|
American
Home Cooking
Over 300 Recipes Celebrating Our Rich Tradition of
Home Cooking
by
Cheryl Alters Jamison and Bill Jamison (Broadway)
If
soaring takeout food sales and the surge in ethnic cooking are about
to render American home cooking almost obsolete, Cheryl Alters Jamison
and Bill Jamison make a tasty case for sticking with stick-to-your-ribs
U.S. cuisine. In their book, American Home Cooking, they
give 300 delicious reasons in the form of easy, fun recipes that
reflect this country's delicious culinary history.
From
fat Dagwood sandwiches (named for the comic-strip character who
first ate them during the Depression), to Pot Roast With Root Vegetables,
to Pennsylvania Dutch Noodles with Corn and Tomatoes, to Bourbon-and-Butter
Pecan Pie, the Jamisons probably will make your taste buds proud
to prefer American food.
There
are good reasons this book took home the prestigious James Beard
award, as had the Jamison's previous two books, The Border Cookbook
and Smoke and Spice. Filled with historical tidbits and interesting
information, each recipe in the hefty 470-page tome gets a superlative
introduction. For the Bourbon-and-Butter Pecan Pie: "This is the
pie that's more American than apple, featuring an indigenous nut
virtually unknown in the rest of the world. Both George Washington
and Thomas Jefferson grew pecans. Abraham Lincoln relished a molasses
version of this pie, and Eleanor Roosevelt served a modern rendition
at White House holiday dinners, giving it as much presidential stature
as any dish in the country. Its roots go back to chess pie, a simple
egg, butter, and sugar dessert long beloved in the South. After
the introduction of Karo corn syrup in 1902, pecan pie began displacing
its predecessor in popularity. We prefer sugar-cane syrup in the
filling, but so many people use corn syrup that we've seen this
called 'Karo Nut Pie' in Arkansas."
For
Calico Corn Relish: "Found today among the pickle entries at every
state fair in the country, corn relish derives ultimately from the
same sweet-sour seasoning inspiration as chow-chow. It's clearly
an American creation, featuring our native corn, but it shows the
lingering strength of old international influences from the Colonial
period. The tangy flavor goes well with grilled or roasted chicken
and we also like to mix the relish with rice for a summery salad."
That's
just like the Jamisons, mixing this or that to come up with a fresh
way to serve a tried-and-true classic. And that's a big plus in
this book; not only do you get history lessons and a taste of the
past, but also flavorful, new ways to brighten up your culinary
future.
In
addition, you'll get a liberal sprinkling of vintage quotes and
recipes throughout, such as a recipe for Election Cake from this
country's first cookbook, American Cookery from 1796 by Amelia
Simmons, which called for a pint of wine and a quart of brandy.
Following is the later, Hartford version of the cake which won't
leave you quite so tipsy since it relies on just three tablespoons
of dark rum. "Election Day in New England," point out the Jamisons,
"used to be a time for celebrating and feasting. Voters gathered
in towns like Hartford and Salem, both associated with this cake,
and stayed with family and friends for up to a week. Cooks made
a yeasted cake in huge loaves that would provide a generous slice
to anyone who stopped by for a visit…The cake came from the
vanquished British, being one of the surviving great cakes of the
Colonial era…The cake continues to delight because of its moist
richness." 
RECIPES
—Hartford
Election Cake
—Pennsylvania Dutch
Noodles with Corn and Tomatoes
(Updated: 10/30/08 SB)
|
