Scholarly Sleuths

Füsun Atalay ~ Copyright © 2004

When Professor Linne Mooney, Visiting Fellow at Corpus Christi College of Cambridge University, identified Adam Pinkhurst as the mystery scribe of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales last July, the news may have seemed insignificant to many in the greater scheme of things. However, her discovery created much celebration and excitement among the medievalists and scholars of manuscripts around the world.

As far as we can tell, when Chaucer died in 1400, he had not completed The Canterbury Tales in their entirety as he may have planned them. His death preceded the introduction of print by William Caxton to England by seventy-six years. Thus all the early copies of Chaucer's works are in manuscript form. What is known was that, among others, Chaucer had employed a scribe by the name of Adam who made two copies of these tales which have survived until today.

Scholars have long accepted that both copies of these tales were written by the same hand; however, they had no information about the identity (except for his first name), the origins, the home or the work(s) of the scribe.

Mooney’s discovery came as a result of her painstaking work on a catalogue of late medieval English scribes. Her identification of Adam Pinkhurst is based on her analysis of the latter’s handwriting, as he signed his oath upon joining the Scriveners Company of London shortly after 1392, where he was trained in writing and in the correct forms for legal documents.

This kind of painstaking work and unwavering devotion is not unusual for medievalists like Mooney, who teaches medieval English at the University of Maine. Medievalist scholars spend many years of intense research, following minute leads and clues that are indiscernible to the untrained eye. In a sense they are akin to detectives who follow small leads to enlighten our knowledge of the past in literature or history. Like archeologists, they try to reconstruct bits and pieces of the past based on their research and identify history’s contribution to art and literature.

Dr. William (Bill) Schipper, a professor of English and a medievalist at the Memorial University of St. John’s, confirms this similarity. "Every time I look at a manuscript, I see new clues . Although not every one of these is as significant as the one Professor Mooney found," he says, "they often lead to new insights."

Schipper’s favourite clues always come in the margins of manuscripts. "All manuscripts are handwritten books and medieval readers have frequently left traces of their activity such as annotations, or cryptic notes in the margins of these books."

Schipper discovered one such clue in 1993 when he took a group of MUN students to England for six weeks, during which time he persuaded the librarians at the British Library to let him to look at the Benedictional of St. Ethelwald, a beautifully illustrated manuscript book originally made for an archbishop of Winchester during the tenth century.

"Very few people are allowed to see this book in person," he recalls. "But I was looking for annotations in the margins, and the microfilm copy they wanted me to look at first was made from the 1905 printed facsimile which would have made it impossible to see anything of interest."

Thus, the librarians relented, and within half an hour Schipper discovered a number of dry point notes (scratched notes, made with a stylus) which after considerable research on his part turned out to pre-date the production of the manuscript itself, and thus provided an insight into the process by which the book was put together.

No one had ever noticed these despite two hundred years of careful scrutiny, because no one had bothered to look in the margins of this particular manuscript.

Schipper who spent his sabbatical leave this past year at Clare Hall as a Visiting Fellow, a part of Cambridge University, has devoted much of his time to studying the writings of Hrabanus Maurus, a ninth century German monk who was Abbott of the Monastery in Fulda, Germany, for two decades between 822 and 842 AD, as well as the Archbishop of Mainz from 847 to 856 AD.

While studying the letters of Hrabanus, written in Latin, Schipper suddenly began to notice the presence of a personal voice that Hrabanus employs through his use of singular and plural forms of the first person pronouns and verbs.

"At first these seemed arbitrary," says Schipper. "However, in one letter in particular, where Hrabanus begins in the first person plural (we), he suddenly shifts to the first person singular (I) when he reminds his correspondent, The Bishop of Utrecht, that the latter has not yet returned a book, which Hrabanus had loaned him several years earlier. Once he has given this reminder, he switches back to the ‘we’ form in keeping with the rest of the letter."

"That was the clue which alerted me that these shifts from the first person plural to first person singular were not arbitrary, but were careful selections to express his thoughts," says Schipper, as he points out that it is often said "...the personal voice was not something widely used until the Eleventh Century."

That was the "Bingo!" moment for Schipper, who admits it is always a great thrill to uncover the meaning of something that others have either ignored or dismissed.

Another such moment came to him during the 1980's when he was studying some Latin glosses in Old English manuscripts. At the front of one of these manuscripts was half a page of Latin-English word pairs all of which had been crossed out. He discussed these with the late Peter Hunter Blair, a well-known historian, who dismissed them as insignificant.

"I persisted," says Schipper who did not think that they were insignificant.

Thus he started looking up the English words in an Old and Modern English Dictionary when he noticed that there was a correlation between the words in this list and in one of the texts in the particular manuscript he was studying. When he looked at the words in their contexts in the manuscripts, he saw that the Latin part of the word pair had been written above the English words in the text.

What did this all mean?

Schipper’s discovery is indeed thrilling: "It turned out that this list of words that had been dismissed by other scholars was, in fact, the beginning of a Latin - English bilingual dictionary."

Whether it is identifying an ancient scribe, discovering a personal voice prior to the Eleventh Century, or interpreting scribbles from the margins of a manuscript - these are the kinds of things that keep scholars going back to the manuscripts over and over again, feeling certain that studying each line, a crossed out word, or a faded name can bring a new discovery and shed some light on the past.

Schipper agrees. "The kind of seemingly insignificant detective work can prove just as important as mainstream literary criticism, and that’s what makes it worthwhile," he says.

This material is copyrighted © . All rights belong to Füsun Atalay ~ Copyright © 2004

Pub Culture

Text and Photography by Füsun Atalay © 2004

Acknowledgment: My research on this topic is based on first hand experiences of pubs in Cambridge, England as well as knowledge I gained by reading material on the Internet.

"No, Sir; there is nothing which has yet been contrived by man, by which so much happiness is produced as by a good tavern."

~ Samuel Johnson, 1776 ~

Just what is it about pubs that have attracted people from seventeen to seventy - and even older - not only to enjoy a brew, but also to forget the woes of the world as they engaged in animated interaction, played games or sang their favouite songs in informal, cosy surroundings ?

Rhetorical question ?

Maybe.

But pubs, throughout history, have been more than just a shop where drinks were sold and meals were consumed. They were as important to a community just as its churches were.For centuries the pub has been a place where friends met, colleagues talked shop, and businessmen negotiated deals. They were establishments where people gathered to celebrate, shoot darts, sing songs or seek simple, quiet relaxation.

Due to changes in the law, many pubs now are places for families with old and young members, re-establishing themselves as places to eat. Many pubs may also provide affordable ccommodation, especially in rural areas; and in remote communities pubs often serve also as church or post office.

So how has the pub evolved its unique role in English life?

The term 'pub' was coined by the Victorians, as an abbreviation of 'public house'. It was the Romans who gave England its first 'pubs' almost two thousand years ago. In Roman towns tabernae, recognizable by vine leaves displayed outside to advertise their trade, served food, wine, and probably local ale. Unfortunately, when the Romans left, the tabernae also disappeared.

Over the next few centuries invaders came and went, and occasionally settled. One thing the invaders all had in common was their fondness for drinking. They had an unquenchable thirst for ale, which was brewed using malted barley, water and yeast. It was sweet and powerful, but did not keep as it soured easily.

To produce good ales skill was needed . As with all skills, some people were better at brewing than were others. Those who made good ale sold it within and beyond their villages.

The ale was sometimes consumed at the brewer's house and so, the informal alehouse was born. However this arrangement was likely to be part-time or when the brewer had enough money to brew. History testifies that as early as the seventh century the number of ale-sellers was restricted by Ethelbert, the King of Kent, so it would seem the population was becoming a little too skilful at brewing.

Meanwhile, the increase in industries and the growth of population began worsening the already polluted water supply. Thus, ale became the only safe drink and the increase in demand made alehouses take on a permanent role.

The Church's influence did not lessen the English thirst for ale; so the Church adopted many Pagan rituals involving drinking. Ales brewed especially for church festivals or to raise funds were known as 'scot ales', and those who brewed secretly to avoid giving the church its share were drinking 'scot free'.

During the reign of Elizabeth I (1558-1603) England began to assert herself in the world through trade and exploration, as well as military might. Population growth and a changing economy saw the expansion and creation of towns. Population in urban areas settled permanently as the professional classes of lawyers, bankers, and civil servants started prospering.

The taverns developed in the towns in those times sold only wine. The fundamental difference between the tavern and the alehouse was that the former was a place for leisure and pleasure, whereas the latter was a place of necessity. In the alehouse, the poor found shelter and relief from their plight spending the little money they had, to sustain themselves.

Taverns on the other hand, catered to the professional classes by offering better food, drink, and many other comforts which they could afford.The romantic, nineteenth century pictures of the cosy taverns, with customers gathered in animated conversation, smoking pipes and quaffing ales around a crackling fireplace, hang in many modern pubs.

That was a time when taverns thrived. Although the clientele may have been wealthier than those who frequented the alehouses, their behaviour not always suited their social rank. There was much drunkenness, since it was not disapproved of as it is today. Consequently, taverns attracted con-artists and prostitutes who fleeced the inebriated, unsuspecting patrons.

Today, whether they are called gastropub, brasserie or bistro, pubs are found all over the world.

They bring together friends, families, employees, retirees or tourists to socialize, enjoy a meal and taste beer on tap or in the bottle. The mood is jovial, the atmosphere warm and friendly.

The hustle and bustle during lunch or happy hour and the friendly, unpretentious service are some of the trade marks that distinguish many pubs from other social establishments.Pubs offer generous, tasty meals at reasonable prices.

Depending on their location and clientele, pub fares may vary. However, one of the traditional fares is the Ploughman's Lunch, which includes a large piece of cheese, a piece of bread, pickles and a pint of beer. Fish and chips or grilled fish, fries and salad are traditional items in pub menus. Pubs also serve meat pies, hamburger steak with fries, chili or slices of roast beef with thick slices of dark bread, lettuce and tomatoes.

Keeping with modern trends, curries, lasagna, and mussels have been added to the menus.Whether it is the food or the atmosphere that attracts patrons to a pub, one thing they are sure to find is a warm, welcome feeling of being among kindred spirits who share topics of common interests, carry on lively conversation, and forget the burdens of the world for a while in an age of ever-growing concerns.

Here is an easy to prepare pub-inspired recipe which goes a long way in taste.

Lamb Shanks Braised in Stout
Source: Man Made Food

6 x 450 g lamb shanks
1/4 cup vegetable oil
salt and pepper, to taste
2 large white onions, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
1 Tbsp sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups stout
3 cups beef stock
1 bay leaf
3 sprigs fresh thyme
3 sprigs fresh parsley
Preheat oven to 350F.

In a large heavy Dutch oven, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Season the lamb shanks and brown in batches, 2 or 3 at a time. When browned all over, remove the shanks to a plate and set aside.

If there is a lot of fat remaining, remove all but 2 – 3 tbsp. Reduce heat to medium and add the onions and garlic. Season and saute until the onions begin to soften. Add the sugar and the flour and continue to cook for several minutes. Raise the heat to high and add the stout and beef stock, stirring constantly.

Bury the shanks in the braising base, add the parsley and thyme and bring to a boil. Cover with the lid and place the Dutch oven in the preheated oven. Cook for 2 hours or until the shanks are meltingly tender. Remove the herbs and serve.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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

The Versatile Rhizome

Text and Photography

By:

Füsun Atalay ~ Copyright © 2006

It is used as an aromatic spice in baking, a flavoring in marinating and beverages, or part of the main ingredients in cooking. It can be chopped, sliced. grated, juiced, dried, powdered, candied or pickled. Although it’s a subtropical plant, it’s available year round, and in spite of being commonly referred to as a root, it’s really a rhizome.

If you guessed that this versatile plant is ginger, you’re right on the money.

Ginger first originated in southern China, before its cultivation spread to India, Southeast Asia, West Africa, and the Caribbean. Today, it’s used as an indispensable spice in many cuisines of the world.

Fresh ginger is found at most supermarkets. Look for unblemished smooth skin. Breaking off a piece of the rhizome, called a ‘hand’, doesn't jeopardize the integrity of the whole, thus you can buy as much or as little as you need. The break should be clean and snappy, indicating the freshness of the ginger.

At home, store your purchase in the fridge for a month. You can also freeze fingers of ginger in freezer bags, and grate or slice them into soups, stir fries and other recipes that call for it


Peeling ginger is not a difficult task, and even a spoon will do the job nicely. Hold the ginger in the palm of one hand while you scrape the peel off with the spoon in the other- and voila- you have peeled ginger without even reaching out for fancy peelers! When you use ginger for sugar syrup, tea or marinades from which it will be retrieved, you don’t need to peel it.


Besides its many culinary uses ginger has its own health promoting virtues. Because it stimulates the production of saliva and digestive fluids, its most common use is for relieving indigestion, stomach cramps, gas pains and diarrhea. Perhaps for this reason ginger ale is a common and soothing drink we reach out for during times of upset stomach.

Ginger has been attributed with anti-inflammatory properties, treating nausea, cleansing the body from toxins by stimulating blood circulation and even helping to break fever by warming the body to increase perspiration.

Ginger in the kitchen

While dried and crystallized ginger take up center stage mostly for baking, fresh ginger in all its other forms- fresh, grated, sliced, julienned and pickled enhance our dishes with flavors ranging from spicy-sweetness to intense pepperiness. In cookies, breads, candies and preserves ginger forms great friendships with sweet warmth of cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and cloves. In savory recipes it gets along well with the spicy tease of garlic, coriander, and cumin.

*Top grilled fish with a dollop of compound butter made by adding grated ginger and lime zest to butter at room temperature and stirring until well combined. Refrigerate until use.

Mix grated fresh ginger, minced garlic, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Pour over chicken, fish, or meat as a delicious marinade.

* Peel and slice fresh ginger. Store in a mild, dry sherry to use the base for a tasty pan gravy for chicken or veal.

*Dip crystallized ginger discs in melted chocolate to add variety to a dessert plate.

*Next time you're making pancakes, stir a couple of teaspoons of finely minced crystallized ginger into the batter for a spicy-sweet surprise.

Ginger-Lime Halibut Steaks ~ Serves 4
4 (6 ounce) halibut steaks
1/4 cup lime juice
2 teaspoons ginger juice
1 clove garlic, crushed
pinch ground chili powder
Nonstick cooking spray

Place fish in a shallow glass baking dish.
Mix remaining ingredients together in a small bowl.

Add marinade, turn fish once to coat.
Cover and refrigerate from1 to 16 hours, turning occasionally.
Spray grill rack with nonstick cooking spray.

Grill fish 4 inches from heat over a medium heat for 7-10 minutes per side or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Frequently brush with remaining marinade while cooking.
Discard any remaining marinade. Fish can also be broiled.

Chewy Ginger Snaps
½ cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup dark molasses
1 egg
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 cups flour
½ teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
3.5 ounces crystallized ginger, chopped coarsely

Preheat oven to 375F.
Combine softened butter, sugar, molasses and egg.
Using a mixer, beat well.
Stir in crystallized ginger.
Sift dry ingredients together.
Add to wet mixture.
Mix well.
Form 1 inch balls.
Roll in granulated sugar.
Place on greased cookie sheet, 2 inches apart.
Bake 8-10 minutes.
Makes 3 dozen cookies.

Copyrighted Material ~ Copyright © 2006 All Rights belong to Füsun Atalay

Lilies of the Kitchen

Text and Photos

By:

Füsun Atalay ~ Copyright 2004

"Onions may be among the vegetables that will be prized not only for their addition to our cuisine, but for their value-added health characteristics."

~ Irwin Goldman, Associate Professor of Horticulture, University of Wisconsin-Madison ~

Can anyone picture a kitchen without the distinctively pungent aroma and taste of onions complementing the flavours of almost every international cuisine imaginable? They may bring a tear to your eye, and a pungency to your breath, but onions will almost invariably delight your tastebuds in whatever form they appear.

Christopher Columbus is the one to be credited with bringing onions to the West Indies, and from there, their cultivation spread throughout the Western Hemisphere. Today China, India, the United States, Russia, and Spain are among the leading producers of onions. Yellow storage onions are available throughout the year, but sweet varieties have a much more limited growing season and are available only a few months out of the year.

The word onion comes from the Latin word unio for "single," or "one," because unlike its cousin, the garlic, that produces many small bulbs, the onion plant produces a single bulb. The name also describes the union (also from unio) of the many separate, concentrically arranged layers of the onion.

Onion is a member of the Lily Family of which here are about 4000 species including edible plants such as asparagus, onions, garlic, leeks, and chives. Low in calories yet abundant in flavour, onions are sodium, fat, and cholesterol free; and they provide dietary fiber, vitamin C, vitamin B6, potassium, and other key nutrients.

Onions have been around for a long time. Translation of Babylonian cuneiform tablets at Yale University Library reveal recipes using onions, leek and garlic. Cooks over much of the world would be lost without the onion because onions are one of the most versatile vegetables. They are eaten raw in salads, are cooked or pickled in a variety of ways, and are used as a flavouring or seasoning.

Dehydrated onion products provide popular flavourings for soups and stews.
Higher intakes of fruits and vegetables have, for quite a while, been associated with a variety of health benefits. Research shows that onions may help guard against many chronic diseases because they contain generous amounts of a flavonoid called quercetin as well as a variety of other naturally occurring chemicals known as organosulfur compounds which have been linked to lowering blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

In addition to quercetin, onions contain the phytochemicals known as disulfides, trisulfides, cepaene, and vinyl dithiins. These compounds have a variety of health-functional properties, including anticancer and antimicrobial activities.

Onions produce the chemical irritant known as syn-propanethial-S-oxide which stimulates the eyes' lachrymal glands so they release tears. Scientists used to blame the enzyme allinase for the instability of substances in a cut onion. Recent studies from Japan, however, proved that lachrymatory-factor synthase, (a previously undiscovered enzyme) is the culprit for the inexplicable tears.

Onions range in size, color and taste depending upon their variety. There are generally two types of large, globe-shaped onions classified as spring/summer or storage onions. Spring/summer onions include Vidalia and Maui Sweet onion that are grown in warm weather climates and have characteristic mild or sweet taste.

Storage onions are grown in colder weather climates and, after harvesting, are dried out for a period of several months. Generally they have a more pungent flavor and they are named by their color: white, yellow or red. In addition to these onions, there are smaller varieties such as the green onion (scallion) and the pearl onion.
------
Maple Baked Onions
6 large sweet onions, sliced 1/2 inch thick
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup butter or margarine

Layer onions in a flat greased baking dish.
Combine syrup and butter; pour over onions.
Bake, uncovered, at 425F for approximately 45 minutes or till tender.

Serve with meat, poultry, rice or potatoes.
-----------
Vichyssoise (Leek and PotatoSoup)
6 leeks
2 medium-sized onions
1/2 cup butter

8 litres chicken broth

2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced

salt and pepper, to taste

1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup half and half

1/4 cup chopped chives

Clean leeks and peel the onions. Chop leeks and onions and saute lightly in butter, watching that they don't brown. Add chicken broth and potatoes. Season to taste with salt and pepper and cook slowly until potatoes are soft. Press through a sieve or blend in a blender. Add cream. Chill in the refrigerator. Serve with a sprinkling of finely chopped chives. Serves 6.
---------------
French Onion Soup
750 g sweet yellow onions
250 g small red onion
4 Tablespoons butter
4 Tablespoons flour
1 Tablespoon honey
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
2 15-ounce cans beef broth

Peel and slice onions; separate onions into rings. In a large Dutch oven, saute onions in butter over low heat until caramelized, about 15 minutes. Add honey, Worcestershire sauce and sprinkle in flour and pepper. Stir and cook for 1 minute over medium heat. Stir in beef broth. Simmer for 30 minutes.

Serve on toasted French bread in bottom of soup bowl. Reheat soup and ladle over bread. Top with grated Jarlsberg, Gruyere, or Swiss cheese. Place under preheated broiler until cheese melts.
---------------
Onion Pie
3 cups sliced onions
2 Tablespoons butter
1 pound cottage cheese
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 - 9 inch pie crust
salt
pepper
cayenne

Saute onions in butter until soft. Blend cottage cheese with cream and season to taste.
Pour into pie shell. Spread onions over cheese. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.
-------
Sweet Onion Relish
3 cups finely chopped Vidalia Onions
1/2 teaspoon oregano, crushed
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 Tablespoon water
1/2 cup tomato sauce
3 Tablespoon ketchup
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

In 2 quart pan combine onions and water. Bring to boil, reduce heat. Add tomato sauce, ketchup, sugar, oregano, garlic and crushed red pepper flakes. Simmer 20 minutes or until onions are just tender. Serve hot or cold with meats, great with hot dogs or burgers. Stores in the refrigerator up to two weeks.
~~~~~~~~~~

Copyrighted Material ~ Copyright © 2006 ~ All Rights belong to Füsun Atalay

Condiments of the Season

Text and Photos by : Füsun Atalay ~ Copyright © 2005

Pickling is defined by most culinary sources as one of the oldest methods of preserving vegetables, as well as some kinds of fish, in salt and/or vinegar to provide a bacteria-free environment that prevents spoiling.

Yet to many of us who love colourful jams and savoury pickles, the art of preserving food seems like a highly demanding culinary alchemy.

I fondly remember my mother and grandmother turning fruits picked at their perfection, or seasonal vegetables, into shimmering preserves and mouth-watering pickles and chutneys.

Although I have not been diligent to follow in their footsteps, I’ve come to realize over the years that preserving or pickling doesn’t have to be intimidating if one follows a few steps and pays attention to some important points.

With that in mind, I recently started taking baby steps towards making my own pickles and preserves.

Once I decided to try my hand at pickling, I thought I should keep a journal to record what worked and what did not, in order to chart a few rules for success.

The most important rule for me, (needless to say, after a few trials and errors) is to follow a recipe exactly, without altering the types and amounts of salt or vinegar.

Then, just as important as the first rule, is the next step, which is starting with crisp, blemish-free produce. To ensure freshness, use the vegetables within 24 hours after washing them under lots of cold, running water.

There is a difference between pickling salt and table salt — the latter contains iodine which can darken pickles. Anti-caking agents in table salt can cause cloudiness in your brine. Therefore, do not compromise and use one for the other.

Use only soft water because it has low levels of minerals and chlorine. Hard water is high in mineral levels and therefore can lower brine acidity, jeopardizing food safety.

That explains why Mom used to boil water for 15 minutes, then allowed it to stand covered until next day. She would remove any surface scum that formed and ladled the water from the pot without agitating the sediment settled at the bottom. It was just something that one did when one made pickles — no questions.

But I feel knowing the reason for doing things helps to understand the chemistry of ingredients. The boiling process kills some of the minerals, and consequently softens hard water.

My mother used commercial white vinegar with at least five per cent acidity, or "pickling vinegar" (7 per cent acidity), over malt or cider vinegars which had their use for salads only. She said salad vinegars darkened light-coloured vegetables such as cauliflower or celery.

When it comes to spices, it’s best to use fresh, whole, crushed or ground spices, because powdered spices can turn the pickling liquid dark and murky. Pickling spices are available at the supermarket, but we always made our own by combining black peppercorns, fennel seeds, celery seeds, dill seeds, bay leaves, chili peppers, yellow mustard seeds, cinnamon sticks, whole cloves and coriander seeds in a small bag made of cheesecloth.

Finally, use heat-proof glass, stainless steel or hard-anodized aluminum pots and pans. We preserved our pickles in glass or ceramic bowls until they were ready to serve.

Cooked Antepasto
An old family recipe, it is as easy as it is delicious. Start with the freshest vegetables you can find.

3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup sliced carrots
250 g fresh mushrooms, quartered
1 large green pepper, chunked
1 large red pepper, chunked
1/2 cauliflower head broken into small florets
375 ml jar pickled onions, drained
1 cup white wine
1 cup vinegar
1 small can tomato paste
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1 bay leaf
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 - 170-g cans white chunk tuna, drained
1/2 cup dill pickles, sliced and drained
3/4 cup pimento stuffed olives, drained

Heat oil in pan and saute celery, carrots mushrooms, peppers, pickled onions and cauliflower. Cover and cook with lid on for 5 minutes.

Add the white wine vinegar, tomato paste, bay leaf, garlic and brown sugar. Cook uncovered for 10 minutes to allow some liquid to evaporate.

Stir in tuna, dill pickles and olives. Cover and cook 10 minutes more. Remove bay leaf, cool. Spoon into sterilized jars, cover and store in the refrigerator.

Pickled Crunchy Vegetables

All or any combination of:
small cauliflower broken into florets
carrots, sliced diagonally
celery stalks sliced diagonally into 3 cm pieces
celery leaves
fresh green beans
snow peas
large red pepper cut into 2 cm strips
Along with
garlic cloves, peeled
Kosher salt
white vinegar
pickling spices
water

Boil 12 cups of water and allow to cool to lukewarm. Wash and prepare vegetables. Place them tightly into prepared jars. You can use Mason jars or sterilized old pickle jars, as I do.

For each cup of water add:
1 Tbsp. Kosher salt
4 Tbsp. white vinegar
1 tsp. pickling spice

Stir and pour into vegetable packed jars.
Cover jars with plastic wrap. Place covers on and leave upside down at room temperature overnight. Next day, place jars in the refrigerator and keep refrigerated for 10 days before serving. Store in the fridge.

Pickled Salmon Chili
This appetizer or first-course recipe comes from my dear friend, Phyllis Levitt

5 lb. Atlantic salmon, cut into 4-oz. portions
4 cups boiled water
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper corns
2 cups white vinegar
1 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. pickling spices
5 bay leaves
1 10-oz. bottle Heinz chili sauce
1 Spanish onion, sliced thickly

In a large pot, place hot water, vinegar, salt, pepper corns, bay leaves, oil, spices and chili sauce and bring to a boil. Lower heat, gently place a few portions of salmon. Steam portions, turning once until they are opaque but still raw inside.

Remove salmon portions carefully and place in a large glass or ceramic dish to cool. Add sliced onions between layers of salmon and on the top. Pour sauce over the layers, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 3-5 days before serving, basting once a day. When ready to serve, strain sauce to remove most of the spices.

This will keep a long time in the refrigerator — if it lasts.

Copyrighted Material ~ Copyright © 2005 All Rights belong to Füsun Atalay

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