World on a Plate

Text and Photography

by

Füsun Atalay © 2004

Culinary enthusiasts could easily munch their way from one county to another, as they create tantalizing menus named after places!

If you think of geographical locations which have lent their names to foods, you can easily make a whole meal out of places. How about starting with a steaming Manhattan clam chowder followed by a smoked Turkey and Cheddar Sandwich with Dijon? Skip the mayo; it has too much Greece.

A cup of Java with just a Cuba sugar served in fine China would wash it down. After a baked Alaska with a glass of Champagne, you can ask the waiter for the Czech; Taiwan on for the road, and then go on your merry way.

Many dishes are named after places - everything from Lancashire Hotpot (a casserole of meat and vegetables topped with sliced potatoes) and Dundee Cake (a rich fruit cake) to Anglesey eggs (a dish of leeks, mashed potatoes, hard-boiled eggs and cheese sauce), baked Ulster ham, and Bath buns (a sweet bun containing spices and dried fruit, originally made in Bath, western England). And did you know that HP sauce is thus known as it was created by the chef at the House of Parliament?

Boston cream pie
Boston Cream Pie consists of layer of fluffy, rum-laced custard sandwiched between a moist, light sponge cake topped with chocolate sauce. It is more like a cake than a pie. What is known about its origin is that someone, most likely from Bosto wanted to replace the pie crust as the standard foundation for a creamy filling, and baked a cake batter in a pie pan, creating a totally new and instantly popular dessert.

Cornish pasties
Cornwall in south-west England is famous for its Cornish Pasties - a pastry case filled with meat, potatoes and vegetables, which was the traditional midday meal of workers in the region. The compactness of the pastie, resembling the Italian calzone with its various fillings, made it a harty and convenient item for the lunchbox.

Bakewell tart
The town of Bakewell in Derbyshire, England, has a rich pastry tart named after it. The Bakewell pudding ( the British call all dessertsincluding cakes and pies 'pudding' ) or Bakewell tart was said to have been created by accident. When a cook forgot to put jam over the custard filling of a pudding, she spread it straight onto the pastry case and poured the custard on top. Thus a new dish was born!

Welsh cakes
Welsh cakes, a kind of sweet cake cooked on a griddle, were originally served to hungry travellers when they arrived at an inn for the night while they waited for their supper to be cooked. The dough is rolled and cut into shapes which then are cooked on both sides on a hot griddle.

Frankfurters were named after Frankfurt, Germany, where these sausages were first made in the Middle Ages, as experts believe . About 1900, an American vendor selling cooked hotdogs called them "hot dachshuns" and since then, because of the sausage's resemblence to the long-bodied dog, the nomeclature 'hot dog' came to be used.

Baked Alaska
The name Baked Alaska originated at Delmonico's Restaurant in New York City in 1876, and was created in honor of the newly acquired territory of Alaska. Supposedly, it was later popularized worldwide in 1895 by chef Jean Giroix of the Hotel de Paris in Monte Carlo.

Also known as the Norvegian omelette, Baked Alaska consists of hard ice cream on a base of sponge cake. It is then covered with uncooked meringue and kept in the freezer until serving time, when it is placed under a broiler just long enough to brown the meringue. The combination of the ice cream and the broiled sweet meringue create a wonderful sensation on the palate and combine the two opposites of ice and fire in this showy dessert.

The gastronomical delights, named after places go on and on. Here I have covered a few. And for the last selection, I'll let William Makepeace Thackery describe in his own words the nature of Bouillabaisse.

" A Street there is in Paris famous,
For which no rhyme our language yields,
Rue Neuve de petits Champs its name is-
The New Street of the Little Fields;
And there's an inn, not rich and splendid,
But still in comfortable case--
The which in youth I oft attended,
To eat a bowl of Bouillabaisse.
This Bouillabaisse a noble dish is--
A sort of soup, or broth, or brew,
Or hotchpotch of all sorts of fishes,
That Greenwich never could outdo;
Green herbs, red peppers, muscles, saffern,
Soles, onions, garlic, roach, and dace;
All these you eat at Terre's tavern,
In that one dish of Bouillabaisse. "
~ excerpt from The Ballad Of Bouillabaisse ~

Easy Baked Alaska
8 egg whites
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 quarts vanilla ice cream, softened
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 (18.25 ounce) package white cake mix
1 cup white sugar

Line the bottom and sides of an 8-inch round mixing bowl with foil. Spread ice cream in the bowl, packing it firmly. Cover and freeze for 8 hours or until it is firm.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour an 8x8 inch round cake pan.

Prepare cake mix with egg and almond extract. Pour into the prepared cake pan.

Bake in the preheated oven according to package instructions, until the centre of cake springs back when it is lightly touched.

Beat egg whites with cream of tartar, salt and sugar until stiff peaks form.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place cake in the centre. Turn frozen moulded ice cream out onto the cake.

Quickly spread meringue over the cake and ice cream, all the way to the bottom to seal the ice cream. Return to the freezer 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).

Bake the Alaska on the lowest shelf, 8 to 10 minutes, or until meringue is lightly browned. Serve at once.

Boston Cream Pie
Eggs contribute to the airiness of this sponge cake. Therefore, it's essential that the eggs be room temperature in order to whip to their best volume.

Milk Sponge Cake
1 cup sifted cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup milk
3 tablespoons unflavored vegetable oil
3 large eggs, room temperature
1 egg yolk, room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
powdered sugar for decoration

Adjust rack in lower third of oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Line a 9-inch springform pan with parchment or waxed paper; do not grease. Sift flour, baking powder and salt. In a small bowl add the the milk and oil; do not be concerned that they do not blend together.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, yolk and sugar to combine. Using an electric mixer at medium speed, whip the egg mixture until it is light ivory in color and very fluffy, about 6 minutes.

Add the vanilla toward the end of whipping. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the flour mixture in two additions. Pour the milk mixture down the side of the mixing bowl. (It will sink to the bottom of the bowl under the batter.)

Gently fold until the milk mixture is thoroughly incorporated. Pour the batter into the pan. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until the cake is golden on top and it springs back when lightly pressed in the center. Remove pan from oven to a wire rack until cool.

Boston Cream Filling
Only half of this rich, thick pastry cream, lightened with whipped cream is needed for the dessert. Enjoy the remaining filling with fresh fruit.

1 cup milk
1/2 cup sugar, divided
3 egg yolks
3 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon each dark rum and vanilla
1/2 cup heavy cream, whipped

In a small bowl whisk to combine the egg yolks and 1/4 cup sugar, then the flour. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the milk and 1/4 cup sugar and heat just until it comes to a boil. Remove, and pour half of the hot liquid over the yolk mixutre, stirring to combine.

Pour the yolk mixture back into the saucepan, and bring it to a boil again, stirring constantly. When it is thick and smooth, remove the pan from the heat and pour the mixture into a large bowl to cool. Cover surface with plastic and refrigerate. When ready to assemble the dessert, stir in the rum and vanilla until smooth, then fold in the whipped cream.

Chocolate Sauce
This is the creamiest chocolate sauce you'll ever taste -- and there's no cream in the recipe.
1/2 cup each water and light corn syrup
12 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

In a small saucepan over low heat, bring the water and corn syrup just to the boil. Remove from the heat, add the chocolate and stir constantly until the chocolate melts and the sauce is smooth and glossy. For best results, reheat in a double boiler.

To assemble the dessert, split the cake into two layers. Spread half the filling evenly over the bottom cake layer. Center the other layer on top. Place the cake on a serving plate, cover with plastic and refrigerate.

Before serving, sprinkle top of cake with powdered sugar. Spoon warm chocolate sauce onto individual plates.

Using a serrated knife, slice dessert into "pie-shaped" wedges and center each portion on the sauce. Yield: 8 servings

Copyrighted Material ~ Copyright © 2004 All Rights belong to Füsun Atalay

The Anatomy of Food

Text and Photography

by

Füsun Atalay © 2004

As long as food has been a fascination with mankind, so has been the search for creative, humorous and often unusual nomenclature for concoctions to please or tease their palate.

Anyone who has read Macbeth will remember, with a good measure of trepidation, the scene of the three wicked witches circling the cauldron chanting spells and adding bizarre ingredients to their stew—

"eye of newt and toe of frog,
Wool of bat and tongue of dog."

Fortunately, we don't consume such unappetizing items; however, even among the delightful menus of the world, there are a good number of food names which may cause a few seconds of apprehension and curiosity before trying them.

Names of foods we take for granted as part of food culture travel long and far, bearing names of people, places, and even parts of the anatomy- be it man or beast. Many of us can easily come up with elbow macaroni, angel hair pasta, buffalo wings or damper dogs as a case in point. Yet there are other gastronomical entities out there which may be less well known by name, appearance or taste.

Let’s start with four evangelists: onions, celery, carrots, and parsley. They are the very foundation for cooking food with the best flavour, and as this foursome cook together in a finely diced assembly, they lose their individuality to take on a single flavour essence. When that is achieved, the dish is said to be in harmony.

Similarly spiritual harmony of being at one with the universe and the creator of such a universe was the inspiration for what, ironically in modern times, has become associated with beer and partying rather than praying. Pretzels were first made by monks in Southern Europe as a reward for students who learned their prayers. The crossed ends of the pretzel represent praying hands crossed over the chest.

People throughout history have also expressed their spiritual devotion, religious beliefs and appreciation of good food by celebrations and feasts. How many of us, for example, are familiar with red-eye gravy, fish eye pudding, nuns’ tummies, ladies’ thighs or Santa Lucia’s eyes ?

Saint Lucia was an Italian Christian who lived in Sicily in the 4th century. She was a very kind person. There was a man who loved her very much but she didn't like him. What this man loved most about Saint Lucia were her eyes; so she gave him her eyes. Then a miracle happened and she grew back her eyes which were even more beautiful then ever. The man asked for those eyes too, but she refused to give them so he killed her with a knife into her heart.

Thus the name Occhi di Santa Lucia (Eyes of St. Lucy) was given to fried cookies made on December 13 every year to celebrate her life and kindness.

According to legend and not necessarily facts, the 7th President of the United States, Andrew Jackson (1767-1845), who was an American General at the time, called his cook over to tell him what to prepare for that evening’s meal.

The cook had been drinking moonshine whiskey the previous night, so his eyes were blood-shot red. General Jackson told the cook to bring him some country ham with gravy as red as his eyes. Nearby, some men heard the general and from then on, ham gravy became red eye gravy.

Hushpuppies, also know as corn dodgers, are very popular throughout the Southern United States. These finger-shaped dumplings of cornmeal are deep-fried and served with fried catfish.

Among the many interesting stories, the oldest one attributes its origin to a group of Ursuline nuns from France who had settled in what was called New Orleans shortly after 1727. The nuns called their concoction croquettes de maize.

One of the stories for naming these corn fingers, hush puppies goes to the confederate soldiers. While they were preparing their meals beside a campfire, if they detected Yankee soldiers approaching, they would toss their yapping dogs some of the fried cornmeal cakes with the command "Hush, puppies!"

Another culinary delight, ladyfingers, seem to have earned their name by their shape and delicacy reminiscent of a gentlewoman's fingers - These oval-shaped cookies or cakes are also known around the world as Boudoir biscuits, sponge biscuits, sponge fingers, Naples biscuits, Savoy biscuits and interestingly langue de chat (cat’s tongue).

The cuisines of the world seem to have taken a particular interest in naming certain delicacies after female the anatomy. Another example of this practice shows itself in a naughty name given to a pastry in Southern Italy. Zinne de monaco (nun’s thighs) are round cakes topped with a white icing and a cherry in the middle.

Another sweet named after nuns, nuns’ tummies, originates in Portugal. However, these sweet egg puddings may be named not so much because of their appearance but rather because of the appearance of the person who may end up like a fat nun after eating too many of these tasty treats.

Kadin budu köftesi which translates as ladies' thighs meatballs, hails from Turkey. In this case, the dish is named so because of its delicate texture and delectable taste which result from the right combination of herbs and seasonings. Perhaps the smooth, oval shapes of the meatballs also contribute in conjuring up the image suggested by the name.

Bear paw bread is an impressive looking Pueblan bread. Crusty, delicious and easy to make it is named after what it looks like: the paw of a bear. Its origins is known to be in the Rio Grande area of New Mexico.

Last but not least are the unusual to look at but delicious to eat ossi dei morti (bones of the dead), so named because they are dry and brittle like old bones. Italians bake these unusual sweets every year on All Souls' Day in November in remembrance of their dead relatives .

So, whether it is ladies' fingers, nuns' tummies, St. Lucy's eyes, Pope's nose or bones of the dead you're eating, if you stop for a second and think of its origins, you may smile with delight and nostalgia, or chuckle with the humour and appreciation that go into the name.
---------
Occhi di Santa Lucia (St. Lucy's Eyes) ~ Makes approximately 60

~ Source: Mary Ann Esposito, PBS Ciao Italia

4 2/3 to 5 cups all-purpose lour
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup milk
Vegetable oil for deep-frying
Confectioners' sugar for sprinkling

In a bowl, mix together 4 cups of the flour, 2 tablespoons of the sugar, and the salt.

In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs and milk together. Stir the mixture into the flour mixture, adding enough additional flour to make a soft ball of dough.

On a floured surface, knead the dough until smooth and no longer sticky. Divide the dough in half. Roll out each piece into a rectangle about 15 by 12 inches. Sprinkle each rectangle evenly with half of the remaining sugar and roll up tightly like a jelly roll. Cut the rolls into ½-inch-thick slices.

In a deep-fryer or deep heavy pot, heat the vegetable oil to 375ºF. Fry the cookies, a few at a time, until golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon to brown paper to drain. Sprinkle the cookies with confectioners' sugar and serve.

Fish Eye Pudding

Source: Marcia Adams
1 cup large pearl tapioca (not instant)
4 cups of water
3 cups brown sugar
pinch salt

Soak tapioca in water overnight in a large crock pot container. Next morning, add brown sugar and pinch of salt. Cover and cook on low setting for 12 hours.
Before serving, add:
1.5 tsp vanilla
1 cup walnuts

Stir, turn into bowl, and cover top with whipped cream. The large pearls of tapioca are the "fish eyes".

Bear Paw Bread

This recipe can be frozen, well wrapped, for up to three months.
1 cup hot water
1 teaspoon solid vegetable shortening, butter, or margarine
1 teaspoon honey
pinch of salt
1 package active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water (110 degrees F)
5 cups all purpose flour

Place the hot water, shortening, honey, and salt in a large bowl; stir to melt shortening.

Dissolve yeast in the warm water in a small bowl. When liquid in the large bowl has cooled to room temperature, stir in the yeast mixture. Add flour 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition. After 4 cups have been added to the dough, place the remaining 1 cup on a board and turn out dough over flour. Knead dough until smooth and elastic, 10 to 15 minutes.

Place dough in a lightly greased very large bowl, turning to grease top of dough. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rise about 1 1/2 hours, or until doubled in bulk. Turn out on a floured board and knead again for about 3 minutes.

Grease 2 (9-inch) pie pans or 2 baking sheets. Divide dough in half and form each piece into a flat circle about 8 inches in diameter. Fold each circle almost in half, allowing the bottom to extend about an inch beyond the top. With a sharp knife, slash the dough twice, cutting through both layers of dough, about halfway back to the fold. This will form three separated sections - the bear's paw. Place each loaf in a greased pie plate, or on a baking sheet, curving the folded side in a crescent shape. Separate the slashes. cover loosely with a towel and let rise until doubled in bulk.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and place a shallow pan of hot water in the center of bottom rack of the oven. Place loaves on the top rack. Bake about 1 hour, or until lightly browned and bread sounds hollow when tapped. ~ Makes 2 loaves.

Copyrighted Material ~ Copyright © 2004 All Rights belong to Füsun Atalay

Names in the Baking

Text and Photography

by

Füsun Atalay © 2004

From Graham Crackers and Garibaldi Biscuits, to Beef Wellington and Reuben Sandwiches, many of the foods we see in respectable restaurant menus or try in our own kitchens are named after people who are credited by either inspiring, or creating them.



As history shows, some of the gastronomic creations that conquer our tastes as well as our fancy are results of either pure coincidence or sheer luck. Often times, what we have come to taste and love is the outcome of an error, forgetfulness or outright dare peppered with a sense of culinary adventure. Yet, whatever the origin and whoever the person that created gastronomic history, these foods have managed to captivate our senses and immortalized their creators by honouring them in the most respected manner.

For instance, fettuccine, a type of flat, thick noodle and Alfredo sauce are a pair of inseparable twins. Although earlier semblances of this sauce existed in Italy for many years, the version created in 1920's by the restaurant owner Alfredo di Lello became very popular. Many celebrities were attracted to Alfredo's restaurant. Among these were Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks who were honeymooning in Rome, and fell in love with Fettuccine Alfredo. When they returned to their native US, they asked for the same recipe and thus popularized it in the new world.

A basic white sauce used as the base for other sauces, the Bechamel Sauce was named to flatter Louis de Bechamel, marquis de Nointel (1603-1703) and a courtier to King Louis XIV. Made with butter, flour and milk, Bechamel can change into Mornay to accompany fish, or cheese sauce to enhance many vegetables dishes.

Considered to be the king of salads, Caesar Salad was created not by a Roman king, but by a restauranteur and chef named Caesar Cardini in Tijuana, Mexico. Today, almost eight decades after its creation, it is served in many restaurants and homes as a traditional salad. The original version of Caesar salad did not have anchovies as an actual ingredient. They came from the Worchestershire sauce that chef Cardini added to what he had in his kitchen to offer to the Prince of Whales who was stuck in Tijuana due to weather.


Another popular dish and comfort food by many is the Chicken Tetrazzini. Made with egg noodles, mushrooms and cubed chicken pieces in a cream sauce topped with cheese, it was named after the Italian soprano Luisa Tetrazzini who lived from 1871 to 1940.


Could anyone have guessed that Melba Toast a crisp, dry and thinly sliced toast served with soups or salads or topped with various toppings, was named after Dame Nellie Melba, which was the stage name for Helen Porter Mitchell? It is believed that the toast dates back to 1897 when the singer was very ill and this type of toast became the main staple of her diet.


Another food created by the renowned French chef Auguste Escoffier in honour of Dame Melba is the Peach Melba, a dessert made with vanilla ice cream, peaches and a sauce raspberry sauce.

In the late 1800's Escoffier created this luscious dessert for the popular Australian opera singer. It's made with two peach halves that have been poached in syrup and cooled. Each peach half is placed hollow side down on top of a scoop of vanilla ice cream, then topped with Melba sauce made with raspberries, redcurrant jelly, sugar and cornstarch and sometimes crowned with whipped cream and sliced almonds.

Dame Melba was not the only inspirer of heavenly desserts. Pavlova, a light and fluffy meringue dessert was named after the Russian ballerina, Anna Pavlova. The sweetened meringue is baked at a very low heat for a long time, not to brown but to dry out and become very crsipy before it becomes an edible vessel for whipeed cream and fruit. Although it is named after the famous Russian ballerina, the originator of the dessert is not known for sure because of the great rivalry between Australians and New Zealanders who both claim that the recipe was born in their countries.

Not all famous dishes were born to a life of established glory. Some, like Sacher Torte, came to being under stress. Recognizable by the name of its creator written on a rich chocolate ganache cover, the famous torte is the creation of Franz Sacher (1816-1907) who, in his second year of baker's apprenticeship concocted this chocolate cake for the Lord of Metternich, because the latter commanded, "For ye shall not bring shame on me tonight !"

In talking about foods inspired by eclectic characters, who can leave out the 1700 century

English nobleman who ordered his servant to bring him two slices of bread with a piece of roast meat between them, so that he would not have to disrupt his card came? And the result? You guessed it. Today, we have the Earl of Sandwich to thank for this ingenious creation which fills millions of lunchbags.


Last but not least, Tarte Tatin, a product of serendipity, is an upside down apple tart with a layer of caramelized sugar which distinguishes it from other types of upside down pastries. The result of an almost cooking disaster, this tarte became a signature dish at the Hotel Tatin, run by the sisters Stephanie and Caroline Tatin, in Lamotte-Beuvron, France. The lasting fame ofthe pastry is attributed to the restauranteur Louis Vaudable who, after tasting the the tart on his visit to Sologne, made this dessert a permanent item in his restaurant, Maxim's of Paris.


As we see, the food origins that provoke the deepest interest are the ones that fascinate our imaginations the most. So next time you order a Ceasar salad with fettuccine Alfredo, and ask if there is a tarte Tatin or peach Melba on the menu, remember the fascinating origins of these dishes and thank, within, to their inspirers or creators who are now part of culinary history.


Pavlova ~ Yield: 12 servings
Source: The Good Housekeeping Illustrated Book of Desserts

Begin 3-1/2 hours before serving or early in day
3 large egg whites
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sugar
5 kiwi fruit
1-1/2 cups heavy or whipping cream
1/4 teaspoon almond extract

Line the cookie sheet with foil. Using a 9-inch round plate or cake pan as guide, with a tooth pick, outline a circle on foil on cookie sheet.

Preheat oven to 275 degrees F. In a small bowl, with an electric mixer at high speed, beat egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt until soft peaks form. Beating at high speed, gradually sprinkle in sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time, beating well after each addition until sugar completely dissolves and whites stand in stiff, glossy peaks.

Inside circle on cookie sheet, spoon meringue mixture, shaping meringue into a nest about 1-1/2 inches high around edge. Bake 1-1/4 hours or until the meringue is lightly browned and crisp.

Cool meringue on the cookie sheet on wire rack 10 minutes. With a metal spatula, carefully loosen and remove meringue from foil to wire a rack to cool completely. When meringue is cool, place on serving plate.

With sharp knife, peel off skin and thinly slice kiwi fruit.

In a small bowl, with mixer at medium speed, beat heavy or whipping cream and almond extract until stiff peaks form.

To Serve: Spoon two-thirds of cream into meringue; reserve a few kiwi fruit slices; arrange remainder on cream. Top with remaining cream and reserved kiwi fruit.

Copyrighted Material ~ Copyright © 2004 All Rights belong to Füsun Atalay