by her steward for the period September 29, 1412, to September 28, 1413, contains a meticulous record of the expenses, purchases, and management of supplies for the household, including the number of people provided for at each meal (family, servants, farm workers, visitors, and visitors’ servants), and the food and drink consumed. The entry for August 2, 1413, is brief but reveals a great deal. Meals: Breakfast 20, dinner 40, supper 40. Sum 100 Wed. 2. Guests—John Scoyl with 27 boon workers, the bailiff of the manor with the harvest-reeve, William Cowpere, the whole day. Pantry: 50 white, and 6 black loaves, and 32 loaves for the boon-workers; wine from supply, ale from stock. Kitchen: 80 white herrings, 1 1/2 salt fish, one stockfish. Purchases: 3 thornbacks, 7 soles and 5 plaice 17d. milk and cream 5d. eggs 6d. Provender: hay from stock for 5 horses, fodder for same, 3pk oats.
From this Wednesday entry it is obvious that it was one of the frequent fast (i.e., fish) days required by the Church at that time. It was also the beginning of the harvest: the provision for the harvest workers is noted, and there is a sharp increase in the number of meals from 52 the previous day, building to a total of 2,200 for the month (the busiest in the year, with almost double the number of meals prepared in March). The absolute primacy of bread in the diet at that time is also abundantly clear from this record. All social classes consumed bread in huge quantities by today’s standards— each person consuming between 2 and 3 pounds a day. The difference was in the type of bread eaten: the higher the social position, the finer and whiter the bread. Black bread was made from coarse wholemeal or rye or a mixture and was food for peasants and Harvesting grain woodcut. servants.
August 3
Luncheon Given by President Richard M. Nixon
The amount of ale used each day was not noted, but from the brewing records it can be calculated that the average consumption was of the order of 1 gallon per person, per day. Ale was the drink of choice, even for children. It was low in alcohol, and on the whole probably safer than the water supply. Ale does not keep well, and it was brewed every 2–6 days for immediate consumption. The difference between beer and ale is that hops are used in the production of beer and account for its better keeping qualities. It is not certain when hops were introduced to England from Europe—various sources claim dates between the seventh and the sixteenth centuries, but ale remained the standard home brew for centuries. Recipes ~~~ Fish preserved by drying or salting was a staple in households such as this, to supplement the supplies of fresh fish for the many non-meat days a year decreed by the Church. Stockfish was usually made from cod hung on ‘‘stocks’’ (sticks) and air-dried in the cold northern climate of Scandinavia.
To Boile Stockfish Take Stock fish when it is well watered, and picke out all the baste cleane from the fish, then put it into a pipkin, and put in no more water than shall cover it, and set it on the fire, and as soone as it beginneth to boyle on the one side, then turne the other side to the fire, and assoone as it beginneth to boile on the other side, take it off, and put it into a Colender, and let the water runne out from it, but put in salt in the boyling of it, then take a little faire water and sweete butter, and let it boyle in a dish untill it bee something thick, then powre it on the stockfish and serve it. The Good Housewife’s Jewell (England, 1596).
August 3 Luncheon Given by President Richard M. Nixon Romanian State Guest House, Bucharest, Romania, 1969 The visit of President Richard M. Nixon (1913–1994) to Romania in 1969 caused a great deal of interest and controversy. The visit was at the invitation of the communist leader of Romania, Nicolae Ceaus¸escu (1918–1989) and was to be not only Nixon’s first overseas trip as president of the United States, but also the first of any American president to any communist country. The visit was to be symbolic. Although there was no official discussion agenda and no decisions were expected to be made, every visit has political or diplomatic implications, and as soon as the invitation was accepted, the spin-doctors went to work to stress that this was not an anti-Soviet move. The visit caused other problems at a more mundane level. The Romanian
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Luncheon Given by President Richard M. Nixon
Army Band had to learn to play the ‘‘Star Spangled Banner,’’ and accommodation had to be found for the 600 or so media people and peripheral officials in Bucharest, which had only three high-class hotels. There was very little time for official talks in any case. The entire round trip was a long weekend. The Nixons left the United States on Friday, August 1, visited Lahore, Pakistan, Romania, and England and were home again on Sunday, August 3. They arrived in Bucharest on Saturday afternoon, and as is normal diplomatic tradition on the first evening of a visit, were entertained that evening at a state dinner at the Council of Ministers building. Diplomatic tradition also requires that the visitors return the compliment the following day, which the Nixons did at a luncheon on Sunday at the Romanian State Guest House. Florida Crab Mousse Roast Sirloin of Beef Colorado Bouquetie`re of Vegetables California New Mexico Tomato Salad New Jersey Blueberries Petits Fours Demi-Tasse
This was no leisurely Sunday luncheon. The meal began at 1 P.M., and at 3:30 P.M. the Nixons left for Mildenhall Air Force Base in England. The basic ingredients for this meal obviously traveled with the party, and it is clear that the menu was an opportunity for a final nationalistic statement. Recipes ~~~ Crab Mousse Pound a cup of crab meat (in a generous cup by the way) and the unbeaten whites of two eggs in a mortar until the whole is reduced to a pulp. Add gradually, pounding the whole time, a half cup of cold bechamel. After the sauce has all been added and the combination has been thoroughly soothed, press through a fine sieve and set aside to cool. Now beat stiff and dry two egg whites and also a cup of thick whipping cream until firm through. Add half a teaspoonful of salt, and a pinch or more of pepper, if liked, to the crab. Now fold in the beaten egg and whipped cream. Turn the mixture into a buttered mold, set the mold in a pan with a number of folds of paper beneath, and pour in boiling water to half the height of the mold. Do not allow the water to boil, but cook gently until the mixture is firm on a low fire. Unmold and serve with Hollandaise or other fish sauces. The New York Times, August 27, 1911.
Petits Fours: see November 14.
August 4
Dinner aboard the Pride of the Fleet
August 4 Dinner aboard the Pride of the Fleet RMS Imperator, 1920 When the Imperator made her maiden voyage in June 1913, she was the pride of the Hamburg-Amerika Line fleet. She was the largest passenger ship in the world—the ‘‘Colossus of the Ocean’’—capable of carrying over 4,500 passengers and designed as a floating hotel. One of the first-class restaurants aboard was named the Ritz-Carlton, after the luxurious London hotel of that name, and the famous French chef Auguste Escoffier (1846–1935) from the hotel was prevailed upon to ensure that the Imperator’s eight kitchens could turn out fine hotel-quality food. The pride of the fleet became part of the war reparations when Germany was defeated in World War I. The Reparations Commission awarded the Imperator to Great Britain (over the objections of the United States, which thought it had greater claim), and she was transferred to the Cunard Line in late 1919. After refitting she became once again a luxury transatlantic cruise ship. On July 31, 1920, she left Southampton, England, with a list of notable and titled visitors aboard, arriving on July 6 in New York. Two days out from their arrival, some of the passengers (the class is not stated) sat down to the following dinner. MENU. Hors d’œuvres (varie´s) — Pot au Feu. Cream of Barley. — River Trout—Shrimp Sauce. Aiguillette d’Aigrefin—Sauce Tartare. — Noisettes de Pre´ Sale´—Reforme. Kromeskis—Polonaise. — Sirloin and Ribs of Beef—Horseradish Sauce. French Beans. Boiled Rice. Boiled New, and Roasted Potatoes. — Roast Turkey—Sausage—Cranberry Sauce. — Salade de Saison. — Pouding Marie-Louise. Parisienne Fancies. Bavarois Chocolat — French Ice Cream. — Dessert. Coffee.
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Dinner aboard the Pride of the Fleet
Recipes ~~~ Kromeskies are similar to croquettes (see May 4) and can be made from any cold meat such as chicken or sweetbreads (see March 3), as well as fish and oysters. Kromeskies 1 lb. cold meat 1 oz. butter Onion, flour, and seasoning 1/4 lb. lard Materials for batter 1 egg (1) Chop one onion and fry it pale yellow in one ounce of butter (2) Cut the cold meat in small dice (3) When the onion is yellow, add to it an ounce of flour; stir until smooth, then add half a pint of boiling water, or cold gravy, and stir until the sauce is ready to boil. (4) Put in the cold meat, a tablespoon of chopped parsley, a teaspoonful of salt, and the yolk of one raw egg, and stir till the mixture is scalding hot. (5) Turn it out on an oiled platter, spreading it an inch thick, and let it cool. (6) When it is cold, cut it in strips an inch wide and two inches long; pat them into even shapes with a knife blade dipped in cold water; drop them into the Plain Frying Batter [see below], lift them out with a fork and drop them into smoking hot fat to fry golden brown. (7) When they are done, lay them on brown paper for a moment to free them from grease, pile them nicely on a clean napkin, garnish them with sprigs of parsley, and serve them hot.
Plain Frying Batter Mix a quarter of a pound of flour with the yolks of two raw eggs, a level saltspoonful of salt, half a saltspoonful of pepper, quarter of a saltspoonful of grated nutmeg, one tablespoonful of salad oil (which is needed to make the batter crisp) and one cup of water, more or less, as the flour will take it up; the batter should be stiff enough to hold the drops from the spoon in shape when they are let fall upon it; now beat the whites of two eggs to a stiff froth, beginning slowly, and increasing the speed until you are beating as fast as you can; the froth will surely come; then stir it lightly into the batter. Juliet Corson, Cooking School Text Book and Housekeepers’ Guide to Cookery and Kitchen Management (New York, 1879).
Marie-Louise Pudding Wash a small cupful of Carolina rice and simmer it very slowly in a pint of milk, adding a little cream at the end. To be extra well cooked. Sweeten and flavour to taste, mixing in a little finely-chopped candied peel. When cool, add the well-beaten yolks of 4 eggs. Whip the whites to a froth and add them lightly in just before you steam the pudding.
August 5
Frederick the Great’s Dinner
Ornament a mould as if for a cabinet pudding with candied peel cut in circles, size of threepenny bits, cherries, &c., Serve with Frothed Sauce round the pudding and hand some also with it in a boat. This pudding would be good buried in ice, then the sauce should be cold custard, flavoured with 1/2 teaspoonful of maraschino and a whole one of brandy. The Cookery Book of Lady Clark of Tillypronie (1909).
Horseradish Sauce: see February 10. Pot au Feu: see April 7. Reform Sauce: see July 3. Shrimp Sauce: see April 20. Tartare Sauce: see July 20.
August 5 Frederick the Great’s Dinner Sans Souci, Potsdam, Germany, 1786 It was the habit of King Frederick II (1712–1786) of Prussia to inspect his dinner menu in advance, add his comments to it, and mark his choices of the dishes he wished to be served with an ‘‘x.’’ Twelve days before his death, this is the menu as it was returned to the kitchen. ` la Fonque (x) Soupe aux choux a Du boeuf aux panais et carottes (x) Des poulets en cannelons aux concombres faris au blanc a l’Anglaise [struck out by His Majesty and replaced by ‘‘des cotelettes dans du papier’’] ` la Romaine Petits potes a Roast young Couleussen ` la Dessau (x) Du saumon a Des filets de volaille a la Pompadour, avec des langues de boeuf et des croquettes Portuguese cake [struck out by His Majesty, with the annotation ‘‘des gauffres’’ instead] Green peas (x) Fresh herrings (x) Pickled cucumbers
There is very little that is obviously Prussian in this dinner. Royalty and the wealthy ate in a similar fashion no matter where they ruled in Europe. Classic dishes in classic order appeared on menus traditionally written in French (which did not change in Prussia until 1889 when Wilhelm II threw out the French chefs and ordered that menus were to be written in German). Frederick II ruled Prussia from 1740–1786. He had the common touch and was popular with his people in spite of his belief in absolute rule. One of his edicts was however most unpopular, causing his loyal subjects to become quite creative in their resistance. He tried to restrict the sale of coffee.
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Frederick the Great’s Dinner
Coffee originated in Abyssinia (Ethiopia). It became established in the Arab empire in the sixteenth century and was taken up with increasing enthusiasm in Europe in the seventeenth century. From the beginning, coffee caused concern to despotic rulers because people gathered at coffee houses to drink it—facilitating subversive talk and action. As early as 1511 the governor of Mecca tried to ban it for that reason, as did Charles II of England in 1675 when he issued A Proclamation for the Suppression of Coffee Houses (which he withdrew less than a week later under pressure from his own ministers). Frederick, who was passionately fond of coffee himself, had a more pressing reason for controlling it—an economic one. A royal monopoly was imposed on coffee in 1766 for a number of reasons: the belief that the importation of coffee would cause money to flow out of the country and contribute to economic ruin (rather than filling the royal coffers), a prevailing medical opinion that considered coffee to be harmful (especially in respect to damaging potency and fertility), and the reluctance on the part of the wealthy to see their favorite beverage become cheap enough for ordinary folk (with the justification that the poorer folk would surely be ruined by it). By 1777, aware that he was far from winning the battle, Frederick dressed up his command in military and patriotic sentiment. It is disgusting to notice the increase in the quantity of coffee used by my subjects, and the amount of money that goes out of the country as a consequence. Everybody is using coffee; this must be prevented. His Majesty was brought up on beer, and so were both his ancestors and officers. Many battles have been fought and won by soldiers nourished on beer, and the King does not believe that coffee-drinking soldiers can be relied upon to endure hardships in case of another war.
Ultimately, of course, Frederick was unsuccessful, and a thriving coffee (and cake) culture developed in Germany. In this meal, Frederick ordered gauffres—plain wafers—instead of cake. Wafers are made in the same way as waffles but are thinner and can be shaped while hot. Recipes ~~~ ` la Pompadour Sauce a Fry or sweat white a few chopped mushrooms and shalots in a little butter. When well melted, add to them six spoonsful of sauce tournee (see below) and two spoonsful of consomme. Stew them for three-quarters of an hour on the corner of the stove, and skim off the fat: you must keep your sauce rather thin; then throw in a thickening made of the yolks of three eggs. Moisten with a spoonful or two of cream; add a little pepper and salt, and work the sauce well. When it is done, have a little parsley chopped very fine, blanch it, drain it, and let it cool, that it may look quite green; mix it with the sauce, and serve up. A little lemon-juice may not be amiss, but remember that acids will always alter the taste of good sauces to their disadvantage, except when highly seasoned.
August 6
King’s Lunch
Sauce Tournee Take some white thickening [see next recipe], dilute it with some consomme or broth of fowl; neither too thin nor too thick. I must repeat what I have already said, that a sauce when too thick will never admit of the fat being removed. Let it boil on the corner of the stove. Throw in a few mushrooms, with a bunch of parsley and green onions. Skim it well, and when there is no grease left, strain it through a tammy, to use when wanted.
White Roux (White Thickening) Put a good lump of butter into a stewpan, let it melt over a slow fire, and, when melted, drain the butter and squeeze out the buttermilk; then powder it over with flour, enough to make a thin paste; keep it on the fire for a quarter of an hour, and take care not to let it colour; pour it into an earthen pan to use when wanted. Louis Eustache Ude,The French Cook (1815).
Cabbage Soup: see August 28. Wafers, Waffles: see January 26.
August 6 King’s Lunch Royal Palace, Milan, Italy, 1898 On May 7, 1898, the workers in Milan, Italy, organized a strike to protest against the rising price of bread and consequent widespread hunger. General Fiorenzo Bava-Beccaris placed the city under military rule and quelled the demonstration with cannon fire. Over a hundred people were killed and a thousand injured—for which Bava-Beccaris was rewarded by King Umberto I (1844–1900) with personal congratulations and a medal. Less than twelve months later the king was assassinated by one of the angry anarchists. A few months after the infamous ‘‘Bava-Beccaris massacre,’’ the king sat down to the following lunch at his palace in Milan. MENU Risotto au jus. Consomme´ Omelette naturelle. Cotelettes de poulets pane´e ` la milanaise Ris de Veau a Salade Profiteroles au chocolat Dessert
This menu demonstrates a common misconception about Italian food as it is seen by the rest of the world. It shows that it is possible to have an Italian
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meal without pasta. In fact, pasta is a southern Italian dish, and that it has become synonymous with ‘‘Italian’’ food is because most Italian migrants came from the poorer south and established their local cuisine wherever they settled. In the richer north, around Milan, rice is grown, and risotto is a starchy staple, along with maize which is used to make polenta. Risotto is made from special varieties of rice (such as arborio and carnaroli) which give the overall creamy texture but with each grain retaining some ‘‘bite.’’ There are an almost infinite number of variations on the basic recipe and a great deal of debate as to the correct and authentic method of cooking it. The king clearly had a very basic version, cooked au jus (with stock) at the beginning of his meal. Recipes ~~~ Ris de Veau causes confusion because it seems to translate as ‘‘the smile of a calf.’’ They are actually sweetbreads, which are not made from sweet bread dough but are the thymus or pancreas glands (see February 12) of a young animal. ` la Milanaise Sweet-Breads a Sweet-breads fried as in preceding receipt [see next recipe] are placed in the centre of a hot platter. Small piped macaroni broken into two or three inch lengths is cooked with tomatoes and neatly arranged in a circle around them. Veal sweet-breads are best. They spoil very soon. The moment they come from market, they should be put into cold water, to soak for about an hour; lard them, or rather draw a lardoon of pork through the centre of each sweet-bread, and put them into salted boiling water, or, better, stock, and let them boil about twenty minutes, or until they are thoroughly done; throw them then into cold water for only a few moments. They will now be firm and white. Remove carefully the skin and little pipes, and put them in the coolest place until ready to cook again. Parboil them as just explained. Cut them in even-sized pieces, sprinkle over pepper and salt, egg and bread-crumb them, and fry them in hot lard. Mary Newton Foote Henderson, Practical Cooking and Dinner Giving (New York, 1877).
` The following is a simple, classic risotto. There are many versions of risotto a la Milanaise, many of them containing saffron, or peas. This particular recipe is very simple, and is perhaps similar to the risotto au jus at the king’s lunch.
` la Milanaise Risotto a Melt a small piece of butter in a saucepan. Brown in the butter a medium sized onion, cut in thin slices. When the onion is browned, take it away from the saucepan and add little by little the rice, stirring it with a wooden spoon. Every
August 7
Dinner in a Wigwam
time that the rice becomes dry, add some hot broth (or hot water) until the rice is completely cooked. Add salt and pepper and a little saffron, if you like it. When the rice is almost cooked, add to it some brown stock. Dress with parmesan cheese and some butter. Mix well and serve hot. This dish must not be allowed to be overcooked or cooled before eating. Maria Gentile, The Italian Cook Book: The Art of Eating Well (New York, ca. 1919).
Profiteroles, choux paste for: see November 7. August 7 Dinner in a Wigwam Burnt Church Point, Miramichi Bay, New Brunswick, Canada, 1853 Moses Henry Perley (1804–1862) was a prominent nineteenth-century Canadian naturalist. He had two great passions—the Indian cause and fishing— and he played official roles in both areas, becoming commissioner of Indian Affairs for Canada in 1841, and fishery commissioner in 1855. For all that he was self-taught, Perley was recognized as a leading ichthyologist, and fishing was not merely an academic and occupational pursuit for him, it was also his hobby. He must have been a reasonable cook, too, to judge from a letter he wrote to a friend while on one of his recreational fishing expeditions. August 7 Sunday, August 7. In the cool of the evening, Coley and I caught thirty-seven trout, and at sunset I received a party of visitors from Miramachi. Such a night as we put in! Such songs, speeches, toasts and uproar, I never heard. They all slept in camp on the fir boughs, and a more comfortable set of gentlemen you never saw anywhere. We have had an excellent breakfast, and now they are out fishing in a boat belonging to the Indians. Whilst I stay in camp and look after dinner. Bill of Fare settled thus: Boiled salmon—oyster sauce. Fried bass. Lobster, cold. Fried trout. Pork chips. Cold ham. Boiled shoulder of pork. New potatoes, string beans, Windsor beans, carrots, beets. Snipe and plover. Blueberries and raspberries. Neither the Astor nor the National ever turned out a better breakfast than we had this morning, and I have no fears for the dinner. The wigwam is a perfect picture to-day, the most stylish and sporting thing I ever saw.
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It is ironic that Perley’s great enthusiasm for fish and fishing, and his prolific writings on them enhanced awareness of the great natural resource that was the waters and wilderness of New Brunswick—thereby contributing to the damage done to them by hordes of campers and sportsmen. Recipes ~~~ Salmon, to Boil This fish cannot be too soon cooked after being caught; it should be put into the kettle with plenty of cold water and a handful of salt—the addition of a small quantity of vinegar will add to the firmness of the fish—let it boil gently; if four pounds of salmon, fifty minutes will suffice; if thick, a few minutes more may be allowed. The best criterion for ascertaining whether it be done, is to pass a knife between the bone and the fish—if it separates readily, it is done, this should be tried in the thickest part; when cooked, lay on the fish-strainer transversely across the kettle, so that the fish, while draining, may be kept hot. Place a fishplate upon the dish on which the salmon is to be served, fold a clean white napkin, lay it upon the fish-plate, and place the salmon upon the napkin. Garnish with parsley.
Lobsters to Be Eaten Cold Procure the lobsters alive. Hen lobsters are the best, as they have spawn in and about them. Put them in boiling water, along with some salt, and boil from half an hour to three-quarters of an hour, or more, according to the size. When done, take them out of the water and wipe the shells. Before they are quite cold, rub the shells carefully, so as not to bruze the meat. Split the body and tail lengthwise, in two pieces. This may be done with a knife. Place the whole of the pieces ornamentally on a dish and garnish with parsley.
Oyster Sauce Save the liquor in opening the oyster, and boil it with the beards, a bit of mace, and lemon peel. In the meantime throw the oysters into cold water and drain it off. Strain the liquor and put it into a stewpan and as much butter, mixed with a little milk, as will make sauce enough, but first rub a little flour with it. Set them over the fire, and stir all the time, and when the butter has boiled once or twice, take them off, and keep the sauce near the fire but not on it, for if done too much, the oysters will be hard. Squeeze a little lemon-juice and serve. The Dominion Home Cookbook, by A Thorough Housewife (Toronto, 1868).
August 8
Breakfast aboard a Japanese Ship
August 8 Breakfast aboard a Japanese Ship MS Chojo Maru, 1932 National tastes are perhaps most strongly expressed through breakfast choices. People may be very adventurous at lunch and dinner, but most prefer traditional favorites to start the day. The Japanese O.S.K. Line ships such as the Chojo Maru were designed with American and European travelers in mind, and the necessity of interpreting Western breakfast dishes, and translating those concepts on the menu, makes for some strange reading. BREAKFAST Summer Orange. Plum Garden Radish. Green Lettuce. Rolled Oats with Milk. Cornflakes — Puffed Rice. Fish Ball, Tomato Sauce. Toad in the Hole. Meat Curry and Rice. Potatoes, Boiled and Straw. (TO ORDER) From the Grill 5 to 10 minutes. Aitchbone Steak, Saute Onion. Broiled Ham. Breakfast Bacon. EGGS—Boiled. Fried. Poached. Scramble Cocotts. OMELET—Plain, Parsley, Onion, Savoury, Meat. Waffle Cake. Hot-roll. Buttered and Dried Toast. Crackers. Maple Syrup, Honey. Strawberry Jam and Marmalade. TEA—Ceylon, Oolong, Green, Coffee & Cocoa.
The catering department obviously knew that their guests did not want a Japanese breakfast. The only concessions to Japanese cuisine are the fish balls, the green tea, and perhaps the meat curry. All of the basics of a Western breakfast are on the menu—cereal, bacon or ham, several types of eggs, and bread or toast with honey and preserves. It is impossible to know what the guest who ordered ‘‘scramble cocotts’’ would get—scrambled eggs are well enough known (see August 19), and eggs en cocotte are baked in small individual dishes. The strangest breakfast item is the Toad in the Hole. It has been a favorite dish in England, particularly in the North, since at least the early-eighteenth century, and it is one variation of the concept of stretching a quantity of meat by cooking it or serving it with a large amount of a starchy filler—the same concept as furmenty with venison (see February 23) or dumplings with stew. It is a variation of Yorkshire pudding (see December 24), in which pieces of
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Breakfast aboard a Japanese Ship
Chojo Maru dining room.
meat (especially sausages) are actually cooked in the batter, making a onedish meal—but in its country of origin it is unequivocally a dinner, not a breakfast dish. Recipes ~~~ Japanese Fish Balls Take any boiled fish, cold, and mix with rice, boiled to a paste. Roll in flour to balls the size of large marbles; toss into boiling goma-seed oil, and fry a golden brown.
Sumomo Sui and Amai (Plums, Sour and Sweet) Have a sirup made of half a cupful of water, two cupfuls of sugar, a quarter cupful of vinegar, and half a teaspoonful of mixed spices, ground. When it is boiling drop in the plums, and let boil slowly for twenty minutes. Add half a cupful of mirin sauce, or any other desired spirits, and let all come to a boil once. Remove, and serve.
Scrambled Eggs, Japanese Style Eggs; green pepper; cold boiled rice; mushrooms. Break into frying pan half a dozen eggs, stirring lightly with knife. Add quickly, before egg begins to cook, a tablespoonful of chopped green pepper, the juice of an onion, half a cupful of chopped mushrooms, and half a cupful of boiled rice. Toss all quickly together. Cook over a very slow fire, and serve hot. Sara Bosse, Chinese-Japanese Cook Book (1914).
August 9
Dinner to Honor the Prince de Conde
August 9 Dinner to Honor the Prince de Conde France, 1652 France was in turmoil in the middle of the seventeenth century. Louis XIV (1638–1715) was still a minor, and between 1648–1653 the country was in the grip of a series of power struggles that became known as la Fronde (named for a sling used in children’s games, or as a weapon in the streets). One of the chief players was Louis II de Bourbon, the Prince de Conde´ ´’’ (1621–1686). During his own lifetime he was known as ‘‘The Great Conde on account of his prowess, and he is still considered one of the greatest military men of all time. On July 2, Conde´ led the Frondeurs to the gates of Paris and met with the royal troops under the Vicomte de Turenne (1611–1675) and engaged in what was to be called the battle of Faubourg Saint Antoine. He would have been defeated but for the action of the 24-year-old Duchesse de Montpensier (1627–1693) who ordered that the gates under her jurisdiction be opened and the Bastille cannon be fired at the royalists. A few weeks after the battle, the statesman Mathieu Mole´ (1584–1656) gave a dinner in his honor which cost 1,965 livres. It was a fish day (see February 23). Fourteen potages maigres, one of Rhine crayfish and Spanish wine, one of oysters from Angouleme and eggs of red partridges; Fourteen kinds of fish, a salmon; a jack; carp with eggs Champlostreuz; Swiss trout; turbot from Havre; matelotte de lamproyes d’Angers; hoche-pot de gibier de riviere; gibelotte de poissons meles; eel a la broche; pate de barbottes du Rhone; fricasee de lottes aux asperges; fresh cod with green gooseberries; d’aloses de Rouen grillees; d’esperlant farinas au cedrat. Fourteen different roasts. Six of boiled fish, six of fish a la poisle; four of river game a la broche. Fourteen salads: three different kinds of boiled vegetables; three of herbs; six of differently dressed eggs; two of citrons musques. Fourteen assiettes gaufrees: seven of pastry with cream, seven of pastry with fruits. Twenty-eight plates of fruit and dessert, desquels six agnanats (pine-apples) toute entiers; twelve packets of fleurs de jonquilles a confire.
The French tradition was for great symmetry in meal service. There was always an even and balanced number of dishes—spectacularly so in this meal, with 14 dishes of each type. There is a great range of dishes from cod with green gooseberries to a homely sounding hoche-pot de gibier de riviere (‘‘hot-pot of river game’’) to candied jonquils. The fruits were very exotic and expensive—the pineapples were very rare in Europe at that time. A hoche poche (hotchpotch, hochepot, hodge-podge, hus-pot: see March 29) is a one-pot dish that can be made as simply or as extravagantly as
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Dinner aboard an Immigrant Ship
circumstances will allow. The name simply means a mixture or jumble of things. In this case, it being a ‘‘maigre’’ day, it was made entirely of fish, so it would have been something like a chowder. Recipes ~~~ Candied Jonquils Fill the moulds with Sugar a la grand Plume, (ninth degree) when it [is] half cold, press Jonquil Flowers in it, with a little Skewer, and dry it in the Stove as the preceding [orange flowers, see below]. Boil some Sugar to the seventh Degree, (viz. souffle´) put some Orange-flowers to it, and take it off the Fire for about a quarter of an hour, or till the Flowers discharge their Juice, as it refreshes the Sugar; put it upon the Fire again to bring it to the fame Degree; let it cool to half, put it into moulds, and dry it in a Stove of a moderate heat, kept as equal as possible. It is known to be candied, by thrusting a small skewer into the corner of each mould to the bottom, and the top must be sparkling like a diamond ; put the moulds upon one side, to drain a good while before you take out the Candy, turn it over upon white Paper, and keep it always in a dry place. B. Clermont, The Professed Cook (1776).
August 10 Dinner aboard an Immigrant Ship SS Zeeland, 1907 The small country of Belgium provided many of the world’s immigrants in the nineteenth century. The political situation was unstable, there was a severe land shortage, and in the 1840s the potato blight caused widespread hardship as it did in Ireland. Belgians were encouraged to immigrate by their own government, and they were welcomed in the United States, which was actively recruiting labor. Second and third waves of Belgian migrants followed after each of the world wars. Many of the estimated three million Belgians who traveled to America and Canada between 1875–1935 did so aboard ships of the Red Star Line, such as the SS Zeeland, which regularly traveled the route between Antwerp and New York. The Zeeland left Antwerp on August 3, 1907, on one of her outward voyages. On August 10, two days out from New York, her passengers sat down to the following dinner. RADISHES SARDINES OLIVES BLOATER TOAST Cre`me Du Barry Consomme´ Monte Carlo Carp, Sauce Genevoise Pommes Anglaise
August 10
Dinner aboard an Immigrant Ship
` la Rachel Calf’s Head a Prime Ribs of Beef Princess Beans Egg Plant Fritters Me´dallion de Veau Young carrots fines herbes Pommes Parisienne Roast Squab, Compoˆte of Peaches Escarole Salad Almond Pudding Apple Hedgehog Strawberry Ice Cream Me´ringues CHEESE: Camembert Roquefort American Fruit Dessert Coffee Passengers are politely requested to order their wine etc., beforehand.
There are no specifically Belgian dishes on this menu. Shipping lines on the whole tended to provide generic ‘‘European’’ dishes with no strong national identity so that all passengers would find something vaguely familiar to eat. The only cause for surprise for some passengers might have been the escarole salad, depending on what they were expecting. There is a great deal of confusion between escarole, endive, and chicory. The names are used loosely and often interchangeably by growers and in markets, although there are regional preferences. The scientific classification is the only certain one. Chicory is Cichorium intybus, and it is called common chicory, Belgian endive, or witlof. The small tightly packed leaves have a slightly bitter taste and can be used raw in salads or cooked as any other green vegetable. It is a popular vegetable in Europe, but it is the root of the plant that is most important commercially, as it can be roasted and used as a coffee substitute. Endive is Cichorium endivia—but it is called chicory in the United States and England. It is grown specifically for its leaves, which again can be used raw or cooked. There are two main types of escarole—the flat leaf (called the Batavian endive, or escarole) and the curly leaf type. Recipes ~~~ Dishes styled ‘‘du Barry’’ feature cauliflower (see January 10), and Cre`me Du Barry is nothing more than cauliflower soup enriched with cream. The following recipe is a very plain version, taken from a book of recipes contributed by World War I Belgian refugees to Britain. Cauliflower Soup After you have boiled a cauliflower, it is a great extravagance to throw away the liquor; it is delicately flavored and forms the basis of a good soup. Wash well your
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Luncheon aboard a World War I Troop Ship
cauliflower, taking great care to remove all grit and insects. Place it to simmer with its head downwards, in salted water; and, when it is tender, remove it. Now for the soup. Let all the outer leaves and odd bits simmer well, then pass them through a sieve. Fry some chopped onions, add the liquor of the cauliflower and the pieces that have been rubbed through the sieve, add a little white pepper and a slice of brown bread. Let all cook gently for half-an-hour, then, just before serving it, take out the slice of bread and sprinkle in two teaspoonfuls of grated Gruyere cheese. Mrs. Brian Luck, editor, The Belgian Cook-book (1915).
Apple Hedgehog (Iced Apples) About 3 dozen good boiling apples, 1/2 lb. of sugar, 1/2 pint of water, the rind of 1/2 lemon minced very fine, the whites of 2 eggs, 3 tablespoonfuls of pounded sugar, a few sweet almonds. Peel and core a dozen of the apples without dividing them, and stew them very gently in a lined saucepan with 1/2 lb. of sugar and 1/2 pint of water, and when tender, lift them carefully on to a dish. Have ready the remainder of the apples pared, cored, and cut into thin slices; put them into the same syrup with the lemon-peel, and boil gently until they are reduced to a marmalade: they must be kept stirred, to prevent them from burning. Cover the bottom of a dish with some of the marmalade, and over that a layer of the stewed apples, in the insides of which, and between each, place some of the marmalade; then place another layer of apples, and fill up the cavities with marmalade as before, forming the whole into a raised oval shape. Whip the whites of the eggs to a stiff froth, mix with them the pounded sugar, and cover the apples very smoothly all over with the icing; blanch and cut each almond into 4 or 5 strips; place these strips at equal distances over the icing sticking up; strew over a little rough pounded sugar, and place the dish in a very slow oven, to colour the almonds, and for the apples to get warm through. This entremets may also be served cold, and makes a pretty supper-dish. Beeton’s Book of Household Management (1861).
Calf’s Head: see January 30. Meringues: see February 18.
August 11 Luncheon aboard a World War I Troop Ship SS Megantic, En Route from Alexandria, Egypt, to Marseilles, France, 1916 During wartime, governments have special powers to appropriate any and every ship to war service. Magnificent luxury cruise ships were employed during both world wars as troop ships. The SS Megantic of the White Star
August 11
Luncheon aboard a World War I Troop Ship
Line—sister ship to the Titanic (see April 2)—was converted to a troop ship when World War I broke out and regularly carried Canadian and Australian soldiers too and from the front. She was carrying soldiers of the 1st AIF (Australian Imperial Force) from the battlefield of Gallipoli in Turkey when the following lunch was served on August 11, 1916. According to the handwritten note on the menu, the ship was somewhere between Alexandria and Marseilles. HOT Puree of Split Peas — Chicken Pot Pie Boiled Mutton, Caper Sauce Spaghetti a la Napolitaine Baked Jacket and Puree Potatoes — BUFFET Roast Sirloin of Beef House-Made Brawn Luncheon Sausage — SALADS Beetroot Cucumber — Compote of Prunes and Custard Assorted Pastry Cheese
Biscuits
For soldiers who had been living in trenches, eating rations, this meal must have been luxurious indeed. Perhaps even the ‘‘luncheon sausage’’ seemed like a treat. Luncheon meat or luncheon sausage is a pale pink amorphous cylinder made from precooked meat and preservatives and has two virtues—it keeps well, and even more importantly, it is cheap. There are many variations on the theme—and many of the names are based on the very distant association with European sausages, such as boloney (from Bologna), stras (from Strasbourg), German sausage or Fritz, but, inexplicably in some parts of Australia—‘‘Devon.’’ Wartime was a great factor in the popularization of luncheon meats as it was exempt from rationing. A generation of wartime children grew up with it, and it is uncommon to completely reject the food of one’s childhood, however different one’s adult palate turns out to be. It becomes a comfort food, usually high in carbohydrates and easy to eat. Strangely, ‘‘spaghetti’’ makes the comfort food list for many who have no Italian heritage at all, and in this case it usually refers to a version with meat, tomatoes, and cheese, such as the ubiquitous Bolognaise or Napolitane sauce of thousands of ‘‘Italian’’ restaurants outside of Italy. Authenticity is irrelevant when it comes to adopted dishes which have become comfort food favorites. The other ubiquitous comfort food dish that appears on this menu—for those of British birth—is custard. No Englishman would think his
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Daily Meals in the Poorhouse
‘‘pudding’’ complete without custard. It is so absolutely associated with England that even the French call it Cre`me Anglais. A ‘‘compote’’ is a very old term. It used to be compoˆte, the accent symbol indicating an omitted ‘‘s’’. In other words, originally it was ‘‘compost,’’ meaning a random mixture, and this is how it appears on many medieval menus (see February 23). Recipes ~~~ Spaghetti alla Napolitana 1/2 pound spaghetti 1/2 pound round steak 1/4 pound salt pork or bacon 1 small onion 1 clove of garlic
2 sprigs of parsley 2 cups canned tomatoes 6 dried mushrooms 1/2 cup grated cheese
Grind the salt pork and try out in a saucepan. When it begins to brown, add the onion, ground; parsley, chopped; shredded garlic and the mushrooms, previously soaked. When the vegetables are brown, add the meat, coarsely ground; and when that is brown, add the tomatoes. Simmer slowly till of a creamy consistency. Cook spaghetti, without breaking it, and drain carefully. Put into a hot serving dishe, sprinkle one half-cup grated cheese over it, then pour hot sauce over it. Lift with two forks till thoroughly mixed. Bertha M. Wood, Foods of the Foreign Born (Boston, 1922).
Compote of Prunes Wash 1 lb. of prunes and put them in a pan with three-quarters of a pint of water and six lumps of sugar, the rind of half a lemon cut in strips, six cloves and an inche of cinnamon stick; simmer gently for twenty minutes. Then remove the lemon, cloves, and cinnamon, add quarter of a pint of claret, and cook very slowly till tender. Serve nicely piled in the centre of a round dish. M. Jebb Scott, Menus for Every Day of the Year (London, 1912).
Brawn: see April 28. Caper Sauce: see December 8. Jacket Potatoes: see March 4. Puree of Split Peas (soup): see March 7.
August 12 Daily Meals in the Poorhouse Fishlake, Yorkshire, England, 1835 The inmates of the poorhouse in the English village of Fishlake were probably more concerned with quantity than variety in their daily diet. The
August 12
Daily Meals in the Poorhouse
quantity was always grossly inadequate, and there was certainly very little variety. The days were distinguished only by the main meal, and this day in 1835 being a Wednesday, they had a dinner of potato and meat pie to look forward to. BREAKFAST Boiled Milk and Bread Sunday: Monday: Tuesday: Wednesday: Thursday: Friday: Saturday:
DINNER: Beef and Bacon and Broth. Pudding and Broth. Cold Meat or Dumplings. Potato and Meat Pie. Buttermilk and Sweetened Milk and Bread. Potato and Meat Pie. Beer or Milk Porridge. SUPPER. Boiled Milk and Bread.
The daily dietary given above was recorded by an investigator assigned to report on the conditions of the community poorhouses as changes to the Poor Law gradually instituted across the country. He noted that at Fishlake there were nine inhabitants (six men and three women) under the supervision of the master and his wife, and that the house was whitewashed three times a year, but infested with vermin. He ordered that henceforth baking (bread) be done once a week in line with the other parishes, suggesting that the normal practice was to bake less frequently. No wonder the bread (which would have been of the coarsest kind) was served boiled in milk. As bad as it was, the poor folk who tucked into their dinner on this day would probably have been blissfully aware that it was about to get a whole lot worse. According to the Poor Law Act of 1601, it was the responsibility of local parish communities to care for their own poor. Relief could be provided to the poor in their own homes, and such poorhouses as existed—like Fishlake for example—had only a small number of inhabitants and retained their connection with the community. By the early-nineteenth century the attitude to the poor had changed, however. There had developed a concept of deserving and undeserving poor. The latter were believed to be poor because they were lazy and choosing not to work. The amendments to the Act which went into law in 1834 were a direct result of the belief by some that this overgenerous relief encouraged the ‘‘indolent poor’’ to deliberately avoid working for a living. The tone of the Act was clearly punitive. Workhouse conditions were intended as a deterrent to admission. Small parish poorhouses were combined into large institutions, and no relief was to be supplied to poor people in their homes. Wives were separated from husbands and children from parents. Drab uniforms were worn, the working day was very long, the work tedious and gruelling, and the food ration barely adequate for survival. There
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August 13
Dinner for Admiral Togo Heihachiro
were many opportunities for unscrupulous masters to make a profit: reducing the meagre ration further and buying cheap and often adulterated flour and milk or rotting vegetables and meat. Families already destitute and starving would try desperately to stay out of the workhouse, and anecdotes abounded of workhouse inmates offending so as to be sent to enjoy the better conditions in prison. The dreadful situation received widespread publicity in 1845–46 with the scandal of the Andover workhouse. The master was infamous for his cruelty, and the paupers at Andover were so hungry that they fought over the rotting bones that they were supposed to be crushing for fertilizer. Recipes ~~~ The meat and potato pie at the poorhouse would not have had fine buttery pastry, a great proportion of chunky meat, and rich gravy. It would have probably been a much lesser version of the one below, taken from a nineteenth-century cookbook. It might have been simply meat with a mashed potato topping. It was expected that the nineteenth-century housewife be charitable towards poorer neighbors (the ‘‘deserving’’ ones, at any rate), and many books of the time had chapters on cookery for the poor. Cheap Pastry of Potato in Which Cheap Mince or Stew May Be Neatly Served Mash the potatoes with a little milk, and a bit of butter, with salt, and a point of finely-shred onion if you like. Border a flat dish thickly with this, and mark it, and place a layer of mash over the dish; brown it in the oven or before the fire, and scoop out the centre, or leave it as a crust, and serve in it hashed beefheart, kidney-collop, salt or other fish warmed up. Christian Isobel Johnstone, The Cook and Housewife’s Manual (1828).
August 13 Dinner for Admiral Togo Heihachiro Knickerbocker Hotel, New York, 1911 Admiral Togo Heihachiro (1848–1934) of the Japanese Imperial Navy, the son of a samurai, and a great naval hero, made a 16-day visit to the United States in 1911. He arrived on August 3 aboard the magnificent Cunard liner Lusitania (see September 9), and by August 13 there was still no slackening in the pace of dinners and meetings. Togo had lunch with ex-president Roosevelt on that day and in the evening attended a private dinner given in his honor by the Third Assistant Secretary of State Chandler Hale. A private dinner meant there were no speeches but also not a lack of glamour. It was exclusive. It was held at the Knickerbocker Hotel, for only 20 guests, at $100 a plate, and was said to be one of the most elaborate dinner parties ever
August 13
Dinner for Admiral Togo Heihachiro
held in New York. The guests ate from the hotel’s famous solid gold service in a dining room that had been transformed into a flower garden. Frivolities Japonaise Supreme of Cantaloup Cocktail Consomme Ox Tail, Amontillado Salted Almonds Filet of English Sole, Veronique Noix de Ris de Veau Pique Haricots de Lima Nouveaux Pommes Tour d’Argent Punch a la Togo Poussin de ‘‘Bruyere’’ en Cocotte, Perigourdine Caneton Souffle, Vendome. Salade Huguenots Rocher de Glace, Voile a l’Orientale. Friandises. Cafe´ Noir Royal Sherry, Sandringham Palace, 1870. Johanissberger Schoss Austlese (Fuest Metternich’s Cabinet ), 1893 Magnums Pol Roger, Cuvee de Reserve, 1898 Pommery Nature, 1900 Heideck Monopole Brut, 182 G. H. Mumm’s Cordon Rouge, 1900. Chartreuse Grand Jeune, 1869 Grande Fine Champagne, 1830.
Admiral Togo had been educated in England and was very familiar with Western food. It seems that he did not need to take up the Knickerbocker’s offer that ‘‘he will be provided with any Japanese dishes he may desire, and they will be provided by the Knickerbocker’s own kitchen staff.’’ There was a common tradition of naming the punch for an honored guest, as happened at this dinner, and the Frivolities Japonaise were obviously also intended as a compliment, but the real treat was the table centerpiece of spun sugar. It was a model of Togo’s flagship, the battleship Mikasa, complete with every turret and gun, and working searchlights and wireless outfit. The New York Times reported with obvious pride ‘‘Nothing has pleased Togo more since he has been in America than that wonderful ship of sugar.’’ Recipes ~~~ Sole Ve´ ronique is a classic dish of poached sole garnished with grapes, invented by famous French chef Auguste Escoffier about 1903. This version of the recipe comes from The Times (of London) in December 1922. ´ ronique Sole Ve The fillets are poached in an earthenware dish, and are generally served in the same dish, but experience shows that they can be very satisfactorily transferred
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August 14
Ministerial Fish Dinner
each to a tiny earthenware casserole, in which they keep very hot, often a problem in serving dinners to advantage in the cold weather. The fillets should be slightly beaten, seasoned, folded, and laid in the wellbuttered dish, and poached gently with a sauce made of the fish trimmings, a few drops of lemon, a little white wine and water, a little chopped onion, and some parsley stalks, carefully strained. The fish must then be drained and the sauce considerably reduced and thickened and reinforced by 1 1/2 oz. of butter and added to the fish. If the fillets are served in the large dish, they should be quickly glazed after the sauce has been poured over them, but this is not necessary if the small casseroles are used. But in either case skinned and iced muscat grapes must be added at the last moment.
Salted Almonds: see April 3. August 14 Ministerial Fish Dinner The Ship Tavern, Greenwich, London, England, 1878 It was a tradition for a large part of the nineteenth century for the Members of Parliament to celebrate the close of the Parliamentary Session with a fish dinner at a tavern on the Thames. Specifically, it was the ‘‘Whitebait Dinner’’ because it happened to be the season for that particular delicacy. In 1878 the organizers decided to add interest by putting a historic spin on the menu (as in the menu of February 2). Forty men enjoyed the following repast: Ye annuale whytebait dinner of Hyr Majestye’s Ministers on Wednesdaie, ye 14th August, 1878, atte ye Hostelrie ‘ye ept ye Shippe, atte Greenwiche. This bill of ye fare is drawn in playne Englysh, without any cloake of Frenche or other foreygne tongue, for the sadde and sobere comforte of friends, and that ye may know what ye are asked to accept. Ye Bille of ye Fare. Ye Soupe.—Soupe made from ye turtle and alsoe soupe made from ye greene fatte of ye same. Ye Fyshe. —Ye flounders curyously cooked, and salmonne served in lyke mannere; ryssoles of ye lobstere; ye lyttel soles, fryed; ye pudynges of ye whyting; ye eles skynned and stewed inne ye riche wyne of Oporto; ye omelette of crabbe in ye style as servyd to ye Guards of ye Blue Seale; ye troute from ye River Spey, grylled with ye sauce of Tartar; salmonne inne collopes, with ye sauce in Cyprus fashionne. Ye whytebaite be-frizzled and also be-devylled. Fleshe and Fowle.Sweetbreades with ye mushrooms added thereunto; ye haunche of ye royale bucke, with haricotte beanes servyd therewith; ye antient hamme, from ye citye of Yorke, grylled in wyne of Champagne; ye grouse from ye Northe Countree; hogge bacon and young beanes. Ye Sweetes &c.—Apprycottes flavoured with noyau; pudynges iced after ye Nesselrode mannere; lyttel cakes made with ye cheese from Parma, inne Italie; ye ices flavoured with oranges and strauberres; dives fruytes which are your desertes, and ye wynes of Champagne and manie outlandysh countrees. Ye diner will be servyd after ye manner of ye Russian people. Ye guests are bydden to eate after ye Hungarie manner.
August 14
Ministerial Fish Dinner
Whitebait are very young, very tiny fish—usually herring, but the name is applied to different species in different parts of the world. It was always served in two ways at the dinner—fried and devilled The tradition began with the member for Dagenham, Sir Robert Preston (1740–1834). He had a small fishing cottage at Dagenham Reach, and got into the habit of inviting his old friend George Rose (1744–1818), the secretary of the treasury, who then suggested Mr. William Pitt (1759–1806) might also enjoy the respite. When Pitt became prime minister in 1804, it was decided that the distance was too far from his responsibilities for such an important man, and a venue close to the city was chosen for a regular fish dinner. Over the years the tradition grew until by 1878 there were 40 worthy members in attendance. Recipes ~~~ Whitebait is a great favorite with all who visit London during the months of May, June, and July, when this delicacy is at its most sweet perfection. Fried White-Bait To fry white-bait, drain it on a sieve, and then sprinkle it out of your hand lightly upon plenty of flour strewn thickly over a cloth; and, with the fingers of both hands spread apart, quickly and lightly handle the white-bait; and as in a few seconds it will by these means have become well covered with flour, having put it by handfuls into a wire frying basket, shake away all the superfluous flour, and dip the basket containing the prepared white-bait into some very hot clean lard. A few minutes will suffice to fry the white-bait of a silvery tinge, yet perfectly crisp; pile it up on a napkin, garnish with fried parsley, and. serve it quite hot and crisp, with cayenne, quarters of lemons, and brown bread and butter, separately.
Devilled White-Bait To devil white-bait, it must be fried a first time in the usual way; and then after being sprinkled over with ground black pepper and salt, is to be fried a second time in very hot frying fat: this being done, season it again with cayenne pepper and salt, and serve quite hot. Charles Elme´ Francatelli, Cook’s Guide and Housekeeper’s and Butler’s Assistant (1863).
Nesselrode Pudding: see June 30. Tartar Sauce: see July 20. Turtle Soup: see November 10.
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August 15
Victory Dinner
August 15 Victory Dinner aboard the SS Matsonia, 1945 When ‘‘Victory over Japan Day’’ or ‘‘Victory in the Pacific Day,’’ or simply VJ Day, was declared on August 15, 1945, the Matsonia was at sea on the return journey to San Francisco from Hawaii. The ship’s cooks immediately set to work to produce a menu that screamed patriotism. The dishes no doubt were simply renamed to emphasize the joy and relief that the war was over. Celery Vassilevsky
Marinated Herring Attlee
Green and Ripe Olives Potage United States Filet of Sole Mountbatten Boiled Corned Brisket of Beef with Cabbage a la Halsey Special Vegetable Platter with Egg au Stalin Chicken Giblets Saute a la Nimitz Chop Suey a la Chiang Kai Shek Roast Loin of Pork with Apple Sauce a la Truman Prime Ribs of Beef a la MacArthur Stewed Tomatoes
Steamed Rice
Roast Potatoes
Broccoli au Beurre
Mashed Potatoes
Assorted Cold Cuts au Blamey Fruit Salad with Central Pacific Dressing Cake USO
Jello AWVS
Cheese with Crackers Fresh Fruit Coffee
The menu is a dictionary of the leaders of the main protagonists of the war. They were the Soviet military leader Aleksandr Vasilevsky (1895–1977), the Supreme Allied Commander of Southeast Asia, Lord Louis Mountbatten (1900–1979), the Commander of the U.S. Third Fleet in the Pacific, William Halsey (1882–1959), the Soviet leader Joseph Stalin (1878–1953), the Commander in Chief of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, Chester Nimitz (1885–1966), the Chinese leader Chiang Kai Shek (1887–1975), the U.S. President Harry S. Truman (1884–1972), U.S. General Douglas MacArthur (1880–1964), Australian Field Marshall Sir Thomas Blamey (1884–1951), and the new Prime Minister of England Clement Attlee (1883–1867) who had been Winston Churchill’s deputy during most of the war. It is ironic that the dish named for Chiang Kai Shek is not Chinese at all. Chop suey is an entirely American invention. The phrase chop suey is
August 15
Victory Dinner
apparently derived from the Cantonese shap sui, meaning ‘‘mixed bits.’’ The classic story of its invention occurs at the time of the visit of the Viceroy of China, Li Hung Chang to America in 1896. He stayed at the Waldorf Hotel in New York, and he brought his own cooks with him, and a popular version of the story is that the dish was an attempt by Chang’s cooks to make a dish acceptable to both American and Chinese palates. In reality, the dish had already been noted in print in America in 1888 with the definition of ‘‘A staple dish for the Chinese gourmand is chow chop svey [sic], a mixture of chickens’ livers and gizzards, fungi, bamboo buds, pigs’ tripe, and bean sprouts stewed with spices.’’ In 1904 the American origin was clearly confirmed in another publication, the Rochester Post-Express: ‘‘One of the Chinese merchants of New York . . . explained that chop suey is really an American dish, not known in China, but believed by Americans to be the one great national dish of the Celestials.’’ Chang’s visit probably only served to popularize a dish that was already being made by Chinese immigrants. Recipes ~~~ Gai Yuk Chee Yuk (Chicken and Pork Chop Suey). One half pound of breast of chicken; one half pound of lean pork; three tablespoonfuls of sweet lard; one half pound of mushrooms; one half bunch of celery; one dozen lotus seeds; one half can of bamboo shoots; two pounds of bean sprouts; one and one half tablespoonfuls of syou a dash of cayenne pepper, and salt, Take half a pound of chicken cut from the breast and half a pound of lean pork, and cut both into small pieces. Heat three tablespoonfuls of sweet lard; when it is well melted, put the above meat in the fat and fry until brown, stirring to keep it from burning. Have ready the following ingredients: One half pound of fresh or dried mushrooms which have been washed in lukewarm water (if dried mushrooms are used, soak them for ten minutes and pull off the stalks), half a bunch of celery chopped small, a dozen lotus seeds or water chestnuts peeled and cut into thin slices. Cut up one onion, also half a can of bamboo shoots and two pounds of bean sprouts. Wash all well and drain in colander. Put all these, except the bean sprouts, with the meat, and cook for ten minutes; now add the bean sprouts, one and one half tablespoonfuls of syou, a dash of cayenne pepper, and salt, and cook for five minutes. Serve with rice. Sara Bosse and Onoto Watanna, Chinese-Japanese Cook Book (ca. 1914).
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August 16
Dinner of the Wardens of the Drapers’ Company
August 16 Dinner of the Wardens of the Drapers’ Company Home of the Master of the Company, London, England, 1522 The Worshipful Company of Drapers was founded in 1361, and it is ranked third in order of precedence of the livery companies of England (see October 28). In common with the other livery companies, the drapers held an annual Election Dinner. The selection of new wardens and office-bearers did not take place at these dinners; they were always chosen beforehand but were sworn to secrecy until the big day when they were ‘‘openly chosen.’’ The nomination of the new ward of the Drapers’ Company traditionally took place after evensong on the Feast of Assumption (August 15), and was followed ‘‘according to the old custom’’ with a ‘‘potation’’ (a drink). In 1522 the election dinner took place on August 17, but the chosen ones attended a small private dinner on the sixteenth. John Milborn was Lord Mayor of London in 1521 and acted several times as the master of the Drapers’ Company. The ‘‘parlour’’ referred to in this record is presumably in his home. On the Sunday after the solemne mass of our Lady, here dined in the parlour, at the sideboard, the master [Milborn], the four wardens and their wives, our two chaplains, and Richardson and his wife [the whole 3 large messes]. The fare for Sunday dinner, besides a cold sirloin of beef that had served for breakfast, consisted of ‘‘4 pr. Capons, 2 swans, 2 geese, 2 pikes, half a buck, bak’d, and 5 pasties; and, for a reward, 5 conies, 18 pigeons, 2 tarts, and afterwards, pears and filberds.
William Herbert, The History of the Twelve Great Livery Companies of London, Vol. I (1837).
This menu highlights a number of words that are used in quite a different way today. Today the word ‘‘mess’’ is only used in a military context, but at the time of this meal a ‘‘mess’’ referred to a group of people (usually four) eating together from the same dish. Banquet menus and guest lists were planned according to the number of messes. Forks were not introduced into England until the early-seventeenth century, so all the food on the table would have been prepared so as to be able to be eaten with the fingers, a spoon, or from the point of a knife—either directly from the dish, or after being transferred to the guest’s individual ‘‘trencher’’ made of bread or wood. The word ‘‘reward’’ is also used in an unfamiliar manner in this description. At this time it meant an extra supply or allowance of food or an extra dish, although it seems to refer to the second course at this particular meal. Five pasties would not seem to be sufficient for 13 people today, but a pasty then often meant a single large piece of meat wrapped in dough—sometimes a whole haunch of venison that might take up to 24 hours to cook. Enclosing food in a dough ‘‘coffin’’ was a common method of cooking, transporting, and storing food in the days before shaped metal baking dishes, plastic storage
August 17
Henry Ford’s ‘‘All Soy’’ Dinner
containers, and refrigeration. Thick hard crusts made with rye flour, provided they stayed dry and did not crack, would exclude air and preserve the food for considerable periods of time. The term ‘‘baking’’ in fact meant just this—cooking something wrapped in pastry, in an oven, and a ‘‘bake-mete’’ was a pie or pasty of any ‘‘meat,’’ with meat referring to any food. Recipes ~~~ Birds such as capons and geese were often ‘‘farced’’ (stuffed) before roasting, and it is likely, given the significance of the occasion, that this was done at this meal. Roasting was done on a spit before the fire and was quite distinct from baking, which was done in the oven after enclosing the meat in dough of some sort. To Fasse Capon or Goose To fasse goos or capon tak parsly saige and isope suet and parboile it in freche brothe then tak it up and put ther to herd yolks of eggs hewene then tak grapes mynced onyons and pouder of ginger canelle peppur and salt and fers the goos or capon with it and rost them and serue them.
Cony [Rabbit] Rost A conye tak and drawe hym and parboile hym rost hym and lard hym then raise his leggs and hys winges and Sauce hym with venegar and pouder of guinger and serue it. A Noble Boke off Cookry ffor a Prynce Houssolde or Eny Other Estately Houssolde (ca. 1500).
Roast Venison: see January 6. August 17 Henry Ford’s ‘‘All Soy’’ Dinner Century of Progress International Exposition, Chicago, Illinois, 1934 The automobile pioneer Henry Ford (1863–1947) invited 30 journalists to dinner in the executive lounge of the Ford exhibit at the Chicago World Fair in 1934. They were apparently very wary when they learned what they were to be served—a meal made almost entirely from soy beans. Tomato Juice Seasoned With Soy Bean Sauce Salted Soy Beans Celery Stuffed with Soy Bean Cheese Puree of Soy Bean Soy Bean Cracker
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Henry Ford’s ‘‘All Soy’’ Dinner Soy Bean Croquettes with Tomato Sauce Buttered Green Soy Beans Pineapple Ring with Soy Bean Cheese and Soy Bean Dressing Soy Bean Bread with Soy Bean Relish Soy Bean Macaroons Apple Pie (Soy Bean Crust) Cocoa With Soy Bean Milk Soy Bean Coffee Assorted Soy Bean Cookies Assorted Soy Bean Candy
The theme of the Century of Progress Fair was technological change and the dependence of industry on scientific research and a perfect theme for Ford. He believed passionately in the interdependence of agriculture and industry, and particularly in agricultural crops as a source of industrial products. It was this belief that led to his interest in soybeans, and initially their application to industry. He was once photographed wearing a suit made from soybean fabric, and he developed a prototype car made from soybean plastic, but he soon became equally passionate about their use as food for humans. Once piqued, Ford’s interest in the culinary uses of soybeans became almost evangelical. He supported the development of recipes in the laboratory run by his childhood friend Edsel Ruddiman, and in his own home by his personal chef Jan Willemse, who was instructed to find ways to serve them at every meal. Not everyone was as enamored as he was in the results
Ford’s soy plastic car, 1941. (AP Photo)
August 17
Henry Ford’s ‘‘All Soy’’ Dinner
of these recipe experiments—one staff member was reported to have said of his soybean biscuit that it was ‘‘the vilest thing ever put into human mouths.’’ Nevertheless, the campaign was enormously successful, and although the Ford Company discontinued its research into the soybean after Henry’s death, the interest of nutritionists, cookbook writers, and the general public was established. The soybean (Glycine max.) is much higher in protein than any other plant food (and it is high-quality protein for humans) and is also rich in oil (20 percent). It is justifiably the most widely consumed plant food in the world. The advent of World War II was a huge boost to the production of soybeans. Soybean oil was useful in the manufacture of explosives, and its nutritional features meant that it could be used as a substitute on both the meat and wheat-free days. Interest in the soybean finally took off in the 1960s when, with increasing interest in the cultures of the East and the technological development of meat analogues, the West realized what the East had known for millennia—that soy beans are best eaten when processed in some way, such as in soy milk, tofu, tempe, miso, natto, and soy sauce. I believe that industry and Agriculture are natural partners. Agriculture suffers from lack of a market for its product. Industry suffers from a lack of employment for its Surplus men, Bringing them together heals the ailments of both. I see the time coming when a farmer not only will raise raw materials for industry, but will do the initial processing on his farm. He will stand on both his feet—one foot on soil for his livelihood; the other in industry for the cash he needs. Thus he will have a double security. That is what I’m working for!
Henry Ford
Recipes ~~~ Puree of Soybeans Soup One cup soybean pulp 1 tablespoon finely chopped celery leaves 2 tablespoons chopped onion 3–4 cups meat stock 1 tablespoon flour 2 1/2 cups milk 1 tablespoon butter 1 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon pepper Cook the soybean pulp which has been put through a coarse sieve, with the celery, onion, and meat stock. Add to a sauce which has been made of the other ingredients. Serve hot with crackers or toast. Chilicothe Constitution Tribune, April 19, 1940.
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August 18
King James I’s Breakfast Soybean Facts
Two pounds of soybean oil will make enough glycerine to fire five anti-tank shells. One lb. of soy flour = 3 lbs. of roast beef or 42 eggs in protein content. Wartime display advertisement (1944).
Soybean Sugar Cookies Sift together 1 1/2 cups flour, 1 tablespoon salt, 4 tablespoons baking powder. Cream 2/3 cup soybean oil and 1 2/3 cups sugar. Add 2 beaten eggs and 2 3/4 cups soybean bran. Add milk and sifted dry ingredients, alternately. Drop by spoonfuls on greased baking sheet and bake 15 mins in moderately hot oven. Ada Weekly News, May 14, 1936.
First Mention of Tofu by a Westerner I will here briefly mention the most usual, common and cheap sort of food all China abounds in, and which all men in that empire eat, from the emperor to the meanest Chinese, the emperor and great men as a dainty, the common sort as necessary sustenance. It is call’d teu fu, that is, paste of kidney-beans. I did not see how they made it. They draw the milk out of the kidney-beans, and turning it, make great cakes of it like cheeses, as big as a large sieve, and five or six fingers thick. All the mass is as white as the very snow, to look to nothing can be finer. It is eaten raw, but generally boil’d and dressed with herbs, fish, and other things. Alone it is insipid, but very good so dressed and excellent fry’d in butter. They have it also dry’d and smok’d, and mix’d with caraway-seeds, which is best of all. It is incredible what vast quantities of it are consum’d in China, and very hard to conceive there should be such abundance of kidney-beans. That Chinese who has teu fu, herbs and rice, needs no other sustenance to work . . . .
´ ndez de Navarrete, A Collection of Voyages and Travels Domingo Ferna (1665).
August 18 King James I’s Breakfast Hoghton Tower, Preston, Lancashire, England, 1617 King James VI of Scotland (1566–1625) became King James I of England on the death of his cousin, Queen Elizabeth I (1533–1603), uniting both countries under one crown for the first time. He did not return to Scotland until 1617, and when he did so it was at considerable expense on the part of his subjects. It was expected during royal progresses (tours) of the time that towns and individuals along the way would provide accommodation, supplies, and entertainment to the honored guests and their huge retinues for no
August 18
King James I’s Breakfast
other reward than the honor of doing so. The desire to make a favorable impression on his king literally bankrupted Sir Richard Hoghton (d. 1630) who ended up in the debtor’s prison after the King stayed at his ancestral home of Hoghton Tower for several days in August 1617, en route to Scotland. On the morning of August 18, the bill of fare for the King’s breakfast was as follows: Sallettes
pigges roste
wild boare pye
boyld capon
venison roste
jiggites of mutton boyld
could mutton
Duckes boyld
soucd . . . [missing word]
veale roste
sallet
gamon [of b]acon
boyld chickinges
Redd Deare pye cold
chicking pye
Rabbettes roste
capons roste
soucd capon
shoulder of mutton roste
Poultes roste
dried hogges cheeke
chyne of beefe roste
phesant
humble pie
pastie of venison
hearons
tarte
turkie roste
muttons boyld
made dishes
This seems like a strange morning meal, accustomed as most Westerners are to cooked breakfast only at weekends, with the weekday staple being cereal or perhaps toast. For much of history the norm has been two main meals a day, with the timing of these meals being influenced by the hours of devotion determined by the Church and seasonal and agricultural factors. The main meal of the day in medieval times took place between 10 A.M. and noon, with ‘‘supper’’ being taken in late afternoon or early evening. Those who wished would break their overnight fast with a little bread and ale, or perhaps something left over from the night before, but breakfast was not a distinct meal. Over the centuries, the hour for ‘‘dinner’’ (the main meal) slowly advanced, and it became necessary to have a more substantial repast early in the day. ‘‘Traditional’’ breakfasts are a modern phenomenon. The full British breakfast of bacon and eggs and perhaps other items is essentially a nineteenth-century development. Cold breakfast cereals on the other hand are the work of American health gurus such as the Kellogg brothers and did not come about until the second half of the nineteenth century. Recipes ~~~ An Excellent Way to Boil Chickens If you will boile Chickens, young Turkies, Pea-Hens or nay house Fowle daintily, you shall after you have trimmed them drawne them, trust [trussed] them, and washt them, fill their bellies as full of Parsley as they can hold, then boile them
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King James I’s Breakfast
Engraving of King James and Queen Anne.
with salt and water only till they be enough: then take a dish and put into it veriuice [verjus], and butter and salt and when the butter is melted, take the Parsley out of the Chickens bellies and mince it very small, and put it to the veriuice and butter and stirre it well together, then lay in the Chickens and trim the dish with sippets, and so serve it forth. Markham, Gervase, The English Huswife: Containing the Inward and Outward Vertues Which Ought to Be in a Compleate Woman (London, 1615).
‘‘Humble Pie’’ might sound like a strange dish to serve the king, but in fact it was very popular. The name comes from the ‘‘nombles’’ or ‘‘umbles’’ of the deer, meaning the entrails or offal, which were the traditional perquisites of the gamekeeper. The following recipe demonstrates its popularity by suggesting the substitute ingredients of a lamb’s head and ‘‘purtenances’’ (the specific name for lamb offal), should the real thing not be available. To Make an Umble-pye Or, For Want of Umbles to Doe It with a Lambes Head and Purtenance Boyle your meate reasonable tender, take the flesh from the bone, and mince it small with Beefe-suet and Marrow, with the Liver, Lights, and Heart, a few
August 19
Hotel Breakfast
sweet Hearbs and Currans. Season it with Pepper, Salt, and Nutmeg: bake it in a Coffin raised like an Umble pye, and it will eate like unto Umbles, that you shall hardly by taste discerne it from right Umbles. John Murrell, A New Booke of Cookerie (London, 1617).
Venison Pasty: see January 2. August 19 Hotel Breakfast Exchange Station Hotel, Liverpool, England, 1912 Railway companies commonly run hotels at their major intersections to retain the other profit to be made from supplying travelers’ other needs. It is interesting to compare this menu with that of the Glasgow Station Hotel of June 27, 1908. This breakfast menu is for the table d’hote (see October 10), and cost three shillings. Tea Coffee Chocolate Pure China Tea (to order) Fruit Stewed Fruits Porridge Fried Whiting Grilled Halibut Haddock Kippers Boiled and Poached Eggs Scrambled Eggs (to order) Ham Omelette (5 minutes) Sugar Corn (to order 5 minutes) Minced Veal and Poached Eggs Liver and Bacon Sausages and Bacon or Cold Meats Chops and Steaks (to order 20 mins) Cutlets (to order 10–12 mins) Grilled Kidneys (to order 10 mins) Cantaloup Melon 9d.
The most ordinary foods sometimes have interesting histories, or at least lead to other interesting ideas. Almost the only time the verb or adjective ‘‘scramble’’ and ‘‘scrambled’’ is used now is in relation to eggs, but this is a relatively recent usage. The phrase ‘‘scrambled eggs’’ appeared in a Times article of 1853, and there was a recipe for them in the American Mrs. Hale’s
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August 19
Hotel Breakfast
New Cook Book, by Sarah Josepha Hale, published in 1857. Isabella Beeton, however, in her incredibly comprehensive Household Manual (1861) did not have a recipe for scrambled eggs, so it cannot have been a common usage at that time. Perhaps they were called something else. A ‘‘scramble’’ used to mean an unseemly rabble, such as the one for the royal leftovers that occurred on the occasion of King James’ visit to Oxford in 1687 (see September 5). Before they were scrambled, eggs were ‘‘mumbled’’ or ‘‘rumble-tumble.’’ In a culinary sense, ‘‘to mumble’’ is ‘‘to cook to a soft pulp.’’ ‘‘Mumbling’’ did not just apply to egg dishes. There are instructions for how ‘‘To mumble Rabbets and Chickens’’ in The Compleat Housewife: Or, Accomplished Gentlewoman’s Companion, by E. Smith, published in 1728. Recipes ~~~ Scrambled Eggs Put a tablespoonful of butter into a hot frying pan; tip around so that it will touch all sides of the pan. Having ready half a dozen eggs broken in a dish, salted and peppered, turn them (without beating) into the hot butter; stir them one way briskly for five or six minutes or until they are mixed. Be careful that they do not get too hard. Turn over toast or dish up without. Mrs. F. L. Gillette and Hugo Ziermann, White House Cook Book (1093).
Calf’s Liver and Bacon 2 or 3 lbs. of liver, bacon, pepper and salt to taste, a small piece of butter, flour, 2 tablespoonfuls of lemon-juice, 1/4 pint of water. Cut the liver in thin slices, and cut as many slices of bacon as there are of liver; fry the bacon first, and put that on a hot dish before the fire. Fry the liver in the fat which comes from the bacon, after seasoning it with pepper and salt and dredging over it a very little flour. Turn the liver occasionally to prevent its burning, and when done, lay it round the dish with a piece of bacon between each. Pour away the bacon fat, put in a small piece of butter, dredge in a little flour, add the lemon-juice and water, give one boil, and pour it in the middle of the dish. It may be garnished with slices of cut lemon, or forcemeat balls. Beeton’s Household Manual (1861).
Porridge: see June 27.
August 20
Mining Company Dinner
August 20 Mining Company Dinner Calaveras Hotel, Angel’s Camp, California, 1914 When the mining company executive W. J. Loring returned home from England ‘‘to renew his memories of the old Mother Lode of California’’ his friends and colleagues entertained him at a special dinner. The menu was planned around a mining theme—the intention clearly being to honor the man himself as well as the industry that had brought great prosperity to the region. Almost a hundred years later, the same menu functions as a fine summary of the history of the California Gold Rush. The venue itself—the Calaveras Hotel—was one of the first family hotels to open in the region. It was started in 1877 by Olivia Rolleri, one of the many Italian immigrants who flocked to the area during the Gold Rush. The hotel was famous for its Sunday dinners and ‘‘Grandma’’ Rolleri’s famous takeout
MENU — COCKTAIL The Will Loring Welcome — SOUP Consomme, Utica Mine — HORS-D’OEVRES Zinfandel
Salted Almonds—Olives—Radishes — ENTREES
Welch’s
Oyster Patties, Demarest Style
Grape Juice
Ravioli a la Mother Lode — ENTREMENTS Fruit Salad, Melones
Mineral
—
Waters
ROASTS Chicken, Lightner Style—Asparagus Tips Venison a la Chasseur —Sauce Bret Harte—Bell Peppers a la Plymouth Gold — DESSERT Ice Cream, Martin (of Angels, Not New York) Fancy Cakes Fruits, Cheese, Coffee & Cognac
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Mining Company Dinner
ravioli. It is presumably this ravioli, or a special version of it, that is on the menu for this dinner. It is interesting that a fruit juice was featured as one of the beverages on this fine hotel menu. Although Prohibition did not become law across the whole nation until 1920 (see December 6), the temperance movement was increasingly powerful, and nonalcoholic drinks were offered at many events. Welch’s grape juice was a phenomenally successful product. It was developed by a dentist, Thomas Bramwell Welch, a very religious man and staunch prohibitionist. He and his family mastered the skill of pasteurizing grape juice (thus preventing its fermentation) to be used as sacramental ‘‘wine.’’ It was promoted at the Chicago World Fair in 1893, but was spectacularly boosted to fame when it was served by Secretary of State William Jennings Bryan (himself a prohibitionist) at a diplomatic dinner in 1913. A diplomatic dinner without wine was startling enough, but in 1914 the Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels banned alcohol aboard naval ships and substituted Welch’s grape juice. There was no significant competition, and it only remained for Prohibition to be enacted for it to become a household name.
KEY TO THE MENU NAMES Utica Mine: the major source of gold in the Angel’s Camp area. Four million dollars worth of gold was taken out in just two years in the 1890s. Demarest Mine: named after the mining engineer D. C Demarest who built mining equipment in the 1880s. Mother Lode: a major vein of gold. The vein discovered in California in the 1840s was 120-miles long and up to four-miles wide. Melones: a mining town near some of the richest deposits. Lightner: Abia T. Lightner constructed the first gold stamp mill in the area. Bret Harte: a miner who became an author and wrote about the Gold Rush era. Plymouth Gold: a mining company. Martin of Angels: Angel’s presumably refers to the Gold Rush town of Angel’s Camp, founded by the brothers George and Henry Angel, gold prospectors who opened the trading post from which the town grew. ‘‘Martin’’ may be the aviation pioneer Glenn L. Martin who had a company in Santa Ana.
Recipes ~~~ Ravioli Put on the bread board about two pounds of flour in a heap; make a hollow in the middle and put in it a piece of butter, three egg-yolks, salt and three or four tablespoonfuls of lukewarm water. Make a paste and knead it well, then let it
August 21
Frankfurt Congress of Princes Banquet
stand for an hour, wrapped or covered with a linen cloth. Then spread the paste to a thin sheet, as thin as a ten-cent piece. Chop and grind pieces of roast or boiled chicken meat: add to it an equal part of marrow from the bones of beef and pieces of brains, three yolks, some crumbs of bread soaked in milk or broth and some grated cheese (Parmesan or Swiss). Rub through a sieve and make little balls as big as a hazel-nut, which are to be placed at equal distances (a little more than an inch) in a line over the sheet of paste. Beat a whole egg and pass it over the paste with a brush all around the little balls. Cover these with another sheet of paste, press down the intervals between each ball, and then separate each section from the other with a knife. Moisten the edges of each section with the finger dipped in cold water, to make them stick together, and press them down with the fingers or the prongs of a fork. Then put to boil in water seasoned with salt or, better still, in broth. The ravioli are then to be served hot seasoned with cheese and butter or with brown stock or tomato sauce. Maria Gentile, The Italian Cook Book: The Art of Eating Well (New York, ca. 1919).
Salted Almonds: see April 3.
August 21 Frankfurt Congress of Princes Banquet Ro ¨ mer, Frankfurt, Germany, 1863 The Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph I (1830–1916) invited the sovereigns of the Central European states that made up the German Confederation to a congress in the Imperial free city of Frankfurt in 1863. The central event was naturally a banquet, and the bill of fare was ‘‘a curiosity in its way,’’ according to the English Globe newspaper, which reported it in detail. Erbach et St. Julien en carafons. Le potage chevalie`re, Le consomme´ de volaille; Gold Sherry, Exhibition prize wine. Les croquettes de Cailles, Les canape´s de Caviar, Champagne des Souverains [Cliquot]. Les truites (sauce crevettes), Les filets de turbot en Bellevue. 1837 Hockheim, domaine de la ville libre de Francfort. Le quartier de boeuf historique, Les dindes truffe´es perigueux. 1859 Chateau Lafitte Monopole. Les supremes de perdreaux au congre`s des princes,
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Frankfurt Congress of Princes Banquet Les coˆtelettes de poulets a l’impe´riale, Les baldons de gelinottes l’Irlandaise (sur socle), Les tranches de homards galde´es (sur socle), 1862 Assmannhausen, domaine ducal Les asperges en branches (sauce au beurre), ` la Lyonnaise, Les fonds d’artichauds a ` l’Anglaise, Les haricots verts a ` la Francaise, Les petits pois a 1858 Rauenthal, Exhibition medal winner. ` la broche, Les chapons du mans a ` l’Infante Le cimier du chevreuil a ` la Saint-Remi, Les Faisans de Boheˆme a Les daubes de be´casses (sur socle), `-port vieux Port-a ` la ville de Francfort, Les ananas a Les timbales d’abricots mousseux, Les canons royaux, Les cascades diplomates, Les glaces d’e´change, Ausbeer wein. Le dessert, Les fruits varie´es.
The German Confederation had been formed from 39 member states at the Congress of Vienna in 1815, in the wake of the defeat of Napoleon. From its inception there was intense rivalry between Austria and Prussia for supremacy. In an attempt to avert the Prussian Chancellor Otto von Bismarck’s (1815–1898) plans for a ‘‘little Germany’’ which would exclude Austria, Franz-Joseph arranged ‘‘the Congress of Princes’’ to discuss reform of the Federation. The banquet itself appeared to be a success as the Globe reported that ‘‘the fathers of that city, in their banquet to the sovereigns, had put their whole strength into the vinous bill of fare’’ and ‘‘the Sovereigns, it is no breach of confidence to mention, did full justice to the qualities and quantities of the excellent wines set before them. ’’ The Congress itself, however, was ultimately worse than a failure, serving to escalate the hostility between the two nations and resulting in outright war in 1866. The aspects of the bill of fare that were ‘‘curious’’ to the newspaper correspondent were those that reinforced that this was not merely a social event, but that there was a powerful political agenda at work. The coronation symbolism was clear. The dinner was held in the Hall of the Emperors in the Ro¨mer (City Hall), the place of coronations for centuries. The quartier de boeuf historique was representative of the whole ox roasted in the town square for the emperor’s loyal subjects on coronation day since ancient times. The first slice was traditionally cut by the Arch-Steward, who presented it to the Emperor to symbolize the abundance of the empire. Many of the other
August 21
Frankfurt Congress of Princes Banquet
dishes have regal names and imperial allusions: the breast of partridge au congress des princes was obviously invented for the occasion; the chicken a ` l’Infante was named for l’imperiale is self-explanatory; the saddle of deer a one of the Spanish princesses. Some of the other menu items are more puzzling—the canons royaux (royal cannons) and cascades diplomates (diplomat waterfalls), for example. These were presumably sweet dishes invented or adapted for the occasion by the imperial chefs. Overall, however, this was classic European cuisine, with almost no concession to ‘‘Germany,’’ apart from the pheasants from the forests of Bohemia (considered the finest pheasants in Europe), and the rather more exotic ananas (pineapples) from Frankfort, which surely was a way of boasting of the hothouse facilities of the town. Recipes ~~~ ` la Lyonnaise Artichokes a Take three large artichokes, and divide each into eight pieces, remove the hard parts, the choke, and nearly all the leaves; trim what remains, and throw them into cold water as you do them; wash and drain them well, spread half a pound of butter on the bottom of a stewpan, and lay your artichokes on it, sprinkling them with salt and pepper: half an hour before they are wanted, put them over a brisk fire, cover the stewpan and put fire on that also, taking care that they do not burn. When they are of a nice light colour, serve them, pouring butter over them. Richard Dolby, The Cook’s Dictionary and Housekeeper’s Director (1833).
The following recipe, which uses ‘‘any poultry’’ can be adapted to make the Les Croquettes de Cailles [Quails]. Poultry Croquettes (Using any Poultry) Melt a bit of butter in a stewpan; put into it chopped parsley and mushrooms, two spoonfuls of flour, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Fry it, and pour in stock and a little cream. This sauce ought to have the consistence of thick milk. Cut up any poultry, which has been cooked the day before, into dice. Put them into the sauce and let it get cold. Form it into balls, and cover them with breadcrumbs. Wash these in eggs which have been beaten up, and roll them in bread crumbs a second time. Fry to a good colour, and serve with a garnish of fried parsley. Harriet Toogood, The Treasury of French Cookery (1866).
Canapes de Caviar: see May 13. Petits Pois a‘ la Francaise: see July 11. Sauce Perigeux: see April 14.
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August 22
An Ancient Roman Dinner
August 22 An Ancient Roman Dinner Rome, 70 BCE There are not many detailed descriptions of the food served at specific meals in ancient Rome, and very few that can be dated reasonably accurately. One of the most detailed is that of the feast given at the inauguration of Lucius Cornelius Lentulus Niger (d. about 56 BCE) to the honored role of Flamen Martialis (the priest dedicated to the service of Mars, the Roman god of war). It has been suggested that this took place on August 22 (the Romans used a different calendar, though), in the year 70 BCE. The feast was given by the Pontifex Maximus (High Priest) Quintus Caecilius Metellus Pius (ca. 130 or 127 BCE—63 BCE), and amongst the important guests was Julius Caesar (100 BCE– 44 BCE). The only women present were the Vestal virgins (virginal female priests dedicated to Vesta, the goddess of the hearth). The gusto. Before the dinner proper came sea hedgehogs; fresh oysters, as many as the guests wished; large mussels; sphondyli; field fares with asparagus; fattened fowls; oyster and mussel pasties; black and white sea acorns; sphondyli again; glycimarides; sea nettles; becaficoes; roe ribs; boar’s ribs; fowls dressed with flour; becaficoes; purple shellfish of two sorts. The cena. The dinner itself consisted of sows’ udder; boar’s head; fish-pasties; boarpasties; ducks; boiled teals; hares; roasted fowls; starch pastry; Pontic pastry.
There are a number of difficulties in working out what was actually eaten in Roman times. Latin essentially died as a spoken language with the Roman Empire. Its survival in religious and scientific fields did not extend to the culinary sphere, and many terms can only be translated by educated guesswork. In addition, the only surviving Roman cookbook is De re Coquinaria (On Cookery) by ‘‘Apicius’’—but not only are there three contenders for the name, the actual compilation that survives comes from the late-fourth or early-fifth century and is presumably based on earlier copies. One great difficulty in interpreting—and especially in attempting to recreate Roman meals, is that two essential ingredients of the time are uncertain. A plant called laser (or silphium) which was much used by the Romans is now extinct. The reasons are unclear, and it appears to have happened very suddenly. The plant was harvested from the wild in North Africa; it was not cultivated. One year it simply did not come up again—perhaps due to overharvesting in combination with a bad season—a devastating blow to the communities which were economically dependent on it as a crop. Most authorities believe laser was similar to asafoetida (Ferula assafoetida), which is used in Indian cooking today.
August 23
Luncheon Specials of the Day
The other difficulty is that a sauce called garum or liquamen was absolutely fundamental to Roman cookery, but no recipe has survived. It was the universal salty condiment and was made from fermenting some species of fish intestines, as Asian fish sauce is made today. It was a very smelly process, so the manufacture was done outside of the cities. The liquid resulting from the fermentation process was mixed with other ingredients—wine, vinegar, pepper, etc., the exact recipe no doubt varying from one cook to another. The sphondyli that appeared at the inauguration feast appears to have two meanings in Apicius. Sometimes it means a vegetable (parsnip or artichokes) and sometimes a type of mussel—the most likely at this meal is that it referred to the latter. The glycimarides are also shellfish, ‘‘sea hedgehogs’’ are sea urchins, and becaficoes are fig-peckers (small birds). Finally, the pastry would not have been the fine, ‘‘short’’ pastry of today because the Romans used oil, not butter in cooking—they despised animal fat—and oil does not make good pastry. Recipes ~~~ Sow’s Udder or Belly (Sumen) Sow’s udder or belly with the paps on it is prepared in this manner: the belly boil, tie it together with reeds, sprinkle with salt and place it in the oven, or, start roasting on the gridiron. Crush pepper, lovage, with broth, pure wine, adding raisin wine to taste, thicken the sauce with roux and pour it over the roast.
A Dish of Sea-Nettles (Patina de Urtica) A dish of sea-nettles, either hot or cold, is made thus: take sea-nettles, wash and drain them on the colander, dry on the table and chop fine. Crush 10 scruples of pepper, moisten with broth, add 2 small glasses of broth and 6 ounces of oil. Heat this in a sauce pan and when cooked take it out and allow to cool off. Next oil a clean pan, break 8 eggs and beat them; combine these with the above preparations, place the pan on hot ashes to give it heat from below, when done [congealed] sprinkle with pepper and serve. Joseph Dommers Vehling, Cookery and Dining in Imperial Rome (1936).
August 23 Luncheon Specials of the Day MGM Studios, Culver City, California, 1956 Metro Goldwyn Mayer (MGM) was the most powerful movie studio in Hollywood (Culver City) for many decades. At its peak, one movie a week was turned
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August 23
Luncheon Specials of the Day
out from its studios and included some of the best-loved and most successful ever made—films like Gone with the Wind, The Wizard of Oz, and Ben Hur. A huge organization had to ensure that its staff was fed, and MGM had a restaurant at Culver City. The luncheon menu on August 23, 1956, provided plenty of choice. Specials of the Day LUNCHEON French Market Soup with Cheese Croutons:
Cup
15;
Bowl
20
CLUB LUNCHEONS Fresh Shrimps with Curry, a l’Indienne, Steamed Rice Fluffy Omelett Filled with Creamed Chicken Grilled Knackwurst and Boston Baked Beans en Casserole, Pickled Beets Veal Cutlet Holstein with Tomato Sauce and Spaghetti, Milanaise Baked Sugar-Cured Virginia Ham with Cider Sauce Julienne of Celery and Carrots Steamed Parsley Potatoes Bread and Butter Coffee, Tea, Milk FEATURED SALADS Ripe Elberta Peach, Fresh Prunes with Cottage Cheese and Sour Cream Diced Turkey Salad, Deviled Eggs and Asparagus Tips Watermelon Wedge Large Fruit Compote, Supreme, Assorted Finger Sandwiches on Raisin Nut Bread CHEF’S SUGGESTIONS Braised Turkey Leg with Vegetables and Potatoes du jour, Cole Slaw Bread and Butter Coffee, Tea, Milk 5c Extra SANDWICHES Open Face Sandwich of Crisp Bacon, Tomatoes, Chives and Sour Cream on Toast Imported Sardines, Sliced Egg, Onion and Lettuce on Rye Denver Sandwich, Pancake Style DESSERTS Custard Pie 25 Brown Betty Pudding, Wine Sauce Raspberry Layer Cake 25 Green Apple Pie 15 Chilled Canteloupe 35 Ice Cream 20 Sherbet 20 Jell-O 15 Iced Watermelon 35
1.00 95 1.05 1.15 1.15
1.00 1.25 1.10
75
65 75 65
15
To give some perspective on the cost of the menu items, the minimum wage in 1956 was $1.00 per hour, and the average weekly wage was about $62.
August 23
Luncheon Specials of the Day
Recipes ~~~ Brown Betty 6 cooking apples 1/2 cup molasses 1/2 cup cold water 4 tablespoonfuls Butter
Apple corer Measuring cup Baking dish brown sugar Breadcrumbs
Take 6 large, tart apples, core them and peel them and cut them into small slices. Take a baking dish, butter the inside and cover the bottom with one layer of apple slices. Sprinkle a layer of breadcrumbs over the apple, then lay more apple over the crumbs, and so on until you have used all the apple. There must be a layer of crumbs on top. Measure 1/2 cupful of black molasses and 1/2 cupful of cold water. Add to this 4 tablespoonfuls of brown sugar and stir till the sugar is dissolved. Pour the mixture over the apple and crumbs and drop four little bits of butter on top of all. Put the dish in a moderate oven for about 3/4 of an hour, or until it is nicely browned on top, and the apples are soft. Try them with a fork. Serve hot with cream or hard sauce. When Mother Lets us Cook (1908).
The Denver sandwich is also called the Western sandwich. As with so many ‘‘classics,’’ there are disputes as to the authentic ingredients and the claimed inventor. The only common feature seems to be that all recipes include egg. Denver Sandwich 1 egg 3 slices toast mayonnaise sliced tomatoes Chopped onion and green pepper (optional) Snappy cheese which melts smoothly Scramble egg in butter and place between slices of toast. Spread the top of the second slice with mayonnaise and cover it with sliced tomatoes and a sprinkling of chopped onion and green pepper (pickle relish would be a good substitute and it is ready to spread on). Cover with the third slice of toast spread with mayonnaise. Cut in half, place on serving plate and cover with the cheese which has been melted in a double boiler. Serve immediately. Oakland Tribune, December 30, 1941.
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August 24
King George IV’s Visit to Scotland
August 24 King George IV’s Visit to Scotland Great Hall of Parliament House, Edinburgh, 1821 When King George IV (1762–1830) of England visited Scotland in 1821, it was the first visit of a reigning monarch to that country since 1650. The King had been encouraged by his advisors to take a tour in an attempt to improve his image which had suffered on account of his treatment of his wife at his coronation (see July 19). He was welcomed at an elaborate civic banquet in Edinburgh. The service of a grand meal was still in the same style as it had been since medieval times—two great courses each with a vast number of dishes arranged to give the maximum visual impact. FIRST COURSE. (1) Cotelettes d’Agneau sauce au Concombres. (2) Vol au Vent au Blanquette de Truffes.
CENTRE DISHES.
(3) Filets de Soles, Sauce Hollandaise.
(21) Nougat.
(4) Potage de Tortue
(22) Gold Frame.
Relevee par,
(23) Vase.
(47) Pate de Pigeons Garni.
1. Poisson; 2. Venaison;
(24) Silver Ice Pail.
(48) Chartreuse de Legumes.
3. Grouse et Dindonneaux
(25) Couronne.
(49) Un oie dobe aux truffes et Champignons
(5) Grenade farce, sauce aux Champignons.
(26) Gold Frame.
(50) Jambon Braise aux Legumes.
(6) Filets de Grouse aux Choux Sauce Piquante
(27) Piece Monte.
(51) Poulets au Gros Sel.
(7) Tendrons de Vea aux Poie
(28) Large Silver Branch, with Lights.
(52) Petits Pates d’une Emincee
(8) Potage a la Reine.
(29) Caramel de Fruit
(53) Chartreuse de Legumes.
Releve par,
(30) Gold Frame.
(54) Quartier d’Agneau sauce au Chevreuil.
1. Poisson; 2. Venaison;
(31) Gold Frame.
(55) Poularde au Riz, garni au Croquettes
3. Grouse et Dindonneaux.
(32) Silver Ice Pail
(56) Canards aux Filets de Lapreaux.
(9) Filets de Pigeons a l’Italien.
(33) Piece Monte.
(57) Chartreuse de Legumes garnie.
(10) Escalopes de Poulets a l’Essence
(34) Piece Monte.
(58) Peties Pates d’Arioles aux Cervelles de Veau.
(11) Saute Grouse aux Truffes
(35) Silver Ice Pail
(59) Poulets aux Truffes.
(12) Boudins a la Reine.
(36) Vase
(60) Jambon Braise aux Legumes.
August 24
King George IV’s Visit to Scotland
531
(13) Tranches de Saumon a la Maitre d’hotel
(37) Gold Frame.
(61) Casserole de Pieds d’Agneau au Riz.
(14) Potage de Grouse
(38) Caramel de Fruit
(62) Chartreuse aux Choux-Fleurs
Relevee par,
(39) Large Silver Branch, with Lights
(63) Pate Chaud de Pigeons.
1. Poisson; 2. Venaison;
(40) Piece Monte
3. Grouse et Dindonneaux.
(41) Gold Frame
(15) Fricandeau sauce aux Tomates
(42) Couronne
(16) Saute de filets de Poulet.
(43) Silver Ice Pail
(17) Vol au Vent aux Truffes
(44) Vase
(18) Potage a la Tortue
(45) Gold Frame
Releve par,
(46) Nougat.
1. Poisson; 2. Venaison; 3. Grouse et Dindonneaux. SECOND COURSE. (1) Cailles Roties
(15) Salade en Aspic.
(29) Choux-Fleurs a la Bechamelle
(2) Gelee d’Ananas
(16) Cre`me a l’Italien.
(3) Petits Pois a la Francaise.
(17) Grouse Roti.
(30) Tourte d’Abricots (31) Cre`me a l’Italienne
(4) Vol au Vent d’Abricots Caramel
(18) Homard Garnie.
(32) Cailles Rotis
(5) Salade en Aspic.
(19) Vol au Vent de Fruit.
(33) Piece Monte
(6) Dindonneaux Roti.
(20) Petits Pois a la Francaise
(34) Dindonneaux Rotis
(7) Cre`me au Maraschino.
(21) Gelee de Noyau.
(35) Cre`me de Marasquin
(8) Beignets d’Artichaux a la Sauce.
(22) Cailles Roti.
(36) Tourte de Fruit
(9) Patisserie
(23) Piece Monte
(37) Hariots Verts
(10) Homard en Aspic.
(24) Haricot Vert
(38) Pate Froid
(11) Gelee de Vin
(25) Dindonneaux Rotis
(39) Gelee de Vin
(12) Chartreuse d’Abricots.
(26) Un Aspic
(40) Un Aspic
(13) Champignons Grille3.
(27) Gelee d’Ananas.
(41) Grouse Rotie
(14) Patisserie.
(28) Pate Froid
(42) Choux-fleurs a la Cre`me (43) Patisserie
The manager of the whole event was Sir Walter Scott (1771–1832), 1st Baronet, and author of Ivanhoe, Rob Roy, and a number of other historical novels. The occasion was a grand opportunity for the Scots to demonstrate their national pride, and at this event the tartan became the national dress of Scotland.
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August 24
King George IV’s Visit to Scotland
Table layout for King’s visit to Scotland.
The author of Domestic Economy, and Cookery, for Rich and Poor, by a Lady, who included the bill of fare in her book, noted that ‘‘His majesty ate of the first course, turtle and grouse soups, stewed carp, and venison; of the second, grouse, and apricot tart. At dinner he drank Moselle and a little Champagne: at the dessert, he drank Claret.’’ Recipes ~~~ The following recipes are for dishes similar to those chosen by the King at this dinner. Carp When you kill your carp, save all the blood, and have ready some nice gravy, made of beef and mutton, seasoned with pepper, salt, mace, and onion. Before you put in your fish, strain it off, and boil your carp before you put it into the gravy. Set it on a slow fire about a quarter of an hour, and thicken the sauce with a large piece of butter rolled in flour; or you may make your sauce thus: take the liver of the carp clean from the guts, three anchovies, a little parsley, thyme, and an onion. Chop these small together, and take half a pint of Rhenish wine, four spoonsful of vinegar, and the blood of the carp. When all these are stewed gently together, put it to the carp, which must first be boiled in water with a little salt and a pint of wine; but take care not to do it too much after the carp is put into the sauce. William Augustus Henderson, Modern Domestic Cookery (1828).
Toarte d’Abricots Cut each in two, and break the stones to get at the kernels; if the fruit is not ripe enough, boil them a little while in Water; then drain them very well, and put
August 25
Hotel Dinner
them into the Paste, with Sugar according to judgment, a few bits of preserved Lemon, and half a kernel upon each Piece; cover it with the same sort of Paste, and strew a little powder sugar over it to give it a glaze, which it will take in baking. B. Clermont, The Professed Cook (1776).
Maitre d’Hotel Butter for Fish: see September 3. Roast Grouse: see July 26.
August 25 Hotel Dinner Grand Hotel, Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada, 1911 A thriving tourist industry in Nova Scotia in the late-nineteenth century was largely thanks to the Yarmouth businessman Loran Ellis Baker (1831–1899). He competed with established American railroad and steamship companies and kept all the business local by setting up the Yarmouth Steamship Company, which not only brought tourists into the province, but also provided them with accommodation and every other requirement of travel. His finest project was the Grand Hotel overlooking the Yarmouth harbour, which opened in 1894. HOURS FOR MEALS
GINGER ALE
Breakfast 7.30 to 9.30
AND
Luncheon 12.30 to 2
MINERAL WATERS
Dinner 6 to 7
————————
Sunday—Breakfast 8.30 to 10
Coca Cola
15
Dinner 1 to 2.00
Havelock Ginger Ale
25c
Supper 6 to 7
White Rock Lithia, pints
25c
splits
15c
Apollinaris Water, pints
"
"
25c
"
"
15c
Guests will please report at the office when having friends to meals. Meals served in room charged extra. DINNER Chicken Broth a la Riz Olives
Cream of Celery Lettuce
Pickled Walnuts India Relish Worcestershire Sauce Hot Beef Bouillon
Pearl Onions Tomato Ketchup
Hot Clam Bouillon
Baked Fresh Halibut, Point Shirley Style
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August 25
Hotel Dinner Boiled Boneless Salt Cod, Pork Scraps Sliced Cucumbers
Italienne Potatoes
Baked Macaroni and Cheese Corn Fritters, Maple Syrup Roast Ribs of Beef, Pan Gravy Roast Spring Lamb, Mint or Brown Sauce Boiled New Potatoes Green Peas
Mashed Potatoes
Ears of Corn
Mashed Turnip
Fruit Custard, Whipped Cream Blueberry Pie
Pumpkin Pie
Pound Cake
Assorted Cakes
Peanut Butter Vanilla Ice-Cream Cream Sodas Watermelon
Canadian Cheese Apples
California Pears
Black Tea Oolong Tea Black Coffee
This is as comprehensive and indulgent a dinner menu as any traveller could have wished for, but there are also two popular medicines hidden amongst its choices. Clam bouillon seems to have been a particularly popular remedy in the late-nineteenth century Canada. The Canadian Druggist of 1899, in its Hot Drinks Formulary, gave a recipe for clam bouillon with lemon. In an 1894 Ontario Medical Journal there was a testimonial from Dr. Hopewell of Canton, New Jersey, who said, ‘‘I have found Burnham’s Clam Bouillon the best thing I have ever used in summer diarrhoea in children, and ask my fellow practitioners to give it a trial, given by itself or added to other food, its effect is wonderful.’’ The second ‘‘remedy’’ is the cream soda. Cream soda and ice cream soda are variations on the same idea of a milky/creamy/carbonated drink. The idea of serving a scoop or two of ice cream in a carbonated beverage seems to have come about in the 1870s in America, and there are several claimants for the honor of inventing it. In Canada, a patent for a cream soda recipe was granted to James William Black of Berwick in Nova Scotia in 1886, although it contained whipped egg whites instead of cream. Cream sodas were sold at drug stores and were often prescribed as medicine. Is Ice Cream Soda a Medicine? On October 27, 1899, the final hearing was given to a charge brought by the Morality Department of the City of Toronto against W. J. Urquhart who
August 25
Hotel Dinner
formerly kept a drug store at the corner of Yonge and Gerard Sts. in this city. The information, which was laid on behalf of the Lord’s Day Alliance, charged the defendant with having sold two glasses of ice cream soda, on Sunday, thereby violating the Lord’s Day Act. The only evidence submitted was that of Constable Guthrie, who testified to having made the purchase of ice cream soda as a beverage, Police Constable Ironsides have also made a similar purchase at the same time. For the defence, Dr. Mennie, Dr. Noble, and Mr. Geo. A. Bingham, druggist, were called. Their evidence was to the effect that Cream Soda was a medicine, and that its constituents were frequently prescribed by physicians. . . . After hearing argument on both sides, the Magistrate stated his desire to have the case go to a higher court, in order to have an interpretation of the law. He accordingly fined Mr. Urquhart $1 and costs, or ten days. Subsequently, Police Magistrate Dennison gave the following written judgement: ‘‘ I find upon the evidence that Soda Water and Ice Cream are sometimes sold as medicine. In my opinion, sale of these articles mentioned in the evidence, was not made as a sale of medicine, although nothing was said by either party on the subject. I fine the defendant $1, and costs, or ten days.’’ Canadian Druggist, 1899.
Recipes ~~~ Corn Fritters To a can of corn add two eggs well beaten, two tablespoonfuls of flour, one teaspoonful of salt, one half-teaspoonful of pepper; mix thoroughly; have the pan hot; put in two tablespoonfuls of lard, and drop in the corn in large spoonfuls. Cook brown. B. F. Austin, Woman, Her Character, Culture and Calling: A Full Discussion of Woman’s Work in the Home, the School, the Church and the Social Circle, with an Account of Her Successful Labors in Moral and Social Reform (Brantford, Ontario 1890).
Canadian Pumpkin Pie 1 cup strained or mashed pumpkin 1/2 cup syrup [presumably maple] 1/4 cup brown sugar 1 beaten egg 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon ginger or cinnamon 1/4 cup cream Mix in order given, and bake until firm in a tin lined with pie dough. Ottowa Ladies Hebrew Benevolent Society, The Economical Cook Book (1915).
Pound Cake: see April 19.
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August 26
Breakfast and Dinner on Mont Blanc
August 26 Breakfast and Dinner on Mont Blanc Switzerland, 1825 Mont Blanc is the highest peak in the Alps, at 15,781 feet (4,810 meters). By mountaineering standards, it is not a difficult climb; nevertheless, it has claimed many lives since its summit was first reached in 1786. Ascending the mountain hardly seems the sort of thing anyone would do virtually spontaneously, ‘‘for no other motive but that of curiosity.’’ Nevertheless, that is what Edmund Clark and Captain Markham Sherwill did in August 1825. The party (Clark, Sherwill, guides, and porters) spent one night on the way up at the usual camp site of Grand Mulets Rocks. They set off for the summit early in the morning of August 26, returning to the same camp for the night. The men, according to a widely published report of the feat, were ‘‘in hourly and imminent danger of their lives.’’ They were in no danger of going hungry, however, to judge by their provisions list. Their ‘‘bill of fare’’ also provides an interesting comparison with modern camping and mountaineering food. twenty-one bottles of vin ordinaire, one bottle of Cognac brandy, one bottle of vinegar, one toupelle of syrup, two of sirop de vinaigre, two bottles of old Neuchatel wine, two bottles of claret, seven loaves, five pounds of cheese, two pounds and a half of sugar, and lemons, three pounds of raisins and prunes, nine cold fowls, eight joints of veal and mutton. ‘‘These provisions,’’ he adds, ‘‘were all packed in haversacks and sent on by porters to the edge of the glacier, where we were to breakfast. These porters the guides thought proper to hire themselves, that they might be less embarrassed in ascending to the base of the mountain, and be ready to embark on the ice with unimpaired vigour.’’
There is no specific mention of camp stoves, and no suggestion of portable soup (see July 17) or other hot food, although it is most likely that some sort of stove was included—otherwise the cold fowls and joints would have been eaten nearly frozen. In any case, it appears from the list that the brandy may have been intended for a hot toddy of sorts—which would explain the lemons and sugar, and the necessity for the means to heat it.
August 27
‘‘Great Martial Banquet Alfresco’’
Recipes ~~~ Undressed Meat [To Be Served Cold] All meat that is dressed to be kept until cold, whether boiled or roast, should be over done, particularly in the summer, for if the gravy be left in either, it will not keep good more than two or three days, but if done quite dry it will keep a week or longer. Hot meat should be well sprinkled with salt before it is taken from the fire; and boiled beef that is intended to be eaten cold should be at least fourteen days in salt (if a few days longer it will eat all the better when boiled) on account that if not well salted, by being boiled rather longer than it would be to send to table hot, it will eat insipid. John Simpson, A Complete System of Cookery on a Plan Entirely New (1816).
Leg of Mutton Cut off the Shank Bone, and trim the Knuckle, put it into lukewarm water for ten minutes, wash it clean, cover it with cold water, and let it simmer very gently, and skim it carefully. A leg of nine pounds will take two and a half or three hours, if you like it thoroughly done, especially in very cold weather. William Kitchiner, The Cook’s Oracle (1829).
August 27 ‘‘Great Martial Banquet Alfresco,’’ Scutari, Crimea, 1855 Alexis Soyer (1810–1858) was a famous French celebrity chef of the Victorian era. He cooked for the most elite members of society, and created some of the most spectacular banquets of the nineteenth century (see July 3). He was also a great philanthropist and inventor as was demonstrated during his great contribution to relief work during the Irish potato famine of the 1840s. The Crimean War (1853–1856) offered him another opportunity to display his charitable and inventive traits. The conditions at the front were appalling. More troops were dying of disease and malnutrition than in battle. In March 1855 Soyer traveled to the Crimea at his own expense and met with the famous nursing pioneer Florence Nightingale (1820–1910). He started by completely reorganizing the hospital kitchens at Scutari, and by the end of his time at the front every aspect of military victualling had benefited from his reforming hand. He taught soldiers to cook, reduced waste, invented new recipes using soldiers’ rations, organized supplies of dried vegetables, and developed a new ‘‘bread biscuit.’’ He also developed a new field stove which he demonstrated at a great outdoor ‘‘banquet’’ to which the senior officers of the English, French,
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August 27
‘‘Great Martial Banquet Alfresco’’
and Sardinian forces were invited. All of the dishes were based on soldiers’ rations. The bill of fare consisted of plain-boiled salt beef; ditto with dumplings; plainboiled salt pork; ditto with peaspudding; stewed salt pork and beef, with rice; French pot-au-feu; stewed fresh beef, with potatoes; mutton ditto, with haricot beans; ox-cheek and ox-feet soups; Scotch mutton-broth; and common curry, made with fresh and salt beef.
The field stove was a portable steam boiler designed to give no signals to the enemy. It looked like a wastebasket, with a lid (no visible flames), a steam pipe (virtually no smoke), and a removable cooking pot. The design was so successful that it remained in use by the military, essentially unchanged, until the Gulf War during 1990–91.
Field stove.
Recipes ~~~ Soyer kept up a correspondence with The Times (of London) newspaper while he was in the Crimea. He included many of his own ration ‘‘receipts’’ in his letters. French Beef Soup, Or Pot Au Feu (Camp Fashion)
Put in the kettle 6lb of beef, cut into two or three pieces, bones included; 1lb of mixed green vegetables, or 1/2lb of preserved, in cakes; 4 teaspoonsful of salt; if handy, 1 teaspoonful of pepper, 1 of sugar, and 3 cloves; and 8 pints of water. Let it boil gently 3 hours; remove some of the fat, and serve. The addition of 1½ lb. of bread, cut into slices, or 1 lb. of broken biscuits, well soaked, will make a very nutritious soup. Skimming is not required.
How to Stew Fresh Beef, Pork, Mutton And Veal Cut or chop 2lb of fresh beef into 10 or 12 pieces and put these into a saucepan with 1 1/2 teaspoonful of salt, 1 teaspoonful of sugar, 1/2 teaspoonful of pepper, 2 middle-sized onions sliced, 1/2 pint of water. Set on the fire for 10 minutes
August 28
Lunch at Sea
until forming a thick gravy. Add a good tablespoon of flour, stir on the fire a few minutes; add a quart and a half of water; let the whole simmer until the meat is tender. Beef will take from two hours and a half to three hours; mutton and pork, about two hours; veal, one hour and a quarter to one hour and a half; onions, sugar and pepper, if not to be had, must be omitted; it will then make a good dish; 1/2lb of sliced potatoes or 2oz of preserved potatoes; ration vegetables may be added, also a small dumpling.
August 28 Lunch at Sea SS Ko ¨ nigin Luise, 1905 The SS Ko¨ nigin Luise (Queen Louise) was built in 1896 for the Norddeutscher Lloyd (North German Lloyd) line to carry immigrants from Bremen to New York or, until 1904, to Australian ports. The menu was written in German, with an English translation on the facing page. Russian Cabbage soup Consomme´ Pure´e soup of lentils — Stuffed calf’s breast Succotash Butter potatoes — Hunter Cake — Stewed Prunes — TO ORDER WARM: Beefsteaks, broiled or fried Mutton chops do. Pork and beans, Boston style Irish stew Spaghetti au jus Omelet with poultry liver Poached eggs Fried eggs Baked potatoes COLD Turkey in aspic Capon with stuffed green pepper Fricadeau of veal, garnished Roast beef, horseradish Smok. Westphalia, & boiled ham Fresh black and liver sausage Corned beef Salami Sablath saus. Smok. Beef Tongue Astrachan Caviare Oil Sardines Christiana anchovies Delicatess Herrings in wine sauce
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Lunch at Sea SALADS Potato Italian vegetable Red beets Salmon-Mayonnaise Table celery Radishes CHEESE: Edam
Gorgonzola Coffee
Cream
This is an exceedingly heterogenous menu. There is a strong core of simple, hearty food with a German and Eastern European slant. Russian cabbage soup, or schi, is a national staple, Irish stew is a one-pot dish of meat and potatoes, as is the pork and beans. There are a few fancy ‘‘made’’ dishes such as the fricandeau (see August 29), the stuffed capon, and turkey in aspic. There are, however, two strange anomalies. Amongst this European food there is one outstandingly American dish—succotash. ‘‘Succotash’’ comes from the Algonquian (Narragansett) word msı´ckquatash, meaning boiled corn, although generally now it is applied to a dish of corn and beans. It is said that the earliest settlers were shown how to make this by the Indians. The second oddity is that amongst all of this simple hearty fare is Astrakan caviare—an expensive delicacy even in 1905. Recipes ~~~ Black sausage is also called black pudding and blood pudding. It is a fresh sausage, and as its name suggests it is made from fresh blood taken at the time of slaughtering a beast (usually a pig). The ‘‘puddings of hogs or sheep’’ mentioned in the following recipe are the intestines, which are used as sausage skins. Blood Pudding—Boudin Ordinaire Cook twelve onions in bouillon or consomme´ with parsley, young onions, thyme, basil, and a bay-leaf; hash them very fine; take four pints of blood that has been properly taken from the throat of the animal; put in a little vinegar to prevent it from curdling; cut a pound and a half of the caul in dices, put it into the blood with four pints of rich cream, hashed fine herbs, fine spices, salt, and pepper, mix all well together; take the puddings of hogs or sheep, which must be well scraped and cleaned; fill them with a filler; but do not make them too full, otherwise they might break; tie them into proper lengths; put them into a pot of warm water, and do them over a slow fire to prevent their breaking; turn them carefully with a skimmer; if they are pricked, and the fat comes out, they are sufficiently done; take them up upon a cloth and let them cool; when they are to be sent to table slit and grill them. Antoine B. Beauvilliers, The Art of French Cookery (1827).
August 29
Daily Bill of Fare
Succotash The delicacy of the year was the far-famed succotash, made by scraping the milky kernels from the ears, mingling them with little round beans, which had now come to be domesticated, and with bits of fresh meat, the whole being seasoned with salt, thickened with sunflower-seeds, suthl’-to-k’ia, or pin ˜ on-nut meal, and boiled until reduced to an almost homogeneous stew. Frank Hamilton Cushing, Zuni Breadstuff (1920).
August 29 Daily Bill of Fare aboard the SS Great Western, 1844 The SS Great Western was the first steamship designed specifically for transatlantic crossing. She was a wooden side-wheel paddle steamer, with auxiliary sails, and at 236-feet long she was the biggest steamship ever built when she was launched in 1837. For a long time it had been believed that crossing the Atlantic by steam would never be feasible because of the huge volumes of fuel that would have to be carried—the increased size of the ship then limiting the speed. The engineering issues were solved by the famous railway engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel (1806–1859), and the SS Great Western made her first crossing in an astoundingly short 15 days. The great age of transatlantic steamship races had begun.
BREAKFAST. Dishes. Beefsteaks Mutton Chops
Dishes. 4
Omelets
–
Pork Chops
Boiled Eggs 4 0
Fried Bacon Veal Cutlets
4
6
Hash
6 –
100
Homony
Ham and Eggs Fricasee Chicken
8
–
Mush
–
Fried Fish (Soles) Do. Potatoes
5
–
Stews 6 DINNER. Soup -Mock Turtle
6
Boiled Fowls
Boiled Fish – Salmon and Lobster Sauce
Saddles of Mutton
Corned Beef 4
Baked Fish Roast Beef
3 pair
– 3
Ham Tongues
2
1
Corned Pork
–
1 2
Fricandeau
–
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August 29
Daily Bill of Fare Roast Lamb
2
Mutton Cutlets
Roast Turkey
2
Roast Veal
–
Roast Pig Olive Ducks
Curry
1
Roast Fowls
– –
Calf’s Head
–
Roast Hare
1
Boiled Mutton
4
Irish Stew
3 pair
Roast Geese
8
Macaroni
2
2 5
Lobster Patties
6
Chicken Salad
8
Gullenteen Turkeys
4
PASTRY. Plum Pudding
5
Apple Dumpling
8
Raspberry Rollers
2
Baked Apple Pudding Apple Pies
5
7
Cranberry Pies 7
6
Damson Pies
–
Cherry Pies
4
Rice Pudding Orange ditto
7
Raspberry Puffs Plum Pies
Mince Pies
5
Custard ditto 8
8 –
Bergnets
–
Brandy Fruits
8
WINES, JELLIES, AND BLANCHEMANGE.
The Great Western was a luxury ship. She could carry 148 passengers and there was no steerage class. The fare per person was 30 guineas for a cabin and 50 guineas for a stateroom. In August 1844, George Moore, Esq., made the crossing, and on the night before their arrival in New York he noted in his journal: Had a grand state-dinner to-day; and the passengers appeared to do ample justice to the viands. Passed a pleasant evening. We presented Captain Mathews with a memorial, signed by all the passengers, on his first trip as commander, he having been first mate to Capt. Hoskin in the ‘‘Great Western’’ ever since she was launched. He richly deserved a more substantial mark of our regard for his unremitting attentions. The following was the Bill of Fare:
Recipes ~~~ A Fricandeau of Veal What is called a fricandeau of veal is simply a cushion of veal trimmed into shape, larded, and braised. Cut a thick slice (three or four pounds) from a fillet of veal, trim it around . . . and lard it on top. Put some pieces of pork into a braising-kettle, or saucepan, if you have no braising-kettle; also slices of carrot,
August 30
Medical Conference Dinner
an onion with cloves stuck in, a stick of celery, and some parsley. Put in the meat, sprinkle over pepper and salt, and cover it with well-buttered paper. Now fill the pan with boiling stock, or water enough to just cover the meat. Put on a tight lid. If it is a braising-pan, set it upon the fire, with live coals on top. If a common saucepan, cover it, and put it into a hot oven. It will take about two hours, or two hours and a half, to cook it. A professional cook would boil down the stock in which the fricandeau was cooked until reduced to a glaze, then with a brush would glaze all the top of the meat, placing it in the oven a moment to dry. However, it tastes as well without this extra trouble. The best sauce for a fricandeau is tomato-sauce. It is often garnished with green pease, spinach, or sorrel; or a little wine (Madeira, port, or sherry) and roux may be added to the braising-stock for a gravy. The gravy should be strained, of course. Mary Newton Foote Henderson, Practical Cooking and Dinner Giving (New York, 1877).
Calf’s Head: see January 30. Hominy: see May 9. Mush: see January 27.
August 30 Medical Conference Dinner Bergen, Norway, 1885 When a professional or industry group gets together for a dinner, organizers often take particular pleasure in ‘‘themeing’’ the menu. At a medical conference in Bergen in 1885, the idea was interpreted slightly differently. The menu card itself was a tiny piece of ‘‘court plaster’’ in an envelope ‘‘just as it is sold by druggists.’’ Court plaster was the precursor of modern adhesive dressing for small wounds. It was made from a piece of fabric, often silk, covered with isinglass—a gelatin-like material made from the swim bladders of fish. The intriguing name for this medicinal item comes from its previous use to make the ‘‘beauty spots’’ used as part of the fashionable makeup routine for court ladies. One report of the dinner called it ‘‘the smallest menu in the world’’ (but did not record exactly how small this was) but noted that ‘‘it was rather an elaborate menu too, for so modest a space.’’ DINNER Pate´. Madeira. Potage de Tomate. Poissons farci avec asperges. Langues de boeuf grille´ avec sauce d’olives. Jambon avec choufleurs aux haricots. Poules avec champignons.
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Medical Conference Dinner ` la mayonaise. Homard a Perdrix neige. Poulets avec salades aux cornichons. Dessert. Champagne. Glace´ Gateaux Sherry Fruits
The menu was indeed elaborate enough to be entirely appropriate for a group of late-nineteenth century medical gentlemen at an international conference. It is a little unusual for the time that the menu items did not have classic names, but are mini-descriptions of the dishes. One slight puzzle is the ‘‘snow partridge’’ on this menu. The snow partridge (Lerwa lerwa) is a native of the Himalayas, not the Arctic Circle. It may be that the birds for the dish were imported, or it may be that it was a more local species with the same common name. The true snow partridge feeds on moss and the shoots of mountain plants. It is said to be fat, tender, and tasting similar to grouse or ptarmigan. Recipes ~~~ There are an almost infinite number of interpretations of tomato soup, from the very simple to the very complex. This version is somewhere between the extremes and would be suitable for any dinner, casual or formal. Tomato Soup 2 quarts soup stock. 1 cupful stewed tomatoes. 1 small cupful of minced vegetables. 6 cloves. 1 tablespoon minced parsley. Salt and pepper to taste. Little flour for thickening. Tomatoes stewed down after seasoning with salt, pepper and butter are a different article from the freshly prepared and impart a new richness to soup. The soup stock may be the liquor in which a piece of beef or mutton is boiled for dinner, with the addition of other raw scraps and pieces, such as the bones and gristly ends of a beefsteak. An hour before dinner time take out the meat, strain the stock through a fine strainer and into the soup pot. Cut piece of carrot, turnip and onion into small dice and throw in and let cook till done and add the cloves and cup of tomatoes, pepper and salt, thickening and the parsley at last. It is generally considered a reproach to say the soup is thin. A proper inulium should be observed. A spoonful of flour gives the smoothness and substance required without destroying the clearness of the soup. Jessup Whitehead, Cooking for Profit (Chicago, 1882).
August 31
Second Cabin Tea
Olive Sauce Make a good brown sauce, mix it with stoned or turned French olives, season to taste and flavor with a little lemon juice. Serve hot. Charles Herman Senn, The Book of Sauces (1914).
A brown sauce is a basic sauce made with meat stock and thickened with a brown roux. Sauce Espagnole (see January 19) is a very elegant version. Lobster Mayonnaise: see March 31.
August 31 Second Cabin Tea aboard RMS Saxonia, 1910 The maiden voyage of the Cunard Line’s RMS Saxonia was in May 1900. Apart from a wartime stint as a prisoner-of-war ship, she spent most of her working lifetime traveling the transatlantic route between Liverpool in England and Boston. She was fitted out to carry almost 2,000 passengers—the vast majority of them emmigrants who traveled in third (‘‘steerage’’) class. As soon as the steerage passengers disembarked in their new land, the sparse furnishings ‘‘between the decks’’ were removed and the space filled with cargo for the return voyage to England. The Saxonia left Boston on August 30, 1910, for England. The next afternoon, second-class passengers enjoyed their first ‘‘tea’’ at sea.
Grilled Hake Steaks Grilled Beefsteak Broiled Kidneys & Bacon Poached Eggs on Toast Mashed Potatoes Cold: Roast Beef Brawn Salad Mixed Pickles Compote Apricots & Rice Rock Cakes Marmalade Preserves Tea Coffee
There is a great deal of misunderstanding about ‘‘tea.’’ Cafe´s and tea shops often advertise ‘‘High Tea,’’ at which they serve little sandwiches and cakes, or ‘‘scones’’ (‘‘biscuits’’ in America) with jam and cream, and tea in fine china cups. This is not ‘‘high’’ tea, historically speaking. In the nineteenth century, high tea was a substantial meal taken in the early evening, by the lower classes, and it was served from the normal (i.e. ‘‘high’’) dining table. It was sometimes called ‘‘Meat Tea.’’ Low tea was definitely high class. It was a mid-afternoon snack rather than a meal, and was intended to sustain and amuse the leisured class until their late and formal dinner—and of course it was served from the sort of low table that is now called a coffee table.
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Second Cabin Tea ‘‘High Tea’’
A well-understood ‘‘high tea’’ should have cold roast beef at the top of the table, a cold Yorkshire pie at the bottom, a mighty ham in the middle. The side dishes will comprise soused mackerel, pickled salmon (in due season), sausages and potatoes, etc., etc. Rivers of tea, coffee, and ale, with dry and buttered toast, sally-lunns, scones, muffins, and crumpets, jams and marmalade.
The Daily Telegraph, May 9, 1893. ‘‘High teas’’ as a substitute for late dinners are not now so frequent as they used to be, but so long as our young people care to play tennis all evening in summer, they cannot quite go out of fashion. . . . In summer, cold fish and meats, mayonnaises, salads, fresh fruits, cream &c., are generally the rule; and in winter, besides such cold dishes as game pie, joints, and sweets, such things as rissoles, salmis and cutlets are given.
Beeton’s Household Manual (1861).
Recipes ~~~ Rock Cakes Whisk three whole eggs till light. Mix with them half a pound of powdered sugar, a quarter of a pound of flour, and a table-spoonful of currants. Beat all thoroughly together, drop the dough in lumps upon a buttered tin, and with a fork make them look as rough as possible. Bake the cakes in a moderate oven, and when they are done enough store them in a tin canister till wanted for use.
Kidneys and Bacon Trim away the fat from the desired number of kidneys, skin, and cut each into slices crosswise. Mix on a plate a table-spoonful of flour, a salt-spoonful of salt, and half a salt-spoonful of pepper. Dip each slice into the mixture. Melt a little bacon fat or butter in the frying pan, then put the required number of rashers of bacon, cut thinly, and fry very gently over a slow fire, turning them repeatedly. When sufficiently cooked, put them on the dish on which they are to be served, and fry the slices of kidney in the same fat. Turn them every minute, and in about five minutes they will be done enough, and may be put on the dish with the bacon. Pour off the superabundant fat; sprinkle a tea-spoonful of flour into the remainder, and mix it thoroughly; add gradually as much water as will make a somewhat thick sauce. Stir it over the fire till it boils, add a teaspoonful of mushroom ketchup, and strain over the kidneys. Cassell’s New Dictionary of Cookery (1910).
Brawn: see April 28. Poached Eggs: see June 20.
September September 1 ‘‘First State’’ Banquet Beijing Hotel, Beijing, China, 1999 In 1949, to commemorate the founding of the People’s Republic of China, a great banquet was held at the Beijing Hotel. The hotel was designed for Western visitors and normally served only Western food, but for such an important national occasion Premier Zhou Enlai (1898–1976) insisted that the menu would be entirely Chinese. Nine famous chefs collaborated to chose the dishes that would best showcase Chinese cuisine. The food was chosen from the Huai Yang tradition of cooking. As the name suggests, this style of food comes from the region around the lower reaches of the Huai and Yantze rivers and features exquisite food carving. Fifty years (less one month) later, on September 1, 1999, the hotel celebrated the anniversary of the ‘‘new’’ China by recreating the banquet for the enjoyment of ordinary citizens who could afford the 600 yuan price. The chef was the last apprentice of Zhang Fuzhi who had been responsible for the banquet in 1949.
COLD DISHES: Spicy Duck Spicy Chicken Mushroom with Salt and Sesame Oil Winter Bamboo Shoot with Shrimp’s Roe Cucumber with Salt and Sesame Oil Spicy Fish Pork Jelly in Zhenjiang Style HOT DISHES: Stewed Shark’s Fin with Chicken Sauce in Jar Stewed Mixed Seafood in Chicken Sauce Sauted Prawn with Red Sauce Steamed Chicken with Mushroom Sauted Vegetable and Mushroom Braised Carp in Brown Sauce Consomme of Swallow’s Nest
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September 2
Dinner aboard the First ‘‘Hebrew’’ Ship PASTRY: Steamed Dumpling Stuffed with Meat and Vegetable Deep-fried Spring Rolls Steamed Dumpling Stuffed with Mashed Red Bean Steamed Chinese Bread DESSERT: Mashed Walnut Chinese Date in Sweet Syrup
These dishes are familiar in one form or another to most Westerners who frequent Chinese restaurants—although their interpretation at this dinner was no doubt at an extraordinarily elegant level. The Chinese date is not related to the date from the date palm. It is also called the ‘‘jujube,’’ and comes from a tree (Ziziphus zizyphus) that is native to a wide area of North Africa, Northern India, and South and Central China. The berry-like fruit has a mucilagious texture which was thought to be soothing to inflamed throats and digestions, and it has a long history of medicinal use in both the East and the West. It is not eaten raw but is dried or—as in this menu, preserved in syrup like any other fruit. Recipes ~~~ Steamed Chinese Bread Method of Making Bread in China. The Chinese method of making their bread is very curious—they neither make use of yeast or bake it in an oven. The shape and size of the loaves are not unlike the small bread made in this country. They are composed of nothing more than flour and water, and ranged on bars, which are laid across an iron hollow pan containing a certain quantity of water, which is then placed on an earthen stove. When the water boils, the vessel or pan is covered over with something like a shallow tub, and the steam of the water, for a few minutes, is all the baking, if it may be so called, which the bread receives. We understand, however, that it is by no means unpalatable;—in this state the Chinese consider it most nutritious. The Monthly Visitor and New Family Magazine (London, 1801).
Birds’ Nest Soup and Shark’s Fin: see March 8. September 2 Dinner aboard the First ‘‘Hebrew’’ Ship TSS Kedmah, 1947 Even before the modern state of Israel was proclaimed on May 14, 1948, postWorld War II immigration, both legal and illegal, was well underway on a
September 2
Dinner aboard the First ‘‘Hebrew’’ Ship
scale much greater than anticipated. The Zim Israel Navigation Company was incorporated in 1945 to find ships to carry these immigrants—not an easy task with so few vessels available after the war. The company’s first purchase was the MV Kedah in 1947, which they refitted and renamed Kedmah (Hebrew for ‘‘eastward’’). The first voyage of this ‘‘first Hebrew ship’’ ended with its arrival Tel Aviv on July 28, 1947. From then on the Kedmah regularly traveled the Marseilles-Haifa route, carrying many thousands of refugees and immigrants, many of them Holocaust survivors. On November 29, 1947, the United Nations General Assembly passed the Partition Plan that would divide Palestine into Jewish and Arab states. A few months before this, on September 2, the Kedmah’s passengers sat down to the following dinner.
Potage Windsor *** Saucissons grilles Puree de Pois-verts *** Saute de volaille Hongroise Maccaroni Haricots *** Triffle *** Cafe´ *
According to Jewish dietary laws (see July 11), dairy products cannot be used or served at meals containing meat. There are no fish choices at all on this menu, and the only possible vegetarian option is the macaroni, or the pea soup (providing it was made with vegetable stock). This was unequivocally a meat meal. This leaves the ‘‘trifle’’ problematic. Trifle generally contains cream or custard or both (see November 18), and clearly it could not be eaten at this dinner by observant Jews. Today a version could be made with soy milk and various artificial cream substitutes, but these were not common at the time. Jewish cookbooks offer alternatives for butter in cakes (margarine, chicken fat, ground almonds), so that these can be eaten at meat meals, but non-dairy trifle recipes seem to be absent. It is possible that it was provided for the non-Jews aboard, or for those who chose the macaroni (assuming it was a ‘‘vegetarian’’ recipe), or that the shipboard chefs had in fact managed a kosher variation.
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Cardinal’s ‘‘Fast’’
Recipes ~~~ Savory Macaroni After baking some flour to a pale fawn color pass it through a sieve or strainer to remove its gritty particles. Break half a pound of macaroni into short pieces, boil them in salted water until fairly tender, then drain. In a little butter in a saucepan brown a level tablespoon of very finely chopped onion, then add three or four sliced tomatoes, a half teaspoon of powdered mixed herbs, a little nutmeg, salt and pepper. When the tomatoes are reduced to a pulp add one pint of milk and allow it to come to the boiling point before mixing with it two tablespoons of the browned flour moistened with water. Stir and boil till smooth, press the whole through a strainer and return to the saucepan. When boiling, add the macaroni and a few minutes later stir in two tablespoons of grated or finely chopped cheese. It may be served at once, but is vastly improved by keeping the pan for half an hour by the side of the fire in an outer vessel of water. Or the macaroni may be turned into a casserole and finished off in the oven. For a meat meal the onions may be browned in sweet drippings or olive oil and soup stock substituted for the milk. Florence Kreisler Greenbaum, The International Jewish Cook Book: 1600 Recipes According to the Jewish Dietary Laws with the Rules for Kashering (New York, 1919).
Windsor Soup: see April 9. Triffle (trifle): see February 7.
September 3 Cardinal’s ‘‘Fast’’ Dundalk, Ireland, 1858 His Eminence Cardinal Wiseman (1802–1865), the archbishop of Westminster, visited Ireland in 1858 as the representative of the newly reestablished Catholic hierarchy in England. The ‘‘regal state’’ in which he was received did not escape the notice of the English. No opportunity was missed on either side during the visit to reinforce the old political and religious enmity between the two countries. The English press drew some inferences from the bill of fare served to the Cardinal at the banquet given to him in Dundalk. POTAGES. L’huitres. Meagre. POISSONS. `l’admiral, Saumon au naturel, Saumon en matelote marinie`re, Saumon a ` la cre`me (gratine), Saumon a ` l’ecillie`re, Saumon en matelote Saxone, Saumon a ` l’Italienne, Sole fried, Sole a ` la Colbert, Filets de Soles a ` la Sole au gratin, Sole a
September 3
Cardinal’s ‘‘Fast’’
` la Hollandaise, Filets de Soles aux Huitres, Maitre d’Hotel, Filets de Sole a ` la Maitre d’Hotel, Fillets of Whiting fried, Whiting au gratin, Whiting broiled a ` la Maitre d’Hotel, Dublin Bay Haddock baked, Haddock a ` Dublin Bay Haddock a ` la St. Paul, Coˆtelettes de Homard, la Maitre d’Hotel, Fillets of Haddock a Croustade de Huitres, Huitres au gratin. HORS-D’ŒUVRES. Petits vol-au-vents aux huitres, Petits vol-au-vents aux homards, Rissoles de homard. SECOND SERVICE. ` la Vanille, Homard, dressed, Huitres au gratin, Salade de Homard, Creˆme a ` la Parisienne, Jambon Charlottes Russe, Gateaux de Millefeuilles, Nougat a Surprise, Tartelletes aux Framboises, Tartelettes de Pommes, Pouding Chaud, ˆtisseries, Pouding Glace´, Fruit, Gateaux, Biscuits &c. Pa
The Times newspaper reporter noted that the meal took place on a Friday when it was the Cardinal’s duty ‘‘to appear unto men to fast,’’ and that ‘‘the fast, the folk, and the fastee are all worthy of special mention.’’ He followed his description of the meal with the wry comment that it was ‘‘a severely mortifying fast which must surely have tried his Reverence’s stomach. If this be a Cardinal’s fast, pray, Sir, tell us what must be a Cardinal’s feast.’’ An immediate response to the article appeared a few days later in a letter from the slightly indignant member for the borough of Dundalk, who pointed out that ‘‘The day on which the dinner was given was not a fast day, but a day of abstinence from flesh meat.’’ The good member missed the point: this was not a discussion about the rationale behind the Church’s rules on fish and flesh days (see February 23) but was an opportunity to express an antiCatholic sentiment by implying clerical gluttony. The dining events of this visit had already caused controversy and accentuated the political and religious divide. A great banquet at Ballinasloe a few days previously had been boycotted by a number of civic leaders and prominent social figures when it was discovered that the representatives of the Church of Rome intended to omit the traditional toast to the health of the Queen of England. At the Dundalk event ‘‘the Queen’s health was given, but in a manner more offensive than its omission. It was given after that of the Pope, thus plainly acknowledging the allegiance to the Pontiff as being paramount to that due to her Majesty’’ (Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, December 11, 1858). The political agenda aside, this menu is a fine litany of the classic ways of serving fish. Fish are usually fried or boiled—it is the garnishing and a sauces that define the dishes. The sole is served with the traditional sauce Colbert, and several of the dishes are served with the classic maitre d’hotel butter. The only oddity is the jambon (ham) surprise, but given its position towards the end of the meal it was most likely a cake decorated to look like a ham— a favorite type of Victorian dinner spectacle.
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Cardinal’s ‘‘Fast’’
Recipes ~~~ French chef Alexis Soyer in his famous book, The Gastronomic Regenerator (1847), wrote of the Dublin Bay Haddock: ‘‘This fish used to be very difficult to procure fresh in London, but the rapidity of steam conveyance by sea and land, brings it almost alive into the London markets. I must highly recommend this both for its firmness and its lightness.’’
` la Maıˆtre d’ Ho Haddock a ˆ tel Cut the fish open at the back on each side of the bone, season it with pepper and salt, dip it in flour, and lay it on a gridiron over a moderate fire, turning it very carefully; it will take about twenty minutes to cook, dress it on a dish without a napkin; then have ready a quarter of a pound of maitre d’hotel butter, put half of it in the back of the fish, and put the fish in the oven, put the remainder of the butter in the stewpan with six tablespoonfuls of rather thin melted butter; when quite hot pour it round the fish and serve.
Maıˆtre d’ Ho ˆ tel Butter Put a quarter of a pound of fresh butter upon a plate, with two good tablespoonfuls of chopped parsley, the juice of two lemons, half a teaspoonful of salt, and half that quantity of white pepper; mix all well together, and put in a cool place till required.
Cake in Imitation of a Ham Put the yolks of fourteen eggs in a basin with 1 lb. of caster sugar, 1/2 saltspoonful of salt, and a few drops of essence of vanilla; beat them well until smooth and creamy. Whip the whites of the fourteen eggs to a firm froth, mix them gradually and lightly in with the batter, and sift in gradually 4 1/2 oz of cornflour and the same quantity of wheaten-flour. Procure a large and deep oval-shaped paper case, pour the batter into it, and bake. When cooked, take the Cake out of the oven, turn it out of the case, and leave till cold. Hollow out the under part of the Cake, and trim it all round with a sharp knife to the size and shape of a dressed ham. Coat the whole of the upper surface with dissolved apricot jam; coat also the part where the rind is generally left on the knuckle with some transparent chocolate icing, then place it where it may dry without being disturbed. Prepare some cream ice and flavour it with vanilla, then fill the interior of the ham with it. Ornament the ham with a design, piped on in royal icing; stick a fancy silver skewer in the knuckle end of the ham, and fix a paper ruffle round it. Put a lace-edged dish-paper on a dish, place the ham on it, and garnish ˆ tons of red and yellow jelly. It is then ready for serving. with crou Theodore Garrett, Encyclopaedia of Practical Cookery (London, 1896).
September 4
Dinner for the Governor-General
Charlotte Russe: see September 4. Hollandaise Sauce: see April 16. Sole Colbert: see April 17. Vol-au-Vents: see September 17.
September 4 Dinner for the Governor-General The Arlington, Cobourg, Ontario, Canada, 1874 The Irish peer, Frederick Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood, the Earl of Dufferin (1826–1902), was appointed as governor of the Dominion of Canada in 1872. He took to his role with enthusiasm and made a point of traveling to every province and meeting and speaking (in French and English) with Her Majesty’s Canadian subjects with the aim of confirming the Imperial ties with Britain. In 1874 it was the turn of Ontario to host the Dufferins. In Cobourg on September 4, they were taken by a special train to Rice Lake (so called because of the abundance of wild rice), where they visited the iron mines. A fine champagne lunch was served aboard the train, and in the tradition of intensive diplomatic tours, there was a full-scale formal dinner back in Cobourg that same evening. MENU Oysters on Shell. SOUP. Bisque a la Provencale. Printoniere. FISH. Saguenay Salmon a la Normande. Fillet of Trout a l’Anglaise. RELEVES. Oyster Pates. Vol au Vent a l’Imperiale. Pain a la Joinville. ENTREES. Supreme de Volaille. Lamb Cutlets a la Jardiniere. ROAST. Fillet of Beef. Turkey. Lamb. GAME. Partridge. Canard aux Olives. Snipe au petit Pois. Teal Duck. COLD DISHES. Galantine au Gelees. VEGETABLES. Potatoes. Corn. Tomatoes.
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Dinner for the Governor-General PASTRY. Plum Pudding a l’Anglaise. Peach Pies. Apple Pies. Blanc Mange. Monte aux Peche. Gelee au Madeira. Gelee au Champagne. Charlotte Russe. Queen’s Cake. Kisses. Ladies’ Fingers ICES. Vanilla Ice Cream. Lemon Ice. DESSERT. Grapes. Peaches. Apples. Melons. Pears. Figs. WINES. Sherry. Hock. Champagne. Claret. LIQUEURS.
For the organizers of the dinner, it was no easy goal to impress the Dufferins, who were extravagant entertainers themselves. The plans must have been impressive, however, as Lady Hariot Dufferin (1843–1936), who was pregnant with her seventh child (born in February 1875) and too tired to attend the dinner after the exhausting day, was intrigued enough to want a sneak preview of the dining room. The dinner table was shaped like the deck of a yacht, and there was a nautical theme to the rest of the decorations in honor of the Earl’s famous voyage in the North Atlantic to Iceland and Norway in 1856. The pie`ce de resistance on the table, although not listed on the silk menu, was a magnificent cake representing his yacht Foam. Recipes ~~~ Queen Cake Mix 1 pound of dried flour, the same of sifted sugar and of washed currants. Wash 1 lb of butter in rose-water, beat it well, then mix with it 8 eggs, yolks and whites beaten separately, and put in the dry ingredients by degrees. Beat the whole an hour, butter little tins, tea-cups, or saucers, filling them only half full. Sift a little fine sugar over just as you put them into the oven. The Dominion Cookbook (Toronto, 1868).
Charlotte Russe 1/2 lb. ratafia biscuits, 1/2 pint cream, 1 oz. sugar, 1 tablespoon sherry, 1 tablespoon raspberry jam, 1/2 oz. gelatine, 1 teaspoon vanilla.
September 5
Ambigu for King James II
Rub the jam through a sieve, dip the ratafias first into it, then into the sherry, and with them line the side of a plain Charlotte mould, the first row should be put in quite dry. Whip the cream to a stiff froth, add to it the sugar, vanilla, and melted gelatine. Fill the mould, when set, turn out and garnish the top with whipped cream. Maud C. Cooke, Cookery (London, Ontario, 1896).
Soup Printoniere (Printanier): see February 28. Vol-au-vents: see September 17. Plum Pudding: see June 28. Blanc Mange: see January 7. Ladies fingers: see March 12.
September 5 Ambigu for King James II Bodley Library, Oxford University, Oxford, England, 1687 When King James II (1633–1701) visited Oxford for several days in 1687 a large number of sufferers of the disease known as scrofula (a tuberculous condition of the lymph glands in the neck) had a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The disease was also called ‘‘The King’s Evil,’’ and it was believed for centuries that it could be cured by the royal touch. On the morning of September 5, 1687, King James spent the hour or so after 8 A.M. at the Cathedral ‘‘touching for the evil,’’ after which he was escorted to the Bodley Library, where some refreshment in the form of a breakfast ‘‘ambigu’’ was arranged. An Account of the Dishes wherewith the K. was Treated at the Publick Library Dry Sweetmeats and Fruits 20 large Dishes piled high, like so many Ricks of Hay. Wet Sweetmeats 24 little flat Plates, like Trencher-plates, not piled; place among the greater dishes scatteringly in vacant Places to fill up the Vacances. 28 large Dishes of cold Fish and cold Flesh, as Westphalia Hams &c. Some whole, others cut into Slices and piled pretty high. 3 hot Dishes, viz. Shoulder of Mutton, Pheasant, Partridge and Quails; of these the K. did not eat, not medling with any Thing else, except only that he took one little piece of dry sweet Meat. 36 plates of Sallating piled high and copped with Oranges, Lemmons, Olives, Samphire, &c. Dems, Plums, &c.
The contemporary university historian who recorded the feast noted that the King ate very little, but in spite of the profusion of food ‘‘none did eat but he, for he spake to Nobody to eat.’’ The strict protocol of the time prevented anyone else from eating until the royal personage indicated permission. It does not seem that this was arrogance on the King’s part, as it was said that ‘‘he showed himself extremely courteous and affable to all.’’
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Ambigu for King James II
Perhaps he was distracted by his scholarly conversation with the Library Keeper, Mr. Hyde. The strict adherence to good manners disappeared in an instant when, after about three-quarters of an hour at the table, the King rose to leave. As he did so ‘‘the Courtiers fell to scramble after what was remaining, flung the wet sweet Meats on the Ladies Linnen and Petticoats and stain’d them.’’ This sort of disorderly fight over royal leftovers was not unknown, and the King’s passage being blocked by the greedy scholars and people, he stood by to watch for a few moments. An ambigu was a single course meal of ‘‘flesh and fruit together,’’ served when a full-scale dinner was not required. It commonly featured plenty of ‘‘banquetting stuffe’’—which clearly appeared to be a major attraction for the scholarly rabble on this day. The word banquet at this time had two meanings. It meant, as it does now, a feast. It also referred to the final sweet course of such a feast, often taken in a separate room, or even a garden ‘‘banqueting house,’’ and which developed into the course now called ‘‘dessert.’’ ‘‘Banquetting stuffe’’ included sweetmeats, gingerbread, marzipan, jellies, comfits (sugared seeds and spices), ‘‘marmalade’’ (more like thick fruit paste, made from all sorts of fruit) small biscuits and wafers, and dried and fresh fruit. Sweetmeats, as in this menu, could be ‘‘wet’’ (in a sugar syrup) or ‘‘dry’’ (similar to crystallized or glace´ fruit). Scramble for Victuals at an Installation of the Knights of the Garter Windsor Castle, July 25, 1771 Two thousand beds were made in the Castle at Windsor, and two thousand tables were spread on Thursday. There were seventeen kitchens, and fifty cooks in each kitchen, beside other attendants. After dinner on Thursday, at Windsor, the new regulation of the Lord Steward took place about the scramble; as it was thought a better plan of economy to carry the victuals to the mob, than to let the mob come to the victuals. Accordingly the windows of the Castle were thrown open, and the provision tossed out to the gaping crowd below. A cloud of hams, chickens, pasties, haunches, and delicacies of every kind, with knives, forks, plates, tablecloths, and napkins, their companies, darkened the air. This was succeeded by showers of liquor; some conveyed in bottles, properly corked, but the greater part in rain. The scramble was more diverting than any other part of the preceding farce. You would see one stooping to a fowl and a great ham falling plump upon his back; another, having a fork stuck in his shoulder, and looking up to secure himself from more of the arrows thus flying by day, received a creamed apple-pye full in his face. A beef-eater having lost his cap in the scuffle had his loss repaired by a pasty falling inverted upon his head. A bargeman who had just secured a noble haunch of venison, was retiring as fast as he could with his booty, and ran with it full against the back of Lord—and made an impression on it so like a gridiron, that all the mob, after they ceased their laughter, cried out, smoak the Merry Andrew. From the diary of an unknown Londoner, quoted by Stephen Collet in Relics of Literature (1823).
September 6
Dinner with the Moors
Recipes ~~~ There were examples of both ‘‘wet’’ and ‘‘dry’’ sweetmeats at this meal, and they would have been made from a wide variety of fruits. Cherries were an expensive delicacy and so would have been desirable at a royal meal, and ginger in both wet and dry forms was a favorite way to end a dinner for many centuries. The following examples of a wet sweetmeat (cherries) and a dry (ginger) are taken from The Accomplished Ladies Rich Closet of Rarities by John Shirley (London, 1691). To Preserve Black Cherries Pluck off the stalks of about a pound, and boil them in Sugar and fair Water, till they become a pulp, then put in your other Cherries, with stalks, remembering to put half a pound of Sugar to every pound of Cherries; when finding the Sugar to be boiled up to that thickness that it will rope, take them off and set them by, using them as you see convenient. [Note: ‘‘The thickness that it will rope’’ describes the appearance and behavior of the sugar syrup when it is ready. Today we would use a sugar thermometer.]
To Candy Ginger Take the fairest pieces, pare off the rind, and lay them in water twenty-four hours; and having boiled double-refined Sugar to the height of Sugar again; and when it begins to be cold, put in your Ginger and stir till it is hard to the Pain; when taking it out piece by piece, lay it by the fire, and afterward put it into a warm Pot, and tye it up close, and the Candy will be firm.
September 6 Dinner with the Moors Morocco, 1663 Lancelot Addison (1632–1703) was a chaplain in the British garrison at Tangier for seven years. Tangier (‘‘the eye of Africa’’) was part of the dowry of the Portuguese Infanta, Catherine of Braganza (1638–1705), when she married King Charles II of England (1630–1685) in 1662. The British took control of Tangier in January 1662, on the basis of the marriage treaty, before the actual ceremony took place. They held it until 1684, intending to use it as a base for the colonization of Africa. The arrangement was not popular with the local population. Addison later wrote about his experiences on the Barbary Coast in An Account of West Barbary (1671). In a chapter entitled The Moresco Entertainment. Fashion of Travelling, Hospitals, Diet, Reverence to Corn, Forbidden Meats, he described a dinner he had with some ‘‘Moors’’ that he thought was representative of the local hospitality.
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Dinner with the Moors
IN the year of Salvation, 1663, September the sixth, at the going down of the `, at the utmost bounds of a mountain sun, we came to an alde´a, called Angera of that name, where we repaired to the house of Cidi Cassian Shat, whom we found sitting at his door, environed with about twenty aged Moors of the neigh´ ra, or letters of safe bourhood. Alighting from our horses, we delivered our segu conduct, to the old man, who, when he had perused, returned them with a grave nod, the testimony of his approbation, and the signal of our welcome. This done, we were called to a little upper room, which we could not enter till we had put off our shoes at the threshold, not for religion, but cleanliness, and not to prevent our unhallowing of the floor, but defiling the carpets wherewith it was curiously spread. At the upper end of the room was laid a velvet cushion, as large as those we use in our pulpits, and it denoted the most honourable part of the room. After we had reposed about an hour, there was brought in a little oval table, about twenty inches high, which was covered with a long piece of narrow linen; and this served for diaper. For the Moors, by their law, are forbidden such superfluous utensils as napkins, knives, spoons, &c.; their religion, laying down this general maxim, That mere necessaries are to be provided for: which caused a precise Moor to refuse to drink out of my dish, when he could sup water enough out of the hollow of his hand. But this straitness has of late years begun to be enlarged, and the prohibition is interpreted to reach no farther than their churchmen, and chief ministers of juftice; so that those who are able to provide handsome furniture for their tables, have a dispensation which they seem not prone to make use of, if the humour of the rest may be divined by that of this grandee; at whose house the table was adorned as before, and for supper there was placed upon it an earthen pot full of mutton, beef, cabbage, raisins, potatoes, berenge´nas [eggplants], &c. all boiled together, and extremely hot with dimicuto and garlic, which is their immutable sauce. This hodge-podge was in imitation of the Spanish olla podrida, excepting that it wanted bacon, an ingredient so indispensable to the Spanish olla, that there can be none without it, which occasioned this proverb, No sermon without St. Austin, nor olla without bacon: Ny sermo`n sin Agostino, ny olla sin locino. But to proceed in our bill of fare: our next course was a single pullet cloven down the belly, with the four quarters spread out at large, by a way of cookery peculiar to the Moors. And these two dishes, with store of good bread, made up the feast. Our drink was strong wine newly brought from the press, which stood by us in a great stone jar, with a sort of wooden ladle in it, out of which we drank. Our posture was laying round about the table, according to the custom of the country. Our company was the second son of this family, a debonair Gentile person.
Recipes ~~~ An Olio, or Olla Podrida is, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, ‘‘a dish of Spanish and Portuguese origin, composed of pieces of meat and fowl, bacon, pumpkins, cabbage, turnips, and other ingredients stewed or boiled together and highly spiced.’’ The name comes from the cooking pot, and it was essentially a local version of the one-pot dinner found in one form or another in every culture (see Pot au Feu, April 7). The ingredients are as varied as circumstances allow, and there was sometimes a prodigious number, as
September 7
Dinner for the Congress of Orientalists
this English interpretation from Robert May’s Accomplish’t Cook, published in 1660, shows. To Make an Olio Podrida Take a Pipkin or Pot of some three Gallons, fill it with fair water, and set it over a Fire of Charcoals, and put in first your hardest meats, a rump of Beef, Bolonia sausages, Neats Tongues two dry, and two green, boiled and larded, about two hours after the pot is boil’d and scummed: but put in more presently after your Beef is scum’d, Mutton, Venison, Pork, Bacon, all the aforesaid in Gubbins, as big as a Ducks Egg, in equal pieces; put in also Carrots, Turnips, Onions, Cabbidge, in good big pieces, as big as your meat, a faggot of sweet herbs, well bound up, and some whole Spinage, Sorrel, Burrage, Endive, Marigolds, and other good Pot-Herbs a little chopped; and sometimes French Barley, or Lupins green or dry. Then a little before you dish out your Olio; put to your pot, Cloves, Mace, Saffron, &c. Then next have divers Fowls; as first. A Goose, or Turkey, two Capons, two Ducks, two Pheasants, two Widgeons, four Partridges, four stock Doves, four Teals, eight Snites, twenty four Quails, forty eight Larks. Boil these foresaid Fowls in water and salt in a pan, pipkin, or pot, &c. Then have Bread, Marrow, Bottoms of Artichocks, Yolks of hard Eggs, Large Mace, Chesnuts boil’d and blancht, two Colliflowers, Saffron. And stew these in a pipkin together, being ready clenged with some good sweet butter, a little white wine and strong broth. Some other times for variety you may use Beets, Potato’s, Skirrets, Pistaches, PineApple seed, or Almonds, Poungarnet, and Lemons. Now to dish your Olio, dish first your Beef, Veal or Pork; then your Venison, and Mutton, Tongues, Sausage, and Roots over all. Then next your largest Fowl, Land-Fowl, or Sea-Fowl, as first, a Goose, or Turkey, two Capons, two Pheasants, four Ducks, four Widgeons, four StockDoves, four Partridges, eight Teals, twelve Snites, twenty four Quailes, forty eight Larks, &c. Then broth it, and put on your pipkin of Colliflowers Artichocks, Chesnuts, some sweet-breads fried, Yolks of hard Eggs, then Marrow boil’d in strong broth or water, large Mace, Saffron, Pistaches, and all the aforesaid things being finely stewed up, and some red Beets over all, slic’t Lemons, and Lemon peels whole, and run it over with beaten butter. Robert May, The Accomplisht Cook (1660).
September 7 Dinner for the Congress of Orientalists Stockholm, Sweden, 1889 At the dinner at the eighth International Congress of Orientalists the menu was a magnificent testament to the skills of the ‘‘terribly learned’’ men present, rather than of the cooks, as is usually the case. It was in the form
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of a small octavo-sized booklet with twenty-eight pages. Each page had a different illuminated border and described a menu item in one of the ‘‘primitive and recondite languages’’ understood by the attendees. The mini-essays were in the appropriate script—cuneiform, hieroglyphs etc—and each was signed by the expert who had made the contribution. POTAGE SUEDOISE. Arabe vulgaire d’Egypte (Carlo Landberg) Chinese (Gustave Schlegel) RISSOLES A LA RUSSE. Ge’z (A. Dilman) ´ RATRICE. SALMON A L’IMPE Sanskrit (F. Max Miller) FILET DE BOEUF A LA PARISIENNE. Malaisch ˆ ME DE VOLAILLE A LA PERIGORD. CHAUD-FROID DE SUPRE Syrisch (Th. Noldeke) ´ LINOTTES A L’ORIENTALE. TIMBALE DE GE Hebraisch (E. Kautzsch) ´ DE FOIE GRAS. PATE Mandschu (Georg von der Gabelentz) JEUNE COQ. Javanais (A.C.Vreede) SALADE. Akkadian (A. H. Sayce) ´ DOUINE. AGNEAU AU RIZ A LA BE Langue Ottoman (Ahmed Midhat Bev) ARTICHAUTS AU BEURRE. Copte (E. Ame´lineau) ˆ TEAU A LA VICTORIA. GA Hie´roglyphique (J. Lieblein) GLACE. Himyarish (D. H. Mu ¨ ller) FROMAGES ASSORTIS. ˆri (H. Almkvist) Bicha DESSERT INTERNATIONAL. Classische Japanish (Dr. Isuboi) FRUITS DIVERS Djagtaı¨ (A. Vambe´ry)
September 7
Dinner for the Congress of Orientalists
CHAMPAGNE. Arab classique (De Goetje) VIN DE BORDEAUX. Langue de Babel (Paul Haupt)
Recipes ~~~ ‘‘Swedish Soup’’ typically is either a fish soup containing dried pears, plums etc., or it is a thickened fruit soup, which may be served cold. The English and American interpretations can vary widely and include cold soups made with tapioca and flavored with cinnamon, to hot pea soup, to meat and vegetable soup. Swedish Soup Cut up two quarts of apples and boil with two quarts of water until tender. Strain and put the juice on to boil again with a bit of stick cinnamon, lemon peel, and sugar to taste. Mix one tablespoon of cornstarch with one cup of water, and pour into the apple juice while it is boiling. Put in preserved cherries, which have been steeped in sugar and water, and add the apple pulp. Serve cold as soup, and put in cubes of lemon jelly when ready to serve. Mary Johnstone Lincoln and Anna Barrows, The Home Science Cook Book (1902).
Victoria Cake Flour, 3 lbs; butter, 2 1/2 lb.; sugar, 1 lb.; citron and lemon peel 3/4 lb.; almonds (sweet) 1/2 lb.; currants 3 1/2 lb.;
nutmeg, 1; mace, 1 blade; eggs, 12 yolks, 6 whites; yeast, 1/2 pint; cream 1 1/2 pint; orange-flower water, 1 tablespoonful.
Take three quarters of a pound of flour well-dried, two pounds and a half of fresh butter, one pound of loaf sugar pounded, three-quarters of a pound of candied citron and lemon peel cut in thin strips, half a pound of sweet almonds, blanched and sliced, three pounds and a half of currants well dried and cleaned, one nutmeg grated, a blade of mace pounded, the yolks of twelve eggs, and the whites of six, beaten separately, half a pint of fresh yeast, a pint and a half of cream, and a tablespoonful of orange-flower water; first mix the spice with the flour, melt the butter and the cream together, and when cold, add it gradually to the flour; then add the other ingredients, and beat the whole together for half an hour; line a well-buttered tin with paper, also well-buttered, pour in the cake, and bake it in a moderate oven from an hour and a half to two hours. Robert Kemp Philp, The Dictionary of Daily Wants (1861).
Chaud-froid: see July 28. Pate de Foie Gras: see May 26.
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September 8
Temperance Banquet
September 8 Temperance Banquet Metropolitan Hall, New York, 1853 The ‘‘Whole World’s Temperance Convention’’ of 1853 had a ‘‘novel appendage’’ in the form of a Temperance Banquet held on September 8 in Metropolitan Hall, New York. There were many ‘‘reform’’ movements underway in the mid-nineteenth century, and they shared many adherents. The Temperance Banquet was held under the auspices of the New York Vegetarian Society, and several leaders of the women’s rights movement were also present and vocal. Lucy Stone (1818–1893), the first woman to retain her own name after marriage, was there, as was Amelia Bloomer (1818–1894), the woman who created the outrageous but comfortable garment called ‘‘bloomers,’’ and Susan B. Anthony (1820–1906), the renowned speaker on temperance and women’s suffrage. The host for the ‘‘sumptuous banquet’’ was the newspaperman Horace Greeley (1811–1872) of the New York Tribune. BILL OF FARE. VEGETABLE SOUPS. Tomato Soup, Rice Soup. FARINACEA Graham Bread, Mixed Fruit Cakes, Fruited Bread, Apple Biscuit, Wheat Meal Cakes, Moulded Rice, Corn Blanc Mange, Moulded Farina, Moulded Wheaten Grits. VEGETABLES. Baked Sweet Potatoes, Stewed Cream Squashes. PASTRY. Mixed Fruit Pies, Pumpkin Pies. Melons, Pears,
FRUITS. Apples, Peaches, Grapes, Pineapple
RELISHES. Plum Jellies, Baked Apples COOKED FRUITS. Cocoanut Custard, Fruited Ice Cream. BEVERAGE. Pure Cold Water.
Naturally, the press had a field day. The responses to the event ran the gamut from cynicism to ridicule, with as much of the comment being directed
September 8
Temperance Banquet
to the women’s rights campaigners as to the food. The author, Alfred Bunn, of Old England and New England, in a series of views taken on the spot (1853), wrote: Now, stewed squashes, sweet potatoes, wheaten grits, baked apples, and coeoanut custards, with songs, speeches, and prayers to match, are all very well in their way; and to some people’s notions, may be said to comprise ‘‘all the delicacies of the season,’’ and then again ‘‘pure cold water’’ is at all events a wholesome beverage; but when gentlemen are charged four shillings and twopence, and ladies two shillings and a penny, to enable them to partake of this sumptuous banquet; and when it is borne in mind that Metropolitan Hall will hold three thousand people, and that it was FULL, why it is pretty clear that Miss Lucy Stone must have made a very good thing of it. By her account, women are to have equal rights, and men are to have the exclusive right of paying for them.
A writer for the Water-Cure Journal and Herald of Reforms noted that the president of the New York Vegetarian Society was Dr. Trall, ‘‘who caters for the lovers of brown bread, douche baths, and wet shees (ugh!) at the WaterCure Establishment, 15 Leight Street,’’ and that ‘‘other worthy disciples of Sylvester Graham [see February 5]’’ were also officers. The writer determined to be in attendance, in spite of the full expectation that it would be far from being a ‘‘feast of fat things.’’ He noted the welcoming feel of the Banquet Room, the ‘‘admirably arranged and beautifully ornamented tables,’’ the number of spectators in the gallery (‘‘who did not feel like risking more than the shilling charged for admission to that part of the house’’), and he included the bill of fare as a ‘‘natural curiosity.’’ The writer went on to note ‘‘the chilling announcement of ‘‘pure cold water’’ as the only beverage, which was ‘‘soon forgot amid the blaze and beauty of the women.’’ The intrepid reporter found himself seated near several Bloomers (followers of Amelia)—including Amelia herself—and was curious to experience ‘‘how soon we got used to the Bloomer costume.’’ He was so obviously distracted by the novelty of the occasion and the bloomer-clad ladies that he made no comment about the actual food. Recipes ~~~ Cocoanut Custard One cocoanut; one quart of milk; three eggs; one nutmeg; a little cinnamon; a little wine, brandy and rose water; a piece of butter size of an egg. Sweeten to taste; make like a custard; stir the cocoanut in; bake in a crust. Presbyterian Cook Book, Compiled by the Ladies of The First Presbyterian Church (Dayton, Ohio, ca. 1873).
Apple Biscuit Boil apples in water until soft, then take them out and rub through a wire sieve; flavor with a drop or two of essence or of lemon, and, if you like the taste, a drop of the oil of cloves. Add lump sugar equal in weight to the pulp, and grind it with
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September 9
Maiden Voyage Dinner
it; roll the sugared pulp into flat cakes about a quarter of an inch thick, and cut them into shapes. Finally dry them in a very slow oven, the heat not being strong enough to bake them or melt the sugar; they may be dried also by the summer’s sun. They often require to be partially dried before they can be rolled out. They may, instead of rolling, be dropped on to paper, or put in a ring of paper upon a slightly greased iron plate. Jennie June’s American Cookery Book (New York, 1870).
Baked Apples: see March 15. Graham Bread: see February 5.
September 9 Maiden Voyage Dinner aboard the RMS Lusitania, 1907 When the Lusitania was launched in June 1906 she was the largest ocean liner in the world, and one of the fastest. On her maiden voyage she left Liverpool, England, on September 7 and arrived in New York 4 days, 19 hours, and 52 minutes later—a record transatlantic crossing. She was also ‘‘more beautiful than Solomon’s palace,’’ and as luxurious as the luxury-loving Edwardians could wish. The passenger classes were strictly segregated, and second class was better than first class on other ships. Evenings aboard for first class were about conspicuous consumption. Dressing for dinner meant evening suits for men and fabulous gowns and brilliant jewels for ladies, and dinner meant many courses of elegant food. A surviving menu for the third day of the maiden voyage does not specify which class of passengers enjoyed the dinner. Hors d’oeuvres Consomme Marguerite Halibut—Sauce Cardinal
Puree Musard
Paupiettes of Whiting au Gratin
Calf’s Head—Toulouse
Noisettes of Mutton a l’Italienne
Sirloin and Ribs of Beef—Yorkshire Pudding Braised Gosling Saute of Mushrooms
Roast Capon
Baked Tomatoes
Boiled Rice
Potatoes—Boiled, Duchesse, and Mashed Baked York Ham Victoria Pudding
Compote de Pruneaux Gelee Oriental Ice-Cream Dessert Tea
Coffee
Choice Cold Meats
Marignan Chantilly
September 9
Maiden Voyage Dinner
Lusitania. Courtesy of Library of Congress.
The Lusitania’s career was glamorous but short. She was torpedoed by a German U-boat on May 7, 1915, and sank in 18 minutes, with the loss of 1,198 lives. Many of those lost were Americans, and the event certainly precipitated the United States into World War I. Circumstances surrounding her sinking are still controversial, and rumors persist that she was sunk because she was secretly carrying ammunition for the war effort, and was thus a fair target for enemy action. Recipes ~~~ Paupiettes or polpettes are sometimes called ‘‘headless birds.’’ The name derives from the Italian word polpetta, referring to a meatball, but paupiettes are usually long, thin slices of meat or fish rolled around a stuffing (farce or forcemeat) and braised. Whiting, Paupiettes of Fillet three or four full-sized whitings. Trim the fillets, season with pepper and salt, and spread upon each a little whiting forcemeat [below]. Roll them round, tie securely with twine, and wrap them in strips of oiled paper. Put them in the oven, and bake until done enough. Remove the paper, place the paupiettes upright on a dish, put upon the top of each a turned mushroom or a bunch of parsley, pour a little lobster sauce round them and serve.
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September 10
Fat Men’s Club Clambake Whiting Forcemeat
Skin and fillet two or three whitings, scrape the flesh with a spoon, and rub it through a wire sieve. To twelve ounces of the fish thus prepared put half a pound of panada and six ounces of fresh butter. Season the mixture with pepper, salt, and grated nutmeg, mix the ingredients thoroughly, and add gradually three whole eggs and the yolks of two. Poach a small quantity of the forcemeat to ascertain whether or not it is firm, yet light and delicately flavoured. If too stiff, mix a little cream with it. Keep it on ice until required.
There are many different recipes for ‘‘Victoria pudding.’’ There are moulded trifles, Christmas pudding-type puddings with fruit and spice, steamed bread puddings, and custards. Victoria Pudding Boil a little piece of stick vanilla in a pint of milk till it is pleasantly flavoured, strain it upon six ounces of finely-grated bread-crumbs, and add three tablespoonfuls of sugar, one table-spoonful of brandy, and three well-beaten eggs. Butter a mould thickly, flour it, and ornament tastefully with dried cherries, slices of preserved citron, or stoned raisins. Pour in the pudding quite cold, put a plate upon it, and steam it over boiling water. Let it stand two or three minutes, turn it upon a hot dish, and serve with Victoria sauce, or with melted red currant jelly poured round it. Cassell’s New Dictionary of Cookery (1910).
Yorkshire Pudding: see December 24. Duchesse Potatoes: see July 11. Calf’s Head: see January 30.
September 10 Fat Men’s Club Clambake Power’s Hotel, Dorlon’s Point, South Norwalk, Connecticut, 1891 The famous Fat Men’s Club started in South Norwalk in 1866. Over the next 25 years it used other venues, and inevitably it lost members—some moved away, some died, ‘‘and what was worse than either, some got thin on a foreign diet.’’ The minimum weight required for membership was 200 pounds, and the great event on the club’s calendar was its annual clambake. On September 10, 1891, 23 members of this ‘‘affable asssortement of Brobdignanggian adiposity’’ returned to the birthplace of their club for its 25th anniversary. They sat in ‘‘enormous rustic chairs’’ on the porch of Power’s Hotel, watching a huge pile of clams roasting under seaweed on the marshy land across the road. At 2:30 the feast was served in a large pavilion on the lawn. The New York Times reported that ‘‘Everything vanished as soon as it was brought, and clam and oyster and crab shells lay several inches thick on the floor.’’
September 10
Fat Men’s Club Clambake
25 bushels of hard and soft shell clams, roasted 10 bushels of oysters, roasted 100 Chickens, Lobsters, crabs, 1 barrel of Potatoes, baked, 1/2 barrel of Sweet Potatoes 500 ears of Green Corn, 1 barrel of onions, Tripe, ‘‘and the other concomitants of the long-established and highly-honoured bill of fare of the club.’’
The annual clambake was election day for the club. Judge Lockwood was reelected as president and ‘‘called attention to the increasing numbers of doctors in the society, and expressed the fear that it would be metamorphosed into a morgue or a medical society.’’ It was also the time of the annual weigh-in. Judge Lockwood was the clear winner at 332 pounds, but several of those present were in danger of losing their membership when they only managed the minimum 200 pounds. In a very supportive gesture, at the request of the members, the wife of the hotel proprietor, Mrs. Power, also stepped on the scales, coming out at a very generous 273 pounds. Recipes ~~~ Roasted Clams Roasted clams are served at Clam Bakes. Clams are washed in sea-water, placed on stones which have been previously heated by burning wood on them, ashes removed, and stones sprinkled with thin layer of seaweed. Clams are piled on stones, covered with seaweed, and a piece of canvas thrown over them to retain the steam. Fannie Merritt Farmer, The Boston Cooking-School Cookbook (Boston, 1896).
Roasted Oysters on Toast Eighteen large oysters, or thirty small ones, one teaspoonful of flour, one tablespoonful of butter, salt, pepper, three slices of toast. Have the toast buttered and on a hot dish. Put the butter in a small sauce-pan, and when hot, add the dry flour. Stir until smooth, but not brown; then add the cream, and let it boil up once. Put the oysters (in their own liquor) into a hot oven, for three minutes; then add them to the cream. Season, and pour over the toast. Garnish the dish with thin slices of lemon, and serve very hot. It is nice for lunch or tea. Maria Parloa, Miss Parloa’s New Cookbook (New York, ca. 1880).
Tripe: see May 6.
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September 11
Day’s Meals aboard an Airship
September 11 Day’s Meals aboard an Airship R.33, En Route from Norfolk, England, to Amsterdam, 1919 For the first few decades of the twentieth century, it seemed that airships— essentially steerable (or ‘‘dirigible’’) giant balloons—would be the answer to the prayers of those military or civic powers who wished to control the airspace of the world. The dream finally ended as a nightmare with a series of disastrous crashes and explosions in the 1930s, but for a brief time they were fascinating machines with limitless potential to provide adventure, excitement—and luxury. The British airship R.33 was designed as a military flying machine, but some temporary adaptations were made to illustrate its commercial possibilities. A demonstration voyage with ten passengers aboard began on the evening of September 10, 1919, from Norfolk, England. No effort had been spared to ensure a comfortable journey to Amsterdam and return, with a viewing of the battlefields of Europe en route. A modest evening meal of drinks and sandwiches was served on the first evening, but the menu for the three meals the next day was more than adequate. BREAKFAST: eggs and bacon, toast, hot tea or coffee. LUNCH: Cold lobster, roast partridge, hot potatoes and French beans, iced pudding. DINNER: Hot soup, salmon trout, roast lamb, potatoes, French beans, jam omelette, coffee.
The chef was a man called Cantaluppi—an Italian national who had served in the British Army before working at the Criterion Restaurant in London. Before the journey, Cantaluppi expressed some regret at the limitations imposed by the cooking facilities on board—there was a small electric stove, but cooking was also done on the exhaust pipes. He was confident, however, that he could alter the menu if required, and he took the precaution of taking extra eggs on board, so that he could whip up a souffle´ if requested. The military origin of the airship was still in evidence, and meals were served in the mess room in the keelway of the airship. There was no newspaper delivery in the air, but passengers were able to receive the news of the day over their breakfast, via wireless telegraphy. Recipes ~~~ ´ of Lobster Cold Souffle Choose a lobster weighing a little over 1 lb. for six or eight guests, take all the fish from the shell, saving fair slices of the best part for decorating the top. Chop
September 12
Children’s Meals
the remainder very fine, and mix with 1/4 pint whipped cream and season to taste. Pound the shell well and add a little butter or margarine and simmer on the fire with about two tablespoonfuls of milk. Strain through a muslin, and when cold add to the cream and lobster, melt about four leaves of gelatine, and stir into the lobster cream. Have ready a round white china or silver souffle´ dish with crisp shredded lettuce, hard-boiled egg, bits of skinned tomato, a little thin mayonnaise sauce passed through it all, reaching half-way up the dish, put the mixture of lobster in, and when set put over a thin layer of aspic jelly, slightly pink with cochineal, and the selected pieces of lobster, and serve very cold with bread and butter. The Times, November 19, 1921.
Sweet Omelet Three Eggs. Half an Ounce of Butter. One tablespoonful of Castor Sugar. One teaspoonful of Orange-Flower Water. Salt. (Jam.) Put the orange-flower water and the sugar into a stewpan, and stir over the fire; let it boil quickly for three minutes, then put it into a basin to cool. When cool, add the yolks of egg and beat to a cream. Put a pinch of salt to the whites of egg, whip them to a stiff froth, and stir them lightly to the yolks of egg. Melt the butter in an omelet-pan, and pour in the eggs; put this on the fire for two minutes. Make some jam, about a dessertspoonful, quite hot; take the omelet out of the oven, and put it on a hot dish, spread the jam on the omelet lightly and quickly, fold it over like a sandwich, sprinkle a little castor sugar over it, and serve. Mrs. Charles Clarke, High-Class Cookery Recipes (London, 1893).
September 12 Children’s Meals aboard the SS Strathaird, 1957 The idea that children need a special, or at least different, diet from adults goes back to ancient times. The humoral doctrine (see February 23) proposed by the second-century Greco-Roman physician Galen held sway over medical thought and influenced dietary advice for all age groups for two millennia. It was believed that the body was made up of four ‘‘humors’’—blood, phlegm, yellow bile, and black bile—and that imbalance in these created disease, and the most important way of maintaining or correcting balance was by diet. Each gender and age was dominated by a particular humor, which could itself be affected by disease, and the diet was modified accordingly. Since the time of Galen there have been many, many theories about infant and child feeding, but in all of them the individual foods were selected from
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Children’s Meals
the range eaten by adults. It is only relatively recently that industry and marketing forces (particularly the media arm) have combined their power and expertise to promote processed food specifically to children, for profit rather than health reasons The SS Strathaird regularly traveled the route between London, England, and Sydney, Australia. On September 12, 1957, she was somewhere in the region of the Suez Canal, having arrived in Port Said in Egypt on the previous day, on the eastward journey. The children’s menu for the day shows the offerings for two meals. CHILDREN’S DINNER
CHILDREN’S TEA
Cream Soup
Cream of Vegetables
Grilled Fillets of Brill, Butter Sauce
Flaked Whitefish, Cream Sauce
Lamb Cutlets with Green Peas
Scotch Pie
Minced Lamb
Eggs to Order
Nature & Creamed Potatoes
Mashed Potatoes
Cauliflower Diplomate Pudding, Fruit Sauce
COLD SIDEBOARD Roast Beef
Pressed Tongue
Lettuce and Beetroot Salad Gooseberry Pie Cream Ices Pastries and Cakes Bread
Butter
Jams
Fruit
There are no dishes on this menu that would suggest to an observer half a century later that the meal was specifically for children. At dinner there are four courses—soup, fish, meat, and dessert. There are no fish fingers, chicken nuggets, or fries. It is difficult to imagine a children’s menu today that omits fries but proudly boasts cauliflower and pressed tongue. The food at this meal was simple, but elegant enough to have been served to the adults aboard without anyone thinking anything was amiss. Diplomate pudding was enormously popular at fine dinners for adults since at least the 1890s. The exact origin and naming of its name are mysteries, although its roots do appear to be French. It is a moulded dessert made with cake and custard, decorated with dried fruit. Occasionally it is frozen in the manner of ice cream. Similar puddings go by the name of Cabinet pudding and Chancellor’s pudding, so there appears to be some sort of political connection. One theory is that the diplomat in question was Count Karl Nesselrode (1780–1862), for whom the very famous (and similar) Nesselrode pudding was named (see June 30).
September 13
Dinner Celebrating the Founding of Dulwich College
Scotch pie usually refers to a small individual mutton pie, and they are so called because of their long popularity in Scotland. A classic Scotch pie is made with mutton and is quite peppery. It is made with hot-water crust pastry (the sort used for ‘‘raised’’ pies since the Middle Ages), and the top crust is lower than the upper edge of the pie, forming a depression which can be filled with gravy or potato. One elderly correspondent to The Times in 1930 expressed some nostalgia for the mutton pies of his childhood. He described them as being ‘‘upright, of the size and shape of castle puddings, and the pastry was of the plainest, the interior being composed, as I understood it, of fat mutton, onion, and black pepper.’’ Another reader obliged with a recipe which used puff pastry—which would probably be more acceptable to children (see the following). Recipes ~~~ Diplomate Pudding Take sponge, or any kind of left over cake and cut in small pieces, using enough to fill a pudding mould. Add about a teaspoonful of chopped candied fruit to each person. Make a custard with one quart of milk, six eggs and a half pound of sugar; pour over the cake in the mould, and bake. Serve with brandy sauce with some chopped candied fruit in it. Victor Hirtzler, The Hotel St. Francis Cook Book (1919).
Mutton Pies Remove all skin and fat from scraps of mutton. Mix with cooked potatoes, chopped onion and parsley. Grease patty pans and line with puff paste. Fill with meat and vegetable mixture well seasoned. Bake for a few minutes in a hot oven; then stand on a cooler shelf [in the oven] that the meat may stew nicely. The Times, June 21, 1930.
September 13 Dinner Celebrating the Founding of Dulwich College Camberwell, Surrey, England, 1619 Edward Alleyn (1566–1626) was a famous actor during the time of Shakespeare, when the profession was considered rather disreputable. Alleyn was well liked, however, made a lot of influential friends, and became wealthy on account of his business acumen. Late in life, having no heir for his fortune, he decided to endow a ‘‘college’’—which at that time was a charitable institution for the assistance of the poor. Dulwich College in southeast London was the result. The school began with ‘‘six poor brethren, and six sisters, twelve scholars, six assistants, and thirty out-members,’’ and it is still in
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Dinner Celebrating the Founding of Dulwich College
existence today—although as a rather more exclusive institution whose students pay fees to attend. On September 13, 1619, Alleyn noted in his journal that the foundations of the building were completed, and a ceremony was held at which ‘‘ther wear present, the Lord Chancellor Bacon. Lord Arundel, Sir John Howland, high sheriff of the county, Inigo Jones, the king’s architect and many other persons of distinction.’’ After the sermon and anthem, Alleyn provided a fine dinner for the distinguished guests. 2 Mess of Meat.
2 Course
Capons in whight broth
Rost godwith
Boyld pigions
Aytychok pie
Boyld venson
Rost partridges
Farct boyd meat
Wett leche
Could rost
Rost quayles
Gran salad
Codlyng targ
A chin of beef rost
Howse pigions
Shoulder of mutton wh oysters
Amber lech
Baked vensone
Rost rabbit
Rost neate tong
Dry neats tongs
A floringtyne
Pickle oysters
Rost capons
Anchoves
Rost ducks
So the other Mess.
Rost eel Westfalya bacon En So on the other Mess.
The foundation of any great dinner was a large amount and a great variety of meat, but this dinner also included vegetables. Vegetables were an integral part of many dishes, but were often not specifically listed. Alleyn included details of the expenses in his journal, and the ‘‘Gardyners Bill’’ included ‘‘2 colley storeys, 13 artichocks, 30 lettis, purslaine, beet roots, caretts, turneps.’’ It was also usual for there to be a final ‘‘banquet’’ course (see March 9), and this certainly took place at this dinner. The confectioners bill for ‘‘banquetting stuffe’’ included ‘‘wett suckett’’ (a ‘‘wet’’ sweetmeat, see September 5), almond past[e] (marzipan), colered biskett, wafers, and many dried fruits. The ‘‘amber lech’’ also indicates this was a fine and expensive dinner. A ‘‘leach’’ or leche was any dish that could be sliced, as a meatloaf today.
September 13
Dinner Celebrating the Founding of Dulwich College
This one actually contained ambergris (amber of grece), the strange secretion from the digestive system of a whale that is used extensively in the fragrance industry and was once a prized ingredient in cooking and a valuable medicine. Naturally also there was a good selection of beverages at the dinner. The Vintner’s account listed ‘‘2 rundletts of clarett contayning 8 gall; A bottel of canory, 9 pints; 3 qts of sherry; 3 qts of whight wine.’’ Alleyn also noted ‘‘of my owne . . . 2 hoggesheds of bere.’’ Recipes ~~~ To Boyle a Capon in White Broth Boyle your Capon in faire liquor, and cover it to keep it white, but you must boyl no other meat with it, take the best of the broth, and as much vergious as of the broth, if your vergious be not too sowre, & put therto whole Mace, whole pepper and a good hand ful of Endive, Letuce or Borage, whether of them ye wil, smal Raisons, Dates, Marow of marow bones, a litle sticke of Sinamon, the peele of an Orenge. Then put in a good peece of Sugar, and boyl them well together. Then take two or three yolkes of egges sodden, and strain them and thick it withal, and boyl your prunes by themselves, and lay upon your Capon: powre your broth upon your Capon. Thus may you boyle anie thing in white broth. The Good Huswifes Handmaide for the Kitchin (1594).
A floringtyne (or florentine) was a type of flan or pie containing meat, especially veal. To Make a Florentine Take the kidneis of a loyne of veale that is roasted, and when it is cold shredde it fine, and grate as it were half a Manchette very fine, and take eight yolkes of Egges, and a handfull of currans, and eight dates finely shred, a little senamon, a little ginger a litte suere and a litle salt, and mingle them with the kidneyes, then take a handfull of fine flower an two yolkes of egges and as much butter as two eggs, and put into your flower, then take a little seething liquor, and make your past and drive it as broad very thinne, then strake your dishe with a little butter, and lay your paste in and when it is halfe-baked drawe it out, and take two or three feathers, and a little rose-water, and wette all the cover with it, and have a handfull of suger finely beaten, and strawe upon it, and see that the Rosewater wet in every place, and so set it in the oven againe, and that will make a faire ise upon it, if your Oven be not hotte inough to reare by your ices, then put a little fire in the Ovens mouth. Thomas Dawson, Good Huswifes Jewell (1596).
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September 14
Jane Austen’s Dinner
September 14 Jane Austen’s Dinner Henrietta Street, Covent Garden, London, 1813 The English writer Jane Austen (1775–1817), who wrote enduringly popular novels including Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility, was also a prolific correspondent. Her letters show the same insight into and lively interest in human behavior as do her books. Jane stayed with her brother Henry (a banker) in London on several occasions between 1813–1815, and during that time she wrote regularly to her beloved sister Cassandra. She described the home (above his office) as ‘‘all dirt and confusion, but in a very interesting way’’ and was clearly made very welcome there. In her letter of September 14, 1813, she described dinner and supper on the day of her arrival. Henrietta St.: Wednesday (Sept. 15, 1/2 past 8). Here I am, my dearest Cassandra, seated in the breakfast, dining, sittingroom, beginning with all my might . . . We had a very good journey, weather and roads excellent . . . We arrived at a quarter-past four, and were kindly welcomed by the coachman, and then by his master, and then by William, and then by Mrs. Pengird, who all met us before we reached the foot of the stairs. Mde. Bigion was below dressing us a most comfortable dinner of soup, fish, bouille´e, partridges, and an apple tart, which we sat down to soon after five, after cleaning and dressing ourselves and feeling that we were most commodiously disposed of . . . At seven we set off in a coach for the Lyceum; were at home again in about four hours and a half; had soup and wine and water, and then went to our holes.
The Mde. Bigion who prepared the dinner was her brother’s housekeeper, and as much a family friend as servant (Jane left her a small legacy). She was French, or of French heritage, and had possibly accompanied Henry’s wife Eliza who had lived in France and was the widow of a Frenchman who had been guillotined in 1794. The meal prepared by Mde. Bigion is a good example of an English middle-class family dinner of the time—quite plain and as Austen comments, ‘‘most comfortable.’’ Austen is often quoted as saying in another letter that ‘‘Good apple pies form a considerable part of our domestic happiness.’’ It is certainly true that tart (or pie, Jane appears to have used the words interchangeably) is probably one of the oldest and best-loved sweet dishes in the Western world. Recipes for apple pie in one form or another appear in cookery manuscripts of the Middle Ages. Recipes ~~~ Apple Pie Pare and core the fruit, after being wiped clean; then boil the cores and parings in a little water, till it tastes well. Strain the liquor, add a little sugar, with a bit
September 15
Masons’ Banquet to Celebrate Their New Lodge
of bruised cinnamon, and simmer again. Meantime place the apples in a dish, a paste being put round the edge; when one layer is in, sprinkle half the sugar, and shred lemon peel ; squeeze in some of the juice, or a glass of cider, if the apples have lost their spirit. Put in the rest of the apples, the sugar, and the liquor which has been boiled. If the pie be eaten hot, put some butter into it, quince marmalade, orange paste or cloves, to give it a flavour.
Partridge Boiled This species of game is in season in the autumn. If the birds be young, the bill is of a dark colour, and the legs inclined to yellow. When fresh and good, the vent will be firm; but when stale, this part will look greenish. Boiled partridges require to be trussed the same as chickens: from twenty to twenty-five minutes will do them sufficiently. Serve them up with either white or brown mush-room sauce, or with rice stewed in gravy, made pretty thick, and seasoned with pepper and salt. Pour the sauce over them, or serve them up with celery sauce. Mary Eaton, The Cook and Housekeeper’s Complete and Universal Dictionary (1823).
September 15 Masons’ Banquet to Celebrate Their New Lodge Criterion Hotel, Taranaki, New Zealand, 1883 After the consecration of their new premises, the masonic brethren of the De Burgh Adams Lodge Rooms in Taranaki, New Zealand, adjourned to the nearby Criterion Hotel where they sat down to a ‘‘most excellent banquet . . . laid out in superb style.’’ Soups: Mulligatawny. Table: Sirloin beef, braized ducks, roast fowls, ox tongues, ham, fowls, lobster patties, galantine of veal, pork pies, boiled turkey and aspic jelly, roast turkey, vol-au-vent of oysters, collared beef, roast ducks, roast lamb and mint sauce. A boar’s head formed a centre piece of the table. Sweets, &c.: Apple souffle peach meringues, lemon sponge, vanilla cream, orange jelly, cheese-cakes, fruit jelly, pyramids of rice, compot of quince, tall cakes, rhubarb pies, blanc mange, ladies’ fingers, Italian cream, custard in glasses. Fruits in season. Wines (assorted).
It is likely that most, if not all, of the brethren at this dinner were of British extraction. Most immigrants to New Zealand in the first halfcentury of its life as a colony came from Britain, and like immigrants everywhere they took their food ways with them. The gold standard for a civic dinner in a British colony was the style that it would have been at home
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September 15
Masons’ Banquet to Celebrate Their New Lodge
(see also January 26, March 5). This dinner came complete with the boar’s head (see January 4), a medieval relic that had already become something of an anachronism in Britain. A different piece of colonial culinary history is represented by the Mulligatawny—a ‘‘curry’’ soup which gets its names from the combination of the Tamil words for pepper and water. It is decidedly Anglo-Indian, not Indian (see also kedgeree, June 27), a legacy of British colonial rule in India, so discussion about ‘‘authenticity’’ of recipes for the dish is meaningless. It began to be popular in Britain towards the end of the eighteenth century, in an almost infinite number of variations. ‘‘Collaring’’ meat is another method of cooking which is now old fashioned. ‘‘Collared’’ meat (and fish) was boned, rolled up tightly (sometimes with a stuffing) and tied with string into a cylindrical shape before cooking (usually by boiling). In the case of pork, small pieces and scraps were sometimes pressed together then rolled up in the skin before tying. The advantage of ‘‘collaring’’ meat was that it was a way of using up awkwardly shaped pieces of meat, or scraps, and it was also easy to cut and serve. Recipes ~~~ Mulligatawny Soup 2 tablespoonfuls of curry powder, 6 onions, 1 clove of garlic, 1 oz. of pounded almonds, a little lemon-pickle, or mango-juice, to taste; 1 fowl or rabbit, 4 slices of lean bacon; 2 quarts of medium stock, or, if wanted very good, best stock. Slice and fry the onions of a nice colour; line the stewpan with the bacon; cut up the rabbit or fowl into small joints, and slightly brown them; put in the fried onions, the garlic, and stock, and simmer gently till the meat is tender; skim very carefully, and when the meat is done, rub the curry powder to a smooth batter; add it to the soup with the almonds, which must be first pounded with a little of the stock. Put in seasoning and lemon-pickle or mango-juice to taste, and serve boiled rice with it. Beeton’s Household Manual (1861).
Collared Beef 7 lbs. of the thin end of the flank of beef, 2 oz. of coarse sugar, 6 oz. of salt, 1 oz, of saltpetre, 1 large handful of parsley minced,
September 16
Induction Feast of the Bishop of Bath and Wells
1 dessertspoonful of minced sage, a bunch of savoury herbs, 1/2 teaspoonful of pounded allspice; salt and pepper to taste. Choose fine tender beef, but not too fat; lay it in a dish; rub in the sugar, salt, and saltpetre, and let it remain in the pickle for a week or ten days, turning and rubbing it every day. Then bone it, remove all the gristle and the coarse skin of the inside part, and sprinkle it thickly with parsley, herbs, spice, and seasoning in the above proportion, taking care that the former are finely minced, and the latter well pounded. Roll the meat up in a cloth as tightly as possible, in the same shape as shown in the engraving; bind it firmly with broad tape, and boil it gently for 6 hours. Immediately on taking it out of the pot, put it under a good weight, without undoing it, and let it remain until cold. This dish is a very nice addition to the breakfast-table. Beeton’s Household Manual (1861).
Ladies Fingers: see March 12. Blancmange: see January 7. Pork Pie: see November 3. Vol-au-Vent: see September 17.
September 16 Induction Feast of the Bishop of Bath and Wells The Bishop’s Palace, Wells, Somerset, England, 1425 John Stafford (later archbishop of Canterbury) was made bishop of Bath and Wells after the death of Nicholas Bubwith (see December 4). His inthronization feast was extraordinarily elegant. Le .j. cours.
Le .ij. cours.
Le .iij. cours.
Furmenty with venysoun.
Blaunche Mortrewys.
Gely.
Mammenye
Vyand Ryal.
Creme Moundy.
Brawnne.
Pecoke.
Pety Curlewe.
Kede Roste.
Conyng.
Egret.
Capoun de haut Grece.
Fesaunte.
Pertryche.
Swan.
Tele.
Venysoun Roste.
Heyroun.
Chykonys doryd.
Plovere.
Crane.
Pyions.
Oxyn kyn.
A leche.
Veysoun Rostyd.
Quaylys.
Crustade Ryal.
Gullys.
Snytys.
Frutoure Samata.
Curlew.
Herte de Alouse.
Cokyntryche.
Smale byrdys.
A soltelte, a docter of lawe. A leche. Pystelade chaud.
Dowcet Ryal. Petelade Fryid.
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September 16
Induction Feast of the Bishop of Bath and Wells Pystelade fryid.
Hyrchouns.
Frytoure damaske.
Eggys Ryal. Pomys.
A sotelte, Egle.
Brawn fryid. A sotelte, Sent Andrewe. Frute. Waffrys. Vyn dowce.
Even without knowing the circumstances of this feast, it would be clear from the dishes served that this was a fine meal for high class guests. The meal has the classic format of three courses, with richly symbolic solteties (see September 23) appearing after each course as both entertainment and expression of power. Most of the dishes on the menu are for some sort of bird—and birds, living in the air as they do, were considered closer to God than animals that walked the earth. As was usual for the time, lesser ranking guests in the lower part of the hall on this day were offered a mere fourteen dishes of less fine food spread over only two courses (see October 13). The meal includes several dishes without which no feast of the time would have been complete—venison with frumenty, brawn (which would have been served with mustard), crustades, leches, and various fritters. The bill of fare also notes the wafers and sweet wine traditionally served as digestive aids at the end of a feast (but not usually formally recorded) and which are the forerunners of a modern dessert course. One dish on this menu has no modern equivalent—an illusion food called a Cockentrice. Food made to look like something else was very popular in the middle ages. This menu for example includes hyrchons (yrchouns, ‘‘urchins’’ or ‘‘hedgehogs,’’ see September 16), and the pomys may be pommes doreng, meatballs made to look like golden apples (see October 13). An illusion food was a fanciful dish made to amuse the guests and impress them with the skill of the cook (and by extension the wealth of the host), but unlike a soltetie (see September 23) it was meant to be eaten. A cockentrice was an extreme example of illusion food—a fantasy animal made by joining half a pig with half a capon—giving two possible versions of the beast. Recipes ~~~ Cokyntryce Take a Capoun, and skald hym, and draw hem clene, and smyte hem a-to in the waste ouerthwart; take a Pigge, and skald hym, and draw hym in the same maner, and smyte hem also in the waste; take a nedyl and a threde, and sewe
September 17
Centennial Dinner
the fore partye of the Capoun to the After parti of the Pygge; and the fore partye of the Pigge, to the hynder party of the Capoun, and than stuffe hem as thou stuffyst a Pigge; putte hem on a spete, and Roste hym: and whan he is y-now, dore hem with 3olkys of Eyroun, and pouder Gyngere and Safroun, thenne wyth the Ius of Percely with-owte; and than serue it forth for a ryal mete.
Yrchouns Take Piggis mawys, & skalde hem wel; take groundyn Porke, & knede it with Spicerye, with pouder Gyngere, Salt & Sugre; do it on the mawe, but fille it nowt to fulle; then sewe hem with a fayre threde, and putte hem in a Spete as men don piggys; take blaunchid Almaundys, & kerf hem long, smal, & scharpe, and frye hem in grece and sugre; take a litel prycke, & prykke the yrchons, An putte in the holes the Almaundys, every hole half, & eche fro other; ley hem then to the fyre; when they ben rostid, dore hem sum wyth Whete Flowre, & mylke of Almaundys, sum grene, sum blake with Blode, & lat hem nowt browne to moche, & serue forth. Thomas Austin, Two Fifteenth-Century Cookery-Books (1430).
Brawn: see September 22. Furmenty (frumenty): see February 23.
September 17 Centennial Dinner Exchange Coffee House, Boston, Massachusetts, 1830 The celebration of the 200th anniversary of the settlement of Boston began at 8 A.M. on the morning of September 17, 1830, and continued until late in the evening. After the meetings, processions, and military displays, a fine banquet was held in the evening at the Exchange Coffee House on Congress Street. One hundred twelve diners sat down to a substantial repast, at a cost of $3 each per person, including wine. The Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts, Thomas L. Winthrop (1750 or 60 -1841), great-great-great grandson of John Winthrop (1587/8–1649) presided. Fifty years later The New York Times considered the historic event and commented But look at the bill of fare and see if it was not substantial. French dishes, too, with horrid French titles badly expressed, it is true—but no doubt well cooked. . . . It will be noted that fifty years ago they had not brought the arrangement of bills of fare to that high perfection which present such divisions that in 1880 one is bewildered in selecting an ordinary meal.
There is no doubt that the banquet organizers went all out to impress, but this menu is hardly pretentious. Most of the main dishes were simply boiled or roasted, but on the other hand the glamor is often in the pastry work, and the details of the ‘‘puddings, pies, and custards’’ are unknown. The
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September 17
Centennial Dinner
Mock Turtle Soup; Boiled Bass;
Perdrix au Choux; ` la Galentine; De dindons a
Baked Cod Fish;
Fricandeaux au Tomata;
Stewed Black Fish; ` la Tartare; Anguille a
Lobster Curried; Roast Beef;
Boiled Hams;
Roasted Legs of Mutton;
Boiled Corned Beef;
Roasted Mongrel Geese;
Boiled Tongues;
Roasted Tame Ducks;
Boiled Legs of Mutton;
Roasted Chickens;
Boiled Turkey, Oyster Sauce;
Roasted Wild Pigeons, stuffed and larded;
Beef Alamode;
Roasted Partridges;
Beef Bouillie ` la Supreme; Chickens a
Roasted Wild Gray and Black;
Roasted Wild Ducks;
Vol au Vent aux Huitres; ´ille; Vol au Vent de Vola
Roasted Woodcocks;
` la St. Lambert; Vol au Vent a
Roasted Quails;
Vol au Vent Wild Pigeons; ` la Vol au Vent Poulettes a Conti;
Roasted Snipes;
Puddings,
&c., &c.
Roasted Plovers;
Turks Caps Ice Creams,
Pies, Custards, DESSERT. WILLIAM GALLAGHER.
range of vol-au-vents suggests the services of an experienced pastry cook, however. A vol-au-vent is, according to the Oxford English Dictionary ‘‘A kind of raised pie, formed of a light puff paste filled with meat, fish, or the like.’’ They are most usually made as individual servings, sometimes bitesized, as an hors d’oeuvre. Recipes ~~~ The name ‘‘vol-au-vent’’ means, more or less, ‘‘light as air.’’ They are made from puff pastry shells which are filled just before serving. Puff pastry has a reputation for being difficult to make, and most cooks today purchase it from the freezer section of the supermarket. The following recipe for puff pastry is taken from the Virginia Housewife, first published in 1824. It is considered to be the first regional American cookbook, and it was, and still is, hugely popular, and was reprinted many times. For forming the vol-auvents from the puff paste, see December 28 (where they are referred to as ‘‘patties’’).
September 18
Meals in the Pullman Dining Car
To Make Puff Paste Sift a Quart of Flour, leave out a Little for rolling the Paste, make up the remainder with cold Water into a stiff Paste, knead it well, and roll it out several Times; wash the Salt from a pound of butter, divide it into four Parts, put one of them on the Paste in little Bits, fold it up, and continue to roll till the Butter is well mixed; then out another portion of Butter, roll it in the same manner, do this till all the Butter is mingled with the Paste, touch it very lightly with the hands in making; bake it in a moderate Oven that will permit it to rise but will not make it brown. Good Paste must look white, and as light as a Feather. Mary Randolph, The Virginia House-wife (1831).
A Turk’s Cap, in this context, was an ice-cream in a ‘‘turban’’ of pastry, which was often highly decorated. Turk’s Cap, with Ice Cream Make a clear paste, or batter, as the former; and butter the mould, so called, in which it is to be baked; when it is cold, cut off the top gently, and a good deal of the inside; which dry in the oven, till it can be reduced to powder or crumbs: boil a pint of cream and sugar according to judgment; reduce it to half, and add the crumbs to it: mix it well, to ice it to a certain degree, that you may put it in the cap, and cover it over with the top to hide the cream: you may masquerade the outside as you think proper, or serve it plain, if of a good colour. B. Clermont, The Professed Cook; Or, The Modern Art of Cookery, Pastry, & Confectionary (1812).
` la Mode): see March 6. Beef Alamode (a Mock Turtle Soup: see July 4. Sauce Tartare: see December 11. Vol-au-Vent: see September 17.
September 18 Meals in the Pullman Dining Car in the Funeral Train of President William McKinley, 1901 William McKinley (1843–1901), the twenty-fifth president of the United States, died on September 14, 1901, from gunshot wounds received in an assassination attempt on September 6 in Buffalo, New York. His body was taken by train—the pilot locomotive draped in black—from Buffalo to Washington, DC, two days later for a formal funeral service there before being returned to his hometown of Canton, Ohio, for burial. The Pullman Dining Car on September 16 offered the following meal selections for those accompanying the president’s body to Washington.
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September 18
Meals in the Pullman Dining Car BREAKFAST Fruit
Cantaloupe
Oatmeal with Cream Malt Breakfast Food with Cream Fried Pan Fish
Salt Mackerel
Sirloin and Tenderloin Steak, Plain or with Mushrooms. Ham
Breakfast Bacon Lamb Chops
Broiled Young Chicken Eggs—boiled, fried, scrambled Omelettes—plain or with rum Potatoes, any style Griddle Cakes, Maple Syrup Corn Muffins, Rolls, Toast Coffee
Cocoa
Tea
LUNCHEON Puree of Turnips with Sago Raw Tomatoes
India Relish
Roast Fillet of Beef Scrambled Eggs With Mushrooms COLD Roast Beef
Tongue
Ham
Sardines
Pickled Lamb’s Tongues Boston Baked Beans Baked Potatoes
Browned Potatoes
Stewed Tomatoes
Boiled Rice
Chicken Salad Ice Cream
Cake
Preserved Fruits
Marmalade Golden Gate Fruits
English And Graham Wafers Fresh Fruit Canadian and Edam Cheese Bent’s Water Crackers Coffee
Tea
September 18
Meals in the Pullman Dining Car
DINNER Blue Points Bisque of Lobster Celery
Consomme Cucumbers
Boiled Cod, Egg Sauce Potatoes Hollandaise Chicken Croquettes Apple Fritters, Wine Sauce Roast Beef Roast Mutton with Jelly Mashed Potatoes Pickled Beets
Boiled Potatoes Boiled Onions
Lettuce Salad Tapioca Pudding Ice Cream Preserved Fruits
Marmalade
Cake Dry Canton Ginger
English and Graham Wafers Fresh Fruit Roquefort and Canadian Cheese Bent’s Water Crackers Coffee
This set of menus nicely demonstrates the defining features of the three main meals of the day. Plenty of meat and potatoes were offered at each meal, but eggs only at breakfast and lunch (they have never been considered ‘‘proper’’ at dinner). Breakfast has cereal, griddle cakes, muffins, and bacon. Ice cream appears at lunch and dinner, but never at breakfast. Cocoa is only offered at breakfast, and the only hot beverage after dinner is coffee. The only real oddity is that marmalade—usually considered exclusively a breakfast preserve, is on the lunch and dinner menus, in the apparent absence of bread in any form. The Canton ginger served at the end of dinner was not some special recipe in honor of the president’s home town. It is simply an alternative name for gingerroot, which originated in China, and much of it exited the country through the port of Canton (Guangzhou), hence the name. Ginger, like mint, has been a traditional end-of-meal digestive for centuries. It is preserved, for this purpose, in sugar, either in dry form or in syrup, and is eaten like candy.
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September 19
Patriotic ‘‘Hooverized’’ Dinner
Recipes ~~~ Egg Sauce has been a traditional accompaniment to cod for centuries. [Egg] Sauce for Boiled Cod To one gill of boiling water add as much milk; stir into this while boiling two tablespoonfuls of butter gradually, one tablespoonful of flour wet up with cold water; as it thickens, the chopped yolk of one boiled egg, and one raw egg beaten light. Take directly from the fire, season with pepper, salt, a little chopped parsley and the juice of one lemon, and set covered in boiling water (but not over fire) five minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour part of the sauce over fish when dished; the rest in a boat. Serve mashed potato with it. F. L Gillette and H. Ziemann, White House Cook Book (1887).
Potatoes Hollandaise: see April 16. Candied Ginger: see September 5. Chicken Croquettes: see August 21. Tapioca Pudding: see September 26.
September 19 Patriotic ‘‘Hooverized’’ Dinner Daniel’s and Fisher’s Tower, Denver, Colorado, 1918 The menu for the dinner prepared for the Sixteenth Annual Convention of the American Institute of Banking in Colorado on September 19, 1918, was a patriotic statement as much as a listing of dinner dishes. On a white background the red and blue wording proclaimed this to be a ‘‘Patriotic ‘Hooverized’ Dinner,’’ although there was no explanation on the menu as to how this ‘‘Hooverizing’’ was achieved. To ‘‘Hooverize’’ was to economize, and it was the powerful words of the wartime Food Administrator Herbert Clark Hoover (1874–1964) that had led to his name being adapted as a verb. Hoover’s catchcry was ‘‘Food will win the war!’’ and he implemented many campaigns and ensured that much legislation was enacted to save food for the war effort. A large part of saving anything is not wasting it, and housewives were exhorted to buy and cook economical dishes and to use all leftovers (see box). This dinner may not have been extravagant, but it was hardly frugal. For the organizers, it was certainly an economical dinner in one respect. No beverage costs had to be factored in. There was no alcohol, because Colorado had been a ‘‘dry’’ state since the first moments of 1916—it was one of the first states to enact Prohibition laws. The alternative beverage—the loganberry juice of the Phez brand—also came free, too, being donated by the manufacturers.
September 19
Patriotic ‘‘Hooverized’’ Dinner
Food poster for war. Courtesy of Library of Congress.
Fruit Cocktail — Chicken-with-Noodles-Soup and Breadsticks Mixed Olives — Roast Duckling with Apple Sauce Sweet Potatoes New Spinach with Egg Watermelon Pickle Pascal Celery Hot Rolls PHEZ (Pure Juice of the Loganberry) — Tomato Salad Cheese Straws — Cream Bisque Mints Cake Salted Nuts Coffee Cigars Cigarettes (Philip Morris) *Courtesy of The Pheasant Northwest Products Co. Salem, Oregon.
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September 19
Patriotic ‘‘Hooverized’’ Dinner Waste Not, Want Not in Wartime
According to a well-known domestic scientist, the only things which should find their way to the garbage pail are: Egg shells—after being used to clear coffee. Potato skins—after having been cooked on the potato. Banana skins—if there are no tan shoes to be cleaned. Bones—after having been boiled in soup kettle. Coffee grounds—if there is no garden where they can be used for fertilizer, or if they are not desired as filling for pincushions. Tea leaves—after every teaserving, if they are not needed for brightening carpets or rugs when swept. Asparagus ends—after being cooked and drained for soup. Spinach, etc.— decayed leaves and dirty ends of roots. If more than this is now thrown away, you are wasting the family income and not fulfilling your part in the great world struggle. Your government says that it is your business to know what food your family needs to be efficient; that you must learn how to make the most of the foods you buy; that it is your duty to learn the nature and uses of various foods and to get the greatest possible nourishment out of every pound of food that comes to your home. The art of utilizing left-overs is an important factor in this prevention of waste. The thrifty have always known it. The careless have always ignored it. But now as a measure of home economy as well as a patriotic service, the left-over must be handled intelligently. Foods That Will Win the War and How to Cook Them (1918).
Recipes ~~~ Chicken Soup, No. 1 [with Noodles] Take one large chicken, cook with four quarts of water for two or three hours. Skim carefully, when it begins to boil add parsley root, an onion, some asparagus, cut into bits. Season with salt, strain and beat up the yolk of an egg with one tablespoon of cold water, add to soup just before serving. This soup should not be too thin. Rice, barley, noodles or dumplings may be added. Make use of the chicken either for salad or stew.
Watermelon Pickle Do not throw away the rind of melons. It can be preserved and will make a delicious relish. Remove the green rind of watermelon and the inside pink portion that is left on after eating it. Cut it into two-inch pieces and pour over it a weak brine made in proportion of one cup of salt to a gallon of hot water. Let this stand overnight, then drain and add clear water and one level tablespoon of alum. Boil in this water until the rind has a clear appearance. Drain and pour ice water over the rind and allow it to stand a short time. In a bag put one teaspoon each of cloves, allspice, cinnamon and ginger and place this in the preserve kettle with the vinegar and sugar. Allow one cup of sugar and one cup of vinegar (dilute this with water if too strong) to every pound of rind. Thin slices of lemon will give it a pleasant flavor—allow one lemon to about four pounds of rind. Bring this syrup to the boiling point and skim. Add the melon and cook
September 20
Library-Themed Dinner for the American Library Association
until tender. It is done when it becomes perfectly transparent and can be easily pierced with a broom straw. A peach kernel in the cooking syrup will improve the flavor. Housewives who object to the use of alum can omit this and merely wash the rind after removing from brine to free it from all salt and then cook it slowly as per directions given above. The alum keeps the rind firm and retains its color. In this case the rind will require long and steady cooking, say threequarters of an hour or longer. As soon as rinds are cooked they should be put into the containers and covered with the syrup. Florence Kreisler Greenbaum, The International Jewish Cook Book (New York, 1919).
Cheese Straws: see April 22.
September 20 Library-Themed Dinner for the American Library Association Annual Conference, Grand View House, Lake Placid, New York, 1894 The American Library Association, founded in 1876, held an annual conference and dinner. In the 1890s, new and interesting ideas were afoot in library science, and the menu for the dinner that year demonstrated two of them. MENU
MENU KEY
a la Dewey and Cutter 613.38 plus 596.48 a Eu 398.923.144
Consomme a l’Imperatrice
RN plus MJB a la eu8 614.394 of 583.32 a la 944.36
Cream of Peas a la St. Germain
RNC of RGP a la 39 — 974.16 597.5 841K
D944.37e
PBS
588.32
Kennebec Salmon Dartoise
D13 a la 944
RGP a la 39
Peas a la Francaise —
— 636.2—591.49 a la G54
Filet de Boef a la Godart
RM a la G54 583.79 944.36
Potatoes Parisiennes
RGP 39P — 957
621.96 —
RRLP 65
SIBERIAN PUNCH —
587
588
September 20
Library-Themed Dinner for the American Library Association
598.6 plus 614.132 plus 536.46
Roast Squab
RJND plus REQ 583.55 plus 665.3 plus 664.5
Lettuce Salad
RGL plus RRBV plus RRBO — 945.73 642
RZU 35N
618.19 in 641
Sunshine Cake
RH and R8BC
Fruit and Coffee
— 634
613.38
Neapolitan Ice Cream
MHJ RZT
—
The menu was ‘‘written’’ in a combination of the two brand new and competing library classification systems—the Dewey Decimal System and the Cutter Expansive Classification system. The system designed by Melvil Dewey (1851–1931) allocated books according to subject into one of ten major categories, each of which was subdivided into ten divisions, and each of these into ten sections. Numbers were assigned to each category, division, and section. Charles Ammi Cutter’s (1837–1903) system was inspired by Dewey’s, but the twenty major subject categories were denoted by letters, and author’s names according to alpha-numeric tables. The 1890s were good years for American libraries. Wealthy Golden Age philanthropists such as Andrew Carnegie were funding libraries across the country, and two brilliant library scientists lent their intellectual muscle to this financial brawn. Both Dewey and Cutter were founding members of the American Library Association, and it is almost certain that they were both at Grand View House on the night of this dinner. It is unknown who had the idea to present the menu in code, with a key, but no doubt it gave the attending librarians great pride and delight. Some menu items are easily translated from the Dewey code on the menu. Peas, potatoes, and lettuce are classified botanically as dicotyledons, meaning they have two prominent embryonic leaves. The Dewey number for the subject Dicotyledons is 583, hence dishes containing these include this code. Other straightforward examples are squab, which is a bird (598) and fruit is simply fruit (634). The numbers reveal other information about the dishes than the ingredients. Kennebec salmon is a fish (597) from the river of that name in Maine (Northeastern United States: 947) cooked as in the Artois region of France (944). The method of preparation of some dishes is indicated by the ‘‘code’’ too. The squab was cooked by the application of heat (536), and the punch chilled by Applied Physics (621). It was common in the nineteenth century for chefs to name dishes after famous or important people, and there are two examples on this menu. The ` la Godard,’’ ‘‘Godart’’ is most likely a ‘‘typo’’ for the classic beef garnish ‘‘a said to be named after the French composer Benjamin Godard (1849–1895), and described by the Larousse Gastronomique as a mixture of quenelles (see October 15), small whole truffles, and mushroom caps. However, the French
September 20
Library-Themed Dinner for the American Library Association
minister of justice at that time was famous for his personal library, and his name was Justin Godart. It is possible that the Library Association commissioned the creation of a dish especially in honor of such a man. ` l’Imperatrice’’ always contain rice and are named in honDishes called ‘‘a our of Euge´nie de Montijo (1826–1920), the Spanish wife of Napoleon III of France. In this menu, the clear soup with rice would have been light, not rich, hence the code 613 for Promotion of Health. Cutter’s classification system was not ultimately as widely adopted as Dewey’s due to Cutter’s earlier death, although some aspects of it have been absorbed into other systems, such as that used by the Library of Congress. It is more difficult, therefore, to interpret the Cutter numbers on this late-nineteenth century menu. The letters RG are applied to all of the vegetables, and P specifically stands for peas and potatoes, and L for lettuce. The salad dressing is made from oil (O) and vinegar (V). All of the banquet items (apart from the Sunshine Cake: see Recipes) appear in Charles Ranhofer’s famous work The Epicurean, which was published in the same year. Ranhofer was the enormously influential chef at Delmonico’s in New York for over three decades and was responsible for virtually all of the important banquets in the city during that time. If the letter ‘‘R’’ which features so prominently in this menu represents an author’s name, then it could perhaps be Ranhofer. Recipes ~~~ Sunshine cake was popular and recipes for it appeared in many cookbooks of the time. It is presumably so called because of the bright yellow color produced by the number of egg yolks used. Sunshine Cake Make the same as Angel Cake, using one teaspoonful of orange extract instead of vanilla, and adding the well-beaten yolks of six eggs to the beaten whites and sugar before adding the flour.
Angel Cake One cup of flour, measured after one sifting, and then mixed with one teaspoonful of cream of tartar and sifted four times. Beat the whites of eleven eggs, with a wire beater or perforated spoon, until stiff and flaky. Add one cup and a half of fine granulated sugar, and beat again; add one teaspoonful of vanilla or almond, then mix in the flour quickly and lightly. Line the bottom and funnel of a cake pan with paper not greased, pour in the mixture, and bake about forty minutes. When done, loosen the cake around the edge, and turn out at once. Some persons have been more successful with this cake by mixing the sugar with the flour and cream of tartar, and adding all at once to the beaten egg. Mary Johnson Bailey Lincoln, Mrs. Lincoln’s Boston Cook Book (Boston, 1884).
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September 21
Daily Diet of the ‘‘American Pedestrian’’
September 21 Daily Diet of the ‘‘American Pedestrian’’ Cambridge Park Trotting Course, Boston, 1842 There was a vogue for unusual or extended walking feats during the nineteenth century, and one of the most famous pedestrians was Thomas Elworth (1816–unknown). In 1842 he accepted a challenge to walk 1,000 miles in 1,000 consecutive hours—something that he had boasted he could do. The venue was the trotting track in Boston, which was exactly one mile in length. He completed his ‘‘arduous task’’ in forty-one days and sixteen hours, stating that he felt as well, if not better, at the end of it than at its commencement. Elworth kept a detailed record of his feat—his times and speeds, the weather conditions, his occasional aches and pains, and his daily diet. Sept. 21st—Breakfast, fried fish and shells; Dinner, mutton broth and shells; Supper, beef and shells.
Elworth was described as not carrying a pound of superfluous flesh, and modern science would agree. At 5 feet 9 inches in height and 150 pounds, his body mass index (BMI) today would be calculated at slightly over 22, which is within a normal range. He attributed his ability to his being ‘‘inured to hardship from an early age’’ and to his plain and temperate mode of living. There was little variation in his diet over the 41 days. Several dishes occurred regularly—mutton, fried pork, fried eggs, beef steak, fish and ‘‘shells,’’ with only occasional sweet dishes such as custard, ‘‘thickened milk,’’ rice pudding, or apple sauce. The most frequent item is the ‘‘shells,’’ which he enjoyed at 36 of the 118 meals. There is no further exploration of his dietary preferences or beliefs, save the comment ‘‘N.B. At every meal used potatoes’’ and one reference to his ‘‘partiality for salt food.’’ It is unknown whether Elworth ate so many ‘‘shells’’ (presumably oysters) because he enjoyed them, because they were cheap and available, or because he believed they would assist his endurance. Since the ancient Greeks, oysters have been associated with enhancing strength, stamina, and overall performance—the explanation of their reputation as aphrodisiacs. Hippocrates (c. 460—370 BCE), the Greek often referred to as ‘‘the father of medicine,’’ considered that they were ‘‘soon turned to blood’’, hence strength. There has been universal agreement over the centuries on one thing—that oysters need to be consumed raw for best benefit. Sports nutrition may appear to be a new science, but in fact since ancient times people have sought to improve performance through dietary means, whether this be for sport or fighting purposes. Many, many dietary regimes have been claimed at one time or another of being ideal for those undertaking feats of physical endurance—a lot of meat, no meat, high protein, low protein, high carbohydrate, or low carbohydrate have all had their time in the dietary limelight. Specific performance-enhancing foods or nutrients are also
September 22
Installation Feast of the Archbishop of York
not a new idea. The ancient Greek Olympians tried a potion of asses’ hooves ground up in oil, the Aztecs ate the living heart pulled out of their sacrificial victims, and nineteenth-century athletes took a variety of substances now either banned or far too dangerous such as mixtures of strychnine and brandy or wine and coca leaves. Sports nutrition is now a lucrative industry, and athletes invest their hopes in large amounts of sports drinks, energy bars, and vitamin and mineral supplements. Recipes ~~~ The following recipes are from a famous cookbook writer of the time, Sarah Josepha Buell. They appear in The Good Housekeeper, Or The Way to Live Well and to Be Well While We Live, published in Boston in 1839. On the topic of shellfish she said, ‘‘Shell fish have long held a high rank as restorative food; but a well-dressed chop or steak is much better to recruit the strength and spirits.’’ To Fry Cod or Other Fish It is much more difficult to fry fish than meat. Lard or dripping is better than butter, because the last burns so easily. The fat fried from salt pork is best of all. The fire must be clear and hot but not furious; the fat hot when the fish is put in, and there should be sufficient to cover the fish. Skim the fat before laying in the fish. Cut the cod in slices half or three quarters of an inch thick; rub them with Indian meal to prevent breaking, fry it thoroughly. Trout and perch are fried in the same manner; only do not rub Indian meal on them—dip in white of an egg and bread crumbs or dust with flour.
Mutton Leg to Boil Mutton must be boiled the same as other meats—that is, simmered very slowly, and the scum carefully removed. Always wash it before cooking and put it in cold water. Only allow water sufficient to cover it, and the liquor makes excellent broth, with a little rice and a few carrots, &c. Cut off the shank bone and trim the knuckle—if it weigh nine pounds it will require three hours to cook it. Parsley and butter, or caper-sauce should be served with it—onion sauce, turnips, spinage and potatoes are all used.
September 22 Installation Feast of the Archbishop of York Cawood Castle, York, England, 1465 George Neville (ca. 1432—1476) was the younger brother of the ‘‘Kingmaker,’’ Richard Neville, the 16th Earl of Warwick. As one of the younger sons of a noble family, George was destined for a position in the Church, regardless of his own feelings for the religious life. In an age when
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September 22
Installation Feast of the Archbishop of York
spectacular feasts were indications of great power, the celebrations that accompanied his enthronement as archbishop of York surpassed all that had gone before, including royal coronations. There were in fact a whole series of feasts and entertainments over many days—each feast having several alternative bills of fare for the various social ranks. The bill of fare for the Archbishop’s table was particularly fine. It was the sheer size and duration of the event that made it exceptional: it was a clear statement to the assembled nobles of the wealth, power, and influence of the Neville family. Sixty-two master cooks and an untold number of kitchen workers fed between 2,000–3,000 people at each meal for a week. The guest list included 28 peers, 59 knights, 10 abbots, and 7 bishops. One of the invited nobles was the Duke of Gloucester, the future Richard III (see July 6).
THE FIRST COURSE.
THE SECOND COURSE.
THE THIRD COURSE.
Braun with mustard
Gilly parti riall
Bland desere
ffurmente with venyson
viand rasens
dates in comfet
hert poudred
venison in brakes
neutes vert
ffessand in brayn
pecock in trapille
Bittur rofstid
Swan rost
cony roste
Curlew rofstid
Ganetz
roo reversed
fessand rofstid
Gullez
lardes de venison
Railes rost
capon de haut grece
pertuches
Egret rost
heron roste
wodcok
Rabettes
carpet in venison
plouer
quailes
pik in ereblad
Goodwitts
poums vert
leshe caute rialle
red shankes
Grt whelpes rost
ffritur boyse
yarowe helpes
dotterelles rost
venyson bak
knottes
martynets rost
custad planted
Oxene
Gret birds
chewetts riall with a suttellte
Creme in purpull
larkes rost
leshe cipirs
sparowes
ffritur napkyne
ffreche sturgion
tarte in molde
lesshe blaunche
chatowe dyuers riall with ffritur cuspe a suttelte quinces bak rosestis florishid chamlettes withe a sutteltte
September 22
Installation Feast of the Archbishop of York
All were seated according to rank in four dining halls and a gallery—with one hall for the ‘‘Gentlemen, Franklins, and Yeomen’’ being ‘‘twyce filled and served.’’ Every moment was choreographed down to the last detail: the laying of the tablecloths, the folding of the napkins, the placing of the salt (see October 13), the exact procedure for ‘‘assaying’’ (checking for poison) the dishes, and the serving of the food. Honored noblemen performed the traditional roles of carver, Frontispiece of 1513 carving book. panter or pantler (in charge of bread), royal cup-bearer, ewerer (bearer of the water for hand washing), sewer (in charge of the tasting and serving of dishes), stewards and marshalls. The role of carver was the most honored: he was expected to perform his role with great skill and artistry and contribute to the theatrical aspect of the feast. The panter’s role was also highly ritualized, and his instructions to cut and serve the ‘‘upper crust’’ to his lord have supplied another metaphor for the social elite. The food of course was designed to contribute to the great spectacle. The feast began with the customary brawn (see February 23) and mustard, one of the most ancient and popular condiments, followed by venison with frumenty (see February 23), and would have ended with wafers, fruits, and sweet wine. There were the obligatory subtelties (see September 23), the illusion and symbolic foods such as the roo (roe) reversed (lying as if asleep), the venison in brakes (a deer, seeming to be hiding in the bushes), a peacock in its plumage (see November 6), and poums vert, presumably the green version of pommes doreng (see October 13), as well as a huge array of game and birds, fritters, leches, custards, etc. The whelpes rost are problematic: Does this mean puppies? A dish called Scotwhelps rost appears on the menu for the coronation feast of Richard III (see July 6). The English have never been known to choose to eat man’s best friend (apart from occasionally for medicinal purposes), and ‘‘whelps’’ occasionally meant the young of other animals. Recipes ~~~ ‘‘Brawn’’ is usually taken to mean a ‘‘potted’’ dish made from the flesh of a boar or pig, and it could be made and decorated in an almost infinite number of ways, as the following recipe shows.
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September 23
Feast for King Richard II To Mak Braun Rialle [Royal Brawn]
To mak braun rialle tak and boille freche braun in faire water till it be som dele tender then tak blanched almondes and grind them and draw them up with som of the sam brothe and apart of wyne as hoot as ye may then mak the mylk hot and do the braun in the strener hot and drawe it with the mylk het, put therto grece and venyger and set it on the fyere to boile and salt it and put it in a vesselle and when it is cold take it out or chauf the vesselle with out with hoote water or againste the fyere and when ye haue it out cutt it in thyn shyves and lay iij lesks in a disshe aftur the quantite and tak pouder of guinger or pared guinger mynced with annes in comfettes and ye may draw it with som of the same with a parte of the wyne or els thou may cutt it in lesks and serue it furthe, or els ye may tak it into another colour what ye wille, and ye will haue it grene draw it with mylk of almondes and grind leke leves in a mortair and put ther to saffron and when it is ground myche or litille coloure it ther with, when ye tak it from the fyere and do as ye did the tother tym and ye may do ther to a quantite of canelle guinger or sanders and mak it broun and serue it furthe, or els ye may tak turn sole and wesshe it and wringe it well in wyn that ye sesson it up with, and when it is boiled colour it up blew or sangwene whedur ye wille and do ther with as ye did be for, or when ye tak it from the fyer and hath bene sessoned then tak freche braune sodyn tender and cutt it in thyn lesks or dice smalle and cast it into the pot and stirre it welle to gedure then put it unto another vesselle and when it is cold leshe it and serue it. Noble Boke Off Cookry ffor a Prynce Houssolde or Eny Other Estately Houssolde, MS 674 in the Holkham collection (late-fifteenth century).
Ffurmente (frumenty): see February 23. Cony Roste [roast rabbit]: see August 16. Bland Desere: see September 23.
September 23 Feast for King Richard II Durham House, London, England, 1387 John Fordham, Bishop of Durham and secretary and adviser to King Richard II (1367–1400) held a great feast on September 23, 1387, at his official residence in London (a site now occupied by the Adelphi Theatre in The Strand). The guests of honor were the King and the King’s uncle, John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster. They sat down to an extraordinarily refined and sophisticated meal, composed as was usual for a grand feast of the time of three courses (a lesser feast might only have two) with a gradual progression towards the finer ingredients, but without the clear distinction between savory and sweet dishes that are familiar today. At the time of this feast Richard had not yet attained his majority, but he had already made himself unpopular with many of the established aristocracy. There can be little doubt that, as was also usual for the times, there was a powerful political agenda associated with this feast. One of the
September 23
Feast for King Richard II
THE FIRST COURSE.
THE SECOND COURSE.
THE THIRD COURSE.
Veneson with Furmenty.
A potage called Gele.
Potage. Bruete of almondes.
A potage called viaundbruse.
A potage de Blandesore.
Stwde lumbarde.
Hedes of Bores.
Pigges rosted.
Venyson rosted.
Grete Flessh.
Cranes rosted.
Chekenes rosted.
Swannes rosted.
Fesauntes rosted.
Rabettes rosted.
Pigges rosted.
Herons rosted.
Partrich rosted.
Crustade lumbard in paste.
Chekens endored.
Pejons rosted.
Breme.
Quailes rosted.
Tartes.
Larkes rosted.
Broke braune.
Payne puff.
Conyngges rosted.
A Dissh of Gely.
A soltetie.
Longe Frutours. A soltetie. A soltetie.
mechanisms of propaganda was the soltetie or subtelty—a food ‘‘sculpture’’ which was paraded around the hall with much fanfare at the end of each course. They were wrought with great skill in the form of such things as saints, kings, dragons, and castles—sometimes with moving parts, fountains of wine, noise making, and strategic fires. They were not intended to be eaten, but to deliver a specific message of political or religious significance and to inspire awe at the power and wealth of the host. Political machinations aside, Richard almost certainly appreciated the fine food at this feast. He was known to be a fastidious man with refined and sophisticated tastes, who collected fine objects such as monogrammed spoons and elegant dishes. He also probably encouraged the culinary arts, for the first actual cook book in the English corpus, The Form of Cury, was written by his own master cooks in about 1390. It is ironic that he probably died from starvation in prison—by order of the Henry Bolingbroke, the cousin who deposed him to become King Henry IV. Recipes ~~~ Many of the dishes on this bill of fare appear throughout the medieval era and are to be found in other menus in this book (see January 23 and April 4). ‘‘White dishes’’ such as blancmange (see January 27) and the similar blank dessore (a sort of white soup) were very desirable because they were fine, elegant, labor-intensive, and expensive and therefore demonstrated the wealth and sophistication of the feast provider.
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September 24
Prison Dinner Blank Dessore [Blandesore, Blaund Surrey, or ‘‘White Dish from Syria’’]
Take Almandes blaunched, grynde hem and temper hem up with whyte wyne, on fleissh day with broth. and cast þerinne flour of Rys. oþer amydoun, and lye it þerwith. take brawn of Capouns yground. take sugur and salt and cast þerto and florissh it with aneys whyte. take a vessel yholes and put in safroun. and serue it forth. Forme of Cury (ca. 1390). Interpretation: Take blanched almonds, grind them and mix them up with white wine [or] on a flesh day with broth and add to it rice flour or wheat starch and cook it [to thicken], add ground chicken and season it with sugar and salt. Strain it and garnish it with white candied aniseed and saffron and serve it.
Furmenty (frumenty): see February 23. Rabettes Rosted: see August 16.
September 24 Prison Dinner Leavenworth State Penitentiary, Kansas, 1928 When investigators visited the penitentiary at Leavenworth on September 24, 1928, to report on the conditions, the prison population was 3,146—which was 1,716 over capacity. Seventy-four inmates were under life sentences, and 120 were military prisoners. To supervise and control this number were 122 guards (‘‘not many more than when there was a smaller population’’), although an increase to 128 had been authorized. The investigators reported that the inmates were clean in spite of poor bathing facilities, and in good general health, and they noted the meals served that day. The general dining room has a capacity of 1,632. It is necessary to serve three tables each meal. They are installing new tables with metal tops and seats. There was a complaint of dust from coal going into the nearby bakery and kitchen. The food is satisfactory. The following was the bill of fare for today: breakfast—oatmeal mush, hot muffins, butter, syrup, coffee; dinner—frankfurters and cabbage, steamed potatoes, bread, water; supper—baked spaghetti and cheese, stewed fruit, bread, tea.
Leavenworth was built 25 miles north of Kansas City as a high security jail for male prisoners. Construction was still going on in 1928, although this was in the form of factory buildings, not more cell blocks. Due to the pressure of numbers, recreation facilities were insufficient. Punishment consisted of ‘‘isolation, restricted privileges and loss of credits.’’ Assuming that this menu was representative of the normal bill of fare (and no special culinary effort was made on account of the presence of inspectors)
September 24
Prison Dinner
Leavenworth prisoners march to dinner. Courtesy of Library of Congress.
and the quantity was not restricted, it appears that the food was substantial and filling enough, but rather lower in vegetables than modern guidelines would recommend. Food means more to humans than mere calories and nutrition points, however, and it is now accepted that the quality and variety of food in prisons has a great bearing on inmate behavior and prison discipline issues. Recipes ~~~ There are two distinct types of muffins. In the old English sense, they are ‘‘raised’’ with yeast (see March 15) and thus are similar to sweet bread. In the early American sense the mixture is essentially like that of small cakes raised with baking powder. To make a sufficient amount of these muffins to serve the Leavenworth population would have required 178 quarts of flour. Muffins Sugar 3/4 qt., Flour 5 qt., Baking Powder, 3/4 c., Salt 2 tbsp., Eggs, 8, Milk 3 1/4—3 1/2 qt., Butter substitute, melted, 1/4 lb.
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September 25
Hotel Dinner
Mix and sift the dry ingredients. Beat the eggs, add the milk and pour the liquid over the dry ingredients. Add the melted fat and pour the mixture into well-greased muffin tins to bake. Number of servings: 96 Lenore Richards, Quantity Cookery: Menu Planning and Cookery for Large Numbers (ca. 1922).
Baked Spaghetti with Cheese and Eggs Four hard cooked eggs, one cup broken spaghetti, 4 tablespoons grated cheese, 2 tablespoons butter, 1 tablespoon flour, 3/4 cup milk, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon each pepper and mustard, parsley. To hard cook the eggs put them into about 1 quart cold water. Bring to the boiling point, reduce heat and simmer without bubbling for 15 minutes. Plunge at once into cold water and let stand five minutes. Remove shells and cut in thin slices crosswise. Cook spaghetti in a rapidly boiling salted water for 15 minutes. Drain and dip in cold water. Melt butter, stir in flour and slowly add milk, stirring constantly. Mix salt, pepper and mustard and stir into sauce Bring sauce to the boiling point. Put a layer of spaghetti into a well buttered baking dish add a layer of sauce and cover with a layer of eggs. Continue layer for layer of spaghetti sauce and eggs until all are used making the last layer of spaghetti. Cover with grated cheese and baked 25 minutes in a moderately hot oven. Garnish with sprigs of parsley and serve from baking dish. The Port Arthur News (April 8, 1927).
September 25 Hotel Dinner Ho ˆ tel Hochschneeberg, Schneeberg, Austria, 1907 Hotels catering for tourists often try to provide menus that will enable every guest to find something acceptable for dinner. In the process they often sacrifice their own national cuisine. Guests who stayed at the Hoˆtel Hochschneeberg in the Austrian Alps in 1907, however, could be sure of getting a typically Austrian meal. Hu ¨ hnerpu ¨ reesuppe Forelle blau sauce Mouseline ¨mpfer Tafelspitz Geda Warme und kalte Gemu ¨ se Steiner-Kapaun
September 25
Hotel Dinner
Salat American Compote ¨ pfelstrudel A Kaiserschmarrn und Ro¨ster ¨se Ka Obst Coffee Bier Kahlenberger 1905 Kalterer-See-Auslese Liquere
The only exception to the thoroughly Austrian cuisine is the ‘‘American Compote.’’ Tafelspitz is a traditional Austrian dish of boiled beef with vegetables, typically served with Apfelkren (apple and horseradish sauce.) The name means ‘‘the point of the table,’’ and refers to the cut of meat used— the pointed end of a rump of beef. It is said that Tafelspitz was the favorite dish of Emperor Franz Joseph I (1830–1916), and it was always present on his table. Another dish on this menu associated with the Austrian Emperor FranJoseph is the Kaiserschmarrn und Ro¨ ster, thick caramelized pancakes shredded and served with stewed fruit, especially plums. Kaiserschmarrn literally means ‘‘the Emperor’s mish-mash’’ or ‘‘rubbish.’’ There are a number of stories about how the dish got its name. One story is that the cook made a mess of some pancakes and quickly and creatively dressed them up as a new invention. Another is that the Emperor named them ‘‘rubbish’’ sarcastically when his wife, the Empress Elisabeth (1837–1898) refused to eat them (she was constantly concerned about her figure). The most likely is of course that it simply refers to the chopped up nature of the pancake. Recipes ~~~ Apfelstrudel (apple strudel) is an Austrian version of apple pie which is familiar all over the world. It is made with extraordinarily thin pastry—so thin it is almost transparent. Very few people make their own strudel pastry today, as it is easy to buy. The following recipe shows how it is done. The use of chicken fat or oil in this particular version is suggested in order to allow this dish to be eaten with a meat meal, and comply with Jewish food law (see July 11). Non-Jews would use butter. Apple Strudel Sift two cups of flour, add pinch of salt and one teaspoon of powdered sugar. Stir in slowly one cup of lukewarm water, and work until dough does not stick to the hands. Flour board, and roll as thin as possible. Do not tear. Place a tablecloth on table, put the rolled out dough on it, and pull gently with the hands, to get the dough as thin as tissue paper.
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September 26
Dinner Out Hunting with Buffalo Bill
Have ready six apples chopped fine, and mixed with cinnamon, sugar, onehalf cup of seedless raisins, one-half cup of currants. Spread this over the dough with plenty of chicken-fat or oil all over the apples. Take the tablecloth in both hands, and roll the strudel, over and over, holding the cloth high, and the strudel will almost roll itself. Grease a baking-pan, hold to the edge of the cloth, and roll the strudel in. Bake brown, basting often with fat or oil. Florence Kreisler Greenbaum, The International Jewish Cook Book (New York, 1919).
September 26 Dinner Out Hunting with Buffalo Bill near Fort McPherson, Nebraska, 1871 General Philip Henry Sheridan (1831–1888) became famous for his role as a union general during the American Civil War, and infamous for his part in the Indian Wars of the Great Plains (see November 26). When the general and Indian hunter expressed a wish to hunt game, the obvious guide was William Frederick Cody (1846–1917), better known as Buffalo Bill. Sheridan arrived at Fort McPherson on September 22 and immediately reviewed the troops of the Fifth Cavalry. The next day they set off on a ten-day hunting expedition. Buffalo Bill was a great showman, and he made sure he looked the part as they set off. He wrote, So I dressed in a new suit of buckskin, trimmed along the seams with fringes of the same material; and I put on a crimson shirt handsomely ornamented on the bosom, while on my head I wore a broad sombrero. Then mounting a snowy white horse—a gallant stepper, I rode down from the fort to the camp, rifle in hand. I felt first-rate that morning, and looked well. Buffalo Bill. Courtesy of Library of Congress.
Other arrangements were also first rate. Sixteen wagons
September 26
Dinner Out Hunting with Buffalo Bill
carried supplies—including one solely for ice. Three other wagons were set up so that members of the party could travel easily, should they become fatigued. Sufficient linen, china, glassware, and wine was taken to ensure that dining standards were maintained. On the night of September 26, Buffalo Bill recorded the splendid dinner, saying ‘‘I considered this a fairly good meal for a hunting party. Everybody did justice to it.’’ BILL OF FARE Soup Buffalo Tail Fish Broiled Cisco, Fried Dace Entrees Salmi of Prairie Dog, Stewed Rabbit, Filet of Buffalo aux Champignons Vegetables Sweet Potatoes, Mashed Potatoes, Green Peas Dessert Tapioca Pudding Wines Champagne Frappe, Champagne au Naturel, Claret, Whisky, Brandy, Ale Coffee
The hunters themselves obviously provided much of the produce for this dinner, and it seems a little odd that these tough hunting men chose a nursery pudding to follow their large feed of game. Recipes ~~~ Tapioca Pudding Six table-spoonfuls of tapioca one quart of milk, three eggs, sugar and spice to your taste; Heat the milk and tapioca moderately; bake it one hour. The New England Economical Housekeeper, and Family Receipt Book (Cincinnati, 1845).
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September 27
Traffic Association Banquet
Buffalo is more properly named bison. Buffalo Like bear-meat, buffalo resembles beef, when it is in prime condition. The flesh is darker than beef, and the fat has a reddish color; the heart, liver, and marrow are like those of beef; the latter is delicious; the tongue, and flesh of the hump are the choice portions; buffalo-meat may be cooked like beef, and should be rather well done. Juliet Corson, Miss Corson’s Practical American Cookery and Household Management (1886).
How to Cook Bison [‘‘Buffalo’’] Hump, after the Manner of the Indians Cooked for dinner the entire hump of a bison, after the manner of the Indians; this favourite part of the animal was dissected from the vertebrae, after which the spinous processes were taken out, and the denuded part was covered with skin, which was firmly sewed to the back and sides of the hump; the hair was burned and pulled off, and the whole mass exhibiting something of a fusiform shape, was last evening placed in a hole dug in the earth for its reception, which had been previously heated by means of a strong fire in and upon it. It was now covered with cinders and earth, to the depth of about one foot, and a strong fire was made over it. In this situation it remained until it was taken up for the table today, when it was found to be excellent food.
James’ Expedition to the Rocky Mountains (1825).
September 27 Traffic Association Banquet ´ Nat Goodwin, Crystal Pier, Santa Monica, California, 1913 Cafe When the Los Angeles Traffic Association held their annual business meeting and banquet on September 27, 1913, they chose the ‘‘Most beautiful cafe´ over-the-sea in the world.’’ The Nat Goodwin cafe´ was named for the actor and comedian Nathaniel Goodwin (1857–1919), and it was a haunt of movie stars, music lovers, and gourmets. The cafe´ was well known for its cabaret music, and the guests at the dinner on this night enjoyed a fine musical program as well as the following dinner.
MENU Martini Cocktail Celery en Branch Olives
September 27
Traffic Association Banquet
Consomme St. Xavier Haute SauterneFilet of Flounder, Vin Blanc Pommes Parisienne St Julien Spring Chicken Saute Sec Potato Croquettes Petit Pois Stuffed Tomato Surprise Ice Cream and Cake Cafe´ Noir Cigars and Cigarettes
It is interesting that the first item on this menu is not oysters or hors d’oeuvres, but a Martini cocktail. The first documented use of the word ‘‘cocktail’’ in the sense of a mixed drink is in 1803, in a context that suggests it was taken for medicinal purposes. Three years later it is used clearly in the sense of a mixed drink made from a base of spirituous liquor. There are more myths and stories as to how, exactly, the cocktail got its name than there are about almost any other beverage or food. There are almost as many stories about the origin and naming of the Martini. The Martini cocktail is unequivocally American in origin, but everything else about it is disputed. It probably originated in the 1870s and really came into its own in the first two decades of the twentieth century, but debates about its true history and authentic original recipe are not in any danger of being solved in the near future. The classic martini is a mixture of gin and vermouth, and most aficionados would agree that the garnish is an olive. The relative quantities of the ingredients are hotly disputed, however, with everything from simply saluting the vermouth bottle with the glass of gin to a five-to-one ratio of gin to vermouth being said to be correct. Even the method of mixing the two basic ingredients is disputed, with James Bond famously preferring his ‘‘shaken, not stirred.’’ Nevertheless, the martini cocktail has become firmly entrenched in American folklore and literature—and even politics. The period of U.S.-Soviet relations during the presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882–1945) was once jokingly referred to as the ‘‘four martinis and let’s have an agreement’’ era, and the Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev (1894–1971) once called it ‘‘America’s lethal weapon.’’ Recipes ~~~ Spring Chicken Fried [Spring Chicken Saute Sec] After the chicken has been cleaned and singed lay it in salt water for half an hour. Cut it up as for fricassee and see that every piece is wiped dry. Have ready heated in a spider some goose fat or other poultry drippings. Season each piece of chicken with salt and ground ginger, or pepper (I prefer the ginger, it is also more wholesome than pepper). Roll each piece of chicken in sifted cracker
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September 28
‘‘Menu for Jews’’
crumbs (which you have previously seasoned with salt). Fry in the spider, turning often, and browning evenly. You may cut up some parsley and add while frying. If the chicken is quite large, it is better to steam it before frying. ‘‘Aunt Babette,’’ Aunt Babette’s Cook Book (Cincinnati, ca. 1889).
Tomatoes, Surprise Peel four tomatoes, cut off the tops, and scoop out the centres with a small spoon. Season the inside of the tomatoes with salt and pepper, and turn upside down so the water will run out. Cut some celery in small dices, wash well, and mix with mayonnaise sauce, season with salt and pepper, then fill the tomatoes. Serve on lettuce leaves. Victor Hirtzler, The Hotel St. Francis Cook Book (1919).
Pommes Parisienne: see June 23. Potato Croquettes: see December 7.
September 28 ‘‘Menu for Jews’’ aboard the SS Majestic, 1929 The magnificent White Star Line’s SS Majestic left Southampton, England, on September 25, 1929, on one of her regular transatlantic voyages and arrived in New York on the morning of October 1. Aboard were well over 2,000 passengers in three classes. In first class there was at least one countess, one baroness, and one viscount—plus Prince and Princess Matchabelli. The Princess, born Norina Gill (1889–1957), was an Italian actress who later started a perfume company with her husband, Georges Matchabelli (1885– 1935), a prince from Soviet Georgia and previous ambassador to Italy. Norina was en route to Detroit, where she was once more to play the role of the Madonna in a production of ‘‘The Miracle’’—a play written by her previous ¨ller—which she performed over 2,000 times. husband Karl Vollmo The biggest percentage of the passengers aboard the SS Majestic were in third class, and many were emigrants from Europe—and many of these were Jewish. Somewhere in the mid-Atlantic, on September 28, the following ‘‘Special Menu’’ was served. The menu was handwritten, and on the reverse, in a different hand, is written ‘‘Menu for Jews.’’ Special Menu. Salt Herring. Bismarck Herring. Tomato Soup. Grilled Halibut. Grilled Lamb Chops. Beef Goulash. Spinach. Mashed Turnips.
September 28
‘‘Menu for Jews’’
Baked Jacket Potatoes. Salad. Compote of Pears & Pineapple. Tea. Coffee.
This was a simple meal of simple food. It included meat, so it would have been dairy-free in accordance with Jewish dietary laws (see July 11). The herrings and ‘‘goulash’’ would have presumably been familiar and comforting to the European Jews aboard. There are many different forms of prepared herring (see May 6). Bismarck herring is the name given to unskinned filets pickled in a mixture of vinegar, sugar, salt and onions. They are said to have been a particular favorite of the German Chancellor, Otto von Bismarck (1815–1898), who allowed the producer (who regularly sent them to him) to give them his name. The story of goulash is not so straightforward. The word comes from the ´s meaning herdersman (or cowboy), and hu ´ s meaning meat. Hungarian gulya It is a meat stew, flavored with paprika, and traditionally cooked in a cauldron called a bogracs. There is no more a single authentic recipe for goulash than there is for pot-au-feu (see April 7) or hot-pot (see March 29). In practice, every region, and every individual cook in every region, insists that his or hers is the only genuine goulash. Many purists say that tomato and sour cream are not traditional, that in recipes where the meat is fried as a first step, it is with lard, not oil, and the consistency should be soupy rather than stew-like. Recipes ~~~ Hungarian Goulash Cut one pound of lean stewing beef in pieces and place in a saucepan and cover with boiling water. Cook slowly until tender then add One-half cup of onions One carrot, diced, One faggot of soup herbs. When the meat is tender, season with One teaspoon of salt, One and one-half teaspoons of paprika Thicken the gravy with browned flour and then add one-half cup of sour cream. Garnish with finely chopped parsley. Mrs. Mary A Wilson, Mrs. Wilson’s Cook Book (1920).
Jacket Potatoes: see March 4.
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September 29
Supper with the King
September 29 Supper with the King Cha ˆ teau de Choisy, France, 1757 Louis XV (1710–1774) was king of France from the age of five years. He was greatly interested in food, and it is said that he personally perfected a recipe for an asparagus-tip omelette, and that he was responsible for the popularization of the chaud-froid (see July 25)—a dish that was originally a mistake. Since medieval times there was a tradition in France of public dining on the part of the king. The king had to be seen—it was part of his kingly duty —and to be seen dining allowed a public display of his wealth and power. This was called grand couvert (grand dining) to distinguish it from private meals of petit couvert. Although he loved eating, Louis was less enamoured of dining in public than his father, the ‘‘Sun King’’ Louis XIV (1638–1715), and he did less and less of it. ˆteau de Choisy on the outskirts of Paris on the evening Louis was at the Cha of September 29, 1757. It may be that his supper was taken as a petit couvert. A SOUPER Deux oilles, Une aux gros oignons, ` l’espagnolle; Une a Deux potages, Un de sante´, Un a la pure´e de navets. ´ ES ENTRE ˆte´s a ` la balaquine, De petits pa ` la genevoise, De filets de lapereaux a De filets mignons de mouton sauce-piquante, De filets de faisans en matelotte, De cailles au laurier, ` la ve´nitienne, De tourtereaux a ` l’ancien salmy, De perdreaux a De petits pigeons acccompagne´s, Une blanquette de poularde aux truffes, Une marinade de Campines, D’ailerons de poullardes en hatelets, De noix de veau glace´es dans leur jus. ` la turque, Un hachis de gibier a ` la sainte-menehould, De ris de veau a ` l’orange, De canetons de Rouen a Un haricot veloute´ brun. ´S QUATRE RELEVE Un rost de bif de mouton de Choisy, ` l’e´carlatte. Une pie`ce de bœuf a ` la chicore´e, Un aloyau, le filet mince´ a ` l’oignon cru. De poulles de Caux a
September 29
Supper with the King
QUATRE GRANDS ENTREMETS ˆte´ de faisands, Un pa Un jambon au perdrou ¨ illet, Une brioche, Une croquante. DEUX MOYENS ROST De petits poulets, De campines, De pigeons ortolans, De grives, De guignards, De perdreaux rouges, De faisands, Un caneton de Rouen. SEIZE PETITS ENTR[EMETS] ` l’infusion de cafe´. Une cre`me a ` la Baligoure, D’artichaux a ` l’essence, De cardes a De chouxfleurs au parmesan, D’œufs au jus de perdreaux, ` la cendre, De truffes a D’e´pinards au jus, De cre`tes, D’animelles, D’haricots verts au verjus, Une omelette au jambon, ` la Duxelle, De pattes de dindons a ˆgout mesle´, Un ra De profiterolles de chocolat, De petites jalousies, ` la Genest. Une cre`me a
A glance at this modest supper menu shows the great symmetry and regularity of numbers that was a feature of French meals in the eighteenth (and on into the nineteenth) centuries. It also shows how many French culinary words have entered the English language essentially unchanged—such as marinade, profiteroles, piquant, and omelette. There is one example of the reverse influence: the rost de bif (sometimes written rosbif). The English were the acknowledged masters of the art of roasting large pieces of meat, and roast beef became so closely associated with the English that they became known abroad as rosbifs. The phrase in France also came to apply to the method of cooking, so that there could be a rosbif de mouton, for example (see January 18). Recipes ~~~ Animelles are testicles (see May 29), usually of lamb, and they were a ‘‘dainty dish,’’ as were cocks’ combs.
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September 30
Sheriff’s Dinner Animelles or Lambs Stones
Take two or three pairs of Lambs Stones, and being ready to serve, cut them in four or eight Pieces, take off the skin, throw some fine Salt over them and wipe them dry; flour them without touching them with your Hands, and fry them immediately in very hot Hogs Lard, make them crisp, then dish them up, and serve them up hot for a dainty Dish.
A Rago ˆ ut with Cocks Combs with a White Sauce, for a Dainty Dish Put in a stew-pan a Bit of Butter and a Bunch of Sweet Herbs, with some Mushrooms cut in Bits, and Truffles if you have any; toss it up, put in about half a spoonful of fine Flour, moisten it with a little Broth, season it with Salt and Pepper, and let it stew over a slow Fire. Now put in your Cocks Combs, and thicken your Ragoˆut with Yolks of Eggs and Cream, mixed with a little Nutmeg; let your Ragoˆut be palatable, and serve it up hot for a dainty Dish or for what you think fit. The Modern Cook, a translation of Vincent la Chapelle’s Cuisine Moderne (1742).
Potage de Sante: see March 28. Brioche: see February 24.
September 30 Sheriff’s Dinner Hall of the Fishmongers’ Company, London, England, 1847 The newly elected sheriffs for the city of London and county of Middlesex ‘‘by ancient custom’’ were chosen on the 28th of September, and on the 30th were sworn before the Cursitor-Baron of the Court of Exchequer. The CursitorBaron would at this time also officially approve the choice (by the livery companies, see October 28) of Lord Mayor for the year. A strange custom whose original meaning is obscure was enacted at this time too. The senior alderman would formally count six horseshoes and sixty-one hobnails, and chop two bundles of sticks, thereby fulfilling the conditions by which the Corporation of London held ‘‘certain estates in Shropshire.’’ Naturally, the ceremonies were wound up with a banquet. Messrs. Bath and Breach of the London Tavern catered the dinner, and 240 worthy civic leaders sat down in the Fishmongers’ Hall to a dinner of a particularly ‘‘grand and recherche´ character, comprising every kind of delicacy.’’ FIRST COURSE.—Turtle, pieds de tortue a la matelotte, vol-au-vent au gras, escallopes a l’Italienne, pieds de tortue a l’Espagnol, turbots, dories, Gloucester salmon, mullets, crimped cod, saute whitings with oysters, smelts, matelotte of tench, spitched eels, boiled and roast chickens, raised pies, venison pasties,
September 30
Sheriff’s Dinner
stewed rumps of beef, sauce a l’Espagnol, roast capons, roast rumps of beef, hams, tongues, saddles of mutton, tendrons de veaux aux champignons, cotelettes de mouton a la Soubise, compote de pigeons a la Victoria, ris de veau aux tomattes, cotelettes d’agneau aux concombres, filets de lapereaux a la Sultan, fricandeau de veau au sorel, vol-au-vent with ragout, quenelles de poulardes aux champignons, filets de canetons a la puree de pois. REMOVES.—Haunches of venison. SECOND COURSE.—Ptarmigans, partridges, pheasants, grouse, turkey poults larded, leverets, mayonnaise of lobsters, prawns, croustade of oysters, gateau a la Duchese, apple tarts, fanchonettes; Italian, noyeau, and Rhenish creams; nugat with cream; maraschino, Dantsic, noyeau, and apple jellies; gateau of apple, boudin St. Clair; raspberry, apricot, and greengage tourtes; trifles, soufles, plum and cabinet puddings. DESSERT.—Pineapples, hot-house grapes, peaches, nectarines, melons, apples, pears, gages, plums, filberts, walnuts, almonds and raisins, ornamented cakes, brandy cherries, ginger, olives, and ices. WINES.—Champagne, sherry, hock, Sauterne, Moselle, Bucellas, Madeira, claret, and Port; milk punch.
At the end of the dinner, the ‘‘loving cup’’ went round, ‘‘according to ancient civic custom.’’ A loving cup is a large, two-handled cup of silver, often highly ornate. The passing around of the loving cup in a highly formal manner, each person in turn taking a draught, is a ceremony with very ancient roots. It was intended to demonstrate friendship—or at least the absence of imminent aggression, the ‘‘weapon hand’’ being clearly in view the whole time. Recipes ~~~ Fanchonettes a la Vanille Break into a stewpan six yolks of eggs, four ounces of powdered sugar, with an infusion of vanille, two ounces of fine sifted flour, work these well together, and by degrees, add one pint of cream; put the stewpan over a slow fire, and stir it continually till it boils thick; cover twenty or thirty tartlet moulds, and fill each with the cream; bake them in a slow oven, and when they are cold whip two whites of eggs very strong, and mix them with four ounces of sifted sugar for a maringue, and with a paper funnel garnish the fanchonettes neatly; sift sugar over them, and put them again into the oven to dry. These may he flavored with orange or lemon, and to which may be added currants that have been washed and dried, or the cream may be intermixed with almonds cut fine. I. Roberts, The Young Cook’s Guide (1841).
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September 30
Sheriff’s Dinner Milk Punch
Rub off on lumps of sugar the zest of a dozen lemons; pare off what you do take off on the sugar, but take none of the white stuff; infuse in two quarts of brandy; strain off in two days, and add of clarified sirup two pounds, and of water two quarts, with half a pint of hot new milk; strain through a jelly bag, and keep in a close jar or small cask till it fines, which will be in six weeks or less. Milk punch may be made extempore by adding a little hot milk to lemonade, and straining through a jelly bag; it is generally drunk cold. Thomas Webster and William Parkes, An Encyclopædia of Domestic Economy (1855).
Cabinet Pudding: see June 30.
October October 1 Dinner in Utopia Red Bank, Monmouth County, New Jersey, 1854 A large number of ‘‘experimental colonies’’ or ‘‘utopian societies’’ were formed in the nineteenth century in response to a growing belief in the breakdown of community and the associated increase in social evil and sinning. Many, but not all, had a common religious foundation. Some were exclusively vegetarian. Several, including the ‘‘North American Phalanx’’ which is the source of this day’s menu, were based on the ideas of the French social philosopher Charles Fourier (1771–1837). The actual physical conditions in many of the communities were far from utopian, which explains why so many of them lasted such a short time—the enthusiasm and energy of the recruits quickly fading in the harsh reality of awful accommodation, grueling labor, and inadequate food. Fourier’s philosophy of cooperative living (in communities called ‘‘phalanxes’’) allowed for a more liberal approach, with individual variations in wealth being quite acceptable. The Fourier followers who founded the North American Phalanx in fact made a deliberate attempt to recruit wealthy members, and as part of their strategy did away with the usual shared food system and replaced it with a ‘‘restaurant’’ with a daily bill of fare, table service, and every item ordered being charged against the patron’s labor account. SOUP
PASTRY
Rice Soup
Naples Biscuit
Beef Soup
Gingerbread Sugar Cakes
MEATS Roast Veal Ragout
Squash Pie
Corned Beef with Cabbage
Apple Pie
Boiled Ham
Squash Pudding
Cold Roast Beef
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Dinner in Utopia VEGETABLES Boiled Potatoes
Boiled Sweet Potatoes
FRUIT
Vegetable Gumbo
Apple Sauce
Stewed Tomatoes
Preserved Peaches
Pickled Beets
Apples
Tomato Sauce Squash BREAD
MISCELLANEOUS
White Bread
Chocolate
Crackers
Coffee
Graham Bread
Black Tea Hot and Cold Milk Sugar Syrup Butter Cheese
TO ORDER
Cottage Cheese Pickles
Dry and Wet Toast
Molasses
There is a fine range of choices in this menu—substantial meat dishes as well as vegetables (squash appears to be in good supply), cakes and pies, condiments and beverages. Perhaps its more liberal food policy assisted this group to survive for 15 years (1841–1856)—significantly longer than many similar societies. Recipes ~~~ Pumpkin and Squash Pie The usual way of dressing pumpkins in England in a pie is to cut them into slices, mixed with apples, and bake them with a top crust like ordinary pies. A quite different process is pursued in America, and the editor can testify to the immense superiority of the Yankee method. In England, the pumpkin is grown for show rather than for use; nevertheless, when properly dressed, it is a very delicious vegetable, and a universal favourite with our New England neighbours. The following is the American method of making a pumpkin pie: Take out the seeds, and pare the pumpkin or squash; but in taking out the seeds do not scrape the inside of the pumpkin; the part nearest the seed is the sweetest; then stew the pumpkin, and strain it through a sieve or colander. To a quart of
October 2
Banquet for the 75th Anniversary of the Biltmore Hotel
milk for a family pie, three eggs are sufficient. Stir in the stewed pumpkin with your milk and beaten-up eggs till it is as thick as you can stir round rapidly and easily. If the pie is wanted richer make it thinner, and add another egg or two; but even one egg to a quart of milk makes ‘‘very decent pies.’’ Sweeten with molasses or sugar; add two tea-spoonfuls of salt, two table-spoonfuls of sifted cinnamon, and one of powdered ginger; but allspice may be used, or any other spice that may be preferred. The peel of a lemon grated in gives it a pleasant flavour. The more eggs, says our American authority, the better the pie. Some put one egg to a gill of milk. Bake about an hour, in deep plates, or shallow dishes, without an upper crust, in a warm oven. There is another method of making this pie, which, we know from experience, produces an excellent dish: Take out the seeds, and grate the pumpkin till you come to the outside skin. Sweeten the pulp; add a little ground allspice, lemon peel, and lemon juice; in short, flavour it to your taste. Bake without an upper crust. J. M. Sanderson, The Complete Confectioner, Pastry-Cook, and Baker (ca. 1849).
Squash Pudding Run your stewed squash through a sieve; take four eggs, one pint of milk; sweeten it thoroughly; add a little rose-water and cinnamon. Make a good paste, and pour the above ingredients into a deep pudding dish. Esther Howland, The New England Economical Housekeeper, and Family Receipt Book (1845).
October 2 Banquet for the 75th Anniversary of the Biltmore Hotel Los Angeles, California, 1998 Everything about Los Angeles was booming in the early 1920s. There was prosperity and a mood of great optimism. It was the Roaring Twenties and the Jazz Age, and a great movie industry was developing around Hollywood. The town was ready for a large and glamorous hotel. When the Biltmore Hotel opened on October 1, 1923, the newspapers were already calling it ‘‘fashionable.’’ It was the biggest hotel west of Chicago, with over a thousand rooms, all with private baths, and it instantly became a landmark and an irresistible venue for the rich and famous. The opening banquet was a spectacular affair. Three thousand guests attended (seven thousand hopefuls did not make the list), and dined in eight dining rooms full of flowers, to the combined music of seven orchestras and a host of live canaries. It was the beginning of a long relationship between the hotel and the motion picture industry. Many of the guests on the night were involved in movie making, including Cecil B. de Mille, Douglas Fairbanks Sr., and Mary Pickford. A few years later the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences had its beginnings at the Biltmore, and the first awards night (the ‘‘Oscars’’) was held in the hotel’s Crystal Ballroom (see May 16).
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Banquet for the 75th Anniversary of the Biltmore Hotel
For the 75th anniversary the menu of the grand opening banquet was recreated, the proceeds of the $75 a head charge going to benefit the Los Angeles Conservancy. ESSENCE OF TOMATO AUX QUENELLES Tomato Bisque with Spinach and Chicken Dumplings * CRABMEAT EPICURIENNE Crab and Cream Cheese Mousse with Shallots and Fine Herbs wrapped in a Crepe Purse * INTERMEZZO Cognac Granite * ´E ENTRE Choice of CHICKEN A LA BILTMORE Free range Breast of Chicken Stuffed with Spinach, Pine Nuts, and Mascarpone with Cabernet Sauce NOISETTES OF LAMB Domestic Lamb, Rosemary Garlic Mashed Potatoes and Garlic Cream Seasonal Vegetables PAN ROASTED SEA TROUT WITH CAPERS Presented with Parsley Boiled Potatoes and Seasonal Vegetables * ANNIVERSARY SALAD Spring Field Greens and Teardrop Tomatoes with Champagne Vinaigrette * DESSERT Choice of FRESH PEACH HILDA Fresh Peaches with Hazelnut Ice Cream, Chartreuse Anglaise and Whipped Cream. BERNARD’s SIGNATURE ‘‘BLACK PLATE’’ INDIVIDUAL BAKED ALASKA * PETIT FOURS SECS COFFEE/TEA
The dishes may have been the same as at the dinner in 1923, but the menu card itself demonstrates some interesting changes in dining behavior in the intervening 75 years. This menu shows the modern trend to describing dishes in detail—almost to the extent of giving recipes. There are a number of possible explanations for this. The gold standard of a fine dinner used to be a superb rendition of classic dishes—and every reasonably sophisticated consumer knew the classic names. Today the desire is for constant novelty,
October 2
Banquet for the 75th Anniversary of the Biltmore Hotel
so a chef’s creations must be described in detail so that diners know what they are getting. It may be that this trend has caused a ‘‘dumbing down’’ of diners who no longer understand the classic culinary language. A diner in 1923 would not need to have been told that quenelles are ‘‘dumplings.’’ Alternatively, of course, this could be viewed as finally moving away from French as the language of menus, and the sense of snobbery that this implied. The only dish on this menu that is not described in detail is the bombe Alaska, because it is enduringly popular and familiar. Bombe Alaska is a dish of sponge cake and ice cream coated in a meringue mixture and quickly cooked in an oven to slightly set the meringue but without melting the ice cream. There are a number of stories about its origin, from the fanciful to the possible. The most popular story is that it was invented by Charles Ranhofer of Delmonico’s in New York to celebrate the purchase of Alaska in 1867. One problem with this theory is that in his book The Epicurean, Ranhofer calls it ‘‘Alaska, Florida.’’ The other is that the idea is not new at all. Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826) served an ice cream in a crust in 1802 (see February 6), and in 1866 the French Baron Brisse (possibly the first food journalist) noted in his newspaper column that at a dinner of a Chinese delegation at the Grand Hotel in Paris, ‘‘baked ices’’ were served. The only real question is—who named the dish? Recipes ~~~ Baked Alaska Whites 6 eggs. 6 tablespoons powdered sugar. 2 quart brick of ice cream. Thin sheet sponge cake. Make meringue of eggs and sugar as in Meringue I [see below], cover a board with white paper, lay on sponge cake, turn ice cream on cake (which should extend one-half inch beyond cream), cover with meringue, and spread smoothly. Place on oven grate and brown quickly in hot oven. The board, paper, cake, and meringue are poor conductors of heat, and prevent the cream from melting. Slip from paper on ice cream platter.
Meringue Whites 2 eggs. 2 tablespoons powdered sugar. 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice or 1/4 teaspoon vanilla. Beat whites until stiff, add sugar gradually and continue beating, then add flavoring. Fannie Merritt Farmer, The Boston Cooking-School Cookbook (Boston, 1896).
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October 3
Dinner on the Inaugural Flight
October 3 Dinner on the Inaugural Flight Super Constellation, KLM Airlines, 1953 Royal Dutch Airlines (or KLM from its name in Dutch) has been flying international routes since May 17, 1920, making it the oldest airline in the world still operating under its original name. The company has a long association with another famous product of Holland—the blue and white china called Delftware. KLM has a tradition of presenting its first-class passengers with miniatures made of Delft china, filled with yet another product originating in the Netherlands—gin. On the occasion of the airline’s first flight aboard the Super Constellation, from Amsterdam to Johanessburg, South Africa, on October 3, 1953, the theme was varied slightly. There was no gin, and the Delft souvenir was a tiny square of china on which was painted the menu for the ‘‘Trans-Saharan’’ dinner. Homard en Bellevue Tomatoes farcies aux Champignons Veloute´ Dame Blanche Tournedos Rossini Ce´leri en branche ˆteau Pommes Cha Coupe Jamaı¨que Fromages Assortis Corbeille de Fruits Cafe´—Liqueur—Cognac
Airline food has become the butt of many jokes over the years. In the early years, airlines went to a great deal of trouble to provide inviting, elegant food because it was all first-class travel (see timeline, January 21). The only people who could afford to fly were wealthy and were used to fine dining and would not have tolerated anything less. In-flight catering poses many challenges. There is limited space for storage and cooking of food, but passengers from many different ethnic, cultural, and religious backgrounds have to be supplied. Turbulence can complicate serving and eating, and at high altitudes food tastes more bland, so seasoning has to be adjusted. Over recent decades many airlines have progressively reduced or completely ceased in-flight catering, particularly on short-haul and domestic flights in economy class, pleading rising costs. There has been a parallel move, however, to have celebrity chefs involved in meal-planning, particularly for those offered in first and business class, in an attempt to attract the more wealthy passengers.
October 3
Dinner on the Inaugural Flight
Recipes ~~~ Tournedos Rossini was created by the famous chef Auguste Escoffier (1846– 1935) in honor of the composer Gioachino Rossini (1789–1868). Tournedos Rossini ˆ tons, fried in butter, meat jelly, 4 slices Seasoning: 4 tournedos, butter, 4 crou foie gras, Madeira, 12 slices truffle, dem-glace sauce. Season and saute´ the tournedos in butter. Cover each crouton with a little meat jelly and place the tournedos on top. Arrange on a serving dish. Saute´ foie gras in butter and place a slice on each tournedos. Add a little Madeira to the pan in which the tournedos were cooked, boil, add the slice of truffle and the very well reduced demi-glace sauce. Pour over the tournedos. Serve with a dish of noodles, mixed with butter and Parmesan cheese. Auguste Escoffier, Ma Cuisine (1934).
Pommes chateau are a traditional garnish for grilled meats. Their being presented as a side dish to the tournedos Rossini suggests that this was not served with the usual noodles. Pommes Chateau Take twenty potatoes, turn them with a knife into olive shape, boil them in salted water for five minutes; drain them and put them on a baking-tin with salt and butter or dripping. Cook them in a very hot oven for thirty minutes, moving them about from time to time. Sprinkle on a little chopped parsley before serving. Mrs Brian Luck, The Belgian Cookbook (1915).
´ Dame Blanche Veloute A basic veloute´ (thickened white sauce or soup) with diced chicken, chicken quenelles, tapioca, and almonds. It is named for the opera White Lady, by Franc¸oisAdrien Boı¨eldieu (1775–1834).
Coupe Jamaique Coffee ice cream, cream, pineapple, rum-apricot sauce, decorated with a crystallized violet.
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October 4
Insurance Company Dinner
October 4 Insurance Company Dinner Copenhagen, Denmark, 1896 When the Hafnia Life Insurance Company in Copenhagen held a company dinner on October 4, 1896, for some reason not made clear on the menu, it was decided that it would be written in Latin. Hafniæ, anno MDCCCLXXXXVI Octbr. IV — ORDINATIO COENAE IN DIE CONFIRMATIONIS ‘‘FILIOLÆ’’ Rep. Sorbitionis homari q. s. ad ‘‘Madeira’’ Leporis in crusto volante q. s. ad ‘‘Bordeaux’’ Linguea bovinæ cum oleribus q. s. ad ‘‘Sauterne’’ Gelatinae vini albi q. s. ad ‘‘florem Lactis vanillatum’’ Anatis assæ cum solano q. s. ad ‘‘Bourgogne’’ Casei gallici cum pane et butyro q. s. ad ‘‘Oporto’’ Glaciei gallicæ novæ q. s. ad ‘‘Xeres’’ Crusti saccharati amydalum q. s. ad ‘‘Champagne’’ Infusi faborum Coffeæ q. s. ad liquorum benedictum ‘‘D.O.M.’’ D. S. Nydes cum apetitu et ad libitum.
‘‘Hafnia’’ is the Latin name for Copenhagen. It is also the name of a large Danish insurance company that was founded in the nineteenth century. The menu is in the Buttolph collection of historic menus at the New York Public Library, and many of the items have notations on them in what is
October 4
Insurance Company Dinner
presumably the hand of the collector, Miss Frank E. Buttolph (1850–1924). The only indication that ‘‘Hafniæ’’ refers to the insurance company rather than simply the location is a note to that effect on the reverse of the menu in the same handwriting, so it is reasonable to assume that it is correct. It must have been an interesting challenge for the organizers of the dinner to try to translate ‘‘modern’’ dishes that did not exist in ancient Rome into the Latin language. It also makes for an interesting challenge to both Latin scholars and culinary historians to try to interpret the items on the menu. Leporis in crusto volante for example translates approximately as ‘‘hare (or rabbit) in a flying crust.’’ The most likely is that these were what would now be called vol-au-vents—which are puff pastry cases that ‘‘fly in the wind’’ or are as ‘‘light as air’’ (see September 17). There are mentions, but not actual recipes in the fourteenth-century European cookery manuscripts for ‘‘Payn Puff,’’ which may have been something similar, but it is certain that the ancient Romans did not make puff pastry. Good, light pastry is made with hard fats such as lard—or in the case of puff pastry, butter—and the Romans found the use of animal fat disgusting and used olive oil for every culinary purpose. The solano served with the roast duck is a small mystery. The word is Latin-like and is the name of the hot summer wind of Spain, and a word associated with several wine-growing areas around the world, but these do not seem likely. The word order suggests a side dish, and if this is the case then it probably means potatoes, which are of the botanical family Solanum. Potatoes, of course, are a New World plant only known in Europe from the early sixteenth century, and the Romans could not have known about them. A reasonable translation of the menu is lobster soup; rabbit vol-au-vents; beef tongue with vegetables; white wine jelly; roast duck with potatoes; French cheese with bread and butter; novel French ices; almond tart; coffee; and Benedictine liqueur. Recipes ~~~ The following recipes are taken from A Practical Dictionary of Cookery: 1200 Tested Recipes by E. S. Meyer (London, 1898). Puff pastry is a component of many of the recipes in this book. It is not commonly made in the home today, as it is perceived as being complicated, and it is easy to purchase frozen.
Almond Tartlets 4 oz. pounded almonds, 2 oz. butter, 2 oz. pounded sugar, the yolks of 2 eggs, 1 oz. crushed ratafias, 1 tablespoonful cream. Crust No. 400 [see below] . . . made with 8 oz. flour, and other ingredients in proportion.
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Druggists’ Luncheon
Put the butter and sugar into a basin, and beat them together with a wooden spoon until the mixture becomes smooth and creamy. Add the pounded almonds and ratafias, and the eggs, which must be beaten and strained. Whip the cream to a stiff froth, and mix it thoroughly with all the other ingredients. Butter some patty pans, line them with the paste, put some of the mixture in each, and bake carefully in a moderately quick oven.
Crust, Puff 1 lb. flour, 1 lb. butter, yolks of 2 eggs, juice of 1 lemon, 1/4 tea-spoonful salt, 7 or 8 table-spoonfuls water. Put the flour in a basin and make a hollow in the centre, in which place the yolks of the eggs (first removing the speck), salt, lemon juice, and sufficient very cold water to make a smooth paste, mixing the dough with a wooden spoon as the water is added. Turn the crust on to a floured pastry-board, and leave for 5 minutes, then roll it out into a sheet 1/2 an inch in thickness, and sift a little flour on it. Press the butter into a sheet about an inch thick, and lay it in the centre of the paste, fold over each end on to it, entirely hiding the butter, sift a little flour over, and roll the paste out into a long sheet 1/4 of an inch thick. If this is properly done the paste and butter will flatten out without the butter breaking through the paste. Sift a little flour on the board and on the paste between each rolling-out. Fold the paste in three, and roll out; fold again in three, roll out a second time, then put the paste on a floured dish, and leave it in a very cool place, or, in summer, over ice for 1/4 of an hour. At the end of that time fold and roll out twice again, set it aside for 1/4 of an hour, then fold and roll out twice making 6 rollings-out in all and it is ready for use. It is most important to have the butter thoroughly cold and hard, as if it is at all soft and greasy it is impossible to prevent it breaking through the paste, which will then not rise properly. Should it seem at all watery, wring it dry in a cloth, or the paste will be heavy, but if good fresh butter is used this ought not to be necessary.
Vol-au-vents (see September 17). October 5 Druggists’ Luncheon Steamboat Sandy Hook, New York, 1894 The National Wholesale Druggists’ Association Convention of 1894 ended with an excursion that was, according to The New York Times, ‘‘unequalled in the history of trade gatherings or gatherings of any kind in point of magnificence and completeness.’’ The steamboat Sandy Hook, which was capable of the great speed of 20 knots, was chartered by the Entertainment
October 5
Druggists’ Luncheon
Committee to take the delegates and their wives and daughters (clearly, none of the delegates themselves were women) on a trip around the harbor, during which time they were to enjoy luncheon catered for by the famous restaurant Delmonico’s and music from the full band of the Seventh Regiment. The weather was clear and bracing, but the sea a little choppy, resulting in some of the passengers becoming seasick, so the boat was quickly ordered about, and the cruise continued on the calmer waters of the Hudson River. All passengers recovered thanks in part to ‘‘judicious doses of champagne’’ and were able to enjoy their luncheon. Huitres Consomme´ en tasses. ` la Newberg. Homard a Filets de boeuf aux olives farcies. Haricots verts saute´s. ` la cre`me. Cotelettes de volaille a ` l’Anglaise. Petits pois a Sorbet Romaine. Perdreaux au cresson. ` la gele´e. Foies gras a Salade de laitue. Croute aux ananas. Gele´e aux pistaches, Orientale. Charlotte vanille. Glaces fantaisies. Fruits. Petits Fours. Cafe´
The luncheon was a masterpiece of organizing, particularly on the part of the staff of Delmonico’s. Every single piece of tableware including the tablecloths for 520 guests had to be carried from the restaurant to transform the entire lower deck into a dining room. One hundred uniformed waiters were in attendance, and the meal was served with amazing efficiency. The hot dishes were served smoking hot, the chilled dishes thoroughly cold, and the wine was ‘‘handled in the most artistic manner.’’ It was no mean feat for the restaurant to provide such an excellent service for such a large number on an unfamiliar and constantly mobile venue far from its own premises, and the visitors were unstinting in their praise. New York had come to expect such service from Delmonico’s restaurant. It had catered for virtually every great dinner in the city for decades. Recipes ~~~ Crou ˆ tes aux Ananas, Sauce d’Abricots Cut from cooked savarin some slices three-eighths of an inch thick; from these remove some rounds three inches in diameter; divide these in two through the center and notch them on their convex side. Arrange these slices shaped like cocks’-combs on a baking sheet, dredge them over with sugar, and glaze in a
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Remarkable Fish Banquet
brisk oven; cover them on the unglazed side with strawberry marmalade strained through a sieve, and lay on each one a fine slice of preserved pineapple; decorate the borders of the crusts reaching out beyond the pineapple with angelica lozenges and candied cherries cut in four, then dress them on a dish in a circle, one overlapping the other. Fill the hollow of the circle with candied fruits cut in dice, such as apricots, pears, greengages, green almonds, candied cherries, orange peel and angelica, the whole washed in warm water, and then mingled with apricot marmalade flavored with kirsch; heat the dish after it is dressed in the oven for ten minutes. Serve an apricot kirsch sauce (below) separately. Apricot Kirsch Sauce: Put three gills of apricot pulp into a copper pan, with as much water and half a pound of sugar; let boil up once or twice, then strain the sauce through a fine sieve and add one gill of kirsch to it. Charles Ranhofer, The Epicurean (1894).
Savarin: this is a sweet yeast cake made the same way as brioche (see February 24), but baked in a ring mold. Lobster Newberg: see April 16. ` l’Anglaise: see November 27. Petits pois a Petits Fours: see November 14.
October 6 Remarkable Fish Banquet Lafayette Restaurant, Centennial Grounds, Philadelphia, 1876 The American Fish Culturists’ Association gave ‘‘one of the most novel dinners which has ever taken place in this country’’ during the Centennial International Exhibition (World’s Fair) in Philadelphia in 1876. The American Fish Culturists’ Association was started in 1870, in response to awareness of declining populations of some fish—proving that concern about the environmental damage done by recreational and commercial fishing is not a new issue. They proved to be a powerful lobby group, but their interest was not purely altruistic. They saw fish as a commodity and hoped to replenish depleted waterways with the products of their own fish hatcheries. The exhibition provided the association with a fine opportunity for promoting its main product. The New York Times reported that the intention was that ‘‘every variety of fish caught on the Atlantic or Pacific coast of the United States will be presented, supplemented by European fish.’’ The job of sourcing and preparing the supplies fell to Eugene C. Blackford of Fulton Market, New York City, and he acquitted himself superbly, sourcing 58 varieties from around the world. Blackford sought far and wide for his supplies and his advice. The English sole and turbot were brought over on the SS Brittanic, and the Japanese seaweed was courtesy of the cook of the Japanese Commission at the exhibition. His brief was also made easier by extending the definition of ‘‘fish’’ for the purposes of the banquet to include many other aquatic creatures such as
October 6
Remarkable Fish Banquet
SOUPS. Green turtle, a la Blackford. Bisque of Lobster, Seth Green Style. HORS D’ŒUVRE CHAUD. Bouchees of Craw Fish, A la Remy.
Fried Oysters,
Ferguson Style.
´ la Edmunds. Fried Scallops, a HORS D’ŒUVRE FROID. Mackerel in Oil.—Norway
Mackerel, Fried.—Norway.
Halibut.—Norway
Salmon.—Norway.
Pluck Fish.—Norway
Canned Mackerel.
Anchovies.—Sweden. Conger Eel.—Portugal.
—Norway.
Mackerel.—Sweeden.
Sardines in Oil.—Portugal
Squid in Oil.—Portugal.
Conger Eel with Tomatoes.
Mackerel in Oil.—Spain.
—Spain.
Sardines in Oil.—Spain.
Miilion.—Spain.
Sardines in Vinegar.—Spain.
Fried Bass.—Spain. Botargo, (Mullet Roes.)—Turkey. Cray Fish, Cape of Good Hope.—Africa. Shake, Dried Salmon.—Japan. Sardines.—France
Anchovies.—France.
Tunny.—France Salmon.—Holland. Shark Fins, Black.—China.
Shark Fins, White.—China.
Oolachans.—Alaska. Caviar.—Russia.
Sardines.—Italy.
Poisson au Blanc.—Russia.
Caviar.—California. Dried Octopus Eggs.—China.
Dried Fish Maws.—China.
Sword Fish.—Portugal. RELEVEES. Striped Bass, a la Brevourt.
Pompano, a la Reeder.
ENTREES. Caisse of Terrapin, a la Norris. Deviled Crabs, Gill’s style. Filet of English Soles, a la Buckland. Turbot a la Whitcher.
Timball of Frogs, a la Cost.
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Remarkable Fish Banquet VEGETABLES. Potatoes, Parisienne. French String Beans.
French Peas. Stuffed Egg Plants.
ROAST. Sheep’s Head, Agassiz Sauce.
Blue Fish, a la Goode.
COLD PIECES. Aspic of Eels, a la Huxley. Buison D’Ecrevisses, a la Atkins. Saumon, a la Baird, Beurre de Montpelier. Lobster Salad. DESSERT. Pudding, a la Neptune.
Napolitan Ice Cream.
ORNAMENTAL PIECES. Bateau de Pecheur, a la Roosevelt. ‘‘Fisherman’s Luck,’’ a la Shepherd Page. Kan-ten Japanese Sea-weed, a la Sekizawa Akekio. Fruits.
Cheese.
Coffee.
terrapin, frogs, and octopus eggs. The use of some preserved products also must have helped in the catering: as well as the canned fish and fish in oil, there was botargo—the roe of fish (usually mullet) pickled or dried. A large number of foreign commissioners to the exhibition were invited, and the advance publicity of the ‘‘icthyc feast’’ excited much curiosity. The propaganda opportunity was greatly increased by the honoring of many of the guests and those prominent in the fisheries business in the names given to the dishes. Recipes ~~~ Fried Scallops Clean one quart scallops, add one and one-half cups boiling water, and let stand two minutes; drain, and dry between towels. Season with salt and pepper, roll in fine cracker crumbs, dip in egg, again in crumbs, and fry two minutes in deep fat; then drain on brown paper. Fannie Merritt Farmer, The Boston Cooking School Cook Book (1896).
October 7
Esperanto Society Meeting Dinner
Deviled Crabs Boil them, take the meat out of the bodies, and large claws; put it into stew pan with half a pint of claret, spoonful of eschalot vinegar, a little cayenne, some salt, piece of butter. Stew for an hour over a gentle fire until they are almost dry. Then add small quantity of fish stock, or gravy, a tablespoonful of essence of anchovy, and small piece of butter rolled in flour. Serve with sippets of fried bread around the dish. Carrie V. Shuman, Favorite Dishes. A Columbian Autograph Souvenir Cookery Book (1893).
Napolitan [Neopolitan] Ice Cream: see December 20. Turtle Soup: see November 10. Sharks Fins: see March 8.
October 7 Esperanto Society Meeting Dinner New England, 1911 A group of students and enthusiasts of the constructed language Esperanto met on this day over a fine meal. Presumably they had no problem interpreting the menu, which was written in the language that they studied. ˆ ETO TAGMANG La 7an de Oktobro, 1911 MENUO Buljono Salaj Biskvitoj Celerio Hispanaj Oilivoj Viandfritajˆo de Kokido ˆeleo Vakcinia J ˆ Pistitajo de Terpomoj Nematura Maizo Trancˆitaj Tomatoj Valdorfa Salato Varmegaj Bulkoj Vanila Glaciajˆo Diverospecaj Kukoj Kafo — A. S.Coldwell La Ulmoj
Esperanto was designed as a neutral international language by L. L. Zamenhoff in 1889, and there are estimated to be about two million speakers worldwide. Seventy-five percent of its vocabulary comes from Latin and Romance languages, and about 20 percent from Germanic languages, so it
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Esperanto Society Meeting Dinner
is possible for native speakers of these (and Slavic languages) to guess many of the words. ˆeto) was held at ‘‘La Ulmoj’’ (‘‘The Elms’’) in NovanThis lunch (tagmang glujo (‘‘New England’’). The menu does not specify the country where this meal took place. In addition to the northeastern corner of the United States, there are areas named New England in Cambridgeshire in the United Kingdom and in inland northern New South Wales in Australia. A translation of the menu and a study of the food served shows unequivocally that this meal took place in the United States. Bouillon Salted Biscuits Celery Spanish Olives Roast Chicken Whortleberry Jelly Mashed Potatoes Fresh Corn (on the Cob) Sliced Tomatoes Waldorf Salad Hot Rolls Vanilla Ice cream A Variety of Cakes Coffee
Salted biscuits, celery, and olives were almost obligatory on American menus of the era; maize was never eaten fresh from the cob in England in the early-twentieth century, although maize flour was used in baking; whorteberries (Vaccinium myrtillus) would have been called bilberries or blueberries in England, and were not grown in Australia until the 1950s. The final convincing dish is the Waldorf Salad—an unequivocally American salad traditionally understood to include apples, celery, and walnuts in a mayonnaise dressing. As well, a resort called ‘‘The Elms’’ in Manchester, New Hampshire, at this time, was run by Archie Coldwell. Recipes ~~~ The Waldorf Salad was invented by chef Oscar Tshirky (‘‘Oscar of the Waldorf’’) for the opening of the hotel by that name in New York in 1893. Oscar included his recipe for it in the cookbook he published in 1896—called simply The Cook Book. His original recipe did not contain walnuts. Waldorf Salad Peel two raw apples and cut them into small pieces, say about half an inch square, also cut some celery the same way, and mix it with the apple. Be very careful not to let any seeds of the apples be mixed with it. The salad must be dressed with a good mayonnaise.
October 8
Chicago Fire Centennial Anniversary Banquet
Within a very short period of time, multiple variations of the salad were to be found in many cookbooks, and one appearing in 1905 did include nuts. Waldorf Salad Three-fourths cup chopped nuts, half cup chopped celery; one cup apple cut fine, dash of paprika, and salt to taste. Mix with mayonnaise or any other salad dressing as preferred. Enough for six persons. The Times Cook Book, No. 2 (1905).
October 8 Chicago Fire Centennial Anniversary Banquet Conrad Hilton Hotel, Chicago, Illinois, 1971 Chicago was booming in 1871 when a disastrous fire razed the city. It began on October 3 and burned until October 10, destroying four square miles of the city, damaging $200 million in property, killing hundreds, and leaving a third of its citizens homeless. The rebuilding began immediately, continued at a rapid pace, the new face of the city emerging, it seemed, even stronger. One hundred years later Chicago commemorated the anniversary of the fire with a series of special events, including the obligatory parade and series of banquets. The largest banquet was sponsored by the mayor and members of the City Council and took place at the Hilton Hotel. Guests totaling 1,400 sat down in the International Ballroom to a menu that was a mini-history of the fire itself. Fire House Double Strength Beef Bouillon Corn Sticks Roast Prime Rib of Beef Mrs. O’Leary’s Baked Beans with Salt Pork Little Giant Company Glazed Carrots Caesar Salad Assorted Muffins and Soda Bread Tub Butter Mayor Mason Bombe—Rum Sauce Coffee—Old Fashioned Cube Sugar—from Kettle Clement Columbet Pinot Noir
The fire is said to have begun in the barn belonging to a Catholic immigrant called Mrs. O’Leary, when her cow kicked over a lamp. The Little
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Chicago Fire Centennial Anniversary Banquet
Giant No. 6 Fire Company was the first on the scene with its horse-drawn steam engine capable of pumping 600 gallons a minute in four streams. The heroic firemen from the Little Giant fought the fire single-handedly for 20 minutes before support arrived. Mayor Mason took decisive action and placed the city under Marshall law in an attempt to control the inevitable looting. Recipes ~~~ Caesar salad is a classic American salad. It was created relatively recently in historic terms (well before the fire), yet its exact origins and authentic original recipe are still much disputed. Most stories about its invention say it was created in the 1920s, in Tijuana, Mexico—the great place of refuge from the restrictions of Prohibition (see April 1). The great cook and food writer Julia Child (1912–2004) gives an exact date—July 4, 1924. She says that some of the escapees from Prohibition who were staying at Caesar’s Palace in Tijuana called for a late-night snack, and the proprietor Caesar Cardini assembled a salad from what he could find in the depleted pantry.
Caesar Salad 3 anchovies 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard 1/4 teaspoon prepared horseradish 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar 3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups iceberg lettuce 1/2 teaspoon salt black pepper, freshly ground 1/2 cup croutons, plain or garlic 3 to 4 tablespoons Parmesan cheese 1 egg, coddled.
Place anchovies on a small plate; sprinkle with mustard, horseradish, lemon juice, vinegar and oil. Mash with a fork into a smooth paste. Make sure lettuce is crisp and dry; break into 1-inch pieces and place in a large salad bowl. Sprinkle with salt and a generous grinding of pepper. Add anchovy paste and croutons. Sprinkle cheese on top. Drop coddled egg on top of cheese. Toss salad gently until greens are well coated with dressing. Makes 2 servings. Albuquerque Journal, May 2, 1975.
Glazed Carrots 2 tablespoons butter 1 pound small whole carrots, scraped, boiled, and drained. 1 ounce cognac 2 tablespoons brown sugar dash of ground ginger Melt butter in medium saucepan, add carrots and pour cognac over vegetable. Sprinkle with sugar and ginger and cover. Cook slowly 10 minutes and uncover.
October 9
Eggless, Poultryless Meals for President Harry S. Truman
Continue cooking, stirring several times 10 more minutes or until carrots are glazed. Serves 4. The News and Tribune, Jefferson City, April 10, 1975.
Baked Beans: see Bouillon: see
October 9 Eggless, Poultryless Meals for President Harry S. Truman The White House, Washington, DC, 1947 In the first week of October 1947 the Citizens Food Committee released the White House menus for the first few days of the proposed Food Conservation Program. The publicity was intended to provide an example from the top: even President and Mrs. Truman would abide by the designated meatless day (Tuesday) and eggless and poultryless day (Thursday). LUNCH
DINNER
Corn Soup.
Melon Balls.
*
*
Peppers stuffed with Rice and Mushrooms.
Baked Ham.
Lima Beans, Glazed Carrots.
Baked Sweet Potatoes, Asparagus, Cauliflower.
*
*
Baked Apple.
Green Salad. * Coffee Mallow.
The aim of the campaign was to reduce home wheat consumption to allow America to be ‘‘The Granary of Hope’’ for post-World War II Europe. The campaign to save wheat had been ongoing since the war ended, but with a second drastic winter and poor harvests set to push Europe closer to starvation, it was given new impetus with the formation of the Citizens Food Committee. No campaign is without its critics, and this one was no exception. The Secretary of Agriculture Clint Anderson claimed it was merely a symbolic sacrifice, ‘‘like going to church on Sunday and then raising hell all week’’; Time Magazine wondered whether perhaps the sensible place to start saving grain was with the nation’s farms, not the consumer; and many argued that there was no gain if chicken saved on Thursday was swapped for meat saved on Tuesday. Whatever the attempted arguments against the campaign,
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Eggless, Poultryless Meals for President Harry S. Truman
propaganda and patriotic fervor won out, and it seems that the nation took to it with enthusiasm. The job of persuading 140,000,000 people to change the eating habits of a lifetime went to architect and businessman Charles Luckman. His minimum goal was to save 100,000,000 bushels of wheat, and this would be done by ‘‘bringing International diplomacy in as an unseen guest at the table of every American family.’’ The campaign was voluntary: saving wheat was a patriotic duty not an enforceable law. For several years Americans had been urged to save wheat by reducing bread consumption, but even under the new scheme a specific ‘‘wheatless’’ day was not regulated on the basis that far more wheat World War II food poster. Courtesy of Library was consumed by farm animals of Congress. than directly in the form of bread. Aside from the wheatless and poultryless days there were other points to the campaign. Wheat bread consumption was still to be kept to a minimum, and the public was advised that ‘‘one slice of bread saved per person each day means seven million 1-lb. loaves a day for Europe.’’ It had been estimated that 10% of the food bought for American tables was wasted, and a considerable part of the advertising effort went towards what would now be called ‘‘awareness raising’’ of the problem, with widespread use of slogans such as ‘‘Don’t start the next war in the garbage can,’’ ‘‘you strike a blow for peace when you save food,’’ ‘‘Food Is Life—Save It,’’ and ‘‘Make One out of Seven Leftover Day.’’
The Housewife’s Pledge, 1946 1. I will do my utmost to conserve any and all foodstuffs which the starving millions of the world need today so desperately.
October 9
Eggless, Poultryless Meals for President Harry S. Truman
2. I will buy only the food my family actually needs for its proper nourishment and health. 3. I will neither waste nor hoard nor discard any article of food in cooking or in serving and will ask my family for the fullest possible cooperation. 4. I will be particularly watchful in the use of wheat and cereals, fats and oils, and will try to make certain that not a scrap of bread is wasted in my home. 5. I will make these little sacrifices gladly for the sake of those who cannot enjoy my God-given right to live and give as an American.
First signator: Eleanor Roosevelt, June 6, 1946.
Recipes ~~~ The Citizens Food Committee included several White House recipes along with the menus. The jellied salad was part of the meatless Tuesday menu, the coffee mallow is from the Thursday menu given here. Perfection Salad 1 tablespoon granulated gelatin soaked in 1/4 cup cold water 1 cup boiling water 1/4 cup sugar 1/4 cup vinegar 2 tablespoons lemon juice 1 teaspoon salt. As jelly begins to thicken fold in 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped onion, 1/2 cup shredded cabbage, celery and 1 1/2 tablespoons pimiento of green pepper, finely cut.
Coffee Mallow 16 marshmallows 1/2 cup hot coffee 1 cup heavy cream 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Cut marshmallows in quarters with wet scissors. Add coffee. Cook in double boiler until melted. Cool. When beginning to thicken, fold in cream, beaten stiff, and add vanilla. Mold in dessert glasses. Serves six. The New York Times, October 7, 1947.
Baked Apple: see December 14.
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International Lunch Menu
October 10 International Lunch Menu International Casino, Times Square, New York, 1938 In spite of its name, the International Casino in Times Square was a theatrerestaurant, cocktail bar, and nightclub all rolled into one, and for the briefest of times it provided the most dazzling venue in New York. When the Casino finally opened in mid-September 1937 after months of delays, there were still mechanical problems with the complicated stage and sets for the opening show ‘‘Bravo!’’ Patrons were not perturbed however as there was one other huge attraction at the Casino—the bar. The law at the time specified that only one ‘‘stand-up’’ bar was permitted at each establishment, but the architects and designers got around this inconvenient rule in a very creative way. They built the Spiral Bar—a beautiful mahogany feature that curved upwards two stories, from the ground floor to the mezzanine. A few months after the Casino’s opening, at luncheon on October 10, 1938, patrons were offered the following menu. LUNCHEON (Choice of Entree Determines Price of Lunch) — Chicken Giblet and Noodle Soup — Spaghetti with Meat Balls and Fresh Mushroom Sauce 75 Frankfurters and Boston Baked Beans 75 Minced Filet of Beef a la Deutsch 90 Moussaka of Lamb a la Moldave 75 Baked Sugar Cured Ham au Sherry 80 Fresh Creamed Spinach — Apple Pie Cocoanut Custard Pie Swiss Pastry Whole Stewed Pear Cheese Tray Chocolate Fudge Cake Coffee
Restaurants and other dining establishments have several ways of charging for meals. In the case of a hotel, meals sometimes used to be included in the tariff—the so-called American Plan (see May 29). Sometimes a hotel or other hostelry would have a table d’hote (see also August 19), at which a meal was provided for a fixed price, and the customer simply chose what they wanted from the list. This idea has morphed (or degenerated) into the ‘‘all you can eat’’ buffet system found in many places today where quantity seems ` la to be valued more than quality. More upmarket restaurants have an a carte menu, in which each item is individually priced. Historically, some of the most glamorous and expensive restaurants even provided two menus— one with prices (given to the host, or the gentleman), and one without (for the guests or the lady). Another method is shown here, a compromise
October 10
International Lunch Menu
between individually priced items and fixed-price meals. The entre´e, usually being the most expensive part of the meal, determines the cost of the whole meal, guests having no, or restricted, alternatives in the other courses. The system allows guests to feel that they have a choice and management to control work and costs. The International Casino certainly lived up to its name in presenting a range of internationally inspired choices. In early January 1940 the casino closed as a theatre-restaurant, with plans for it to reopen as a ballroom. The plans all came to an ignominious end in June when its president Chester H. Canning was charged with embezzlement and tax evasion. Recipes ~~~ Moussaka is a ‘‘Greek’’ or Middle Eastern dish, and as with so many national dishes there are endless arguments about the authenticity of recipes for it, even within its country of origin. This is one American version.
Moussaka 1 pound lean beef, ground 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper 1 small eggplant thinly sliced 1 can tomato paste 1/2 cup bread crumbs grated cheese Season meat with salt and pepper and press into bottom of greased casserole. Lay eggplant slices over meat and spread with tomato paste. Top with breadcrumbs and bake, covered, in a moderate oven (350 deg.) for 30 minutes. Remove, cover and bake 15 minutes longer or until crumbs are brown and eggplant is tender. Serve with grated cheese. Oakland Tribune, October 7, 1940.
Chocolate Fudge Cake 2 cups sifted Swans Down cake flour 3 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon soda 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup Crisco or butter 1 cup sugar
2 egg yolks beaten light 3 squares Baker’s unsweetened chocolate 1 1/4 cups milk 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 egg whites stiffly beaten
Sift flour once, measure, add baking powder, soda and salt. Sift three times, cream butter and sugar thoroughly until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks and
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Dinner for Princess Elizabeth
chocolate, then flour and milk alternately. Beat after each addition until smooth. Add vanilla. Fold in egg whites. Bake in 2 greased 9-inch layer pans in moderate oven (350° F.) for 30 minutes. Put layers together with fudge frosting. Double recipe to make 3 10-inch layers. All measurements level.
Fudge Frosting All measurements level 2 cups sugar 2 sqs. unsweetened chocolate 2 tablespoons corn syrup 2/3 cup milk 2 tablespoons butter 1 teaspoon vanilla Cook sugar, chocolate corn syrup and milk, stirring until all are dissolved. Then stir occasionally to prevent burning. Cook until syrup forms a very soft ball when tested in cold water. Remove from fire. Add butter and cool slightly. Add vanilla and beat until frosting is creamy and ready to spread. Chilicothe Constitution-Tribune, May 10, 1935.
Boston Baked Beans: see June 11. October 11 Dinner for Princess Elizabeth Ottowa, Canada, 1951 The organization of the arrangements for the visit of a head of state of another country is a challenging undertaking for officials and protocol advisers. The temptation to bang the national drum too loud has to be tempered by the need to be open to be welcoming and mindful of any significant cultural differences. If there are diplomatic or political tensions in the background, so much more the difficulty. When Princess Elizabeth (b. 1926) visited Canada in October 1951, there were few such issues. Canada was a former colony of Britain, and still linked with it via the British Commonwealth. It was appropriate and desirable for her Canadian hosts to show the Princess the bounty of the nation that still formed part of her dominion. The members of the Ottowa City Council demonstrated their national pride at the dinner they gave in her honor, as the Quebecois had done when her parents visited Canada in 1939 (see May 17). Less than five months later, on the death of her father, the Princess became Queen of England and ‘‘Supremed Liege Lady in and over Canada,’’ reported The Times. A luncheon was given today in their honour by the city council. The menu included dishes from all 10 provinces: there were Nova Scotia and Prince
October 11
Dinner for Princess Elizabeth
Edward Island maritime oysters; cream of peas Que´becoise; Newfoundland salmon; Alberta elk; Saskatchewan grouse; New Brunswick potatoes; Manitoba wild rice; British Columbia candied fruits; and Ontario cheese fleurons. No alcohol was served.
With the exception of the wild rice and elk, the dishes at this dinner could as easily have been served at a dinner in England. At an English dinner the oysters might have come from Colchester, the salmon and grouse from Scotland, and the cheese from Stilton, or Cheddar, for example, but the style and method of cooking would have been identical. The cheese fleurons are a variation of a savory cheese pastry, and the English have always loved small savory dishes, cheese or otherwise, at the end of a meal. Recipes ~~~ ` me de Pois Cre 1 pint green peas; 1 1/2 pints white stock; 1 gill cream; 2 yolks of eggs; 1 spray of mint. Simmer stock and peas twenty minutes, rub through a sieve. Mix together cream and yolks of eggs, add them to the stock and stir all together over the fire until it begins to thicken. Serve at once. Amy G. Richards, Cookery (Montre´al, 1895).
Wild Rice Casserole 1 1/2 cups wild rice 6 cups boiling water 6 beef bouillon cubes 1 onion 1 green pepper 1/2 lb mushrooms 1/2 cup butter Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Wash rice in several waters. Place in 2 quart casserole. Combine boiling water and boullion cubes. Pour over rice. Cover casserole. Bake 1 1/4 hours. Pare and chop onion. Removes seeds and white vein from pepper, chop. Slice mushrooms. Saute vegetables in 1/4 cup butter until tender. Stir into rice, dot with remaining butter. Bake uncovered 20 minutes longer. Winnipeg Free Press, June 23, 1962.
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October 12
Columbus Day Dinner Canadian Cheese Fleurons
1/2 lb. soft Canadian white cheese. 1/2 lb. soft Canadian yellow cheese. 1/2 teaspoon of dry mustard. 4 oz. Dry White Canadian wine. 4 oz. Light Cream Sauce. Dash of Worcestershire Sauce. Dash of Cayenne Pepper. Dice cheese in small cubes. Put wine in sauce pan on open fire and dissolve mustard. Add a few drops of Worcestershire Sauce to taste, and a dash of Cayenne pepper to taste. Finally, add hot cream sauce and beat up together. Let boil for a minute making a cream paste. The Fleurons are made with flaky puff paste cut in moon shapes. Patty shells are also used. Fill the Fleurons up and serve hot. Lethbrige Herald (Alberta), October 27, 1951.
October 12 Columbus Day Dinner aboard the SS America, 1962 It probably seemed fitting for a ship named America, of the United States Line, to celebrate Columbus Day in 1962 with a special dinner. Columbus Day celebrates the arrival of Christopher Columbus (1451–1506) in the Americas in 1492, and the beginning of what came to be called the Columbian Exchange. The exchange of people (settlers and slaves), plants, animals, and diseases between the Old and the New Worlds wreaked changes so profound that they are difficult to comprehend, even 500 years later. That the exchange is thought to have been unequal is at the root of much of the controversy about the celebration of the day.
Iced Table Celery
Jumbo Shrimp Cocktail
Cherrystone Clams on the Half Shell Fresh Fruit Cocktail Columbus
Assorted Spanish Olives
Cornets of Prosciutto Ham ˆte´ de Fois Gras aux Truffes Pa
Beluga Massolol Caviar on Ice
Smoked Irish Salmon
* Bisque de Castilian COLD:
Consomme´ Isabella Cream Vichyssoise
Green Turtle Soup au Jerez Consomme´ Madrilene
* TO ORDER, 20 MINUTES:
Broiled Live Maine Lobster, Seville Butter
Poached Fresh Salmon, Hollandaise Sauce *
October 12
Columbus Day Dinner
` la Cadiz Assorted Vegetable Dinner a Saute´ of Kidneys au Santa Maria Globe Artichoke Hollandaise Raviolis Neapolitan * REFRESHMENT:
Genevoise Sherbert, Wafers *
Roast Young Turkey, Giblet Gravy, Cranberry Sauce Baked Sugar-cured American Ham, Alcantara Sauce TO ORDER FROM THE GRILL:
Prime Cut Sirloin Steak, Bordelaise Sauce *
COMPOTE: Preserved Black Bing Cherries * Steamed Rice Romano Lima Beans Saute´
Minted Green Peas
California Asparagus Sevigne
Corn on the Cob, Melted Butter Brussels Sprouts Saute´ Milanaise
POTATOES: Parsley, Mousseline, French Fried or Candied Sweet * Salad Espagnole, Special Dressing * Coupe´ Glace´ Neapolitan Petits Fours Mignardises ˆteau Catalane Ga Caramel Glace´ Porto Nuevo * Provelone Cheese and Toasted Crackers * Assorted Nuts
After Dinner Mints
Table Raisins
Tunis Dates
Crystallized Ginger
Table Figs
* Fresh Fruit Basket
Grapes on Ice
* Demi Tasse
The exchange of food was certainly unequal. What are now considered the national dishes of many countries that were part of the Old World contain ingredients from the New. It is almost impossible to conceive of Italian food without tomatoes, or Indian without chillies, or English without potatoes— yet tomatoes, chillies, and potatoes are New World foods.
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October 12
Columbus Day Dinner
It is unlikely that the passengers aboard the SS America paused to consider their dinner menu in the light of how different it might have been without the ingredients from the Americas. The vichyssoise soup (and its hot cousin, potage Parmentier, see October 21, January 12) perhaps symbolizes best the thoroughly harmonious synthesis of the food of the two hemispheres. It combines the Old World leek with the New World potato into an intermittently fashionable soup, served chilled, as if to purposely stimulate discussion. It was the invention of Louis Diat (1885–1957), the French chef at the Ritz-Carlton in New York in 1917. The recipe, he said, was based on the soup of his childhood, as prepared by his mother. The reason for serving it chilled in its new American incarnation is disputed. It may have simply not been reheated in time, or it may have been a last-minute inspiration on a hot day. Foods from the New World Maize (corn)
Tomato
Wild rice
Black walnuts
Quinoa
Hickory nuts
Beans (navy, cranberry, black, kidney, lima)
Beechnuts
Peanuts
Hazelnuts
Potatoes
Pecans
Sweet potatoes
Cashew Nut
Squash, Pumpkins
Pine nuts
Blueberries, huckleberries, blackberries
Sunflower
Cranberries
Turkey
Persimmons
Allspice
Papaya (Paw-Paw)
Juniper
Guava
Sassafras
Avocado
Cacao (Cocoa and Chocolate)
Bell peppers and chilies
Vanilla
Pineapple
Maple sugar Cassava (manioc)
Recipes ~~~ Vichyssoise 4 large potatoes 3 leeks with tops, chopped 2 cups chicken stock 1 tablespoon butter 2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper 2 cups milk 1 cup cream 4 tablespoons minced chives
October 13
Coronation Feast of King Henry IV
Peel and dice potatoes and cook with leeks in the stock until very soft, about 20 minutes. Strain through a fine sieve. Add butter, salt, pepper, milk and cream and reheat. Serve chilled garnished with chives. Adapted from a recipe in the New York Times, July 13, 1943.
Consomme´ Madrile`ne is a clear soup with chopped tomatoes and sometimes bell peppers and other finely chopped vegetables. It should be thick and syrupy, on the verge of gelling. ´ Madrile ` ne Consomme Slice a handful of sorrel and cook for five minutes in consomme´. Add vermicelli and one tomato cut in small dices. Serve grated cheese separate. Victor Hirtzler, Hotel St. Francis Cook Book (1919).
Candied Sweet Potatoes: see December 20. Foie gras: see May 26. Parsley potatoes: see December 6. Petits fours: see November 14.
October 13 Coronation Feast of King Henry IV Great Hall of Westminster, London, England, 1399 Henry IV (1367–1413) was crowned in Westminster Abbey only two weeks after he formally deposed his cousin Richard II. After the ceremony, there was the usual ‘‘honourable feaste’’ in Westminster Hall. This was the bill of fare that was set before the king himself: three courses of increasingly elegant food, each followed by a soltety (see September 23). The lesser ranking guests would have been presented with a progressively smaller number of choices of the less refined dishes, some only receiving two courses. One’s station in the court and country’s hierarchy was not just denoted by the range of food choices at a feast such as this. The table at which one sat, and the exact position on the table, was also determined by rank, with higher ranking guests closer to the guest of honor who sat at the ‘‘high table’’ (often literally elevated on a dais, in full view of the other diners). At this feast, at the right hand of King Henry, sat the archbishop of Canterbury and several prelates, and at his left the archbishop of York and several other prelates. At lower tables at progressively greater distances sat the principal citizens of London, the newly created knights, and the existing knights and squires. A further detail of the seating protocol provides the phrase ‘‘above the salt’’ for a person of distinction. Salt was a vital commodity in medieval times because of its vital role in food preservation—and by extension, he who controlled the supply of salt controlled the people who needed it. It was therefore accorded great honor on the table, being placed in an intricately decorated
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October 13
Coronation Feast of King Henry IV
FIRST COURSE.
SECOND COURSE.
THIRD COURSE.
Braun en peuerarde.
Venyson en furmenty.
Blaundesorye.
Viaund Ryal.
Gely.
Quyncys in comfyte.
Teste de senglere enarme. Porcelle farce enforce.
Egretez.
Graund chare.
Pokokkys.
Curlewys.
Syngnettys.
Cranys.
Pertryche.
Capoun de haut grece.
Venyson Roste.
Pyionys.
Fesaunte.
Conyng.
Quaylys.
Heroun.
Byttore.
Snytys.
Crustade Lumbarde.
Pulle endore.
Smal byrdys.
Storieoun, graunt luces.
Graunt tartez.
Rabettys.
Braun fryez.
Pome dorreng.
Leche lumbarde.
Braun blanke leche.
A Sotelte.
Eyroun engele. A Sotelte.
Frytourys. Doucettys. Pety perneux. Egle. Pottys of lylye. A Sotelte.
receptacle close to the most important people at the feast. Those who were seated ‘‘below’’ the salt were in no doubt as to their lower rank. Medieval feasts were not just elaborate meals, they were highly theatrical events with a great deal of ceremony and ritual. Traditional ceremonial roles were taken by various noblemen. Henry’s own eldest son, the twelve-year old Prince of Wales (the future Henry V), stood by his father during the feast holding the Sword of Mercy, one of the five ceremonial swords that formed part of the coronation regalia. On the King’s other hand stood the Earl of Northumberland with the Sword of Justice. At the appropriate point in the feast, the hereditary King’s Champion rode into the hall on horseback to make the traditional challenge to any dissenters to the King’s right to rule by literally throwing down his gauntlet (the origin of the phrase)—a ceremony last performed at the coronation of George IV in 1821 (see July 19).
Recipes ~~~ The following recipes are taken from The Form of Cury (ca. 1390), the manuscript written by the Master Cooks of Richard III. The language and instructions are difficult to follow, and the recipes are open to interpretation.
October 13
Coronation Feast of King Henry IV
‘‘Pety perneux’’ (pernantes, pernollys, peruant) were small pies or pasties made with minced meat or marrow, sweetened and spiced in a similar way to mince pies. The marrow provided fat, in the same way as the Victorians would use suet and we would now use butter.
The Pety Peruaunt Take male Marow. hole parade and kerue it rawe. powdour of Gynger. zolkes of Ayrenn, dates mynced. raisouns of coraunce. salt a lytel. & loke þat þou make þy past with zolkes of Ayren. & þat no water come þerto. and forme þy coffyn. and make up þy past. [Interpretation: Take marrow, cut it up, add ginger powder, egg yolks, minced dates, currants, salt; make a crust with egg yolks and make a coffin, and put the mixture in the crust and bake it.] The instruction to use egg yolks in the crust suggests that a ‘‘short,’’ edible pastry was intended. Pies, particularly large pies, were made with very thick hard pastry and functioned more like serving dishes, the contents being scooped out as if from a casserole dish. The comment ‘‘that no water come thereto’’ probably refers to the need to keep the baked crust dry, which preserved the contents, sometimes for a very long time.
‘‘Pome dorreng’’ (pommedory and other spelling) were a favorite at feasts. They were meatballs cooked on skewers and ‘‘gilded’’ with a coating of egg yolks so that they suggested golden apples, or coated with parsley for the green apple version.
For to Make Pommedorry Tak Buff and hewe yt smal al raw and cast yt in a morter and grynd yt nozt to smal tak safroun and grynd therewyth wan yt ys grounde tak the wyte of the eyryn zyf yt be nozt styf. Cast into the Buf pouder of Pepyr olde resyns and of coronse set over a panne wyth fayr water and mak pelotys of the Buf and wan the water and the pelots ys wel yboylyd and set yt adoun and kele yt and put yt on a broche and rost yt and endorre yt wyth zolkys of eyryn and serve yt forthe. [Interpretation: Take raw beef and chop it small and grind it in a mortar not too small. Take saffron and grind it with the beef. When it is ground, take the white of the egg, if it is not stiff enough, add raisins and currants. Set over a pan with water and make balls of the beef; and when the balls are well boiled [poached], cool them. Put them on skewers and coat them with yolks of eggs and roast them and serve them.]
Furmenty (frumenty): see February 23. Brawn: see September 22.
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October 14
Banquet to Celebrate the Persian Empire
October 14 Banquet to Celebrate the Persian Empire Persepolis, Iran, 1971 The official celebration of the 2,500-year history of the Persian monarchy was conducted on such an epic scale that, ironically, it was instrumental in contributing to its demise. The festivities were held over a five-day period, with the center of the activity being in a magnificent ‘‘tent city’’ erected in the desert at Persepolis, the historic birthplace of the Persian Empire. The site was cleared of snakes and other unpleasant desert creatures, and avenues of trees, a perfumed garden, and a beautiful floodlit fountain were installed. Fifty ‘‘tents’’ (actually prefabricated apartments with marble bathrooms and Persian carpets, built under blue and yellow canopies) accommodated the most important guests, with the lesser guests being obliged to stay in two new purpose-built hotels nearby. The largest tent (at 68 by 24 meters) was the pink and blue canopied banqueting hall. It was here that the single most spectacular, most publicized, and most controversial event was held. The banquet was catered by Maxim’s of Paris, and the menu heading read: Banquet offered by Their Imperial Majesties the Shahanshah Aryamehr and the Empress of Iran in honour of Their illustrious guests taking part in the ceremonies of the 2500th anniversary of the foundation of the Persian Empire by Cyrus the Great.
Six hundred guests (including 37 heads of state) representing 69 nations attended. Guests were seated according to rank, as they have been since medieval times. Almost 100 of the most important sat at one long zigzag table, the remainder at tables of 12. The tables were set with Limoges china, Baccarat crystal, and gold-plated cutlery. Quails’ Eggs stuffed with Golden Imperial Caviar. Champagnean Chateau de Saran Mousse of Crayfish Tails in Nantua Sauce. Haut Brion Blanc, 1964 Roast Saddle of Lamb with Truffles Chateau Lafite Rothschild, 1945 Sorbet of Moe¨t et Chandon, 1922 Peacocks stuffed with foie gras Musigny Conte de Vogue, 1945 Oporto glazed figs with raspberries Dom Perignon, 1959, reserve vintage Coffee and Cognac Prince Euge`ne
October 14
Banquet to Celebrate the Persian Empire
Persepolis banquet tent. (AP Photo/Staff)
There was much that was medieval in style about this banquet. It was accompanied by spectacular entertainment. It was preceded by a parade of over 1,700 soldiers, chariots, and three replica ships illustrating the glorious history of the Persian Empire, and it was followed by a sound and light show out in the cold desert air, which in turn was followed by a fireworks display. As for the banquet itself, the only quintessentially Iranian food was the caviar—and a massive 2,000 pounds were used. Caviar is the roe of some species of fish, particularly the sturgeon, and the finest is sourced from the Caspian Sea. Its consumption has long been associated with luxury, but it was noted that the Shah himself did not care for it, and was served artichokes instead. The peacock—a bird prized at banquets since medieval times for its regal colors—was a symbol of Persian royalty and was served as it would have been at a medieval banquet, for its decorative and symbolic value, in full plumage (see November 6). The events were ten years in the planning, and although the official cost was given as $16.8 million, some estimates went as high as $2 billion. The lavishness of the occasion caused outrage amongst those who noted that many Iranians were living in poverty, and it became a powerful propaganda tool. It was called ‘‘The Devil’s Festival’’ by the Ayatollah Khomeini (1902– 1989), the leader of the 1979 revolution which led to the overthrow of the Shah and the establishment of the Islamic Republic of Iran, with himself as Supreme Leader.
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October 15
Banquet for the Commissioner General
Recipes ~~~ Nantua Sauce is a classic accompaniment to lobster and crayfish. Nantua Sauce Nantua Sauce: Heat up 11/2 gills Bechamel sauce, and stir in 1/2 gill of cream, then finish with 1 1/2 oz. of crayfish butter. Crayfish tails may if liked be mixed with this sauce just before serving.
Crayfish Butter 1/2 pint of picked shrimps or prawns, 3 oz. of fresh butter, and 1/2 oz. of anchovy paste. Pound the picked shrimps or prawns in a mortar till smooth, add the fresh butter, and anchovy paste; mix thoroughly and rub through a fine sieve. Keep on ice till wanted. A little liquid carmine or cochineal may be added to color if found necessary. Charles Herman Senn, The Book of Sauces (Chicago, 1915).
Bechamel Sauce: see January 18. October 15 Banquet for the Commissioner General Hotel Continental, Paris, France, 1898 From the mid-nineteenth century until the First World War, a series of international expositions were held in Europe and the United States. It was an era of massive industrial and agricultural development, and the world fairs presented an unparalleled opportunity for both host and visitor countries to promote their products and increase trade at the same time as showcasing various aspects of their cultures. Hosting an exposition was an enormously expensive undertaking, and host countries lobbied hard to ensure the participation of as many exhibitor countries as possible The planning and promotion for the Exposition Universelle in Paris in 1900 began years beforehand with a huge building program. The railway system was improved with the building of new stations and the Metro system was begun. New buildings went up to house the exhibits—a glass exhibition hall (the Grand Palais), an octagonal wine pavilion called La Ruche, a smaller pavilion (the Petit Palais), and a wonderful Art Deco bridge, the Pont Alexandre III. The economic potential of an interesting and successful exhibit for a visitor country too was enormous, and planning began early for visiting nations. In July 1898, President William McKinley (1843–1901) appointed Ferdinand
October 15
Banquet for the Commissioner General
Wythe Peck (1848–1924) of Chicago, the wealthy patron of the Chicago Auditorium Building and vice president of the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition (see March 20) as commissioner general of the United States to the exposition. The new commissioner began lobbying for an increase in the allotted 150,000 feet of space allocated by the exposition directors. He and his family and staff arrived in Paris on September 13 and took up temporary residence at the Continental Hotel. On October 15 the American Chamber of Commerce gave a banquet in his honor. Peck, in his speech, noted that the French authorities were ‘‘most cordial’’ but ‘‘did not realize the relative importance of American manufactures, which amounted to 35 percent of the whole world, while the agricultural products were even greater’’ and that the space granted so far was ‘‘glaringly disproportionate to America’s needs.’’ MENU Cre`me de Laitues aux Quenelles de Volaille Bisque d’Ecrivisses — Petits Bouche´es aux Huitres ` l’Amiral Turban de Sole a — Filet de Bœuf Renaissance Poularde braise´e aux Truffes — Marquise au Kirsch Perdreaux flanque´s de Cailles sur Canape´ Salade ˆte´ de Foies Gras a ` la Gele´e Pa — ` la Parisienne Petits Pois a ˆteau aux Avelines Ga — Corbeille de Fruits, Bonbons, Petits Fours — VINS ˆteau Lagrange 1881 Made`re vieux Cha Haut Sauternes Supe´rieur Pomarde Boucherottes 1878 Saint-Emilion en carafes Champagne frappe´ ‘‘Creˆme Montabello’’ ´ ET LIQUEURS CAFE
The banquet itself, held by an American organization at a Paris hotel, was of the sort of fine, classic food that could just as easily have been served at a fine American restaurant of the time. There would have been no surprises for men accustomed to dining at such restaurants as Delmonico’s in New York.
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October 15
Banquet for the Commissioner General
Recipes ~~~ ` me de Laitue, Cre ´e a ` la Evers Romaine ou Chicore Procure two pounds of lettuce, romaine or chiccory, and proceed exactly the same for either. Wash them in several waters after removing the greenish leaves, then cook them in boiling, salted water, until the hardest parts yield under the pressure of the finger, then drain and cool them off; squeeze out all the water, and chop them up coarsely. Put into a saucepan four ounces of butter, and when very hot, add the lettuce and let fry for a few minutes; moisten with two quarts of broth, then boil and simmer for fifteen minutes, adding one quart of veloute´, strain through a sieve or tammy, heat it up again, and when the soup is near boiling point, thicken with egg-yolks, cream and butter, seasoning with salt, sugar, and nutmeg. Charles Ranhofer, The Epicurean (New York, 1894).
In this dinner, the soup was served with chicken quenelles. Quenelles are lightly poached dumplings made from forcemeat (a finely minced or pounded meat mixture) and were a common garnish at elegant dinners. There are many recipes, some of which are very complex, but the basic concept is the same whether meat or fish is used. The following recipe is a simple version. Chicken Quenelles Mix together half a cupful each of the soft part of bread and of finely chopped or pounded chicken-meat cooked; season the mixture highly with salt and cayenne, and moisten it with enough raw yolk of egg to bind it so that little olive-shaped pieces can be moulded between two small spoons; either roll the quenelles in egg and cracker dust and fry them, or poach them until they float in boiling broth or water, and then use them. Juliet Corson, Miss Corson’s Practical American Cookery and Household Management (New York, 1886).
Filbert Cakes with Rum (Petits Ga ˆ teaux d’Avelines au Rhum) Roast half a pound of filberts; clean them well by removing their outer reddish skins, then pound with three-quarters of a pound of sugar, two eggs and half a gill of rum, making it into quite a fine paste; lay this in a vessel and soften it gradually with eight egg-yolks, continuing to beat until it is frothy, then add two ounces of finely shredded citron, four ounces of potato fecula, four ounces of melted butter and lastly six firmly beaten egg-whites. Pour this paste on a buttered sheet covered with paper, spread it out to half an inch in thickness and cook in a slow oven. Turn the cake over on a grate when done and leave to cool and set until the following day. Pare and cut it either in lozenges, oblongs or other shapes; steep each one slightly in Jamaica rum and ice over, dipping
October 16
Tribute Dinner for a Cow
them into Jamaica rum fondant bestrew the cakes with chopped-up roasted filberts. Charles Ranhofer, The Epicurean (New York, 1894).
Marquise au Kirsch: a Marquise is a frozen custard dessert, in this case flavored with kirsch (cherry liqueur). Fish Turban: see April 24. Diplomate pudding: see September 12.
October 16 Tribute Dinner for a Cow Red Deer, Alberta, Canada, 1912 A very unusual guest was honored at a banquet in the town of Red Deer, Alberta, on the evening of October 16, 1912. The Red Deer Board of Trade invited local officials, politicians, businessmen and members of the press to pay tribute to ‘‘a money-making milker’’—Rosalind of Old Basing, ‘‘the champion butter cow of the British Empire.’’ Rosalind had produced in one year 15,700 pounds of milk, with an average butterfat content of 5.7 percent, and three calves for which the owner turned down an offer of $3,000. Oyster Stew Red Deer Celery
Olives
Pickled Walnuts
Fresh Salmon Wild Duck Partridge Prairie Chicken Roast Beef ‘‘Woodvale’’ Potatoes
Red Deer Peas
Red Deer Beans
Salad Deep Apple Pie
Ice Cream
Mince Pie
Cheese Nuts and Raisins
Fruit
Tea Coffee Rosalind’s Milk
Laurentia Milk
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Tribute Dinner for a Cow
Rosalind had her own stall, in the place of honor near the head table. Her own dinner menu is not recorded, but the human guests sat down to a meal which included Rosalind’s own milk, meat from her own species, and other local produce. The alternative beverage offered was bottled ‘‘Laurentia’’ milk (the ‘‘milk for the 20th century’’) from the first homogenizer in Canada.
Toast to Rosalind Let us drink to the health of Rosalind, the cream of all the kine, Let us rise and join in a real milk toast, instead of sparkling wine, For there ne’er was a cow like Rosalind, Old Basing’s pride and boast, And she is our honoured guest tonight, together we’ll play the host. Such a banquet board as the one that night Red Deer had never seen, Where men of state and untold wealth paid homage to one bovine; Oh, the things they said about Rosalind would have caused that cow to blush, If she could have heard her praise sung as she quietly ate her mush. Tregilius was there with a gallant speech that would flatter a fairy queen, While Duncan Marshall in dulcet tones depicted a charming scene, Of a kind-faced cow in a clover patch on a balmy day in June, Telling her calf a nursery rhyme or humming a lullaby tune. But Rosalind is a cow with sense, her head wasn’t turned at all, She actually looked a trifle bored as she lolled in her big box stall; The silvery phrases of compliment fell flat as a cake of mud, And big-eyed Rosie switched her tail as she solemnly chewed her cud. It must be great to be a cow in one of those Pullman pens, With lots to eat and a jointed name like Alice of Old Vincennes; To have a record of fifty pounds of milk in a single day, And a college man with a big degree to slip you a shot of hay. To be petted and praised by a cultured crew of learned men and great, Who journey for miles at great expense to honor you at a fete, That’s sure some life, so when I die—and this is an honest vow, I hope the Moulder will make of me a high class Jersey cow. Harry Burmester, recited at the dinner.
Recipes ~~~ Pickled walnuts have been a favorite English condiment since the eighteenth century. The nuts were eaten as a relish, and the liquid was added to stews, as a sort of catsup.
October 17
Hotel Supper
Pickled Walnuts The fruit should be obtained before the shell is hard. Prick the walnuts with a fork, and place them in a jar filled to the top with white vinegar. They should be closely covered, so that the air is entirely kept out. Let the walnuts stand so for two days, then, draining off the vinegar, fill the jar again, and this time let it stand a fortnight. Then place the walnuts in a jar, and cover as follows: Add salt to the white vinegar until an egg will float in the solution. Simmer with two ounces of mace, a quarter of an ounce of cloves, the same of nutmeg, and a head of garlic that has been peeled and sliced. Cook this mixture for twenty minutes, then, while still hot, pour it over the walnuts. The pickle should be kept some little time before using to insure the walnuts being soft and edible. The Trenton Times, October 22, 1904.
Recipe for Cooking Prairie Chicken First dip bird in scalding water so husbands will not tear bird’s skin when plucking. Draw. Drench with salt water. Allow to stand 12 hours with sliced lemon inside to reduce gaminess. Before cooking, rub well with bacon fat. Cover bird with bacon strips. Put small amount of water in bottom of roaster to prevent burning, and roast at 375 degrees in covered pan. Baste during last half hour with bacon fat, and (if you have a little gypsy in you) claret or sherry. Winnipeg Free Press, September 19, 1949.
October 17 Hotel Supper New Denison Hotel, Indianapolis, Indiana, 1888 The menu for supper at the New Denison hotel in Indianapolis on October 17, 1888, is interesting in that it provides some insight into the vastly different social rules of the late-nineteenth century and the naming of meals in different times and places. FRUIT Bartlett Pears Stewed Apples — Oyster Stew — BROILED Sirloin Steak Mutton Chops Sugar Cured Ham English Bacon Veal Cutlets Salt Mackerel Beef Steak —
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October 17
Hotel Supper
FRIED Fresh Fish Bacon Veal with Salt Pork — POTATOES Saratoga Stewed in Cream Lyonnaise Minced Baked — EGGS Fried Boiled Poached Scrambled Shirred — COLD Roast Beef Corned Beef Ham Dried Beef Chicken Salad Potato Salad Beef Tongue — MISCELLANEOUS Tea Rolls Plain Bread Graham Bread Mush and Milk Corn Cakes Oat Meal Buttered Toast Flannel Cakes Cheese Cerealine Crackers — HOURS FOR MEALS Breakfast 6.30 to 10.30 Dinner 12.00 to 3.30 Supper 6.30 to 8.00 NURSES AND CHILDREN Breakfast 7.30 Dinner 12.00 Supper 5.00 6.30
Well-to-do families who had children and needed or wanted to travel took their nurses (nannies) with them. Nurses and children took their meals at different times, which had a number of advantages to everyone else. Parents and other adults could dine in peace while the children were supervised by their nurses, and nurses of the frail or indisposed had their meals out of the way early to allow them to focus on their patients. And of course, nurses were not the same class of person and could not be expected to dine with those of a higher social standing. The menu is for ‘‘supper,’’ which at this hotel was the third meal of the day. Recipes ~~~ Flannel cakes or velvet cakes or crumpets are a variation on a theme of griddle cakes (hot cakes, etc.); yeast is risen like the original English muffins (see March 15). The name is related to flannen cakes or flannen biscuits. They are eaten with sausages or other meat, or with syrup etc. at the end of the meal.
October 18
Snacking at the Siesta Drive-In Movie Theater
Flannel Cakes or Crumpets Two pounds of flour, sifted. Four eggs. Three table-spoonfuls of the best brewer’s yeast, or four and a half of home-made yeast. A pint of milk. Mix a teaspoonful of salt with the flour, and set the pan before the fire. Then warm the milk and stir into it the flour, so as to make a stiff batter. Beat the eggs very light, and stir them into the yeast. Add the eggs and yeast to the batter, and beat all well together. If it is too stiff, add a little more warm milk. Cover the pan closely, and set it to rise near the fire. Bake it, when quite light. Have your baking-iron hot. Grease it, and pour on a ladle-full of batter. Let it bake slowly, and when done on one side, turn it on the other. Butter the cakes, cut them across, and send them to table hot.
Minced Potatoes This likewise has been a restaurant specialty and has been known as of great effect in drawing trade. It ought to be observed however, that it takes a considerable allowance of butter in the pan to give the potatoes the fine yellowbrown, and appetizing flavor that will draw the people from a distance of many blocks to breakfast or supper. Chop cold boiled potatoes quite fine and season with salt. Spread a spoonful of drippings or butter in an omelet-pan or small frying-pan and place the minced potatoes about an inch deep. Cook on top of the range like a cake, without stirring. Invert a plate that just fits the pan over the potatoes. Let them brown nicely and slowly, then turn over on the plate. Push in the edge a little around and serve on the same plate with the brown on top. There are oval shaped pans that make these suitable for a platter, and even in the round frying-pan it can be managed to give the cake the platter shape. Jessup Whitehead, Cooking for Profit (1886).
Lyonnaise Potatoes Three tablespoons of butter put in a frying-pan, and when the butter is melted a tablespoon of chopped onion fried till it is a pale straw-color, then add a quart of cooked potatoes, sliced, and thoroughly seasoned with salt and pepper. When they are hot a tablespoon of chopped parsley added and cooked two minutes. The onions may be omitted. Eliza Leslie, Seventy-five Receipts for Pastry, Cakes, and Sweetmeats (1830).
Graham Bread: see February 5.
October 18 Snacking at the Siesta Drive-In Movie Theater Sarasota, Florida, 1959 On October 18, 1959, the Siesta drive-in movie theater in Sarasota, Florida, was showing the Academy Award-winnining Woman Obsessed, starring
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October 18
Snacking at the Siesta Drive-In Movie Theater AT OUR SNACK BAR CLEAN, MODERN, COURTEOUS
BUTTERBURGER, Pure, Ground Beef (and a lot of it!)
.35
CHEESEBURGER, Tangy Cheese with our Pure, Ground Beef
.45
HOT DOG—‘‘Toasted to a Turn’’—Zestful and Tasty
.25
PIZZA—OUR SPECIALTY Made To Your Order—Big 10-inch
.75
With Pepperoni
.90
GRILLED AMERICAN CHEESE
.35
BARBEQUE BEEF Famous ‘‘Smithfield’’ Old Hickory Smoked
.40
BARBEQUE HAMBURGER—Cooked in ‘‘Smithfield’’ Special Sauce
.40
FRENCH FRY BOAT—Cooked Immediately to Crispy Golden Brown
.25
LARGE POTATO BOAT—Enough For The Entire Family. Just
.60
SHRIMP ROLL—Full of Meaty Shrimp and Seasoning, Wrapped in Egg Roll
.35
HOT DEVILED CRAB ROLL—Tangy and Spicy
.25
CHICKEN Box Dinner—1/2 Chicken ‘‘Southern Fried’’ —Served With French Fries, Hot Buttered Roll, Catsup, Sauce
1.50
SHRIMP Box Dinner—Eight Jumbo Florida Pinks, Served With French Fries, Hot Bun, Catsup, Tartar Sauce COLD DRINKS—Coca-Cola, Root Beer, Orange, Grape,
1.25 .10, .25, and .30
We Use MAXWELL HOUSE Coffee—with Pure Cream
.10 & .20
NESTLE’S Hot Chocolate. A Big Cup. At Your Request We Will Add An Ounce Of Pure Cream At No Charge Our Candy and Gum Vended From Machines
.15 & .25 .01, .05, .10
Cigarettes (All Your Favorite Brands)
.30
ICE-CREAM—Cup, Sandwich, ‘‘On a Stick’’—All
.15
Hot Buttered POP CORN
.15
For Your Convenience We Have Clean Tiled Men’s and Ladies’ Lounges Located In The Main Building.
October 19
Testimonial Dinner for Charles Lindbergh
Susan Hayward, in Cinemascope, plus Love is a Many-Splendored Thing, starring William Holden and Jennifer Jones. Patrons could make the evening complete by purchasing treats or a full dinner from the snack bar. The snack bar menu shows that the fast-food industry was well and truly established by this time. Most of the current modern favorites are there in one form or another, although the prices are considerably different from those today. Recipes ~~~ Egg Rolls Boil a quart of new milk with a quarter of a pound of butter, the same of lard, and a little salt; beat up two eggs, and pour the boiling milk on them, stirring all the time; when nearly cold, add a tea-cup of yeast, and as much wheat flour as will make a thick batter; when quite light knead it up as bread, and let it lighten before moulding out; grease the pans, and bake them with a moderate heat. A little sugar and water rubbed on just before baking rolls makes them glossy. Elizabeth Lea, Domestic Cookery (1869).
October 19 Testimonial Dinner for Charles Lindbergh Hotel Chelsea, Atlantic City, New Jersey, 1927 Charles Lindbergh (1902–1974) became an instant hero when he piloted the first solo nonstop transatlantic flight from New York to Paris, on May 20–21, 1927, a feat for which he was awarded the Medal of Honor. It was this achievement and the resulting huge popularity with the general public that was responsible for the enormous development in the aviation industry over the next few decades. International flights suddenly became a possibility for everyone, not just a handful of wealthy enthusiasts or intrepid adventurers. Almost immediately after his famous flight, Lindbergh embarked on a tour that took him right across the United States. He was treated as a celebrity and was banqueted wherever he went. On October 19 it was the turn of Atlantic City, where a testimonial dinner was held in his honor at the Hotel Chelsea. Tomato Favorite Clear Green Turtle, aux Quenelles Celery Olives Salted Almonds Cassolette of Lobster, Mornay
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October 19
Testimonial Dinner for Charles Lindbergh Breast of Chicken, Virginia Ham New Peas Parisienne Potatoes Endive with Orange Salad Neapolitan Ice Cream Cakes Coffee
The menu shows the strange hybrid names of dishes that appeared as the move away from French as the language of choice progressed as the twentieth century wore on. The turtle soup is named in English, but it is ‘‘aux quenelles’’ which then looks odd. The residual French phrases sometimes represent economy of language. Classic styles of presentation, such as Parisienne in respect of the potatoes were so well known even to non-French speakers that there was no need to ‘‘translate’’ them—and indeed the only translation is a mini-description. The name of the potato dish is a halftranslation, and the word order Anglicized by being transposed—in French ` la Parisie`nne. Eventually French disapthe dish would be Pommes de Terre a peared from all but the most formal menus, and the description-type menu is the modern norm. Mornay sauce is the most interesting thing on this menu from a historic point of view. It is relatively new but documentation about its origins is scarce, and consequently there are as many stories about its provenance as there are about much older recipes. It seems to have appeared towards the end of the nineteenth century, almost certainly in France (Mornay is a French region). Mornay is based on a Be´chamel (see Recipes). It is a cheese sauce, useful on everything from eggs, to vegetables, to fish. Recipes ~~~ Mornay Sauce Reduce by one-third 1 cup of Be´chamel Sauce mixed with 1/2 cup cream. Add 1/2 cup grated Gruye`re and Parmesan cheese, mix. Incorporate 3 tablespoons of butter and strain. For fish, replace the cream with light chicken stock. Adapted from Larousse Gastronomique, 1961 edition.
Bechamel Sauce: see January 18. Green Turtle: see November 10. Quenelles: see October 15. Potatoes Parisienne: see June 23. Neapolitan Ice Cream: see December 20. Salted Almonds: see April 3.
October 20
Dinner with the British Secret Service
October 20 Dinner with the British Secret Service Claridge’s Hotel, London, England, 1944 The Special Operations Executive—Britain’s wartime covert operations organization, commonly known as The Secret Service—was formed in July 1940. The mission set for it by Prime Minister Winston Churchill (1874– 1965) was ‘‘to set Europe ablaze.’’ Ten of its senior members met on this day in 1944 over a dinner organized by Brigadier Eric Mockler-Ferryman (1896–1978), the head of operations, North West Europe. The discussion, if it was recorded at all, may still be top secret, but the menu survives. It was a fine dinner by any standards, in spite of the wartime restrictions under which the hospitality industry had to work. La Supreme de Turbotine Antiboise — ` la Broche La Poularde du Surrey a La Pomme Anna Les Haricots Verts Frais Le Chouxfleurs Polonaise Le Coeur Laitues — La Peche Ambassadrice — Le Cafe´
The budget allowed the Secret Service appears to have been generous. The spies would hardly have been aware of rationing, and certainly did not go thirsty. The order to the hotel Banqueting Department allowed 21 shillings a head, with ‘‘extras’’ being cocktails, wines, liqueurs, and cigarettes. Cocktails were three shillings and sixpence apiece (‘‘not more than two each, or whisky if preferred’’), and two bottles of St. Julien were ordered (but three eventually drunk), as well as Port and Cognac. The letter accompanying the account is an interesting example of commercial ‘‘manners’’ of the time. I beg to enclose herewith an account for the dinner held here on Friday, 20th October, and trust that you will find it correct. I would like to point out that although you only reserved two bottles of St. Julien for the dinner, the Head Waiter took the liberty of opening and serving a third, as the two bottles were used during the two first courses. I hope that this is in order. Thank you for your valued patronage, and always at your disposal, I am, dear Sir, Yours faithfully, H. A. Van Thuyne. General Manager.
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October 21
All-Potato Dinner
The total bill came to £30.4.6., was paid ‘‘without demur,’’ and an official receipt was requested by the brigadier. Recipes ~~~ ` la Polonaise,’’ or ‘‘in the Polish style,’’ are garnished with Dishes styled ‘‘a buttered breadcrumbs and hard boiled eggs. ` la Polonaise Chou-Fleur a Cauliflower Sieved yolk of 1 hard-boiled egg 2 oz. butter 1 heaped tablespoon dry white breadcrumbs chopped parsley Prepare and cook the cauliflower in the French way [i.e. cut into florets]. Heat the butter and cook crumbs to a golden brown. Dish the cauliflower, pour over the butter and crumbs, sprinkle over the egg yolk and parsley. Constance Spry. The Constance Spry Cookery Book (1956).
Sauce Antibois (Antibes Sauce) has a mayonnaise and tomato pure´e base, flavored with anchovy and tarragon. Pommes (potatoes) Anna: see June 21.
October 21 All-Potato Dinner Les Invalides, Paris, France, 1787 The French pharmacist and chemist Antoine-Augustin Parmentier (1737– 1813) almost single-handedly ensured the acceptance of the potato as suitable food for humans in eighteenth-century Europe. The potato was a New World food (see October 12) and had been known about in Europe since the sixteenth century, but unlike chocolate it was a long time before it was accepted. It attracted suspicion from the beginning as it is from the highly poisonous and deadly nightshade family. Every expert soon had an opinion on its undesirability. Medical men declared it caused leprosy (because it was white), clerical men said it was an indecent Protestant vegetable that incited lust, cooks and gourmets thought it was tasteless and flatulent, and just about everyone thought it coarse fodder suitable only for pigs, prisoners, and desperate peasants. Parmentier had personal experience that convinced him otherwise. He had joined the army in 1757 and spent several years as a prisoner of war in Germany, where potatoes were the main feature of the prison diet. He returned to France determined to promote and popularize the potato and was truly tireless and creative in his efforts. He gave a bouquet of potato flowers to
October 21
All-Potato Dinner
Marie Antoinette (1775–1793) which she wore in her bosom at court. He had plots of the new ‘‘secret’’ vegetable heavily guarded—by day only—to ensure that its value would be suspected and the plants would be pilfered at night. Finally, he held a number of dinners at which every dish was made with potatoes, and invited important and influential people. Amongst those invited at one banquet or other were Benjamin Franklin (1706–1790), who was U.S. minister to France between 1778–1785, and the aristocratic scientist Antoine Lavoisier (1743–1794). One of the dinners took place on October 21, 1787. The artist Paul Heuze´ attended, and he recorded the dishes. There were two soups to start with—a potato pure´e soup, a meat bouillon [simmered rather well with potato bread, ‘‘which did not crumble’’], a matelote [fish stew] followed by a dish with a white sauce [presumably of potatoes], then another maıˆtre d’hoˆtel, and a fifth in red sauce. The second service consisted of five other dishes, not worse than the first, initially a pie, then fried, a salad, ˆ teau ´economique [economical cake]. The beignets [donuts or fritters] and a ga remainder of the meal included cheese, preserves, a plate of biscuits, another of tart, and finally a potato brioche. After that was coffee, also of potatoes. There were two kinds of bread, one a soft white bread of potato pulp and wheat, the other a firm bread of potato pulp and potato starch.
Parmentier was a man with a strong social conscience, and he was certain that the potato—being easy to grow on a small plot of land and highly nutritious—would buffer the peasant class against hard times. He succeeded, and Louis XVI supposedly said, ‘‘France will thank you some day for having found bread (i.e. potatoes) for the poor.’’ Parmentier is honored forever in dishes given his name—which always contain potatoes—such as the wellknown potage Parmentier (see January 12). Recipes ~~~ The ‘‘meat bouillon which simmered rather well with the potato bread’’ refers to a crust soup or mittonage (see April 4). Potato Bread Boil thoroughly, and mash fine, mealy potatoes; add salt and a very little butter; rub them with twice their quantity of flour; stir in your yeast, and wet up with lukewarm milk or water, till stiff enough to mould up. It will rise quicker than common wheat bread; and it should be baked as soon as risen, for it soon sours. A. L. Webster, The Improved Housewife, Or, Book of Receipts (1853).
Potato Cake Bake eighteen large York potatoes, and when done, rub their pulp through a wire sieve; put this into a large basin, add four ounces of butter, eight ounces of sifted sugar, a spoonful of pounded vanilla, a gill of cream, the yolks of six eggs
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October 22
Women Suffragists’s Dinner
and the whipped whites of two, and a little salt; work the whole well together, and then place it in a mould previously spread with butter, and strewn with bread-crumbs; bake the cake for about an hour, and when done, dish it up with a fruit sauce poured round the base. Charles Elme´ Francatelli, The Modern Cook (1860).
` la Maıˆtre d’Ho Potatoes a ˆ tel Wash the potatoes clean, and boil them with the skin in salt and water. When they are done, let them cool, then turn them in the shape of big corks, and cut them into slices as thick as twopenny pieces, for if the slices were too thin, they would break in the sauce. If you should have no [Maıˆtre d’Hoˆtel] sauce ready, make a butter sauce, and instead of water, moisten with milk, mix with it a little chopped parsley, pepper, salt, a little glaze, and the juice of a lemon, if acid is required. Mind that the sauce is neither curdled nor too thick. Louis Eustache Ude, The French Cook (1822).
ˆtel Sauce [Butter]: see September 3. Maıˆtre d’Ho October 22 Women Suffragists’s Dinner New York City, 1913 The militant English suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst (1858–1928) visited the United States in 1913 on a lecture tour. Her hostess was her American counterpart Alva Belmont (1853–1933), the socialite turned suffragist who ran a restaurant at 13 East Fortieth Street in Manhattan where women could gather in safety and talk out the issues over inexpensive meals. Newspaper editors clearly thought that Mrs. Pankhurst’s choice of vegetarian food on this day was noteworthy. Vegetable soup Home-made gingerbread Charlotte russe Raspberry preserve Cocoa
The article in The New York Times said, Mrs. Pankhurst is not a vegetarian by principle, but largely so by force of circumstances, as are a great number of the English militants. In serving their terms in prison in England, one of them said yesterday, found that the vegetable food was much better than the meat, so they confined themselves entirely to it while serving their sentences, and many continued to do so afterward. Some
October 22
Women Suffragists’s Dinner
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are vegetarians by principle . . . Miss Joan Wickham, Mrs. Pankhurst’s agent in this country, is a vegetarian, as is Miss Elsie McKensie, an English militant, who has served a sentence in the English prisons, and is now in Mrs. Belmont’s employ.
There was a common philosophical underpinning to many of the reform movements of the nineteenth century, so it was not uncommon for followers of one movement to feel sympathy with another. An individual might therefore be allied with more than one of the pacifist, temperance, suffragist, vegetarian, anti-vivisectionist, trade-union, and antislavery groups. Mrs. Pankhurst’s choice may have another explanation, however, albeit one still related to her prison experience. The suffragettes (as distinct from their less assertive sisters, the suffragists) were the militant arm of the women’s movement in England, and as such they often fell foul of the law and were imprisoned. They continued to protest in prison by going on hunger strikes, and were then force-fed by the authorities. The result was bad publicity Mrs. Pankhurst. Courtesy of Library of for the government in general, and the Congress. prison system in particular, and increasing sympathy for the suffragettes. To counter this the so-called Cat and Mouse legislation was enacted in April 1913. It was more properly known as The Prisoners Temporary Discharge for Ill-Health Bill: it banned the force-feeding of prisoners and allowed their release for 15 days to enable them to recover their health, after which they were arrested again and re-imprisoned. Emmeline Pankhurst—in her mid-fifties—had been imprisoned on over a dozen occasions in 1912–13 and had experienced the cat-and-mouse game firsthand. Her visit to America came between ‘‘games,’’ and her choice of food on this day may represent the attraction of sweet, comfort foods to one who had experienced real hunger and poor health many times. One of the fund-raising methods used by the Women’s Suffrage movement was the production and sale of cookbooks. It was an idea that would have horrified the women’s libbers of half a century later, but at the time it was a clever example of ‘‘start where you are and use what you have.’’ The women of the early-twentieth century had, by definition, very few ways to produce an income. And what better way to spread the message subversively than via an apparently innocuous domestic text such as a cookbook?
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October 23
‘‘Thousand and One Nights’’ Dinner
Recipes ~~~ Parliament Gingerbread (With apologies to the English Suffragists) 1/2 lb flour 1/2 lb treacle 1 oz. butter 1/2 small spoon soda 1 dessert spoon ginger 1 dessert spoon mixed spices 1/2 cup sugar A bit of hot water in which soda is dissolved. Put flour in a basin, and rub in butter, and dry ingredients; then, soda and water; pour in treacle, and knead to smooth paste. Roll quite thin and cut in oblongs. Bake about 1/4 hour. Mrs. L. O. Kleber, The Suffrage Cook Book (Pittsburgh: Equal Franchise Federation of Western Pennsylvania, 1915).
Charlotte Russe: see September 4. October 23 ‘‘Thousand and One Nights’’ Dinner Cha ˆ teau de Bellevue, France, 1787 ˆteau de Bellevue was built for Madame de Pompadour (1721–1764), The Cha the mistress of King Louis XV (1710–1774) in 1750. On the King’s death, it passed into the hands of Louis’s unmarried daughters Marie-Ade´ laı¨de (1732–1800), Victoire-Louise (1733–1799), and Sophie-Philippine (1734– 1782). On October 23, 1787, the surviving aunts Ade´laı¨de and Victoire entertained their nephew King Louis XVI (1754–1793) at an entertainment they called ‘‘Mille et Une Nuits.’’ The dinner was of the usual two services (courses), and that it was as extensive and expensive as only royalty can be is obvious by the fact that the following menu is of the first service only. Premier service — Le Dormant Quatre hors-d’œuvre d’office Deux potages La garbure, la faubonne — Deux grosses pie`ces
October 23
‘‘Thousand and One Nights’’ Dinner
` la broche—Le rot de bif de mouton de Bellevue L’aloyau a — Deux releve´s ` la broche Les Poulardes en casserole au riz—Le cochon de lait a — Doux entree´s ` la Mirepoix Le caneton de Rouen, grille´ a Les perdreaux rouges du Roi, en salmis Les filets de poulardes au beurre et en truffes La noi de veau pique´e et glace´e Les poulets gras en marinade Les cailles en selle aux e´crivisses ` la Mare´chale Les langues de bœuf a ` la Gautier en papillotes Les pigeons a Les lapereaux en blanquette Les quenelles de poulardes au veloute´ ` la Bourguignotte Les pluviers a — Quatre hors-d’œuvre pour le Roi Les foies gras Les lapereaux au gratin ˆtelletes de mouton grille´s Les co
The even number of dishes and the symmetry of numbers were typical of grand dinners of the time. All of the elegant and expensive ingredients are here—the foie gras, plover, quail, suckling pig, and baby rabbit, in the most refined presentations—the meat was larded, glazed, truffled, and on skewers, en papilotte (see December 9). There are two slightly unusual-sounding dishes. The ros de bif de mouton (roast beef of mutton) sounds very strange indeed, but is explained at the menu for April 9. The garbure sounds close to garbage, and the word is in fact related. It refers to a thick soup of vegetables, especially cabbage and beans—a one-pot dinner—and was a staple dish for peasants. Marie Antoinette (1775–1793) famously loved playing at the country life and dressing as a shepherdess at the Trianon (see July 24), so perhaps the garbure was fashionable at the court—in an upmarket version of course. The Thousand and One Nights was not just a dinner, it was a theatrical experience with entertainment. No doubt the participants were not aware that it was the end of an era. The storming of the Bastille that was the conscious beginning of the French Revolution was less than two years away, and on January 21, 1793, Louis XVI was dead, executed by guillotine as a traitor. Recipes ~~~ Garbure is a thick French country-style soup based on cabbage. Depending on wealth and circumstances it can be very simple (little else but cabbage)
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October 24
Medical Dinner
or very rich due to the inclusion of such things as goose and duck fat or ham or other meats. The royal family of France would have been more likely to have the expensive version, such as in the following recipe from The French Cook . . . Adapted to the Use of English Families written by Louis Eustache Ude in 1829. The Garbure, with Brown Bread Take a knuckle of ham, perfectly sweet, a knuckle of veal, and about six pounds of flank of beef, which put into a pan, with an onion stuck with two cloves, a few carrots, &c.; pour over the above two ladles of broth, and let the whole sweat over a slow fire. When the meat is done through the middle, cover it entirely with boiling broth, and let the whole stew for three hours. Then take one or more cabbages, which are to be washed clean and blanched. Braize them between layers of bacon, and moisten them with the liquor in which the sweating has been made, strained through a silk sieve. You must observe, that if the cabbages are not made rich and mellow, they are good for nothing. Add to the above, either sausages, bacon, or stewed legs of geese: mind above all things that the cabbage be not too briny, for the soup then would not be eatable. When the cabbage and broth are stewed enough, cut very thin slices of rye-bread: drain the cabbage in a cloth, so that there be no fat left, then take a large deep silver dish, lay a bed of bread, and over that, one of cabbage, and moisten them with a little broth; let them stew on a slow fire. When the cabbage and bread are sufficiently moistened, lay on six or eight beds more of each, and let it simmer on the stove. Send up with the ham on the middle; the bacon, the legs of geese, and sausages on the borders, and some broth separately*. *This soup is never seen in this country [England]; it requires a very deep and very large dish.
October 24 Medical Dinner Bergen, Norway, 1891 Theme menus seem to be popular amongst professional groups at conferences. There is none so apparently repulsive and obscure as the one for a dinner held by a group of medical doctors (probably obstetricians) in Bergen in 1891. The menu items themselves are written in Latin, and the document is rich with puns and other word plays. It is certain that it demonstrates the sort of black or ‘‘gallows’’ humor common amongst those who work in areas where human distress or disease is prominent. Aabnings -tidsrummet Liquor ptomaini Madeira — Filaria phlyndroica
October 24
Medical Dinner
Furiones viciles ˆt. Grillet Cha — Udsidnings – og fremgangstidarummet Rupia, not luetica, ut pasta servata Fleury — Lingua, nates Ol et Dram — Udskjœringstidsrummet Fas-i-anus Psoas in pure bono et laudabile servata ˆt. La Laguna Cha — Efterbyrd Peri-Ost, Panis & foetus Champagne Moet et Chandon (OBS)COENA MEDICORUM [pig illustration]
The linguistic aspects of the menu could be fodder for some long and interesting discussions between linguists and culinary historians, but ultimately it is impossible to know what exactly the dishes were at this dinner. The meal began with Aabningstidsrummet—from aabnings meaning ‘‘opening’’ or bodily orifice (presumably the intended meaning here), and tidsrummet means period, so ‘‘time for openings’’—in other words the first course. This was a liquor (a liquid—a cocktail or a soup, perhaps), called Ptomaine—an indefinite word meaning something highly toxic and often used to refer to a particularly virulent form of food poisoning. The other dish in this course is Filariae—parasitic worms such as those causing Elephantiasis— perhaps a joke name for a dish of eels, or noodles? In the second course are Nates (buttocks, or rump?) and Lingae (tongues)—probably some innocuous cold meats. There is also a very repulsive-sounding dish. Rupia are pus-filled eruptions that are particularly associated with syphilis, although the menu thankfully specifies that these are non luetica—that is, not syphilitic. Whatever this represented, it was served with pasta. The Fas-i-anus may be a play on the Latin for pheasant—fasianus. The psoas is a large muscle in the lumbar region, so the dish was probably a large piece of meat from the back of an animal—a cut such as a chine (see January 2) or saddle perhaps. Whatever it was it was served plain, good, and with great praise. A final word play is the peri-ost. Periosteum is the fibrous sheath that covers bone (peri meaning around), but ost is cheese, so this course
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October 25
Dinner for the Royal Horse Guards
represented the cheese and what was served around it. The panis is straightforward, as it means bread, but the foetus represents some sort of joke no doubt obvious to the guests at the dinner. Perhaps some sort of dish of eggs? Perhaps fish eggs such as caviar? That this menu was for a dinner of obstetricians is suggested by the final course—the Efterbyrd or afterbirth (which includes the mysterious foetus), and the ‘‘Obs’’ in front of Coena (supper)—which also suggests things ‘‘obscene.’’ Most bizarrely, there is a drawing of a pig below this phrase, at the bottom of the menu. Recipes ~~~ Bread is the only menu item that has avoided being made into a joke or word play. Nordskbro ¨ d (Norway Bread) . . . is made either entirely of rye flour, or of barley with a third part rye. The dough is prepared with cold water, and kneaded a long while till it does not stick to the hands. Afterwards it is flattened with a rolling-pin of a round shape, but furrowed longitudinally, which is turned by the hands as fast as possible. The edges of the dough, thus spread out, are repeatedly turned in, and the whole laid carefully on a table, though smoothed with such a rolling pin. It is baked on an iron made on purpose, being moved about and turned during the process, and subsequently smoothed and polished with a bunch of the heads of rye straw dipped in water. Carl von Linne´, Lachesis Lapponica, or a Tour in Lapland (written in 1732; published in 1811 by the Linnaean Society).
October 25 Dinner for the Royal Horse Guards Town Hall, Holborn, London, England, 1882 The Royal Horse Guards were entertained at dinner on the night of October 25, 1882, by the residents of the Albany-street barracks. Many of the men had recently returned from the campaign in Egypt, which was of great strategic and economic importance to Britain. Egypt was unstable following the completion of the Suez Canal, and Britain was intent on protecting its interests there. The original plan had been to hold the dinner in a great marquee set up in the barracks’ square, but it blew down in a storm the previous day, necessitating a last minute move to the Town Hall building. Of the 750 men who sat down to this dinner, 400 were troops. The meal was described in The Times newspaper: The menu was suggestive of the occasion. After ‘‘the roast beef of Old England’’ ` came ‘‘Egyptian boar’s head,’’ then Kassassin slices, bastions of galantine a
October 25
Dinner for the Royal Horse Guards
l’Alexandria, Arabi brawn, Wolseley’s Cairo game pie, some roast venison, the gift of Lord Fitzhardinge, rounds of Scotch beef, pyramids of briskets, Cumberland hams, English fighting cocks, Tel-el-Kebir salad, and ‘‘Household’’ plum pudding.
The menu card itself may have been suggestive of the specific occasion, but undoubtedly the actual dishes served were the same as at any other similar dinner of the time. The British had a reputation for meat-heavy meals, and this was never more true than in the case of dinners for military men. The names given to the dishes were in honor of the campaign, the dishes themselves would almost certainly have been very simple—mostly plain roasts and a few prepare-ahead dishes such as game pie, brawn (see February 23), and a galantine (jellied meat, see June 19). The boar’s head since medieval times had traditionally represented the head of Satan (see January 4). On this occasion it was clearly symbolic of defeat of the earthly enemy of the British. The ‘‘fighting cocks’’ would certainly have been in name only—true fighting birds were not bred for eating and made a poor feed. The dish was undoubtedly an ordinary chicken dish; choosing to name them in this way on the menu was in tribute to the fighting men of the battalion. The names of several dishes were in acknowledgement of the campaign. ‘‘Wolseley’’ was Lord Wolseley (1833–1913), commander of the British forces in Egypt and the most famous British soldier of the time. He is considered to be the inspiration for Gilbert and Sullivan’s ‘‘very model of a modern MajorGeneral’’ in their comic opera The Pirates of Penzance. Tel-el-Kebir and Kassassin were the sites of famous battles, and Alexandria is the major seaport of Egypt and was the point of entry of the British in July 1882. Recipes ~~~ Game pie has been made essentially the same way since medieval times. It is a ‘‘raised’’ pie—that is, it is made with a special hot water crust pastry that can be ‘‘raised’’ or molded like clay into a freestanding crust (or ‘‘coffin’’). In more recent times the pastry was used to line shaped metal molds, some of which were very elaborate indeed. The pastry when made very thick and hard—so long as it did not get damp or cracked and remained airtight— would keep the contents edible for long periods, which was important in the days before refrigeration. The instructions seem fairly lengthy but raised pies are of such historic interest, and appear in so many menus in this book, that they are worthy of consideration. Obviously the exact filling can be as varied as circumstances allow, but the pastry has been made the same way for hundreds of years. Game (Raised Pie of) 2 brace of partridges, grouse, or other birds, forcemeat [below],
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October 25
Dinner for the Royal Horse Guards
raised crust [see November 3] made with 1 Ib. flour, and other ingredients in proportion, 1/2 pint gravy jelly [i.e. thick gellied stock], 2 hard-boiled eggs, seasoning pepper and salt, yolk of an egg. Butter a raised pie-mould and line it with crust, reserving sufficient for the cover. Spread a very thin layer of forcemeat at the bottom of the pie, and place on it some of the pieces of game, which must be cut into small neat joints, sprinkle them with pepper and salt, and build the pie up in a dome shape, filling the interstices with more forcemeat until all the pieces are used. Cut the eggs into slices, lay them round the edge of the pie, and pour in the gravy jelly, which must be warmed just enough to become liquid. Roll out the cover, place it on top, fasten the edges together securely, and ornament them neatly. Make a wreath of small pastry leaves, and decorate the top of the pie with these, slightly moistening their underside, that they may adhere properly. Brush the pie with a pastrybrush dipped in beaten egg-yolk, and bake in a good oven for 3 hours. A buttered paper should be laid over the top of the pie to protect the crust as soon as the pie is nicely coloured. The pie should be left in its mould until cold, when the mould must be carefully undone and lifted away, and the pie garnished with very fresh parsley before it is sent to table. If liked, the lid of the pie may be removed, and replaced by a thick layer of very fresh and delicately made aspic, lightly chopped.
Forcemeat (For Cold Savoury Pies) 1/2 Ib. lean raw veal, 1/4 Ib. fat bacon, 2 oz. butter, yolks of 2 eggs, panada [below] made with 1/4 Ib. breadcrumbs, and other ingredients in proportion, seasoning pepper and salt. Remove all skin and fat from the veal, cut it and the bacon into dice, and pound them to a smooth paste with the butter; then add the panada and pound again, add the yolks of the eggs, season with pepper and salt, mix well, and pound until perfectly smooth, then rub the whole through a fine sieve, and it is ready for use.
Panada 4 oz. fresh breadcrumbs 1/4 pint light veal stock, 1/4 pint cream. Have the breadcrumbs in a basin, pour the veal stock, which must be boiling, over them, cover, and let them remain 1/2 an hour, then turn the soaked bread into a very clean cloth, and wring it well to press out the liquid. Put the bread
October 26
French Exhibition Banquet
into a lined saucepan, pour the cream on it, and stir them constantly with a wooden spoon over a gentle fire until the cream is absorbed and the panada forms a dryish paste, adheres to the spoon, and leaves the sides of the saucepan. It is then ready to be used where directed. Ethel Myer, A Practical Dictionary of Cookery: 1200 Recipes (London, 1898).
Brawn: see April 28.
October 26 French Exhibition Banquet Hotel du Louvre, Paris, France, 1867 The second half of the nineteenth century saw a series of international expositions, and the competition was particularly fierce between England and France in the wake of the huge success of London’s Great Exhibition of 1851. After the London Exhibition of 1862, it was again France’s turn with the Paris Universal Exposition of 1867. In the last few days of the exposition a banquet was held at the Hotel du Louvre. The 320 guests included ladies, although it was unusual at the time for women to attend public banquets. In spite of the beautiful venue, the impressive guest list, and the obvious attention to detail, it seems that the banquet was not an unqualified success. The Times reporter noted: Amongst the decorations of the table not the least brilliant was the bill of fare itself—a beautiful work of De La Rue, in gold and colours, about as broad and long as an alderman’s back, and if the waiters had only kept the word of its promise to the eye to any considerable degree there would have been a feast worthy of Belshazzar, although it may be that the guests ought to be thankful they had not occasion to tempt their stomachs with all the various dishes and culinary combinations set forth on the broad sheet before them when cool reflection and cool heads came in the morning. Here is the text of the document that was perused with such abortive interest and expectancy.
1. Hors d’Œuvres—Huitres ‘‘Natives’’ Angleterre; Huitres d’Ostende, Belgique; St. Peray, France; Ru ¨ desheimer Hinterhaus, Allemagne; Salade d’Anchois, Italie; Saucisson de Nuremberg, Allemagne; Harengs, Hollande; Caviar, Russie; Crevettes, Angleterre; Olives, Espagne; Pickles, Indes Orientales; Pain de Vienne de Toutes Espe`ces. ` l’Anglaise; Russe a ` la Pure´e de 2. Potages—A l’Impe´ratrice, France; Tortue a ` l’Anglaise; Made`re, Portugal; Xe´re`s, Gibiere; Sauterne, France; Punch Glace´ a Espagne; Moselle Mousseu Sharzhofberger, Allemagne. ` la Normande, France; Turbot Sauce Hollandaise et 3. Releve´s—Filets de Sole a ˆteau d’Yquem, Ecrivisses, Hollande; Rougets Grille´s de Malte, Angleterre; Cha ` la Royale, France; France; Steinberger Cabinet, Allemagne; Dindes, des Mans a Roast Beef, Angleterre; Haunches of Venison, Angleterre; Chambertin, France; Vo¨slau, Autriche.
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October 26
French Exhibition Banquet
4. Entre´es—Coˆtelettes de Pre´-sale aux Pointes d’Asperges, France; Pilaff de Volaille, Turquie; Jambon de Westphalie, Allemagne; Carrick de Crevettes, Indes Orientales; Salmis de Bartavelles, Espagne; Timballe de Macaroni, Italie; Coˆtelettes de Homards, Ame´rique; Poitrine d’Oie, Choux Rouge de Vienne, Autriche; Champagne, Cliquot, France; Montrachet, France; Rauenthaler Berg, ` la Romaine. 1862, Allemagne; Sorbet a 5. Roˆts—Poulardes Truffe´es, France; Faisans de Boheme, Autriche; Grousse d’Ecosse, Angleterre; Becasses, Angleterre; Gelinottes et Coqs de Bois, Russie; ˆ teau Margaux, Salades Diverses, France; Ermitage blanc, 1846, France; Cha 1858, France; Schloss Johannisberg, 1862, Allemagne. 6. Entremets—Petits Pois, France; Artichauts de Catalogne, Espagne; Plum Pudding, Angleterre; Bavaroise aux Pistaches, Bavie`re; Gele´e au Marasquin, ˆ teau Lafitte, Retour des Indes, France: Bombe Italienne, Italie; Glaces; Cha France. 7. Dessert—Fruits, Biscuits, Gateaux, Fromages; Porto Royal blanc, Portugal; Tokai, Hongrie; Lacrima Christi, Italie; Liqueurs de tous les Pays; Cafe´, Turquie; Cigars, La Havane; Vevey Fins, Suisse; Cigarettes, Russie.
There had clearly been a great deal of attention given to sourcing the food from the individual countries that had participated (16 represented in the menu), but insufficient quantities had been allowed—an unforgiveable situation for such a prestigious event. The newspaper went on to say . . . the dining commenced and continued for a long time. Perhaps the nations feasted on their own comestibles, so that the Russians had all the gelinottes, the Austrians the Bohemian pheasants, the Indians the curried prawns, the Italians the macaroni timbals, the Germans the Westphalia hams and the English their roast beef and plum pudding, but ‘‘Brun, Chef de Cuisine’’ took liberties with the latter delicacy in form and subtance quite out of bounds, and demands for various viands were met by the assurance that there were no more.
Recipes ~~~ In all of the varied dishes from so many countries, one dish at this banquet would have been at home at any English or European table since medieval times. The Pain de Vienne de Toutes Espe`ces (Viennese spice bread) is essentially a type of gingerbread. Gingerbread is one of the oldest sweets known, and the recipe is almost infinitely variable, yet still remains recognizable. In its earliest form it was a thick dry paste of breadcrumbs (and sometimes ground almonds), honey, and spices. Over the centuries it changed to become a yeast-risen sweet bread, and after the development of baking powders in the early-nineteenth century into the ‘‘cake’’ that is known today. Pain d’Epices Mix some flour with some honey and a little orange-flower water; add some yeast, ginger, and allspice, and make it into dough and knead it well; let it rise
October 27
Dinner with a Tibetan Monk
an hour in a warm place, then make it into cakes of different sizes; bake them; when cold they are fit for use. They require to be well kneaded. Frances Crawford, French Confectionary Adapted for English Families (1853).
Turtle Soup: November 10. Hollandaise Sauce: see April 14.
October 27 Dinner with a Tibetan Monk ´ , Tibet, 1936 Gyantse In July 1936 British career diplomat Basil Gould (1883–1956) was asked to head a mission to Tibet to assist with the finding of a peaceful solution to the internal conflict in the country. Tibet had been without a spiritual leader for three years, since the death of the thirteenth Dalai Lama in 1933 (his replacement, the current Dalai Lama was not chosen until 1937, as a twoyear old), and the Regent Panchen Lama was at odds with the Tibetan government, who considered him to be the prote´ge´ of the ruling Chinese. The official diary of the mission was kept by the photographer Frederick Spencer Chapman (1907–1971), and on October 27 he noted ‘‘We all lunched with the Chikyab Khempo [‘‘Lord Chamberlain’’], a mild and courteous white haired monk who is the head of the Ecclesiastical party.’’ He attached the bill of fare to the diary. Tibetan or Chinese names of dishes. On arrival—Indian tea with Jacob’s biscuits and hard dried apricots. Later—Bowl containing three sweet rose-flavoured dumplings in warm sweet milk. (Tung-yan.) Chopsticks, and squares of Tibetan paper on which to put the chopsticks, were provided and renewed after this course. After another interval many small dishes were put on the table. These contained: Stewed mutton in gravy with onion and carrots. Tinned herrings. Halved green peaches. Stewed peaches. Tinned pineapple slices. Dried dates. Chinese sweets. (Koten) Melon seeds. Peanuts. Mongolian ham. Yak tongue. Pressed beef. Plain beef. Small dishes of sauce and a Chinese spoon were brought for the above and were retained for the rest of the meal. (Tsu-de’:)
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October 27
Dinner with a Tibetan Monk
A Continuous supply of chang (Tibetan barley-beer) was provided. Then the main course followed. The above small dishes were left on the table until the last course (15th) appeared and there was no longer room for them. These courses appeared in one or two large China bowls which were put in the middle of the table so that each person could take what he wanted with his chopsticks or spoon. The dumplings (courses 3, 6, 9, 14)—two or three on a small dish—were brought round to each guest. 1. Shark’s fins and minced mutton in gravy. (Yu-ti.) 2. Fine mince rolled in butter with vermicelli, celery and cabbage. (Chi chou.) 3. Firm mince meat in pastry. (Sha-pa-le.) 4. Slices of a very firm fleshed fish (rather like tunny) with onion, carrot, and boiled bacon. (Bou-yu.) 5. Sea slugs in soup, with boiled pork. (Hay-sing.) 6. Round meat dumplings. (Rupoutsi.) 7. Green peas and mince. (Tre-ma.) 8. Hard boiled eggs, quartered and attached to a similar quarter of mince, in sauce. (Bo-bo-yun-tse.) 9. Pastry dumplings. (Chou-tse.) 10. Bamboo roots with boiled pork in soup. (Sin-tse.) 11. Eels in Soup with pork and Onion. (Chang-yow-tse.) 12. Rice with raisins, cherries, etc. (chu-mi). 13. Small squares of sweet fried bread. 14. Jam dumplings with sponge cake. (Meko-pin lama cow.) 15. (a) Shark’s stomach. (Yuto) (b) Boiled Pork and carrot. (Hlobay) (c) Minced yak. (Teru) (d) Pieces of mutton. (Hor-ru) (e) Steamed rice with four varieties of white bread-pastry in the form of flowers, peaches horse-shoes and also soup. (Ti-mo-mo)
The range of natural food resources in Tibet itself is very restricted due to the high altitude and cold climate. The basic diet is based on barley, particularly in the form of tsampa (toasted flour), and the products of the yak, especially yak milk and butter. There are few vegetables. Imported tea is an essential luxury and is mixed with yak butter to make tsocha (buttered tea). There are few vegetables and no fish. The menu for this seven-hour lunch (and discussion) shows the Chinese influence and the large range of imported foods. Theos Bernard (1908–1947), an American student of yoga and Tibetan Buddhism who met with Gould later, made the point in his book Penthouse of the Gods that A meal such as this is, of course, to be had only in the homes of the wealthy; for most of these ingredients have to be imported from India and China, and some of them come in sealed tins. But these importations are no more extraordinary than our own from Europe or from the Orient.
October 27
Dinner with a Tibetan Monk
The round meat dumplings that Chapman called rupoutsi may have been the same as momo, the well-known steamed Tibetan dumplings filled with finely ground meat and vegetables. Sea-Slugs or Beche de Mer (Holuthuria species) The Trepang, biche de Mer, Morntia, balate´, or sea snail, is, like the birds nests, found principally upon the reefs of the Paracels and Malay islands. The trepang is brought up by divers, and the preparation consists in opening and cleaning them, then boiling, and, finally, smoking them with green wood.
James Hingston Tuckey, Maritime Geography and Statistics (London 1815). Beˆche-de-mer requires extended soaking before cleaning and use, and has a jelly-like texture, a fishy odor, and little taste. Though it may serve as the main ingredient in a Chinese soup or stew, its role is that of imparting and harmonizing the flavors of other ingredients. Recipes for its preparation are legion.
Frederick J. Simmons, Food in China (1991) .
Recipes ~~~ Tibetan Buttered Tea The tea is made in two different ways; first as an infusion with hot water, as in Europe, and this preparation is called Cha-chosh ‘‘tea water’’; secondly in a very peculiar manner, which I will describe in detail from a recipe obtained by my brothers at Leh: The tea—loosened brick-tea—is mixed with nearly half its volume of soda, in Tibetan called Phuli. The mixture is then thrown into a kettle filled with the necessary quantity of cold water, the proportion varying as in our mode of making tea. When the water is about to boil, the mixture of tea leaves and soda is stirred, an operation continued four to six minutes after the boiling of the water. The kettle is then removed from the fire and the tea is filtered through a cloth into a round, wooden cylinder about three to four inches in diameter and two to three feet high; the tea leaves are generally considered as useless and are thrown away. The tea is vigorously queried in a wooden tub (called in Tibetan Gurgur), like chocolate; a large amount of clarified butter is then added (generally double the quantity of the brick tea), and some salt; when the operation of querling is continued. Finally the tea is again thrown into a kettle, mixed with milk, and heated anew, as it has generally greatly cooled down during all the operations just described. This tea, called ‘‘Cha,’’ strongly resembles a kind of gruel, and is taken, together with meat or pastry, at dinner or supper; but it is not allowed to be taken during the performance of religious ceremonies, when tea-water alone, Cha-chosh, is handed round as refreshment. Emil Schlagenweit, Buddhism in Tibet (1863).
Sharks’ Fin: see March 8. Chinese Steamed Bread: see September 1.
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October 28
Dinner of the Worshipful Company of Wax Chandlers
October 28 Dinner of the Worshipful Company of Wax Chandlers Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England, 1478 A livery company is an occupational guild or trade association, and many of them have very ancient roots. Some, such as the Worshipful Company of Wax Chandlers, which began in 1358, continue to exist only as charitable institutions, and some have been granted their charter as recently as the end of the twentieth century. In 1515 when the existing 48 livery companies were listed in order of importance, the wax-chandlers came out at number 20, just ahead of the tallow-chandlers, reflecting the status of the two sorts of candles—fine beeswax for the church and noble households, and tallow candles made from fat for the ordinary home. In Newcastle-upon-Tyne in the northeast of England in the fifteenth century, both groups of chandlers were combined with the Barber-Surgeons. On Lord Mayor’s Day in 1478, 124 men from the combined companies sat down to their annual dinner, at a total cost of seven shillings and sixpence. Two loins of veal Two loins of mutton One loin of beef One leg of mutton One dozen pigeons One dozen rabbits One pig One capon One goose 100 Eggs 2 gallons of wine 1 kilderkin of ale
At first glance at this bill of fare, there is no indication of the actual method of cooking of each of the dishes. It seems likely that the meats were simply roasted or boiled. The eggs are more of a mystery, as custards or similar dishes in which they might have been used are not on the menu—and with 124 guests, there was not one egg per person. The shortfall was not as great as it seems, however, as ‘‘a hundred’’ in this instance actually meant 120 eggs. Up until the eighteenth century, a ‘‘hundred’’ had different meanings depending on the commodity being discussed. A ‘‘short hundred’’ was the number recognized today, but there was also a measure called the ‘‘long hundred’’ which was usually six score (120), but occasionally nine score, or even 124. The ‘‘long hundred’’ applied particularly to fish, as well as eggs. There are other traps in trying to determine from historic menus or provisions lists the amounts of a particular item served. A gallon, for example, is not, and has never been, a fixed amount, but varies from country to country and time to time, and also varies according to whether a dry or wet material is being measured. Also, some ancient units of measurements are now
October 29
Dinner for the Worshipful Company of Barbers and Surgeons
obsolete, such as the ‘‘kilderkin’’ in this bill of fare. A kilderkin was a cask of a specific capacity, but again the exact amount depended on the commodity. By a statute of 1531 a kilderkin of beer was 18 gallons, of ale 16 gallons, and of butter 112 pounds. There would have been no confusion for the medieval provider, who would have known exactly how many articles he would receive for each commodity. Recipes ~~~ Pegions Stewed To mak pegions stewed hew pegions small and put them in an erthen pot then tak erbes and pilled garlike and chope them to gedur and put them in good brothe put ther to whit grece poudur and vergious colour it with saffron and salt it and stew it well and serue it.
Capon or Goos Roste To rost capon or gose tak and drawe his leuer and his guttes at the vent and his grece at the gorge and tak the leef of grece parsly ysope rosmarye and ij lengs of saige and put to the grece and hew it smale and hew yolks of eggs cromed raissins of corans good poudurs saffron and salt melled to gedure and fers the capon there withe and broche hym and let hym be stanche at the vent and at the gorge that the stuffur go not out and rost hym long with a soking fyere and kep the grece that fallithe to baist hym and kepe hym moist till ye serue hym and sauce hym with wyne and guingere as capons be. A Noble Boke off Cookry ffor a Prynce Houssolde or Eny Other Estately Houssolde (ca. 1500).
Cony Roste (roast rabbit): see August 16. October 29 Dinner for the Worshipful Company of Barbers and Surgeons The Barber-Surgeons Hall, Monkwell Square, London, England, 1742 In medieval times there was no real distinction between the occupations of barbers and surgeons (see October 28)—they were one and the same thing. When the Barbers’ Company was formed in 1461, it was they who performed surgery. Some time later a group that was particularly concerned with the more serious surgical operations, such as amputations, split off into a voluntary society called the Company of Surgeons of London. Barbers continued to perform minor procedures such as bloodletting (a common cure-all), lancing abscesses and pulling teeth. In 1540 the two groups were combined again into the Company of Barber-Surgeons—it still being considered that they were two halves of the same profession. This professional guild continued until they were formally separated again in 1745.
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October 29
Dinner for the Worshipful Company of Barbers and Surgeons
Three years before the two professional groups went their separate ways, on Lord Mayor’s Day (October 29) in 1742, the bill of fare (and costs) for the Worshipful Company of Barbers and Surgeons annual dinner was as follows: £
s
d
Seventeen Dishes of Fowles, Oysters, Sauceages and Bacon. 8
1
6
Three Large Sir Loynes of Beef.
1
16
0
Eleven Tongues, Eleven Udders.
3
6
0
Eleven Cock Turkeys and Sauce.
3
1
6
Eight Chines, Sauce, and Dressing.
2
4
0
Twelve Geese and Sauce.
2
8
0
Twelve Dishes of Mincepyes.
3
0
0
Eleven Custards and Florindines.
2
4
0
Three Dishes of Chickens, three each.
0
15
0
Nine Dishes of Rabitts, two each.
1
4
0
Nine Dishes of Chickens, three each.
1
7
0
Twelve Large Pippin Tarts.
2
8
0
For the Musicks [Musicians] dinner
0
0
5
For Wood and Coales
0
12
0
33
2
0
This was a typical English corporate or other formal dinner of the time— lots of meat, and several choices of pies and tarts. The particular way that the ‘‘sirloin’’ is recorded is interesting. There is a popular belief that the sirloin got its name when a particularly impressive ‘‘joint of goodly presence’’ was ceremonially given a knighthood—thus becoming ‘‘Sir Loin’’—by either King Henry VIII, or James I, or Charles II, depending on the source of the story. However, the sirloin is simply ‘‘above the loin’’—sur longe in French. Many food words in English show the enduring legacy of that French invasion in 1066. Words for livestock retained their English roots, for example, cows and pigs—yet the words for the food derived from those animals show the French influence—beef (boeuf) and pork (porc). The English aristocracy, who were reared to speak French for hundreds of years after the Norman conquest—did not need to know, nor presumably did they care, what the live animals were called that were the source of their meat—that was the job of peasants and farmers. Recipes ~~~ ‘‘Pippins’’ are old-fashioned apples. The word was generally applied to particularly late-harvest apples with good flavor and good keeping qualities.
October 30
Dinner with Sir Morton Peto
Pippin-Tart Cut some Golden-pippins in Halves, pare them, and take out the Cores; and stew them with half their Weight of Sugar, and some Lemmon-peel cut in thin long Slices, and Water enough to cover them. When they are clear, they are enough; then set them by to cool, and strain off the Liquor, or Syrup, and put that in a Pan to stew gentl, with some candied Lemon and Orange-peel in Slices; then have a sweet Paste prepared in a Dish, and lay in your Pippins, and bake them in a gently Oven; and when it is hot, pour in some Cream, either pure or artificial, and serve them to the Table. Richard Bradley, The Country Housewife and Lady’s Director (1732).
Mince Pies: see January 9. Florindines (Florentines): see September 13. Udder: see November 1.
October 30 Dinner with Sir Morton Peto Delmonico’s, New York, 1865 Sir Morton Peto (1809–1889) was an English railway entrepreneur, and it was only natural that he would be drawn to visit the United States, where the railway system was expanding at an enormous rate in the second half of the nineteenth century. The time came to be known as the ‘‘Gilded Age’’ because of the vast amount of wealth that was generated during the post-Civil War reconstruction, and the very conspicuous consumption that accompanied it. At the end of his visit, Peto entertained his American friends and contacts at a splendid banquet at Delmonico’s—the finest restaurant in New York, thanks in no small part to its famous chef Charles Ranhofer (1836–1899). When an extraordinarily wealthy man presents a carte blanche to the gifted chef of a top-class restaurant to provide a dinner for 250 guests, the result must be spectacular. Even the menu was printed in gold leaf on satin. The cost was reported to be $200 a head (at a time when the average wage was $5 a week), for which the restaurant provided the following bill of fare.
MENU. Barsac.
Huitres.
POTAGES. Xe´re`s F.S. 1815.
Consomme´ Britannia. ` la Derby. Pure´e a
HORS D’ŒUVRE. Varie´s Cassolettes de foies-gras
` l’e´carlate. Timbales a
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October 30
Dinner with Sir Morton Peto POISSONS. ` la Rothschild. Saumon a
Steinberger Cabinet.
Grenadins de bass, New York. ´ S. RELEVE Champagne Napoleon. Chapons truffe´s. ` la Durham. Filet de bœuf a ´ ES. ENTRE ˆteau Latour. ` la Londonderry. Cha Faisans a ˆtelettess d’Agneau Primatice. Co ` la pure´e de marrons. Cromesquis de volaille a ` la bigarade. Aiguillettes de canards a ` la Pompadour. Rissolettes a ´ ES FROIDS. ENTRE ˆtis. Coˆtes Ro Volie`re de gibier. Ballotines d’anguilles en Bellevue. ` la Bohe´mienne. Chaudfroid de rouges-gorges a Buisson de ris d’agneau Pascaline. ` la Sir Morton Peto. Sorbet a ˆ TIS. RO Clos-Vougeot.
Selle de chevreuil, sauce au vin de Porto groseilles. Be´casse´s barde´s ENTREMETS. Choux de Bruxelles
Haricots Verts.
Artichauts farcis.
Petits Pois.
´ S. SUCRE ` la Madison. Pouding de poires a ` l’ananas. Lousiannais a
Tokai Imperial.
Gele´e aux fruits
` la vanille. Pain d’abricot a Muscovite fouette´e. Gele´e Indienne.
Vacherin au marasquin. Mazarin au peˆches. Caisses jardinie`re.
Cougloff aux amandes. ` l’orange. Mousse a Glace´es assorties.
Fruits et Desserts.
October 30
Dinner with Sir Morton Peto
` CES MONTE ´ ES. PIE Made`re Faquart. Corbeille arabesque. Le Palmier. Corne d’abondance.
Cascade Pyramidale. Ruines de Poe¨stum. Trophe´e militaire. ` la Parisienne Nougat a
The newspapermen ran out of superlatives in describing the ‘‘sumptuous richness and elegance of the banquet.’’ The decorations included a floral mosaic of the ‘‘Star-Spangled Banner’’ and the Union Jack, the table service was the one made especially for the Prince of Wales’ visit in 1860, the men were ‘‘brave’’ and the women were ‘‘fair’’ (it was most unusual for women to dine in public at the time), and the music charming. The food, of course, was perfect. Ironically, the following year Peto was a victim of the financial crisis of 1866, was declared bankrupt, and lost his seat in Parliament. Recipes ~~~ Charles Ranhofer was the chef at Delmonico’s from 1862–1876 and again from 1879–1896. His comprehensive cookbook The Epicurean was published in 1894 and remains a classic. The recipes are from the classic French repertoire and most are complex and are built on multiple subsidiary preparations (stocks, sauces, farces, etc.).
Rissolettes [Basic] Rissolettes are made with very thin pancakes, cutting them into round pieces two and a half inches in diameter, the salpicon ball to be an inch; they are fastened together by a string of chicken forcemeat [see October 15 for a simple version], a quarter of an inch thick, and laid on one-half of the circles. The paste for the pancakes is composed of half a pound of flour, stirring gradually into it, five eggs, a little milk, salt and two ounces of melted butter; the paste must be liquid. Put some clarified butter into small frying pans, add a little of the paste and spread it around so as to form very thin pancakes; when done lay them on a cloth, and cut from them with a round two and a half inch in diameter pastry cutter, pieces for the rissolettes.
` la Pompadour Rissolettes a Have a small Julienne salpicon of beef palate and mushrooms mixed with a little well-reduced and well-seasoned be´chamel [see January 18 for a basic version] set into a vessel to get cold. Make a ball of this preparation one inch in diameter, and lay it on the center of one of the pancake rounds, two and a half inches wide;
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Dinner for the Palace Workmen
fold the pancake and fasten the two edges together with a string of chicken quenelle forcemeat; dip them in eggs and bread-crumbs and fry them to a fine color. Serve on folded napkins.
` la Rothschild is salmon poached in champagne with truffles. Saumon a Chaud-Froid: see July 25.
October 31 Dinner for the Palace Workmen King’s Hall Restaurant, Holborn, London, England, 1913 In 1913 the whole fac¸ade of Buckingham Palace was remodeled in the astonishingly short period of 13 weeks—which included the removal of the scaffolding and cleaning up of the forecourt. King George V (1865–1936) gave ‘‘personal directions’’ for a dinner to be given for everyone who had had a part in the work, in gratitude for their ‘‘remarkable achievement’’ and also as ‘‘a well-deserved tribute to the craft and discipline of British workmanship.’’ A total of 500 guests attended the dinner, at one of the largest dining rooms in London, although the King and Queen were, regretfully, unable to be present themselves. The Times reporter noted that ‘‘the spirit of the entertainment was simple and sincere. . . . There was no ceremony or formality.’’ The workmen came ‘‘in their best clothes, and though black coats and linen collars were predominant, many were to be seen in tweeds, corduroys, and woollen mufflers, for there were labourers of all kinds in the company as well as masons and carvers.’’ The men sat down at tables decorated with smilax and chrysanthemums, to a ‘‘substantial British dinner.’’ It was undoubtedly a dinner such as many if not most of the men had never had in their lives. Scotch Broth. Boiled Turbot with Hollandaise Sauce. Roast Saddle of Mutton. Roast Beef. Baked Potatoes. Brussels Sprouts. Cauliflower. Saxon Pudding. Dessert.
The beverage offered was an ‘‘abundant supply of good ale,’’ but the newspaper reporter noted that ‘‘quite a considerable number of the men drank water or mineral water.’’ After the dinner, pipes and tobacco were handed around, the tobacco packets being specially printed with the Royal Arms in gilt and the words ‘‘From H. M. the King, 31st October, 1913’’; these were observed to be greatly appreciated as mementoes of the occasion. Finally,
October 31
Dinner for the Palace Workmen
there was musical entertainment to end the event which the men ‘‘will long remember with pride and joy.’’ The Roast Beef of Old England Roast meat is the Englishman’s delice and principal dish. . . . The English men understand almost better than any other people the art of properly roasting a joint, which also is not to be wondered at; because the art of cooking as practiced by most Englishmen does not extend much beyond roast beef and plum pudding.
Pehr Kalm (1716–1779), a Swede, from An Account of His Visit to England on His Way to America in 1748. When mighty roast beef was the Englishman’s food It enobled our hearts and enriched our blood. Our soldiers were brave and our courtiers were good. Oh! The roast beef of England, Old England’s roast beef. Henry Fielding (1701–1754) in Grub St. Opera (1731).
Recipes ~~~ Beef, Sirloin of, Roast Choose the middle of a sirloin, with as much undercut as possible. Roast it before a nice clear fire, or in a good oven. Cook it quickly for 15 minutes, then move it a little farther away, and let it become thoroughly done without risk of burning. Baste it continually the whole time. Put the joint on a hot dish, and cover it over. Strain off the dripping, put a little salt in the bottom of the pan, and pour on it 1/4 pint of boiling water. Strain this round the meat, garnish with scraped horse-radish, and serve with horseradish sauce and Yorkshire pudding handed round. Time 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Sufficient for 9 or 10 persons. Ethel S. Meyer, A Practical Dictionary of Cookery: 1200 Tested Recipes (London, 1898).
Scotch Barley-Broth, With Boiled Mutton Or Beef, as Bouilli Ordinaire From three to six pounds of beef or mutton, according to the quantity of soup wanted, put cold water in the proportion of a quart to the pound—a quarterpound of Scotch barley, or more or less as may suit the meat and the water, and a spoonful of salt, unless the meat is already slightly salted. To this put a breakfast-cupful of soaked white or split peas, unless in the season when fresh green peas are to be had cheap, a larger quantity of which must be put in with the other vegetables, using less barley. Skim very carefully as long as any scum rises; then draw aside the pot, and let the broth simmer slowly for an hour, at
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which time put to it two young carrots and turnips cut in dice, and two or three onions sliced. Ten minutes before the broth is ready, add a little parsley, picked and chopped,—or the white part of three leeks may be used instead of onions, and a head of celery sliced, instead of the parsley seasoning; celery requires longer boiling. For beef-broth a small quantity of greens roughly shred, and the best part of four or five leeks cut in inch lengths, are better suited than turnip, carrot, and parsley, which are more adapted to mutton. If there is danger of the meat being overdone before the broth is properly lithed, i.e. thickened, it may be taken up, covered for a half hour, and returned into the pot to heat through before it is dished. Garnish the bouilli with carrot and turnip boiled in the broth, and divided; or pour over it caper-sauce, parsley and butter, or a sauce made of pickled cucumbers, or nasturtiums heated in melted butter, or in a little clear broth, with a tea-spoonful of made mustard and another of vinegar. Parsley, parboiled for two minutes and minced, may also be strewed over bouilli— or a sprinkling of boiled carrots cut in small dice. Christian Isobel Johnstone, The Cook and Housewife’s Manual (Edinburgh, 1828).
Saxon Pudding: see March 22. Hollandaise Sauce: see April 14.
November November 1 All Hallow’s Day Dinner New College, Oxford, England, 1624 There are two consecutive days in the Christian calendar in which the dead are commemorated and honored. November 1 is All Hallow’s Day (or Hallowmas or All Saints Day or the Feast of All Saints) when, as its name suggests, all saints (officially recognized or not) are celebrated. It is followed by All Souls’ Day, when the faithful dead are honored. All Hallow’s day was a day of particular celebration at New College in Oxford, England. An old account book provides an interesting description of the meals provided in 1624 by the warden for the various residents, and it clearly shows the college hierarchy. All Hallow’s Day. For Mr. Sub-Warden. First course: mutton and white broth; rost beefe, 1s.6d.; 2 minced pies, 2s.; a pig, 1s.6d.; udder and tongue, 8d.; 1 capon, 1s.6d; a custard, 1s.6d.; veale, a breast, 1s.6d. Second course: 2 rabbets, 1s.3d.; 1 partridge, 1s.; 4 snipes, 1s.; 12 larkes, 6d.; 1 warden pie, 2s.6d; 1 tart, 1s.6d.; in wine, viz., a pint for grace-cup, 2s.2d., in sugar, a quarter, 4d. For Mr. Deanes. First course: mutton and white broth; rost beefe, 1s.6d.; 2 minced pies, 2s.; 2 forequarters of a pig, and a head, xd.; 1 custard, 1s.6d.; a mess of veale, 8d. Second course: a capon, 1s.6d.; 2 rabbets, 1s.3d.; 12 larks, 6d.; a tart, 1s.6d.; wine, a quarte of sacke, 1s.; claret, 8d. For Masters and Bachelors of Law: stewed mutton and broth; roaste beefe, 1s.6d.; a minced pie, 1s.; halfe a pig, 9d.; and a head; a mess of veale, 8d. Second course, a capon, 1s.6d.; two rabbits, 1s.3d; a custard, 1s.6d.; a tart, 1s.6d.; wine, 1s.8d.
A number of the dishes listed here would hardly make the dinner table at all today, never mind at a special dinner. Offal is a general word for the ‘‘waste’’ when an animal is butchered, and there is much on this menu that would now be called offal—the udder and head, certainly, and the tongue, possibly. In the past, people were not so squeamish and every part of the animal was eaten, including feet, ears, cocks’ combs and testicles (see September 29)—and many parts were considered prize morsels. Expensive animal
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All Hallow’s Day Dinner
protein is still not wasted today of course; it is disguised in sausages and luncheon meats and pies. The warden pie provided for the sub-warden does not simply refer to the fact that it was given by the college warden, nor are there any macabre overtones (even though this dinner was the day after Halloween). Wardens were an old variety of pear that was very common, kept well, and was particularly good for cooking—like its apple counterpart, the pippin (see October 29). The sub-warden was also favored by being provided with ‘‘a pint’’ (of what, exactly, is not stated) for a grace cup (or loving cup) which, by definition, he shared (see September 30.) Recipes ~~~ To Roast a Cows Udder Take a Cows Udder, and first boyl it well: then stick it thick all over with Cloves: then when it is cold spit it, and lay it on the fire, and apply it very well with basting of sweet Butter, and when it is sufficiently roasted and brown, then dredge it, and draw it from the fire, take Venegar and Butter, and put it on a chafing dish and coals; and boyl it with white bread crum, till it be thick: then put to it good store of Sugar and of Cinnamon, and putting it into a clean dish, lay the Cows Udder therein, and trim the sides of the dish with Sugar, and so serve it up. Gervase Markham, The English House-wife (1683).
‘‘Neat’s Tongue’’ was calf’s tongue. It was often preserved by drying and had to be soaked before cooking. To Roast a Neates Tongue to Be Eaten Hot Boyle a faire Neates Tongue tender, blanch it and lard it on one side, pricke in some Cloves: then cut out the meate at the great end, and mince it with a little dubbing suet, as much as an Egge, then season it with a little Nutmeg, and Mace, and Sugar, three or foure Dates minct, a handfull of Currans, halfe a preserved Orenge minct small, about halfe a graine of Muske: worke up your meate with the yolkes of two raw Egges, and stuffe it hard into the Tongue; then pinne over the end a peece of a Caule of Veale, or a skinnie peece of Beefe suet, then put it on a small spit, thorow both ends, set a Dish under the meate to save the gravie, baste it with sweete Butter, and put to the gravie a little Sacke, or Muscadine, and the yolke of an hard Egge minct, and the coare of a Lemmon minct; when your Neates Tongue is roasted, take it up and put it in a dish fitting for it, and put a little Sugar into the sawce, and powre it all over the Tongue, and serve it hot to the Table. John Murrell, Murrell’s Two Books of Cookerie and Carving (1638).
Mince Pies: see January 9.
November 2
Dinner with Emily Dickinson
November 2 Dinner with Emily Dickinson Mount Holyoke Female Seminary, South Hadley, Massachusetts, 1847 The American poet Emily Dickinson (1830–1886) enrolled at Miss Mary Lyons’ Seminary at the age of 17. Miss Lyons’s aim—although perhaps not overtly stated—was to provide suitably educated wives for missionaries. It turned out not to fulfil Dickinson’s expectations—whatever they might have been—or perhaps she was sick, or homesick, for she stayed there only ten months before returning home forever. In a letter written to her brother Austin on November 2, shortly after her arrival, she sounded quite content, describing the seminary dinner in detail and saying ‘‘Isn’t that a dinner fit to set before a king?’’ Roast Veal Potatoes Squash Gravy Wheat and Brown Bread Butter Pepper and Salt Dessert Apple Dumpling Sauce Water
Dickinson remained at home in Amherst for the rest of her life, becoming increasingly reclusive and perhaps eccentric, but keeping up a prolific correspondence with friends and family. She appeared to fill her life with her letter writing and domestic duties, and the full extent of her creative writing —over 800 poems, carefully copied out and bound into small books—was not discovered until after her death. Instead, during her lifetime, she was known in her neighborhood for being a fine baker of bread and cakes. Recipes ~~~ To Roast Veal Be careful to roast veal of a fine brown color; if a large joint, have a good fire; if small, a little, brisk fire. If a fillet or loin, be sure to paper the fat, that you lose as little of that as possible: lay it at some distance from the fire till it is soaked, then lay it near the fire. The breast must be roasted with the caul on till it is done enough; skewer the sweetbread on the back side of the breast. When it is nigh done, take off the caul, baste it, and dredge it with a little flour. Veal takes about the same time in roasting as pork.
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November 3
‘‘All-Red Route’’ Luncheon Cooking Potatoes
Select the potatoes you design for dinner the day previous; pare them, and throw them into cold water, and let them stand three or four hours; then, at a proper time before dinner, put them into boiling water; and when they have sufficiently boiled, turn off all the water, leave off the cover, and hang them over the fire to dry. When the steam has passed off, they will then be in the best possible condition for eating. By this mode, potatoes even of a watery and inferior quality become mealy and good.
Apple Dumpling Select large, fair, pleasant sour, and mellow apples; pare them, and take out the core with a small knife, and fill up the place with sugar; prepare some pie-crust, roll it out quite thick, and cut it into pieces just large enough to cover one apple. Lay an apple on each piece, and enclose them entirely; tie them up in a thick piece of cloth that has been well floured, put them in a pot of boiling water, and boil them one hour; if the boiling should stop, they will be heavy. Serve them up with sweet sauce, or butter and sugar. The New England Economical Housekeeper, and Family Receipt Book (Cincinnati, 1845).
November 3 ‘‘All-Red Route’’ Luncheon aboard the RMS Miowera, 1896 The Miowera was one of two steamships operated by the Canadian Australian Steamship Company between Vancouver and Sydney, via Honolulu and Brisbane. When the service began in May 1893 it became possible for the English to travel right around the world without leaving British soil, solely on British ships and trains. It used to be said that ‘‘the sun never sets on the British Empire,’’ because British colonial possessions spanned the globe— and this service became known as the ‘‘All-Red Route’’ from the traditional color of British colonies on maps of the time. On November 3, 1896, the Miowera was northbound, and a few days out from Vancouver, having left Sydney on October 13 and Honolulu on October 20. The British citizens aboard also did not need to venture far from their accustomed culinary empire. The bill of fare offered a broad choice of comfortingly British food, with only a few dishes from ‘‘elsewhere.’’ SOUP Barley. FISH Potted Salmon and Walnuts.
November 3
‘‘All-Red Route’’ Luncheon
HOT Stewed Steak.
Braized Tomatoes.
Ceylon Curry and Rice Macaroni Cheese.
Boiled Indian Corn.
COLD Roast Beef and Horseradish. Corned Beef.
Melton Mowbray Pie.
Pressed Ox Tongue.
York Ham.
Potted Meats and Fish. POTATOES Mashed. SALAD Plain.
Tomato.
Cucumber.
SWEETS Tapioca Custard. Banana Fritters.
Coventry Puffs.
CHEESE Gruyere
Cheddar
Stilton
Fruit
The only dishes without a clear British Empire heritage are the Boiled Indian Corn (from the Americas) and the Gruyere Cheese (from Switzerland). Boiled corn, or corn on the cob, never took off in Britain, perhaps for reasons of transport and storage, or perhaps for reasons of national pride— America rather embarrassingly being lost to the Empire in 1776. For reasons of pragmatism, corn (in the form of maize flour) was accepted as famine food during the Irish potato famine, but it was never accepted as a real substitute for wheat in Britain. The ‘‘curry’’ would have been as much British as ‘‘Ceylonese.’’ The British have had a love affair with ‘‘curry’’ for centuries as a result of their very long colonial occupation of the Indian subcontinent (see January 1). The ‘‘Ceylon curry’’ served on the Miowera would have been a decidedly Anglo-Indian interpretation, and probably unrecognizable to any native of Ceylon (Sri Lanka). The most unequivocally British things on this menu are the cold dishes, particularly the Melton Mowbray Pie. This is a large ‘‘raised’’ pork pie (see October 25), intended to be eaten cold, and made in exactly the same manner as it has been since medieval times. Many hundreds of years ago, before developments in metal technology made shaped baking containers possible, food was cooked in pastry ‘‘coffins.’’ These were constructed from special pastry made with hot water and fat (ideally lard) which could be moulded like clay (or ‘‘raised’’) into freestanding containers. These were then filled as we would fill a casserole dish today, lidded with more pastry, and baked. The town of Melton Mowbray in Leicestershire has been famous for its pork pies for centuries. They are now subject to a protected geographical indication (PGI) to ensure that only the genuine product is given the name.
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‘‘All-Red Route’’ Luncheon
Recipes ~~~ The following instructions for a raised pork pie to be served cold, in the manner of a traditional Melton Mowbray pie, are taken from Cassell’s Dictionary of Cookery, published about 1870. Pork Pies, Pastry for [Hot Water Crust for Raised Pies] Put a quarter of a pound of finely-shred beef suet—or five ounces of lard, or a quarter of a pound of mutton suet—and an ounce of fresh butter into a saucepan with half a pint of boiling water and a pinch of salt. Stir the mixture until the fat is dissolved, and pour it boiling hot into a pound and a half of flour. Knead it well to a stiff paste, and add a little more warm water if required. Shape the dough, and get it into the oven while it is warm. If the pie is to be baked in a mould, lay a piece of the proper shape in the bottom. Press long pieces into the sides, and fasten these to the top and bottom with the white of an egg. If a mould is not to be used, cut off as much pastry as will make the cover, and wrap it in a cloth to keep it warm. Mould the rest with both hands into the shape of a cone, and make the sides smooth and firm. Press the top down with the knuckles of the right hand, and with the left press the outside closely to keep it firm and smooth. Be careful that the walls are equally thick in every part. Fill the pie, put on the cover, pinch the edges, fasten securely with the white of egg, ornament the outside in any way that may suit the fancy, brush over with yolk of egg, and bake in a slow oven if the pie be large, in a quicker one if it be small.
The same cookbook advises elsewhere that ‘‘those who are not particularly experienced in the work may mould the pie round a jelly-pot or bottle, which has been made warm by being immersed for some time in warm water. To fill the pie, the book gives the following advice.
Pork Pies Cut the meat into pieces the size of a small nut, and keep the meat and fat separate. Season the whole with pepper and salt, half a dozen young sage leaves, finely shred, or half a teaspoonful of dried powdered sage, one ounce of salt, two and a quarter ounces of pepper, and a pinch of cayenne may be allowed for a pie containing three pounds of meat. Pack the fat and lean closely into the pie in alternate layers until it is filled. [Cover, seal, glaze, and bake as above]. Neither water nor bone should be put into pork pies, and the outside pieces will be hard unless they are cut small and pressed closely together. The bones and trimmings of the pork may be stewed to make gravy, which should be boiled until it will jelly when cold, and when this has been nicely flavoured, a little may be poured into the jar after it is baked through an opening made in the top.
Tapioca Custard: see September 26.
November 4
Common Hospital Diet
November 4 Common Hospital Diet Devon and Exeter Hospital, England, 1829 Joseph Bennett, a shoemaker in the parish of Linkinhorne in Southeast Cornwall, was admitted to the Devon and Exeter Hospital with a ‘‘complaint in his back’’ on October 15, 1829. He must have been feeling better a couple of weeks later, because he recorded in his diary on November 4 (a Wednesday) the ‘‘common diet’’ for patients of the hospital for the week. Mon. Wed. Fri. Breakfast. One pint of water gruel. Bread for day 15oz. Dinner. One pint of rice milk. Supper. One pint of milk pottage on Monday. Cheese 2oz on Wednesday and One oz butter on Friday. Tues. Thur. Sat. Sun. Breakfast. One pit of water gruel with 11oz. of bread for day. Dinner. One pint of broth, 4 oz. Mutton, 1lb potatoes. Supper. Cheese 2oz.
Hospitals have only recently become expensive residences for the sick of all classes. Until relatively recently, the wealthy remained at home, hiring nurses to live in if necessary, and their physicians visited regularly. When King Edward VII developed appendicitis just before his coronation in 1902, it would have been unthinkable for him to go to a hospital frequented by the general public, and an operating theatre was set up in the palace. At the other end of the scale, the poor when they got sick managed as best they could without paid leave from work or any form of insurance for their medical expenses. Hospitals catered for some of those between the wealth extremes, such as the tradesman Joseph Bennett. Hospital dietaries were planned according to ideas of nutrition for the sick, with consideration of hospital economics, and both tended to suggest bland diets of cheap food. Nurses in private homes were the nutritionists and cooks for their patients—or the housewife if a nurse was not available—and cookbooks commonly had chapters on invalid cookery. The author of The English Cookery Book, Receipts Collected by a Committee of Lladies, published in 1859, stated that in cooking for the invalid great art is required, because the palate is morbidly acute, or disinclined to strong flavours of any kind. Thus it often happens that seasoning which is relished in a state of health is loathed under disease; and the cook who is not aware of this fact will be almost sure to displease her employers. Hence it is that the nurse who understands the kind of cookery which is fitted for the sick will generally succeed better than the most finished cook, because she knows by experience that all rich flavours are sure to turn the stomachs of her charge. Chicken is for this reason so generally liked by the sick, because its flavour is mild; while the dark and high-flavoured meat of game or ducks would be turned out of the
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Dinner aboard a Clipper Ship
room as soon as submitted to the nose, without even having the honour of a taste. Fat should be most carefully avoided in all animal broths, such as mutton-broth or beaf-tea; onions, garlic, and other herbs, except perhaps parsley, are also objectionable in the sick-room; and even the faintest flavour of the first in bread sauce will seldom be tolerated. Pepper may be used to some extent when not forbidden, and also salt, but beyond these seasonings it is seldom safe to venture far.
Recipes ~~~ The following recipes are taken from a New System of Domestic Cookery, written by Maria Rundell (1824). In her general remarks in the chapter of ‘‘Cookery for the Sick and for the Poor’’ she wrote, The following pages will contain cookery for the sick; it being of more consequence to support those whose bad appetite will not allow them to take the necessary nourishment, than to stimulate that of persons in health. It may not be unnecessary to advise that a choice be made of the things most likely to agree with the patient; that a change be provided; that some one at least be always ready; that not too much of those be made at once which are not likely to keep, as invalids require variety; and that they should succeed each other in different forms and flavours.
Water Gruel Rub smooth a large spoonful of oatmeal, with two of water, and pour it into a pint of water boiling on the fire; stir it well, and boil it quick; but take care it does not boil over. In a quarter of an hour strain it off; and add salt and a bit of butter when eaten. Stir until the butter be incorporated.
Ground-Rice Milk Boil one spoonful of ground rice, rubbed down smooth, with three half-pints of milk, a bit of cinnamon, lemon-peel, and nutmeg. Sweeten when nearly done.
November 5 Dinner aboard a Clipper Ship Ringleader, 1855 Nineteen-year-old Edward P. Sargent set off from Boston, Massachusetts, on October 27, 1855, on the trip of a lifetime. He was aboard Ringleader, one of the exciting, fast, new clipper ships bound for London, England, via San Francisco and China, an 8–10-month trip. Within less than 24 hours the ship was in seas so rough that the captain had to lash himself to the rigging, and on November 3 a sailor was lost overboard. On the 5th of November, Sargent noted in his journal:
November 5
Dinner aboard a Clipper Ship
The crew are repairing the rigging and sails. For dinner to-day we had roast and curried chicken and boiled salt beef with beets, turnips, potatoes, rice, applepudding. At the first table the captain, chief mate, & myself sit; at the second, the 2nd & 3d mates; the carpenter and boatswain eat bv themselves in their room.
Two days later, after enjoying a dinner of ‘‘chicken-pie, roast chicken, beef, ham and apple-pudding,’’ young Sargent wondered, ‘‘What shall we do when the apples and chickens are gone?’’ Ships embarking on long voyages at this time (before refrigeration) set off with as much livestock and fresh food aboard as they could carry and replenished at each port. When the fresh food ran out, crew and passengers had to rely on what could be preserved—salted meat, preserved potatoes, ships’ biscuits and so on, the diet becoming progressively more monotonous and unhealthy. Food is important to morale, however, and seafarers and explorers often hoarded a few animals or longer-keeping foods such as apples for special occasions. Sargent’s journal shows the progression of the food supplies as the weeks of the voyage went by. At the Thanksgiving dinner, he made a point of noting that the pork was fresh (i.e., not salted), suggesting that there were still pigs aboard. His complete menu was ‘‘Mock Turtle Soup, Roast Pork (fresh), Cranberry and Mince pies.’’ Fresh meat was getting scarce by this time, but on Christmas Day he commented on ‘‘an unusually nice dinner of fresh pork.’’ By January 27 they had rounded Cape Horn and were still two weeks away from San Francisco. Sargent noted on that day that ‘‘the goat was killed, or rather murdered.’’ One man who had grown fond of it refused to eat the meat, but to Sargent the loss was of the final source of fresh milk. Recipes ~~~ Boiled Salt Beef Salt beef should be put on with plenty of cold water, and when it boils the scum removed. It is then kept simmering for some hours. A piece weighing fifteen pounds will require three hours and a half to boil. Carrots and turnips for garnishing should be put on to boil with the beef. If in the least tainted, a piece of charcoal may be boiled with it. N. K. M. Lee, The Cook’s Own Book and Housekeeper’s Register (1842).
Turnips, to Dress Young White Wash, peel, and boil them till tender in water with a little salt; serve them with melted butter poured over them. Or, they may be stewed in a pint of milk thickened with a bit of butter rolled in flour, and seasoned with salt and pepper, and served with the sauce. N. K. M. Lee, The Cook’s Own Book and Housekeeper’s Register (1842).
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November 6
Coronation Feast of King Henry VI Boiled Apple Pudding
Pare, core, and quarter, as many fine juicy apples as will weigh two pounds when done. Strew among them a quarter of a pound of brown sugar; add a grated nutmeg, and the juice and yellow peel of a large lemon. Prepare a paste of suet and flour, in the proportion of a pound of chopped suet to two pounds of flour. Roll it out of moderate thickness; lay the apples in the centre, and close the paste nicely over them in the form of a large dumpling; tie it in a cloth and boil it three hours. Send it to the table hot, and eat it with cream sauce, or with butter and sugar. H. W. Derby, The New England Economical Housekeeper, and Family Receipt Book (Cincinnati, 1845).
Compost: see February 23. Frumenty: see February 23.
November 6 Coronation Feast of King Henry VI Great Hall of Westminster, London, England, 1429 Henry VI (1421–1471) was only nine months old when he became King of England. His coronation as King of England was held on St. Leonard’s Day in 1429, a month before his eighth birthday. His second coronation, as king of France, took place in December 1431. The ceremony at his first coronation must have been arduous for a small child, but he apparently demonstrated ‘‘great humility and devotion.’’ It must also have been lonely, sitting in state at the high table, at the ensuing ‘‘honourable feast in the great hall’’. FIRST COURSE.
SECOND COURSE.
THIRD COURSE.
Frumenty with Venison.
Grand blank barred with gold.
Quinces in compost.
Vyand royall planted with losynges of gold.
Gely party wrytten and noted with Te deum laudamus.
Blaund sure powdered with quarter foyles guylt.
Bores hedes in castelles of golde and enarmed.
Pygge endored.
Venyson.
Befe with motton boylyd.
Crane rosted.
Egrettes.
Capon stewed.
Byttore.
Curlew.
Sygnet rosted.
Conyes.
Cock and partriche.
Heyron rosted.
Partriche.
Plover.
Great pyke or luce.
Pecok enhakill.
Quailes.
A rede leche with lions corvyn therein.
Great Breme.
Snytes.
Custarde royall, with a lyoparde of golde sittying their, and holding a fourdelyce.
A white leche planted with a red antelope with a crown about his necke with a chaine of gold.
Great birdes.
November 6 Frytour of sunn facion, with a floureldyce therein.
Coronation Feast of King Henry VI
Flampayne powdered with leopardes and flouredelyce of gold.
Larkis.
Fritour garnished with a leopardes hede and twoo Estryche feathers.
Carpe.
A sottite of Saint Edwarde and saint Louis . . .
691
Crabbe. A sotlytie, an emperor and a kynge . . . and the king who is now . . .
Leche of three colours.
A bake meate like a shiled, quarterid red and whit, sette with losynges gylt and floures of borage. Frytour crispid. A sotyltie of oure Lady syttynge with her chylde in her lap . . .
This must have been a spectacular meal. In addition to the obligatory subtelties (see September 23), there was a boar’s head in a castle of gold, a peacock enhakill (cooked then refitted into its skin and feathers), a bake meate (a pie) shaped like a shield, colored red and white and decorated with real gold, a fritter ‘‘like the sun,’’ and another decorated with a leopard’s head and ostrich feathers. Almost every dish was colored, carved, and decorated in some way: a jelly with musical notation, a red leche (see October 13) carved with lions and a white one with an antelope with a chain of gold about its neck, and a custard decorated with a gold leopard. The decorative food was not designed to amuse the child king. This was no children’s party. This was a political statement. Every single color and motif was rich with symbolism. The gilding with real gold of many of the dishes bespoke the wealth and power of a king, and this was reinforced by the use of the King’s heraldic colors. Many of the dishes were decorated with the fleur de lys—the stylized lily that was the symbol of the French monarchy since the fifth century, many with the lion of England (synonymous with the leopard in heraldry), and many—quite tellingly—with both. The message was unequivocally that this king was king of France as well as England. Recipes ~~~ Birds with spectacular feathers such as swans and peacocks were often cooked then reinserted into their skin to be served with great effect. Birds (especially those with regal plumage) were considered fine food suitable for nobility. They also played an important symbolic role in the ancient code of chivalry, when a vow spoken over a bird was absolutely binding.
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November 7
Dinner by Numbers
In the following recipe for Pecok Enhakill, from the sixteenth-century alchemist Giambattista della Porta, the bird can also be made to appear to breathe fire. In spite of the recipe title, the instructions are clearly that the bird is roasted. A Boiled Peacock May Seem to Be Alive Kill a Peacock, either by thrusting a quill into his brain from above, or else cut his throat, as you do for young kids, that the blood may come forth: then cut his skin gently from his throat unto his tail; and being cut, pull it off with his feathers from his whole body to his head: cut off that with the skin, and legs, and keep it: Rost the Peacock on a spit: his body being stuffed with spices and sweet herbs, sticking first on his brest cloves, and wrapping his neck in a white linnen cloth; wet it always with water, that it may never dry: when the Peacock is rosted, and taken from the spit, put him in his own skin again; and that he may seem to stand upon his feet, you shall thrust small iron wires, made on purpose, through his legs, and set fast on a board, that they may not be discerned, and through his body to his head and tail. Some put Camphire in his mouth; and when he is set upon the table, they cast in fire. John Baptista Porta, Natural Magick (1669 [1558]).
November 7 Dinner by Numbers Grand Hotel, Yokohama, Japan, 1919 The Grand Hotel in Yokohama opened on August 16, 1873, with 30 rooms and seven employees. In spite of its small beginnings, management had big ideas and immediately began promoting the style and quality of the hotel as being equal to the European and American standard. The hotel’s catering ability and flexibility were promoted with the advice that in addition to regular meal offerings, special menus for up to a hundred people could be prepared at short notice. The special services continued to be promoted over the next decades—everything from the provision of picnic baskets to rooms for women travelers to party catering. Everything possible was done to position the hotel as the place to stay for Westerners visiting or working in the country, right down to the provision of famous English brands of pickles and breakfast marmalade. By 1914 the hotel could accommodate 150 guests, and it had succeeded in becoming one of the best in Japan—until it was destroyed by an earthquake in 1923. Hotels in the Orient overcame the potential embarrassment of incorrect meal orders occurring due to language difficulties by hitting upon the idea of numbered menu items (see the tiffin menus, March 31, April 25, and July 20) which clearly left less room for error. The dinner menu for November 7, 1919, shows how the system worked—although the numbering errors may have been a little confusing to guests.
November 7
Dinner by Numbers
DINNER RELISHES 1. Fruit Cocktail 2. Radishes
3. Olives.
5. Sardines in Oil
4. Salted Peanuts
6. Tuna Salad
7. Anchovies
— SOUP 8. Bisque of Oysters
10. Consomme Royal —
FISH 11. Red Tai Sante Meuniere Julienne Potatoes — ENTREES 12. Sweetbreads Braise L’Ancienne
13. Chicken a la King
14. Spaghetti au Gratin — ROASTS 15. Prime Ribs of Beef au Jus
16. Roast Leg of Mutton Currant Jelly —
VEGETABLES 17. String Beans
18. French Peas
20. Boiled Potatoes
19. Mashed Turnips
21. Roast Potatoes —
SALAD 22. Pomelo Salad — DESSERT 23. Walnut Ice-Cream
24. Chocolate Eclairs
25. Hawaiian Pineapple — CHEESE 27. Edam
28. Canadian
29. Fresh Cottag
— FRUITS 29. Assorted Fruits in Season
31. Nuts
32. Chinese Ginger
33. Preserves
— 34. Coffee
35. Tea
36. Milk
— Dishes ordered not on the Bill of Fare will be charged extra. — An extra charge of fifty yen per person will be charged for all meals served in Room.
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November 7
Dinner by Numbers
The most intriguing aspect of this menu is that amongst the great range of international foods—French classic soups and sauces, English roasts, Italian spaghetti, Hawaiian pineapple, Canadian cheese, and Chinese ginger—there is not one token Japanese item. The only dish that might have been unfamiliar to some Western visitors is the pomelo salad. The pomelo (Citrus maxima) is a large citrus fruit, believed to be the ancestor of the grapefruit. It originated in Southeast Asia and was said to have been introduced to the West Indies in the seventeenth century by a Captain Shaddock—hence its alternative name of shaddock. The flesh is quite coarse and dry and it is sweeter than the grapefruit, and is widely used in Southeast Asia in salads—although not the highly constructed decorative variety popular in America in the first half of the twentieth century. Recipes ~~~ Pomelo Salad On each plate put a crisp white lettuce leaf with six lobes of a large rose-tinted pomelo, pointing to the center. Between each section of pomelo, near the center, put the blanched half of an English walnut, and in the center put a good spoonful of mayonnaise sprinkled with finely chopped maraschino. Frances Barber Harris, Florida Salads: A Collection of Dainty, Wholesome Salad Recipes That Will Appeal to the Most Fastidious (1918).
Chocolate Eclairs are finger-shaped, cream or custard-filled cakes made from choux paste—the same paste as used for profiteroles, croque-en-bouche (seeMay 18), and small savory pastries. The paste is piped onto greased trays in whatever shape is desired—small balls for profiteroles or elongated fingers for eclairs. When baked they are split open while hot and any remaining uncooked soft paste in the center is removed. When cool they are filled and iced as desired just before serving. ´ a ` Choux Pa ˆ te Weigh four ounces of flour, to which add half a teaspoonful of sugar. Put two gills of cold water in a tin saucepan with two ounces of butter, and set it on the fire, stir a little with a wooden spoon to melt the butter before the water boils. At the first boiling of the water, throw into it the four ounces of flour and stir very fast with the spoon, holding the pan fast with the left hand. As soon as the whole is thoroughly mixed, take from the fire, but continue stirring for about fifteen or twenty seconds. It takes hardly half a minute from the time the flour is dropped in the pan to that when taken from the fire. The quicker it is done, the better. When properly done, nothing at all sticks to the pan, and by touching it with the finger it feels as soft as velvet, and does not adhere to it at all. Let it stand two or three minutes, then mix well with it, by means of a spoon, one egg; then another, and so on; in all four. It takes some time and work
November 8
Duchess of Buccleuch and Monmouth’s Table
to mix the eggs, especially to mix the first one, the paste being rather stiff. They are added one at a time, in order to mix them better. If the eggs are small, add half of one or one more. To use only half a one, it is necessary to beat it first. Let the paste stand half an hour, stir again a little, and use. If it is left standing for some time and is found rather dry, add a little egg, which mix, and then use. Pierre Blot, Hand-Book of Practical Cookery (1867).
Currant Jelly: see January 5. November 8 Duchess of Buccleuch and Monmouth’s Table Dalkeith Castle, Scotland, 1701 Aristocratic homes on landed estates have been self-supporting communities for centuries (see January 5, January 12, and August 2). Ownership of great tracts of land and supremacy over tenant farmers allowed the rich to provide their own meat, game, grain, dairy products, fruit and vegetables, and sometimes fish. Great wealth meant that whatever else was needed—wine, sugar, spices, dried fruit, and so on—could be purchased from near and far and delivered to the door. Bread and ale were made on the premises, hams and bacon cured, meat salted down, and surplus produce preserved in various other ways. Household guests were frequent, and traveling strangers had to be fed on short notice. Running a stately household was a formidable task, and the organization fell to the steward, who had to track the movement of supplies and keep meticulous accounts in great ledgers. The surviving records of the household of the Duchess of Buccleuch and Monmouth in Scotland at the beginning of the eighteenth century describe the meals for the day for Her Grace and her staff. The meals for November 8 were probably typical, and the daily plan included that for breakfast next morning, as the preparation had to be done the evening before. DINNER. First Course. 200 oysters, bacon and pease pottage, haggis, with a calf’s pluck, beef collops, mutton roasted, three joints, fricassee of five chickens; remove, a roasted goose. Second Course, six wild fowl and six chickens, buttered crabs, collard beaf, tarts, four roasted hens. Steward’s table. Beef, one piece, roasted mutton, two joints. Officers table. Beef, two pieces, roasted mutton, two joints. Last table. Beef, three pieces, mutton roasted, six joints. SUPPER. One joint of mutton in stakes, fried toast, broiled whitings, two roasted rabbits. Steward’s table. Mutton roasted, three joints. Officers table. Mutton roasted, three joints, two hens. Last table. Mutton roasted, eight joints. BREAKFAST. Two joints of mutton in collops, four quarters of roasted lamb, two roasted capons.
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November 8
Duchess of Buccleuch and Monmouth’s Table
The menus for the various groups show the typical hierarchy of the meal table since medieval times, with more courses and more choices the higher up the social scale. It also mentions a ‘‘remove’’ in the first course for the top table. The dining table from medieval times until well into the nineteenth century was set up with all of the dishes in their allotted place before the diners sat down. By the eighteenth century the table arrangement was of such consequence that cook books contained illustrations of exactly where to place each dish so that the whole impression was of great symmetry and abundance. Dishes that were not inherently impressive to look at, such as soups, or dishes expected to be eaten early in the meal were removed at a certain point during the course, because the remnants spoiled the overall appearance. A gap on the table was equally undesirable for the same reason, so a new dish was placed in the same spot. This dish was called a ‘‘remove’’ (although the nomenclature gets confusing because occasionally it was the dish that was taken away that was given the name). In the case of Her Grace’s table, the ‘‘remove’’ of roasted goose probably took the place of the oysters or the peas pottage. Recipes ~~~ The following recipe is taken from the first printed Scottish cookery book, Receipts for Cookery and Pastry-Work, by Mrs. McLintock, published in 1736. To Dress Scots Collops Take a leg of Veal, and cut away the flesh from the Bones, and pare away all the skin, cut them in thin slices, beat the collops with the Back of a Knife to make them tender, then fry them; take two Beef Pallates, boil them till the skin comes off them, then cut them in Pieces, and take forced Meat in small Balls, and fry them brown in a Pan; take three Veals sweet Breads, boil them with a piece of Butter in a sauce Pan, and put a little Flower in it; shake it about, and put to it a Pint of strong Broth, and half a Mutchkin of Claret, or white Wine; then put in the Pallats, and sweet-breads, Anchovies, Capers, pickled Oysters, some whole Onions, Pepper, Salt, a little Nutmeg; put in the Collops, and boil all together a Quarter of an Hour, then take out the Onions, and take some Yolks of Eggs, and a whole Lemon, and squeeze into the Eggs, and put them into the collops, and toss them, till they be thick; garnish the Dish with sippets of Bread, Lemon Peill, and serve them up.
Fried toast is a ‘‘made dish’’ as can be seen from its position on the menu; it is not an alternative to plain bread. It is a sort of French toast, made with cream. Fried Toast Cut a slice of bread about half an inch thick, steep it in rich cream, with sugar and nutmeg to your taste, when it is quite soft, put a good lump of butter into
November 9
Quiet Dinner for Two in Paris
a tossing-pan, fry it a fine brown, lay it on a dish, pour wine sauce over it, and serve it up. Elizabeth Raffald, Experienced English Housekeeper (1769).
Collared Beef: see September 15. Collared Meat: see September 15. Haggis: see January 25. Pease Pottage: see March 7.
November 9 Quiet Dinner for Two in Paris Chez Denis, Paris, 1975 In June 1975 The New York Times food critic Craig Claiborne (1920–2000) placed a bid in a fund-raising auction being run by the Public Broadcasting System’s Channel 13. His $300 stake won him a dinner for two with no ceiling price, at any restaurant in the world that accepted the American Express credit card. Claiborne was uniquely qualified for the challenge, and finally redeemed his prize on November 9. Over a five-hour meal at the Paris restaurant Chez Denis on the Rue Gustave Flaubert, he and his partner Pierre Franey got through 31 dishes and 9 wines at a cost of $4,000—equivalent to the buying power today of almost $15,000. He had not expected to win the auction, and neither he nor the newspaper expected the outrage that followed his reports of the meal. HORS D’OEUVRE Beluga Caviar, in crystal, enclosed in shaved ice, with toast. 1966 Champagne Comtesse Marie de France FIRST SERVICE Consomme´ Denis: wild duck consomme´ with shreds of fine creˆpes and herbs, lightly thickened with fine tapioca. Cre`me Andalouse: cream of tomato with shreds of sweet pimento and fines herbs. Cold Germiny soup—cream of sorrel. Parfait of Sweetbreads Mousse of Quail in small tart. Tart of Italian ham, with mushrooms and a border of truffles. 1918 Chateau Latour. Belon Oysters, broiled quickly in the shell, and served with a pure beurre blanc. Lobster in a cardinal-red sauce with truffles. Provenc¸ale Pie of red mullet, baked with tomato, black olives, and herbs. 1969 Montrachet Baron The´nard.
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November 9
Quiet Dinner for Two in Paris
Filets et sot l’y laissant de Poulard Bresse: the filet strips and ‘‘oysters’’ from the backbone of the chicken in a cream sauce containing wild mushrooms. Chartreuse of Partridge: roasted partridge in a bed of cabbage, baked in a mosaic pattern, intricately styled, with carrot and turnip cut into fancy shapes. Fillet of Limousin Beef with a thick truffle sauce. 1928 Chateau Mouton Rothschild Raspberry sherbert Orange sherbert Lemon sherbert SECOND SERVICE Ortolans en brochette. Fillets of wild duck en salmis, in a rich brown game sauce. Rognonade de veau: roasted loin of veal wrapped in puff pastry with fresh black truffles ‘‘about the size of golf balls.’’ Pommes Anna Pure´e Rachel: artichoke pure´e Cold dishes: Foie Gras in clear aspic Breast of Woodcock (rare) with a natural chaud-froid. Another Aspic Cold Pheasant with hazelnuts. 1947 Chateau Lafite-Rothschild 1961 Chateau Petrus 1929 Romane´e Conti 3 sweets: A cold glazed Charlotte with strawberries. ˆIle Flottante Poire Alma 1928 Chateau d’Yquem THIRD COURSE Pastry confections Fruit 1835 Madeira Coffee with 100-year-old Calvados or an hors d’age cognac.
November 9
Quiet Dinner for Two in Paris
The New York Times received almost a thousand letters in response to the report, four fifths of which expressed outrage at the demonstration of conspicuous consumption in a world when so many were starving. Even the Vatican apparently weighed in on the debate with its own newspaper condemning the gluttony and ostentation. Although Claiborne later noted that the meal was not perfect in all respects, on the night he was not disappointed; he wrote, ‘‘Over all it was an unforgettable evening, and we have high praise for Claude Mornay, the 37-year-old genius behind the meal.’’ Most of the cost was in the wine, and written into this was the fact that three bottles of the Latour had to be opened to find one that was drinkable. The restaurant proprietor, Denis Lahana was at pains to point out that because of the quantity required to create some of the dishes, there was enough food for ten people, and not all the food was expected to be eaten. Even allowing for a tiny portion of each of the 31 dishes and 9 bottles being consumed, it is still amazing that Claiborne was able to comment that he did not feel ‘‘all that stuffed’’ and was ‘‘laudably sober’’ at the end of the meal. Recipes ~~~ The dishes on this menu come from the classic French repertoire. Many of them are highly complex and time consuming. An example is the chartreuse —an ornamental, highly decorated dish made in a mold, and a great favorite in Victorian times. The following recipe is from The Modern Cook, published in 1860 by Charles Elme´ Francatelli, who was for a short time the chef to Queen Victoria. Chartreuse of Vegetables, Garnished with Partridges Scrape eight large carrots, and parboil them in water with a little salt for ten minutes; then put them to boil in some broth with a little sugar and salt, and a small pat of butter; when done, place them on a dish in the larder to get cold. In the mean time, eight large turnips should be peeled, and boiled in the same way as the carrots, and then put on a dish to cool. Next, a plain round mould must be lined with buttered paper, and the prepared carrots and turnips cut into appropriate forma or shapes for the purpose of arranging them over the bottom and round the inside of the mould, taking care that they fit in with each other, so as to represent any of the foregoing designs. Meanwhile parboil three large savoy cabbages in water; then immerse them in cold water, after which squeeze the moisture from them; spread them upon a napkin on the table, take out the cores, season with minionette-pepper and salt, and tie each up with string. Then, put the cabbages into a large stewpan with three partridges trussed with their legs inside, one pound of streaky bacon (previously parboiled), and two large saveloys; season with two onions stuck with four cloves, two carrots, and a garnished faggot; moisten with three pints of stock, cover with a buttered paper, put on the lid, and set them to braize gently for about two hours, if the birds are young, or three hours if not. When done, drain the cabbage into a colander, put the partridges, bacon, and saveloys on a dish to cool; squeeze the broth from
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November 10
Lord Mayor’s Dinner
the cabbage by pressing it tightly in a strong kitchen rubber; then chop it and afterwards put it into a stewpan with a spoonful of brown sauce, and stir it quickly over a brisk fire until it resembles a somewhat firm paste. Use this preparation to garnish the bottom and sides of the chartreuse, about an inch thick. The partridges must be cut up neatly into small members, tossed in enough brown sauce to moisten them, and then placed in the cavity of the chartreuse in close order, so as to give it solidity when turned out of the mould on its dish; a layer of prepared cabbage should be placed over these, and the whole covered with a circular piece of buttered paper. An hour before dinner, the chartreuse must be placed in a stewpan with sufficient water to reach up only one-third the height of the mould; then set the lid on, and put the stewpan near or upon a slow fire to keep the water gently simmering, so that the steam may warm the chartreuse through. When about to serve, turn the chartreuse up-side-down in the dish, and draw the mould off with care, remove the paper, and garnish the base with a close border of the bacon and saveloys cut into scollops; pour some brown sauce (worked with essence of vegetables) round the entree, glaze the chartreuse carefully, so as not to disturb the order of the vegetables, and serve.
Ortolans: see December 31. Pommes Anna: see June 21.
November 10 Lord Mayor’s Dinner Guildhall, London, 1828 From the time of King John (1167–1216), the newly elected Lord Mayor of London was required to present himself to the Royal Courts of Justice, who would then inform the King as to his identity. From 1751 until 1959 this ceremony took place on November 9 (unless that day fell on a Sunday, as it did in 1828, when it was held the following day), and over the centuries it developed into a great pageant. The parade and presentation were followed by the Lord Mayor’s dinner, and over the centuries this also became more and more grand. By well into the nineteenth century this still retained its medieval character. There were several different menus for the different ranks of officials, who were seated according to their status. At the dinner in 1828 there were six different menus served. The greatest selection of the finest dishes went to the top table in the Hustings, at which the Lord Mayor and Aldermen sat. Slightly different menus were served to the five long tables in the Hustings, the four short tables in the hall next to the Hustings, the four tables in the body of the hall, the five side tables in the hall, and the Court of the King’s Bench. Hustings Table (At which the Rt. Hon. the Lord Mayor presides.) 7 tureens of turtle, 2 dishes of fowls, 2 roasted capons, 2 hams (ornamented), 1 tongue, 2 raised French pies, 1 pigeon pie, 1 dish shell-fish, 1 dish prawns, 1
November 10
Lord Mayor’s Dinner
roasted pullet, 2 dishes mince pies, 2 tourtes, 2 marrow puddings, 3 marbre´ jellies, 3 blancmanges, 4 dishes of potatoes, 2 salads, 2 chantilly baskets. Removes. 2 roasted turkeys, 2 pheasants, 1 goose, 1 dish of partridges, 1 dish wild fowl, 1 leveret, 2 dishes pea-fowl. Dessert. 6 pineapples, 6 dishes grapes, 2 dishes apples, 3 ice-creams, 2 dishes pears, 1 dish dried fruit, 2 dishes walnuts, 2 dishes brandy cherries, 2 dishes Savoy cakes, 2 dishes rout cakes, 2 dishes filberts, 2 dishes preserved ginger.
Many of the dishes on this menu made regular appearances at the Lord Mayor’s dinner for well over a hundred years. French and pigeon pies, hams, mince pies, Savoy and Rout cakes, hot-house fruit (especially pineapples), and preserved ginger were standard items—but above all, it was turtle soup that symbolized civic banqueting. It was reputed to have the ability to prepare the stomach for the digestive stress that was an inevitable feature of such banquets, but this was a secondary medicinal justification for the expensive, exotic delicacy. Turtles were shipped live in vast numbers, in specially built tanks on the decks of ships, from the West Indies to supply the demand. It was a very lucrative trade for a while in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, but its success held the seeds of its own destruction. Inevitably, turtles were hunted almost to extinction, and the supply dropped off. It was unthinkable to have an important banquet without turtle soup—and anyway, people had gotten to like the slightly gelatinous texture—so a substitute had to be found. Mock-turtle soup made from calf’s head (which created a similar gelatinous texture) became so worthy a substitute that in a short time it became a worthy soup in its own right, with no shame in placing it on any menu. Recipes ~~~ Turtle Soup Cut the head of the turtle off the day before you dress it, and place the body so as to drain it well from blood, next day cut it up, dividing the several parts, viz., the back, belly, fins, and head from the intestines and lean meat, taking care to cut the gall clean out without breaking it; scald in boiling water the firstnamed parts so as to take off all the skin and shell, cut them in pieces small enough to stew, and throw them into cold water, boil the back and belly in water till you can extract the meat from the bones, not longer; put the meat on a dish, then make a good stock with leg of veal, plenty of lean ham, the flesh of the inside of the turtle, draw it down to a colour, and fill it up with beef stock and the liquor and bones of the boiled turtle, season it with the stalks of the basil and marjoram, plenty of onions, bay leaves, bunch of parsley, cloves, mace, and whole pepper, skim it well, and let it boil gently for four hours, and then strain it to the pieces of fin, back, belly, and head of the turtle, which when they are done tender take out into dishes; take out the bones of the pieces of fins and cut the rest in neat square pieces with as little waste as possible. Thicken the stock with
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November 11
Staff Meals
roux and boil it to cleanse from grease and scum, adding mushroom trimmings, and then strain it through a tammy; in the mean time boil your herbs that have been washed and picked in a bottle or two of Madeira wine with a little sugar, and rub them through a tammy. The herbs are basil, marjoram, thyme, parsley; the two former of which must not be spared, for on them much depends the flavour of the soup. Now add altogether soup, herbs, meat, and some forcemeat and egg balls, boil for a short time and put it away in clean pans till the following day, as the rawness goes off, and you improve the flavour by so doing; boil it again the next day, and a little before serving season it with lemon juice, Cayenne, salt, and a bottle of Madeira. N.B. The fat should he taken great care of, separated on cutting up the turtle; blanched, cut in neat pieces and stewed tender in a little soup separate, and then divided at last as the tureens require. Richard Dolby, The Cook’s Dictionary and Housekeeper’s Directory (1833).
Raised Pies: see October 25. Savoy Cakes: see August 1.
November 11 Staff Meals Hotel Pennsylvania, New York, 1919 The Hotel Pennsylvania was the world’s largest hotel when it opened in New York in January 1919. To service its 2,220 rooms (and 2,200 baths), pamper and feed its guests, and manage the various amenities such as the Turkish baths, library, swimming pools (separate pools for men and women) to the desired high standard required an army of staff. Almost 2,000 staff, in fact —including 60 ‘‘girls’’ to manage the telephone system—and all had to be fed while on duty. Where these ‘‘girls’’ fitted in the staff hierarchy is uncertain, but what is certain is that there was a hierarchy. One’s position in the hierarchy determined where and what one ate—even down to whether or one got cream or merely top-of-the-milk on breakfast cereal. The menu for this day in November reveals it all. OFFICERS HALL
MAIDS CAFETERIA
HELPS CAFETERIA
BREAKFAST, 6:30 to 8:30 A.M.
Apple sauce. Malt Apple sauce. Malt breakfast food, or dry breakfast food, or dry cereal & cream. Baked cereal & top milk. eggs. Rolls & butter. Bread and butter. Coffee, Milk. Coffee, Milk.
Stewed prunes. Malt breakfast food, or dry cereal & top milk. Boiled eggs. Rolls & butter. Coffee, Milk
LUNCH, 11 A.M. to 1 P.M.
Barley Soup. Roast Barley Soup. Pot Barley Soup. Pot Loin of Pork. Pot Roast of Beef. Boiled Roast of Beef. Boiled Roast of Beef. Boiled Potatoes. Chicory Potatoes. Chicory Potatoes Creamed Salad. Bread and Salad. Bread and Turnips. Lettuce Butter. Rice Pudding. Butter. Rice Pudding. Salad. Bread and Tea, Coffee, Milk. Tea, Coffee, Milk. Butter. Rice Pudding. Tea, Coffee, Milk.
November 11
Staff Meals
703
Fricassee of veal & Fricassee of veal & biscuits. Scalloped biscuits. Mashed ham. Mashed potatoes. potatoes. Fried Fried Parsnips. Bread Parsnips. Bread and and butter. Ice cream. butter. Ice cream. Tea, Coffee, Milk. Tea, Coffee, Milk.
Fricassee of veal & biscuits. Mashed potatoes. Fried Parsnips. Bread and butter. Ice cream. Tea, Coffee, Milk
SUPPER, 9 P.M. to 10 P.M..
Breaded veal cutlet Boiled potatoes. Stewed tomatoes. Assorted pastry. Bread & butter. Tea, Coffee, Milk
Breaded veal cutlet Boiled potatoes. Stewed tomatoes. Assorted pastry. Bread & butter. Tea, Coffee, Milk
LATE SUPPER, 12 to 1 A.M.
Mixed meat sandwiches. Coffee
DINNER, 5 P.M. to 7 P.M.
The dietitian employed by the hotel noted, and clearly intended to address, that ‘‘too much meat has been used, but traditions are easier to build up than broken down, and the elimination of part of the meat is necessarily a slow process.’’ The maids no doubt noted that the only beverage offered to them at the ‘‘late supper’’ was coffee—presumably to keep them awake on the late shift, as they appear to be the only staff on duty at that time of the night. Recipes ~~~ Veal Fricassee Take a knuckle of veal; boil two hours in sufficient water to cover it, when thoroughly cooked, remove the meat, and thicken the gravy with one tablespoonful of flour; add a little salt and one egg, well beaten; pour over the meat and serve hot with slices of lemon. Carrie V. Schuman, compiler, Favorite Dishes (Chicago, 1893).
Pot Roast For six people buy 3 pounds of meat to allow for loss of weight in cooking, or, if possible, a heavier piece, which will cook better and allow for left-over scalloped meat or meat pie. In this case the additional cost may be figured on the next meal. Buy the top of the round, as it is clear meat and there is no waste. Sear the meat on all sides in fat; add water, cover the pot, and cook on the back of the stove or in the oven for 3 hours. Vegetables may be added for flavour.
Scotch Barley Soup: see October 31. Rice Pudding: see January 12.
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November 12
20th Anniversary Banquet
November 12 20th Anniversary Banquet of the Scottish Geographical Society North British Station Hotel, Edinburgh, Scotland, 1904 The Royal Scottish Geographical Society was founded in 1884, with the aim of supporting geographical education, research, and exploration. In 1904 the society celebrated its anniversary by celebrating the success of two antarctic expeditions—the British Antarctic Expedition of 1901–04, which had been led by Robert Falcon Scott (1868–1912), and the Scottish National Antarctic Expedition of 1902–04, led by William Speirs Bruce (1867–1921). Both Scott and Bruce were present at the banquet, as was the president of the Royal Geographical Society of London, Sir Clements Markham (1830– 1916). Clements had been a member of one of the expeditions sent in search Huitres Natives Amontillado
— ` la ‘‘Discovery’’ Consomme´ a Veloute´ de Volaille
Liebfraumilch 1893
— ` l’Antarctique Filets de Sole a Eperlans frits, Sauce Chivry — Terrines de poulardes Alexandra
San Marceau
—
1893, or
` la Careˆme [?] Selles de Pre´ Sale´ a
Deutz &
Pommes Grand’mere
Geldermann 1893
— ` la Romaine Punch a — ` la Broche Faisians bards a Salade de cœurs de laitues — Peˆches Framboises
ˆt. Margaux Cha
Glaces Polaires
1899
Corbeilles de Friandises
Sandeman’s
— ` la ‘‘Scotia’’ Paillettes a
Port, 1891
— Dessert
Cafe´—Liqueurs CIGARS CIGARETTES
November 12
20th Anniversary Banquet
of John Franklin (1786–1847) who had gone missing while searching for the Northwest passage in the Canadian Arctic in 1847. There had been some friction between Clements and Bruce for some time, with Clements impugning the latter’s motives, for which he later apologized. The names of several of the dishes on the menu are in celebration of the Antarctic and its explorers. The fish is styled Antarctique, and the ices are very appropriately styled Polaires, the Discovery was Scott’s ship, and the Scotia, Bruce’s. The basic presentations were classic—filets of sole, saddle of lamb, chicken terrine, and pheasant on skewers, but the dishes were especially modified and renamed for the dinner, and exactly what they contained is unknown. Usually, for an occasion such as this it was sufficient for a minor change in a sauce or garnish to justify a new name. The Paillettes are intriguing. Paillettes are fine flakes of metal used decoratively, such as sequins, or the gold specks in Dantziger liqueur (see December 11) and some confectionery. The word sometimes also refers to the small savory pastries called cheese straws (see April 22), perhaps on account of the golden flakes of Parmesan cheese with which they are often sprinkled before baking. This latter use would fit their position on this menu, as it was usual for British dinners of the time to end with a small savory. Recipes ~~~ The word terrine comes from the same root as the word tureen and originally meant the same thing—a container for food. Tureen has retained its meaning as the large, glorified lidded bowl for serving soup. A terrine was originally the earthenware container for a pate´-like, layered or jellied dish but can now also refer to the contents themselves. A terrine is the same as a ‘‘potted’’ dish or a ‘‘shape’’—the meat being compressed into a dish or mold and allowed to chill. The following is a simple version. Shape of Chicken A good-sized fowl. 4 breakfast-cupfuls water 1 teaspoonful Peppercorns A blade of Mace Salt and Cayenne Pepper. Break the bones well, and return them to the pan, and boil for 3 hours or longer; the legs should be scalded and scraped, and all the giblets used, as well as the skin. When this has all been boiled, strain (there should be 2 breakfast-cupfuls of stock); season nicely, and return to the pan, with the chopped chicken and seasonings, to boil up for 10 minutes; put this into a mould to get cold. Turn out and decorate with parsley. The giblets, legs, and skin are all boiled as long as the bones. Mrs. Black. Glasgow, Choice Cookery ‘‘La Bonne Cuisine’’: A Selection of High-Class and Household Recipes (ca. 1890s).
Punch a la Romaine (Roman punch): see July 1.
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November 13
Dinner with Pablo Casals
November 13 Dinner with Pablo Casals The White House, Washington, DC, 1961 The great Spanish-Catalan cellist Pablo Casals (1876–1973) went into selfimposed exile in protest against the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939) and the dictatorship of General Franco (1892–1975) that followed. He also refused from that time to give concert performances in any country that recognized Franco’s government. It was a great coup for President John F. Kennedy (1917–1963) when Casals accepted his invitation to perform at the White House for the second time—the first occasion being over half a century earlier, for President Theodore Roosevelt (1858–1919) in 1904. The occasion was a State Dinner for Governor Luis Mun ˜ oz Marin (1898– 1980) of Puerto Rico. Casals, the pianist Mieczysław Horszowski (1892– 1993), and violinist Alexander Schneidner (1908–1993) performed an hour-long concert of chamber music in the East Room before the dinner. There were 153 guests including musicians, politicians, diplomats, newspaper editors and journalists, and patrons of the arts—too many for the State Dining Room, necessitating extra tables to be set up in the Blue Room and the Oval Room.
At the Casals dinner. (AP Photo)
November 13
Dinner with Pablo Casals
French was still the language of White House menus until the Clinton Administration (and it still is for the British royals), but by the 1960s the style of dinners had changed significantly since the early part of the century. In place of multiple courses each with several elaborate, intricately sauced or garnished dishes there is lightness and elegant restraint. DINNER
Inglenook Pinot
Mousse de Sole Admiral
Chardonnay Filet de boeuf Montfermeil Almaden Cabernet Sauvignon
Galantine de Faisan au Porto Salade verte
Piper-Heidsieck 1953
Sorbet au Champagne ˆtisserie Pa
Recipes ~~~ Admiral sauce is a traditional sauce for fish or fish dishes. The basic flavorings of anchovies, chives, and capers are added to a base of melted butter or rich white sauce. Admiral Sauce To one pint of rich white sauce (Veloute´ or Allemande) add 1 dessertspoonful of finely chopped capers, 1 teaspoonful of chopped parsley, one of chopped lemon rind, the juice of half a lemon, and a teaspoonful of anchovy essense. Reheat and serve hot. Charles Herman Senn. The Book of Sauces (1915).
Montfermeil A warm salad of potatoes, salsify, white of hard-boiled eggs en julienne, the yolk being rubbed through a sieve to decorate; mayonnaise sauce. J. Berjane, French Dishes for English Tables (1931).
Champagne Sorbet To 1/2 pint of syrup [see note below] add 1/4 bottle of champagne, the juice of half a lemon and of two oranges. Let some peel of both lemon and orange soak in the syrup as it boils for about ten minutes, then strain carefully and freeze,
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November 14
Lunch for the King and Queen of Greece
working it with a paddle to make it smooth, and when the ice is set, add another 1/4 bottle of champagne. The Times, June 24, 1922.
Note: A basic sorbet syrup is made from sugar and water in the ratio 2:1. Veloute´ and Allemande sauces: see January 18.
November 14 Lunch for the King and Queen of Greece Ambassador Hotel, Los Angeles, California, 1953 King Paul (1901–1964) and Queen Frederika (1917–1981) of Greece visited the United States in 1953 on a goodwill tour. The diplomatic ‘‘thank you’’ implicit in the visit was for the six years of assistance given to Greece under the Truman Doctrine. The visit lasted from October 28 to December 3 and was ‘‘the most varied tour any royal couple has made in the United States’’ and promised, said the newspapers, to be pleasant for all concerned. It certainly appeared that the royal couple were happy, and happily received, wherever they went. The royal schedule at times looked very hectic—as royal tours often are as each community demonstrates its best assets to the visitors. By mid-November the King and Queen were in California. On November 13 they had a day in Hollywood, where it became immediately obvious that they were movie fans. They attended a luncheon for 300 guests put on in their honor by the Association of Motion Picture Producers and held on a stage at R.K.O. Studios. The following day they attended a football game between the University of Washington and the University of Los Angeles, then were feted at dinner at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles. The menu for the dinner paid tribute to the visitors with some Greek-inspired dishes. Hawaiian Pineapple Filled with Fresh Fruit Illuminee Hearts of Celery Colossal Ripe and Green Olives Consomme Royale—Golden Cheese Straws Roast Tenderloin of Beef—Chasseur Rice Pilaff Zucchini a la Greque Hearts of Romaine Roquefort Dressing Crown Athenia Flambe Sauce Marron
November 14
Lunch for the King and Queen of Greece Petits Fours Coffee
Paul Masson Rose Wine
Petits fours are small, often merely bite-sized sweet cakes served at the end of dinner, with coffee. Like hors d’oeuvres (see January 20) there is really no adequate translation in English. The name ‘‘petits fours’’ comes from the French words meaning ‘‘little oven.’’ Once upon a time brick ovens were heated by having a fire built right inside (like wood-fired pizza ovens today). The ashes were then raked out, and the large items such as bread, pies, and large cakes were placed in the oven, to be cooked by the heat radiating from the bricks. After these were taken out, there was enough residual heat to cook little cakes as the oven cooled down. There are two classic types of petits fours—plain, dry (sec) cakes such as biscuits, meringues, and perhaps madeleines, and iced or decorated (glace´) cakes made from a poundcake type base. Recipes ~~~ Here is a recipe for petits fours of the glace´ type (see January 20 on the various types), with the subsidiary recipes, from the New York Times, May 24, 1964. Petits Fours 1 recipe almond butter cake. 1 recipe hot apricot glaze. 1 recipe mock fondant. 1 recipe butter cream frosting. 1. Slice the cake into two layers using a long serrated knife. 2. Spread one layer with a thin coating of apricot jam. Top with the second layer. Brush the loose crumbs from the surface. 3. Brush the surface with hot apricot glaze. Allow to set twenty to thirty minutes. Cut into small rounds, crescents, oblongs, and triangles. Place the cakes far apart on a cake rack placed over a piece of waxed paper. 4. Pour the warmed mock fondant over the cakes to coat all sides evenly. The excess will run down onto the paper and may be scraped back into the pan and rewarmed to use again. Do not overheat the fondant or it will lose its shine. 5. Allow the cakes to harden. Cut off the rack and place in small paper cases. They may be decorated with butter cream frosting forced through a parchment paper cornucopia fitted with a decorating tube.
Yield: three dozen petits fours.
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November 14
Lunch for the King and Queen of Greece Almond Butter Cake 3 whole eggs 2 egg yolks 1/2 teaspoon vanilla 1/2 cup sugar 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind 1/4 cup almond paste 1/4 cup butter, melted and clarified (see note) 3/4 cup sifted flour.
1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. 2. Line jelly roll pan [swiss roll pan] with parchment paper. 3. Combine the whole eggs, one egg yolk, vanilla, sugar, and rind. Heat over hot water until lukewarm. 4. Cream the almond paste with remaining yolk. 5. Beat the warm egg mixture, preferably in an electric mixer, until tripled in bulk. 6. Add the melted butter to the almond paste and fold into the egg mixture with the flour. Fold gently. Pour into the prepared pan. Bake fifteen minutes or until lightly browned and firm to the touch.
Yield: one 10 by 15 by 3/4 inch cake. Note: to clarify butter, melt until foamy and pour off clear yellow liquid. Discard milky residue.
Apricot Glaze 1 cup apricot jam, sieved. 1 tablespoon cognac. Heat the sieved apricot jam and stir in the cognac.
Mock Fondant 1 cup simple syrup. 3 cups sifted confectioners sugar (icing sugar), approximately. 2 teaspoons melted butter 2 teaspoons egg white 1 ounce unsweetened chocolate, melted. 1. 1. Place the simple syrup in a pan and gradually stir in the sugar until a stiff paste is formed. 2. 2. Warm the mixture to lukewarm while stirring. Add the butter and egg white. Adjust the consistency if necessary for coating the petit fours by adding more simple syrup or confectioners sugar. 3. 3. Add the chocolate to half the mixture. Use other half white.
Yield: one and one half to two cups.
November 15
Gilbert and Sullivan Dinner
Simple Syrup 2 1/2 cups sugar 3/4 cup white corn syrup 1 1/4 cups water. 1. Combine the ingredients in a large pan. 2. Heat gently while stirring to dissolve the sugar. Brush the sides of the pan with plain water to wash any undissolved sugar crystals down. 3. Raise the heat and boil rapidly without stirring for five minutes. 4. Cool. Store in a jar in the refrigerator until needed.
Butter Cream Frosting 4 tablespoons soft butter 2 cups confectioners’ sugar (icing sugar), sifted 1 teaspoon vanilla. 1. Beat the butter with half the confectioners’ sugar until light and fluffy. 2. Gradually add the remaining sugar and vanilla until the desired consistency is reached.
The frosting may be flavored and colored if desired.
Roquefort Dressing: see December 27. Pilaf (pilau): see March 30.
November 15 Gilbert and Sullivan Dinner Park Central Hotel, New York, 1936 The American Gilbert and Sullivan Association celebrated (three days in advance), the 100th anniversary of the birthday of Sir William Schwenk Gilbert (1836–1911), the librettist of the famous Gilbert and Sullivan musical partnership, by giving a grand dinner. Four hundred members attended, and the special guests were the cast of the English D’Oyly Carte Gilbert and Sullivan Company which was currently performing at the Martin Beck Theatre. Inspiration for the menu was taken from the musical offerings of the famous partnership. FRESH FRUIT COCKTAIL CELERY OLIVES ‘‘From the greengrocer you get grapes and green pea, cauliflower, pineapple and cranberries.’’—Iolanthe.
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November 15
Gilbert and Sullivan Dinner MOCK TURTLE SOUP A LA RUDOLPH ‘‘There’s rich mock-turtle—thick and clear— Perhaps we’ll have it once a year.’’ —Grand Duke. BUTTERCUP SPRING CHICKEN ‘‘I’ve chickens and conies.’’ —H.M.S. Pinafore. POTATO RISSOLE A LA BUNTHORNE. ‘‘An attachment a la Plato for a bashful young potato.’’—Patience. REGINALD BEANS AU BEURRE ‘‘Or a not-too-French French bean.’’ —Patience. DON ALHAMBREA DEL BOLERO ASPARAGUS ‘‘Grew like the asparagus in May.’’—Gondoliers. TESSA AND GIANETTA ICE CREAM ‘‘Does your human being inner Feed on everything that nice is? Do they give you wine for dinner, Peaches, sugar-plums and ices?’’ —Gondoliers PRINCESS ZARA MACAROONS. ‘‘Who thinks slightingly of a cocoanut because it is husky?’’—Utopia Ltd. MRS. CRIPPS’ COFFEE ‘‘I’ve treacle and toffe, I’ve tea and I’ve Coffee.’’—HMAS Pinafore. FITZBATTLEAXE ROLLS—MELBA TOAST ‘‘His sensitive palate as dry as a crust is, A tenor can’t do himself justice.’’ —Utopia Ltd.
The dishes were in all probability made according to basic recipes in the hotel’s repertoire, and merely renamed for the occasion. As for the accompanying beverages, for some unrecorded reason the obligatory toasts to the appropriate recipients—the president of the United States, to King Edward VII, and to Rupert D’Oyly Carte, the impresario who started the company —were drunk in plain water. Homage was also paid to the man who had inspired the whole evening by one of the special guests, Sir Gerald Campbell, the British Consul General, who summed up his contribution not just to
November 16
Dining with James McNeill Whistler
music, but to life in general, by noting that the world stood in need of a person who could ‘‘debunk the problems of the present like Gilbert did those of his day.’’ Recipes ~~~ Melba toast was invented and named for the Australian opera singer, Dame Nellie Melba, by the famous French chef Auguste Escoffier. Toast Melba Cut bread in one-eighth-inch slices and toast until it is crisp.
Steamed Whole Spring Chicken 1 chicken 1 cup oysters 1 tablespoon fat 1 tablespoon flour
Salt and pepper 1/2 cup cream or milk 3 hard-cooked eggs Minced herbs
Prepare a full-grown Spring chicken as for roasting, season inside and out with salt and pepper, stuff with whole, raw oysters and place it in a steamer with a close-fitting cover, and steam until the chicken is done, then place the chicken on a warm dish and make a gravy as follows: Put the fat into a saucepan with the minced herbs and flour and stir until the mixture bubbles; add the liquor in the kettle below the steamer, the cream or milk, and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture boils. Add the eggs, chopped fine, let the whole boil, pour it over the chicken and serve at once. Ruth Berolzheimer, The American Woman’s Cook Book (1939).
Macaroons: see February 17. November 16 Dining with James McNeill Whistler Chelsea, London, England, 1875 The artist James McNeill Whistler (1834–1903) was born in Massachusetts but lived for long periods of his adult life in London. He bought a home in sight of the River Thames, first at number 2, then at number 7 Lindsey Row (now Cheyne Walk), and entertained frequently. His friend Alan Summerly Cole (1846–1934), the Assistant Secretary at the South Kensington Museum and a textiles expert, recorded in his diary on November 16, 1875, ‘‘Dined with Jimmy: Tissot, A. Moore and Captain Crabb. Lovely blue and white china—and capital small dinner. General conversation and ideas on art unfettered by principles. Lovely Japanese lacquer.’’ Whistler (his friends never called him ‘‘Jimmy’’ to his face) meticulously wrote out and stored the
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November 16
Dining with James McNeill Whistler
menus for his dinner parties, signing each one with his monogram of a butterfly with a stinging tail. The menu for the ‘‘capital dinner’’ enjoyed by Cole was typical for one of Whistler’s small parties. ` l’Americain Potage tomate, a Sole frite ˆtelettes de Mouton soutise Co ` la Baltimore Poulet a Homony ` la Francaise Bifteck a Compote de Poire Cafe´
Whistler’s lifestyle was lavish, and often beyond his means. He was as meticulous about food as he was about his appearance—and he was proud of his reputation as a dandy. He did much of the preparation himself for his dinner parties and his legendary Sunday breakfasts—a most unusual thing for a man of his time—and he referred to the cookbook as the family Bible. He had a poor opinion of British food, describing a typical meal as ‘‘Beef, the people or the rats had been gnawing, beer, and cheese rinds, salad without dressing and tarts without taste. Quite British!’’ Perhaps this was the reason that he made a point of featuring American dishes at his dinners (as on this menu), and in particular his own specialty of buckwheat pancakes. Whistler arranged his dining table with an artist’s eye, gracing it with beautiful pieces of china and glassware, flowers, and goldfish in bowls. He frequently borrowed suitable pieces from friends, and the Japanese laquerware mentioned by Cole was almost certainly borrowed from his brother’s wife, whose collection he coveted. His artistic impulses occasionally got the better of him, however, such as when he tinted the food to harmonize with the dinner plates. Recipes ~~~ The ‘‘soutise’’ on the menu is almost certainly meant to be ‘‘soubise’’—a classic sauce made from onion pure´e, and a traditional accompaniment to lamb or mutton cutlets. Eliza Acton (1799–1859) in her Modern Cookery for Private Families (1845) gives two versions, an English and a French. The French version is based on a be´chamel (see October 19) instead of cream and does not contain cayenne. Soubise (English Receipt) Skin, slice, and mince quickly two pounds weight of the white part only of some fine mild onions, and stew them in from two to three ounces of good butter
November 17
Humble Meal
over a very gentle fire until they are reduced to a pulp, then pour to them threequarters of a pint of rich veal gravy; add a seasoning of salt and cayenne, if needed; skim off the fat entirely, press the sauce through a sieve, heat it in a clean stewpan, mix it with a quarter of a pint of rich boiling cream, and serve it directly. Onions, 2 lbs.; butter, 2 to 3 oz.: 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Veal gravy, 3/4 pint ; salt, cayenne: 5 minutes. Cream, 1 pint. Chicken, Baltimore Style Split a young chicken down the back as for broiling; take out the breastbone and cut off the tips of the wings. Cut into four pieces, dredge with salt and pepper, dip them in egg and crumbs and put in a pan with enough melted butter poured over each piece to moisten it. Roast in a hot oven about twenty minutes. Make a rich cream sauce or Bechamel sauce, pour on a dish and place the chicken on it. Garnish with slices of fried bacon. Isabel Gordon Curtis, The Good Housekeeping Woman’s Home Cook Book (Chicago, ca. 1909).
Hominy: see May 19. November 17 Humble Meal ´ Royal, London, England, 1937 Cafe The Wine and Food Society of England was founded in the 1930s and over its first few years focused its demonstrations first on English, then on Continental and International cuisine (see January 15). The society found new inspiration in 1937 when they held a dinner ‘‘to show how foodstuffs within the reach of the humble can be transformed by the culinary arts into a meal acceptable to the most delicate palate.’’ Giblet Soup. Huss (Dogfish) on a crabmeat foundation. Mock Chicken Pie (made from rabbit). Apple Charlotte.
The Times newspaper described the meal under the heading ‘‘Lucullus on the Dole.’’ Lucius Licinius Lucullus (ca. 118–56 BCE) was a Roman general who amassed a fortune during his military campaigns and became so famous for the lavishness of his table that his name has become a synonym for obscenely extravagant consumption. One famous tale about him is that one day when he had no guests for dinner, his servant served only one course, whereupon he was reprimanded by his master who said, ‘‘Did you not know? Today Lucullus dines with Lucullus.’’ In recognition of Lucullus’s unstinting
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Humble Meal
expenditure in the area of food, dishes styled ‘‘Lucullan’’ usually contain several (sometimes many) expensive ingredients such as truffles. The chairman at the dinner was M. Beaumont, president of the True Temperance Association, who said his association was trying to spread among the frequenters of the public house and the inn the principles that were fostered elsewhere by the Wine and Food Society. Beaumont’s presence did not prevent alcoholic beverages being served with this humble meal. There were two inexpensive wines, according to The Times, ‘‘such as could cheer the table of all but the humblest homes, if taxation and transport did not make wine a luxury as well as a necessity.’’ Nowadays we usually purchase our chickens plucked and cleaned ready for cooking, and without the offal that we seem to be so squeamish about. Not so long ago, to purchase a chicken without its giblets would have been unthinkable, because they were so useful. Giblets are the ‘‘garbage or entrails’’ of the fowl, the term often including the feet and wing tips, and they were a tasty base for soup or gravy. Apple charlotte is a homely dish, a sort of poor relation of the Charlotte russe, and a cross between an apple pie and a bread pudding. The name is somewhat of a mystery. The Oxford English Dictionary suggests that it may refer to the feminine name, but far more likely it has its roots in the ancient charlet—a sort of thickened custard originally made with ground pork. Recipes ~~~ The following recipes are from A Year’s Dinners: 365 Seasonable Dinners and How to Cook Them (1934) by May Little. It was published by Harrods of London, and was subtitled ‘‘A Handy Guide for Worried Housekeepers’’—the worry being addressed was the daily problem of ‘‘what shall we have for dinner?’’ Giblet Soup 3 pints of stock. 2 sets of fowls’ giblets. 2 onions. 1 carrot. 1 leek. 1 stick of celery.
Bouquet garni. 1 1/2 oz. butter. 1 oz. flour. 2 oz. rice. Chopped parsley Salt and pepper.
Carefully clean the giblets (heart, gizzard, liver, wings, and neck) and cut into small pieces. Prepare and slice the vegetables, melt the butter in a saucepan, add the onions and giblets, fry a nice brown, stir in the flour, cook gently for three or four minutes, add the stock and vegetables, boil up and simmer gently for 40 minutes, skimming occasionally. Cook the 2 oz. rice, drain and add, remove some of the giblets and keep to garnish, pass through a sieve, return to the pan, season well and add a little sherry if liked, reheat and put in pieces of giblets and chopped parsley and serve.
November 18
Dining on a Clock Face
Apple Charlotte Apples. Stale bread. 3 or 4 cloves.
2 oz. butter. Sugar. Custard sauce.
Stew the apples (peeled and cored) till tender with sugar and cloves. Line a cake tin with bread dipped in clarified butter, join the edges together with egg. Pour in the stewed apples, cover with a round of bread dipped in butter, cover with buttered paper and bake in a quick oven, turning round to brown on all sides alike, turn out carefully and pour custard sauce round.
November 18 Dining on a Clock Face Trades Hall, Leicester, England, 1910 Dinners and luncheons have been held in some strange places over the last few hundred years—often to commemorate the completion of a great project. In May 1862 a celebration with plenty of refreshments was held in a new sewerage tunnel in London, prior to it being handed over to the Metropolitan Board. Less than 12 months later, in January 1863, a great banquet was held on the platform of the Farringdon Street station to celebrate the opening of the London Underground Railway for business the following day. At other times and places manufacturers have celebrated in, for example, chimneys, huge boilers, a brewery ‘‘copper of astonishing magnitude,’’ and the top of Nelson’s column in Trafalgar Square in London. On November 18, 1910, it was the turn of Messrs Gent & Co. Ltd. at the Faraday Works, Leicester, to celebrate. They had just completed the four clock faces for the dials of the world’s largest electric clock for the premises of the Royal Liver Insurance Company at Liverpool. Until then the largest clock in the world had been ‘‘Big Ben’’ at the Houses of Parliament, but the new monster was two feet larger in diameter. To mark the occasion, a luncheon was held on one of the clock faces before it was delivered. The menu was strictly in theme. Mock Turtle Soup (served in face-plates) Mutton Cutlets (Bread-crumb insulation) Galantine of Tur(n)key (A la Ding-Dong) Pressed Beef (Use both hands) York Ham (From the ‘‘big-end’’)
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Dining on a Clock Face Salad (Without the clock-oil) Raspberry Trifle (A trifle larger than Big Ben) Apple Tart (Cores removed, Hands off) Mince Pies (Currents alternating) Cheese and Celery (A la counterweight, from the cast-iron bed)
What the diners probably did not realize was that they were dining on top of one of the most useful pieces of kitchen equipment ever invented. Clocks are so taken for granted nowadays that it is almost impossible to consider managing day-to-day life without them. In medieval times literacy rates were very low, and technology nonexistent. Most cooks could not read, so recipe books were redundant, and such as have survived are very minimalist because they assumed a lot of knowledge and were intended as memory aids for master cooks, not detailed instruction manuals. There were no clocks, thermometers, or weighing scales in kitchens. So how did cooks measure and time their recipes? Mostly they learned by experience, judging the appearance and texture of the food, or the sounds it made as it cooked. There were some tricks of the trade—holding a hand in the oven and judging how hot it was and whether the coals needed to be stoked, judging the number of ‘‘walms’’ (boilings up) that a dish required—or by praying. Occasionally a recipe specified that something should be cooked as long as it took to say a number of repetitions of a particular prayer, such as an ‘‘Ave-Maria while’’ (about 12 seconds), a ‘‘Pater Noster while’’ (about one minute), or the time to say the Miserere Psalm ‘‘very slowly’’ (perhaps 3 minutes). Recipes ~~~ A trifle is a thing of little importance, something trivial and inconsequential. By the end of the sixteenth century trifle referred to a light and creamy dish with the alternative name of fool. The following is a basic trifle recipe. Fruit was commonly added, and a raspberry trifle can be made by substituting the fruit for the ‘‘good jam’’ mentioned in this recipe. Trifle The whipped cream which is laid over the top of a trifle should be made the day before it is wanted, as then it will be much firmer. Rub the rind of a large fresh lemon with two or three lumps of sugar till all the yellow part is taken off, then add a little more sugar to make up the quantity to three ounces, and crush it to
November 19
Annual Game Dinner
powder. Warm a pint of cream, and stir the sugar in this till it is dissolved. Add a glassful of sherry, a tea-spoonful of brandy, and the whites of two eggs which have been whipped separately to a firm froth. Mill or whip the mixture in a cool place, and as the froth rises take it off, and place it on an inverted sieve to drain. Continue whisking until the whole of the cream is frothed, and set the sieve in a cool place or upon ice, with a dish under it. The next day put four sponge biscuits, a quarter of a pound of macaroons, and a quarter of a pound of ratafias at the bottom of a trifle-dish, and pour over them a large wine-glassful of sherry, and another of brandy, or if preferred use two parts wine and one part spirit, and let the biscuits soak till they have absorbed all the liquor. Grate a little lemon-rind upon the cakes, and spread over them a layer of good jam, then cover them with a pint of nicely-flavoured, rich, cold custard. Pile the whipped cream lightly over the top as high as possible, and then garnish the dish with pink comfits, bright-coloured jelly, or flowers. Cassell’s New Dictionary of Cookery (1910).
Apple Tart: see May 12. Mock Turtle Soup: see July 4. Pressed Beef: see February 22.
November 19 Annual Game Dinner Grand Pacific Hotel, Chicago, Illinois, 1892 On the Saturday night before Thanksgiving in 1855, John B. Drake, the proprietor of the Tremont House in Chicago, gave a game dinner. He repeated the hospitality for the next 38 consecutive years, and it became the social event of the city. In 1874 Drake leased the Grand Pacific Hotel, and the game dinners took place there until the final one in 1893. It was very rare for an invitation to be turned down, and at the penultimate dinner in 1892 there were 600 guests. The bill of fare, as usual, included every beast of the wilderness, mountain, prairie, river, and stream that could possibly be procured. MENU Blue Points. SOUP. Venison Broth.
Hunter.
FISH. Baked Whitefish.
Boiled Salmon Trout.
Boiled Leg of Mountain Sheep. ROAST. Mountain Sheep. Blacktail Deer.
Loin of Venison.
Loin of Elk.
Saddle of Antelope.
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Annual Game Dinner Black Bear.
Cinnamon Bear. Oppossum.
Pin-tail Duck.
Wild Goose.
Racoon.
Mallard Duck.
Spoonbill Duck.
Ruffled Grouse.
Partridge.
Wood Duck. Fox Squirrel.
Redhead Duck.
Brant.
Sage Hen.
Buttertail Duck.
Green Winged Teal. Jack Snipe.
Pigeon.
Jack Rabbit. Blue Winged Teal.
Praire Chicken.
Plover.
Wild Turkey.
Pheasant.
Quail.
BROILED. Gray squirrel.
Blue winged teal.
Butterball Duck.
Partridge.
Sand snipe. Reed birds.
Red winged sterling.
Quail.
Pheasant.
Venison steak.
Black birds. Plover.
Rice birds.
´ ES. ENTRE Breast of partridge with truffles.
Venison cutlets, mushroom sauce.
Bear steak, jelly sauce. ` la Financie`re. Ragout of squirrel, a ` la Chasseur. American hare, a VEGETABLES. Green peas.
Boiled and mashed potatoes.
Stewed tomatoes.
Sweet corn.
Sweet potatoes.
ORNAMENTAL DISHES. Boned wild turkey in jelly. ` la royale. Aspic of lobster a Pyramid of wild goose livers.
` la Bellevue. Mallard duck a
Prairie chicken en plumage. Partridge au naturel. Boned wild turkey. Quail.
Ducks.
Prairie Chicken Salad.
Prairie chicken. Partridge.
Celery.
Snipe.
Celery Mayonnaise.
DESSERT. French kisses.
Assorted fancy pyramids. Assorted cake.
Confectionary Angel Cake. Lady Fingers.
Macaroons.
Vanilla Ice Cream.
Oranges. Coffee.
Grapes.
Siberian Punch.
Nuts.
Crackers.
Raisins.
Cheese.
November 19
Annual Game Dinner
Many of these species of game are not easily available today (unless one does the hunting), and many are now protected due to their scarcity, humans having eaten them almost to extinction. Descriptions from earlier, more abundant, or less ethical times—such as the nineteenth century—give some clue as to how they tasted. Cinnamon bear meat is certainly edible, but many frontier ‘‘recipes’’ consist of the old joke-description, ‘‘Take two pounds of meat from the rump, boil three days in a deep kettle with the head of an axe, then throw away the meat and eat the axe.’’ The flesh of the fox squirrel ‘‘is esteemed very delicate’’ and that of the prairie chicken (see October 16) ‘‘in color and flavor resembles the pigeon.’’ The American hare—whose flesh ‘‘though of a dark colour, is much esteemed as an article of food’’ could provide an unexpected bonus: ‘‘The Indians eat the contents of their stomachs, notwithstanding that food is such as we have mentioned.’’ Reed birds—tiny songbirds also called rice birds or ‘‘butter birds’’—were so popular amongst discerning big-city diners that the demand was often conveniently met by substitution with the ubiquitous English sparrow. Sophisticated restaurant patrons, unaware of the counterfeit, happily paid reed bird prices for a plateful of the introduced pest. Recipes ~~~ Roasted Reed Birds Pick your birds, and with a pair of scissors cut and draw them as chickens. Wash them clean and wipe them dry; make a dressing of bread crumbs, pepper, salt and butter enough to make the crumbs adhere together; chopped onion may be added, with a small quantity of any kind of sweet herb, finely powdered. Fill the birds with this dressing, sew them up, put them on a spit, and baste them with butter whilst they are roasting. Hannah Mary Bouvier Peterson, The National Cook Book (Philadelphia, ca. 1866).
How to Cook a Squirrel Late in the afternoon, near dark, you come home from hunt, tired and hungry but all the better for your tramp and the ozone of the splendid autumn. Dress a young squirrel with belly as white as wool and kidney as fat as Welsh mutton; put him in a stewpan with not much water, and give him for company a rasher of rich and sweet bacon. Stew the varmint till as tender as butter, that is innocent of ice in June. Then lift him out, put a cord about his neck, and suspend him from the mantel before the kitchen open fire, with the liquor in which he had been boiled in the pan beneath him, to which has been added a generous quantity of rich Jersey butter. Baste him frequently and roast him till he is thoroughly done, adorably brown and poetically crisp. Then take him down, immerse him in the gravy, serve him hot with grand old hoecake, or, better, pumpkin bread; take a drink of red licker, open your vest, halter your tongue,
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November 20
Dining with Queen Elizabeth I
and fall to. That is what a squirrel was made for. The man who does not love that season and such a feast is fit for treasons, stratagems, and spoils. The Washington Post, November 3, 1910.
Praire Chicken: see October 16.
November 20 Dining with Queen Elizabeth I England, 1576 When Queen Elizabeth I (1533–1603) came to the throne in 1558, new and interesting food plants (and the turkey) from the New World (see October 12) were gradually becoming known in England. Many of the foods had to overcome the natural suspicion of anything new, and it was a long time before the prejudice was overcome against the potato (accused of being an aphrodisiac and of causing leprosy) and tomato (also accused of having aphrodisiac qualities, hence its alternative name of love apple.) In the meantime, the Queen continued to eat the same foods more or less that her predecessors had done for centuries. A surviving expense account gives several bills of fare for her table. ‘‘Mondaye Dynner the 20th of November, anno ut supra.’’ ‘‘The Queenes Majesty’s daylie service.’’ Cheate and mancheate Bere and ale Wine 1st Course Capon gr. boylde Cocks boylde Larks b. Chickins b. Mutton b. Salt brewes Beafe Beafe surloyne Veale rost Capon gr. Cocks Plover Snites Connye pies Custerde 2nd Course Pullets gr. Teales Partridges
November 20
Dining with Queen Elizabeth I
Fesants Chickins Connys Larks bake Tarte Butter Eggs Pannado. Capon gr.
The only relatively new item at the queen’s dinner was the beer. Ale had been the day to day beverage for centuries—it was low alcohol, and safer than water to drink, and it was the beverage of choice for children too. The terms ‘‘beer’’ and ‘‘ale’’ are often used interchangeably now, but historically there is a difference. The problem with English ale at this time was that it did not keep well and had to be brewed and drunk within a few days. The introduction of hops in the early-fifteenth century meant that the drink (beer) kept longer because as well as adding a bitter edge to the flavor, the hops acted as a preserving agent. The menu also indicates the different sorts of bread—which was still the staple, even for royalty. The Queen had cheate and mancheate (manchet) offered to her. Manchet was the finest white bread—expensive and suitable for aristocratic palates. Cheat was the second quality wheat bread—the flour not quite so white. Further down the scale there was bread made from a mixture of wheat and other flours—called Maslin (mescelin, meaning mixed—the same root of the word mesclun for a mixed salad) or Ravel bread. Then there were breads without wheat at all—hard breads that did not rise well because only wheat has sufficient gluten. These were made from rye or oats, pea or bean flour, and even acorns. The sixteenth-century chronicler Raphael Hollinshead wrote: the brede through the land is made of such grains as the soil yeeldeth; nevertheless the gentilitie commonlie provide themselves sufficientlie of wheat for their own tables, whilst their household and poore neighbours, in some shires, are inforced to content themselves with rie or barlie, yea and in time of dearth, manie with bread made of benes, pessen, or oats, or of altogether and some acorns among.
Recipes ~~~ Lady of Arundels Manchet Take a bushel of fine wheat-flower, twenty eggs, three pound of fresh butter, then take as much salt and barm as to the ordinary manchet, temper it together with new milk pretty hot, then let it lie the space of half an hour to rise, so you may work it up into bread, and bake it, let not your oven be too hot. True Gentlewoman’s Delight (1676).
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November 21
Lunch with the King of Romania To Bake Chickins [larkes, sparowes etc]
Season them with cloves, mace, sinamon ginger, and some pepper, so put them into your coffin, and put therto corance dates Prunes, and sweet Butter, or els Marow, and when they be halfe baked, put in some sirup of vergious, and some sugar, shake them togither and set them into the oven again. Bake Sparowes, Larkes, or any kinde of small birds, calves feet or sheepes tunges after the same manner. A. W. A Book of Cookrye (1591).
How to Bake Custards Take to every pinte of Cream five Egs, and put in no whites, and straine your Cream and Egges together, season it with Cloves & mace and sugar, and when your paste is well hardened in the Oven, having small raisins & dates put in your stuffe, and let it not bake too much, for much baking will make your Custard to quaile, or els to fail. Doucets after the same sort. A W.A Book of Cookrye (1591).
November 21 Lunch with the King of Romania Cha ˆ teau Rambouillet, France, 1938 The king (and dictator) of Romania, King Carol II (1893–1953), paid a very brief visit to France in November 1938, where he was hosted by the president of France Albert Lebrun (1871–1950). The visit clearly had a diplomatic agenda in the wake of the recent Munich Agreement. Germany had annexed Austria in March of that year, and the dictator Adolf Hitler (1889–1945) was believed to be planning to move into Sudetenland (bordering on Czechoslovakia and inhabited mostly by Czechs). The major European powers (Britain, France, Italy, and Gemany), without the presence of Czechoslovakia, met in Munich and signed an agreement on September 29 in which they agreed to the cession of Sudetenland to Germany. Carol arrived in Paris on November 20 and had lunch at the Elyse´e Palace. He met with the president and French officials to discuss how the economic and trade agreements between their two countries might be maintained in the face of German expansion without unnecessarily upsetting Germany. ˆ teau Rambouillet in The following day, he was taken to the beautiful Cha the traditional hunting preserve of French leaders since the eighth century. Truites de Rivie`re Meunie`re Poularde de Bresse Bouquetie`re `te´ de Canard sauvage a ` la Gele´e Pa Salade de Chicore´e Glace Plombie´res Dessert
November 21
Lunch with the King of Romania
The morning’s pheasant shooting had been hampered by rain, but even if it had been sufficiently successful, the kill would not have appeared on the luncheon menu for the same day as it is traditionally ‘‘hung’’ for some time before preparing for the table. Nevertheless, this was a simple, elegant luncheon. The trout was prepared in one of its most classic ways, with Sauce Meunie`re, the chicken was from the famous variety reared in Bresse, and ˆte´ the French are accepted masters of the preparation of both duck and pa in all their forms. A simple salad and a glorious ice cream finished the meal, which was no doubt accompanied by excellent French wine. Plomb is French for lead, and a plombier is a plumber. It seems strange to give ice cream a name indicating a dull metal, and as expected there are a number of theories about the name of the dish. The most-repeated says that a chef of Napoleon III (1808–1873) was preparing a ‘‘cream’’ (a custard-type dish) for an important reception in 1858, but the recipe went wrong somehow, and to rescue it he added kirsch (cherry liqueur) and candied fruit and Voila! a newly invented semi-frozen dish was presented to guests. A royal origin is always of particularly good value, but in this case it is not correct because there are records of an ice cream by that name being served in Paris in 1798—because it was made in a lead mould. There happens to be a town in Plombie`res-le-Bain in the Vosges region of France, and the coincidence of names was too good to miss, so by the 1880’s the town had claimed the ice cream as its own. After the luncheon the king was seen off on the train to visit his cousin the prince of Hohenzollern on his way back to Romania. Recipes ~~~ ` res Cream Ice Plombie 1 1/2 pint of milk or cream, 6 oz. of cleaned Jordan almonds, and 15 bitter almonds, thoroughly pounded with two tablespoonfuls of orange-flower water, 14 oz. of sugar, 6 oz. of apricot jam, 8 yolks of eggs, 2 whites of Italian meringue, and 1/2 pint of cream whipped. Mix the milk, sugar, pounded almonds, diluted apricot jam, and the yolks of eggs, and stir this on the fire until the composition begins to thicken; it must then be removed from the fire, stirred a few minutes longer, and rubbed through a hair sieve into a basin. When about to freeze the Plombieres, put the composition into the freezer, twirl it about with quick motion, and occasionally work the ice with the spatula; as soon as it has become set or has frozen pretty stiff, work in the meringue, and when thoroughly incorporated, mix in the whipped cream, and set up or mould the Plombieres. Plombieres cream ice is not always set up in
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November 22
German Society 150th Anniversary Dinner
a mould; it is sometimes piled up in rock-like fashion, with apricot jam between the layers, and garnished round the base with some kind of almond cakes. A lace pattern dessert paper, placed upon a folded napkin on a dish or ice stand, is generally used for this purpose. Charles Elme´ Francatelli, The Royal English and Foreign Confectioner (1862).
Sauce Meunie`re: see July 23.
November 22 German Society 150th Anniversary Dinner Hotel Astor, New York, 1934 The German Society was founded in New York in 1784 by 13 men of German origin and modeled after the similar Philadelphia society. Its aim was to encourage German migration and provide information, practical assistance, and legal advice to those who did make the move. In 1837 John Jacob Astor (1763–1848), the richest man in the country, was elected as president of the society, and in addition to running it for four years he was generous with financial donations. Astor’s great grandson, John Jacob IV (1864–1912) who died aboard the Titanic (see April 2) was the man who built the Astoria Hotel in 1897 right next to his cousin’s Waldorf Hotel. One hundred fifty years after its founding, the now large society held an anniversary dinner at the Hotel Astor. Eight hundred guests attended, and each received a copy of a commemorative book entitled ‘‘Historical Sketches of the German Society of the City of New York, 1784–1934,’’ written by Rudolph Cronau. During the dinner a congratulatory message from President Franklin D. Roosevelt was read aloud to the guests. The president expressed a ‘‘sincere hope that the society will continue its fine work and flourish for many years to come.’’ Schwedische Vorspein Kraft Suppe auf Hamburger Art Tafelsellerie Nuesse Oliven Bartsh nach Prinz Ruprecht Mit Krabben und Austern Paprika Schnitzel Mit Hausmacher Nudeln Neue gruene Bolmen Junges Huhn am Rost Kartofflen in Oliven Form Virginia Speck Frishe Pilze Gemischer Salat
November 23
Thanksgiving Day Dinner
Pfirsitch nach Melba Art Feintes Gebaeck Mokka Cocktail Rhein Wein Zigatten und Zigaretten
The dinner menu may have been written in German, but the food was fine American hotel-style. The soup ‘‘Hamburger-style’’—referring to the city, not the meat patty—perhaps had some token German connection, but no less tenuous than dishes styled ‘‘a l’Anglaise’’ or ‘‘a l’Italienne’’ have with England or Italy. The schnitzel may have originated in Germany or Austria, but like spaghetti from Italy and the roast beef of England it had already become part of the world’s repertoire and would have been familiar to all of the guests no matter how distant their own German heritage. The dessert dish of peach Melba was an international dish from its conception. It was invented by the famous French Chef Auguste Escoffier (1846–1935) in an English hotel (the Ritz in London) for an Australian opera singer, Dame Nellie Melba (1861– 1931) for whom he also invented Melba toast (see November 15). Recipes ~~~ A Schnitzel is a veal cutlet, coated with egg and breadcrumbs and fried. It is often called Vienna or Viennese style and is usually served garnished with lemon, with a side of noodles. Vienna Schnitzels After providing a two-pound piece from a white, tender leg of veal, cut it into six equal slices and flatten nicely with a cleaver. Season both sides with a teaspoon salt and half teaspoon paprika; lightly roll in flour, next in beaten egg and lastly in bread crumbs. Heat one tablespoon butter in a large frying pan, place the pieces of veal in the pan, one beside another, and fry for eight minutes on each side. Dress on a hot dish. Arrange a thin slice of lemon, with a twisted anchovy in oil placed over each slice of lemon, on top of each schnitzel. Serve with one and a half gills hot tomato sauce in a separate bowl. Alexander Filippini, The International Cook Book (1906).
Peach Melba: see April 8. November 23 Thanksgiving Day Dinner aboard YRBM 16, Ben Tre, Vietnam, 1967 The U.S. Naval men aboard the ‘‘Repair, Berthing & Messing Barge’’ YRBM 16 in the Ham Luong River, Ben Tre in 1967, no doubt enjoyed their
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November 23
Thanksgiving Day Dinner
Thanksgiving dinner on the evening of November 23. For seven of them, it was to be their last. Shrimp Cocktail Cream of Tomato Soup Oysterettes Roast Young Tom Turkey Virginia Baked Ham Giblet Gravy Pineapple Sauce Mashed Potatoes Candied Sweet Potatoes Cornbread Oyster Dressing Green Peas w/Mushrooms O’Brien Corn Tossed Salad French Dressing Hot Dinner Rolls Pumpkin Pie w/Topping Mincemeat Pie Fruit Cake Ass’t Candy Mixed Nuts
In the early hours of the next morning, an explosion tore a hole in the hull. Flood and fire followed. Seven men died and fourteen were injured. The damage had been wreaked by a Viet Cong diver who had managed to avoid the nets and plant a bomb against the shell of the vessel. Whenever people are far from home—especially in dangerous situations such as war—they make a great effort to celebrate national days with even greater fervor. The Thanksgiving dinner enjoyed by the men aboard this vessel had all of the modern classics—from the turkey with cornbread dressing and the pumpkin pie. There was no hint of Asian food or ration packs. Recipes ~~~ The following recipes are from the official U.S. Navy recipe manual. The yield for each recipe is 100 servings; the portion size for each of the following recipes is 3/4 cup. Corn O’’Brien Method. 1 Cook bacon until crisp. Drain. Set aside for use in Step 3. 2 Saute chopped onions and green pepppers in oil or shortening. 3 Drain corn, mix with pepper and pimientos and sauted onions and peppers. Add crumbled bacon. 4 Heat at medium heat until hot, stirring constantly. CCP: Heat to 145 F or higher for 15 seconds. Hold at 140 F or higher for service.
November 23
Thanksgiving Day Dinner
Calories
Carbohydrates
Protein
Fat
Cholesterol
Sodium
Calcium
136 cal
26 g
4g
4g
1 mg
302 mg
10 mg
Ingredient. Issue
Weight
Measure
Bacon, Raw
1 lbs
Peppers, Green, Fresh, Chopped
3 lbs
2 qts 1 cup 3 5/8 lbs
Onions, Fresh, Chopped
2 3/8 lbs
1 qt 2 3/4 cup 2 2/3 lbs
Oil, Salad
5 3/4 oz
3/4 cup
Corn, Canned, Whole Kernel, Drained
28 7/8 lb
5 gal
1/8 lb
3/8 tsp
7 5/8 oz
1 1/8 cup
Pepper, Black, Ground Pimiento, Canned, Drained, Chopped
Peas with Mushrooms Method. 1 Add peas to boiling salted water. 2 Bring to a boil; cover; cook gently 6 to 8 minutes until tender. Drain. 3 Saute mushrooms in margarine or butter. 4 Combine hot peas and mushrooms, mix gently. CCP: Internal temperature must reach 145 F or higher for 15 seconds. Hold at 140 F or higher for service.
Calories
Carbohydrates
Protein
Fat
Cholesterol
Sodium
Calcium
126 cal
21 g
7g
2g
0 mg
216 mg
38 mg
Ingredient. Issue
Weight
Measure
Peas, Green, Frozen
27 lbs
5 gal 1 1/4 qts
Salt
5/8 oz
1 tbsp
Water, Boiling
16 3/4 lbs
1 gall 1/2 qt
Mushrooms, Canned, Drained
6 1/4 lbs
1 gal 1/2 qt
8 oz
1 cup
Margarine
Candied Sweet Potatoes: see December 20. Pumpkin Pie: see August 25, October 1.
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November 24
Dining aboard a West India Steamer
November 24 Dining aboard a West India Steamer SS Clyde, Barbados, 1847 The great steamship races were in full swing in the 1840s (see August 29). On November 2, 1847, the SS Clyde was lying in Southampton Water, being provisioned for a voyage to the West Indies. One of the enthusiastic passengers preparing to board was Sir Robert Schomburgk (1804–1865), a German born British explorer, naturalist, cartographer, and diplomat. Schomburgk had recently been knighted by Queen Victoria and was on his way to fill a diplomatic post in the British colony of Barbados. Schomburgk (or Schomburgh) later wrote an account of his voyage, and he began by describing the ship. The Clyde is one of the finest vessels which the company possesses. Her length is two hundred and thirteen feet and her breadty thirty-four feet and a half; her engines are four hundred and twenty horse-power, and she is a vessel of eighteen hundred and fort-one tons. I understand the number of passengers on board exceeds eighty.
Schomburgk also described the dining arrangements aboard the ship. According to the regulations established on board, breakfast was served at halfpast eight o’clock, luncheon followed at twelve o’clock, and dinner at four o’clock: tea and coffee at seven o’clock. It may be fairly calculated, that a person blessed with a good appetite dedicated at least four hours every day to the enjoyment of the table.
The ‘‘floating hotel’’ set off on November 3 and reached Barbados on November 24. Schomburgk included the bills of fare for the first and last meals aboard—the last one showing that ‘‘despite of disasters, we could not say that we suffered from starvation.’’
Soup of bouilli Mutton broth — Roast mutton. Boiled mutton. Roast turkey. Harricoed mutton. Minced mutton. Stewed geese. Ragout of chickens. Boiled fowls. Chicken pie. Stewed fowls. Tongues. — Grilled pudding. Rice pudding. Fruit tarts. Puffs. Tartlets. Yam sandwiches. Dessert.
November 25
Menu for the Indisposed
The bill of fare is not much poorer than that of the first day, and it is clear that the livestock—or at least the sheep and fowl—were still in good supply at the end of the journey. There were no vegetables mentioned on the first day, but it is likely that there were potatoes and turnips and other longstoring produce included in the dishes if not served alongside. Most of these menu items are recognizable today. ‘‘Harricoed mutton’’ is simply a mutton stew. The name is somewhat of a mystery. Haricots are beans, suggesting they were an integral part of the dish, but they do not feature in ‘‘English’’ recipes, which almost always contain turnips. It is yet another example of a one-pot peasant-type dish such as a pot-au-feu (see April 7) or Irish stew (seeDecember 1). The ‘‘grilled pudding’’ was probably a cornmeal (polenta) type like fried hominy (see February 14). The yam sandwiches are a genuine puzzle. They would hardly have been taken aboard in England at the beginning of the journey, but perhaps were ferried out from Barbados ahead of the ships’ arrival. To judge from its position in the menu the dish was a sweet ‘‘dessert’’ of some sort. Recipes ~~~ To Harrico Mutton Take the nicest part of the rack, divide it into chops, with one bone in each, beat them flat, sprinkle salt and pepper on them, and broil them nicely; make a rich gravy out of the inferior parts, season it well with pepper, a little spice, and any kind of catsup you choose; when sufficiently done, strain it, and thicken it with butter and brown flour, have some carrots and turnips cut into small dice and boiled till tender, put them in the gravy, lay the chops in and stew them fifteen minutes; serve them up garnished with green pickle. Mary Randolph, The Virginia Housewife: Or Methodical Cook (1838).
Rice Pudding: see January 12. November 25 Menu for the Indisposed aboard the SS Fort Victoria, 1928 Bermuda was a popular destination for Americans trying to escape the restrictions of Prohibition in the 1920s, and at least one shipping line saw and seized the opportunity. The Furness Bermuda Line bought the ship Willochra in late December 1919, had her refitted with 373 first-class and 56 second-class cabins, and renamed her the Fort Victoria after one of the many historic military outposts of Bermuda. Her first voyage to Bermuda from New York was on February 28, 1920, and from then until she collided with another vessel in the fog and sank in the Ambrose Channel of New York Harbor in December 1929, this was her regular route.
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November 25
Menu for the Indisposed DECK MENU DINNER Consomme´ Jardinie`re Boiled Kennebeck River Salmon, Sauce Persil Selection of Cold Meats Salade Apple Charlotte Jelly Macedoine Dessert Tea Coffee Sandwiches any Style Desired. This Deck Menu is Provided for passengers who are indisposed and unable to use the Dining Saloon.
Passengers on the Fort Victoria and her sister ship the Bermuda enjoyed ‘‘48 Hours of Transatlantic Luxury’’ in each direction, for a round-trip fare that started at $70. ‘‘Luxury’’ for first- (and second-) class passengers aboard fine ships includes being fed fine food frequently and with a degree of indulgence. The Fort Victoria was midway home to New York on November 25, 1928, when those passengers who felt so inclined could take advantage of the following menu. The food offered on this menu is certainly light and delicate, although it is unclear whether ‘‘indisposed’’ means unwell or simply disinclined. Perhaps the shipping line was being discreet and making allowances for the passengers who had made the most of their sojourn away from the constraints of Prohibition (see December 6). Sandwiches for the Sick and Convalescent The first requisite in the preparation of sandwiches is bread of close, even texture from twenty-four to thirty-six hours old. White, entire wheat, Graham, or brown bread may be used; also Zwieback and some varieties of thin unsweetened crackers. Patients are tempted often to eat bread and butter when served in the form of a sandwich, when they would refuse the slice of bread accompanied by the butter ball. The shape, too, often makes a difference. A heartshaped sandwich often pleases an adult as well as a child. Men and women are certainly but children of an older growth, which fact is especially emphasized during times of sickness and suffering. Bread for sandwiches should be cut as thin as possible, and all crusts should be removed. In order to accomplish this a sharp, thin-bladed knife is an essential. If butter is used it should be creamed (using a wooden spoon or silver fork) and spread on the loaf before the slices are cut, unless the sandwiches are to be formed in round or fancy shapes, when there would be a loss of butter. After bread is sliced spread one-half the pieces with filling, cover with remaining pieces, and cut in shapes. If bread is first cut in shapes, then one-half the pieces spread with mixture, the mixture either does not come to edges or extends over them, thus detracting from the appearance of the finished sandwich.
November 25
Menu for the Indisposed
If sandwiches are prepared before serving time they may be kept fresh and moist by wrapping in paraffine paper or a napkin wrung as dry as possible out of hot water. Sandwiches should be served on a plate covered with a doily. Fannie Merritt Farmer, Food and Cookery for the Sick and Convalescent (Boston, 1904).
Recipes ~~~ Lettuce Sandwiches Put fresh, crisp lettuce leaves, washed and thoroughly dried, between thin slices of bread prepared as for Bread and Butter Sandwiches, having a teaspoon of Cream or Mayonnaise Dressing on each leaf. The slices of bread must be put together in pairs, cut in shapes, and then separated to insert the lettuce leaf, which should extend over the edge of bread.
Fig Sandwiches Remove stems from figs and chop finely, or force through a meat chopper. Put in double boiler, add a small quantity of water, and cook one hour. Season with lemon juice, cool, and spread between slices of buttered bread.
Raw Beef Sandwiches Scrape beef, cut from round. . . . Prepare bread as for Bread and Butter Sandwiches. Spread one-half the pieces with scraped beef seasoned with salt; if pepper is desired, use sparingly. Cover with remaining pieces, then cut in fingershaped pieces or triangles. Fannie Merritt Farmer, Food and Cookery for the Sick and Convalescent (Boston, 1904).
The club sandwich is an American invention of the 1890s, although the inventor and location are disputed. An early recipe for a club sandwich appeared in the Good Housekeeping Everyday Cookbook by Isabel Gordon Curtis in 1903. Club Sandwich Toast a slice of bread evenly and lightly butter it. On one half put, first, a thin slice of bacon which has been broiled till dry and tender, next a slice of the white meat of either turkey or chicken. Over one half of this place a circle cut from a ripe tomato and over the other half a tender leaf of lettuce. Cover these with a
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November 26
Thanksgiving on the Plains
generous layer of mayonnaise, and complete this delicious ‘‘whole meal’’ sandwich with the remaining piece of toast.
Jelly Macedoine: see May 13. Persil (Parsley) Sauce: see May 29. Apple Charlotte: see November 17.
November 26 Thanksgiving on the Plains Camp Supply, Oklahoma, 1868 Major-General Philip Sheridan (1831–1888) was a famous Union general during the Civil War. In 1867 he was given a new brief—to subdue ‘‘the refractory savages’’ of the Great Plains and force them onto reservations. One of the techniques used by the authorities during the Indian Wars was to deprive the Indians of access to their traditional and staple food—the bison (or, as it is incorrectly called, the buffalo). Sheridan was a keen hunter (see his expedition with Buffalo Bill, September 26), and he made the most of the incidental fruits of the Indian campaigns. The journalist De B Randolph Keim accompanied the Sheridan party, and wrote of his experiences in his book Sheridan’s Troopers on the Border: A Winter Campaign on the Plains (1870). In it he described their Thanksgiving dinner. The twenty-sixth of November, being the day set apart for a National Thanksgiving, the occasion was appropriately celebrated at headquarters in a dinner made up entirely of the productions of the country. We were favored with a good cook, a burley Teuton, rather slow, but possessed a compensating amount of good nature, which enabled him to overlook a few impetuous observations at times, particularly when his pans and kettles were not ready to be put in the wagon in the morning, or perhaps, the camp stove was too ‘‘heavy’’ to be handled just at that moment. However the dinner was not only a novelty, but was worthy of all praise as an exhibition of the culinary art. I will give the bill of fare as I took it down at the time: Soup—Wild Turkey. Boiled—Wild Turkey, Buffalo Tongue. Roast—Buffalo Hump, Wild Turkey, Saddle of Venison. Red Deer, Common Deer, Antelope. Rabbit. Entrees—Rabbit Pies, Wings of Grouse, breaded, Turkey Giblets. Broiled—Quails, Pinnated Grouse. Vegetables (imported)—Canned Tomatoes, Lima Beans, Dessicated Potatoes. Bread—‘‘Hard Tack,’’ plain and toasted, Army Biscuits. Desert (imported)—Rice Pudding, Pies and Tarts. Wines and Liquors—Champagne, ‘‘Pinetop Whiskey,’’ Ale. The flavor of the game of the country was remarkably fine. The turkey particularly had a richness about it from the hackberry on which it feeds.
November 26
Thanksgiving on the Plains
The ‘‘thanksgiving turkey’’ which we were so fortunate as to possess, weighed thirty pounds dressed. With its plumage it was truly a magnificent bird. Indeed the camp was overstocked with game. Turkeys, buffalo meat, deer, and all the other varieties during the first three days after our arrival went begging. In fact everyone soon became surfeited, and returned to salt meat with an evident relish.
The presence of buffalo tongue on this menu is a particularly poignant reminder of the wholesale wasteful destruction of the buffalo herds that occurred in the 1870s. White men would kill a buffalo for its tongue (considered a delicacy) and leave the rest of the carcass to rot. Professional hunters—or more accurately, poachers—turned blind eyes to protected tribal land and killed over four million bison in the decade after Sheridan’s Winter Campaign. Sheridan pleaded the extermination of the buffalo to the Texas Legislature in 1870, as it considered a bill to protect bison herds. He said, These men [the buffalo hunters] have done more in the last two years and will do more in the next year, to settle the vexed Indian question, than the entire regular army has done in the last thirty years. They are destroying the Indians’ commissary. Send them [the hunters] powder and lead if you will, but for the sake of a lasting peace, let them skin and sell until the buffaloes are exterminated. Then your prairies can be covered with speckled cattle and the festive cowboy, who follows the hunter as a second forerunner of an advanced civilization.
How to Skin Rabbits, Hares, and Squirrels Cut the skin of all the legs in a circle around the joint nearest the feet, and cut off the fore-feet; then cut the skin off the hind-legs, inside the legs, from the feet to the tail; loosen the skin, and turn it back until it is quite removed from the hind-legs; next, tie the hind-legs together, and hang the carcass up by them; now pull the skin downward toward the head, slipping out the fore-legs when they are reached; when the neck is reached, either cut off the head with the skin attached to it, or leave it on the body, and continue to pull the skin downward until the nose is reached; cut off the end of the nose. As the head is considered a delicacy by some persons, it is generally cooked with the rest of the carcass. After the skin has been removed, the carcass should be carefully wiped with a wet cloth to remove any hairs which may adhere to it; the entrails should then be removed, the blood, and the liver, heart, and kidneys being saved; the inside of the carcass should be washed with a cupful of vinegar, which is to be used with the blood for making whatever sauce or gravy is to be served with the game. The liver, heart, and kidneys are either cooked whole, or chopped very fine and mixed with the gravy. Juliet Corson, Miss Corson’s Practical American Cookery (1886).
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November 27
Dinner at the Court of Napoleon III
Recipes ~~~ Wild Turkey If the turkey is old, or tough, it must be boiled one hour before being stuffed for baking. Then stuff it with oysters, bread and butter, and season with pepper and salt; baste with butter, and the juice of the turkey. Make the gravy by putting in the pan a pint of oysters, or button mushrooms, throw in a cup of cream, or milk, salt and pepper, and send to table hot, with the turkey. Lafcadio Hearn, La Cuisine Creole (ca. 1885).
Broiled Quail Split the quail down the back. Wipe with a damp towel. Season with salt and pepper, rub thickly with soft butter, and dredge with flour. Broil ten minutes over clear coals. Serve on hot buttered toast, garnishing with parsley. Miss Parloa’s New Cookbook (ca. 1880).
Turkey Giblets A La Bourgeoise The giblets of turkey consist of the pinions, feet, neck and gizzard. After having scalded pick them well and put in a saucepan with a piece of butter, some parsley, green onions, clove of garlic, sprig of thyme, bay-leaf, a spoonful of flour moistened with stock, salt and pepper. Brown to a good color. Rufus Estes, Good Things to Eat, As Suggested by Rufus (Chicago, ca. 1911).
Pinetop Whiskey was a homemade beverage brewed from pine cones, twigs, or needles and said to have been traded with the Indians for buffalo robes. Buffalo Hump: see September 26. Rice Pudding: see January 12.
November 27 Dinner at the Court of Napoleon III Paris, France, 1866 The American-born singer Lillie Moulton (1844–1912) was married at the age of 17 to Charles Moulton, an American who moved in diplomatic circles and was frequently a guest at the court of Napoleon III (1801–1873). She kept up a lively correspondence with friends, and these are a witty insight into life at the top.
November 27
Dinner at the Court of Napoleon III
On November 27, 1866, she was taken to breakfast by Baron Haussmann (1809–1891), the man commissioned by Napoleon III to rebuild and modernize Paris and whose legacy is still seen in the wide boulevards and regular facades of the city. The remodeling necessitated the resumption of some lands and houses, and the Moulton’s croquet pitch was one of the sacrifices (a great loss as croquet was enormously popular). When the topic came up for discussion during their post-breakfast stroll, the Baron gallantly offered to put ‘‘a piece of the Bois’’ (the Bois de Boulogne, a park on the edge of Paris) at her disposal ‘‘in souvenir of our breakfast today.’’ Lillie was so delighted she ‘‘almost screamed with joy,’’ and the subject was discussed that same afternoon at tea with the Empress Eugenie (1826–1920) —to which she, and several others including the Austrian diplomat Prince Metternich (1771–1859) were summoned. Dinner was also at the royal court, where the conversation was equally worth recording in a letter to a friend. Lillie was seated beside the French military hero, the Marquis de Gallifet (1830–1909) who entertained her with a ghoulish but amusing recounting of the story of his war wound which left him with his entrails spilled out, necessitating them being covered with a silver plate (which he had engraved) while he languished in hospital for twelve months. The story did not put Lillie off her food, however, and her letter continued: The dinner to-night was very good. I give you the menu: Potage tortue clair, Creˆme de volaille, Brisotins de foie gras, Saumon Napo` la moderne, Supreˆme de perdreaux, Homards a ` la Parisilitain, Filet de boeuf a ` l’Anglaise, Ananas Montmorency, enne, Gelinottes roˆties, Salade, Petits pois a Glace´s assorties, Cafe´—Liqueur (both served at the table). It was earlier than usual when we began to dance; but we were (at least I was) interrupted by receiving a message from their Majesties, asking me if I would kindly sing something for them. Of course I did not refuse, and we adjourned to the music-room, where the Erard piano was.
Recipes ~~~ ` l’Anglais Petits Pois a Put a pint of young peas, boiled very green, into a stewpan with three tablespoonfuls of bechamel sauce [see January 18], a quarter of an ounce of sugar, a little salt, and two button onions, with parsley, tied together; boil them ten minutes, add two tablespoonfuls of liaison, stir it in quickly, and serve. Liason: Break the yolks of three eggs in a basin, with which mix eight tablespoonfuls of cream or six of milk, pass it through a tammie, and use where directed. Alexis Soyer, The Gastronomic Regenerator (1847).
` la Montmorency’’ means in the style Ananas (Pineapple) Montmorency: ‘‘a of Montmorency, which is the name of a suburb of Paris and a variety of sour cherry. It refers to dishes made, or garnished, with sour cherries.
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November 28
Gourmet’s Dinner
November 28 Gourmet’s Dinner Rocher de Cancale, Rue Montorgeuil, Paris, France, 1809 Alexandre Balthazar Laurent Grimod de la Reyniere (1758–1837) was born into a wealthy French family that was distantly aristocratic on his mother’s side. Grimod had a deformity of his hands, which was a shameful disability at the time and perhaps contributed to him developing (as a coping mechanism) an odd sense of humor and an eccentric pattern of behavior. He trained as a lawyer, but earning a living became unnecessary when he inherited the family fortune in his early thirties. He was able to concentrate on his great love—food. Grimod became famous—or infamous—for his dinner parties. At one of his earliest efforts, while his parents were alive but out of town, he held a dinner presided over by a dressed-up pig. The event got him officially disinherited and sent out of town in shame. A much later occasion gained him enduring fame—his famous (or infamous) ‘‘Mortuary Dinner.’’ There was a great deal of secrecy about the plans. Only 17 guests were invited to participate, but many more to be observers. The dinner took place in a room draped in black, with incense burning, and a coffin behind each chair. Grimod became not just an indulgent bon-vivant and gourmet, but one of the first food and restaurant critics and writers. His eight-volume L’Almanach des Gourmands is still a classic. In it he described a number of meals of special import, including one, for 24 guests, at his favorite restaurant, the Rocher de Cancale. Menu de 24 couverts, pour le jeudi 28 novembre 1809 4 Potages Une bisque d’e´crevisses. ` la Reine, au lait d’amandes, avec biscotes. Un potage a Une Julienne, aux pointes d’asperges. Un consomme´ de volaille. 4 Releve´s de Potages. ` la Chambord. Un brochet a Une dinde aux truffes. Un turbot. Une culotte de bœuf au vin de Made`re, garnie de le´gumes. 12 Entre´es. Un aspic de filets mignons de perdreaux. Une jardinie`re. Des filets de poularde pique´s aux truffes. Des perdreaux rouges, au fumet. Des filets de mauviette saute´s. Des scaloppes de poularde au veloute´. Des filets de lapereaux, en turban.
November 28
Gourmet’s Dinner
` la financie`re. Un vol-au-vent a ` la chicore´e. Des ailerons pique´s a Deux poulets de grains, au beurre d’e´crevisse. ` l’espagnole. Des scaloppes de saumon a Des filets mignons, pique´s de truffes. SECOND SERVICE. 4 grosses Pie`ces. Une truite. ˆte´ de foies gras. Un pa Des e´crevisses. Un jambon glace´. ˆt. 4 plats de Ro Un faisan. Des e´perlans. Des be´cassines. Des soles. 8 Entremets. Une jatte de blanc-manger. Un miroton de pommes. Des asperges, en branche. ` la serviette. Des truffes a Une jatte de gele´e d’orange. ` la vanille. Un souffle´, a ` la moelle. Des cardons, a ` la serviette. Des truffes, a
Recipes ~~~ The cardoon (Cynara cardunculus) is related to the artichoke, although it is the stalk that is usually eaten, not the flower bud. The stalks look like hairy celery stalks and are commonly braised and served with a sauce. ` la Moe¨lle et a ` l’Espagnole Spanish Cardoons—Cardons d’Espagne, a Take two or three heads, cut them near the bottoms; only use the solid part; cut those that are full and entire equally about five or six inches long; pare the edges and blanch them till they are in a state to be peeled; refresh, peel, and throw them again into fresh water; put them in a blanc with two lemons in slices, from which the peel and seeds have been taken: see Blanc in the article Sauce: make them boil; cover them with a round of buttered paper; put them to simmer upon a paillasse three or four hours; when done, drain and put them into a stewpan with a little stock; make them simmer, and nearly fall into jelly; dress and sauce them with a good reduced espagnole, to which has been added a pat of butter and a small bit of portable soup; garnish with small sippets fried in butter, covered with marrow, and serve. With respect to the tops of the cardoons, take off the
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November 29
Double Thanksgiving
skin, and pare them as a great carrot; blanch and cook them with the cardoons, and use them with them; or to garnish entre´es, as well as in eggs brouile´es. Antoine Beauvilliers, The Art of French Cookery (London, 1827).
Blancmanger: see January 7. Pate de Foie Gras: see May 26. Vanilla Souffle: see May 18.
November 29 Double Thanksgiving Maison Tortoni, Seattle, Washington, 1897 It was a double Thanksgiving for Joseph Whiteside Boyle (1867–1923) and his four companions when they dined at a restaurant in Seattle on Monday, November 29, 1897. They were belatedly celebrating the national Thanksgiving that they had missed as they were en route home from the Yukon gold fields, and they no doubt gave even greater thanks that they had survived the journey. Boyle was a prize fighter and promoter who was in San Francisco when news of the discovery of gold in the Yukon broke in July 1897. He and his sparring partner took off immediately to seek their fortune. They arrived in late August, and Boyle quickly saw an opportunity for greater exploitation of the fields. He realized that only 25 percent of the gold was recoverable by hand, and over the next few years he made his fortune by importing machinery and mechanizing the process, and earning himself the nickname ‘‘King of the Klondike.’’ There were other problems to be overcome first in those early days, however. The cost of living was excruciatingly expensive at the gold fields. Steaks were retailing at $2.50 apiece, and flour was $2 a pound, with a minimum purchase of 50 pounds. As winter approached it became clear that there were not going to be enough supplies at any price, and the diggers faced starvation. There was a mass exodus from the gold-mining town of Dawson by any means possible, and Boyle and his small party were amongst the first to get out. They left Dawson on September 24 and arrived in Seattle, after a perilous journey, on November 27. MENU Chicken Salad Boned Turkey Eastern Oysters on Half-shell Queen Olives Celery Green Turtle Soup a la Maryland Mountain Trout au Gratin Pommes Parisienne Frogs a la Poulette Spring Chicken saute a la Marengo
November 29
Double Thanksgiving
Sweetbread Braize with Mushrooms French Green Peas Asparagus au Branch Roast Young Turkey with Cranberry Sauce Omelette Souffle au Maraschino Vanilla Ice Cream Assorted Fruit Roquefort Cheese Camembert Cheese Cafe´ Noir with Cognac
It must have been a grand meal indeed for men who had been suffering so many weeks of cold and hunger. The obligatory Thanksgiving turkey and cranberry sauce were there, and the menu on the whole was as typical as it could be for a fine restaurant dinner. The menu card itself was written in no-nonsense English, not French as was common, the only exceptions being ` la’’ something or the asparagus au branch and a couple of dishes styled ‘‘a other—appellations that functioned as shorthand, as everyone knew what they indicated. Recipes ~~~ Sweetbreads with Mushrooms Lay half a dozen sweetbreads in cold water for twelve hours, changing the water several times. Then boil them five minutes, drop into cold water, remove the skin and lard with fat bacon. Put them in a saucepan with a pint of stock, two small onions and one carrot chopped, a teaspoonful of minced parsley, salt, pepper, cayenne, and a little mace. Stew until tender. Serve with a mushroom sauce, made as follows: Take a small bottle of mushrooms or one dozen fresh mushrooms sliced and boil them five minutes in water and lime juice. Drain and place in a stew pan with two ounces of butter, one ounce of flour and a pint of well seasoned stock or gravy. Cook until the sauce is reduced one-half. Pour over the hot sweetbreads. Joe Tilden, Joe Tilden’s Recipes for Epicures (1907).
Frogs a la Poulette Joint the hind legs and backs of twelve frogs; put in a closely covered saucepan with some truffles, a small can of mushrooms sliced, a glass of white wine, salt, white pepper, cayenne, mace and four ounces of butter. Stew gently fifteen minutes, stirring once or twice. If then tender, add one teaspoonful cornstarch rubbed into one ounce of butter. Let it cook two minutes, take from the fire and stir in the yolks of six eggs beaten well with one-half cup of cream. Place this mixture where it will keep hot without cooking. Cut the crust from a loaf of bread, scoop out the center, brush with butter and brown in the oven. Pour the frogs legs and sauce into the bread cup, garnish with mushrooms and truffles. Joe Tilden, Joe Tilden’s Recipes for Epicures (1907).
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November 30
Patriotic Dinner Cranberry Sauce
Pick over and wash four cups cranberries. Put in a stewpan with two cups boiling water, and boil twenty minutes. Rub through a sieve, add two cups sugar, and cook five minutes. Turn into a mould or glasses. Fannie Merritt Farmer, The Boston Cooking School Cook Book (1896).
Chicken Marengo: see July 14. Pommes Parisienne: see June 23.
November 30 Patriotic Dinner The Freemasons’ Tavern, London, England, 1871 The Scottish Corporation and Hospital (commonly called simply the Scottish Hospital) was founded in 1665 to assist Scottish residents of England. It was not a hospital in the modern sense of a place for the treatment of the sick, but a charitable institution to help ‘‘decayed natives’’ (i.e. distressed natives) of Scotland, who were not eligible for relief under English Poor Law (see August 12). The corporation held its annual dinner on November 30, the feast day of the Patron Saint of Scotland. On its 207th anniversary, the corporation’s annual dinner was held at the Freemason’s tavern, and tables were laid for 455 guests. The president was the future governor general of Canada, the Marquis of Lorne (1845–1914), who had recently married Queen Victoria’s daughter, Princess Louise (1848–1939). The Times commented ‘‘The menu, it will be seen, was very patriotic.’’
SOUPS. Cocky Leeky. Mock Turtle.
Scotch Broth.
Julienne.
Game Soup.
FISH. Codfish, Oyster Sauce. Stewed Eels.
Turbots, Lobster Sauce.
Fillets of Soles.
Lobster Cutlets.
SIDE DISHES. Fricandeaux with Peas.
Mutton Cutlets Provenc¸ale.
Larks in Cases au gratin.
Salmis of Partridges.
SCOTTISH COURSE. Collops.
Haggis.
Shepherds’ Pies.
Sheeps’ Heads. Black Puddings.
November 30
Patriotic Dinner
REMOVES. Roast Turkey. Hams. Round of Beef.
Boiled Fowls. Tongues.
Roast Sirloins.
Haunches of Mutton.
SECOND COURSE. Pheasants.
Black Game.
French Beans.
Wild Ducks.
Fried Potatoes.
SWEETS. Fruit Jellies.
Raspberry Creams.
Blancmanges.
Russian Charlottes. Cabinet Puddings. Compoˆtes of Oranges. Maids of Honour. Meringues.
Goranflot Cakes.
Nesselrode Puddings. Dessert.
The cocky leekie soup, scotch broth, haggis, and sheeps’ heads are indisputably associated with Scotland, but there are also some indisputably English and French touches in the meal. Gorenflot cake was traditional in France on Twelfth Night (see January 6) and is made from the same sort of sweet, eggy, yeast dough (sometimes with dried fruit) as is brioche (see February 24), savarin, kugelhopf, baba, and panettone. The only significant difference between each of these is in the shaping. A gorenflot is traditionally made in a hexagonal or octagonal mould. A decidedly English contribution are the ‘‘maids of honor’’—small almond cheesecakes also called Richmond cakes. The ‘‘Maid of Honour’’ concerned is sometimes said to have been Anne Boleyn (1511 or 1507—1536), before she married King Henry VIII (1491– 1547), but charming though the story is, the cakes do not seem to have appeared for at least 200 years after her death. Recipes ~~~ The following recipe for the famous cocky leeky soup is taken from The Cook and Housewife’s Manual by Christian Isobel Johnstone or ‘‘Mistress Margaret Dods.’’ See January 25 for more on this particular book. The authenticity of prunes as an ingredient of cock-a-leekie soup is a point of contention amongst food historians. Mistress Dods did not include them. Cock-a-Leekie Boil from four to six pounds of good shin-beef, well broken, till the liquor is very good. Strain it, and put to it a capon, or large old fowl, and, when it boils, half the quantity of blanched leeks intended to be used, well cleaned, and cut in
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Patriotic Dinner
inch-lengths, or longer. Skim this carefully. In a half-hour add the remaining part of the leeks, and a seasoning of pepper and salt. The soup must be very thick of leeks, and the first part of them must be boiled down into the soup till it becomes a green lubricious compound. Sometimes the capon is served in the tureen with the cock-a-leekie. This is good leek-soup without a fowl. Obs.—Some people thicken cock-a-leekie with the fine part of oatmeal. Those who dislike so much of the leeks may substitute shred greens, or spinage and parsley, for one half of them. Reject the coarse part of the leeks. Prunes wont to be put to this.
Scotch Broth: see October 31. Haggis: see January 25.
December December 1 Australian Meat Banquet Lambeth Baths, London, England, 1869 There was a great deal of interest in the ‘‘cheap food question’’ in midnineteenth-century Britain. The population was expanding but there were serious problems in the beef industry, and the poor had even less chance than usual of finding affordable animal protein. The campaign to increase the consumption of horsemeat (see December 19) faced significant cultural obstacles —the British being far too fond of their horses to seriously consider eating them. A second possibility came along in the form of meat from Australia— one of Britain’s colonies that was producing a surplus. Refrigeration technology was in its infancy, and it would not be until February 1880 that the first successful consignment of frozen meat from Australia arrived in England. Imports before this time were of canned meat, and the meat was therefore already cooked. Invitations were issued through the Working Men’s Club and Institute Union to a dinner of Australian meat to be provided by a committee of colonists on December 1, 1869. Fifteen hundred working men attended the dinner, which was cooked not by professionals but ‘‘entirely by the wives of artisans,’’ although ‘‘the dishes were supervised and prepared under the direction of persons who are engaged in the importation of meat into this country, who also took care that the articles used in the composition of the bill of fare were the best of their kind.’’ In the end, although a few declared the meat ‘‘extremely good,’’ some of the leading speakers agreed that the meat which had been served to the company could not be compared with what came from the butchers’ shops in London. . . . The best that can be said for it is that it was wholesome; for, whether in mince or a stew, it was certainly not particularly palatable. The sausages served with hot potatoes were something like the German sausage, though scarcely so eatable . . . the stew, on the whole, was not bad . . . but ‘‘the minced meat and rice’’ was an execrable dish.
The dinner was described in the Penny Illustrated newspaper as follows: There were six courses: the first an Irish stew, the average contents of dish sufficient for four persons, being 1lb. of meat and 4 lb. of vegetables, costing 8d. The second, meat-and-potato pies, the average contents for a dish sufficient for five
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Scottish Mountaineering Club 10th Annual Dinner
persons, being 1 1/2 lb. of meat, 8 lb. of potatoes, and two onions, costing 8d. The third, minced meat and rice, the average contents of a dish for three persons being 1 lb.of meat and 1 lb. of rice, costing 5d. The fourth, sausages and potatoes; the fifth, meat rolls; and the sixth, tea, dessert, biscuits, &c. There were no intoxicating liquors, and in lieu of soup, each visitor was presented with a cake of solid essence of meat to take home with him.
Recipes ~~~ There were many pamphlets and recipes circulated on the use of Australian meat. Cassells Dictionary of Cookery, published in the 1870s, included a special section on the use of Australian meat which contained 100 recipes. It noted that there was ‘‘considerable prejudice’’ against the tinned meat ‘‘owing to a great extent, to the fact that few know how to cook them properly. If the recipes, here given, however, are followed, it will be found easy, even for a cook of moderate abilities, to prepare from Australian meats a succession of tasty as well as digestible and nourishing dishes.’’ Irish Stew Boil six onions sliced in a quart of water with six large potatoes peeled and cut in half; pepper and salt pretty freely. When boiled tender, but not broken, thicken the gravy with flour and brown it; then take small pieces about three inches square and one inch thick of Australian mutton, pepper and salt them, an turn them over and over until well covered in flour; fry in a little fat, place in the centre of the dish, put the potatoes round and a few over the meat, pour over the gravy, and serve. A few light dumplings, made with one teaspoonful of baking powder to a pound of flour, may be served with the stew.
Meat with Potato Cover Mince some Australian mutton, season with pepper and salt, mix with it a teacupful of broth, and put in a shallow dish. Boil up some mealy potatoes, mash them, beat them up with an egg, a bit of butter, and a little milk; spread this mixture smoothly over the meat, and bake till of a golden brown.
December 2 Scottish Mountaineering Club 10th Annual Dinner Central Hotel, Edinburgh, Scotland, 1898 The Scottish Mountaineering Club was founded by a group of enthusiastic and experienced mountaineers, some of whom had experience in the European Alps, who wished to explore and promote the hills and mountains of
December 2
Scottish Mountaineering Club 10th Annual Dinner
their own country. From the beginning the club produced a regular journal as well as guidebooks to the hills and mountains of Scotland. In 1990 the club finally decided to admit women, an idea that would have been inconceivable to the 54 men who sat down to the dinner that followed the 10th annual meeting in 1898. MENU Les Huıˆtres au Naturel POTAGES Consomme´ Vermicelli Creˆme de Celeri POISSON Cabillaud bouilli—Sauce Oeufs Blanchielles Diable ´ ES ENTRE Kromeskies a la Russe Tournedos de Boeuf pique. — Haggis ´S RELEVE ˆti Selle de Mouton ro Capon bouilli—Sauce Persil ˆ TIS RO Perdreaux Roˆtis—Sauce Pain ENTREMETS Pouding Souffle´ a la Vanille — Gele´e au Vin. Creˆme au Cafe´ — ˆ te Harengs fume´es sur Crou — Dessert et Cafe´ Noir
It is a testament to a strong national feeling that this formal, elegant dinner of classic dishes had, right in the middle,—a cheap peasant meal made from offal, the iconic Scots dish of haggis. Whether or not it was ‘‘piped in’’ in traditional manner (see January 25) and enjoyed by all, or whether it had a small but symbolic presence at this dinner is unknown, but either way, it was a clear nationalistic statement. The president, in his proposing of the toast to ‘‘The Club’’ reinforced the message in his own way when he ‘‘dwelt with satisfaction upon the increased membership of the Club, but remarked that Scotland would require to see to it that the proper proportion
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Tithe-Audit Dinner
of Scots and Sassenachs was maintained, and that the balance of power was not turned in favour of the bold scramblers from south of the Solway, who had been coming into the Club (and they were very welcome) in increased numbers during recent years.’’ He then ‘‘concluded with a panegyric on the Scottish hills, which he was inclined to think would have been more generally appreciated in Scotland if they had been placed anywhere else—fashionable Switzerland, for instance.’’ Recipes ~~~ Bread Sauce (Very Fine) 1/2 pint breadcrumbs, 1/2 pint milk, 1 oz. butter, 2 tablespoonfuls cream, seasoning pepper and salt, a very little cayenne. Make the milk boiling hot in a lined saucepan. Put the breadcrumbs in a basin, and pour the milk on to them. Cover the basin with a plate and let the crumbs remain to soak for 15 minutes, then turn the sauce back into the saucepan, add the butter, pepper, and salt, and let it simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in the cream, and a very slight sprinkling of cayenne; boil again for 2 minutes, and serve immediately. Ethel S. Meyer, A Practical Dictionary of Cookery (1898).
Cod with Egg Sauce: see March 11. Parsley Sauce: see May 29. Blanchielles (blanchailles) Diable (deviled whitebait) see: August 14. Haggis: see January 25. Coffee Cream: see April 13.
December 3 Tithe-Audit Dinner Weston Longville, Norfolk, England, 1782 James Woodforde (see April 20) was a village parson in Norfolk, England. His curacy provided him with a comfortable livelihood, and he had numerous farmer tenants. Once a year, in the first week of December, it was Tithe Audit Day—the day that the annual rental obligation was calculated and paid. The word ‘‘tithe’’ comes from an old word meaning ‘‘a tenth’’ as this was the traditional part (of produce or money) given to support the clergy or religious house. Parson Woodforde collected 265 pounds on this occasion, and as usual made it into a fine social event. He always gave his tenants a generous dinner.
December 3
Tithe-Audit Dinner
Dec. 3. This being the Day for my Tithe Audit, the following Farmers paid me their Tithes . . . [he lists 25 names] They all dined here . . . but Jn. Pegg and Mr. Mann stayed till near 11 at night. I gave them for Dinner, some Salt Fish, a Leg of Mutton boiled and Capers, a Knuckle of Veal, a Piggs Face, a fine Surloin of Beef rosted, and plenty of plumb Puddings . . . Wine drank 6 Bottles. Rum drank 5 Bottles, besides Quantities of strong Beer and Ale.
Woodforde always enjoyed these occasions, usually referring to them as his ‘‘frolicks.’’ Two small incidents marred this day, when ‘‘‘‘Forster behaved so insolent towards me that I don’t intend to have him ever again at my Frolick . . . Poor Jn. Buck broke one of my decanters.’’ The tithe-audit dinners always had plenty of meat and plenty of plum pudding. There was often salt fish too, as it kept well and was therefore particularly useful for large gatherings. In the days before refrigeration, catering for larger parties was particularly problematic, so food that could be preserved ahead for the occasion, such as the plum pudding, was particularly useful. Salt fish, which kept for very long periods, was often on the table at Woodforde’s tithe audit, and was no doubt a favorite of some of his guests. The ‘‘pigg’s face’’ too was a cheap (but very popular) alternative to ham or bacon, and could be prepared ahead in a number of ways. A pig’s face or ‘‘head’’ consisted of the cheek, lower jaw, and half the tongue and snout. It was boned, pickled (and sometimes cured) and used to make a type of brawn (see April 28) called ‘‘head cheese’’ or it could be ‘‘collared’’ (see September 15). Sometimes the boned meat was compressed in a mold, then when it was ‘‘set,’’ it was coated in breadcrumbs and sliced and cooked like bacon or eaten cold like ham. Recipes ~~~ To Roll a Pig’s Head Clean it, rub it with common salt, then strew an ounce of salt petre on it, turn it every day for seven days, then boil it in soft water till the bones and gristles slip out, take four cow hells, dress them, boil them till the lantern will come off, lay the lantern on a cloth, beat the pig’s head a little in a bowl, spread it upon the lantern, roll it up round and tight in a cloth, then put it in a pot or frame the size you wish it, it must be put in hot, set a lead weight upon it, and in a few days it will be fit to turn out. It is very good put into a frame or pot without the lantern, this will be good in a week or ten days, when you find the outside turns soft, make a pickle as thus, take a gallon of spring water, two handfuls of common salt, and a large handful of wheat bran, a quarter of an ounce of salt petre, boil these half an hour, strain it through a hair sieve, and when cold put the roll in. Sarah Martin.Doncaster, The New Experienced English-Housekeeper (1800).
Salt Cod: see March 11. Boiled Leg of Mutton: see September 21. Plum Pudding: see June 28.
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December 4
Funeral Feast of the Bishop of Bath and Wells
December 4 Funeral Feast of the Bishop of Bath and Wells Bishop’s Palace, Wells, Somerset, England, 1424 Nicholas Bubwith held the traditional secular offices of Lord Privy Seal and Lord High Treasurer as well as the bishoprics of London and Salisbury before he became bishop of Bath and Wells in October 1407. When he died in 1424, a great funeral feast was held with two different bills of fare—one of fish (de Piscibus) for the clergy, and one of meat (de carnibus) for the laity. During the middle ages, the clergy were expected to adhere to a fish diet on more (or all) days in the year than the lay public, because it was considered to DE CARNIBUS.
DE PISCIBUS.
LE .J. COURS.
LE .J. COURS.
Nomblys de Roo.
Elys in sorry.
Blamangere.
Blamanger.
Braun, cum Mustard.
Bakoun heryng.
Chynes de porke.
Mulwyl taylys.
Capoun Roste de haut grece.
Lenge taylys.
Swan Roste.
Jollys of Samoun.
Heroun Rostyd.
Merlyng so[th]e.
Aloes de Roo.
Pyke.
Puddyng de Swan necke.
Grete Plays.
Un Lechemete.
Leche barry.
Un bake, viz. Crustade.
Crustade Ryal.
LE .IJ. COURS.
LE .IJ. COURS.
Ro Styuyd.
Mammenye.
Mammenye.
Crem of Almaundys.
Connyng Rostyd.
Codelyng.
Curlew.
Haddok.
Fesaunt Rostyd.
Freysse hake.
Wodecokke Roste.
Solys y-so[th]e
Pertryche Roste.
Gurnyd broylid with a syryppe.
Plouer Roste.
Brem de Mere.
Snytys Roste.
Roche.
Grete byrdes Rosted.
Perche.
Larkys Rostyd.
Menus fryid.
Vennysoun de Ro Rostyd.
Yrchouns
Yrchouns.
Elys y-rostyd.
Un leche.
Leche lumbard.
Payn puffe.
Grete Crabbys.
Colde bakemete.
A cold bakemete.
December 4
Funeral Feast of the Bishop of Bath and Wells
be a diet more conducive to higher thought and contemplation (see February 23). This particular meal took place on the first day of Advent, when devout members of the Church began their pre-Nativity ‘‘fast.’’ The master cooks and advisers who planned the food for this event clearly went to some trouble to ensure that there were similarly styled dishes for each set of guests. Standard dishes that appear on many medieval feast menus (spelled in a confusing variety of ways) such as mammenye (a dish of ground spiced meat), yrchouns (meatballs stuck with almonds or spikes of pastry to resemble urchins or hedgehogs—see September 16), blamanger (a white dish of rice and chicken, the ancestor of sweet dessert dishes), leches (see October 13) and crustades and bake-metes (food cooked in pastry ‘‘coffins,’’ ancestors of the modern pie; see December 4) all had their non-meat variations. Recipes ~~~ Blamanger of Fyshe Take Rys, an sethe hem tylle they brekyn, & late hem kele; þan caste þer-to mylke of Almaundys; nym Perche or Lopstere, & do þer-to, & melle it; þan nym Sugre with pouder Gyngere, & caste þer-to, & make it chargeaunt, and þan serue it forth. Thomas Austin, Two Fifteenth-Century Cookery-Books (1430). Interpretation: Take rice, and boil it till soft (‘‘breaking up’’) and let it cool. Then add almond milk, perch or lobster, and mix it. then add sugar and powdered ginger and make it thick, and serve it forth.
Crustardes of Flessh Take peiouns, chykens, and smale briddes smyte hem in gobettes. & seeþ hem alle ifere in god broþ wiþ veriaws do þerto safroun, make a crust in a trape. and pynche it. & cowche þe flessh þerinne. & cast þerinne Raisouns coraunce. powdour douce and salt. breke ayrenn and wryng hem thurgh a cloth & swyng þe sewe of þe stewe þerwith and helde it uppon the flessh. couere it & bake it wel. and serue it forth. The Form of Cury (1390). Interpretation: Take pigeons, chickens, and small birds and chop them in pieces and simmer them in good broth with verjuice and add saffron. Make a crust in a trap [a wooden hoop] and pinch it [presumably to decorate the edges of the pastry] and add raisins, currants, sweet powder (a standard spice mix, the ingredients are uncertain) and salt. Break eggs and strain them through a cloth and mix with the meat and put it in the pastry shell and put a pastry lid on it and bake it well and serve it forth.
Blamanger: see January 7. Braun (brawn): see September 22. Connyng Rostyd: see August 15. Yrchouns: see September 16.
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December 5
British MPs’ Dinner
December 5 British MPs’ Dinner Hotel Cosmopolitan, Nice, France, 1903 A group of 100 British Parliamentary delegates (accompanied by 80 ladies) visited France in 1903 to ‘‘reinforce the improvement in Anglo-French relations.’’ It was noted that the period of estrangement that had existed between the countries for a considerable time had been not just mutually prejudicial, but ‘‘there can be no doubt that third parties have understood how to turn it to advantage’’ and that ‘‘The cultivation of direct and friendly intercourse between the peoples themselves is beginning to be recognised as the safest means of avoiding acute international conflicts.’’ It was a reciprocal visit, as a number of French senators and deputies had visited Westminster the previous July. Although a point had been made that the visit was being made ‘‘in the national interest,’’ the delegates clearly had a fine time too. Once the formal few days in Paris were over, about 80 in total (‘‘ladies as well as gentlemen’’) went on a tour of the French provinces and were entertained at a variety of receptions, dinners, and feˆtes. On December 5, it was the turn of Nice, in the South of France, and a fine dinner was given to the visitors at the Hotel Cosmopolitan.
Oxtail Soup Cre`me de Volaille Princesse Truite de Rivie`re au Chablis Pommes Vapeur Pie`ce de Boeuf Carrignan aux Primeurs du Littoral
Xe´re`s Montillade
Mignonnette de Pauillac Clamart Parfait de Foie gras Royale
Graves 1898
Sorbets Dame Blanche Faisans d’Ecosse en Grande Chasse
Moe¨t et Chandon 1893, Cuve´e 20
Salade Nic¸oise Asperges en branches Sauce Vierge
Saint-Emilion
Bombe Edouard VII ˆteau Historie´ Ga
Mont-Bousquet 1893
Pie`ce Monte´e
Chambertin 1897
Corbeille de Fruits panache´s Fromages
Louis Roederer
Desserts Cafe´ et Liqueurs
Extra Dry, Reserve for Great Britain
Grande Fine Champagne Bisquit Dubouche´
December 6
Repeal Dinner
The usual compliments to the visitors were given via the naming of some of the menu items. It was ox-tail soup (an English favorite), not soupe (or potage) de queue de bœuf, the ice cream bombe was named for the King of England, and the grouse was from Scotland. There is the quintessentially French foie gras, and a local specialty was featured too—the still-popular Salade Nic¸oise. As with most if not all regional and other speciality dishes, there is an ongoing debate about authenticity of recipes. There are arguments about whether greens, potatoes, or beans should be included in a salade Nic¸oise. Most ‘‘authorities’’ agree that good quality canned tuna is to be preferred to fresh. Reasonably consistent inclusions are tomatoes, olives, anchovies, and a garlicky dressing. There is also reasonably consistent agreement that it should not contain cheese. As for the originator, there are many claimants, but the most popular is that it was the choreographer George Balanchine, and the place was Monte Carlo, not Nice. Recipes ~~~ To show how widely the recipes for salade Nic¸oise vary, here are two quite different versions, both from authoritative French sources. The first one does not contain any tuna, the second one no potatoes or beans, and neither has olives. Salade Nic¸oise 1. Mix equal parts of potatoes and French (string) beans, both cut in dice. Season with oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Arrange in a dome in a salad dish. Decorate with fillets of anchovies, olives, and capers. Garnish with quartered tomatoes. Sprinkle with chopped chervil and tarragon. Prosper Montagne, Larousse Gastronomique (1961 English edition). 2. Tunny fish in oil, tomato, anchovy fillets cut into cubes, mixed with vinaigrette sauce with chopped tarragon, chervil, chives. A little mustard may be added. Auguste Escoffier, Ma Cuisine (1965).
Sauce Vierge (virgin sauce) is virgin olive oil. Oxtail Soup: see March 21.
December 6 Repeal Dinner Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, New York, 1933 The ‘‘Noble Experiment’’ of Prohibition finally ended just before nightfall on December 5, 1933, in the Unites States. For 13 years, 10 months, 19 days, 17 hours, 32 1/2 minutes, since the ratification of the National Prohibition Act (the ‘‘Volstead Act’’), the country had been officially ‘‘dry.’’ Customers had been glued to radios across the country, waiting eagerly for the moment
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December 6
Repeal Dinner
Repeal rush to buy liquor. (AP Photo)
to be announced, and they expected to be able to celebrate immediately. There was a scramble for sufficient stocks of alcohol to fuel the expected rush amongst restaurant and hotel owners who were just as eager for prohibition to end. Some were in readiness for special dinners on the night of the fifth, but many others, uncertain of repeal actually going ahead, unsure of supplies, and wanting time to plan a sufficiently magnificent event, held off until the following day. The Waldorf-Astoria in New York held its Repeal Dinner on the night of the sixth of December. The dinner was arranged by the hotel’s famous maıˆtre d’hotel, Oscar Tschirky (‘‘Oscar of the Waldorf’’). Guests paid $10 each for which they received one pint of champagne in addition to the following menu.
Delices Escoffier Oxtail Parisienne Almonds, Celery, Olives Filet of Pompano, Saute Meunie`re Pommes Persillees Tournedo Saute Aux Fines Herbes Petits Pois a la Francaise Sorbet au Kirsch Supreme de Pintade Lavalliere Hearts of Endive and Beet Salad Peche de France des Gourmets Friandises Demi Tasse Sherry, Sauterne, Claret, Champagne, or Still Or Sparkling Burgundy, Cognac
Prohibition did not reduce alcohol consumption, and many historians believe that in fact it actually increased, and the number of drinking
December 6
Repeal Dinner
establishments may have doubled. It is ironic that the 1920s are also referred to as the Cocktail Age. Cocktails perhaps flourished because being brightly colored and garnished they were not immediately identifiable as alcoholic drinks. One large downside to the Noble Experiment was that organized crime and corruption flourished to meet the demand for the illegal substance. There were also loopholes in the law which encouraged creative solutions. Alcohol could be prescribed for medicinal reasons, and wine could be brewed at home, for example. Restaurants confident of the discretion of regular customers would supply it in their private dining rooms, and the Biltmore listed its offerings via a little note called an Entre Nous (Between Ourselves) slipped into the spine of its menu. Recipes ~~~ Oscar Tshirky was not a chef, but he was a magnificent maıˆtre d’hotel or organizer of events, and he supervised the activities of the kitchen minutely. He wrote his own cookbook, called simply The Cook Book, in 1896. The artichoke and potatoes recipes are from this book. Delices Escoffier are hearts of artichoke stuffed with crab meat. The following recipe from Tschirky’s book shows how the artichoke itself must be prepared. Artichokes Boiled Plain Cut off the tips of the leaves and round off the bottoms, removing the stalk and trimming the under leaves away. Soak in salt and water, washing well. Boil them in salt and water until they are quite tender; the leaves come away readily when they are done. Use a large quantity of water for the boiling, as it helps to rid them of a slight bitterness prevalent, especially in the autumn. When cooked drain on a cloth, and then remove with a spoon the soft fibrous substance found inside, and which is sometimes termed the ‘‘choke.’’ Then place once more in boiling water to heat up and take out again, drain and serve in a vegetable dish with a strainer, or upon a neatly-folded napkin. Serve with melted butter.
Pommes Persillees (Potatoes and Parsley) Place in a saucepan of boiling water some well washed and peeled small potatoes, boil for five minutes and then strain off the water, and pour in enough fresh boiling water to height of potatoes, add a lump of butter and a little salt and boil them until they become quite tender; then remove them carefully and put them in a deep dish, keeping them near the fire. Place in the liquor in which the potatoes were boiled a moderate quantity of finely-chopped parsley, boil for a few minutes and until somewhat thickly reduced; then pour the sauce over the potatoes, and serve.
` la Franc¸aise: see December 6. Petits Pois a Sauce Meuniere: see July 23.
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December 7
Dinner with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
December 7 Dinner with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Aldine Club, 75 Fifth Avenue, New York, 1894 The Aldine Club was started in 1889, its membership being ‘‘composed chiefly of editors, artists, and men generally of artistic and literary tastes.’’ In 1894, the writer Arthur Conan Doyle (1859–1930) made it his headquarters while he was visiting the United States. Conan Doyle was a Scot (his gravestone declares him to be Patriot, Physician & Man Of Letters), and he is best known as the creator of the enormously popular detective Sherlock Holmes. On the eve of Doyle’s departure home aboard the Cunard ship Etruria, the members of the Aldine Club gave a dinner in his honor, at which there were 60 guests. BILL OF FARE Oysters Olives Radishes Mock Turtle
Consomme´
Bluefish Potato Croquettes Saddle of Mutton Brussels Sprouts Chicken Cutlets French Peas Orange Sherbert Squab on Toast Lettuce Salad Roquefort and Camembert Cheese Toasted Crackers Ice Cream Cake Coffee Cre`me De Menthe
The specific inclusion on this menu of the sweet mint liqueur cre`me de menthe is a little unusual. If any after-dinner spirit or liqueur was mentioned at all on a menu such as this, it was usually port or brandy. It is doubly strange because cre`me de menthe has a long-standing reputation of being a ladies’ drink, and this was certainly an all male dinner.
December 7
Dinner with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
It is not unusual to end a meal with mint—although nowadays it is in chocolate-coated form. The roots of the tradition are very old indeed. Mint has an ancient reputation as a remedy, particularly as a digestive. It was first mentioned in this capacity in a ninth-century leechbook (a leech was an ancient name for someone who practiced the healing art), and it was still in the British Pharmacopoeia in 1833. There are many species of mint, as the plant is notorious for interbreeding, but all contain the volatile oil that give it its characteristic smell and its supposed medicinal quality. Recipes ~~~ Potato Croquettes 2 cups hot riced potatoes. 2 tablespoons butter. 1/2 teaspoon salt. 1/8 teaspoon pepper. 1/4 teaspoon celery salt. Few drops onion juice. Yolk 1 egg. 1 teaspoon finely chopped parsley. Mix ingredients in order given, and beat thoroughly. Shape, dip in crumbs, egg, and crumbs again, fry one minute in deep fat, and drain on brown paper. Croquettes are shaped in a variety of forms. The most common way is to first form a smooth ball by rolling one rounding tablespoon mixture between hands. Then roll on a board until of desired length, and flatten ends. Fannie Merritt Farmer, The Boston Cooking-School Cookbook (Boston, 1896).
Bluefish Baked Whole Choose a medium-sized bluefish; have it drawn from the gills to avoid splitting it; wash it in cold salted water, and stuff it with the following forcemeat: Soak a pint of stale bread in cold water, and squeeze out the water when the bread is soft; meanwhile chop fine a small onion, two tablespoonfuls of parsley, and a teaspoonful of fresh thyme, savory, or sweet marjoram; put these ingredients into a frying-pan with a tablespoonful of butter and the soaked bread, and stir them over the fire until they are smoking-hot. Use this forcemeat for stuffing the fish. On the bottom of a dripping-pan put half a pound of salt pork, cut in slices; lay the fish on the pork, season it highly with salt and pepper, and put it into a hot oven to bake. Let it cook until it is nicely browned, and the skin begins to crack; a medium-sized fish will cook in about an hour. Change the fish from the pan to a hot platter, lay the pork on it, and serve it as soon as it is done. Bluefish is excellent either fried or broiled. Miss Corson’s Practical American Cookery and Household Management (New York, 1886).
Mock Turtle Soup: see July 4.
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December 8
Fashionable Hotel Dinner
December 8 Fashionable Hotel Dinner Fifth Avenue Hotel, New York, 1860 In August 1859 a new hotel opened in New York. The location was a bit further ‘‘uptown’’ than other prominent hotels in the city, but not, it was hoped, too far to render it an inconvenient location for travellers. It was on Fifth Avenue, on the west side of Madison Square between 23rd and 24th streets. The disadvantage of distance was compensated for by all modern conveniences being provided. There were separate entrances and reception rooms for ladies, and ‘‘vertical railways to each and every corner of the house.’’ That it was both massive and beautiful were certain. Eight hundred guests could be accommodated, the exterior was clad in white marble in the Italian style, and a superb view of the city could be obtained from the observatory at the top. The kitchens and dining rooms were equally impressive. The chimneys reached 25 above the roof to ensure smoke and cooking smells did not annoy any of the guests. The main dining hall (or ‘‘grand ordinary’’) was 90 feet long by 60 feet wide and 21 feet high and had adjacent to it wine closets, pantries, and a carving room with steam tables. There was another small dining room for those wishing to have early dinners and breakfasts, and a ladies’ tea room. And finally, there was a separately managed restaurant. Diners could ` la carte (from the menu) or table d’ho ˆte (see October 10). choose to dine a A few months before the outbreak of the Civil War, on December 8, 1860, the hotel guests were offered the following dinner menu. SOUP. Pea Soup. Vegetable. FISH. Boiled Haddock, Oyster Sauce.
Baked Bass, Claret Sauce.
BOILED. Leg of Mutton, Caper Sauce. Turkey, Oyster Sauce. Beef Tongue.
Corned Beef and Cabbage. Capons, Celery Sauce.
Calf’s Head, Brain Sauce.
Ham.
COLD DISHES. Roast Beef. Chicken Salad.
Tongue.
Pressed Corned Beef. Ham.
Boned Turkey.
Lamb.
ENTREES. Mutton Cutlets, Breaded, Tomato Sauce. ` la Maitre d’Hoˆtel. Broiled Squabs, a
December 8
Fashionable Hotel Dinner
` la Chambrois. Fillet of Fish, a Fillet of Pork, with Apples. ` la Creˆme. Escalloped Oysters, a Venison Steaks, Jelly Sauce. ` l’Italienne. Calf’s Liver, a ` la Toulouse. Poulettes a Macaroni, with Cheese. Kidneys, in Cases. ROAST. Beef.
Turkey.
Tame Ducks. Lamb.
Spring Chickens.
Ham, Champagne Sauce. GAME.
Mallard Ducks.
Widgeons.
VEGETABLES. Mashed Potatoes.
Spinach.
Boiled Rice.
Boiled Potatoes.
Turnips.
Cabbage.
Cauliflowers. Onions.
Squash.
Boiled Hominy.
Boiled Beets.
Baked Potatoes.
Stewed Tomatoes.
Corn. Baked.
Sweet Potatoes.
Parsnips. PASTRY. Sago Pudding. Jelly Puffs.
Apple Pies.
Lafayette Cake. Charlotte Russe. Wine Jelly.
Peach Pies. Gooseberry Pies. Confectionery.
DESSERT. Raisins.
Almonds.
English Walnuts. Oranges.
Pecan Nuts.
Filberts.
Apples.
Hickory Nuts.
Vanilla and Orange Ice Cream. Coffee.
The menu was typical of its time for a large hotel and so comprehensive that every guest could not have failed to find something desirable for dinner.
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Fashionable Hotel Dinner
Recipes ~~~ Lafayette Cakes Make a Savoy biscuit [see below] and bake it in a tin pan, with straight sides; when cold, cut it in thin slices (a quarter of an inch in thickness), spread each with jelly, or jam, and put it together again, three or four slices for each, or put them all together; ice the cake on the top and sides, and serve cut in quarters.
Savoy Biscuit 12 eggs, weight of 12 eggs in sugar, weight of 7 eggs in flour, l lemon. Beat whites and yellows separately; grate the rind of the lemon, and add the yellows to the sifted sugar, and the juice of the lemon or peach water, after being in the oven a few minutes, grate sugar over. The Housekeeper’s Assistant, Composed Upon Temperance Principles, By An Old Housekeeper. (Boston, 1845).
Celery Sauce Strip the outer parts of the stem, and, after carefully washing the remaining portion, cut it into small pieces; put to it a blade of mace without any other spice, and stew it in good veal broth until very tender; it will take a good deal of time, more particularly the thick hard end of the root. After this thicken it with melted butter, and flavor it with a small quantity of white wine; or it may be thickened with boiled cream without wine. It is usually served with boiled turkey, but is very delicate with any kind of white poultry or veal. Elizabeth Fries Ellet, The Practical Housekeeper; A Cyclopedia of Domestic Economy (New York, 1867).
Caper Sauce Put whole capers into melted butter, adding a little of the vinegar they are pickled in, a pinch of salt, and sufficient cream to make it white. This is used principally for boiled mutton. Elizabeth Fries Ellet, The Practical Housekeeper; A Cyclopedia of Domestic Economy (New York, 1867).
Champagne Sauce for Ham: see May 27. Oyster Sauce: see August 7. Charlotte Russe: see September 4. Calf’s Head: see January 30.
December 9
Firefighters Banquet
December 9 Firefighters Banquet Ho ˆ tel de la Madeleine, Barberaz, France, 1928 The firefighters of France usually held their annual dinner on, or very close to, December 4, the feast day of their Patron Saint, Saint Barbara. The men of Barberaz in the Savoie region celebrated a few days late in 1928. The menu for the dinner was very much in theme with their occupation. BANQUET DES SAPEURS-POMPIERS DE BARBERAZ Dimanche 9 December ˆtel de la Madeleine Ho Hors d’Œuvre incendie. — Boyaux de Polailles au terrine. — Jambon, graisses de clapets Lavarets de l’Alba . . . Meunie`re — Quenelles aux Champi-gnons — ` la Moe¨lle Cordons a — Closses de la Madeleine, roˆties — Pissenlits Salade — Dessert Teculoth — Creˆme Tropeu — Fromages avarie´ — Fruits Cafe´—Gnoˆle de la Suisse — On boˆsson de rouge peteˆta
The theme becomes clear when the menu names are translated. Incendie means a fire or conflagration; a boyau(x) is a winding trench leading to an explosive magazine and polailles are casings for explosives; clapets are valves and graisse is fat or grease; cordons presumably refers to a line of firefighters handing buckets man to man; and the cheeses are avarie´s or damaged. Some of the menu items are not so clear and may be proper names of individuals in
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Firefighters Banquet
the company, such as Closses and Teculoth. With the coffee was gnoˆle (booze) from Switzerland. A green salad was served after the meat dishes and before the dessert, in the common pattern. In this case it was of dandelion leaves which are a popular salad vegetable in France, where it is cultivated—unlike many other countries where is it is considered a weed. The French name pissenlit translates as piss-the-bed, an acknowledgement of the diuretic qualities of the plant. It is often served as a warm salad with bacon, or, as in the following recipe, with pickled pork. Recipes ~~~ Dandelion Salad A dandelion salad is one of the healthiest of spring salads. Take two quarts of freshly gathered dandelions; wash them well; pick them over carefully; let stand in water over night, as this improves them. Drain, and dry in a napkin; place them in a salad-bowl; add two young spring onions, minced. Serve with a plain dressing. Thomas Murrey, The Murrey Collection of Cookery Books (1895)
Mushroom Quenelles 12 mushrooms 1/4 lb. Veal or Chicken 1 oz. flour
1/2 oz. butter 1 egg 1/2 teacupful Milk
The mushrooms should be a good size, and cupped a little for this dish. Cut the end only off the stalk, and pare them very carefully. Now put the butter and flour into a pan and mix; add the milk, and let it boil, stirring very vigorously till a thick, smooth paste is obtained. Add a little salt and pepper, and turn out to cool. Have the veal chopped, pounded, and rubbed through a wire sieve. Put it back in the mortar, and add to it the paste, and pound till it is thoroughly mixed; then break the egg in amongst it and mix. Again add 1/2 tea-spoonful salt, and a little pepper. Mix very thoroughly. Have a knife wetted in boiling water. Put some of this mixture into the cup of the mushrooms, smoothing it like a cone round the stalks with the knife. When all are finished, butter a stewpan and place the quenelles carefully in it; cover with a buttered paper. Add 1/2 teacupful of stock; cover it with the lid, and cook for 20 minutes. Sauce: boil the trimmings of the mushrooms in a little stock; strain and mix with this 1 teaspoonful of corn-flour; pour all this in the pan the quenelles were cooked in; pour the sauce round. See that it is not too thick. Mrs. Black, Choice Cookery ‘‘La Bonne Cuisine’’ (1890).
December 10
First Nobel Prize Banquet
December 10 First Nobel Prize Banquet Hall of Mirrors, Grand Hotel, Stockholm, Sweden, 1901 Alfred Nobel (1833–1896) was a Swedish chemist and engineer who invented dynamite and owned a large armaments company. On his death he directed that some of his enormous wealth go toward the endowment of several prizes in important areas of human endeavour. The prizes for chemistry and physics were to be awarded by the Swedish Academy of Sciences, and those for physiology or medicine and literature by the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm. There was another prize—for an outstanding contribution to world peace, and Nobel directed that this be awarded by the Norwegian Parliament and delivered in Oslo. The conditions of the Peace Prize are interesting and intriguing because Nobel was a Swede, and at the time of his bequest, Norway was still ruled by Sweden as it had been since the end of the Napoleonic wars in 1814. The Nobel prizes (except for the Peace Prize) are awarded in a ceremony in Stockholm on December 10, the anniversary of Nobel’s death. A grand banquet follows, which has become a great event in its own right. At the first banquet in 1901, there were 113 guests, all of whom were male. The first woman to attend was Marie Curie (1867–1934) who was a joint winner of the physics prize in 1903, with her husband Pierre Curie (1859–1906) and Henri Bequerel (1852–1908). MENU Hors d´œuvre ` la Normande Supreˆme de barbue a ` ´l’Impe´riale Filet de bœuf a ˆties, Salade d´Estre´e Gelinottes ro ˆtisserie Succe`s Grand Hoˆtel, Pa VINS Niersteiner 1897 ˆteau Abbe´ Gorsse 1881 Cha Champagne Cre`me de Bouzy Doux et Extra Dry Xerez
The number of guests attending the banquet has of course climbed since 1901, and over recent years has been of the order of 1,300. Planning starts months before, as the preparation required is enormous. In the days immediately before the banquet the tables are set up, a job which takes 25 people eight hours, and uses 470 meters of tablecloth. Then another 30 whitegloved workers lay out over 6,000 pieces of porcelain, over 5,000 crystal glasses, and over 9,000 pieces of cutlery.
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December 11
Encyclopædia Britannica Dinner
On the night everything is carried out with military precision and great spectacle. Guests are required to adhere to a stringent dress code. For men, it is white tie, black tails, and no color apart from any medals or state decoration, and women must be in formal evening dress. Guests must also learn the complex rules of protocol and etiquette that apply throughout the evening. The menu for the event is a tightly kept secret. Over the decades the food has changed with fashion and circumstances. Turtle soup was often on the menu in the early years, but it is now unethical. There is always some concession to the host country, and the obvious frosty climate means that ice cream has been on the menu at virtually every banquet—at the first one it was the Succe`s Grand Hoˆtel. Recipes ~~~ Gelinottes Ro ˆ ties (Roast Guinea Fowl) Pluck, singe, and truss the guinea fowls carefully, lard with fine fillets of bacon, roast before a good fire and baste frequently, served garnished with watercress. 366 Menus and 1200 Recipes of the Baron Brisse (1869; from the 1905 English translation).
December 11 Encyclopædia Britannica Dinner Hall of Christ’s College, Cambridge, England, 1888 The Encyclopædia Britannica was the brainchild of two Scots, Colin Macfarquhar (1744/5–1793) and Andrew Bell (1726–1809). With the assistance of William Smellie (1740–1795) they produced the Encyclopædia in 100 weekly installments between 1768 and 1771. It is still in print more than 220 years later and has accrued a reputation for being a reliable and comprehensive reference and research tool. The ninth edition was completed in 1888, thanks to the efforts of about a thousand scholars from around the world, and a banquet was held in Cambridge to celebrate. Nearly a hundred of those involved were able to attend, although there was a disappointingly large number of ‘‘letters of declinature,’’ including those from Mr. Phelps, ‘‘Minister of the United States’’ and the French and German ambassadors. ` la Tortue. Consomme a ` la Reine. Potage a ` l’Italienne. Rougets a ` la Tartare. Filets de Sole a ` l’Encylope´die. Attereaux a Turban de Sarcelles aux olives.
December 11
Encyclopædia Britannica Dinner
Dinde aux Huitres. Jambon de York. ` la Milanaise. Dindon a Selle de Mouton. Faisans
Be´casses.
` la Victoria. Poudins a Gele´es de Dantzie aux Fruits. ` la Ve´nitienne. Charlottes a Biscuits Glace´es au Maraquin. ˆ tes Canape´s d’Anchois—Crou
Many of the guests this night had traveled up from London by rail, and a tight control of the proceedings was essential as a special train had been arranged for 10:45 to take them back to King’s Cross. The end of the dinner was signaled by the passing around of the loving cup (see September 30), and those guests who did not have to meet the train continued on to a reception at the Master’s Lodge. ` l’EncyThere was one specially named dish on this menu—the Attereaux a lope´die. Attereaux (atelets or hatelets) are pieces of food on skewers. They differ from brochettes in that the food is precooked, before being coated in Atelet sauce and breadcrumbs before being deep fried and served either on or off the skewers. They can be made from almost anything from lambs’ brains and ox palates to pieces of cheese to fried custard. Recipes ~~~ Anchovy Crou ˆ tes 6 Anchovies. 2 Hard-boiled Eggs. 2 oz. Butter.
Bread. Cayenne, Carmine. Parsley.
Wash the anchovies, and bone them; and pound them with the butter, the yolks of the hard-boiled eggs, the seasoning, and a little cayenne. Have eight pieces of fried bread neatly cut; put the mixture in a forcing bag with tube; decorate the rounds prettily with the anchovy paste. Have the whites of the eggs rubbed through a wire sieve; decorate the rounds with this, and a morsel of chopped parsley.
A dish named Dantzig or Danzig contains flakes of gold leaf. It comes from the liqueur Danziger Goldwasser which has been made since the sixteenth ´ sk) in Poland. The liqueur has flakes of century in the city of Danzig (Gdan real gold suspended in it, which were believed to have medicinal value. Note: the purpose of the egg whites and shells is the same as in making a very clear consomme´ (see May 27). Particles of debris that would spoilt the appearance
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December 12
Dinner for the Duke of Windsor
by making the consomme´ or jelly cloudy adhere to the protein in the egg white forming larger clumps that can easily be strained out. Dantzig Jelly 6 oz. Sugar. 1 ½ oz. Gelatine. 3 large breakfast-cupfuls of Water. 1 Blade of Mace. 2 Whites and Shells of Eggs.
6 Cloves. 2 Lemons. 2 Small Leaves of Gold Leaf. 1 Small Stick of Cinnamon.
Put the water in a saucepan, and all the other things—except the gold leaf— the rind of the lemons very thinly pared off and the juice pressed out, the cinnamon broken up, and the eggs. Whisk over the fire till it boils; let it boil for five minutes without whisking; let it settle for 5 minutes; pour twice through a jelly bag; put into a mould. Put the gold leaf in the mould, and with a knife bread it up among the jelly. When firm, turn out. This jelly may be coloured pink and silver leaf put among it. Mrs. Black, Choice Cuisine (1890s).
Victoria Pudding: a huge range of dishes go by this name, including frozen bombes, bread and butter puddings, suet puddings, and puddings made with sago and fresh fruit. For one version, see September 9. Tartar Sauce: see July 20. Potage a la Reine: see February 17.
December 12 Dinner for the Duke of Windsor aboard the Zurich Express, 1936 When King Edward VIII (1894–1972) announced his wish to marry American socialite Wallis Simpson (1895–1986), her nationality alone would probably have been sufficient to cause a diplomatic crisis in Britain. Added to the horror was the knowledge that she had already been divorced twice— a shameful history according to the social mores of the time. In the end, King Edward gave up his throne rather than the woman he loved. Once he had made his decision events unfolded very rapidly. He informed the government on December 9 and signed the Instrument of Abdication on December 10; it was endorsed by Parliament and announced to the public on December 11; and on December 12 his brother was proclaimed King as George VI. By the end of the same day Edward had been created Duke of Windsor by the new King and was on his way out of the country and into exile, not to return until 1965. On the evening of December 12, the Duke was aboard an ordinary Pullman train bound initially for Vienna, via Switzerland, with the final destination
December 12
Dinner for the Duke of Windsor
and exact route a secret. His Pullman car had eight compartments, the middle two occupied by himself, his personal attendants, and his dog, the others by detectives and other necessary staff. His first meal was specially ordered but prepared in the regular dining car, and served in a most unregal way on a makeshift table of stacks of suitcases. Consomme´ Filet of Sole Chicken Salad Ice Cream Cheese Coffee
This was a very light and simple meal, although considerable preparation goes into an apparently simple clear soup or consomme´. The broth (of meat or fish) must be laboriously ‘‘clarified’’ with egg whites and careful straining. Tiny unwanted particles that would make the broth cloudy attach to the protein in the egg whites, which are then strained off. A good consomme´ though clear is expected to have a good flavor, so the clear broth must also be concentrated, a process which also results in the slightly gelatinous ‘‘mouth feel’’ that is desirable and is due to the dissolved collagen from the bones. Consomme´s are classified according to their major ingredient (chicken, beef, game, etc.) and the garnish (Madrile`ne—tomato, etc.). Recipes ~~~ Rene´ Roussin was chef de cuisine to the royal household in the 1930s. In 1960 he published a book called Royal Menus in which menus and recipes are interspersed with anecdotes and observations. The following recipes are from this book. Filet de Sole Bonne Femme is a classic way of cooking sole. Filet de Sole Bonne Femme 1 1/2 lb fillets of sole 1 medium shallot 1/2 glass dry, white wine pepper
2 oz. mushrooms 1 very small sprig parsley 1 gill hollandaise sauce salt
Peel the mushrooms and cut them into fine strips. Take a shallow heat-proof dish, grease the inside with clarified butter and line the bottom with the mushrooms. Chop the shallot and parsley. Lightly season the fillets with pepper and salt and lay them on top of the mushrooms. Sprinkle the parsley and shallot on top. Add the wine, cover the dish securely with buttered paper, and put in a medium oven till cooked. Allow about 18 minutes. Now drain off the liquor from the dish, put the dish aside to keep warm, and reduce the liquor in a saucepan on top of the stove, stirring it till it begins to
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December 13
Catering Menu
become thick and sticky. Remove from the heat, stir in the hollandaise and coat the fillets in the dish with this sauce. Slip the dish, uncovered, under a hot salamander or grill just long enough for the surface to become golden brown without the hollandaise being brought to boiling point and spoiled. This means it must be browned quickly under a very sharp heat. Serve at once in the dish in which it has been cooked.
Chicken Salad This hors d’oeuvre is made with the white meat of cold roast or boiled chicken. The flesh must come from young, tender birds but there is no reason why it should not consist of leftovers from a previous meal. 11/2½ tablespoons olive oil 1 dessertspoon wine vinegar 1 tablespoonful finely chopped chervil, parsley, tarragon (equal quantities of each) freshly ground black pepper pinch or two of fine salt, to taste. Serve in a bowl in the centre of a circle of lettuce hearts.
Hollandaise Sauce: see April 14.
December 13 Catering Menu Calcutta, India, 1943 Life for some in wartime India had its compensations, it would appear from the menu offered by a catering company in Calcutta in 1943. This is a menu of indisputably British food and A. Firpo’s customers were presumably British officials and ex-patriats. There is absolutely nothing on this menu that hints at the ‘‘Great Famine of 1943’’ that was underway in Bengal, nor of the severe rationing restrictions that were in place in Britain at the same time. The famine was devastating, perhaps as bad a human calamity as the Irish potato famine of 1845. It was due to a multiplicity of factors—the fall of Burma to the Japanese cut off supplies of rice from that country, and the 1942 domestic rice crop had been devastated by disease, and bad weather. Both producers and consumers (those who could afford to) were trying to stockpile food because of the fear of imminent Japanese invasion, and this contributed to price rises. There is no rice on this menu, but it is ‘‘British,’’ and in the 1940s the most common use for rice in Britain was to make rice pudding. Meat was rationed in Britain at this time, and the range of meat dishes on this menu would have been the stuff of forgotten dreams to the ordinary
December 13
Catering Menu
HAMBURG STEAK AND ONIONS, Rs. 2/LUNCHEON, Rs. 3/— 1 Consomme Frappe 2 Cream Cauliflower 3 Nouilles Chicken Liver Sauce 4 Fried Becty Tartare Sauce 5 Langoustine Mayonnaise 6 Rognons Saute Turbigo 7 Grilled Ham Steak 8 Sausages & Mashed Potatoes COLD MEATS: 9 Roast Fowl & Ham 10 Roast Saddle of Mutton or Roast Lamb 12 Roast Sirloin of Beef 14 Roast Teal or Roast Snipe 17 Melton Mowbray Pie 19 Chicken & Ham Pie
11 Roast Pork
13 Roast Duck
15 Spiced Hump
16 Tongue
18 Steak & Kidney Pie 20 Snipe Pie or Game Pie
21 Bread & Butter Pudding 22 Vanilla Icecream 24 Fruits
23 Strawberry Icecream 25 Coffee
OLD ANGUS SCOTCH WHISKY
MONOPOL WHISKY
MONOPOLE WHISKY GIMLET
RUM COLLIN & GIMLET
Available Every Sunday & Wednesday Only
Available Every Day with Soda
Orange or Lime
Rs. 1/6
Rs. 1/8 Half peg.
Rs. 1/12 Full Peg
Rs. 1/4 per Glass
From 7 p.m.
–/14 Half Peg
Haywards Fine & Dry Gin available daily .
Half
Full
Half
Gin with Water or Soda
–14
1–12
Gin & Gingerale
1–
Keo Dry Gin
13
3–
Gin Lime & Soda
1/4
Rum & Soda
1–2
2–4
Keo Gin Gimlet Or John Collins
2–
Full
3–3
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December 14
Hospital Fare
person. Bread was also rationed and the British housewife was exhorted not to waste a single crumb, but to save them to bulk up dishes such as meatloaf. With all fats, milk, and eggs rationed too, the idea of bread and butter pudding (a favorite British pudding) was a rare or nonexistent treat by this stage of the war. The menu shows the numbering system of ordering common to Asian and Indian menus for English speakers (see March 31, April 25, and July 20). The only dish that is not strictly British and perhaps needs comment is the ‘‘spiced hump.’’ This was buffalo hump, and it appeared regularly on A. Firpo’s menus as well as those of other companies. Buffalo hump was prepared like corned meat (see April 30) or ham, and a journal article of 1807 comments that ‘‘Humps have long been a favorite dish at the splendid entertainments of the great Lords in India’’ (George and Robert Cruikshank, Journal is Spirit of the Public Journals for 1807). Recipes ~~~ Bread and Butter Pudding for 25 people Use 1 1/4 quatern loaf, 3–4 eggs, 1 lb. fruit, mixed (this may be reduced), 2 quarts milk, 1/2 lb margarine, and 1/2 lb. sugar. Butter dishes well, cut bread thinly, butter it, place in layers in dish, sprinkled with fruit, little peel if possible. Heat milk, pour on to beaten eggs and sugar; mix well, then pour onto the bread. Leave for an hour or so to allow the bread to swell. Place dishes in a tin of water and cook in a slow oven till set and brown on top. Serve sprinkled with sugar. This ordinary pudding can be so badly made that full instructions are given here. Naturally it can be made much richer if more eggs are used. ‘‘Cookery for Canteens,’’ The Times, January 17, 1940.
Melton Mowbray Pie: see November 3. Consomme´ Frappe´ is a clear chilled soup.
December 14 Hospital Fare St. Luke’s Hospital, Chicago, Illinois, 1920 The patients resident in St. Luke’s Hospital in Chicago in 1920 had little to complain about in so far as the choice of food was concerned. The menu for the day could have come from a small restaurant or hotel.
December 14
Hospital Fare
BREAKFAST. Fruit. Cream of Wheat
Post Toasties
Little Pork Sausages Apple Pancake Plain Rolls
Jelly
Toast Tea
Coffee
Chocolate
DINNER Consomme Clear Roast Domestic Duck—Dressing Baked Apples Mashed Potatoes Wax Beans in Cream Sliced Tomatoes—Dressing Vanilla Ice Cream Tea
Coffee
Wafers Chocolate
SUPPER Bouillon in Cups Broiled Lamb Chops Escalloped Potatoes Green Peas Pear Sauce
Sugar Cookies Toast
Tea
Coffee
Chocolate
The idea of food as medicine is not new. The ancient Greek Hippocrates of Cos (ca. 460 BCE–ca.370 BCE) who is often referred to as the Father of Medicine, said ‘‘Let food by thy medicine and medicine be thy food.’’ The basic concept has never gone away, but the specific details of dietary advice have changed over the centuries. It is easy to scoff at the idea of humoral medicine (see February 23) nowadays, but modern insistence on evidencebased medicine has not stopped the regular emergence of new gurus with magical food medicine theories. A modern dietitian looking at the above menu would probably approve of the clear soup but balk at the idea of roast duck (very fatty) and cream sauce on the beans for any of us, let alone those confined to bed—particularly since many are there because of ‘‘over-nutrition’’ in the first place. At the time of this hospital menu, dietary ideas were quite different. The author of Food and Health: A Book for the Lay Reader Who Believes that
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Hospital Fare
Health Is What We Make It in 1924 wrote that ‘‘The most nutritious food is that which is (1) laxative in character; (2) the most easily digested; and (3) gives the greatest amount of food substances.’’ Fat was not the enemy it is today. The ‘‘Instructor in Dietetics’’ at the University of Minnesota who wrote the baked apple recipe below wrote this about cream soups: Cream soups are combinations of thin white sauce and strained vegetable pulp. They form a light and easily digested form of food for the sick. The vegetables most suitable for use in cream soups are potatoes, peas, celery, tomatoes, beans, asparagus, corn and spinach. Onions are used for flavoring if desired. Food Values. Cream soups are high in food value. The milk or cream furnishes protein and fat in a digestible form, while the vegetables furnish starch and mineral salts. These soups are not suitable for use at a heavy meal, but for luncheon or extra nourishment between meals.
Recipes ~~~ Baked Apples Select as many good apples of uniform size as may be needed. Wash, pare, and core them. Place them in a granite baking dish, fill the center of each apple with sugar, add a piece of butter on the top of each. Add enough water to cover the bottom of the pan. Bake in a hot oven until soft, basting often with the juice in the pan. Chill and serve plain, with whipped cream or soft custard. Gertrude I. Thomas, The Dietary of Health and Disease: For the Use of Dietitians, Nurses and Instructors in the Sciences that Pertain to Nutrition (1923).
Cream of Wheat Cream of wheat, farina, germea, wheatine: Five cups water to one cup meal. Cook one-half hour. 1. Measure water and put in upper part of double boiler. Put on stove to boil. 2. Add salt, and when boiling, sprinkle in the required amount of meal, stirring all the time to prevent lumps. 3. When thickened, put into the double boiler and cook the required length of time. Do not let the water in the lower part of boiler boil away. 4. Serve with milk or cream.
The author advises: ‘‘Use one teaspoon salt to one quart water. In using prepared cereals, cook them at least twice as long as the time given on the package.’’ The Neighborhood Cook Book/Comp. Under the Auspices of the Portland Section in 1912, Council Of Jewish Women (Portland, Oregon, 1914).
Pear Sauce Pare and then cover with just enough water to cook. Cook until tender and then mash and put through a fine sieve or colander. Sweeten to taste, adding juice of
December 15
Piemontese Society Banquet
one lemon, one tablespoon of either cinnamon or nutmeg to each quart of the pear sauce. This may be used and served with roast duck, chicken, or as a side dish, and in pear shortcake and as a spread for bread and hot cakes. Mrs. Mary A. Wilson, Mrs. Wilson’s Cook Book (1920).
December 15 Piemontese Society Banquet All Hotel Campidoglio, Italy, 1897 It is not clear from the Piemontese Society menu for December 15, 1897, in which city it was held, as there are hotels called Campidoglio (the name means capitol) throughout Italy. It is most likely that this was an expatriate group, living somewhere other than the Piedmont region, wishing to remain in touch with their local heritage. ANTIPASTO Salame, Olive, Proscuitto, Sardine, Grissini. Sauterne ZUPPA Consomme con Crostini Mezo Chianti PESCE Vol au Vent di Ostriche alla Pozzo UMIDI Animelle al Madera Ravioli alla SAN MARZANO Filetto de bue con Piselli ARROSTI Tacchino novello allo JONA—Insalata indivia Frutta assortita—Formaggi assorti Gelato Pezzi alla Napoletana—Caffe
The banquet menu provides a good summary of Italy’s contributions to the world’s culinary heritage, and especially its culinary language. The word ‘‘banquet’’ itself comes from Italian. A ‘‘banquet’’ was originally a separate course of sweetmeats and the like, served after the meal proper, and often in a separate room. The word is derived from banchetto meaning a board, or little table, referring presumably to the sideboard or bench where the treats were spread. The word ‘‘antipasto’’ is now used fairly widely and loosely to mean appetizers or hors d’oeuvre (see January 20). It means, literally, ‘‘before the
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Piemontese Society Banquet
pasta’’—the pasta being historically the staple food and therefore the reference point of the meal. The great flowering of ideas in the Renaissance extended to the culinary sphere, and there was wealth enough amongst the elite families for them to indulge their every whim. The competition was intense to put on the most spectacular banquet, or offer an amazing new dish, and to obtain the services of the finest cooks. One of the amazing dishes of the Italian Renaissance was the flavored ice—the forerunner of modern ice cream, such as the gelato on this menu. It is not for nothing that the Italians have the best reputation in the world for ice cream—they have been making it a long time, and it was no mean feat in the days before refrigeration (see sherbet, April 29). Recipes ~~~ This gelato does not have any milk or cream and is more like a granita or sorbet—showing that the words are used quite randomly at times (see box). Lemon Ice (Gelato di Limone) Granulated sugar, 3/4 lb. Water, a pint. Lemons, three (good sized). Boil the sugar in the water, with some little pieces of lemon peel, for about ten minutes, in an uncovered kettle. When this syrup is cold, squeeze the lemons one at the time, tasting the mixture to regulate the degree of acidity. Then strain and put in the freezer packed with salt and ice. Maria Gentile, The Italian Cook Book: The Art of Eating Well, Practical Recipes of the Italian Cuisine, Pastries, Sweets, Frozen Delicacies, and Syrups (New York, 1919).
Ravioli: see August 20 The Naming of Ices The differences between the various frozen confections depend on the ingredients (with or without dairy, with or without egg whites or whole eggs) and the texture, which is affected by the ingredients, particularly the concentration of sugar (which determines the freezing point of the mixture) and the method of churning during freezing. The words, however, are not used absolutely consistently between regions or cooks. For manufacturing purposes, there are also legal definitions as to the content of the various ices. In general the various types are as follows: Ice cream: Contains dairy—either milk or cream or both. Very rich ice creams also contain eggs, which are used to make a custard base. The most rich custard-based ice creams are called ‘‘French.’’
December 16
Chicago Press Club’s First Annual Banquet
Gelato: Italian ice cream, also with a custard base but with less cream than ‘‘French’’ ice cream. The result is a less rich but more intensely flavored ice cream. Granita: Italian ice made from a simple syrup mixed with a flavoring (fruit purees, chocolate, coffee, etc.). A lower viscosity (lower sugar) syrup is used than in a sorbet, and less mixing or churning is done during the freezing process. The result is coarse, flaky ice crystals and a gritty but more liquid texture (closer to a drink.) A less elegant version is the brilliantly colored ‘slushy’’ drink sold at movie theaters. Semi-freddo: A‘‘semi-frozen’’ Italian ice. The composition (high sugar or other ingredients) means that it never becomes completely solid. Sorbet/sherbet: A smooth-textured non-dairy ice that may contains egg whites and is churned while freezing. (See June 10, April 29.)
December 16 Chicago Press Club’s First Annual Banquet Briggs House, Chicago, Illinois, 1870 The first annual banquet of the Chicago Press club was naturally reported with great pride in the Chicago Tribune, whose editor, Elias Colbert, was president of the club. About 70 members attended the ‘‘most admirable affair.’’ They were ‘‘glad of a chance to rest from their labors, on neutral ground, where they might mingle with each other as they mingled their wine around the social board, and where the rivalry of their profession, and the differences of thought and opinion, were left outside the door.’’ As was expected of the fine venue, the tables were laid with excellent taste, but without elaborate ornamentation, ‘‘as it was not desired.’’ The menu was truly an extraordinary one for only 70 guests. BILL OF FARE. SOUP: Tomato, Oyster. OYSTERS: Stewed, fried, escaloped, raw, oyster patties. ORNAMENTAL DISHES: Boned turkey, with truffles on sockle; fortress of venison, ornamented en Bellevue; Pan de Volaille, decorated a la Fontainbleau; chartreuse of wild duck a la Pompadour; bastion of fat livers in jelly on sockle; breast of partridge decorated on a pedestal; Fillets de Dinde, ornamented in jelly; Westphalian ham, decorated a la Rothschild; chaud froid of pheasant a la Gen d’Arme; nests of quail, stuffed au natural on a pedestal; buffalo tongues decorated a la Parisian; aspic of oysters in a border of jelly; breast of prairie chicken a la Macedonie; mayonnaise of lobster in a border of jelly; chicken salads a la ancient.
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Chicago Press Club’s First Annual Banquet
BOILED: Leg of English mutton, caper sauce; turkey, oyster sauce; capon, egg sauce. ROAST: Baron of beef; saddle of English mutton, with jelly; turkey, cranberry sauce; chicken, stuffed; mongrel goose, apple sauce; ham champagne sauce. ENTREES: Fillets of beef larded, garnished with mushrooms; salmi of ducks, sautee, with olives; breast of partridge, larded, with Perigeux sauce; macaroni en timbale a l’Italienne; breast of prairie chicken, larded a la chevaliere; fricandeau of veal larded, tomato sauce; supreme fillets of chicken, sautee a la financier; shoulder of lamb, stuffed a l’Ketaffette; charlotte of apples a la Francaise; mutton cutlets, broiled, garnished with green peas. GAME: Saddle of venison, with jelly; mallard duck; wild turkey; goose, apple sauce; teal duck; antelope; blue-bill widgeon; wood duck; broiled squirrel; broiled rabbit; buffalo steak broiled, game sauce. VEGETABLES: Mashed potatoes, stewed tomatoes, squash, boiled potatoes, green corn, green peas, rice with cream, cabbage, beets. RELISHES: Worcestershire sauce, chow-chow, celery, Boston pickles, horse-radish, French mustard; walnut catsup; India Soy; tomato catsup; sardines, olives. ORNAMENTAL CONFECTIONARY: Fancy pyramids, Nugat pyramid; horns of plenty. PASTRY: Mince pie, whortleberry pie, cocoanut pie, golden cake, macaroons, lady fingers, delicate cake, French glacees, fancy kisses, champagne jelly, rum jelly, blancmange, Charlotte de Russ, in fancy baskets; vanilla ice cream. DESSERTS: Apples, almonds, raisins, English walnuts, filberts, oranges. FRENCH COFFEE.
Apart from the sheer quantity of food, there was a spectacular range of dishes. There was everything from frontier food such as squirrel and buffalo tongue to the most elegant chaud-froid (see July 25), chartreuse (see November 9), and timbales (see June 12). There were dishes truffled, larded, and jellied and dishes presented in nests, on pedestals, and sur socle. The provenance of some dishes is proudly stated: the mutton was English and the coffee French. The list of game alone would not have shamed the Chicago Grand Pacific Hotel’s famous annual dinner (see November 19). Finally, in case the multiplicity of sauces and flavors was insufficient, there was an impressive list of relishes. Recipes ~~~ Walnut Catsup Take three half sieves of walnut shells put them into a tub, mix them up well with common salt, about a pound and a half. Let them stand six days, frequently beating and washing them; by this time the shells become soft and pulpy; then
December 17
Whittier Banquet
by banking them up on one side of the tub, raising the tub on the same side, the liquor will run clear off to the other; then take that liquor out. The mashing and banking may be repeated as long as any liquor runs. The quantity will be about three quarts. Simmer it in an iron pot as long as any scum rises; then add two ounces of allspice, two ounces of ginger, bruised, one ounce of long pepper, one ounce of cloves, with the above articles; let it boil slowly for half an hour; when bottled, take care that an equal quantity of spice goes into each bottle; let the bottles be quite filled up, cork them tight, and seal them over. Put them into a cool and dry place, for one year before they are used. J. M. Sanderson, The Complete Confectioner, Pastry-Cook, and Baker (1864).
Chaud-Froid: see July 25. Prairie Chicken: see October 16. Chow-Chow: see July 27. Lobster Mayonnaise: see March 31. Charlotte Russe: see September 4.
December 17 Whittier Banquet Hotel Brunswick, Boston, Massachusetts, 1877 One of the most famous banquets in American history took place on December 17, 1877. It was the greatest gathering of literary minds ever to have taken place in the country before or (probably) since, and it attracted a huge amount of attention—and controversy. The banquet was given by the publishers of The Atlantic Monthly to celebrate the seventieth birthday of John Greenleaf Whittier (1807–1892), a famous and enormously respected Quaker poet. It was also the twentieth anniversary year of The Atlantic, and the publishers clearly intended to cement its reputation as the prominent voice of American literature. There were 60 present at the dinner. At the main table with the guest of honor sat Charles Dudley Warner, William D. Howells, Oliver Wendell Holmes, H. O. Houghton, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, and a host of other ‘‘literary fellers’’ sat at other tables in the beautiful dining hall of the new wing of the hotel. It was not the food that made the event famous, or controversial. There was the usual vast amount of very fine but predictable hotel banquet fare, starting with the obligatory oysters and continuing through a range of the usual classic dishes to the fancy sweet items and ‘‘dessert’’ (which referred to the dried fruit and nuts at the very end of the meal). MENU. OYSTERS ON SHELL.
Sauterne
SOUPS. Puree of Tomatoes au Croutons. Consomme Printanier Royal. Sherry
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Whittier Banquet FISH. Boiled Chicken, Halibut a la Navarine. Potatoes a la Hollandaise. Smelts Panne, Sauce Tartar. Chablis REMOVES. Capon a l’Anglaise. Rice. Cauliflower. Saddle of English Mutton a la Pontoise. String Beans. Turnips. CHAMPAGNE. Mumm’s Dry Verzenay, Roederer Imperial. ENTREES. Filet of Beef, larded, Sauce Financiere. Epinards Veloutes. Vol au Vent of Oysters a l’Americaine. Squabs en Compote a la Francaise, Tomatoes. Sautees. Terrapin Stewed, Maryland Style. Sorbet au Kirsh. Claret
GAME. Broiled Partridges on Toast. Canvasback Ducks. Water Cresses, Sweet Potatoes, Dressed Lettuce. Burgundy PASTRY. Charlotte Russe. Gelee au Champagne. Gateaux Varies. Confectionery. Fruit. Dessert. COFFEE.
The banquet provoked two controversies. One was a result of the ‘‘droll speech’’ by Mark Twain (1835–1910) in which he told a story about his ‘‘first and only attempt to travel on his nom de plume,’’ which parodied Emerson, Longfellow, and Holmes. The speech was comical, certainly, and appeared to be well received at the time, according to the press reports the next day. Yet paradoxically it was also immediately obvious that Twain had crossed some sort of line, that his speech was at the least in bad taste, but perhaps a monumental insult to some of America’s finest literary minds and by extension its whole literary culture. Twain remained deeply embarrassed by his words for the rest of his life. The other controversy was that women were not invited. This was the usual practice of the time, it not being deemed proper for ‘‘ladies’’ to dine in public. There were, however, a small number of women who belonged to the press, and the exclusion did not go unnoticed. Women journalists were not strangers to the experience. In 1868 they were refused admittance to a
December 17
Whittier Banquet
banquet being held by the New York Press Club in honor of Charles Dickens —an incident that led to the formation of women-only clubs. Recipes ~~~ Twain listed ‘‘Canvas-back-duck, from Baltimore’’ on his wish list in A Tramp Abroad (see box). Broiled Canvas-Back Duck Pluck, singe, and wipe the duck; split it down the back, and remove the intestines; put it between the bars of a buttered double gridiron, and broil it over a hot fire, leaving the inside turned to the fire for twelve minutes; then turn the skin to the fire just long enough to brown it; season the duck with salt and pepper, and serve it at once. The assertion that canvas-back ducks owe their delicious flavor to the wild celery upon which they feed, is open to question. The writer has eaten ducks killed in the marshes of the great Western lakes, and in the far North-western territories, in localities where there are no beds of wild celery growing; and the flavor of the birds quite equalled that of those bagged at Havre de Grace. The flavor of the birds is best preserved by cooking them quickly by an intense fire, and serving them on very hot plates. The usual garnishes are currant-jelly, fried hominy, or celery. Sometimes a mayonnaise dressing is served with the celery. . . . The ducks should never be overdone. Miss Corson’s Practical American Cookery and Household Management (New York, 1886).
Mark Twain’s Favorite Foods From A Tramp Abroad, 1880. It has now been many months, at the present writing, since I have had a nourishing meal, but I shall soon have one—a modest, private affair, all to myself. I have selected a few dishes, and made out a little bill of fare, which will go home in the steamer that precedes me, and be hot when I arrive—as follows: Radishes. Baked apples, with cream. Fried oysters; stewed oysters. Frogs. American coffee, with real cream. American butter. Fried chicken, Southern style. Porter-house steak. Saratoga potatoes. Broiled chicken, American style. Hot biscuits, Southern style. Hot wheat-bread, Southern style. Hot buckwheat cakes. American toast. Clear maple syrup. Virginia bacon, broiled.
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Whittier Banquet
Blue points, on the half shell. Cherry-stone clams. San Francisco mussels, steamed. Oyster soup. Clam Soup. Philadelphia Terapin soup. Oysters roasted in shell-Northern style. Soft-shell crabs. Connecticut shad. Baltimore perch. Brook trout, from Sierra Nevadas. Lake trout, from Tahoe. Sheep-head and croakers, from New Orleans. Black bass from the Mississippi. American roast beef. Roast turkey, Thanksgiving style. Cranberry sauce. Celery. Roast wild turkey. Woodcock. Canvas-back-duck, from Baltimore. Prairie liens, from Illinois. Missouri partridges, broiled. ’Possum. Coon. Boston bacon and beans. Bacon and greens, Southern style. Hominy. Boiled onions. Turnips. Pumpkin. Squash. Asparagus. Butter beans. Sweet potatoes. Lettuce. Succotash. String beans. Mashed potatoes. Catsup. Boiled potatoes, in their skins. New potatoes, minus the skins. Early rose potatoes, roasted in the ashes, Southern style, served hot. Sliced tomatoes, with sugar or vinegar. Stewed tomatoes. Green corn, cut from the ear and served with butter and pepper. Green corn, on the ear. Hot corn-pone, with chitlings, Southern style. Hot hoe-cake, Southern style. Hot egg-bread, Southern style. Hot light-bread, Southern style. Buttermilk. Iced sweet milk. Apple dumplings, with real cream. Apple pie. Apple fritters. Apple puffs, Southern style. Peach cobbler, Southern style Peach pie. American mince pie. Pumpkin pie. Squash pie. All sorts of American pastry. Fresh American fruits of all sorts, including strawberries which are not to be doled out as if they were jewelry, but in a more liberal way. Ice-water—not prepared in the ineffectual goblet, but in the sincere and capable refrigerator.
December 18
´n Dinner to Honor President Juan Pero
Vol-au-Vent of Oysters Prepare the vol-au-vent as directed. Put one quart of oysters on to boil in their own liquor. As soon as a scum rises, skim it off, and drain the oysters. Return half a pint of the oyster liquor to the sauce-pan. Mix two heaping tablespoonfuls of butter with a scant one of flour, and when light and creamy, gradually turn on it the boiling oyster liquor. Season well with salt, pepper and, if you like, a little nutmeg or mace (it must be only a ‘‘shadow’’). Boil up once, and add three table-spoonfuls of cream and the oysters. Stir over the fire for half a minute. Fill the case, cover, and serve immediately. Miss Parloa’s New Cookbook: A Guide to Marketing and Cooking (New York, ca. 1880).
Charlotte Russe: see September 4. Potatoes Hollandaise: see April 16. Puff paste for vol-au-vents: see September 17. Terrapin Maryland: see June 5.
December 18 ´n Dinner to Honor President Juan Pero Alvear Palace Hotel, Buenos Aires, Argentina, 1948 Members of Congress held a dinner in honor of President General D. Juan Pero´n (1895–1974) and Don ˜ a Maria Eva Duarte de Pero´n (1919–1952) on December 18, 1948, at the exclusive Alvear Palace Hotel. This was a simple meal featuring a number of foods that originated in South America as well as some regional specialties. Sweet potatoes (batatas) are native to South America and were noted by Christopher Columbus MENU ´ a la Ta ´rtara Pejerrey del Parana — Crema de Tomate JEREZ TIO PACO CALVET RESERVA BLANCO VIEJA ABADIA TINTO ˜ A DUC DE ST. REMY CHAMPAN EXTRA SECO VILLAVICENCIO
— Jamo´n al Vino Madera con Espinacas — Pavo asado Batatas doradas Ensalada Primaveral — Higos Alvear Palace — Cafe´
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Horsemeat Banquet
during his fourth voyage (see October 12). They were ‘‘golden’’ or ‘‘gilded’’ at this dinner—perhaps by being roasted to that color, or maybe candied. ´ river, served with the Pejerrey is a fish similar to whiting, from the Parana very old traditional accompaniment of tartar sauce. One slightly odd thing is that this fish is served before the cream of tomato soup, against the usual order of formal dinners. The dish of figs is named for the hotel, and was presumably a signature dish. The beverages list looks French, but is also in fact Argentinian. The Cham˜ a Duc De St. Remy Extra Seco in spite of its name is local, and the Villapan valencio is a mineral water from the Andes. Recipes ~~~ Cream Tomato Soup Put on to stew, one can or six ripe tomatoes, with one medium-sized onion and one small stalk of celery. When all are cooked very soft, rub through a sieve and season to taste with salt and pepper. Heat in a double boiler one pint of sweet milk thickened with two teaspoonfuls of flour, rubbed smooth in a very little cold milk. Cook moderately for ten minutes and add two heaping teaspoons of butter. Add to the tomato one-half teaspoonful of soda (if canned tomatoes are used, they will require a little more soda than fresh tomatoes). Stir well and add the boiling milk. Strain and serve immediately with salted crackers. Be careful to prevent curdling by ceasing to cook as soon as the milk is added. The Times Cook Book, No. 2 (Los Angeles: Times-Mirror Co., 1905).
Tartar Sauce: see December 18. December 19 Horsemeat Banquet London, England, 1867 Britain’s population explosion in the mid-nineteenth century in combination with the absolute beef shortage precipitated by a Europe-wide cattle plague meant that meat was increasingly unaffordable by the poorer classes (who had never been able to afford much anyway). A move to popularize horsemeat as a nutritious and cheap food for the poor had been gathering force in France over the previous few decades and had been sufficiently successful that by the end of 1867 there were 23 licensed horsemeat butchers in Paris. English enthusiasts took up the French idea of a series of Banquets Hippophagiques to publicize the cause. The dinner was described in a letter to The Times signed by a correspondent who signed himself Savarini Discipulus. It was the writer’s first ‘‘unprejudiced hippophagic experience,’’ and the ‘‘subject of the experiment’’ was an 18-year-old pony ‘‘entirely past work’’ who had been ‘‘fattened with
December 19
Horsemeat Banquet
care.’’ The cook was no less than the great Charles Elme´ Francatelli (1805– 1876) who had briefly been chef to Queen Victoria. Consomme´ de Cheval aux Quenelles. Saucisses de Cheval aux Pistaches. Escallopes de Cheval aux Fines Herbes. ` la Polonaise. Emince´e de Cheval a Culotte de Cheval braise´e aux Choux. Filet de Cheval Pique´, Sauce Poivrade. ` l’Huile de Cheval. Mayonnaise d’Homard a
The Times correspondent gave his opinion of each dish: The consomme´ presented a clear amber colour to the eye, to the nose it offered a peculiar odour, recalling a faint, far-away echo of game . . . . The sausage so entirely resembled the common run of continental sausages as to leave a strong mental conviction behind its taste that horseflesh is the normal component of these edible cylinders. . . . Of the escaloppes and emince´e it need merely be said that they gratified the palate and bore testimony to the metamorphous skill which a chef can display in his entre´es. . . . The crucial test was at hand, and the culotte de cheval and filet pique´, exhibiting horseflesh under the simplest culinary conditions, were tasted with that conscientious and analytical care which the first trial of a gastronomic problem so momentously demanded. The meat was extremely tender, somewhat loose in texture, wanting finenes in the grain, and it was a shade darker than beef similarly dressed. It had the same odour which characterised the soup and the same special flavour . . . It is an intervening [flavour] between butcher’s meat [beef] and game.
The knotty philosophical issues that the worthy men at this banquet ‘‘who, by their high social position, could exert a salutary influence on public opinion’’ hoped to address were summed up in a letter to The Times in 1867: the real question is not whether horseflesh is as good as beef, but first, whether, when many are too poor to procure animal food, we are justified in wasting millions of pounds of meat, which, whatever it may resemble, is certainly excellent; next, whether horses would not be more humanely treated if they represented some value in their old age; and lastly, whether it is not the duty of every one to assist in rooting out a national prejudice.
At another Banquet Hippophagique at Langhams Hotel a few months later, on February 6, 1868, there were 29 dishes served. One of the guests was Frank Buckland—a naturalist famous for his willingness to consider anything as food, including on one occasion a recently deceased leopard from the zoo, which he had had disinterred. His comments on the horsemeat dinner are most revealing: I devoutly wished I had the talent of a Hogarth to be able to record the various expressions . . . there seemed to be a dubious and inquisitive cast spread over the features of most who were present . . . A very pleasant party at our end of the table, but the meat simply horrible.
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Horsemeat Banquet
Recipes ~~~ Francatelli simply substituted horsemeat for beef in some of his classic recipes. Pique´ means larded, which is a technique of threading thin strips of fat bacon through the meat to tenderize and flavor it. The following recipes are taken from Francatelli’s book The Cook’s Guide, published in 1867.
Filet of Beef Larded Procure a piece of fillet of beef, such as might be removed for the purpose from a piece of sirloin which would serve very well the next day for roasting, and with a sharp knife pare off the sinewy covering of the fillet, and lard the smooth surface with small shreds of fat bacon an inch and a quarter long, and about the sixteenth part of an inch square; these are to be inserted in straight rows, across the fillet, and arranged so that each row dovetails into the other, thus forming a correct series of rows representing raised basket-work. The fillet should now be placed in the braizing-pan upon its drainer, garnished with the trimmings, carrot, celery, garnished bouquet, two onions with three cloves in each, a blade of mace, and a good spoonful of salt, moistened with sufficient stock or water to just barely reach up to the commencement of the larding, and set to braize, either in a brisk oven or over a slow fire with live embers on the lid of the pan; it will take about two hours’ very gentle stewing to cook it quite mellow and tender. When the fillet is done, remove it on to a dish, and set it in the oven to dry the larding; glaze it over and dish it up. Strain the liquor, free it from grease, clarify and reduce it to half-glaze, to be served as a sauce; or else incorporate it with any sauce fitted for braized meats; garnish the fillet round the base with potatoes cut in the form of walnuts or large olives, and fried in butter, alternately placed with groups of green peas, cauliflower, French beans, or else with a Jardiniere, or Macedoine of vegetables; pour the sauce round, and serve.
Poivrade Sauce Cut up into very small square pieces an ounce of lean ham or bacon, the same quantities of carrot, celery, and onion, a bay-leaf and thyme, twenty peppercorns, and a bit of mace; Fry these ingredients in a small stewpan, with a piece of butter the size of a walnut, until the whole becomes well browned; add a wineglass of vinegar and half that quantity of mushroom catsup, and a teaspoonful of anchovy; and when this has boiled down to half its original quantity, then add about half a pint of brown sauce, a few spoonfuls of good stock, and a wineglassful of sherry; Let the sauce boil gently by the side of the fire, to throw up the grease, &c, which having been removed, strain through a sieve or strainer into a small stewpan for use.
December 20
Heinz Company 50th Anniversary Dinner
December 20 Heinz Company 50th Anniversary Dinner Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 1919 In 1919, the board of directors of the H. J. Heinz Company gave a banquet for their employees to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the founding of the company. The founder of the company, Henry J. Heinz (1844–1919), had died earlier in the year, and his son Howard Heinz was the host for the evening. In addition to listing the food, the menu gave a brief summary of the progress achieved in the first 50 years of the company, and the employee count was given as 6,523 (plus 100,000 ‘‘Harvesters of the Crops we use’’), so presumably only a select number of these were invited to the celebration. Not surprisingly, a number of Heinz products was featured at the dinner. Heinz Cream of Tomato Soup Sweet Pickles Olives Pascal Celery Salted Pecans Salted Almonds Roast Spring Chicken Green Peas Candied Sweet Potatoes Hearts of Lettuce Cheese Straws Heinz Salad Dressing Neapolitan Ice Cream Coffee Cakes Dinner Mints Assorted Fruits
The success of the Heinz Company brand has been phenomenal. The first product in 1869 was simply horseradish bottled in clear glass jars, and the company went on to produce many iconic brands—far more than the ‘‘57 Varieties’’ of its famous slogan. The tomato soup (introduced in the 1870s) which is featured on this menu is perhaps its most famous product. It was promoted as an upmarket soup so good that it could be served at a dinner party and the hostess could be confident that ‘‘her guests couldn’t believe it.’’ It was good enough even for the famous and luxurious Raffles Hotel in Singapore to specifically list it on a menu in 1910. In 2003, the BBC television show The Nation’s Favorite Food listed it at number 7 in the list of Britain’s all time favorites. Origin of the ‘‘57 Varieties’’ Slogan Mr. Heinz, while in an elevated railroad train in New York, saw among the caradvertising cards one about shoes with the expression ‘‘21 Styles.’’ It set him to thinking, and as he told it, ‘‘I said to myself, ‘we do not have styles of products, but we do have varieties of products.’ Counting up how many we had, I counted well beyond 57, but ‘57’ kept coming back into my mind. ‘Seven, seven’—there are so many illustrations of the psychological influence of that figure and of its
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Heinz Company 50th Anniversary Dinner
alluring significance to people of all ages and races that ‘58 Varieties’ or ‘59 Varieties’ did not appeal at all to me as being equally strong.’’ E. D. McCafferty, Henry J. Heinz: A Biography (1923).
Recipes ~~~ Candied Sweet Potatoes Boil medium potatoes of even size, till a fork will pierce—steaming is better though a bit more trouble—throw in cold water for a minute, peel, and brush over with soft butter, then lay separately in a wide skillet, with an inch of very rich syrup over the bottom and set over slow fire. Turn the potatoes often in the syrup, letting it coat all sides. Keep turning them until candied and a little brown. If wanted very rich put butter and lemon juice in the syrup when making it. Blade mace also flavors it very well. Martha McCulloch-Williams, Dishes & Beverages of the Old South (New York, 1913).
‘‘A rich syrup’’ is made from three cups sugar, one cup water.
Neapolitan Ice Cream Neapolitan or harlequin ice cream is made by packing the mould with layers of various colored creams after they are frozen; usually vanilla, pistache, and strawberry creams are used.
Vanilla Ice-Cream A good vanilla ice-cream is made from cream over-sweetened, and flavoured with powdered vanilla bean; when it is half frozen, the white of an egg, beaten to a stiff froth, is stirred thoroughly into it, and the freezing is completed.
Pistache ice-cream Pistache ice-cream is made by adding about two ounces of blanched pistache nuts to a quart of good ice-cream; the nuts are shelled, boiling water is poured over the kernels, and the skins rubbed off with a wet towel; the nuts are then pounded to a smooth paste in a mortar, a few drops of rosewater being added to prevent oiling, and colored with spinach green, a harmless vegetable coloring sold by dealers in confectioners’ supplies. Miss Corson’s Practical American Cookery (1886).
Salted Almonds: see April 3.
December 21
‘‘Pease and Pork Dinner’’
December 21 ‘‘Pease and Pork Dinner’’ Livery House, Bristol, England, 1911 St. Thomas’s Day (December 21) is a traditional day to be particularly charitable to the poor, as the saint himself was, according to the standard story. St. Thomas was supposedly give money to build a palace in India, but he gave it to the poor instead and went to jail for his generosity. In many parts of England it was a variously called ‘‘doleing day,’’ ‘‘corning day,’’ or ‘‘mumping’’ (begging) day, because the less fortunate could ‘‘go a gooding’’ (ask for charity) and not be expected to be refused. In 1551, St. Thomas’s Day was the birthday of Thomas White in Bristol, England. He took the responsibilities implicit in his name seriously, it seems, and went to Oxford University, entered the Church, and eventually founded Temple Hospital in 1613. A ‘‘hospital’’ in the early-seventeenth century was not a place of medical assistance as it is today, it had a more general brief to assist the poor. White’s original Almshouse had ten dwellings and was for ‘‘the finding, sustenation and relief of poor and needy people.’’ He ordered that every St. Thomas’s Day, according to the Bristol Times, the governors should assemble, listen to any complaints, and ‘‘read the rules to the assembled poor, so that they may understand what to do in their places.’’ After the poor were reminded of their obligations, the governors, mayor, and guests attended a pease and pork dinner, for which White allowed 40 shillings. The poor were to receive the leftovers from the dinner. Almost 300 years later the tradition was still alive, and the dinner virtually unchanged. Two boiled legs of pork, two bellies of pork, 106lb of Baron beef, a loin of veal weighing 30lb, two pease puddings, sea-kale and brussels sprouts, baked and boiled potatoes and an apple tart made from 99 apples and one quince.
Recipes ~~~ Pease pudding was a traditional accompaniment to pork in many parts of England. It was not necessary to specify ‘‘pickled’’ (brined) pork—this was understood, as the following observations show. Obs.: In this country, boiled pork is never presented without its satellite, pease pudding; and as much of its goodness depends upon the nature of the pease, care should be taken that they be of the melting sort, and whole in preference to being split. It is a good practice to steep the pease in cold water for an hour, before the boiling.
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December 22
First Celebration of Forefathers’ Day Dinner Pease Pudding
Take any quantity of yellow split pease, and after washing them put them in a cloth so loose as to allow the pease to swell, and after boiling about four hours, beat them quite smooth, adding to them a lump of butter and some salt. Put the pease when quite smooth into a cloth tied so tight as to prevent the entrance of any water, and after boiling about half an hour, the pudding may be turned out and sent to table. Obs.: If the pease be of the melting sort this will prove a most excellent pudding. After beating quite smooth, the pease will swell no more, so care must be taken to tie the cloth very tight. Alexander Hunter, Culina Famulatrix Medicinæ: Or, Receipts in Modern Cookery (1810).
To Boil a Leg of Pork Lay a leg which has been ten days in salt, half an hour in cold water; then put it on the fire; allow fifteen minutes for every pound, and thirty over from the time that it boils up: take the scum off frequently. Observe, to have your meat look well, it should be boiled in a cloth; when enough, serve with pease pudding. Elizabeth Hammond, Modern Domestic Cookery, and Useful Receipt Book (1819).
December 22 First Celebration of Forefathers’ Day Dinner Old Colony Club of Plymouth, Massachusetts, 1769 The founding members of the Old Colony Club got the date wrong when they decided to celebrate the anniversary of the colony, but they made no error with their dinner. It was unequivocally symbolic of the natural bounty of their homeland, its native people, and—the food being dressed ‘‘in the plainest manner’’—of their own Puritan ancestors. A large baked Indian Whortleberry Pudding A dish of Souquetash A dish of Clamms A dish of Oysters and a dish of Codfish A haunch of venison roasted by the first jack bro’t to the Colony A dish of seafowl A ditto of frost fish and Eeels An apple Pye A course of Cranberry Tarts and Cheese made in the Old Colony
The Old Colony Club was formed in Plymouth in January 1769 by seven gentlemen who wished to avoid ‘‘the many disadvantages and inconveniences that arise from intermixing with the company at the taverns in this
December 22
First Celebration of Forefathers’ Day Dinner
town at Plymouth.’’ On December 22 of the same year, they celebrated the anniversary of the foundation of the colony in 1620—the same event that is now accepted to have occurred on December 21, but that the original settlers knew with the certainty afforded by their own calendars was December 11. The error was not discovered until 1850, long after this first incarnation of the club was defunct. That it took so long reflects the long and complex evolution of the calendar—the tool by which humans attempt to synchronize their civil life with celestial and seasonal events. The problem arose because the human calendar year was slightly shorter than the solar year, and over time they became increasingly out of sync. Revisions of the calendar were instigated by Julius Caesar in 45 BCE and again in 1581 by Pope Gregory XIII. The Gregorian changes were taken up at various times by different countries, the staunchly anti-Popish Britain hanging out until 1752, by which time the discrepancy was eleven days. The Forefathers’ Club failed to realize that in 1620 the discrepancy only amounted to ten days—and no body noticed the error for almost a century. The new colonists of 1620 initially attempted to farm the familiar foods of their homeland, but the country was not ideal for wheat—the staple ‘‘corn’’ of their own native land—and they would have starved but for the assistance of the local Indians who gave them maize and taught them how to grow it. Maize does not make good bread because it does not contain gluten, the protein that gives bread its structure. It does, however, make a fine version of the other staple of peasants—the thick porridge called hasty pudding which can be varied or enriched in an almost infinite number of ways. Made with the ‘‘Indian corn’’ this was the Indian pudding of the menu, embellished in this case with local whortleberries. The remainder of the menu is an ode to the food of New England—plenty of seafood and apples, and another Indian staple called succotash. Again, it is an infinitely variable recipe, but the obligatory ingredients are corn and beans. The name comes from the Algonquian (Narragansett) word msı´ckquatash, which refers to boiled whole-kernel corn. Recipes ~~~ The following recipe is from the first American cookbook: the author gives three variations. A Tasty Indian Pudding 3 pints scalded milk, 7 spoons fine Indian Meal, stir well together while hot, let stand till cooled; add 4 eggs, half pound raisins,
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December 23
Noble Family’s Dinner 4 ounces butter, spice and sugar, bake four hours.
Amelia Simmons, American Cookery (1796).
Cranberry Tart Stewed, strained and sweetened, put into paste No. 9, add spices till grateful, and baked gently. Frank Hamilton Cushing, Zuni Breadstuff (1920).
Royal Paste Rub half a pound of butter into one pound of flour, four whites beaten to a foam, two ounces fine sugar; roll often, rubbing one third and rolling two thirds of butter is best; excellent for tarts. Frank Hamilton Cushing, Zuni Breadstuff (1920).
Succotash: see August 28. Codfish, to dress: see March 11.
December 23 Noble Family’s Dinner Aldersgate Street, London, England, 1626 Sir Edward Dering (1598–1644) was an antiquarian, politician, and peer of the realm. He owed his baronetcy to his new mother-in-law, the wellconnected widow, Elizabeth Ashburton. Elizabeth married her second husband, Sir Thomas Richardson, chief justice of the Court of Common Pleas, on December 14, 1626, and a little over a week later Sir Edward entertained the family at his home. He noted details of the dinner and the bill of fare in his account book. ‘‘A Dinner att London, made when my Lady Richardson, my sister Elizabeth Ashbornham, and Kate Ashbornham,—my brother John Ashbornham, my cosen Walldron and her sister, and S’r John Skeffington, were with me att Aldersgate streete, December 23, 1626. My sister Frances Ashbornham and cosen Mary Hill did fayle of coming.
The dinner was at y’e first course— A peece of Brawne. a boiled ducke in white broathe. a boiled haunch of powdered venison. 2 minct pyes.
December 23
Noble Family’s Dinner
a boyled legge of mutton. a venison pasty. a roast ducke. a powdered goose roasted. a breast of veale. a cold Capon py. Second course— a couple of rabbitts. 3 plovers. 12 larks. 4 snikes. pickled oysters—2 dishes. a cold warden py. a joull of Sturgeon. Complement— Apples and Carrawayes. wardens bakt and cold. A Cake and Cheese. A banquett ready in y’e next room.
This was a typical seventeenth-century dinner: two courses with a mixture of dishes, tending to be lighter and finer dishes such as small game birds in the second course, but with sweet and savory dishes in both. The ‘‘banquett’’ at this time was the name for the final course of the meal, the course which developed into our modern dessert course (see March 9). The banquet was usually taken in another room, while the servants cleared the main dining table, and it consisted of a variety of sweetmeats, fruits, comfits, and wafers (see table). ‘‘Wardens’’ were a type of cooking pear and were very popular in pies because they could be preserved that way for considerable periods of time.
The Names of All Thinges Necessary for a Banquet. Suger
Sinamon
Liquorice
Pepper
Nutmegs
All kindes of
Saffron
Saunders
Comfets
Anniseeds
Coliander
Orenges
Pomegranet
Lemmons
Damaske water
Tornesell
Rosewater
Dates
Prunes
Raysins
Cherryes conserved
Currans
Rye flower
Sweet Orenges
Barberries conserved
Ginger
Wafers
Pepper white and brown.
Cloves and Mace
Thomas Dawson, A Booke of Cookerie (1620).
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December 24
Englishmen’s Dinner
Recipes ~~~ To Bake a Quince or a Warden Pie so as the Fruit May Be Redde, and the Crust Pale and Tender Pare faire Quinces or Wardens and set them into an earthen pane with the crownes upward, put to them a little Claret-wine and a graine of Muske or more, according to the quantity of the fruit, put in a little Sugar, cover them close with a sheete of Paste, set them into a Bakers Oven with wheaten bread, but not household bread: when they have stood three of foure houres in the Oven they will be very red and tender, then you may keep them a weeke or more for use: when you have occasion to make your Pie, take of butter and the yolkes of Egges, and make short Paste, and raise a Coffin fit for your stuffe, one by another, put in whole Cloves, and a little whole Sinamon, poure in some sirrup from their former baking, or if you want it, then put in Claret-wine, and some more Sugar, set them in an Oven as hot as for Pies, and in one houre they will be bakte, and your fruit orient red: Remember before your first baking, that you coare your Quinces. John Murrell, Murrels Two Books of Cookerie and Carving (1638).
Brawn: see April 28. Mince Pies: see January 9. Ducke in White Broathe (broth): this would have been prepared in the same manner as the Capon in White Broth in the recipe given on September 13. December 24 Englishmen’s Dinner Queen’s Hotel, Dundee, Scotland, 1885 The Queen’s Hotel in the center of the town of Dundee was built in 1878 in the best Victorian style and was a prestigious establishment from the first day. It is likely that many of its guests were English folk on tours of Scotland, or perhaps English businessmen, and undoubtedly, as fine hotels do, the Queen’s Hotel staff worked hard to make their guests feel at home. Nevertheless, it seems a little above and beyond the call of hospitality duty to provide an ‘‘Englishmen’s Dinner,’’ as the hotel did on Christmas Eve, 1885. SOUPS. ... Brunoise FISH. Codfish, Hollandaise Sauce. Fillets of Whiting. JOINTS. Sirloin of Beef. Roast Goose and Apple Sauce.
December 24
Englishmen’s Dinner
Veal and Ham Pie. Boiled Turkey, Oyster Sauce. Tongue. Spiced Round of Beef. Yorkshire Pudding. Spinach. Brussels Sprouts. Duchesse Potatoes. SWEETS. Plum Pudding. Mince Pies. Apple Tarts. Custard Jellies. Creams. Chartreuse of Fruit. DESSERT.
This was certainly a very English dinner. Any late-nineteenth century Englishman worthy of his birthright would have been very happy to sit down to this groaning table. There is a great deal of meat, as an Englishman would have expected at any decent dinner, not just at Christmas. The ‘‘Roast Beef of Old England’’ is represented in the form of a sirloin, the cut of beef that legend says got its name when the King (variously said to be Henry VIII, James I, or Charles I), being delighted with a particularly fine example, taking his sword and knighting it on the spot. The sirloin, however, was never ‘‘Sir Loin’’ but got its name from its position on the beast—sur longe, that is ‘‘above the loin.’’ The traditional accompaniment to roast beef in England is Yorkshire Pudding—a dish that is baffling to many without personal connections to England. It is simply one variation of the old theme of a starchy ‘‘filler’’ to make the meat go further. In this case it is a batter, which in the old days was cooked in a dish placed under the roasting meat as it turned on the spit in front of the fire. Today it is usually baked in a hot roasting pan containing some of the fat from the already roasted (actually, baked) meat. In other areas the starchy filler might be polenta, or hominy, or dumplings. In the case of boiled meat, an old English saying was ‘‘no broth, no ball, no ball, no meat,’’ meaning that if one did not have some of the broth, one was not allowed the ‘‘ball’’ (dumpling), and if one did not have the ball, one was not allowed any meat. If one did have broth and ball of course then one would eat less meat, which was the whole idea. Recipes ~~~ Recipe books always lag behind actual culinary practice, and everyday items that every cook would be expected to know how to make were often not thought necessary to include. The first known written recipe for Yorkshire pudding dates from 1747, but it was certainly made for a very long time before this. It appeared in The Art of Cookery, Made Plain and Easy; Which Far Exceeds Any Thing of the Kind Ever Yet Published, by Hannah Glasse.
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December 25
Queen Victoria’s Christmas Dinner
The same batter baked in small individual tins makes what are sometimes now called ‘‘popovers.’’ A Yorkshire Pudding Take a Quart of Milk, four Eggs, and a little Salt. Make it up into a thick Batter with Flour, like a Pancake Batter. You must have a good Piece of Meat at the Fire, take a Stew-Pan and put some Dripping in, set it on the Fire, when it boils, pour in your Pudding, let it bake on the Fire till you think it is nigh enough, then turn a Plate upside-down in the Dripping-pan that the Dripping may not be blackened; set your Stew-pan on it under your Meat, and let the Dripping drip on the Pudding and the Heat of the Fire come to it, to make it of a fine brown. When your Meat is done and set to Table, drain all the Fat from your Pudding, and set it on the Fire again to dry a little; then slide it as dry as you can into a Dish, melt some butter, and pour into a Cup, and set it into the Middle of the Pudding. It is an exceedingly good Pudding, the Gravy of the Meat eats well with it.
Duchesse Potatoes: see July 11. Hollandaise Sauce: see April 14.
December 25 Queen Victoria’s Christmas Dinner Windsor Castle, London, England, 1899 Queen Victoria usually spent Christmas at what she considered her family home at Osborne on the Isle of Wight. In 1899, a year before her death, she was at Windsor. The Christmas dinner menu was virtually indistinguishable from every other one that had preceded it. POTAGES. ` la Monaco. Cousomme´ a
Du Berry
POISSONS. ` la Vassant. Filet de Sole a Eperlans frits, sauce Verneuil. ´ ENTREE ˆtelettes de Volaille a ` la York. Co ´S RELEVE ` la Chipolata. Dinde a Roast Beef. Chine of Pork. ˆ TS. ENTREME Asperges, sauce Hollandaise. Mince Pies. Plum Pudding. ` l’Anglaise. Gele´e d’Orange a
December 25
Queen Victoria’s Christmas Dinner
BUFFET. Baron of Beef. Boar’s Head. Game Pie. Woodcock Pie. Brawn. Roast Fowl. Tongue.
Many of the elements of today’s traditional Christmas customs are nineteenthcentury inventions. Many are specifically attributable to Queen Victoria and Prince Albert (with their German heritage), and author Charles Dickens, on account of his Christmas Carol. Although the tree was a focus of all sorts of pagan celebrations—particularly the evergreen tree in association with the northern winter solstice, the idea of bringing a tree into the house Boar’s head on platter. and decorating it at Christmas has its roots in German tradition. Prince Albert established the custom in the royal household, the rest of the population followed, and a tradition was born almost instantly. As far as the traditional foods are concerned, plum puddings and mince pies (and their precursor, the enriched form of the everyday staple called frumenty, see February 23) were a medieval staple at sorts of special occasions. Over time they became less important, and eventually they remained only at Christmas. No Christmas table would be considered complete today without a turkey, but it only became a ‘‘traditional’’ Christmas essential during the nineteenth century; before that it was far more likely for diners to eat goose. There are almost two menus here. The first part, set out in French, as British royal menus still are, and the second part, under the heading of ‘‘buffet.’’ This buffet—the dishes listed in English—is a mini-medieval feast all on its own. Many of the elements of a medieval dinner are here, including the boar’s head (see January 4), brawn (see April 23), the raised pies, and the massive baron of beef from the Queen’s own estates
Recipes ~~~ The Woodcock Pie that always graced the buffet table at Queen Victoria’s Christmas dinner was a traditional gift from the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. It contained a hundred birds. Here is a chatty description of the pie from Cakes and Ale; A Dissertation of Banquets, Interspersed with Various
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December 26
Elegant Dinner
Recipes, More or Less Original, and Anecdotes, Mainly Veracious (1913), by Edward Spencer. A Woodcock Pie [This] will be found extremely palatable at any shooting luncheon, although more frequently to be met with on the sideboards of the great and wealthy. In fact, at Christmas time, ’tis a pie which is specially concocted in the royal kitchen at Windsor Castle, to adorn Her Most Gracious Majesty’s board at Osborne, together with the time-honoured baron of specially fed beef. This last named joint hardly meets my views as part of a breakfast menu; but here is the recipe for the woodcock pie. Bone four woodcocks I don’t mean take them off the hooks when the gentleman is not in his shop, but tell your cook to take the bones out of one you’ve shot yourself put bones and trimmings into a saucepan with one shallot, one small onion, and a sprig of thyme, cover them with some good stock, and let this gravy simmer awhile. Take the gizzards away from the heart and liver, pound, and mix these with some good veal forcemeat. Place the woodcocks, skin downwards, on a board ; spread over each two layers of forcemeat, with a layer of sliced truffles in between the two. Make your crust, either in a mould, or with the hands, put a layer of forcemeat at the bottom, then two woodcocks, then a layer of truffles, then the other two woodcocks, another layer of truffles, and a top layer of forcemeat, and some thin slices of fat bacon. Cover the pie, leaving a hole for the gravy, and bake in a moderate oven. After taking out pour in the gravy, then close the orifice and let the pie get cold before serving. N.B. It will stimulate the digging industry if one or two whole truffles have been hidden away in the recesses of the pie.
Hollandaise Sauce: see April 14. Brawn: see April 28.
December 26 Elegant Dinner Empire Hotel, Bath, England, 1907 The town of Bath in Somerset, England, is the site of the most famous geothermal (hot water) springs in the country. Visitors have flocked to the area for millennia to enjoy the natural hot water, but its popularity and fortune have fluctuated over time. The first to exploit the site were the Romans, who built a temple and baths there in about 60–70 AD. Bath had its heyday in the Georgian era, as readers of Jane Austen’s novels know. The town then slipped into a slight decline, but its fortunes were revived again in the late-nineteenth century when the remains of the old Roman baths were excavated. The Empire Hotel was built in 1901 to take advantage of the new wave of interest, and it was a fine venue indeed. There are no details of the event for which this dinner was held on Boxing Day, the day after Christmas, 1907; it appears to be a regular hotel dinner.
December 26
Elegant Dinner
` la Russe. Bortsh a — Filet de Sole au Fines Herbes. — Roast Turkey with Bacon and Sausages. — Roast Beef and Yorkshire Pudding. Spinach and Brussels Sprouts. Mashed, Baked, and Boiled Potatoes. — Apple Tart. Plum Pudding. Mince Pies. Stewed Fruits. — Buffet. Petits Aspic de Crevettes. Mousse de Foie Gras en Mosaic. ` la Rouenaise. Caneton a Pate´ de Veau et Jambon. Pate´ de Pigeon. Hare de Sanglier Truffe´e. Pate´ de Be´casse Mode`rne. Poulet, Faisan et Dindonneaux au Cresson. Filets de Bœuf Bouquetie`re en Gele´e. ` l’Ecarlatte. Langue de Bœuf a Jambon d’York en Gele´e. Bœuf Presse´. Quartier d’Agneaux, Sauce Menthe. ˆtes de Bœuf au Raiforts. Co — Salades. Tomates.
Celeries.
Pommes de Terre.
Concombres — Entremets: ` la Dantzig. Gele´e a
Gateaux Richelieu. Suedoise de Fruits. Piece Monte´e.
Caterers and hotel managers did not seem to appreciate the incongruities that seem to stand out today on this menu. There is no consistency in the language (French or English) in which specific dishes are named or in their place on the menu. The arrangement of the dishes at the Empire Hotel seems to be reversed in comparison with Queen Victoria’s Christmas dinner (see
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December 26
Elegant Dinner
December 25) in 1899. The buffet consists of a mix of French ‘‘made’’ dishes and plain English roasts with their traditional sauces (beef with horseradish, lamb with mint). These very English-style roasts have French names when they appear in the ‘‘buffet’’ section but are in plain English at the top of the menu. It seems particularly incongruous that the unequivocally English York ham should be called Jambon de York. The hotel obviously attempted to keep up with food fashions—and there have always been fashions in food. The ‘‘borsht’’ or ‘‘Russian’’ beetroot soup became quite the latest thing at this time. There are many, many variations of this simple peasant soup, some hot, some chilled. The original borsht may not necessarily have included beetroot—the Russian vegetable called borshch is a plant of the carrot family, similar to a parsnip. One traveler in Russia, according to Pierce Balthasar Campenhausen in his Travels through Several Provinces of the Russian Empire (1808) said, ‘‘They have a kind of soup, however, which is made of groats and vegetables, of which they are very fond: this soup is rather sour, and is called borsch, from the name of the carrot which is boiled in it.’’ At the other end of the scale from a peasant-inspired soup is the sue´doise— an elaborate mode of preparing dishes of fruit ‘‘fruit according to the highest arts of confectionery.’’ As with many culinary terms, it was not used consistently, but generally it referred to a highly decorative pyramid of fruit, as the recipe here shows. Recipes ~~~ Borsht Take some red beetroots, wash thoroughly and peel, and then boil in a moderate quantity of water from two to three hours over a slow fire, by which time a strong red liquor should have been obtained. Strain off the liquor, adding lemon juice, sugar, and salt to taste, and when it has cooled a little, stir in sufficient yolks of eggs to slightly thicken it. May be used either cold or hot. In the latter case a little home-made beef stock may be added to the beet soup. If after straining off the soup the remaining beetroot is not too much boiled away, it may be chopped fine with a little onion, vinegar and dripping, flavored with pepper and salt, and used as a vegetable. Florence Greenbaum, International Jewish Cook Book (1919).
´ doise of Apples Sue Make a marmalade of apples as compact as possible. Then take small pieces of apples cut into corks, and of different colours. To dye them you need only dilute with syrup a little carmine or saffron, and boil them once. Next let the apples cool in the syrup, that the colour may spread equally over them. When you dish the sue´doise, first spread some marmalade over the middle of the dish, and arrange the apple corks symmetrically, viz.. one white, one red, one yellow,
December 27
Blackhawk Restaurant
and so on. As the ros ascend, make the next always narrowere, and decorate the top with cherries of a pink hue, greengages, angelica, &c. Have some apple jelly, with which cover the sue´doise, and put it into ice to cool. When the sue´doise is decorated in an agreeable form, use some jelly for garnishing, and place it gently over and round the sue´doise. The jelly must be of a sufficient substance not to run down the fruit. Louis Eustache Ude, The French Cook (1829).
Dantzig Jelly: see December 12. Yorkshire Pudding: see December 24.
December 27 Blackhawk Restaurant Chicago, 1920 Prohibition became law on January 16, 1920, and it proved to be the deathknell for many restaurants and clubs. It was a brave act on the part of the entrepreneur Don Roth to open a new venue the same year. Roth had many contacts in the music and theatre business, and he decided that music would be the main attraction. The Blackhawk Restaurant on 139 N. Wabash became famous for its jazz and big band music. As big band music became less of a drawcard, Roth determined that ‘‘Food’s the Show.’’ His stars were a rolling beef cart, a 15-shrimp cocktail, and the famous ‘‘spinning salad bowl’’ in which a patron’s salad (with its secret-recipe dressing) was prepared table-side, with great theatricality. That was all a long time away when the restaurant opened its doors on December 27, 1920, with the following menu. TID BITS — Celery Olives Almonds — Green Turtle, Blackhawk — Lobster, Thermidor Julienne Potatoes — Supreme of Chicken, Florida — Romaine and Chicory Roquefort Cheese Dressing — Chocolate Parfait Assorted Cakes — Demi Tasse
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December 27
Blackhawk Restaurant
The Blackhawk’s list of beverages was reasonably long. There were a number of brand-name bottled waters, fruit cups, and lemonades as well as what appeared to be several beers, such as Budweiser. These were the allowable ‘‘near beers,’’ containing one half of one percent or less by volume of alcohol, sold as ‘‘cereal beverages.’’ Like other establishments that found creative ways to flout Prohibition or at least avoid getting caught (see December 6), the Blackhawk managed to serve alcohol. There were a number of ‘‘highballs,’’ and ‘‘cocktails.’’ It is ironic that the 1920s, the age of Prohibition, was also the Cocktail era. Many classic alcoholic cocktails were invented during this time, and it is said that one of the motivating factors was that their bright colors and fruity garnishes made them look like soft drinks and fruit cups. For nostalgia reasons, or perhaps to enhance the illusion, the Blackhawk’s cocktails certainly sounded authentic. There was a Blackhawk Rickey for example, and a horse’s neck. The Horse’s Neck began as a nonalcoholic drink. Originally it was just ginger ale with the long, curly peel of an entire lemon hanging over the edge of the glass, giving the drink its name. Later, bourbon was added, in which case it was sometimes called a ‘‘Horse’s Neck, with a kick.’’ Recipes ~~~ Roquefort Dressing One-half teaspoon of salt, One-half teaspoon of paprika, One tablespoon of Roquefort cheese, One tablespoon of lemon juice, Two tablespoons of salad oil. Mix smooth and serve. Mrs. Wilson’s Cook Book (Philadelphia, 1920).
Chocolate Parafait Place in a mixing bowl White of one egg, One-half glass of apple jelly. Beat until the mixture holds its shape and then fold in one cup of whipped cream and then prepared chocolate. Pour into a mould and pack with ice and salt for two and one-half hours. To prepare the chocolate: Place one cup of sugar in a saucepan and add five tablespoons of water. Heat slowly to the boiling point, and then boil for one minute, then add two ounces of chocolate, cut in tine pieces. Stir until the chocolate is melted, taking care that the mixture does not boil, then add One-quarter teaspoon of cinnamon, One teaspoon of vanilla. Beat to mix. Cool, and add to the prepared cream. Mrs. Wilson’s Cook Book (Philadelphia, 1920).
December 28
Queen Victoria Diamond Jubilee Ball
December 28 Queen Victoria Diamond Jubilee Ball Toronto City Armouries, Toronto, Canada, 1897 There was an opportunity—an obligation perhaps—for Queen Victoria’s subjects in the Dominion of Canada to celebrate her Diamond Jubilee in 1897. The governor general of Canada at the time was Lord Aberdeen (1847– 1934), and the role of social director fell, as was traditional, to his wife, Lady Aberdeen (1857–1939). She clearly enjoyed this part of her responsibilities and organized a magnificent ball at which Her Majesty’s citizens in Toronto (the well-to-do ones, that is) were thoroughly entertained while simultaneously being reminded of the bonds of Empire. Two and a half thousand guests attended the ball—no insignificant number for the caterers of the ball supper which was served close to midnight. According to The Globe newspaper report, they did a creditable job with the following menu. BILL OF FARE CHAUD Bouillon Petits salpicons de venaison FROID Galantine a l’Imperatrice Dindonneau roti Aspic de langue Jambon Mayonnaise de volaille Cailles roties aux tomates ENTREMETS DE DOUCEUR Baba a la Parisienne Charlotte Russe Gelee en bellevue Gateaux varies Glace Neapolitaine Petits fours Bonbons Fruits glaces Cafe´
There was nothing special or fancy about this ball supper menu—it was standard for the time—and the sophisticated guests would all have understood the culinary terms, and would have been familiar with the dishes. The novelty at the ball was in the costuming of the guests, for Lady Aberdeen had devised a fancy dress theme. There were various ‘‘sets’’ within the overall theme of the ball, all celebrating some aspect of ‘‘The Victorian Era’’ in an extravaganza of mutual
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December 28
Queen Victoria Diamond Jubilee Ball
admiration between the two countries, and the benefits to both of their Imperial connections. There was a North American set, with the guests dressed to represent Canada’s resources such as forests, mines, fishing, and fur and their various workers such as the lumberman, miners, and so on. There was also a European set indicating that part of the world dominated by Britain, and many others including a Victorian costume set and sports and amusements set. Lady Aberdeen herself was in the Empire colors of red, white, and blue, her gown decorated with Irish lace and embroidery based on Celtic designs. Recipes ~~~ Salpicon, like petits fours (see November 14) and hors d’oeuvre (see January 20) is one of the French culinary words which has no real equivalent in English—unless it be ‘‘hash,’’ which hardly sounds elegant. A salpicon is a dish made of minced or diced ingredients (savory or sweet) bound with a sauce and used as a garnish or filling (for example, for tartlets or vol-auvents, see September 17). The description in Cassell’s Dictionary of Cookery (circa 1870s) describes a salpicon used to fill ‘‘patties,’’ which are the same as vol-au-vents. Salpicons Salpicons are elegant little trifles composed of a mixture of poultry, game, fish, forcemeat, sweetbreads, ham, tongue, or foie gras, together with mushrooms, truffles, artichokes &c. The various materials should be cooked separately, cut into dice, and heated in a thick brown or white sauce, whichever is most suitable for them. The remains of meat and vegetables are often served in this way. Salpicons may either be served in a dish with the different ingredients divided by small sippets into compartments, then covered over with bread-crumbs, and browned; or they may be put into little patties, and served on a napkin garnished with parsley. The latter is the more usual method. To prepare these patties, make some good puff paste [see September 17]—stamp it into small rounds with a cutter, two inches in diameter, put these on ice for a few minutes, then brush them over with beaten egg to glaze them. Dip a smaller cutter into hot water, and stamp the rounds through one-third of the thickness of the pastry. Bake the patties in a quick oven. When they are done, lift off the cover which was formed by the smaller cutter, and smooth the pastry. Have ready whatever is to form the contents of the patties. Heat it in a sauce, but on no account allow it to boil, or the meat will be hard; fill the patties, put on the covers again, and serve.
` la Parisienne: A baba is a sweet butter and egg-enriched bread Baba a made from brioche dough (see February 24). For the variation called Baba ` la Parisienne the dough is placed into a mold (or small individual molds) a which have been buttered thickly and strewn with blanched slivered almonds.
December 29
Sunday Lunch in Paris
Charlotte Russe: see September 4. Petits Fours: see November 14. Glace Neapolitaine (Neapolitan ice cream): see December 20.
December 29 Sunday Lunch in Paris Le Grand Ho ˆ tel, Paris, France, 1878 ˆtel (originally the Grand Hoˆtel de la Paix) on the Boulevard The Grand Ho des Capucines in Paris is indeed one of the city’s grandest and most famous hotels. Its construction was part of the huge scale reconstruction and modernization of Paris instigated by the Emperor Napoleon III (1808–1873) and supervised by Baron Haussmann (1809–1891) (see November 27). The hotel was staggeringly beautiful. The Empress Eugenie (1826–1920) who opened it in 1862 apparently said that it equalled every royal apartment she had lived in. The hotel had 800 rooms, several state apartments, and 65 lounges, the main banquet room was three stories high, and there was a prestigious restaurant called the Cafe´ de la Paix. Being the luxurious hotel that it was, there were many different dining alternatives at the Grand Hotel, and one of them was from the fixed-price menu, such as the one here. Dinner could be had from a similar menu for 6 francs. DEJEUNER A 4 FRANCS 2 Hors d’ Œvres—2 Plats au Choix 2 Desserts—½ Bouteille Me´doc—Cafe´ au Cognac. Huitres Armoricaines Victoria Merlans frits ` la Normande Soles a ˆtelette de veau en papillotes Co Entrecoˆte grille`e pure´e de pommes Rognons en brochette Emince´ de chevreau / sauce poivrade Gigot de Pre´sale´ au cresson Viande Froide Flageolets au beurre Œufs sure le Plat—a la Coque Brouille`s—en Omelette Desserts.
Oysters Armoricaine are oysters from Brittany. Amorica was the old name for the northwest region of Gaul, and the oysters from there are considered very choice. It is possible that the name of the well-known dish lobster Amer` la Normande is a classic method icaine is a corruption of Armoricaine. Sole a
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Sunday Lunch in Paris
of serving sole. The dish consists of the fish poached in white wine, with a garnish of oysters, mussels, smelts, mushrooms, and sometimes gudgeon and crayfish. Classic dishes such as this are labor intensive and rarely cooked in the traditional manner, especially in the home where there is no army of kitchen hands to help. The veal cutlets were cooked en papillote—meaning in paper. Sometimes the cutlets are pre-fried before being cooled and coated in sauce or a garnish before being wrapped in the paper, which serves to stop the dish from drying out. The cutlets are served in their folded paper packets. Recipes ~~~ Veal Cutlets in Paper— Cotelettes de Veau en Papillotes Prepare the cutlets and put them with butter, as above [i.e., dip them in melted butter and place them in a single layer in the pan], to grow firm upon the fire: let minced parsley, mushrooms, and small onions be added in equal quantities, a little rasped bacon, with salt, pepper, and fine spices; let them simmer; when enough, take out the fine herbs and add to them a large spoonful or two of Espagnel, or veloute, and reduce; taste if it is good, and thicken with a sufficient quantity of yolks of eggs; let it cool: cut the paper covers in the form of kites, and oil the middles where the cutlets will be placed; put a very thin slice of bacon upon the paper, then half a spoonful of fine herbs upon the bacon, and lay over it a cutlet, then more herbs, covering them with another slice of bacon; wrap up the cutlet, tie the joint with a thread, oil the paper or papillotes all over, grill them, taking care that the paper does not burn; let the paper take a fine colour, untie, and serve. Antoine B. Beauvilliers, The Art of French Cookery (1827).
` la Normande Sole a The following receipt, with the alteration of a word or two, is borrowed from Gouffe´, who says that he had it direct from Langlais, the chef of the Rocher de Cancale [see November 28], who invented it. Butter a silver dish; strew it with onions chopped fine and previously blanched; season the sole with pepper and salt; put it on the dish; cover it with white French wine and cook it in the oven. In the meantime prepare some mussels, oysters, mushrooms, fried smelts, and crusts [croutons] for garnish. Add the liquor of the sole and that of the mussels to some mock Velvet-down, reduce it, and thicken it with yolk of egg. Place the mussels, oysters, and mushrooms on the sole; pour over all some sauce, return the dish to the oven for five minutes, being careful not to brown the sauce, which should be of a rich cream colour; garnish the top with the fried smelts and the crusts; and serve the remaining sauce in a boat. Eneas Sweetland, Kettner’s Book of the Table (Dallas, 1877).
December 30
Coronation Banquet for the Last Ruler
December 30 Coronation Banquet for the Last Ruler of the Austro-Hungarian Empire Budapest, Hungary, 1916 ´ roly I (1887–1925) was the last ruler of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Ka The assassination of his uncle, Franz Ferdinand, in Sarajevo in 1914, was the precipitating event of World War I. Karoly (his name is frequently Anglicized to Carl or Charles) inherited the throne only two years later on the death of his grand uncle Francis Joseph I. The rather unusual aspect of the coronation was shaped by two situations —the war itself and the long-standing internal conflict in the Balkans. The coronation was almost entirely a Hungarian event. The only foreign royal invited was King Ferdinand of Bulgaria, who was a Magyar by birth. The American ambassador and his wife were treated with ‘‘conspicuous honor’’ because of America’s neutral status at the time—in fact they were treated as de facto royals, and the ambassador’s wife even wore a diamond tiara. Several diplomats from Southern Slav parties boycotted the event on the grounds that Hungary oppressed her Slav citizens. After the coronation in the Matthias Kirche, the king performed the traditional symbolic sword ceremony on the Coronation Mound and then rode to the Palace where the coronation banquet was to take place. It turned out to be the most unusual coronation banquet in history. ‘‘Roast of homage’’ Roast pheasant, in its plumage ˆte´ with truffles Goose liver pa ` la reine Chicken a Salad of assorted poultry ˆte´ with truffles Venison pa Roast ham Quails in jelly Stuffed roast sirloin of venison Roast pork Spit-roasted duck Turkey roasted in the medieval manner Young roasted rooster Mountain trout Fruit jelly from Tokay Assortment of pastries Bonbons Assortment of fruit ‘‘Homage basket for the Crown Prince’’
Each dish was ceremonially paraded into the hall and presented to the king. The king waved every dish aside, and ate nothing—which meant, according to the rules of protocol, that no one could eat. There were serious food shortages in Hungary at this point in the war, and Karoly insisted
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December 31
Final Dinner Party Given by Franc¸ois Mitterand
that the food be taken away and distributed to the wounded soldiers. It is unknown whether the four-year-old crown prince got his basket of sweetmeats. Recipes ~~~ ` la Reine Chicken a Truss two small spring chickens for boiling, rub them over with lemon juice, and wrap them up separately in a sheet of thickly buttered paper; then place the chickens in a stewpan, with a garnished faggot of parsley, a carrot and an onion stuck with two cloves; moisten with some of the surface of the boiling stockpot, in sufficient quantity to nearly cover the chickens; set them to boil gently for about forty minutes, when they will be done. When about to send to table, drain the chickens upon a napkin, and after having removed the paper and string, dish them up side by side, and cover them with supreme sauce, garnish the dish with four groups of very small quenelles of fowl, and serve. Charles Elme´ Francatelli, The Modern Cook (1846).
December 31 Final Dinner Party Given by Franc¸ois Mitterand Souston, Landes, France, 1995 Franc¸ois Mitterand (1916–1996) served as the president of France between 1981–1995. He died on January 8, 1996, of prostate cancer, a little over a week after holding a very exclusive dinner party for a couple of dozen friends and relatives. Rumors about the menu began circulating immediately, and the meal became one of the most controversial ‘‘last meals’’ in history. The menu appears modest enough at first glance. Marennes oysters Foie gras Roast Capon Ortolans
The controversy was due to the inclusion of the ortolan (Emberiza hortulana), a tiny European songbird weighing barely an ounce. The bird is found in southwest France, the home of the president, and was already on the protected species list. Conservationists were outraged when the news leaked out —as were, for a different reason, the jealous epicures who had not been invited. At the time, guests maintained silence or hotly denied the claims that the little birds had been eaten, but they were forced to admit the truth when it was revealed a couple of years later in a book written by Mitterand’s confidante, Georges-Marc Benamou, who had been present at the dinner.
December 31
Final Dinner Party Given by Franc¸ois Mitterand
The ortolan had long been a very expensive, extreme delicacy for European gourmets. These ‘‘delicate Fowl of an exquisite taste, about the bigness of a Lark,’’ said seventeenth-century French chef Franc¸ois Massialot, were ‘‘lumps of celestial fatness,’’ ‘‘the epicure’s prime morc¸eau,’’ and according to the famous chef Alexis Soyer (1810–1858) provided the ‘‘transendentalism of gastronomy.’’ The English Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli famously wrote, ‘‘All paradise opens! Let me die eating ortolans to the sound of soft music.’’ The birds were caught alive and fattened—traditionally on figs— until wanted for the table. When required they were killed by suffocation (to avoid damaging the fragile flesh), or drowned in armagnac, and simply roasted. There is a certain ritual attached to eating the ortolan. A huge napkin is placed over the head of the diner and the plate while the bird is eaten. The diner takes the entire little bird, blisteringly hot from the spit, into his mouth, and eats it, bones and all (it is permissible to leave the beak). There are several theories about this ritual of the napkin—that it captures the exquisite aroma of the flesh, that it hides the messy process from other guests, or that it hides the act of greediness from God. The story is that the dying Mitterand consumed thirty oysters and two of the ortolans before returning to his bed. Three years after his death, France officially banned the hunting or sale of the ortolan, although rumors still surface from time to time of their secret availability to those in the know. Recipes ~~~ Of Ortolans From Mr. Renaud The Ortolan is a Bird brought from France, and is fed in large Cages with Canary-Seeds till they become a Lump of Fat . . . When you kill them, take them by the Beak, and holding it close between your Finger and Thumb, the Bird will be stifled in about a Minute. Roast them quick, with the Heads on (without drawing) setting small Toasts under them to drip upon. Serve them with strong Gravy, and as much White-wine hot, and garnish with Slices of Lemon, and raspings of Bread, sifted and toasted before the Fire. You may lard them, if you think proper, and put a Vine-leaf betwixt them: when they are spitted, some Crumbs of Bread may be used as for Larks: the best way is to spit them sideways. Richard Bradley, The Country Housewife, and Lady’s Director (London, 1762).
Foie Gras: see May 26.
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Glossary alouette. A lark. aspic. A savory jelly of meat, fish, eggs, etc. assiette. A dish or plate. baba. A sweet butter and egg-enriched bread made from brioche dough. bakemete, bakemeat. Something cooked in dough or pastry; essentially an early sort of pie; ‘‘meat’’ used in its old sense of a general word for food. bavarois. A custard made with cream, sometimes eggs, and various flavorings, set with gelatin. blanch monge, blank maunger, blamange, blancmange. A dish made in medieval times from chicken, rice, and cream or almond milk, now a sweet dessert made from cornflour and milk, flavored, and set with gelatin. ´ e. bouche A bite-sized piece of food (from the French for ‘‘mouth’’). bouilli. A boiled dish. brawn, brawne, braun. Originally referred to the muscle or fleshy parts of an animal when used as food. It later came to refer particularly to meat from the pig (or boar) boiled, then pressed or potted and served sliced when cold. caille. Quail. ´. canape Small savories based on small pieces of toast or bread.
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Glossary caneton. French for duckling. Charlotte. A dessert dish that has several interpretations but usually refers to a triflelike dish made in a mold lined with sponge cake and filled with custard. chartreuse. A highly ornamental dish of meat or vegetables made in a mold. chaud. Warm or hot. chine. A joint of meat consisting of part of the spine of the animal and the adjoining flesh; the same as a ‘‘saddle.’’ compote, compost. Now most commonly refers to fruit in syrup. conies, conneis, conyng, connye. Rabbit. ´. consomme A clear soup. coupe. A dish of ice cream with fruit or sauce and sometimes wafers, served in a shallow bowl. croquette, croquet. A small cake of finely minced or mashed food (rice, poultry, fish, etc.) coated with egg and breadcrumbs and fried until crisp. croustade. A dish in a crust of some sort, usually pastry but sometimes rice. demi-tasse. A small cup of coffee. devil, diable. A highly seasoned dish, generally ‘‘hot’’ with spices such as cayenne or curry powder. dinde (dindonneau). Turkey (young turkey). endored. Made golden-colored with yellow spices such as saffron, or egg yolk, or real gold leaf. entremets. Originally referred to side dishes, later came to refer especially to sweet (i.e. dessert-type) dishes.
Glossary eyroun. Egg. farce (noun and verb). A forcemeat or stuffing. To stuff or fill. flampayne, flampeyne. From flan pointe´—a type of tart decorated with pointed pieces of pastry. floringtyne, florindine, florentine. A type of pie or tart, varied in style, but usually with a top crust, and containing minced meat, dried fruit, etc., so similar to a modern mince pie. friand, friandise. A small delicacy, a dainty dish. Now usually refers to a small cake. fricandeau, fricadeau. A dish of sliced meat (usually veal) stewed and served in a sauce, so essentially the same as a fricassee. froid. Cold. frumentie, ffurmente, furmenty. A very ancient dish made from wheat hulled, soaked, then boiled to a thick porridge-like consistency. It was the staple food of peasants and a traditional accompaniment to venison for the rich. It was enriched for special occasions with cream, eggs, ale or wine, fruit, spices, and sugar. galantine. Originally referred to a sauce for fish but later became a dish made of bread sopped in any remaining sauce, later still a dish of white meat or fish served cold in its jellied juice (so similar to an aspic, or a modern brawn). gibier. Game. gigot. A leg of lamb, mutton, or veal. gill. An old measure for liquids; the exact volume varies depending on the location, but most usually refers to five fluid ounces, or approximately 120 mls. ` ce. grosse pie Literally ‘‘a large piece’’ of anything; as a menu heading usually refers to large ornamental dishes, not necessarily meant to be eaten, that were similar in intent to medieval ‘‘subtelties’ and often remained on the table throughout the meal, to be admired.
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Glossary haricot, harricot. Beans. Haricots verts are green beans, and haricots blans are white beans. Also applies to a type of stew (especially of lamb or mutton) that contained these beans. homard. Lobster. huitres. Oysters. jambon. Ham jigget, jiggite. A leg or haunch of mutton. jole, jowl, jowle. The head and shoulders of certain types of fish, notably salmon and sturgeon. langue. Tongue. lapereaux. Young rabbit. lard, larded. To lard is to insert small strips of fat such as bacon into the fish or meat before cooking it, to enrich and tenderize it. leche, lesshe. A dish that can be served sliced, such as a meatloaf-type dish. macedoine. A mixture, usually of fruit, cut in small pieces. mauviette. A skylark. mess. This has several meanings in the context of food. It refers to a portion of food (usually enough for four people), a company of people eating together (such as soldiers or monks), and sharing from the same serving bowl, or the communal meal itself. neat. A calf. noisette. A hazelnut, also a ‘‘nut-shaped’’ (round) piece of meat, usually lamb or mutton.
Glossary ` ce monte ´ e. pie Literally ‘‘mounted pieces’’; similar to medieval subtelties; highly decorative sculpted pieces—made of food, made for display and not necessarily to be eaten. They were made in the form of buildings, forests, vases, armorial devices, etc., and mounted on pedestals poisson. Fish. pommes de terre. Potatoes. pottage, potage. A soup, although at one time it could mean a dish such as a whole chicken served in its broth. ` la Godard (Francatelli’s version). Poulet a Chicken served with a classic Godard garniture. Francatelli also adds a crayfish to each end of the dish. The garnish is of lambs’ sweetbreads, cock’s combs, quenelles of fowl, mushrooms, and truffles. ´. releve The same as remove. ris de veau. Veal sweetbreads. ro ˆ ti. Roast. sack. Dry white wine, sherry. salmi. A dish of meat, usually game, cut small or minced, in a highly seasoned sauce. socle, sur. On a plank or plinth raised on a pedestal. soltelte, soltetie, soltiltie, sotyltie, subtelty. A highly ornamental dish or device (not necessarily edible), presented between the courses of a medieval feast for entertainment, or to provide a symbolic message. ´. sucre Sweet. supre ˆ me. A type of sauce, or the breast of a chicken or other bird served with the sauce. timbale. A dish of minced or finely chopped ingredients, cooked in a crust of pastry (or rice) in a drum-shaped mold.
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Glossary turban. A dish in which the ingredients are rolled up, or cooked in a ring mold, to resemble the style of the turban (headdress). viand, vyand. A general word for an article of food. volaille. Fowl, poultry. vol-au-vent. A type of pie made with very light puff pastry and a variety of fillings.
Selected Bibliography General Books Albala, Ken. Food in Early Modern Europe. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2003. Davidson, Alan. The Oxford Companion to Food. New York: Oxford University Press, 1999. Drummond, J. J., and Anne Wilbraham. The Englishman’s Food. London: Jonathan Cape, 1958. Fernandez-Armesto, Felipe. Food: A History. New York: Macmillan, 2001. Flandrin, Jean-Louis, and Massimo Montanari. Food: A Culinary History, trans. Albert Sonnenfeld. New York: Columbia University Press, 1999. Heiatt, Constance B. An Ordinance of Pottage. London: Prospect Books, 1988. Hess, L. John, and Karen Hess. The Taste of America. New York: Grossman Publishers, 1977. Kiple, Kenneth F., and Kremhild Conee` Ornelas. The Cambridge World History of Food, Vol. I and II. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2001. Larousse Gastronomique. New York: Random House, 2001. Toussaint-Samat, Maguelonne. History of Food, trans. Anthea Bell. Oxford: Blackwell, 2000. Trager, James. The Food Chronology. New York: Henry Holt, 1995. Web Sites The Forme of Cury www.pbm.com/~lindahl/foc. Gode Cookery www.godecookery.com/godeboke/godeboke.htm. Historic Food by food historian and professional cook Ivan Day. www.historicfood.com/portal.htm. The Food Timeline www.foodtimeline.org/. Menus There is a dearth of books devoted to menus, and those that have been published tend to focus on menu design from a graphics perspective. Books Alejandro, Reynaldo. Classic Menu Design, from the Collection of the New York Public Library. New York: Rizzoli, 1988. Fellows, Charles. Fellows’ Menu Maker. Chicago, 1910.
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Selected Bibliography Greenstein, Lou. A la Carte: A Tour of Dining History. New York: PBC International, 1992. Heimann, Jim. May I Take Your Order? American Menu Design, 1920–1960. San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 1998. Lane, John. A Taste of the Past. Newton Abbot, Devon: David and Charles Publishers, 2004. Patten, Marguerite. The Coronation Cookbook. London: Hamlyn, 2002.
Web Sites The Buttolph Collection at the New York Public Library Digital Gallery contains images of thousand of menus from 1851 to 1914. http://digitalgallery.nypl.org/nypldigital/ The Los Angeles Public Library has a large database of menu images, predominantly from the Los Angeles area, dating from the 1860s. http://www.lapl.org/resources/en/menu_collection.html Australian Menus. Predominantly from South Australia. http://www.winelit.slsa.sa.gov.au/sipsup.htm French Menus. From Menustory. http://www.menustory.com/site3/pages/accueil.php Historic Cook Books There is a large and increasing number of historic recipe books freely available over the Internet. Following are good sources. Thomas Gloning’s Culinary & Dietetic Texts of Europe from the Middle Ages to 1800 www.uni-giessen.de/gloning/kobu.htm Feeding America: The Historic American Cook Book Project This is a marvelous resource offered by the Michigan State University Library and the MSU Museum. It comprises a fully searchable online collection of some of the most important American cookbooks published between 1798 and 1922. http://digital.lib.msu.edu/projects/cookbooks/index.html HEARTH: The Home Economics Archive—Research—Tradition—History This is an electronic collection of books and journals in home economics and related disciplines, published between 1850 and 1950 and made available by Mann Library at Cornell University. http://hearth.library.cornell.edu/ Google Books: There are hundreds of cook books in this database, dating from the earlyeighteenth century up to today, including many classic historic cookery and food texts. http://books.google.com/ Internet Archive: This is another rapidly increasing database. There are many historic cookery books in the text archive. http://www.archive.org/index.php
Selected Bibliography I have a large and regularly updated spreadsheet of historic cookbooks from the fourteenth to twentieth centuries sourced from the above and other databases which I am happy to send on request to my email address at jclarkso@ bigpond.net.au. Two invaluable databases that jointly contain thousands of books, but require a subscription, are Early English Books Online. http://eebo.chadwyck.com/home The Thomson-Gale Group’s Eighteenth Century Collections Online. www.gale.cengage.com/DigitalCollections/products/ecco/index.htm
Glossaries Medieval and Renaissance Culinary Terms. Compiled by Cindy Renfrow. http://www.thousandeggs.com/glossary.html Prospect Books glossaries compiled from six English cookery texts of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. www.kal69.dial.pipex.com/shop/system/index.html French to English Food Glossary. Compiled by Patricia Wells. www.patriciawells.com/glossary/french_english_food_glossary.pdf Food Glossary from Oregan State University. http://food.oregonstate.edu/glossary/
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General Index Accompaniments, traditional, 11, 205, 272, 368, 432, 477, 582, 644, 714, 787, 793, 811 The Accomplisht Cook, 71, 559 Acton, Eliza, 307, 358, 714 Addison, Lancelot, 557–58 Ale, 2, 487, 673, 723 Almond paste. See Marzipan Ambergris, 573 Ambigu, 555–56 American Revolutionary War, 5, 79 Animals: endangered, 96, 315, 701, 721; exotic, dinners of, 54–56; 107–9 Animelles, 346, 607. See also Recipe Index Antarctica: dinner, mid-winter, 397– 99; expeditions of early 20th century, 704–5; explorer’s food, 398–99 Antipasto, 773–74 Aphrodisiac foods, 78, 263, 722 Apicius, 526–27 Archbishop: fish meal, 550; inthronization feast, 160–63; 16th-century Spanish, 92–94 Arctic food, 57–59 The Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy, 31, 254, 256, 300–301, 336, 793 Asparagus: from Argenteuil, 342; en branch, 44 Ascot week, 383–84 Aubergines, 169 Austen, Jane, 574 Authenticity, in cuisine, 77, 206, 214, 281, 385, 452, 494, 503, 529, 576, 605, 633, 743, 753 Aviation history: in 1920s, 34–35; airship, 568; Concorde, 48–49; Earhardt, Amelia, 395–96; Hughes, Howard, 478–79; KLM, 620–21;
Lindbergh, Charles, 653–54; Transatlantic air race, 393–94 Baba, 802 Bake-mete, 161, 392, 513, 751 Banana, 228–29 Banquet, changed meaning of word, 161, 556, 773, 791 Banquetting stuffe, 556, 572, 791 Barbecue, 455 du Barry, dishes styled, 24, 501 Batter, for frying, 490 Battle Creek Sanitarium, 283–86 Bavarian cheese (or cream, or bavarois), 320. See also Recipe Index Bear, 721 Beaver tail, 7, 89 Beche de mer, 404, 671 Beef: of Old England, 679; ox-roast, 355, 524; rosbif, 230, 607. See also Corned Beef; Recipe Index Beer, 487, 492, 673, 723; Hodgson’s, 2 Beeton’s Book of Household Management, 16, 63, 187, 192, 205, 231, 264, 293, 478, 502, 520, 546, 576, 577 Bill of Fare, 136 Birds, as food for aristocracy, 392, 432. See also individual names Bison. See Buffalo Black Sea, fish from, 96 Blancmange, general history, 15. See also Recipe Index Blubber, 57, 59, 399 Boar’s head, 9, 71, 144, 665, 691,795 Boer War, 149–50 Bombe, Alaska, 615. See also Recipe Index Bonaparte, Napoleon, 238–39
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General Index Bonaparte, Prince Jerome-Napoleon, 417 The Book of Sauces, 42, 182, 242–43, 342, 346, 350, 396, 401, 453, 460, 545, 644, 707 Bouillon, clam, medicinal use, 534 Boyle, Joseph Whiteside, 740–41 Brady, ‘‘Diamond Jim,’’ 248–50 Brawn, 127–28, 593. See also Recipe Index Bread: ‘‘of cows,’’ 303; cheat(e), 723; Elizabethan era, 723; Graham, 84– 85, 257; mancheate, 723; maslin, 723; Medieval era, 490; in postRevolutionary France, 80; riddle, 293. See also Recipe Index Bridge: London, 483; Sydney Harbour, 182–84 Brioche, 129–30 Bubwith, Bishop Nicholas, 750 Buckland, Frank, 55–56, 370, 783 Buffalo, 602; campaign to exterminate (bison), 734–35; hump, 774; tongue (bison) a delicacy, 735. See also Recipe Index Buffalo Bill, 600–601 Bulatovich, Alexander, 24–25 Bulganin, Nikolai, 271–72 Burns, Robert, 59–61 Burton, Richard, 88 Cabbage, 144, 163; with boiled beef, 278; brown, 144–45, 163; red, 163, 205. See also Coleslaw; Sauerkraut; Recipe Index Cake, baking powder and yeast leavened, 254; gorenflot, 747; maids of honour, 747; wedding, 281, 320, 326, 476–77. See also Recipe Index Calendar, Julian and Gregorian, 787 Callas, calas, 167. See also Recipe Index Camas, 303–4 Canape´, 49. See also Recipe Index Capon, to make (caponize), 21. See also Recipe Index Cardoon, 739 Careˆme, Antonin, 38–42 Carlin, Lieut. James W., 361 Carol II, of Romania, 724–25
Cassell’s Dictionary of Cookery, 69, 113, 206, 211, 292, 806 Cassell’s New Dictionary of Cookery, 28, 169, 190, 394, 410, 416 Catherine, Queen of England, coronation, 125–28 Catherine, Queen of France, 391–92 Caviar, 96, 348. See also Recipe Index Charles X, of France, 480 Charlotte, 716. See also Recipe Index Charqui, 214 Chartreuse, 699 Chaud-froid, 469 Cheese, Canadian, 171; Cheshire, and the navy, 441; cream, 391; ‘‘great cheese’’ at Monticello, 87; green, 445, Portuguese, 33. See also Welsh rabbit; Recipe Index Chestnut, 239. See also Recipe Index Chicory, 501 Chop suey, 510–11 Civil War, American, 151, 155, 250–51, 353, 604, 675, 734, 758 Claiborne, Craig, 697–99 Clambake, 566–67 Clark, William, 303–4 Clinton, President Bill, 128 Cockentrice, 578 Cocktail, 603, 755, 800; Martini, 603; Poi, 373–74 Cod: dried or barrel, 165–66. See also Stockfish Coffee, origin, spread, and control, 492 Coffin, dough, 161, 326, 392, 512, 665, 685; in live bird pie, 111 Coleslaw, 459, 472 Collar, collaring, 576 Comfits, 263, 341 Comfort food, 307, 380, 406 Compost. See compote Compote, 27, 128, 163, 432, 504. See also Recipe Index Conde´, Prince of, 499 Consomme´, 342 The Cook and Housewife’s Manual (1826), 60, 412, 423, 506, 680, 743 The Cook’s Guide and Housekeepers and Butler’s Assistant, 280, 401, 421, 509 Corn: cob, 626, 685; New World, 185, 638. See also Hominy; Maize
General Index Corned beef, corning, 278; silverside or round of, 297. See also Recipe Index Coronation: Catherine, 125–28; Elizabeth II, 352–55; George IV, 456– 58; Henry IV, 639–41; Henry VI, ´roly I, 805–6; Nicholas II, 690–92; Ka 313–14; poor, dinner for, 410; Richard III, 431–33 Cream soda, medicinal, 534–35 Cre`me: cre`me brule´e, cre`me caramel, cre`me anglais, 305 Croque en bouche, 320, 470, 694 Croquets, croquettes, croquets, 203, 204, 290, 490. See also Recipe Index Crow: banquet, as food, ‘‘eating crow,’’ 444–46 Crumpets. See Recipe Index, Flannel cakes Crust, pie. See Pastry Curry, 2, 210, 356, 576, 685. See also Recipe Index Custard, 503–4. See also Recipe Index Cutter, Charles Ammi, 588 Damson, 1 Dewey, George, 424 Dewey, Melvil, 588 Devil, deviled, 27. See also Recipe Index Dickens, Charles, 195–96 Dickinson, Emily, 683–84 Diet squad, 64–66 Dillegrout, 457 Directions for Cookery, 137, 157, 196, 322 Doumergue, French President Gaston, 349 Doyle, Sir Arthur Conan, 756 Dufferin, Earl and Lady, 553–54 Dugle´re´, Adolphe, 366 Duke of Clarence, Lionel, 342 Dumas, Alexandre, 43–44 Earhart, Amelia, 395–96 Edward VII, 407 Edward VIII, 766–67 Egg: plovers’, 276–77. See also Recipe Index, Omelette Eggplant. See Aubergine Elizabeth I, Queen of England, 722–23
Elizabeth II, Queen of England, 111– 12, 129, 161, 353–55, 634–35 Elworth, Thomas, 590–91 Emperor’s, dinner of the three, 365–66 Empire: Arab, 492; Austro-Hungarian, 805; British, 187, 197, 199, 210, 289, 367, 409, 647, 684–85; British Empire produce of, 332–34, 407–9; Empire Day, 332–34; breakfast, 407– 9; Ottoman, 417; Persian, 642–43 Endangered species. See Animals Endive, 501 Endored, endoring, 14 The Epicurean, (Ranhofer, Charles, 1894), 38, 100–101, 106, 125, 220, 243, 250, 339, 340, 444, 589, 615, 622, 646, 647, 677 Epigrams, epigrammes, of lamb, 199 Escoffier, Auguste, 222, 229, 340–41, 493, 489, 507, 617, 713, 727, 753 Fast days. See Fish, days; Lent FDA, food action levels, 324–25 Fire: Chicago, 627–29; San Francisco, 464 Firemen, dinner, 426–30, 761–62 Fish: for clergy, 750; days, decreed by Church, 125–28, 486, 550–52; dinners, 126–28, 508–9, 550–52, 622– 25. See also Lent; Recipe Index Foie gras, 339–40, 366 Fondue; 452 Foods That Will Win the War, 586 Fool, 336 Ford, U.S. President Gerald, 433 Forme of Cury, 16, 31, 128, 433, 595, 596, 600, 640, 751 Founders and Patriots of America, 77–78 Fourteenth guest, 447 Fowl. See Recipe Index, Chicken Francatelli, Charles Elme´, 231, 416, 467, 730, 783–84. See also Cook’s Guide; Modern Cook Franklin, Benjamin, 35–36, 657 Franz Joseph I, of Austria, 523–24, 599 Freak dinners, 34 Frederick II, the Great, of Prussia, 491–93
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General Index French food, English attitude toward, 300–301 Frijoles. See Recipe Index, Beans Fromage glace´, 418 Frumenty, furmenty, 128, 795 Gaol. See Prison Garnish: Financiere, 139 garum (liquamen) 527 The Gastronomic Regenerator, 306, 424, 471, 552, 737 Gaufres, gauffres, 73. See also Wafers George IV, King, 38–42, 456–58, 530–32 George V, King, 197, 259–60, 383 George VI, King, 111, 269–70; in Canada, 316–17; in U.S., 376–78 Giblets, 720. See also Recipe Index Ginger, Canton, 583 Glasse, Hannah, 300, 793. See also The Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy Glycimarides, 526–27 Good Friday, 220, 234–35 Goose, 163; green, 441 Gorbachev, Mikhail, 347–48 Goulash, 605 Graham, Sylvester, 84, 258, 563 Grant, Ulysses S., 402 gras, 454 Guava, 333, 638; jelly, 333–34 Gumbo, 118 Haakon VII, King of Norway, 340 Haddock: Dublin Bay, 552, Findon (Finnan), 409–10 Haggis, 59–61 Hardtack, 250–51. See also Sea biscuit Harriman, E. H, 330–31 Hasty pudding, 358, 789 Haussmann, Baron, 737, 803 Hawthorne, Nathaniel, 351 Health food, concept of, 58, 64–65, 173, 283–86, 389–90, 437, 594, 771–72 Heinz Company, 785 Henry II, of France, 391–92 Henry, Prince of Prussia, in U.S., 132 Herrings, types, 295–96 Hirtzler, Victor, 464. See also The Hotel St. Francis Cook Book Holland, Hollandaise, dishes styled, 21, 181. See also Recipe Index
Hominy, 322. See also Corn; Maize; Recipe Index Hoover, Herbert Clark, 584 Hooverize, 584–86 Hors d’æuvres, 46 Horsemeat, 782–84 Hospital: almshouse, 787; food, 687–88, 770–72 Hot pot, 205–6, 499; Lancashire, 206 Hotel plans, American and European, 344–45; staff meals, 702–3 The Hotel St. Francis Cook Book (Hirtzler, Victor, 1919), 24, 164, 250, 260, 315, 388, 413, 447, 465, 571, 604, 639 Housewife’s Pledge, 630–31 Hughes, Howard, 478–79 Humoral Theory, 127, 389, 569 Ice cream, 254; fromage glace´, 418; Jefferson and, 86–87; Plombie`res, 725. See also Bombe; fromage glace´; Recipe Index, Coupe Ices, types, 774–75. See also Recipe Index Infanta, Don ˜ a Eulalie, 336–37 Injera, 25 Insects, as food, and banquet of, 323–25 The International Cook Book, 134, 225, 233, 249, 727 Invalid, food for: aboard ship, 731. See also Hospital; Battle Creek Sanitarium Isinglass, 429, 543 Islam, food laws, 276 Jack, 29 Jackson, Andrew, 16–17 Jackson Day, 16–17 James I, King of England, 516–18 James II, King of England, 555–56 Jefferson, President Thomas, 85–87; his ice cream recipe, 86–87 Jelly, early methods of making, 429. See also Recipe Index Jewish food law, 289–91, 443, 553, 604. See also Kosher, kashrut Jugged, jugging, 300 Jujube, 548 ´roly, I, of Hungary, 805 Ka
General Index Kashrut. See Jewish food law. Kebabs, 96, 209 Kedgeree, 409–10, 576. See also Recipe Index Kellogg, Ella Eaton, 286 Kellogg, John Harvey, 283–86 Khrushchev, Nikita, 271–72 Kipling, Rudyard, 361 Korean War, 405–6 Kosher. See Jewish Food Law Kromeskies, 490 Kummel, 341 Lady fingers, 167–68 Lamb, Patrick, 363–64 Lamprey, 161–62 Larding, 52 Larks, 401, 421. See also Recipe Index Laser (silphium), 526 Latin, menu, 618–19, 662–63 Leach, leche, lech, 572 Lebrun, Albert, 724 Leeks, 385 Lent, 126–27, 160–61, 166, 220 de Lesseps, Ferdinand, 137 Lewis, Meriwether, 303–4 Lincoln, Abraham, 352; birthday, 99; inauguration, 151–53; Livery companies, 672; barbers and surgeons, 673–74; drapers, 512–13; ironmongers, 164; wax chandlers, 672 Livingstone, David, 56 Louis XIV, 122, 202, 499, 503 Louis XV, 113, 606–7 Louis XVI, 657, 660–61 Love Apple, 78, 722; sauce, 80. See also Tomato Loving cup, 609, 682, 763 Lucullus, Lucullan, 420–21, 715–16, Ludwig II, King of Bavaria, 379–80 Lushington, Sarah, 1 Mace´doine, 310 Maigre, 454 Maize, 638, 685; banquet, 184–85; economic importance, 185; pilgrims and, 789. See also Corn; Hominy Mandela, Nelson, 384–85 Marchpane. See marzipan Marie-Antoinette, 465–67, 657, 661
Martini cocktail, 603 Maori wars, New Zealand, 186–87 Marzipan, 4, 33, 161–62, 221, 253, 556, 572 Marryat, Frederick, 197 Massachusetts Institute of Technology, golden jubilee, 381–83 Mazarine, 47 McKinley, U.S. President William, 581, 644 Meat: Australian, 745–46; dried. See charqui. See also Recipe Index Medici, Lorenzo de, 359 Mendicant, mendiant, 37, 336 Menu, French origin of word, 136 Mess, 13, 157, 250, 384, 512 Mincemeat pies, 19–20, 641, 795 Mint: as digestive, 583, 753; with lamb, 273, 798. See also Recipe Index The Modern Cook, 170, 231, 366, 416, 463, 658, 699, 806 Modern Cookery for Private Families, 307, 360, 714 Morogo, 385 Moulton, Lillie, 736–37 Muffin, 174, 597 Mulled wine, 67 Neville, George, Archbishop of York, 591–93 New England boiled dinner, 278–79 New World food, 636–38 Niam-niam, 369 Nicholas II, Tsar, coronation banquet 313–14 Nixon, U.S. President Richard, 487–88 A Noble Boke Off Cookry Ffor a Prynce Houssolde or Eny Other Estately Houssolde, 14, 162, 513, 594, 673 Nougat, 140 Obrego´n, Mexican President Alvaro, 454–55 Offal, 115, 290, 294, 518, 681, 716, 747 Olio, olla podrida, 558–59 Ordinary, an, 136 Ortolan, 806–7 Oysters, 129, 165, 246–47, 282; medicinal, 590; mountain, 346. See also Recipe Index
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General Index Pailles, paillettes, 262, 705. See also Recipe Index Panama: canal, 137–38, 472 Pankhurst, Emmeline, 658–69 en papillote, 804 Parliament: 19th-century members, 334–35; menu names, 334–35; fish dinner, 508–9; pudding, 148. See also Recipe Index Parmentier: Antoine-Augustin, 656–57 Pasta, 305, 307, 452, 494, 773–74. See also Recipe Index Pasteur, Louis, 240–41 Pastry. 5, 87, 93, 161, 288, 305, 326, 392, 441, 527, 571, 599, 619. See also Recipe Index Pasty, 512–13; venison, 5 ˆte´, 256, 289, 305 Pa Paupiette, 400 Pea: garden pea developed, 122. See also Pease; Recipe Index Peabody, George, 318–20 Peacock, 643, 691–92 Pears, Crassanes, 341; warden, 682, 791 Pease, field, 122; and pork dinner, 787– 89; porridge, 787–88; pottage, 787– 88; pudding, 787–88 Pepys, Samuel, 13, 389; dinner for friends, 28; English wine, 131 Perley, Moses Henry, 495–96 Pero´n, General D. Juan, and Eva, 781 Persia: Empire, 646–47; Shah, 472, 647 Petits fours, 709–10 Peter I, Tsar, 66–68 Petre, Sir William, 12 Picnic: British royals, 146; in U.S., 374–76; for Mexican president, 454–55 Pie`ces monte´es, 37 Pie, 161; ‘‘called macaroni,’’ 86, 441, 484; during 18th-century wheat shortages, 256; humble or umble, 445, 518; nomenclature, 307. See also Coffin; Bake-mete Pilau, 418. See also Recipe Index Pilgrims, 6 Pineapple, 144, 223, 372, 638 Pine nuts, 362. See also Recipe Index Plank, planking, 53, 143, 813
Poi, 371–72, 374 Poke, 157 Pomelo, 694 Pomme dorreng (pomeddory), 641 Porpoise: 91, 126–28; on medieval fish day menu, 126 Posset, 29, 67, 243, 327 Potage. See Soup Potato: dinner, 660–61; early suspicion of, 78–79; New World origin and spread to Europe, 263, 636–37; Virginia, 79. See also Recipe Index Pot au feu, 226–27, 538. See also Hot pot; Recipe Index Poteen, 148 Poor Laws, English, 505 Poulet. See Recipe Index, Chicken Praire chicken, 721 Presley, Elvis, 282–83 Prison: Confederate, 155–57; Indiana State, 321–23; Leavenworth, 596–98 Prohibition, 214, 522, 584, 628, 731–32, 753–55, 799–800 Protocol, 260, 317, 336–39, 391, 556, 639, 748, 805 Pudding, 19, 358. See also Recipe Index Punch, 246, 341. See also Recipe Index Quawmas. See camas Quenelles, 615, 646. See also Recipe Index Rama V, King of Siam [Thailand], 470 Ranhofer, Charles. See The Epicurean Rastegais, 18, 348 Rationing: and timeline, 236; U.S. restaurants, 119–21; World War II, Britain, 224, 234–36, 298–300, 353, 503, 655, 768. See also Wheatless days Reagan, U.S. President Ronald, 347–48 Regional food, 118, 205, 292, 358, 501, 580, 753 Remove, 696 Reyniere, Grimod de la, 738–40 Richard II, King of England, 593–94 Richard III, King of England, 431, 592 Roasting, 7, 29
General Index Rome, Ancient, feast, 526–27 Roosevelt, Eleanor, 311–12, 374–76, 631 Roosevelt, U.S. President Franklin D., 94, 172, 311–12, 374 Rudolph, Crown Prince of Austria, 68–69 Sabayon, 243 Sack, 29. See also Posset Salsa, 455 Salpicon, 802 Salt, seating ‘‘above the salt,’’ 639 Sandwich: club, 733; for sick and indisposed, 732. See also Recipe Index Sauce, medieval, 432. See also Recipe Index Sauerkraut, 406, 437–38 Scalteen, scolsheen, 148–49 Schnitzel, 727 Schomburgk, Robert, 730 Scott, Sir Walter, 60, 531 Scramble: for Africa, 24; eggs, 519–20; as an unruly fight for food, 550, 558 Sea biscuit, 250–52 Selassie, Haile, 386 Self-sufficiency, on manorial estates, 10, 12, 27 Service, table: 17th-century, 302; Ser` la Russe, 36–37, 288; Service a ` vice a la Franc¸aise, 36–37; 288 Sevigne´, Marquise de, 378 Shaddock, 2, 694. See also Pomelo Shakespeare, William, 261–62 Sherbet, 276, 775. See also Sorbet Sheridan, Major-General Philip, 600, 734–35 Shrimp, 165; and Jewish food law, 443 Siege food, Mafeking, 150–52 Simmons, Amelia, 7, 790 Skin, to skin rabbits, hares, and squirrels, 739 Slave, slavery, 99–100, 136, 156, 418, 659 Snow bird, 317 Snow partridge, 544 Socle, sur, 53 Society: Cambridge University Musical Society, 377–78; Dilettante, 286–87; German, 726; Holland, 21–23; wine and food, 32–33, 291–93, 715–16
Sorbet, 341, 744. See also Recipe Index Soup: borsht, 798; cream, as invalid food, 772; portable, 454; Windsor, 230, 463. See also Recipe Index Soy: Henry Ford and all-soy dinner, 513–16; products, 235, 285; soy facts, 513–16. See also Tofu Soyer, Alexis, 421–23, 454, 537, 552, 807. See also The Gastronomic Regenerator Space food, 237–38, 460–62 Sphondyli, 526–27 Spices, in medieval era, 432 Sports nutrition, 590–91 Squab, 315. See also Recipe Index Stafford, Bishop John, 577 Stanley, Henry Morton, 368–70 Stefansson, Vilhjalmur, 57–58 Stockfish, stokfish, 165 Subtelty (soltetie), 595 Succotash, 540–41 Sultan, Ottoman, 417–19 Sweetbreads, 290. See also Recipe Index Sweet potato: aphrodisiac, 263, New World, 638. See also Recipe Index Sweetmeats, wet and dry, 555–57, 773 Syllabub, 292–93 Tafelspitz, 599 Taro, 372–73 Table d’hote, 136, 519, 632 Tea, high and low, 545–46 Teff, 25 Tej, 25–26 Temperance 382, 388–89, 474–75, 522, 659, 716; banquet, 562. See also Prohibition Teonge, Henry, 301–3, 440–41 Terrine, 705 Testicles, culinary names for, 346, 607 Thatcher, Prime Minister Margaret, 130 Theme: African, 368–69; arctic, 57–59; automotive; 75–76; aviation, 34–35, 393–94; Boer war, 149; clock, 717–18; Confederate prison, 155; firefighting, 765–66; gold mining, 521–23; horsemeat, 745–46; Irish, 147–49; library, 587–89; maize, 184–85;
825
826
General Index Scottish, 59–60, 742–43; Soy, 513–15; Valentine’s Day, 104–5; whale meat, 90–91; World War II, 510–12 Tiffin, 210; menus, 210–11, 267–68, 458–59 Tilden, Samuel J., 444 Timekeeping, in the kitchen, 718 Toad in the hole, 497 Tofu, 515–16 Togo, Admiral, of Japan, 506–7 Tomato, origin and spread, 78, 638. See also Love Apple; Recipe Index Tone, Theobald Wolfe, 80–81 Tournedos, 307–8, 621. See also Recipe Index To the Women of the United States, 103 Trifle, 549, 718. See also Recipe Index, Gipsy Cake Tripe, 294 Truman, U.S. President Harry S., 405–6; week’s meals, 629–31 Tschirky, Oscar, 98–99, 626, 754–55 Turban, culinary term, 266 Turkey, New World origin, 394, 642. See also Recipe Index Tureen, 705 Turtle: calipash and calipee, 108; from West Indies, 701. See also Terrapin; Recipe Index. Twain, Mark, 100, 373, 778–80 Umberto I, of Italy, 493 Usquebaugh, 148 Utopian society, 611–13 Vegetarian, 474, 659; associations, 84, 256–58, 474–75; Battle Creek, 283– 84; meals, 84, 256, 388–90, 474–75, 562–63, 658–59; New York restaurant, 84 Victoria, Queen, 332, 415–16, 438–50, 794–96 Vol-au-vent, 580. See also Recipe Index Wafers. See Gaufres
Waldorf salad, 626–27 Warden: See Pears Washington, Booker T., 99–100 Washington, George: beaver tail recipe, 7; birthday, 123–24 Wedding: Charles and Diana, 475; Duke of York (future George VI), 269–70; Lionel, Duke of Clarence and Violante, 342–43; Medici, 359–60; Presley, Elvis, 282–83; Princess Maud, 462–63; Salters, in 1753, 325–26; supper, in 1699, 363–64 Welsh rabbit, rarebit, 172–73 Whale: on medieval fish days, 126; whalemeat luncheon, 90–92 Wheatless days: World War I, 102–3; World War II, 630 Wheat shortages, 18th century, 255–56 Whistler, James McNeill, 713–14 White, Thomas, 787 Whitebait, 508; dinner, 508–9 Whittier, John Greenleaf, 777 Wilson, U.S. President Woodrow, 45– 47, 266 Willhelm II, of Prussia, 230 William, King of England, 484–85 Wine, English, 131 Women’s rights: at banquets, 100, 526, 667, 677, 747, 778–79; Bloomer, Amelia, 562–63; Pankhurst, Emmeline 658–60; Stone, Lucy, 562; suffragists, 662–64 Workhouse, 413–14, 505–7 Woodforde, James, 255–56, 748–49 Woolworth Building, opening, 264 World War I, 46, 64, 90, 224, 251, 371, 447, 489, 501, 502–3, 565, 805. See also Wheatless days; Rationing World War II, 193, 515, 548, 630; restaurant regulations, 299–300. See also Wheatless days; Rationing Yrchouns, 578–79, 751 Yukon gold rush, 740
Recipe Index Afilye, 25 Almond, salted, 219; soup, 221; sponge, 153 Almond paste. See Soy, soya: marzipan Amourettes du veau frites, 115 Animelles, 608 Apple: baked, 772; biscuit, 563; Brown Betty, 529; Charlotte, 717; dumpling, 684; hedgehog, 502; and mint jelly, 273; pie, 574; pommes au riz, 192; pudding, 690; strudel, 599 Artichokes: du Barry, 24; boiled, 755; en feuillage, 481; Lyonnaise, 525; stewed with cream, 302 Asparagus: Mousseuse, 271; Polonaise, 388; Pompadour, 44 Aubergines fried in batter, 169 Avocado mousse, 132 Banana ice cream, 229 Batter, for frying, 494 Bavarian cheese of strawberries, 321 ` la Beans: Boston baked, 376; a Bretonne, 366; frijoles, 456; haricots blancs, 481 Beaver’s tails, 7 Beef: boiled round or silverside, 297; collared, 576; fillet, Mascotte, 355; fillet, larded, 784; fillet, larded and braised, 53; fillet, Richelieu, 401; roast, 7; potted, 264; pressed, 124; roast, English style, 106; salt beef, boiled, 689; sirloin, roast, 679 Bird, roasted reed, 721 Biscuit: apple, 563; baking powder, 407; Savoy, 760; wheatless, 103 Blancmange: blamanger of fyshe, 751; blank maunger, 15; lemon blancmange, 16 Blank Dessore, 596
Bombe: Alaska, 615; Ne´lusko, 123 Bouilli, beef, 136 Bouquet garni, 275 Brawn: Oxford, 275; royal, 594 Bread: Boston brown, 376; Chinese steamed, 546; manchet, 723; Norway, 664; potato, 657; riddle, ` rk Bu ` re`ghi [boureq], 419; 293; Tu wheat meal Graham, 85 Bread and butter pudding, 770 broccoli Mornay, 435 Brioche, 130 Brussels sprouts, saute´d, 98 Buffalo hump, 602 Butter: black, 396; butter, crayfish, 644; maitre d’hotel, 552; melted, 477 Cabbage: brown or winter, 145; red, German style, 164; red pickled, 206. See also General Index, coleslaw Cake: almond butter, 710; almond sponge, 153; angel, 589; buckwheat, 195; chocolate fudge, 633; cup cakes, 406; filbert, with rum, 646; Genoese, 47; imitation of a ham, 552; hickory or walnut, 18; Lafayette, 760; molasses, 66; pound, 254; queen, 554; rock, 546; Savoy, 485; sponge, 312; sunshine, 589; Victoria, 561; Washington pie [cake], 430 Calf’s head, to boil, 71 Calf’s liver: and bacon, 514; dumplings, 380 Callas, fritters, 168 Camas, Indian way of cooking, 304 Canape´: caviar, 310; for game, 471 Capon: boiled, with lemon, 20; to fasse [force, or stuff], 513; roast, 673; in white broth, 573 Cardoons, Spanish, 739
828
Recipe Index Carp: stewed, 20 Carrots, glazed, 628 Catsup, walnut, 776 Cauliflower: soup, 501; Polonaise, 656 Caviar, canapes, 310 Charlotte: apple, 717; Russe, 554 Charqui, preparation, 214 Chartreuse, vegetables garnished with partridges, 699 Chaud-froid, partridge, 469 Cheese: fleurons, 635; straws, 261 Chestnut: puree, 98; soup, 240; stuffing, 77 Chicken: Africaine, 268; to bake, 724; to boil, 517; Baltimore style, 715; Coronation, 356; curry, 2; fried, 283, 603; Marengo, 449; puree, 238; ` la Reine, 806; roast quenelles, 646; a with cresses, 122; salad, 768; shape, 705; smothered, 479; soup, with ` la reine 112; noodles, 586; soup a steamed whole, 713; timbale, 379. See also Fowl, Hen Chocolate: bon-bons, 99; creams, 9; cricket torte, 324; eclairs, 694; parfait, 800; reception (beverage), 125 Chop suey, 511 Chow-chow, 473 Chutney, tomato, 269 Clam: roasted, 567 Claret cup, 83 Clouted cream, 80 Cockentrice, cokyntryce, 578 Cocktail: martini, 603; poi, 374 Coffee mallow, 631 Collared beef, 576 Compote, prunes, 504 Corned beef: hash, 194; in New England boiled dinner, 279 Corn, O’Brien, 728 Coupe: Jacques, 74; Jamaique, 617 Crab: cocktail, 229; deviled, 625; mousse, 488; soft shell, 425 Cream: white coffee, 240. See also General Index, cre`me Cream of wheat, 772 Cre`me au caramel, 306 Cricket, chocolate torte, 324 Croquette, chicken, 290; poultry, 525; sweetbread, 290
ˆ tes, anchovy, 765 Crou Crust. See Pastry Curry, fried chicken, 2; prawns, 184 Custard: baked, 724; cocoanut, 563; egg, 298; fine, 364 Deviled crabs, 625; sardines, 28; whitebait, 513 Doughnuts, sweet milk, 377 Dressing, salad: French, 388; Green Goddess, 223; Lorenzo, 18; roquefort, 800; Russian, 406; vinaigrette (French), 129 Duck: bigarade (orange), 49; braized, with peas, 463; canvas-back, broiled, 779; redhead, roasted, 101; with turnips, 481 Dulce (baked raisins), 456 Dumplings, calf’s liver, 380 Easter pie, 235 Egg: Buey Ahumado (with dried beef), 214; Catalane, 350; Florentine, 225; ` la Russe, 190; peony, 404; poached, a 394; rolls, 653; sauce for cod, 584; scrambled, 520; scrambled Japanese style, 498; shirred, 373 Eggplant. See Aubergines Elephant’s Paws, Baked, 56 Epigrammes, of lamb, 199 Eton Mess, 383 ` la vanille, 609 Fanchonettes a Fig: pudding, 80; stewed, 322 Financiere, garnish, 139 ` la cre`me, 63; balls, Japanese, Fish: a 498; bluefish, baked whole, 757; bloaters, Yarmouth, 295; boiled, parsley sauce, 451; carp, 20, 532; cod, to boil, 166; egurdouce of, 433; fried, 591; au gratin, 227; haddock, ` la maitre Finnan, 410; haddock, a d’hotel, 552; herrings, red, 295; mullet, 96; planked, 143; pudding, 380; salmon, to boil, 496; salt, to boil, 166; shad roe, 353; sole, Bonne Femme, 767; sole, Colbert, 249; sole, Marguery, 250; sole Veronique, 507; sole Normande, 804; stockfish, 487; turban of, 266; water-souchy, 225; whitebait, deviled, 509; whitebait,
Recipe Index fried, 509; whiting 82; whiting forcemeat, 566 Flannel cakes, 655 Florentine, to make, 573 ˆte´ de and spices for, 339 Foie gras, pa Fondant, mock, 710 Fondue, 452 Forcemeat: godiveaux, 139; for raised pies, 666; whiting, 566 Fool, gooseberry, 336 ` la daube, 458; to dress various Fowl: a sorts, 344. See also Chicken Fricassee, veal, 704 Frijoles. See beans Frogs, a la Poulette, 741 Frosting, butter cream, 711 Fruit: figs, stewed, 322; fresh, 219; frozen cocktail of, 120; peach fritters, 331. See also individual names Frumenty, furmente, 128
Thomas Jefferson’s own, 87; tutti-frutti, 362; Turk’s cap, 581; vanilla, 786 Insects: chocolate cricket torte, 324; mealworm dip, 324 Irish stew, 746
Galandine, galantine, 393 Gaufres, 73 Giblets: soup, 716, turkey, 736 Gipsy cake, 90 Glaze, apricot, 710 Goose, to bake, 441 Goulash, Hungarian, 605 Gravy browning, 275 Grouse, roasted, 471 Gruel, water, 688 Guava, jelly, 334 Guinea fowl, roast, 764 Gumbo file´, 118
Lady fingers, 168 Lamb: cutlets, 270; epigrammes, 200; roast, 451; roast with coffee, 83; saddle, roast, 249 Lamprey, bake, 162 Larks with truffle, 421 Lemon: sauce, 85; mousse, 146 Lobster: cold, 496; deviled, 330; mayonnaise, 211; Newburg, 247; souffle, cold, 568 Lorenzo Dressing, 18
Haggis, 59–61 Ham, braised, 217; mousse, 134 Hare: to roast, 11 Hen, armored, 94 Hollandaise: potatoes, 247; pudding, 24; sauce, 242 Hominy: boiled, 322; croquettes, 185, fried, 106; mush, 66 Hot pot, Lancashire, 206 Ice: lemon (gelato), 774; melon, 394; mint, 179 Ice cream; banana, 229; cherry, 479; Chesterfield pudding, 169; earliest recipe, 254; Neapolitan, 786; pistachio, 786; Plombie`res, 725;
Jambalaya, 118 Jelly: apple and mint, 273; aspic, 233; calf’s foot, 430; currant, 11; Dantzig, 766; guava, 334; ivory dust, 370; Mac¸´edoine, 310 Jonquils, candied, 500 Jugged hare, 300 Kebabs, kababs, 209 Kedgeree, 510 Kidneys and bacon, 546 Kid pie, 93 Kromeskies, 490
Macaroni: au Blanc de Poule (in white sauce), 258; Italian Style, 200; pudding, 188; savoury, 551; soup, 446 Macaroons, 113; macaroon tart, 154 Marmalade, orange, 408; pudding, 137, blackcurrant, 238 Marrow: bones, to boil, 288 Meat: cold, 537; potato covered, 746; pot roast, 703; stew (various meats) 538. See also individual names Meatloaf, Pat Nixon’s, 244 Meringue, 615 Mincemeat pies, 20 Mint: sauce and jelly, 272; julep, 197 Molasses cakes, 66 Morogo, 385 Mottoes, 37
829
830
Recipe Index Mould, coffee, 334 Moussaka, 633 Mousse, avocado, 132; chocolate, 386; crab, 488; ham, 134; lemon, 146 Muffin, 597; English, 174 Mullet, baked, 96 Mush, Fried, 66 Mushrooms, pickled, 69 Mutton, 366; harrico, 731; jigget, to ` la roast, 442; leg, 537; leg, a Bretonne, 366; leg, to boil, 591; marinated, 93; Reform Club cutlets, 423; sheep, barbequed, 455; shoulder, baked, 81 Nougat, 140 Oatmeal: crust, 103; porridge, 407 Olio podrida, 559 Omelette: cheese, 120; sweet, 569; souffle´, 53 Orange: Bigarade sauce, 49; pudding, 137 Ortolans, 807 Oysters: cocktail, 58; mountain, 346; roasted, on toast, 567; Rockefeller, 282; scalloped, 124; sauce, 496; soup, 9 Pailles au Parmesan. See Cheese straws Pain d’epices, 668 Panada, 666 Parliament: gingerbread, 656; pudding, 148 Partridge, boiled, 571 Pasta: See Macaroni Pastry: choux, 694; cream crust, 308; hot-water crust, for raised pies, 686; oatmeal crust, 103; potato, 506; puff, 581, 620; suet crust for puddings, 358; sweet tart, 154 Pasty, venison, 5 ˆte´, foie gras, 339 Pa Peacock in plumage (pecok enhakill), 692 Peach: fritters, 331; Melba, 229 ` l’Anglaise, 737; a ` la Franc¸aise, Peas: a 443; French way, 364; with mushrooms, 729 Pease pudding, 788; soup, 156
Petits fours, 709 Pheasant, stewed, 69 Pickles: mixed, 10; red cabbage, 206; watermelon, 586 Pie: apple, 308, 575; birds alive in, 111; batalia or bride, 326; City of London, 440; cocoanut, 177; game, 665; kid, 93; lemon, 368; mutton, 571; mutton, Windsor, 288; pety peruaunt, 641; pigeon, 211, 392, 485; pork, 686; pumpkin, Canadian, 535; pumpkin and squash, 612; Russian, raised, 314; umble, 518; vegetarian, 475; warden or quince, 792; woodcock, 795 Pig’s head, to roll, 749 Pigeon: pie, 211, 392, 485; stewed, 673 Pilau, 209 Pine nuts, sugared, 360 Plums, sour and sweet, 498 Poi cocktail, 374 Pomelo salad, 694 Pommedorry, 641 Pork: leg, boiled, 788; pestelles of, endored, 14; pie, 686 Porpoise with furmente, 128; Porridge, 410 Posset, 29; recipe poem, 327 Possum, roasted, 109 Potatoes: Anna, 396; boiled, 451; bread, 657; cake, 657; chateau, 617; Cleo, 465; cocotte, 356; cooking, 684; croquettes, 757; Delmonico, 233; Duchess, 444; fondante, 260; gastronome, 340; au gratin, 479; jacket, 148; Lyonnaise, 651; maitre d’hotel, 658; minced, 651; noisette, ` 350; Parisienne, 402; parslied, 755; a la poulette, 453; rissolees, 249; salad, 164; Saratoga, 331 Pot au feu, 227, 542 Poulet. See Chicken Prairie chicken, 649 Prawn: curried, 184; salad, 64 Pudding: apple, 690; blood, 540; bread and butter, 770; cabinet, 418; diplomate, 571; Chesterfield, 169; chicken, 292; cornstarch, 186; fig, 80; honeycomb, 176; Indian, 789; Indian, baked, 330; jam roll, 357; lemon snow, 292; macaroni, 188; Mafeking,
Recipe Index 150; Marie-Louise, 490; marmalade, 172; mutton, 359; Nesselrode, 414; orange, 137; Oxford, 30; parliament, 148; pease pudding, 788; plum, 410; rice, 28; Saxon, 190; squash, 613; suet crust for, 358; Victoria, 566; Yorkshire, 794 Punch: milk, 610; roman (romaine), 419; royal, 267 Quail: broiled, 736; with cresses, 371 Quenelles: chicken, 646; mushroom, 762 Rabbit, en hatelet, 467 Rabbit, to skin, 735 Raccoon, cooked on campfire, 108 Rice, baked, 28; ground rice milk, 688 ` la Milanaise, 494 Risotto a ` la Pompadour, 677 Rissolettes, a Roux, 494 Sabayon, sauce, 243 Salad: Caesar, 628; chicken, 768; dandelion, 762; Dumas’, 45; fennel, 68; Gauloise, 342; grapefruit, 266; Italienne, 125; marquise, 183; mimosa, 202; Nic¸oise, 753; peas, 68; perfection, 631; pomelo, 694; Portugal, 33; potato (called Montfermeil), 707; prawn, 64; Rachel, 260; Russian, 421; in 16th and 17th centuries, 13, 68; Waldorf, 627, 628; watercress, 426 Salpicon, 802 Salsify, in Bechamel, 227 Samphire, to pickle, 72 Sandwich: beef, raw, 733; club, 733; cucumber, 179; fig, 733; Denver, 529; lettuce, 733 Sauce: admiral, 707; Albert, 270; Allemande, 43; Bearnaise, 349; Bechamel, 42; Bigarade, 49; Bordelaise, 447; brandy, cold, 332; brandy, hot, 347; bread, 748; Bretonne, 366; caper, 760; celery, 760; champagne, 341; cranberry, 742; Cumberland, 275; Demi-Glace, 140; Egg, for fish, 166, 584; Espagnole, 42; game, 181; garlike [garlic], 344; gribiche, 350; hard, 332; Hol-
landaise, 242; horseradish, 96; Italian, 449; julienne au gras, 454; laitue, cre`me de, 646; lemon, 85; lobster, 477; Madeira, 140; Mallard, sauce for, 31; Meunie`re, 465; Mornay, 435, 654; mousseuse, 271; mushroom, 382; Nantua, 644; olive, 545; oyster, 496; Paloise, 170; parsley, 346; pear, 772; Perigueux, 242; poivrade, 784; Pompadour, 492; poulette, 453; ravigote, 467; Reform, 423; Richelieu, 181, 401; Robert, 115, 433; sabayon, 243; shrimp, 256; soubise, 715; tartare, 460; tomato, 242; tournee, 493; vanilla, 346; Veloute´, 42; Venitienne, 401; Villeroi, 346; white onion, 295. See also Butters Sauerkraut, 438 Sausage: black, or blood (pudding), 540; bologna, 473; luncheon, 503; meat, 196; poloney, 302 Scallops, fried, 624 Schnitzel, Vienna, 727 Sea-biscuit, 251 Sea nettles, 527 Shad: baked, 196; roe, 353 Sharks’ fins, 159 Sheep, barbequed, 454 Sherbet: Persian and Turkish, 277; pineapple, 373 Shortcake, strawberry, 312 Shrimp: aspic, 233; sauce, 256; Snow bird, 317 Sorbet, champagne, 707 Soup: almond, 221; beef bouilli, 136; birds nest, 159; blank dessore, 596; borsht, 798; cauliflower, 501; celery, 389; chestnut, 240; chicken essence, 465; clam bisque, 330; cock-a-leekie, 743; Crecy, 192; consomme´ Anglaise, 447; consomme´ Madrile`ne, 639; consomme´ Royale, 355; consomme´ Sevigne´, 378; consomme´ Theodora, 341; crust (mittonage), 221; Dame Blanche, 617; Darblay, 122; fish, Russian, 348; frimsel, 291; garbure, 662; giblet, 716; julienne, 454; kidney, 274; lentil, 258; macaroni, 446; mock turtle, 426; mulligatawney, 576; ox-tail, 187; oyster, 5; Parmen-
831
832
Recipe Index tier, 27; peas, cream of, 635; pease, 156; Portugal, 33; Portugaise, 413; ` la Reine 112; sante´, Printanier, 139; a 203; Scotch barley broth, 679; seal, 58; sharks’ fin, 159; Siamoise, 471; Swedish, 561; tomato, 368, 544; tomato cream, 390, 782; turtle, 701; vermicelli, 458; Vichyssoise, 638; watercress, 180; Windsor, 231. See also Gruel Souffle, apricot, 35; lobster, 568; omelette, 53; vanilla, 320 Soy, soya: cookies, 516; marzipan 235; soup, 514 Spaghetti: baked, with cheese and eggs, 598; Napolitana, 504; aux tomatoes, 85 Squab, broiled, 465 Squirrel: how to cook, 721; how to skin, 735 Succotash, 541 Sue´doise of apples, 798 ` la Sweetbreads: to prepare, 100; a Milanaise, 494; with mushrooms, 741 Sweet potatoes, candied, 786 Syllabub, 293 Syrup, simple, 711 Tart: almond, 619; apricot, 532; cranberry, 790; macaroon, 154; pippin, 675 Tej, 26 Terrapin: Maryland, 362; Philadelphia, 134; Southern style, 315 Testicles, 346. See also Animelles Tibetan buttered tea, 671 Timbale de Volaille, 379
Toast: French, 174; fried, 694; grape, 286; Melba, 713; snowflake, 286 Tomato pudding, 223; soup, 368, 544, 390, 782; surprise, 604 Tongue, neat’s (calf’s), 682; ox, 384 Tournedos Rossini, 617 Trifle, 718. See also Gipsy cake Tripe, to dress, 294 Turban, fish, 266 Turk’s cap, 581 Turkey: giblets, 736; wild, 736 Turnips, to dress, 689 Turtle. See Soup Udder: cows, to roast, 682; sows, 547 Veal: collops, 413, 696; cutlets in paper, 804; fricandeau, 541; fricassee, 703; ragoo, 256; roast, 683 Venison: pasty, 5; roast, 13; steak, 58 Vishna Ekme`ghi [Visnali ekmek], 419 Vol-au-vent of oysters, 781 Wafers, waffles. See Gaufres Waldorf salad, 626 Walnuts, pickled, 649 Watermelon pickle, 586 Welsh rarebit, 172 Whale; boiled, 405; steak, 91; with potato crust, 91; Whitebait, devilled, 509; fried, 509 Whitings, to dress, 82 Wild rice casserole, 635 Yoghurt, yaourt, 209 Yrchouns, 579
About the Author Janet Clarkson is a culinary historian and food writer in Australia. Her lively blog is The Old Foodie.
