A little more about my stay at the Charles Hotel last weekend:
Lovely orchids in the lobby when I checked in. Continue reading
Why you should stay at the Charles Hotel
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Tag Archives: food
Condiment wars
We had some delicious scrapple yesterday, courtesy of my mom.
The glory of the food was nearly overshadowed, though, by discussions of the toppings available to put on them.
First, catsup vs. ketchup. As it happens, Both terms are acceptable in general, but for unknown reasons some people find the “catsup” spelling not just wrong but offensive.
Let’s take a look at where the words come from. According to World Wide Words:
Ketchup was one of the earliest names given to this condiment, so spelled in Charles Lockyer’s book of 1711, An Account of the Trade in India: “Soy comes in Tubbs from Jappan, and the best Ketchup from Tonquin; yet good of both sorts are made and sold very cheap in China”. … The confusion about names started even before Charles Lockyer wrote about it, since there is an entry dated 1690 in the Dictionary of the Canting Crew which gives it as catchup, which is another Anglicisation of the original Eastern term. … There were lots of other spellings, too, of which catsup is the best known, a modification of catchup. You can blame Jonathan Swift for it if you like, since he used it first in 1730…”
Still not sure why people would be horrified that anyone would use the “catsup” spelling. Both are misspellings of an older Chinese word. Maybe we should return to that root?
Then, maple syrup vs. ketchup/catsup as a topping for scrapple: This division was a major one in my mother’s house when she was growing up. She preferred maple syrup — not an unusual choice, considering that many people enjoy syrup on sausage, and sausage is basically chunky scrapple. Her sister Bonnie thought this a bizarre choice, preferring catsup. (No word on which spelling she preferred.)
Live and let live, I say. Let us not fight over which condiments are the “right” ones. Rather, let’s sit down to table and enjoy both the food and each other’s company.
(Photo credit: More details of the World’s Largest Catsup Bottle, originally uploaded by anneh632.)
ScrappleFest!
Oh, to be in Philadelphia this weekend! Specifically, to be in Reading Terminal on Saturday, for what will be a wondrous day of pork consumption: ScrappleFest!
From the Philadelphia City Paper:
Check out ScrappleFest this Sat., March 21, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Free to the public, the event is a celebration of Philly’s favorite “what exactly is in it?”-inspiring breakfast treat. (Read this to get the idea, novices.)
In addition to live tunes, scrapple-themed souvenirs and samples from the likes of Dietz & Watson, Hatfield, the Pennsylvania General Store (chocolate scrapple!) and the Fair Food Farmstand (the illustrious Vrapple), there’ll also be a recipe contest pitting RTM merchants against each other to see who’s got the strongest scrapple game. Judging the competition will be chef/author Aliza Green, Rx chef Greg Salisbury, Where magazine’s Laura Burkhardt and yours truly.
I adore scrapple. Dusted with flour, cooked on a hot pan, served with fried eggs and rye toast: my dream breakfast. And dream lunch or dinner.
Actually, the only scrapple my family eats is Habbersett brand; it has a particular combination of spices and a certain texture that is perfect. It’s not easy to get Habbersett’s on this side of the state, but we bring it back when we visit family and friends out east.
The lack of good scrapple in western PA has led me to consider trying to make it myself. I won’t be able to duplicate the Habbersett flavor exactly — or maybe with enough experimentation I will. I have a recipe from Julia Child’s The Way to Cook, and it doesn’t look too complicated. And of course I can choose the meats and ingredients I want to include, so the result will at least be of good quality.
I will report back on my results.
(Thanks to Uncle Crappy for pointing out the ScrappleFest to me. Or maybe no thanks, as now I’ll be consumed with jealousy of Philadelphians for a few days.)
UPDATE: Scrapple for dinner! Hooray for mom and her stash of Habbersett’s in the freezer.
Top photo credit: “30 days of pork – day 23” by mandydale
The Deadliest Pecan Pie in the South
For Thanksgiving, I was a baking fool. I made bread (using the no-knead recipe I blogged a while back) plus a nice pecan pie.
For pecan pie, I use a recipe from Comfort Food by Holly Garrison. Mom gave me this cookbook years ago; it’s my go-to cookbook for really rich desserts and classic American recipes. It includes a great recipe for scones, the right ratio for ingredients in lemonade, the most outrageously rich chocolate cheesecake, and more.
Including the recipe for “The Deadliest Pecan Pie in the South.” Which I will share with you now:
The Deadliest Pecan Pie in the South
1 9-inch unbaked pie shell (I use Julia Child’s tart crust recipe)
1 to 1.25 cups pecan halves (or more)
4 eggs
1 cup firmly packed, light-brown sugar
1 cup dark corn syrup
3 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons good brandy or cognac
lightly sweetened whipped cream or vanilla ice creamPreheat oven to 300 degrees F.
Scatter pecan halves in the bottom of the pie shell.
Beat egs, sugar, and syrup together in a medium bowl. Add butter and mix thoroughly. Stir in brandy. Slowly pour over pecans. Let stand until pecans rise to the surface. (The pecans will become beautifully glazed as the pie bakes.)
Bake for about 1 hour and 30 minutes, or until the center is nearly firm.
Cool pie on a wire rack.
Serve while still slightly warm, topped with whipped cream or ice cream.
Or, invite me to dinner and ask me to bring dessert, and this is what I shall bring.
(Photo credit: Pecan pie, originally uploaded by cynthiacloskey.)
Eat, drink, share
Quick thoughts:
1. The photo above is of a loaf of no-knead bread I made over the weekend. The recipe (from the New York Times, "No-Knead Bread") was as easy as promised. I didn’t give the bread quite enough time to cool, because I was running late, but my family gave it very high marks and there were only small bits and crumbs left after dinner. Will be trying a similar method with some of my favorite bread recipes soon.
2. It’s Mixology Monday, and the theme is "Made from Scratch." I’m not able to participate this week, due to being too busy but more importantly an ill-prepared person. Had I gotten my act together, I would be mixing up something that requires homemade maraschino cherries, because I’ll be fixing a big batch of those soon. In the meantime, please check out Pegu Blog’s excellent hosting and the many yummy and hand-crafted submissions.
3. Tomorrow is the Neighborhood Walk. Post something about where you live — with pictures or video audio or just vivid text — and share in the fun. And please invite others to do the same. Finally, tag your post with "neighborhoodwalk" to help everyone find everything.
(Photo credit: No-knead bread, originally uploaded by cynthiacloskey.)
2008: International Year of the Potato
The Economist heaps praise upon the humble spud: "Mashed, fried, boiled and roast, a humble tuber changed the world, and free-trading globalisers everywhere should celebrate it."
Long John Silvers’ fish sandwiches declared the best in show for Fast Food Friday. Get ‘em while they’re greasy!
Doug (aka Father Spoon of Should I Drink That) has been reviewing fast food fish sandwiches throughout Lent, and he says he has found the
Holy Grail at Long John Silvers
. I can’t say I’m tempted, although as a child I was a big, big fan of their fried clam dinners. But if you’re looking for something to eat on Good Friday, you might give it a try.
Answers to questions you have not asked
Green Point Room Cheese Platter with Tarago River Jensen’s Red Washed Rind Tarago River Triple Cream Brie-style, Exton Heidi Gruyere, Ewe and Goat’s Milk Feta, originally uploaded by avlxyz.
Q: If you could have only one kind of food for the rest of your life, what would you choose?
A: Cheese.
Q: Really?
A: Well, first I’d say potato chips, because I’m completely addicted to them. But right away I’d see that this wouldn’t be the most wholesome choice, so I’d change it. I’d change to bread, but then I’d remember how grouchy I get when I have no protein, so I’d pick cheese.
Q: That still doesn’t seem very healthy.
A: What do you expect from a diet consisting of only one food? It’s kind of a dumb question.
Q: It’s a hypothetical, for purposes of conversation.
A: OK. Hypothetically, I’d pick cheese.
Q: Any particular kind of cheese?
A: Gruyere.
Q: You seem very sure.
A: Yes. Gruyere is a highly versatile cheese. You can eat it by itself, you can cook with it, you can grate it. It’s the cheese for fondue. It’s a key cheese.
Q: You wouldn’t be cooking with it though. You would only be able to eat it plain.
A: This is silly.
Q: I just want to make sure you’ve thought this through.
A: OK, we’re done here.
Please, sir, I want some more
Italian Sausage and Lentil Stew – L’unico, originally uploaded by avlxyz.
Tonight for dinner I made a fabulous sausage stew.
I take no credit for the recipe. It comes from Jacques Pepin’s The Short-Cut Cook: Make Simple Meals with Surprisingly Little Effort
There was also some jalepeno in the recipe, and for once I’d remembered to buy it. I minced it before adding to the stew, and since then I’ve burned my eyes and face a couple of times by touching them with pepper-coated fingers.
I made this fabulous stew, and I ate a healthy portion of it, along with some toasted whole wheat bread.
That was about an hour ago, and right now my stomach is growling in hunger. How can this be? I had fiber, some fats, and greens and protein and everything. I should be full. Fulfilled with food! My own body is frustrating my attempts to live healthier in 2008.
(I apologize that the photo is not of the actual stew that I ate. I hadn’t planned to blog about this, and the remaining stew is nicely packed away in the fridge and freezer already. This lovely Flickr-sourced photo seemed to me to capture the essentials of my hearty stew, despite having lentils where the kidney beans should be, and carrots instead of spinach. OK, so it doesn’t cover it at all, but it looks mighty tasty, doesn’t it?)
Special for those in the Pittsburgh, PA area
The tortilla soup at Mad Mex is really yummy. Spicy and thick, with chunks of chicken and bits of cheese on top.
The crab cakes appetizer is even better. Big hunks of crab meat, clumped in some manner and lightly sauteed, and served on a bed of bean salsa. Mmm.
Put those two together, wash them down with a beer, and you’ve got a lovely meal for a Saturday evening. Or any night of the week.
I just thought you should know.
Coming tomorrow: My rave review of "The Vagina Monologues." If anything in Pittsburgh is more fun than the crab cakes at Mad Mex, it’s this show. tune in tomorrow to find out why.