tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26588311137516447982024-03-13T10:58:33.903-07:00The Tale of Two CookbooksTwo Cookbook Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17335781525305019661noreply@blogger.comBlogger151125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2658831113751644798.post-63084362892127460822015-09-22T17:46:00.000-07:002015-09-22T17:51:32.046-07:00Battle of Oriskany CommemorationLast month, I had the privilege of speaking briefly at the annual commemoration of the Battle of Oriskany. This decisive Revolutionary War battle was fought on August 6, 1777. My ancestor, Nicholas Van Slyke, was a young fifer who survived this bloody battle; in fact, there were several Van Slykes present at the battle, including Nicholas's father Gerrit. <br />
<br />
My short talk, pasted below, gives a brief description of the battle scene, but you can find out more about the site and the battle at the <a href="http://nysparks.com/historic-sites/21/details.aspx">Oriskany Battlefield Web site</a> , or at the <a href="http://www.nps.gov/fost/learn/historyculture/the-battle-at-oriska.htm">National Park Service Web page</a> about the battlefield. <br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Four
score and seven years ago, our fathers brought forth on this continent a new
nation, conceived in Liberty
and dedicated to the proposition that all men are considered equal.”</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></i><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">I’m
sure you are all familiar with the opening lines of President Lincoln’s
Gettysburg Address. But we are not here to commemorate the Battle of
Gettysburg, which took place 87 years after the Declaration of Independence was
signed, but instead of course the Battle of Oriskany, which took place a mere
one year, one month, and two days after the Declaration was signed.</span></i></div>
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></i><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">The
outcome of this earlier conflict was of course by no means assured at that time.
But in more ways than one, it was also a form of civil war. First of all, here
in what is now central New York,
it pitted neighbor against neighbor, brother against brother, those we now call
Patriots against the Loyalists or Tories who were loyal to the British crown.
Secondly, the battle here at Oriskany represented a break within the Haudenosaunee
or Iroquois confederacy, where for the first time, Mohawk and Seneca warriors
fought against their Oneida
brothers, who were loyal to the Patriots.</span></i></div>
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></i><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">You’re
probably familiar with the historical context here, with British Lt. Col. Barry
St. Leger and his troops on the move through the Mohawk Valley to lay siege to
Fort Stanwix, which was an American occupied garrison in what is now Rome, NY;
and Brigadier General Nicholas Herkimer mustering the Tryon County Militia at
Fort Dayton, the present-day village of Herkimer, with the intention of
relieving the siege of Fort Stanwix.</span></i></div>
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></i><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">But,
as you know, General Herkimer and his troops never made it to the Fort in time.
They were ambushed right here in this marshy ravine, by British and Loyalist
troops under Sir John Johnson and Col. John Butler, and Mohawk forces led by
Joseph Brant. Loaded down by supply wagons that could neither advance nor
retreat in the crush, Gen. Herkimer and his men were caught in the bloody
hand-to-hand combat that was the typical way to wage war in those days.</span></i></div>
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></i><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">The
site is so peaceful now, with the sounds of crickets and bird calls, that it is
difficult to imagine the chaos and din of the battle on that day: the militia and
British forces calling back and forth to each other in English, Dutch, and
German, and their Iroquois allies in the Mohawk, Seneca, and Oneida languages. Against that backdrop, could
also be heard the war cries, the moans of the dying, and the sounds of gunshots
and cannon.</span></i></div>
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></i><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">A
couple of vignettes from the chaotic battle scene stand out in my mind’s eye:
I’m sure you’re all familiar with the painting of General Herkimer directing
the actions of his men from his location seated on the battleground, after
being wounded in the leg, insisting that he would still face the enemy.</span></i></div>
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></i><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">I
picture also the Oneida war chief, Han Yerry Doxtater, who while wounded could
not reload his gun, he remained on horseback while his young wife, Senagena
(“Two Kettles”), repeatedly loaded the musket for him, and fired her own
pistols as well.</span></i></div>
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></i><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">I
also cannot resist mentioning my own ancestor, Nicholas Van Slyke, who was
present at the battle along with his father Gerrit. Nicholas was a teenaged
fifer, whose task it was to signal, along with the drummers, troop movements or
to load and fire muskets. The fife was, of course a high-pitched flute whose
sound could be heard for quite a distance, even through the sounds of battle.</span></i></div>
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></i><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">There
is apparently no definitive list of those present at the Battle of Oriskany,
including a definitive listing of survivors and casualties. So you may have
seen a list that indicated that one Nicholas Van Slyke was killed at Oriskany.
There were in fact, two Nicholas Van Slykes present here, since according to
the Dutch naming customs of the day, children were often named after aunts,
uncles, or grandparents.</span></i></div>
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></i><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">But
my family knows that we are descended from the Nicholas who did survive,
because we have in our possession a daguerreotype from the mid-19<sup>th</sup>
century that portrays Nicholas’s son David Van Slyke, born in 1787, thus the
first Van Slyke in our line who was born after the Revolution.</span></i></div>
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></i><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">I
began my remarks by quoting from the Gettysburg
address, but I’m sure I’ve gone on longer than President Lincoln did in 1863.
But consistent with Lincoln’s
closing sentence, it is appropriate to state here as well that those who gave
their all on this battlefield also did not die in vain. The Battle of Oriskany
was indeed one of the decisive battles of the American Revolution, so we owe
our thanks to the brave men (and women) who fought here on our behalf.</span></i></div>
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></i><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">Our
democracy may not be perfect, but when we feel that it is not, we have the
right, guaranteed in the Bill of Rights, to speak up and speak out, and to
assemble peacefully in order to make our opinions heard, in part due to the
actions of those who gave their lives here on this hallowed ground 238 years
ago. </span></i></div>
Two Cookbook Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17335781525305019661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2658831113751644798.post-75361055424467520462015-05-31T16:14:00.004-07:002015-06-04T17:19:52.469-07:00Index to RecipesWell, after almost five years, I've decided to retire from this blog to move on to other projects! It's been fun trying out hundred-year-old recipes from my grandmothers. I hope readers have enjoyed reading the stories and recipes as much as I have enjoyed writing and cooking.<br />
<br />
(Well, that is, I'm pretty much retiring from the blog. I may post something again from time to time, but no longer as regularly as I have been doing up to now. Unless of course, I come across yet another heirloom cookbook that I can't resist trying out . . . who knows?!)<br />
<br />
For anyone who would like to go back and find any of the recipes, I've added an index below.<br />
<br />
<u>Grandma Vanden Bergh's Recipes</u>: <br />
<br />
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width: 464px;"><tbody>
<tr height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;"><td class="xl26" height="18" style="height: 13.2pt; width: 283pt;" width="377">Aardappel
croquetjes met ham</td>
<td class="xl25" style="width: 65pt;" width="87">3/13/2011</td>
</tr>
<tr height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">
<td class="xl26" height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">Aardappelsla: <span class="font5">Dutch Potato Salad</span></td>
<td class="xl25">6/23/2013</td>
</tr>
<tr height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">
<td class="xl26" height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">Assorted Fruit Compote</td>
<td class="xl25">6/20/2012</td>
</tr>
<tr height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">
<td class="xl26" height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">Beef Top Round Steak</td>
<td class="xl25">6/5/2011</td>
</tr>
<tr height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">
<td class="xl26" height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">Bietensla<span class="font0">:
Dutch Beet Salad</span></td>
<td class="xl25">8/24/2014</td>
</tr>
<tr height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">
<td class="xl26" height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">Bloemkool au gratin</td>
<td class="xl25">4/24/2011</td>
</tr>
<tr height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">
<td class="xl24" height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">Bloemkoolsoep<span class="font5">: Cauliflower Soup</span></td>
<td class="xl25">11/23/2014</td>
</tr>
<tr height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">
<td class="xl26" height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">Cucumber and Egg Salad</td>
<td class="xl25">6/19/2011</td>
</tr>
<tr height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">
<td class="xl26" height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">Drie in de Pan</td>
<td class="xl25">1/22/2012</td>
</tr>
<tr height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">
<td class="xl26" height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">Dutch Apple Cake</td>
<td class="xl25">5/29/2011</td>
</tr>
<tr height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">
<td class="xl26" height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">Dutch Apple Fritters</td>
<td class="xl25">10/28/2012</td>
</tr>
<tr height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">
<td class="xl26" height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">Dutch Sand Cookies</td>
<td class="xl25">3/24/2011</td>
</tr>
<tr height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">
<td class="xl26" height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">Fruit Soups</td>
<td class="xl25">6/24/2012</td>
</tr>
<tr height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">
<td class="xl26" height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">Gebakken Vis<span class="font0">:
Fried Fish</span></td>
<td class="xl25">11/2/2013</td>
</tr>
<tr height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">
<td class="xl24" height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">Gestoofde Kabeljauw<span class="font5">: Baked Codfish</span></td>
<td class="xl25">10/26/2014</td>
</tr>
<tr height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">
<td class="xl24" height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">Gezeefde Witte Boonensoep<span class="font5">: White Bean & Leek Soup</span></td>
<td class="xl25">10/27/2013</td>
</tr>
<tr height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">
<td class="xl26" height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">Hutspot met Klapstuk<span class="font0">: Stew with beef rib</span></td>
<td class="xl25">5/22/2011</td>
</tr>
<tr height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">
<td class="xl24" height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">Kerrysoep van Bruine Boonen<span class="font5">: Curry Soup with Brown Beans</span></td>
<td class="xl25">1/26/2014</td>
</tr>
<tr height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">
<td class="xl26" height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">Kerrysoep van witte boonen:
White Bean Curry Soup</td>
<td class="xl25">3/10/2013</td>
</tr>
<tr height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">
<td class="xl24" height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">Kippenkerrysoep: <span class="font1">Chicken curry soup</span></td>
<td class="xl25">2/6/2011</td>
</tr>
<tr height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">
<td class="xl26" height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">Kippensoep</td>
<td class="xl25">2/5/2012</td>
</tr>
<tr height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">
<td class="xl24" height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">Koffiepudding: <span class="font5">Coffee Pudding</span></td>
<td class="xl25">3/22/2015</td>
</tr>
<tr height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">
<td class="xl26" height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">Macaroni with Ham and Cheese</td>
<td class="xl25">1/29/2012</td>
</tr>
<tr height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">
<td class="xl26" height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">Oliebollen: <span class="font5">Dutch
Doughnuts</span></td>
<td class="xl25">1/1/2013</td>
</tr>
<tr height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">
<td class="xl24" height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">Preisoep<span class="font5">:
Leek Soup</span></td>
<td class="xl25">11/23/2014</td>
</tr>
<tr height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">
<td class="xl26" height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">Simple White Bean Soup</td>
<td class="xl25">5/15/2011</td>
</tr>
<tr height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">
<td class="xl24" height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">Snijbonen met aardappelen en
rookworst</td>
<td class="xl25">2/3/2011</td>
</tr>
<tr height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">
<td class="xl26" height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">Stamppot with Apples and Bacon</td>
<td class="xl25">10/30/2011</td>
</tr>
<tr height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">
<td class="xl26" height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">Stamppot with Endive</td>
<td class="xl25">11/13/2011</td>
</tr>
<tr height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">
<td class="xl26" height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">Steamed Pears</td>
<td class="xl25">6/3/2012</td>
</tr>
<tr height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">
<td class="xl26" height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">Varkenskarbonaden: <span class="font5">Pork Chops</span></td>
<td class="xl25">4/1/2012</td>
</tr>
<tr height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">
<td class="xl26" height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">White Asparagus</td>
<td class="xl25">11/18/2012</td>
</tr>
<tr height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">
<td class="xl26" height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">Winterwortelen<span class="font0">: Winter Carrots</span></td>
<td class="xl25">2/20/2011</td>
</tr>
<tr height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">
<td class="xl26" height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">Worteltjes en Spruitjes: <span class="font5">Carrots and Sprouts</span></td>
<td class="xl25">1/27/2013</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<u>Grandma Minnie's Recipes</u>: (includes recipes from other relatives on Minnie's side of the family)<br />
<br />
<br />
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width: 343px;"><colgroup><col style="mso-width-alt: 9102; mso-width-source: userset; width: 192pt;" width="256"></col>
<col style="mso-width-alt: 3100; mso-width-source: userset; width: 65pt;" width="87"></col>
</colgroup><tbody>
<tr height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">
<td height="18" style="height: 13.2pt; width: 192pt;" width="256">Ambrosia</td>
<td class="xl24" style="width: 65pt;" width="87">4/8/2012</td>
</tr>
<tr height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">
<td height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">Apple Fritters</td>
<td class="xl24">2/27/2011</td>
</tr>
<tr height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">
<td height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">Apple Upside Down Cake</td>
<td class="xl24">5/29/2011</td>
</tr>
<tr height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">
<td height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">Applesauce
Cake<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></td>
<td class="xl24">2/9/2014</td>
</tr>
<tr height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">
<td height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">Baked Salmon Loaf</td>
<td class="xl24">4/20/2014</td>
</tr>
<tr height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">
<td height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">Beulah's Apple Betty</td>
<td class="xl24">4/27/2014</td>
</tr>
<tr height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">
<td height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">Blueberry Tea Cake</td>
<td class="xl24">8/21/2011</td>
</tr>
<tr height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">
<td height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">Blueberry Tea Cake</td>
<td class="xl24">8/26/2012</td>
</tr>
<tr height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">
<td height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">Cherry Cake</td>
<td class="xl24">2/20/2012</td>
</tr>
<tr height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">
<td height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">Christmas Plum Pudding</td>
<td class="xl24">12/31/2014</td>
</tr>
<tr height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">
<td height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">Cocoanut Cake</td>
<td class="xl24">3/4/2012</td>
</tr>
<tr height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">
<td height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">Coconut Drop Cookies</td>
<td class="xl24">2/10/2013</td>
</tr>
<tr height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">
<td height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">Coffee Cake</td>
<td class="xl24">5/8/2011</td>
</tr>
<tr height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">
<td height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">Corn Pudding</td>
<td class="xl24">5/26/2011</td>
</tr>
<tr height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">
<td height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">Eccles Cakes</td>
<td class="xl24">11/30/2014</td>
</tr>
<tr height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">
<td height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">Economical Sponge Cake</td>
<td class="xl24">9/8/2013</td>
</tr>
<tr height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">
<td height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">Escalloped Potatoes</td>
<td class="xl24">3/6/2011</td>
</tr>
<tr height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">
<td height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">Farley's Dutch Cake</td>
<td class="xl24">4/3/2011</td>
</tr>
<tr height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">
<td height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">Fruit and Nut Conserves</td>
<td class="xl24">11/6/2011</td>
</tr>
<tr height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">
<td height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">Ginger Pear</td>
<td class="xl24">6/10/2012</td>
</tr>
<tr height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">
<td height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">Grandma Minnie's Dandelion Wine</td>
<td class="xl24">7/21/2013</td>
</tr>
<tr height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">
<td height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">Johnny Cake</td>
<td class="xl24">2/12/2012</td>
</tr>
<tr height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">
<td height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">Kittie's Old-Fashioned Sugar Cookies</td>
<td class="xl24">5/12/2013</td>
</tr>
<tr height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">
<td height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">Meatloaf (from Vrooman)</td>
<td class="xl24">5/1/2011</td>
</tr>
<tr height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">
<td height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">Minnie's Bran Muffins</td>
<td class="xl24">4/7/2013</td>
</tr>
<tr height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">
<td height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">Molasses Cookies (from Vrooman)</td>
<td class="xl24">12/24/2011</td>
</tr>
<tr height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">
<td height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">Nut Cake</td>
<td class="xl24">1/8/2012</td>
</tr>
<tr height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">
<td height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">Oatmeal Cookies</td>
<td class="xl24">8/5/2012</td>
</tr>
<tr height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">
<td height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">Pennsylvania Fruitcake</td>
<td class="xl24">12/9/2012</td>
</tr>
<tr height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">
<td height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">Raspberry Cake</td>
<td class="xl24">9/18/2011</td>
</tr>
<tr height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">
<td height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">Rose Jar</td>
<td class="xl24">6/10/2013</td>
</tr>
<tr height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">
<td height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">Snickerdoodles</td>
<td class="xl24">4/29/2012</td>
</tr>
<tr height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">
<td height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">Sour Milk Cake</td>
<td class="xl24">1/15/2012</td>
</tr>
<tr height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">
<td height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">Sugar Cookies (Minnie)</td>
<td class="xl24">5/12/2013</td>
</tr>
<tr height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">
<td height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">Tip-Top Cake</td>
<td class="xl24">2/10/2011</td>
</tr>
<tr height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">
<td height="18" style="height: 13.2pt;">White Fruitcake</td>
<td class="xl24">12/9/2012</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />Two Cookbook Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17335781525305019661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2658831113751644798.post-11601679027726639102015-04-26T15:08:00.000-07:002015-04-28T18:11:26.876-07:00In Search Of . . . A Van Den Bergh Coat of ArmsDuring a recent trip to the genealogy section of the New York State Library, I came upon a large volume with the Dutch title, <u>Wapenboek van den Nederlandschen Adel</u>, which I translate as "Coats of Arms of the Dutch Nobility." The huge book was compiled by J. B. Rietstap, and published in Groningen in 1883. <br />
<br />
On a partially damaged page 18, I found a drawing of a coat of arms labeled as Van Den Bergh. The drawing appears to be an authentic coat of arms, with the usual shield and plumes. Page 21 included a description of the Van Den Bergh genealogy, part of which indicates that a certain Arnold Joseph Theodore Hubert van den Bergh had the title of "procureur generaal" (comparable to the district attorney in a U.S. jurisdiction) at the court of law in s'Gravenhage (The Hague) in 1867, for which position he was granted a "diploma" which named him as a member of the nobility. <br />
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As Van Den Bergh was a fairly common surname in the Netherlands, only further research can help me ascertain whether this Van Den Bergh was an ancestor of my maternal grandfather, who was definitely not a member of the gentry or nobility, but rather a gardener on the estate of a wealthy family.<br />
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Stay tuned for more details when they arise! In the meantime, you may wish to take a look at the following earlier posts that tell more about the Van Den Bergh side of my family:<br />
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<a href="http://twocookbooks.blogspot.com/2013/03/whats-in-dutch-name.html">What's In a (Dutch) Name?</a><br />
<a href="http://twocookbooks.blogspot.com/2014/09/excursion-to-ellis-island.html"><br /></a>
<a href="http://twocookbooks.blogspot.com/2014/09/excursion-to-ellis-island.html">Excursion to Ellis Island</a><br />
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<a href="http://twocookbooks.blogspot.com/2013/12/scrubbing-day-in-sgraveland.html">Scrubbing Day in s'Graveland</a><br />
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And a post about other coats of arms of other branches of my family:<br />
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<a href="http://twocookbooks.blogspot.com/2012/07/some-ancestral-heraldry.html">Some Ancestral Heraldry</a>Two Cookbook Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17335781525305019661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2658831113751644798.post-74337666887335495702015-03-22T09:16:00.001-07:002015-03-29T14:02:33.601-07:00Koffiepudding -- From ScratchOur modern supermarkets make it easy to prepare and consume a large variety of sweet treats -- too many for our own good, it seems: instant puddings and pie fillings, cake mixes, tubes of gooey cookie dough (that some of us eat without baking, I'm sure!). But our grandmothers most likely had to make their desserts from scratch, even puddings.<br />
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Earlier on in this blog, I have included dessert recipes from Grandma Vanden Bergh's old Dutch cookbook, such as fruit compote, Dutch apple cake, Dutch sand cookies, and steamed pears. From Grandma Minnie's notebook, we had molasses cookies, chocolate cookies, and a wide variety of tasty cakes. This week I would like to share a recipe from Grandma Vanden Bergh's book, for a coffee-flavored pudding. I chose this because one can easily find instant pudding packages for vanilla, chocolate, butterscotch, or even coconut pudding in the local supermarket, but instant mixes for coffee pudding are not so easy to find:<br />
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<u><i>Koffiepudding</i></u> (Coffee Pudding)<br />
<br />
8 dL. milk (3 1/3 cups)<br />
2 dL. strong coffee (cold) (3/4 cup)<br />
100 grams cornstarch (2/3 cup -- I used 1/2 cup)<br />
100 grams granulated sugar (1/2 cup)<br />
1/2 - 1 teaspoon vanilla (optional)<br />
<br />
- Bring the milk to boil with the sugar.<br />
- In the meantime, dissolve the cornstarch in the cold coffee, and stir this mixture into the boiling milk.<br />
- Cook over low heat until the mixture thickens (about 5 minutes).<br />
- Pour the mixture into a mold, or into pudding cups.<br />
- Let cool before serving; garnish with a vanilla sauce (or whipped cream).<br />
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I recall as a small child, I helped my mother make cooked chocolate pudding from a mix. I must have been about four years old, and she asked me to carefully stir the pudding on the stove while she went to answer the doorbell. Of course, I stirred it much too vigorously, pretending to be a real cook, and splattered the hot liquid all over the stove top. I was more careful this time, and didn't make a mess. I poured the pudding mixture into a ready-made Graham cracker crust:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UMmqNkUmMvg/VQ7pV5yvqjI/AAAAAAAABlU/dNryfIm4qRE/s1600/Koffiepudding_1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UMmqNkUmMvg/VQ7pV5yvqjI/AAAAAAAABlU/dNryfIm4qRE/s1600/Koffiepudding_1.JPG" height="234" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Koffiepudding pie</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
I had enough left over for a small bowl or two, which I garnished with whipped cream (from a can, of course -- I had to use at least one shortcut after all!) <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-l2NSC1EKGGc/VQ7ps0pTUnI/AAAAAAAABlc/WaWnRArJIig/s1600/Koffiepudding_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-l2NSC1EKGGc/VQ7ps0pTUnI/AAAAAAAABlc/WaWnRArJIig/s1600/Koffiepudding_2.JPG" height="227" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Koffiepudding with whipped cream</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<i><br /></i>
<i>Eet smakelijk!</i><br />
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<br />Two Cookbook Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17335781525305019661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2658831113751644798.post-86521951248807318532015-02-08T18:08:00.000-08:002015-02-08T18:13:19.736-08:00Snowbound!Another chilly and snowy weekend in Upstate New York: temperatures have been mostly below freezing, some mornings below 0 degrees Fahrenheit, for several weeks now, and following last week's foot of snow, we are expecting another foot or so over the next day and a half. When the temperature gets to be -3 or -4 Fahrenheit, it is difficult to breathe because the frigid air makes your chest hurt.<br />
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With weather like this, it is time for some serious comfort food. Last weekend I made <i><a href="http://www.twocookbooks.blogspot.com/2014_01_01_archive.html">bruine boonen soep</a> </i>(brown bean soup) from Grandma Vanden Bergh's <a href="http://www.twocookbooks.blogspot.com/2011/02/simple-hearty-fare.html">old Dutch cookbook</a>, and right now I have a big pot of <a href="http://www.twocookbooks.blogspot.com/2013/03/kerrysoep-van-witte-boonen.html"><i>kerrysoep van witte boonen</i></a> (curry and white bean soup) "prutteling" in the stove. "Pruttelen" is indeed a Dutch word for "simmer," but Mom Anglicized it by adding an English suffix. Both of these recipes are hearty, savory soups that I have prepared before.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UHhX4rHjgzo/VNgVLMTUGnI/AAAAAAAABkc/YqgWZDNoeNQ/s1600/Bruine%2Bboonen%2Bsoep.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UHhX4rHjgzo/VNgVLMTUGnI/AAAAAAAABkc/YqgWZDNoeNQ/s1600/Bruine%2Bboonen%2Bsoep.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bruine boonen soep</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
Although we occasionally have milder winters in this part of the northeastern United States, temperatures below freezing are typical of this time of the year, and even temps below zero, from time to time: witness <a href="http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Joel-Munsell-1808-1880-Printer-publisher-and-4983052.php">Joel Munsell</a>'s 1854 <u>Annals of Albany</u>, referencing winter temperatures in Albany in 1807: <br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Notes from the Newspapers: 1807</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Feb. 9. The mercury in the thermometer, at sunrise, stood at 52 degrees below freezing point, or 20 degrees below zero, in the central part of the city. Seventeen years previous the mercury fell four degrees lower in an exposed situation on the hill; but it was thought that this was the coldest day ever experienced in the city since correct notice of the weather had been taken. </i>(Vol. 5, page 12)<br />
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The weather "app" on my tablet cites a record low of -3 F. for February 9 (in 1985) and a record low of -15 F. for February 10 (in 1994). Apparently, the records referenced by the weather app do not go back as far as the mid-19th century! In any case, I was snowbound last Monday, and may very well be so again tomorrow, since the forecast is for the current snowstorm to last through until Tuesday morning. Luckily, I'll have plenty of savory soup to keep me warm. It should be finished "prutteling" very shortly. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-N15rJ0E3534/VNgVfCfTZYI/AAAAAAAABkk/_Oouw94mpds/s1600/Curry%2Bbean%2Bsoup.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-N15rJ0E3534/VNgVfCfTZYI/AAAAAAAABkk/_Oouw94mpds/s1600/Curry%2Bbean%2Bsoup.JPG" height="242" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kerrysoep van witte boonen</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Two Cookbook Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17335781525305019661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2658831113751644798.post-36413535180122194432015-01-25T17:33:00.003-08:002015-01-25T17:33:21.713-08:00Turtle Soup!I found an interesting recipe for Mock Turtle Soup in Grandma VandenBergh's <a href="http://www.twocookbooks.blogspot.com/2011/02/simple-hearty-fare.html">old Dutch cookbook</a>. I haven't tried this one out yet, but when I do, I'll post a photo:<br />
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<u><i>Nagemaakte Schildpadsoep</i></u> (Mock Turtle Soup)<br />
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250 gr. (1/4 lb.) beef for soup (You can use ground beef, and roll it into small meatballs.)<br />
1 liter (about 1 quart) beef bouillon<br />
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves<br />
1 bay leaf<br />
a pinch of red pepper<br />
1 onion<br />
1 tablespoon minced parsley<br />
1/2 cup grated carrot<br />
30 grams (1/4 cup) flour<br />
1/2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce<br />
1/2 tablespoon soy sauce<br />
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- Add the seasonings to the bouillon and simmer. <br />
- Fry the onion in a bit of butter, with the flour, taking care that it does not turn too dark.<br />
- Stir the bouillon into the butter and flour mixture and simmer for ten minutes with the meatballs.<br />
- Season with the Worcestershire sauce and soy sauce. <br />
- Remove the bay leaf before serving.<br />
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<br />
A copy of Volume 5 of Joel Munsell's <u>Annals of Albany</u>, published in 1854, recently came into my possession. There is an interesting anecdote about turtle soup recounted on pages 276-277. Munsell indicates that the source is "a newspaper scrap, on which there was nothing by which to identify the title of the paper from which it was cut." Below is a slightly abridged version of the story:<br />
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<i>"<u>Turtle Soup in Olden Times</u>"</i>:<br />
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<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">The early history of the first attempt at tickling the <span style="font-family: inherit;">pa<span style="font-family: inherit;">lates of Albany eipcures with th<span style="font-family: inherit;">at <span style="font-family: inherit;">delectable</span> chaos of flavo<span style="font-family: inherit;">rs, known a<span style="font-family: inherit;">s </span>turtle soup, was made, we bel<span style="font-family: inherit;">ieve, by the celeb<span style="font-family: inherit;">rated Andrew Jackson Allen<span style="font-family: inherit;">, better known as Dummy <span style="font-family: inherit;">Allen<span style="font-family: inherit;"> [. . . ]. At the time we speak of, he <span style="font-family: inherit;">k</span>ept a restaurant in the vicinity of the old Green Street Theater [ . . . ], and was a prime favorite among the bloods of the day, who made his place a customary resort. Albany was then, as now, a very nice village, but still, there were some things in Dummy Allen's cookery book not dreamed of in our <span style="font-family: inherit;">philosophy</span>. He therefore res<span style="font-family: inherit;">olved t<span style="font-family: inherit;">o af<span style="font-family: inherit;">ford our ancient epicures a taste of bliss in a guise hitherto unknown to them, to wit: turtle soup. [ . . . ] For a few days before the acceptable time, a sizeable green turtle was allowed to pr<span style="font-family: inherit;">omenade at the end of a long string, upon the sidewalk in front of Allen's establish<span style="font-family: inherit;">ment. In due time the repast came off, and proved a complete triumph of kitchen art. The new and delicious gift to appetite became the town talk, an<span style="font-family: inherit;">d showered upon the immortal Dummy vast reputation and much gold. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></i><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Once more, and while the mouths of epicures were still watering with memories of recent bliss, the potent announcement was rei<span style="font-family: inherit;">ter<span style="font-family: inherit;">ated; once more a dec<span style="font-family: inherit;">ent-looking turtle, very like the other, divulged his ample neck on Andrew <span style="font-family: inherit;">A</span>llen's premises, to the great admiration of beholders; once more fastidious palates enjoyed select mor<span style="font-family: inherit;">sels <span style="font-family: inherit;">of Paradise from Allen's marvelous boilers. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></i><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Turtle soup became all the rage, and week after week it was eagerly devoured. At length, some sharp and perhaps envious observers thought they rema<span style="font-family: inherit;">rked a striking similarity in all of Dummy <span style="font-family: inherit;">A</span>llen's turtles. One very suspicious individual, struck with their strong coin<span style="font-family: inherit;">cidence of aspect, quietly took the trouble of putting his <span style="font-family: inherit;">sign manual on the back of one announced for that day's slaughter. The ill-fated criminal dul<span style="font-family: inherit;">y disappeared, and was commented upon that day, in the form of soup, as unusually excellent. <span style="font-family: inherit;">But, ama<span style="font-family: inherit;">zement! when next week's customary announcement of turtle soup was made, <span style="font-family: inherit;">[. . . ] that same turtle, the identical, supposed-to-be-slaughtered victim of the week before, bearing the deeply cut private mark of our suspicious friend, turned up, and r<span style="font-family: inherit;">esu<span style="font-family: inherit;">med <span style="font-family: inherit;">its sidewalk promenade, apparently in capital condition for a defunct animal. The secret was out. The game was up. Dummy Allen was done for. With a regular, cheap supply of calves' heads, and one specimen turtle, Allen had been doing the Albanian epicures for a whole season. At little or no expense and with the sole aid <span style="font-family: inherit;">of</span> their imaginative powers, he had regaled them with unheard-of delicacies, and at the same time put a golden lining in his pocket. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></i><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">So<span style="font-family: inherit;">urce: <u>Annals of Albany</u>, Volume 5. Joel Munsell<span style="font-family: inherit;">, 1854. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<br />Two Cookbook Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17335781525305019661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2658831113751644798.post-30876307800379195012014-12-31T17:52:00.000-08:002014-12-31T17:52:48.671-08:00A Victorian Holiday MenuMy Christmas dinner this year was a simple and low-key affair. But after the gifts were unwrapped and the guests departed, I began to wonder how my ancestors may have celebrated the holiday along the Erie Canal years ago, and what they may have prepared and eaten. <br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8YyoQ5uzAV8/VKSbAKxV9EI/AAAAAAAABj4/22S73ppHOUc/s1600/page0002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8YyoQ5uzAV8/VKSbAKxV9EI/AAAAAAAABj4/22S73ppHOUc/s1600/page0002.jpg" height="320" width="248" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Queen of the Household - Title Page</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I found a sample Christmas dinner menu in Great-Grandma Nan's 1891 book of household hints, <a href="http://twocookbooks.blogspot.com/2011/09/queen-of-household.html">Queen of the Household</a>:<br />
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- Clam or Oyster Soup<br />
- Celery<br />
- Baked Fish with Hollandaise Sauce<br />
- Roast Turkey with Oyster Dressing<br />
- Roast Duck with Onion Sauce<br />
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- Baked Potatoes and Sweet Potatoes<br />
- Baked Squash<br />
- Mashed Turnips<br />
- Canned Corn (This was a surprise; presumably home-canned.)<br />
- Stewed Tomatoes <br />
- Graham Bread; Rolls<br />
- Salmon or other Salad<br />
<br />
- Plum Pudding<br />
- Peach Pie<br />
- Fruit and Nuts<br />
<br />
- Coffee and Chocolate<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UWzKjzrnmJY/VKShsU95RuI/AAAAAAAABkE/fUQUREn67gM/s1600/page0001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UWzKjzrnmJY/VKShsU95RuI/AAAAAAAABkE/fUQUREn67gM/s1600/page0001.jpg" height="320" width="237" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Queen of the Household - Frontispiece</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I don't know how many guests this elaborate menu was intended to serve, but I surmise that it must have taken a kitchen full of helpers to prepare and serve such a repast, with three different meat and fish dishes (no, four if you count the salmon salad!), two kinds of potatoes, four vegetables, and three desserts. <br />
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Our modern hosts and hostesses may typically simplify this menu to perhaps serve only the following: turkey with dressing, baked potatoes and sweet potatoes, squash or another favorite vegetable, dinner rolls, a green salad, and a pumpkin or mincemeat pie, followed by coffee or tea. <br />
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Perhaps next year, if I am ambitious, I'll try out the recipe for plum pudding as a surprise treat for my family:<br />
<br />
<u>Christmas Plum Pudding</u>:<br />
<br />
"Shred finely 3/4 pound beef suet, and add to it a pinch of salt, 1 1/2 pounds bread crumbs, 1/2 pound flour, 3/4 pound raisins, 3/4 pound currants, picked and dried, 2 ounces candied lemon and citron together, and 1/2 a large nutmeg; mix these thoroughly, then add 4 eggs and milk enough to moisten it, but not too much or the pudding will be heavy; tie in a pudding-cloth, well floured, and boil for 5 or 6 hours [!]; or, we think better when boiled in a mold, which should be well buttered before the mixture is put in. The mold should not be quite full, and should be covered with 1 or 2 folds of paper, buttered and floured, and then with a floured pudding-cloth."<br />
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I find it curious that in five different recipes for "plum pudding," none of the recipes actually includes plums. They list other fruits, such as tart apples, raisins, currants, and citron. Some also include nutmeg, brandy or sherry, and as in the Christmas Plum Pudding, chopped beef suet.<br />
<br />
As I wondered about why a "plum pudding" would not contain plums, I checked the definition of "plum" in my American Heritage Dictionary, and found a less-well-known meaning: "A raisin, when added to a pudding or cake." That answered my question about "why no plums in a plum pudding."<br />
<br />
Rather than attempt such an elaborate dessert for my next holiday dinner, I might try a simpler recipe from Grandma Nan's cookbook: Poor Man's Pudding -- "Take 1 quart milk, 6 eggs, 6 tablespoons flour, and a little salt; bake 1/2 hour; use butter and sugar dip." Or better yet - an instant chocolate pudding from the supermarket . . . !Two Cookbook Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17335781525305019661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2658831113751644798.post-35688818355375519142014-12-14T07:56:00.001-08:002014-12-14T07:56:32.526-08:00Short Days, Long Nights<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7JBWtSu62b4/VI2u5Q6ydmI/AAAAAAAABjQ/ecpT8L36fOA/s1600/Shoes_1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7JBWtSu62b4/VI2u5Q6ydmI/AAAAAAAABjQ/ecpT8L36fOA/s1600/Shoes_1.JPG" height="154" width="200" /></a></div>
The shortest day of the year, the winter solstice, is only a week away. In a frenzy of consumerism, Americans are frantically shopping for gifts. I got ahead of the game this year, and mine are already wrapped and hidden away until the big day on Christmas.<br />
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But the Dutch and many Dutch-Americans have already had a fun- and goodie-filled celebration -- <i>Sinterklaasavond</i>, or Saint Nicholas Eve.<br />
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As Saint Nicholas Eve (December 5) coincides with my birthday, my childhood memories of the day are a blurred combination of birthday cake, and wooden shoes filled with chocolates, nuts, and oranges. <br />
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<u>Dutch Settlers Society Celebration</u>:<br />
<br />
This year, as for the past five years or so, I attended the annual Saint Nicholas Eve dinner of the <a href="http://www.dutchsettlerssociety.org/">Dutch Settlers Society of Albany</a>. There was good food, music, and much<i> gezelligheid</i> (a Dutch word that connotes comfort, coziness, and camaraderie), a talk by Albany's Mayor about the city's rich history -- and to top off the evening, the traditional visit by Saint Nicholas, or <i>Sinterklaa</i>s, as he is known in Dutch. <br />
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<u>Sweet Treats</u>:<br />
<br />
I also had an opportunity this week to attend a talk by Dutch food historian Peter Rose about the history and origin of Saint Nicholas lore, and the traditions connected with the celebration of this feast day, including the many recipes for tasty treats prepared for the fete.<br />
<br />
If you have a sweet tooth like I do, you will want to try out such dainty delicacies as <i>speculaas</i>, most often known in the United States as "windmill cookies."<br />
<u><br /></u>
<u>Family Mystery Solved</u>:<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ItJJqKG6BM8/VI2vJIRjKPI/AAAAAAAABjY/5VUnf3gasCQ/s1600/Vrijer_1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ItJJqKG6BM8/VI2vJIRjKPI/AAAAAAAABjY/5VUnf3gasCQ/s1600/Vrijer_1.JPG" height="200" width="96" /></a></div>
Years ago, my Mom had a pair of bas-relief wooden carvings that we knew were of Dutch origin. I had a vague memory of these artifacts being displayed in the house I grew up in. And so it happened that my sister unearthed the pair, "hidden in plain sight," in the basement of the house. <br />
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The red-painted carved boards, about 13 inches by 4 1/2 inches, represent a quaintly dressed young man and woman. It was obvious to me that they were similar to the cookie boards representing Saint Nicholas and other Dutch symbols used to mold cookie dough around the holiday. But why a boy and girl? Was there a particular significance to the pair?<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YZJxUVIGUc0/VI2vdm0hbeI/AAAAAAAABjg/MoHrxrXjvTE/s1600/Vrijer_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YZJxUVIGUc0/VI2vdm0hbeI/AAAAAAAABjg/MoHrxrXjvTE/s1600/Vrijer_2.JPG" height="200" width="95" /></a></div>
I learned during the talk that the paired figures are known as <i>vrijers</i>, or "lovers," based on the legend of the Saint's anonymous gift of dowries to three sisters whose father was too poor to provide them with the requisite sum. In this fashion, Saint Nicholas made it possible for the young women to marry. <br />
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How old are the pair of <i>vrijers</i> that turned up in the basement? I have no idea, but I don't dare to try filling them with sticky cookie dough. They will, however, be a unique piece of holiday decoration this year, and a great conversation starter. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-epgmFgDoaB4/VI2weB9GsDI/AAAAAAAABjo/goTQxXoaiJo/s1600/Shoes_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-epgmFgDoaB4/VI2weB9GsDI/AAAAAAAABjo/goTQxXoaiJo/s1600/Shoes_2.JPG" height="208" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My shoes are waiting for Sinterklaas's visit!</td></tr>
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<br />Two Cookbook Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17335781525305019661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2658831113751644798.post-48281142187262166182014-11-30T08:30:00.002-08:002014-11-30T08:30:57.466-08:00"Guests Raved About Her Dinner!"<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vcU3kDvEvb4/VHsuYjhTuzI/AAAAAAAABig/AZ-fuSkbak4/s1600/Spry%2Bpic_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vcU3kDvEvb4/VHsuYjhTuzI/AAAAAAAABig/AZ-fuSkbak4/s1600/Spry%2Bpic_1.jpg" height="320" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spry Cookbook - Front cover</td></tr>
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"What Shall I Cook Today?" is the title of yet another vintage cookbook that I found in the kitchen at the old homestead. This one is a collection of recipes using the brand of vegetable shortening <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spry_Vegetable_Shortening">Spry</a>, which was available in grocery stores between the mid-1930s to the mid-1960s. According to the brightly colored drawings that decorate the booklet's covers, "Guests raved" about dinners prepared with this canned shortening. <br />
<br />
Published by Lever Brothers Company in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the booklet is undated, but judging from the clothing styles depicted on its colorful front and back covers, I would date it either late 1940s or early 1950s. The book contains 124 <i>"thrifty healthful tested recipes</i>" -- consistent (health and thrift) in appealing to homemakers returning to the hearth after working in factories and offices while their men were fighting in World War II; consistent also with post-WW II ideals of the feminine mystique. <br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bogRa3PBgqA/VHsuv-I6HlI/AAAAAAAABio/awwnT5FNd9Q/s1600/Spry%2Bpic_3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bogRa3PBgqA/VHsuv-I6HlI/AAAAAAAABio/awwnT5FNd9Q/s1600/Spry%2Bpic_3.jpg" height="200" width="160" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Deep-fried Fritters</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The section on deep frying begins with a recipe for Apple Fritters, reminiscent of either <a href="http://twocookbooks.blogspot.com/2012/10/dutch-apple-fritters.html">Grandma VandenBergh's</a> or <a href="http://twocookbooks.blogspot.com/2011_02_01_archive.html">Grandma Minnie's</a> recipe; this one describes dipping apple slices in a batter of flour, baking powder, salt, egg, milk, and of course frying them in Spry. These fritters are seasoned with sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg.<br />
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A recipe for Corn Fritters fried in a similar fashion is described thus: <i>"Make plenty -- everyone will surely want seconds."</i><br />
<br />
Other sections in the booklet include shallow frying, sauteing, cakes, frostings, cookies, and breads, but the longest section in the book is devoted to all sorts of pies and fruit tarts. There are both two-crust pies and one-crust pies. A sticky note on the page with the recipe for Blueberry Nectar Pie indicates that our Aunt Doris used this recipe to concoct the delicious blueberry pie that was always served at our traditional family dinner on Thanksgiving, made with berries harvested from Doris's blueberry bushes in the summer and frozen until the big day in November. <br />
<br />
Mom also always made her own pie crust dough from scratch, cutting the shortening into the flour with a pastry blender or two knives as described in this booklet: <i>"Do not handle dough anymore than necessary"</i> -- to keep it light and flaky.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IlzkM4usFp4/VHsu1mIOyTI/AAAAAAAABiw/BqXsQ_vQNTE/s1600/Spry%2Bpic_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IlzkM4usFp4/VHsu1mIOyTI/AAAAAAAABiw/BqXsQ_vQNTE/s1600/Spry%2Bpic_2.jpg" height="320" width="259" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spry Cookbook - Back cover</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The booklet include instructions for making a Spry Pastry Mix, so that the homemaker<i> "can have oven-fresh pies at a moment's notice."</i> The mixture contains one pound of Spry, two pounds of flour and one tablespoon of salt; it will keep in a covered container <i>"for an indefinite length of time."</i> This mixture is described as <i>"The greatest 'shortcut' in the history of pie-making. Pie crust enough for a month -- and all in a single mixing job!"</i> (How many pies was the 1950's-era homemaker expected to make in a month?)<br />
<br />
Today's busy homemaker has an even greater shortcut -- ready-made pie crust from the dairy section of the local supermarket. I suspect that many more Thanksgiving pies are made by using this commercial dough than entirely from scratch. I confess that I used it myself to try out a recipe from this booklet:<br />
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<i>"Eccles"</i>: When I saw this word at the bottom of a page, I had no idea what it meant. This type of pastry is described as, <i>"Titbits [sic] from your left-over pastry"</i>:<br />
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<i>"Roll pie crust thin and cut in small circles. Place a spoonful of mincemeat or jam or fruit in center. Wet edges. Place another circle on top and press edges together. Crease three marks across top, turn, and repeat. Bake in hot oven (425 F.) 10 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown."</i><br />
<br />
I was curious about the origin of this pastry treat, as well as its name. It is apparently named after the English town where it originated, Eccles in Lancashire, where a baker named James Birch began selling small, flat, raisin-filled cakes in 1793. Birch's recipe was similar to one that was included in an earlier cookbook, by Elizabeth Raffald, "<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1870962133">The Experienced English Housekeeper</a>." <br />
<br />
I baked a batch of Eccles cakes and shared them with friends. The pastries were filled variously with raspberry, blueberry, and mango jam. My friends didn't exactly rave about them, but they did have seconds. (At least, I did!)<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-i3ojdfwpiMY/VHtFmry4XlI/AAAAAAAABjA/g902wQi3KMM/s1600/Eccles.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-i3ojdfwpiMY/VHtFmry4XlI/AAAAAAAABjA/g902wQi3KMM/s1600/Eccles.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eccles Cakes -- fresh from the oven</td></tr>
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Learn more about the origin of Eccles cakes at: <a href="http://www.salford.gov.uk/ecclescakes.htm">http://www.salford.gov.uk/ecclescakes.htm</a> Two Cookbook Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17335781525305019661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2658831113751644798.post-89473615050255753812014-11-23T17:49:00.001-08:002014-11-23T17:49:28.915-08:00Two Dutch Soup RecipesOnce again, chilly temperatures have put me in a soup-making mood. I searched through Grandma VandenBergh's old Dutch cookbook and found two recipes to try out:<br />
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<u>Cauliflower Soup</u> <i>(Bloemkoolsoep)</i><br />
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1 L. water (about 1 qt.), in which cauliflower has been cooked, with pieces of cauliflower in it<br />
40 gr. (1/4 cup) whole wheat flour<br />
40 gr. (2 tablespoons) butter or margarine<br />
1 egg, beaten<br />
<br />
- Use the water in which the cauliflower has been cooked, leaving a few chunks of cauliflower in it.<br />
- Bring the water to a boil.<br />
- In the meantime, heat while stirring the butter with the flour to form a smooth paste (<i>"een gladde massa"</i> in Dutch)<br />
- Stir the boiling water and cauliflower into the butter and flour paste and let simmer for 10 minutes.<br />
- Beat the egg in a soup tureen and carefully stir the soup into this mixture.<br />
- Garnish with croutons or serve with whole wheat toast.<br />
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My first experiment with this recipe entailed using an unusual variety of purple cauliflower that I came across in a local farmers' market:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aEE1U_06lWg/VHITv0_yNxI/AAAAAAAABho/Na8ZImOfdVs/s1600/bloemkool_1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aEE1U_06lWg/VHITv0_yNxI/AAAAAAAABho/Na8ZImOfdVs/s1600/bloemkool_1.JPG" height="200" width="195" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Purple cauliflower</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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This soup turned out with a pleasant shade of pink, but somehow it didn't seem very appealing to me!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UXHFOUU_3GQ/VHIU-t8Lc3I/AAAAAAAABiA/mdfz8MpSDik/s1600/bloemkool_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UXHFOUU_3GQ/VHIU-t8Lc3I/AAAAAAAABiA/mdfz8MpSDik/s1600/bloemkool_2.JPG" height="230" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Purple cauliflower soup</td></tr>
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<br />
But ordinary while cauliflower worked out just fine:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-q4oWPyvu14M/VHIUIeZU9FI/AAAAAAAABh4/nrgHmJZzUSs/s1600/bloemsoep_3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-q4oWPyvu14M/VHIUIeZU9FI/AAAAAAAABh4/nrgHmJZzUSs/s1600/bloemsoep_3.JPG" height="241" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cauliflower Soup</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<u><br /></u>
<u>Leek Soup</u> <i>(Preisoep)</i><br />
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The ingredients and preparation of this soup are quite similar, except for the leeks, of course:<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7iC_Ch8Rl4s/VHIXD_Tl5-I/AAAAAAAABiQ/NX0tQQAvcvw/s1600/Pot-leek_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7iC_Ch8Rl4s/VHIXD_Tl5-I/AAAAAAAABiQ/NX0tQQAvcvw/s1600/Pot-leek_2.JPG" height="250" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chopped leeks</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
1 L. (about 1 qt.) water<br />
7 1/2 gr. salt (1 1/2 teaspoons; I used only 1 teaspoon)<br />
4 large or 6 small leeks<br />
35 gr. (about 1/4 cup) flour<br />
40 gr. (2 tablespoons) butter or margarine<br />
2 teaspoons Arome Maggi or soy sauce<br />
1 egg, beaten<br />
<br />
- Chop the leeks into one-inch or half-inch pieces and cook in the salted water.<br />
- In the meantime, melt the butter and stir in the flour, forming a paste.<br />
- Slowly pour the liquid with the leeks into the flour and butter mixture, stirring to prevent lumps from forming.<br />
- Let the soup simmer for about 10 more minutes until cooked through.<br />
- In a soup tureen, beat the egg with the soy sauce.<br />
- Stir in the liquid mixture and serve with croutons or toasted bread. <br />
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I altered the recipe a bit to add chunks of potato, to make it a bit more substantial. If you add a few bacon crumbles and consume it with whole wheat or rye toast, you'll have a whole meal: <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mUgKqS0TGGs/VHIWyB0rKTI/AAAAAAAABiI/yDUIZblI6g0/s1600/Pot-leek_3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mUgKqS0TGGs/VHIWyB0rKTI/AAAAAAAABiI/yDUIZblI6g0/s1600/Pot-leek_3.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Potato and leek soup</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<i>Eet smakelijk!</i> Enjoy your meal.Two Cookbook Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17335781525305019661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2658831113751644798.post-61170064466358256812014-10-26T18:50:00.000-07:002014-10-26T18:50:09.593-07:00K is for "Kabeljauw"Grandma Vanden Bergh's Dutch cookbook contains a chapter of recipes on how to prepare a variety of fish. That's not surprising, since the Netherlands has always been a seafaring nation, and freshwater fish also abound in its rivers.<br />
<br />
I have tried cooking codfish from my local supermarket, but it most often tastes bland and unappetizing. I decided to try out this 1920's recipe, and found it a tastier dish than the earlier attempts I made on my own:<br />
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<u>Baked Codfish</u> (<i>Gestoofde Kabeljauw)</i><br />
<br />
2 codfish fillets (about 1 kg; 2 pounds)<br />
60 grams butter (That is 1/4 lb. I used about half that amount - of margarine.)<br />
1/2 lemon<br />
salt to taste<br />
<br />
- Clean the fish in the usual way, salt the fillets and place in an ovenproof dish.<br />
- Pour about 1 cm. (1/2 inch) of water into the dish, into which a "Cube Maggi" is dissolved, if you wish. [If "Cube Maggi" is not available, use a vegetable-flavored bouillon cube.] <br />
- Squeeze the juice of 1/4 of a lemon over the fish and dot with butter.<br />
- Sprinkle with breadcrumbs; lay 2 slices of lemon over the fish.<br />
- Bake at 350 F. (175 C.) covered for 20 minutes, then uncovered an additional 10 minutes. <br />
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I served the cod with potatoes and green beans, which made a balanced meal.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jUWPcX_Hzoc/VCyiU5x4qnI/AAAAAAAABgc/7cPXSOb8n4Y/s1600/Cod%2B-%2Bkabeljauw.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jUWPcX_Hzoc/VCyiU5x4qnI/AAAAAAAABgc/7cPXSOb8n4Y/s1600/Cod%2B-%2Bkabeljauw.JPG" height="262" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baked codfish</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<i>Eet smakelijk!</i> -- Enjoy your meal.<br />
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For another fish recipe from Grandma Vanden Bergh's cookbook, see the earlier post, "<a href="http://twocookbooks.blogspot.com/2013/11/the-way-of-all-fish.html">The Way of All Fish</a>."Two Cookbook Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17335781525305019661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2658831113751644798.post-26221066893934905982014-10-05T19:29:00.003-07:002014-10-05T19:29:57.798-07:00More History Events <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-m5GihMc8O-8/VDH0lULM9LI/AAAAAAAABgs/Wp4HlslnboM/s1600/Schdy_5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-m5GihMc8O-8/VDH0lULM9LI/AAAAAAAABgs/Wp4HlslnboM/s1600/Schdy_5.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Schenectady Stockade District</td></tr>
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This weekend I had the opportunity to attend two more history events. On Saturday I went to a Genealogy workshop at the <a href="http://schenectadyhistorical.org/about-us-menu/">Schenectady County Historical Society</a>. There were four presentations.<br />
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The first was about using university archives and special collections for doing genealogical research. It hadn't occurred to me that there may be a great deal of information, for example, about the daily life of my relatives who attended college in the 1920s or 1940s in the records of the institutions they attended. A rich resource to be explored on a rainy afternoon!<br />
<br />
The second presentation gave the attendees some tips for searching <a href="http://ancestry.com/">ancestry.com</a> ; always a useful refresher for those who have tried this on their own.<br />
<br />
The most useful presentation for me showed us how to browse through the wealth of historical information posted at a Web site developed by a research librarian at the Schenectady County Public Library. The library hosts a digital history archive which truly a cornucopia of resources that have been posted online. You can find this at <a href="http://www.schenectadyhistory.org/">http://www.schenectadyhistory.org</a> .<br />
<br />
The last presentation walked the participants through the resources available in the <a href="http://schenectadyhistorical.org/library/">Grems-Doolittle Library</a> of the historical association, which includes a collection of print and digital resources, including an historic manuscripts collection. The Society is located in the historic stockade district near the Mohawk River in Schenectady.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pCg1u73svlg/VDH3eAi8mtI/AAAAAAAABg4/Z6K9Zvutq7E/s1600/SAM_2206.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pCg1u73svlg/VDH3eAi8mtI/AAAAAAAABg4/Z6K9Zvutq7E/s1600/SAM_2206.JPG" height="400" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Half Moon Replica Ship on the Hudson</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
On Sunday, I went to the shore of the Hudson River in Albany, to tour the replica of Henry Hudson's ship, the <a href="http://www.halfmoon.mus.ny.us/">Half Moon</a> (<i>Halve Maen</i> in Dutch). The replica was constructed about 25 years ago, and is a full-scale, working model of the type of sailing vessel used by the Dutch East India Company in the 17th century. While touring the ship dockside, it was difficult to imagine how such a tiny, cramped vessel crossed the Atlantic Ocean safely.<br />
<br />
The replica operates as a floating museum, with a crew of volunteers who welcome student sailors from local middle schools and exchange students from the Netherlands -- a wonderful opportunity for a living history lesson! <br />
<br />
The tour guides showed us the forecastle, where the cooking stove was located; the crew's quarters; and the area where trade goods were stored.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Iw3wEWFQVMo/VDH94TVizuI/AAAAAAAABhY/jTLe509c9kY/s1600/SAM_2220.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Iw3wEWFQVMo/VDH94TVizuI/AAAAAAAABhY/jTLe509c9kY/s1600/SAM_2220.JPG" height="400" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stove and food samples</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-r5GCgpS8F1Y/VDH5F8SgkZI/AAAAAAAABhE/vKIAzH98sdk/s1600/SAM_2221.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-r5GCgpS8F1Y/VDH5F8SgkZI/AAAAAAAABhE/vKIAzH98sdk/s1600/SAM_2221.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Storage for trade goods in the ship's hold</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HrhSl19KZkE/VDH5TYsMd_I/AAAAAAAABhM/Uv7Box0XR7g/s1600/SAM_2226.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HrhSl19KZkE/VDH5TYsMd_I/AAAAAAAABhM/Uv7Box0XR7g/s1600/SAM_2226.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crew's quarters</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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To learn more about Henry Hudson and the Half Moon, here are a couple of books that look at the voyage from different perspectives:<br />
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<u>Henry Hudson and the Algonquins of New York</u>, by Evan T. Pritchard. This volume attempts to recreate the Half Moon's voyage up the Hudson river from the perspective of the Native Americans with whom the ship came into contact.<br />
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<u>Half Moon: Henry Hudson and the Voyage That Redrew the Map of the New World</u>, by Douglas Hunter. This book focuses on the history behind the quest for a water route through North America to the Pacific Ocean, and the economics and politics of the era. <br />
Two Cookbook Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17335781525305019661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2658831113751644798.post-77837277844342564692014-09-28T18:43:00.000-07:002014-09-28T18:44:44.903-07:00A Month of History EventsThis month there have been quite a few history events here in New York's Capital District. Here's a list of the ones I have attended:<br />
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- <u>Sunday, September 14, 2014</u>: 90th Anniversary Celebration of the <a href="http://www.dutchsettlerssociety.org/">Dutch Settlers Society of Alban</a>y. The DSSA was founded in 1924, in connection with the celebration of the tercentenary of the settlement of the City of Albany. Its mission is to: perpetuate the memory of the individuals who resided here during the time it was a Dutch colony; collect and preserve records and information concerning the history and settlement of Albany and its vicinity, including genealogical records of the settlers and their descendants; and to foster the study of the early history of the City of Albany.<br />
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The anniversary luncheon took place at the Stockade Inn in the city of Schenectady, with fifty members and friends in attendance. The Mayor of Albany, the Honorable Kathy Sheehan, was an honored guest. A speaker from the <a href="http://www.historic-albany.org/">Historic Albany Foundation</a> gave an illustrated talk on what the city of Albany was like in 1924, when the Society was founded. Attendees found the table of DSSA memorabilia an interesting trip through the Society's history. An album of photos taken at the celebration can be found <a href="http://www.dutchsettlerssociety.org/apps/photos/album?albumid=15734340">here</a>. <br />
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<u>Friday, September 19, 2014</u>: Talk and book-signing by Professor Susannah Shaw Romney, at the <a href="http://www.albanyinstitute.org/about-the-albany-institute.html">Albany Institute of History and Art</a>, about her recently published volume, <a href="http://uncpress.unc.edu/books/11997.html">New Netherland Connections</a>: Intimate Networks and Atlantic Ties in Seventeenth-Century America. I found a brief mention of my ancestor Cornelis van Slijck in her book, so I could not resist purchasing it! <br />
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<u>Saturday, September 20, 2014</u>: <a href="http://www.newnetherlandinstitute.org/">New Netherland Institute</a> Seminar, at the New York State Museum. The <a href="http://www.newnetherlandinstitute.org/programs/events/new-netherland-seminar/">Seminar</a> featured speakers from several universities in the United States as well as from the Netherlands. There were 150 attendees this year, who filled the auditorium with their enthusiasm. Following the seminar, attendees enjoyed a dinner at Albany's historic Fort Orange Club.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Q-OwRV3fmQs/VCiy3IwS2TI/AAAAAAAABfY/sA0zIGwUClc/s1600/Schdy_5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Q-OwRV3fmQs/VCiy3IwS2TI/AAAAAAAABfY/sA0zIGwUClc/s1600/Schdy_5.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Indian Statue in Schenectady Stockade Area</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<u>Saturday, September 27, 2014</u>: 54th Annual "Stockade Walkabout" in Schenectady, NY's historic stockade district, sponsored by the Stockade Association and the Schenectady County Historical Society. The buildings on the self-guided walking tour represent three centuries of local architecture and history. Of course, there are few, if any, buildings that date from the 17th century left, but there are indeed several that were originally built during the early 18th century. In contrast with nearby Albany, Schenectady's business sector moved away from the area of the original settlement, leaving the oldest part of the city mostly residential, which surely saved many old homes from being torn down to set up businesses. <br />
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I was particularly interested and intrigued to see the names of a couple of my ancestors on historical plaques adorning homes along one street. The plaques indicate where the original homes were, but are on structures that were built later than those inhabited earlier by the original settlers:<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GWCN-WyS6KY/VCizM8geb0I/AAAAAAAABfg/je2Lhy5dfrw/s1600/Schdy_3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GWCN-WyS6KY/VCizM8geb0I/AAAAAAAABfg/je2Lhy5dfrw/s1600/Schdy_3.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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And another plaque indicated the location of Jacques van Slijck's early tavern, near a narrow street known as Cucumber Alley:<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3PkBjRpzWE0/VCiz0ZedcvI/AAAAAAAABfw/5lpdwvxZA-0/s1600/Schdy_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3PkBjRpzWE0/VCiz0ZedcvI/AAAAAAAABfw/5lpdwvxZA-0/s1600/Schdy_2.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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One of the oldest houses in the city of Schenectady is the Yates house; it dates from the early 18th century:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gLEG3SMS5wA/VCi0phto8_I/AAAAAAAABf8/_6Jth733iW8/s1600/Schdy_6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gLEG3SMS5wA/VCi0phto8_I/AAAAAAAABf8/_6Jth733iW8/s1600/Schdy_6.JPG" height="400" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Abraham Yates House</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-S1HwazQkWfM/VCi056Rb39I/AAAAAAAABgE/hpEOMkW9NT0/s1600/HalfMoon_2014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-S1HwazQkWfM/VCi056Rb39I/AAAAAAAABgE/hpEOMkW9NT0/s1600/HalfMoon_2014.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Halve Maen Replica Ship</td></tr>
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<u>Sunday, September 28, 2014</u>: Early Albany Hudson River Festival. At this day-long festival and encampment, the replica ship of Henry Hudson's 1609 voyage of exploration, the Half Moon, or "Halve Maen" in Dutch, lay at anchor in the river. We also saw demonstrations of 17th-century handcrafts and technology, such as a cooper, blacksmith, and broom-maker. Members of the Stockbridge-Munsee band of Native Americans were also present to interpret current and past practices of their tribe.<br />
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It was right around the third week of September 1609 that Hudson's ship reached the area near present-day Albany, in the heart of what was then the main population area of the Mahican Indians. As the replica ship floated near the riverside park, it was tempting to try to visualize what the scene may have looked like four hundred years ago. The <a href="http://www.halfmoon.mus.ny.us/2014/fallvod/vodhome.htm">replica ship</a> is a floating museum, with a multinational crew of volunteers and student sailors. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QmaJxgeybEY/VCi1RG9FKRI/AAAAAAAABgM/HjbTN0Eilc0/s1600/Wigwam_2014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QmaJxgeybEY/VCi1RG9FKRI/AAAAAAAABgM/HjbTN0Eilc0/s1600/Wigwam_2014.JPG" height="322" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mahican Wigwam Replica at Hudson River Encampment</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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The Half Moon will still be docked in Albany for the next couple of weekends. Perhaps I'll have an opportunity to tour the ship to get an idea of what it must have been like aboard for Hudson and his crew. <br />
<br />Two Cookbook Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17335781525305019661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2658831113751644798.post-61101470449082829762014-09-07T15:05:00.000-07:002014-09-07T15:05:59.975-07:00Excursion to Ellis Island<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-06ZnCn7HqbE/VAzVzUyZagI/AAAAAAAABfA/pGHWS_hnhU0/s1600/VDB%2B1912%2BA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-06ZnCn7HqbE/VAzVzUyZagI/AAAAAAAABfA/pGHWS_hnhU0/s1600/VDB%2B1912%2BA.jpg" height="320" width="230" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grandma and Grandpa with baby Jacob, 1912</td></tr>
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I spent last weekend in New York City, during which time I had an opportunity to take a trip via ferry to Ellis Island. Although my grandparents did not enter the United States through Ellis Island in 1911, visiting the museum there gave me a good idea of how it was for the twelve million other immigrants who were processed through that point of entry between 1892 and 1954.<br />
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Grandma and Grandpa Vanden Bergh left the Netherlands in May 1911, the day after their wedding. In later years, Grandma was always quick to tell people that they did not travel "steerage," but rather had saved enough money to purchase second-class tickets aboard the SS Potsdam. Thus, they apparently went through the customs and immigration formalities at Hoboken, New Jersey, instead of Ellis Island.<br />
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It was a thrill, though, to stand on the deck of the ferry crossing New York Harbor, and glide past the Statue of Liberty, and try to imagine what their thoughts might have been as they caught sight of the statue for the first time.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TUoU5_MbX4I/VAzOnH5kpHI/AAAAAAAABeY/0LkXqjlcY0A/s1600/SAM_2138.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TUoU5_MbX4I/VAzOnH5kpHI/AAAAAAAABeY/0LkXqjlcY0A/s1600/SAM_2138.JPG" height="400" width="325" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Liberty Island, from ferry</td></tr>
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Coincidentally, as I stood on the deck of the ferry taking pictures, I heard the sound of Dutch being spoken next to me. I couldn't resist telling the family of Dutch tourists about my grandparents' passage to the United States through that very same harbor a hundred years ago. Of course, they politely corrected my pronunciation of our grandparents' hometowns, Loosdrecht and s'Graveland. The Dutch family disembarked at Liberty Island, while I continued on to Ellis Island.<br />
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The main building on Ellis Island, which now houses the museum, was opened in 1900.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NHzy_WlzBn4/VAzKYxTkBuI/AAAAAAAABdw/Z_mQAgy2B68/s1600/SAM_2161.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NHzy_WlzBn4/VAzKYxTkBuI/AAAAAAAABdw/Z_mQAgy2B68/s1600/SAM_2161.JPG" height="400" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ellis Island - Museum</td></tr>
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As I clambered up the stairs to the great hall on the second floor to the main room where the arriving immigrants were interviewed, once again I heard Dutch spoken by more tourists. It was an almost eerie echo reminding me of past generations.<br />
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Exhibits along the walls and in adjoining rooms gave a vivid idea of what it was like to pass through the medical exams, background checks, and interviews. Immigrants were scanned for contagious diseases in a six-second preliminary check-up even while they snaked up the stairs. This check consisted partly of an eye examination for trachoma, when a button hook was used to turn back the person's eyelid to check for inflammation.<br />
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Those with contagious diseases, which they may have contracted aboard ship, were sent to be cared for at the hospital that was part of the island's complex of buildings. Staff at the facility included nurses, doctors, inspectors, clerks, and interpreters for the myriad languages spoken by the newcomers.<br />
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Because of the vast numbers of people who passed through the doors, it is easy to get the idea that the process was necessarily a very impersonal one. But various details included in the exhibits do paint a picture that includes a more personal touch, for example the note that children staying at the complex were served an evening snack of warm milk; or the instruction to nurses caring for sick children "not to kiss the children" for fear of catching whatever ailment the sick child had. <br />
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After visiting the museum, I went outside to study the Immigrant Wall of Honor, in hopes of locating my grandparents' names. Although they had not come through Ellis Island, but arrived during the era that the point of entry was active, my mother had registered their names for addition to the wall. After consulting the alphabetical chart, and walking twice along the perimeter of the monument, I found them, among a number of other Dutch names: Barend and Elizabeth Daams Van den Bergh.<br />
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It would soon be time to catch the ferry back to Manhattan, but I couldn't resist taking one last photo of the skyline, in which I was able to capture the old and the new: a three-masted sailing ship in the shadow of the skyscrapers, including the new World Trade Center:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GnJ76CYlASU/VAzNB6ULncI/AAAAAAAABeM/qO7f3qiahs4/s1600/SAM_2157.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GnJ76CYlASU/VAzNB6ULncI/AAAAAAAABeM/qO7f3qiahs4/s1600/SAM_2157.JPG" height="425" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Manhattan skyline with sailing ship</td></tr>
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And aboard the ferry on the return trip, one more photo of the Statue of Liberty against the Manhattan skyline:<br />
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For much more information about Ellis Island, go to the National Park Services Web site at: <a href="http://www.nps.gov/elis/index.htm">http://www.nps.gov/elis/index.htm </a><br />
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To learn more details about my grandparents' early lives and voyage to America in 1911, you may wish to take a look at these earlier posts:<br />
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<a href="http://www.twocookbooks.blogspot.com/2011/10/starched-caps-and-aprons.html">Starched Caps and Aprons</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.twocookbooks.blogspot.com/2011/10/making-plans.html">Making Plans</a><br />
<a href="http://www.twocookbooks.blogspot.com/2011/10/arrival-at-last.html"><br /></a>
<a href="http://www.twocookbooks.blogspot.com/2011/10/arrival-at-last.html">Arrival at Last</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.twocookbooks.blogspot.com/2011/10/settling-in.html">Settling In</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.twocookbooks.blogspot.com/2011/11/home-of-their-own.html">A Home of Their Own</a>Two Cookbook Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17335781525305019661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2658831113751644798.post-30621457457946836672014-08-24T18:21:00.003-07:002014-08-24T18:21:45.960-07:00Bientensla -- Dutch Beet Salad<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YGgNAVeLcWs/U_qLYO61W4I/AAAAAAAABcw/j4rTJxYOML4/s1600/Beets_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YGgNAVeLcWs/U_qLYO61W4I/AAAAAAAABcw/j4rTJxYOML4/s1600/Beets_2.JPG" height="195" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two "flinke" beets</td></tr>
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Two <i>"flinke"</i> beets -- thus begins the recipe in Grandma Vanden Bergh's 1920's Dutch cookbook for Beet Salad -- <i>Bientensla</i>. The adjective can be translated here as "extra large," or "of substantial size."<br />
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The rest of the recipe calls for:<br />
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3 tablespoons vinegar<br />
2 tablespoons salad oil<br />
1 teaspoon sugar<br />
chopped onion or leek <br />
salt and pepper to taste<br />
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I used beets that I purchased at a local farmers' market. The preparation is described as follows:<br />
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- Wash the beets thoroughly. <br />
- Cook them in ample water, with salt for about three hours [!]<br />
- Remove the skin; let them cool, and cut in slices or cubes.<br />
- Mix with the oil, vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper, and if desired, the chopped onion or leek.<br />
- Serve the salad with cold meat or cold cooked fish.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IhSk7pXdl5I/U_qLu4kHnuI/AAAAAAAABc4/cbOY3uNgK8s/s1600/Bietensla_1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IhSk7pXdl5I/U_qLu4kHnuI/AAAAAAAABc4/cbOY3uNgK8s/s1600/Bietensla_1.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beet Salad - 1922 Recipe</td></tr>
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This is the simplest of the recipes for beet salad in my three Dutch cookbooks. I found that the huge beets cooked for a lengthy time (I only boiled them for half the time indicated in the recipe) did not have much flavor on their own, and a larger number of smaller beets may have produced a tastier dish.<br />
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Mom's 1961 cookbook included a slightly different recipe for beet salad, which called for six beets, six boiled potatoes, four hard-cooked eggs, two apples, and three large sour pickles. The dressing was either mayonnaise or oil and vinegar, "if [the mayonnaise] is considered to be too nourishing."<br />
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This version was also suggested to be served alongside cold meat.<br />
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In good frugal Dutch fashion, I used the leftovers from the first recipe to try this one out as well, although I omitted the apples and pickles. Of course, the potatoes and egg turned a pleasing shade of pink when they came into contact with the beet juice.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cbiBmGST1KA/U_qMDSWi0NI/AAAAAAAABdA/d6Quyiqn-rs/s1600/Bietensla_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cbiBmGST1KA/U_qMDSWi0NI/AAAAAAAABdA/d6Quyiqn-rs/s1600/Bietensla_2.JPG" height="320" width="263" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beet Salad - 1961 Recipe</td></tr>
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My modern Dutch cookbook adds even more ingredients to the mix -- 300 grams of corned beef. In this version, the beets and apples are grated, and the mixture is served on a bed of lettuce leaves, with a slice of white bread to round out the meal. <br />
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I think I like the oldest recipe best, and would prefer to have the meat and potatoes separately. Whichever way you prefer your <i>bietensla, eet smakelijk</i> -- enjoy your meal!<br />
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<u>Language note</u>: My Essential Dutch Dictionary translates the Dutch word <i>flink(e)</i> as "tough, capable, considerable."<br />
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Mom's 1967 Cassell's Dutch-English Dictionary (first copyrighted in 1923, a year after Grandma's cookbook was published) gives a range of meanings for different contexts. Here are a few:<br />
<br />
For objects:<br />
good (walk, number, size)<br />
considerable (sum)<br />
substantial (progress)<br />
thorough (overhaul)<br />
<br />
For people:<br />
sturdy, stout, lusty, robust, strapping, stalwart, hardy, energetic<br />
<br />
I love this versatile Dutch word <i>flink(e)</i> -- so useful for describing people or things!Two Cookbook Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17335781525305019661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2658831113751644798.post-86174205904621382712014-08-10T19:05:00.000-07:002014-08-11T18:34:25.916-07:00Three Generations of Dutch Cookbooks<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pbHNSqFEUyk/U-ghJCPlXKI/AAAAAAAABcU/6zhD3HcE3Pc/s1600/Art+of+Dutch+Cooking.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pbHNSqFEUyk/U-ghJCPlXKI/AAAAAAAABcU/6zhD3HcE3Pc/s1600/Art+of+Dutch+Cooking.JPG" height="320" width="229" /></a></div>
Another Dutch cookbook has turned up in the family archives! It belonged to my mother, and is entitled "The Art of Dutch Cooking, or How the Dutch Treat." It was published in 1961, forty years after <a href="http://www.twocookbooks.blogspot.com/2011/02/how-it-all-began.html">my grandmother's old Dutch cookbook</a>.<br />
<br />
The book bears an inscription by my sister: "To Mom - in the year of her European travels, 1971." Indeed, that was the year that Mom and two of her sisters traveled to France and the Netherlands, where they were able to meet up with a number of aunts, uncles, and cousins. It was quite a thrill for my mother to see the very neighborhood where her own mother grew up. <br />
<br />
I have added the book to my collection alongside Grandma's 1920's "<a href="http://www.twocookbooks.blogspot.com/2011/02/simple-hearty-fare.html">Eenvoudige Berekende Recepten</a>" and my modern "Deliciously Dutch," by Marijke Sterk, which I purchased in the Netherlands three years ago.<br />
<br />
"The Art of Dutch Cooking" was written by Cornelia, Countess van Limburg Stirum. A black-and-white photograph on the endflap shows her in profile -- a woman of a certain age, with a slight Mona Lisa-like smile, demurely glancing downward, with wavy hair and a stylishly-tied scarf (for 1960) around her neck.<br />
<br />
Information about the author indicates that the Countess "learned to cook entirely on her own, when she was stranded on a houseboat during the war [World War II] with her three young sons. A widow, she enjoys surprising her guests with new recipes, and has published three highly successful cookbooks in Dutch." <br />
<br />
The volume is illustrated with drawings done by the Countess herself, including a charming watercolor on the cover, which shows a typical Dutch scene of canal houses and people enjoying a treat of fresh herring. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wYP-sMd1jGk/U-gkpHK1HOI/AAAAAAAABcg/mbWsQ7_gqTo/s1600/Dutch+Cook+Book+Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wYP-sMd1jGk/U-gkpHK1HOI/AAAAAAAABcg/mbWsQ7_gqTo/s1600/Dutch+Cook+Book+Cover.jpg" height="200" width="145" /></a></div>
I am curious to learn more about this mysterious Countess, and to try out some of her recipes and compare them with the older and newer ones. Did the Countess possibly have a copy of "Eenvoudige Berekende Recepten" with her on that houseboat? What perennial recipes have come down since earlier times, and how may they have been adapted to meet more modern tastes? Another phase of my research is about to begin!Two Cookbook Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17335781525305019661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2658831113751644798.post-63165046381743452892014-07-03T06:09:00.000-07:002014-07-03T06:13:08.343-07:00Albany Tulip Festival 2014Mother's Day weekend in May marked the 66th Albany Tulip Festival, when over 100,000 tulips bloomed in the downtown area, in particular in the city's Washington Park:<br />
<br />
There are pink tulips:<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6DPKT0zFwmg/U2-1uI4SLbI/AAAAAAAABaw/RaUP0x0n2RY/s1600/SAM_2098.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6DPKT0zFwmg/U2-1uI4SLbI/AAAAAAAABaw/RaUP0x0n2RY/s1600/SAM_2098.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Yellow tulips:<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WCCTqQ-HfH0/U2-18jyo4GI/AAAAAAAABa4/qVGCKLK-H3c/s1600/SAM_2103.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WCCTqQ-HfH0/U2-18jyo4GI/AAAAAAAABa4/qVGCKLK-H3c/s1600/SAM_2103.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Purple tulips:<br />
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<br />
<br />
Double tulips: <br />
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<br />
A yellow tulip got lost here:<br />
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<br />
There are even upside-down tulips:<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4ZK2sjIkhRI/U7VVM-YoedI/AAAAAAAABcA/OKDi2uLp7I0/s1600/Tulips_upsidedown_2014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4ZK2sjIkhRI/U7VVM-YoedI/AAAAAAAABcA/OKDi2uLp7I0/s1600/Tulips_upsidedown_2014.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br />
All kinds of people from all over the country come to the festival to photograph the tulips:<br />
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</div>
<br />
<br />
There are vendors selling all kinds of gadgets and artistic decorations; and food for a variety of palates.<br />
<br />
But the highlight of the festival is the crowing of the Tulip Queen, who will represent the city at a variety of cultural events during the coming year, along with her "court" of runners-up. These five young women will volunteer in activities that promote literacy, civic spirit, and Albany's cultural history. <br />
<br />
A contingent of motorcycle-riding and mounted policemen lead a procession through the park, with a bagpipe vanguard and the local "<a href="http://www.dutchsettlerssociety.org/aboutus.htm">Dutch Settlers Society of Albany</a>" ahead of a horse-drawn carriage in which ride the city's Mayor and the previous year's Tulip Queen. The procession ends at the Washington Park Lake House, where the new Queen will be crowned.<br />
<br />
<br />
Plans for the current version of <a href="http://www.albanyevents.org/events/event_detail.cfm?ID=7">Albany's Tulip Festival</a> began in 1948, when then-Mayor Erastus Corning II declared the tulip the official flower of the city, in honor of Albany's Dutch heritage. The first tulip festival was held the following year.<br />
<br />
But the festival has roots in a late 18th- and early 19th-century festival in Albany, known as Pinksterfest. (See last post for details.)<br />
<br /><br />Two Cookbook Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17335781525305019661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2658831113751644798.post-38280089051655684262014-05-25T17:46:00.001-07:002014-05-25T17:46:12.978-07:00Albany's Early PinksterfestThe tulips are fading, but lilacs and azaleas are blooming furiously in Upstate New York. Azaleas played a prominent part in the late 18th-early 19th century precursor to Albany's Tulip Festival -- the Pinksterfest. Pinksters are a variety of azalea that bloom in late spring. My pinkster or azalea looks like this:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dqUDXn2hxNU/U4CDt2v4jQI/AAAAAAAABbw/URPHDDDi8uw/s1600/Azalea+May+2012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dqUDXn2hxNU/U4CDt2v4jQI/AAAAAAAABbw/URPHDDDi8uw/s1600/Azalea+May+2012.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Azalea, also known as Pinkster</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The pinkster festival began as a Dutch religious celebration to celebrate Pentecost, but later became a more secular and multicultural event, with dancing, music and food, attended by local Native Americans and in particular by the African-American population of the capital city and its environs. <br />
<br />
Today I can look out of my office window onto Albany's Academy Park, where the festivities took place: booths were set up where sweets and cider were sold; drumming and dancing went on into the night, and for a whole week the Master of Ceremonies, Adam Blake, a servant of the Patroon Van Rensselaer's family presided over the fun and games. The occasion was an opportunity for enslaved Africans to taste a few days of independence. <br />
<br />
Unfortunately for the revelers, in April 1811, the Common Council of the City of Albany passed an ordinance banning the festival, supposedly because of the excesses of rowdiness and drunkenness associated with it. However, some researchers today believe that it is more likely that those who still owned slaves felt that the Pinksterfest was an opportunity for large numbers of slaves to congregate, with the possible risk that that may have represented. <br />
<br />
The prohibition was <a href="http://www.timesunion.com/default/article/An-injustice-undone-after-200-years-1382337.php">symbolically annulled</a> by the Albany Common Council in 2011, two hundred years after its banning. <br />
<br />
I love the view from my office window, looking down over Academy Park and farther away to the Hudson River, but I did not know until now that this historic park is where this festival was held. The view will be even more meaningful for me now. <br />
<br />
<br />
Sources:<br />
<br />
Hess, Peter, People of Albany: The First 200 Years. Albany Steel, Inc., Albany, NY; 2009<br />
<br />
Pinkster Resource Page, New York State Museum: <a href="http://www.nysm.nysed.gov/albany/res/pinkster.html#fest">http://www.nysm.nysed.gov/albany/res/pinkster.html#fest</a><br />
<br />
Pinkster Celebration, Historic Hudson Valley Web site: <a href="http://www.hudsonvalley.org/education/pinkster">http://www.hudsonvalley.org/education/pinkster</a>Two Cookbook Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17335781525305019661noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2658831113751644798.post-32005538246167151472014-04-27T18:38:00.002-07:002014-05-04T13:06:07.240-07:00The Mystery NotebookAmong the notebooks and cookbooks that I received along with Grandma Minnie's handwritten book of recipes was a second manuscript in a handwriting that I did not recognize. This mystery notebook's elaborate script was not easy to decipher:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KNOUJK4iQzI/U12q7KNd6XI/AAAAAAAABZ4/J9tj0E6RnmM/s1600/Beulah_1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KNOUJK4iQzI/U12q7KNd6XI/AAAAAAAABZ4/J9tj0E6RnmM/s1600/Beulah_1.JPG" height="320" width="228" /></a></div>
<br />
It was not until I came across a signed letter in the same hand in the family archives that I discovered the author of the calligraphed notebook: it was Grandma Minnie's second cousin, Beulah Van Slyke Bailey.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-v1aZPkjSI0s/U12sIlL16zI/AAAAAAAABaE/AMc7deO_lh0/s1600/Beulah_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-v1aZPkjSI0s/U12sIlL16zI/AAAAAAAABaE/AMc7deO_lh0/s1600/Beulah_2.JPG" height="320" width="223" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Beulah was born in 1892 (two years after Minnie), the grand-daughter of Jonas Van Slyke's brother David H. Van Slyke. She was born in Indian Castle, New York, in Herkimer County, where she lived for most of her life. I have a vague memory of visiting her home as a young child with other relatives. A profusion of pink and purple Jacob's Coat flowering plants bloomed in the woods behind the house. Beulah shared a cutting with Minnie, which Minnie's girls planted on the hill behind their homestead.<br />
<br />
Beulah was active in the restoration of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Castle_Church">Indian Castle church</a> originally built in 1769 by Sir William Johnson, as a mission church for the Mohawks, whose palisaded village, or "castle," gave the modern village its name. The little white church still stands on a hillside above the Mohawk River. It is the oldest Indian mission church in New York State.<br />
<br />
Beulah was President of the Indian Castle Restoration Society. When she passed away in May 1965, her memorial service was held in the church that she had helped restore. I have not tried Beulah's Angel Food Cake recipe, but I did try another recipe that she had clipped out of a newspaper, probably sometime in the 1940's. The apple, cinnamon, and brown sugar make a tasty treat. <br />
<u><br /></u>
<u>Apple Betty</u><br />
<br />
- One cup dried bread crumbs (rolled); 1/4 cup melted butter; 1 teaspoon cinnamon; 3 cups tart apples, finely chopped; 1 cup brown sugar.<br />
<br />
- Blend the bread crumbs with the melted butter, sugar, and cinnamon. Butter a baking dish and line it with the crumbs. Place a layer of chopped apples in bottom of dish, add a layer of crumbs and repeat until all are used. Bake for 40 minutes in a moderate oven (375 degrees Fahrenheit). Serve warm with cream. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vuEioB5_juA/U12vR6hY6tI/AAAAAAAABaQ/eCWfrgOzAoQ/s1600/Apple+Br+Betty_Beulah.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vuEioB5_juA/U12vR6hY6tI/AAAAAAAABaQ/eCWfrgOzAoQ/s1600/Apple+Br+Betty_Beulah.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beulah's Apple Betty</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
Although Beulah has been gone for almost fifty years now, the Jacob's Coat that she gave Minnie is sprouting along the path up the hill. Soon its pink and purple blossoms will open in the spring sunshine, part of Beulah's legacy along with her tasty recipes. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XPmIT4D3YhY/U2abeqztGlI/AAAAAAAABag/EtGcckKtLMM/s1600/Jacob%27s+coat_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XPmIT4D3YhY/U2abeqztGlI/AAAAAAAABag/EtGcckKtLMM/s1600/Jacob's+coat_2.JPG" height="199" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beulah's Jacob's Coat</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />Two Cookbook Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17335781525305019661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2658831113751644798.post-55091337859268058652014-04-20T18:59:00.000-07:002014-04-20T18:59:18.289-07:00Breakfast Parties - Then and Now<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style";">I’ve planned
to have family come to my house for a brunch on Easter Sunday, and I’ve been
looking through my old family cookbooks to find some interesting ideas and
festive dishes to prepare. Luckily, I didn’t have to search far; Great-Grandma Nan’s book of household hints and recipes from the
1890’s, “<a href="http://twocookbooks.blogspot.com/2011/09/queen-of-household.html">Queen of the Household</a>,” did not disappoint me. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dR2LSHXNq6Y/U1R3Zj3vOEI/AAAAAAAABZM/_jUm9tH64Cw/s1600/page0002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dR2LSHXNq6Y/U1R3Zj3vOEI/AAAAAAAABZM/_jUm9tH64Cw/s1600/page0002.jpg" height="320" width="248" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Title Page, "Queen of the Household"</td></tr>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style";">The chapter
entitled, “Receptions and Entertainments” begins with a section on breakfast
parties. In our day, we tend to call this “brunch,” a combination of breakfast
and lunch, both linguistically and gastronomically. It is interesting to note
the changes in style and custom between the Victorian Age to our own Electronic
Age, and in spite of our hurried lifestyle, good taste never goes out of
fashion. Below are some excerpts from the section on Breakfast Parties, with my
21<sup>st</sup> century commentary interspersed in Italics.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style";">“Breakfast
parties are a very convenient mode of social entertainment for those whose
limited means will not admit of a more extensive display of hospitality. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">(In the 21<sup>st</sup> century, we may
entertain more simply due to a lack of time as much as a lack of means.)</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style";">“Costly
repasts are not necessarily the best; the dining-room may be so pleasant, the
table so dainty and tasteful, the welcome so sincere, that a very unassuming
meal may be rendered indescribably charming, and a breakfast given in very
simple style, while much less expensive than a dinner, and even less formal
than a luncheon, may be made quite as enjoyable as either, as guests usually
partake of it before spoiling the appetite by an earlier home meal. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">(Sincerity, tastefulness, and charm have not
gone out of style. I just hope my brunch will be “dainty” enough and that no
one spoils their appetite before coming!)</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style";">“The breakfast
hour in America is always earlier than in France or England, where a first
breakfast is taken in a very light form, and is from 9 to 12 o’clock, the
former being preferred by most people unless upon the occasion of very fashionable
affairs. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">(Yes, “first breakfast,” or
“petit déjeuner” in France
is still a very light meal. The noon meal, “le déjeuner” is heavier fare. In
the United States,
these days many people take their morning coffee “on the run,” or have their
breakfast at work.)</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style";">“Invitations
to breakfast are written and sent several days beforehand; they may be an
informal note or simply written on the lady’s visiting cards <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">(I don’t have visiting cards!)</i> under the
name in this form: ‘Breakfast, Tuesday 10 o’clock, April 20.’</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style";">“Like all
other invitations these require a prompt and courteous reply. Very formal
breakfasts call for more ceremonious invitations, which like those to dinners
or large parties should be engraved on handsome paper. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">(Such ceremony may have been necessary in the days before cell phones,
or even landline telephones, but for any invitation other than a wedding, today
we would not use an engraved invite “on handsome paper.” Most likely a quick
phone call or email would suffice.)</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-l7lBCuRpedM/U1R3zxiTXOI/AAAAAAAABZU/PETa2kca__Y/s1600/page0001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-l7lBCuRpedM/U1R3zxiTXOI/AAAAAAAABZU/PETa2kca__Y/s1600/page0001.jpg" height="320" width="237" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Frontispiece, "Queen of the Household"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style";">“The
unceremoniousness of this early repast requires the appearance of extreme
simplicity, but flowers are in good taste <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">(Flowers
are always in good taste, but there are none blooming in my garden just yet), </i>and
prettily arranged with fruits give the table a fresh and attractive look. The
table-cloth and napkins should be of fine white damask or they may be bordered
in colors to match the color of the dining-room. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">(I don’t have a damask table-cloth, but I promise to use my best lace
one!)</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style";">“In serving
breakfast, the bill of fare, unless for special occasions, should never be
elaborate, but rather dainty and attractive, fewer courses of a more delicate
variety should be served than at other meals. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">(Fewer courses sounds like a good idea to me. “Dainty” and “attractive”
are two of the author’s favorite adjectives for the serving of meals!)</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style";">“The hostess
dispenses the coffee, tea and chocolate from the head of the table; the
substantials are set in front of the host, who may help the plates and hand
them to the waiter to serve <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">(There’s no waiter
at my house!) </i>; the vegetables and other dishes may be handed from the side
table. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">(No side table either, but we’ll
make do somehow. Most likely I will serve my Easter brunch “buffet style.”)</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style";">“It is well
bred to serve the breakfast with as little formality as possible, and with as
few attendants; one servant, a maid or manservant is sufficient unless the
party is unusually large. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">(There are no
servants in my household, and I seriously doubt that there were any in my
Great-Grandmother’s house either; however, she had help from her sister when my
grandmother was a small child.)</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style";">“The following
will be found an acceptable bill of fare for an ordinary breakfast party. It
can of course be varied to suit the convenience and taste of housekeepers:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style";">Melons, Grapes,
Oranges</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style";">Fried Perch
with Sauce Tartare</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style";">Young Chicken
with Cream Gravy</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style";">Dutchess
Potatoes</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style";">Poached Egg on
Toast</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style";">Broiled Quails</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style";">Baked
Mushrooms</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style";">Tomatoes or
Celery</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style";">Bread and
Butter</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style";">Crackers</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style";">Hot Cakes</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style";">Coffee, Tea,
Chocolate</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style";">“The simplest
costume is in good taste for breakfast parties. Gentlemen wear walking suits,
and ladies handsome but plain street costumes. Gloves are recommended before
going to the table. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">(Oh, those little
white gloves from years ago! I remember them from my Sunday School days.)</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style";">“Each
gentleman is given the escort of a lady. The host conducts the lady who is the
most distinguished guest to the table, and the hostess follows with the
gentleman whom it is desired to honor particularly. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style";">“Upon entering
the dining-room the ladies are assisted to their seats, and the gentlemen then
follow, and the meal is served.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style";">“The signal
for rising from the table is given by the hostess, with a smile and simple bow,
and all proceed to the parlor, exchange a few pleasant remarks, and take their
leave. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">(Such ceremony for a supposedly
simple meal! This protocol was most probably followed by those hosts and
hostesses who saw themselves as rather well-to-do. I doubt that the farming
families in the Mohawk
Valley, where my
grandparents and great-grandparents lived, stood on such ceremony.)</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style";">“For informal
breakfasts no after-call is expected, but for ceremonious entertainments of
this kind the same observance of the rules of etiquette are required as for
dinners and large parties.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5GT2Mkt66pg/U1R4poc2NoI/AAAAAAAABZc/tyskg1cIDWA/s1600/Easter+Brunch_2014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5GT2Mkt66pg/U1R4poc2NoI/AAAAAAAABZc/tyskg1cIDWA/s1600/Easter+Brunch_2014.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting the table ready for brunch</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style";">Update after
my brunch: Yes, I certainly varied the above menu to suit my convenience and
taste! I served store-bought quiches<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>--
spinach and broccoli; a vintage recipe for salmon loaf from Grandma Minnie’s
<a href="http://twocookbooks.blogspot.com/2012/10/the-larkin-cookbook.html">Larkin Housewives Cook Book</a>; an “Apple Betty” recipe from another vintage family
cookbook (more about that next week); a loaf of fancy braided challah bread; and
other family members brought a green salad and a fruit salad. We rounded out
the meal with coffee, and a pleasant and dainty time was had by all.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>*<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>*<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>*</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Q_06Rm7Eufc/U1R6oR_kO8I/AAAAAAAABZo/YjodNP9ovAE/s1600/Larkin-Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Q_06Rm7Eufc/U1R6oR_kO8I/AAAAAAAABZo/YjodNP9ovAE/s1600/Larkin-Cover.jpg" height="320" width="220" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Larkin Housewives Cook Book</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style";">Baked
Salmon Loaf Recipe</span></u><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style";">,
from 1915 Larkin Housewives Cook Book, contributed by a Mrs. E.A. Ross, Springfield, Massachusetts:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style";">One can of
Larkin Red Alaska Salmon, four tablespoons of bread-crumbs, four tablespoons
butter, pepper and salt to taste. Add one egg slightly beaten. Mix thoroughly
and bake in loaf with three slices of Larkin Bacon across the top. Serve with
creamed onions. </span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style";">Since the
recipe did not tell at what temperature to bake the loaf, nor for how long, nor
what size can of salmon to use, I did a quick search on the Internet to see if
I could find similar modern recipes. The first recipe I found on <a href="http://www.allrecipes.com/">www.allrecipes.com</a> was virtually
identical to the Larkin recipe, but calling for half the butter, and using a
half-cup of milk instead; it also omitted the bacon.The recipe indicated that you should bake the loaf for about 45 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 Centigrade).</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style";">A second
recipe suggested adding minced green pepper and onion, and adding a
half-teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce. Both called for a 14.75 ounce can of
salmon, which is the size I had bought at my local supermarket. I did add a bit
of finely chopped red pepper and onion, which added a bit more color and flavor
to the loaf, and if I make it again, I might try halving the butter or
margarine and substituting milk, to cut down on the fat calories. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style";">But it is
interesting to note that, although social customs have evolved greatly over the
last century, there are still some perennial recipes that are guaranteed to
please the daintiest appetites. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Two Cookbook Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17335781525305019661noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2658831113751644798.post-18767748340959537202014-03-30T07:14:00.001-07:002014-03-30T14:08:52.732-07:00Not Just Cookbooks<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uvB1QKLpW7g/UziAVQRHCVI/AAAAAAAABYk/R-zMlcgGQsA/s1600/Dictionary_1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uvB1QKLpW7g/UziAVQRHCVI/AAAAAAAABYk/R-zMlcgGQsA/s1600/Dictionary_1.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dad's German Dictionary</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Not only cookbooks, but a dictionary or two have turned up in the family archives. My sister found Dad's old red German-English dictionary from his college days in one of her bookcases. This was a fortuitous find, since I am taking a short course in German this winter. My classmates found the old dictionary interesting, but pretty much unreadable, for reasons which are explained below.<br />
<br />
The book was published in Chicago in 1938 by the Follett Publishing Company; it bears an inscription with Dad's signature, "Union College 1943." That must have been his senior year in college. Upon graduating -- his class was graduated a few months early because the country was at war -- he went to work immediately for the Sterling Winthrop Research Institute in Rensselaer, NY. With his degree in Chemistry, he was put to work helping develop and produce a synthetic anti-malaria medication for the soldiers who were fighting in the South Pacific.<br />
<br />
But back to the dictionary: It is very difficult for us today to read the German words, since they are written in the old blackletter Gothic typeface known as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fraktur">Fraktur</a>. <br />
<br />
Dad's dictionary was printed at a transitional moment when the Fraktur script would soon be abandoned in Germany in 1941, in favor of a Latin typescript. It is believed that this changeover was carried out, "because the Third Reich wanted a form of writing which was more like the writing of the rest of the modern Western World." (1)<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-p2i6ADSj8es/UziAiWJZHQI/AAAAAAAABYs/2tAeolYA5r0/s1600/Dictionary_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-p2i6ADSj8es/UziAiWJZHQI/AAAAAAAABYs/2tAeolYA5r0/s1600/Dictionary_2.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mom's Dutch Dictionary</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Dad's dictionary is not the only old one I have; I also have Mom's <u>Cassell's Dutch-English/English-Dutch Dictionary</u>. Published in 1967 by Funk & Wagnalls, it is not as old as Dad's, but the original copyright goes back to 1923. Mom purchased it in order to make sure she used the correct Dutch word when writing to her cousins in the Netherlands. Being the careful person she was, Mom covered the book in a colorful flowered wrapping paper when the dust jacket wore out from use. She was also very meticulous in the way she used to write her letters in English, and then, using the dictionary as needed, translate them and carefully re-write the letter in her impeccable <a href="http://library.sc.edu/spcoll/hist/handwriting/page3.html">Palmer Method</a> handwriting before posting the letter or aerogram off to Holland.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SlqCJTsrQq4/UziBHepHT3I/AAAAAAAABY0/WvXHQFJUWQQ/s1600/Dictonary_3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SlqCJTsrQq4/UziBHepHT3I/AAAAAAAABY0/WvXHQFJUWQQ/s1600/Dictonary_3.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My French Dictionary</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Newer yet is my own <u>Cassell's French-English Dictionary</u> from my college days. My <u>Petit Robert</u> has gone missing, but Cassell's has turned up. This one is also published by Funk & Wagnalls, with a copyright date of 1962. My college years were somewhat later than that, but I can see that this old standby has suffered some wear and tear since then. <br />
<br />
And so you can see that we have been a trilingual family.<br />
<br />
- Auf Wiedersehen!<br />
- Tot ziens!<br />
- A bientot!<br />
<br />
<br />
* * * <br />
<br />
(1) Hensher, Philip. <u>The Missing Ink</u>. New York: Faber and Faber, Inc. 2012; page 100. <br />
<br />
For more information about Fraktur, see the following Web page on the German language and type fonts at: <a href="http://www.omniglot.com/writing/german.htm">http://www.omniglot.com/writing/german.htm</a> Two Cookbook Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17335781525305019661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2658831113751644798.post-23365000243307699902014-03-16T18:46:00.000-07:002014-03-16T19:05:57.258-07:00A Daams Windmill<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8h2XmUqEuSI/UyZPi-Wh5BI/AAAAAAAABYI/QiUOVbC94QE/s1600/Vaassen_-_Daams_Molen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8h2XmUqEuSI/UyZPi-Wh5BI/AAAAAAAABYI/QiUOVbC94QE/s1600/Vaassen_-_Daams_Molen.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daams Windmill in Vaassen<span class="licensetpl_attr" style="font-size: larger;"></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style";">During my last
trip to the Netherlands
in 2011, I had an opportunity to visit Zaanse Schans, which is an open-air
museum where one can visit a number of typical Dutch windmills. I have since
learned that there is a Daams windmill in the town of Vaassen,
in the province
of Gelderland, that may
have belonged at one time to an early forebear of Grandma Elizabeth Daams. We
have no proof that it belonged to a family member, but according to information
provided to me by a Daams relative, since Vaassen is only 27 kilometers from
Stroe, Gelderland, where our early Daams ancestors came from, it is quite possible. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style";">There are
several categories of windmills, based on their structure. The Daams windmill
is an octagonal smock mill. This type consists of a six- or eight-sided tower,
topped by a cap that rotates to bring the sails into the wind. In English, it
is called a smock mill, after the smocks worn by farmers in earlier times. In
Dutch, it is called a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">stellingmolen</i>; <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">stelling</i> indicating the scaffold or
platform constructed around the tower so that the miller can adjust the sails
and turn them into the wind. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style";">This style of
construction was developed for use in areas where obstacles such as trees or
buildings obstructed the mill’s direct contact with the wind; it had to be tall
enough for the wind to reach it, thus the addition of the platform for easier
access to the wings and sails. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style";">The Daams mill
in Vaassen was built in 1870 for Derk Poll Jonker, who passed it on to his
brother-in-law Herman Daams in 1883. It was first used to grind grain. During
the early twentieth century, it changed hands several times, and in later
years, as other sources of energy became more widely available, the mill fell
out of use. Due to neglect, its condition eventually deteriorated to the point
where the municipality considered demolishing it. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Fortunately for
preservationists and dévotés of windmills, a group of local citizens came to
the rescue. They formed a non-profit organization, and thanks to a fundraising
campaign which resulted in donations from individuals and businesses, and
eventually a government grant, the mill was restored in 1989. It opened to the
public on National Windmill Day in 1990 (the second Saturday in May) and has
become one of the nicest attractions in Vaassen. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"> * * *</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><u>Sources</u>:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">List of windmills in Gelderland: Wikipedia. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_windmills_in_Gelderland">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_windmills_in_Gelderland</a> ; accessed 3/16/ 2014</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><u>Molens in Nederland</u>. C.P. Braaij; Kooiman Souvenirs & Gifts; Koog a/d Zaan, Netherlands. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Molendatabase entry (in Dutch): <a href="http://www.molendatabase.nl/nederland/molen.php?nummer=277">http://www.molendatabase.nl/nederland/molen.php?nummer=277</a> ; accessed 3/16/2014. (With several photographs)</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Smock mill: Wikipedia. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smock_mill">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smock_mill</a> ; accessed 2/9/2014. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Photo credit: Wikipedia - Creative Commons: </span><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span class="licensetpl_attr"><a class="extiw" href="http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Quistnix" title="nl:User:Quistnix">Quistnix</a> at <a href="http://nl.wikipedia/">nl.wikipedia</a></span></b></span>Two Cookbook Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17335781525305019661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2658831113751644798.post-62101784493418144202014-02-23T14:43:00.001-08:002014-02-23T14:49:14.347-08:00"Hearty Vegetables"<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<![endif]-->Years ago, when I was trying to learn a bit of Dutch, I
signed off a short note to a relative in the Netherlands with the misspelled
phrase, “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Hartlijke groenten</i>” instead
of “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">groeten</i>.” I’m sure he was quite
amused by my wishing him “hearty vegetables” rather than “cordial greetings.”<br />
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Orthographic bloopers notwithstanding, I have found quite a
few recipes for hearty vegetable dishes in <a href="http://www.twocookbooks.blogspot.com/2011/02/how-it-all-began.html">Grandma VandenBergh’s old Dutchcookboo</a>k. This week I’d like to share a few that readers may recall from
earlier posts. </div>
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Being a country in the northern hemisphere between 50 and 54
degrees north latitude, the climate of the Netherlands is conducive to growing
root vegetables and tubers. The carrots and potatoes that constitute the
traditional Dutch dish of <a href="http://twocookbooks.blogspot.com/2011/05/wedding-bells.html"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">hutspot</i></a> or <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">stampot</i> are certainly hearty vegetables
whether combined in a ragout or prepared and served on their own. </div>
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In <a href="http://www.twocookbooks.blogspot.com/2011/02/how-it-all-began.html"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">EenvoudigeBerekende Recepten</i></a>, author Martine Wittop Konig divides the chapter on
vegetables into six categories. She notes that boiling is the most common way
to cook vegetables, but in that case you should take care not to cook them
longer than necessary (and don’t use too much water!), so that you can use the
leftover water in a sauce for the vegetables. If you simmer the vegetables slowly, you can also
use the leftover broth the next day as a base for making vegetable soup. </div>
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Wittoop Konig also suggests steaming vegetables in what she
calls a “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Vingerhoets’ stoompan</i>,”
literally a thimble steam pan. This method will also help preserve the vitamins
and nutrients in the vegetables. Steaming is my preferred method; I use my
“thimble steam pan” at least once a week. </div>
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Here then are some examples of each type of vegetable
covered in the chapter on vegetables:</div>
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<u>Legumes</u> (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">peulvruchten</i>)</div>
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This category includes brown beans, white beans, and split peas. I have used both <a href="http://twocookbooks.blogspot.com/2014/01/curry-soup-with-brown-beans.html">brown</a> and <a href="http://twocookbooks.blogspot.com/2013/10/white-bean-and-leek-soup.html">white beans</a> to make soups from the Dutch cookbook. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-t_L4zL7Au-8/Uwo_DbmYS7I/AAAAAAAABWs/r8HfFg8iqII/s1600/Bean+&+leek_3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-t_L4zL7Au-8/Uwo_DbmYS7I/AAAAAAAABWs/r8HfFg8iqII/s1600/Bean+&+leek_3.JPG" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">White Bean and Leek soup</td></tr>
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<u>Stalk and root vegetables</u> (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">stengel- en worteldeelen</i>)</div>
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These include carrots, beets, and asparagus. I've tried several recipes for <a href="http://twocookbooks.blogspot.com/2011/02/worteltjes-or-winterwortelen.html">carrots</a> and <a href="http://twocookbooks.blogspot.com/2012/11/asparagus-dutch-style.html">Dutch-style white asparagus</a>. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8f1lnph9F8g/Uwo_cI0Y2SI/AAAAAAAABW0/M0nV5Gi83co/s1600/Worteltjes.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8f1lnph9F8g/Uwo_cI0Y2SI/AAAAAAAABW0/M0nV5Gi83co/s1600/Worteltjes.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Worteltjes</i> - Baby Carrots</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--rnyOjDI3uU/Uwo_tUWIXeI/AAAAAAAABW8/Jgy8Yuk-Nt4/s1600/Asperges_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--rnyOjDI3uU/Uwo_tUWIXeI/AAAAAAAABW8/Jgy8Yuk-Nt4/s1600/Asperges_2.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Asperges</i> - White asparagus</td></tr>
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<u>Cabbages</u> (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">koolsoorten</i>)</div>
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Who doesn't know American-style coleslaw, which is really Dutch <i>kool sla</i>, meaning "cabbage salad"? I've tried recipes for <a href="http://www.twocookbooks.blogspot.com/2011/04/eat-your-veggies.html">cauliflower</a> (<i>bloemkool</i>) and <a href="http://twocookbooks.blogspot.com/2013/01/worteltjes-en-spruitjes.html">Brussels sprouts</a> (<i>spruitjes</i>).</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9oD5Aq7p4b4/UwpDYbXPLdI/AAAAAAAABXc/y3yNFHQ4JSo/s1600/Bloemkool_3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9oD5Aq7p4b4/UwpDYbXPLdI/AAAAAAAABXc/y3yNFHQ4JSo/s1600/Bloemkool_3.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Bloemkool au gratin</i> - Cauliflower au gratin</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--wir8ZatJVc/UwpAOxOJb5I/AAAAAAAABXE/hcXMJ44u1d8/s1600/Spruitjes.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--wir8ZatJVc/UwpAOxOJb5I/AAAAAAAABXE/hcXMJ44u1d8/s1600/Spruitjes.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Spruitjes</i> - Brussels sprouts</td></tr>
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<u>Leafy green vegetables</u> (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">bladgroenten</i>)</div>
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These include spinach (<i>spinazie</i>)and <a href="http://www.twocookbooks.blogspot.com/2011/11/home-of-their-own.html">endive</a> (<i>andijvie</i>).</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JF2g-erlN3M/UwpBidXI8XI/AAAAAAAABXQ/1tJkpX1YJkI/s1600/Stamppot+w+endive_1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JF2g-erlN3M/UwpBidXI8XI/AAAAAAAABXQ/1tJkpX1YJkI/s1600/Stamppot+w+endive_1.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Potatoes and endive for <i>stampot met andijvi</i>e</td></tr>
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<u>Young legumes</u> (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">jonge
peulvruchten</i>)</div>
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<a href="http://twocookbooks.blogspot.com/2011/02/simple-hearty-fare.html">Green beans</a> fall into this category (<i>snijboonen</i>). </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KrRMEAYn_wQ/Uwp169im0JI/AAAAAAAABXs/pUv09B95FYE/s1600/Str+beans_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KrRMEAYn_wQ/Uwp169im0JI/AAAAAAAABXs/pUv09B95FYE/s1600/Str+beans_2.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Snijbonen met aardappelen en rookworst</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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“<u>Aromatic vegetables</u>” (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">aromatische groenten</i>)</div>
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This is the shortest section in the chapter on vegetables. Here we find a recipe for cucumber salad (<i>komkommersla</i>). As you might imagine, this is a tasty and nourishing <a href="http://twocookbooks.blogspot.com/2011/06/silhouettes-from-corseted-to-carefree.html">recipe for those of us trying to watch our weight</a>. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ek16FefnZAg/Uwp3K5iQd-I/AAAAAAAABX4/ws0zPEZuOcg/s1600/Cucumber+&+Egg+Salad.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ek16FefnZAg/Uwp3K5iQd-I/AAAAAAAABX4/ws0zPEZuOcg/s1600/Cucumber+&+Egg+Salad.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cucumber and egg salad</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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With such a variety of hearty and nourishing recipes, we have no excuse not to eat our veggies.<br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Eet smakelijk!</i> Enjoy your meal, whatever vegetable you choose to prepare today.</div>
Two Cookbook Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17335781525305019661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2658831113751644798.post-19853110335137187752014-02-09T18:55:00.000-08:002014-02-09T18:55:37.488-08:00The Spices They Used<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hOolOSfTftQ/UvgxZQS-nbI/AAAAAAAABWA/vem83QZcCYY/s1600/Cook+Book+06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hOolOSfTftQ/UvgxZQS-nbI/AAAAAAAABWA/vem83QZcCYY/s1600/Cook+Book+06.jpg" height="400" width="221" /></a></div>
Grandma Minnie's recipe for Molasses Drop Cake calls for a cup each of molasses, sugar, melted lard, hot water; also flour, baking soda, an egg, and "spices." What spices, specifically?<br />
<br />
Similarly, her recipe for Applesauce Cake also calls for "spices."<br />
<br />
When I open her spice cupboard, even all these years later, I still inhale the aroma of cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. <br />
<br />
Here is a list of all the herbs and spices I found in the old kitchen cupboard, some still in glass jars with Minnie's handwritten labels:<br />
<br />
- allspice<br />
- anise seed<br />
- cinnamon (whole stick and ground)<br />
- caraway seed (also labeled "Kummel") <br />
- cloves (whole and ground)<br />
- cumin<br />
- fennel seeds<br />
- ginger<br />
- mace (from Java)<br />
- marjoram<br />
- pepper<br />
- savory<br />
- sesame seeds<br />
- tarragon<br />
- thyme<br />
- vanilla bean (from John Wagner & Sons, established 1847, "since the days of the clipper ships")<br />
<br />
When I tried making the applesauce cake, I used 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon allspice, but you can probably experiment with using either of those, with either ginger or cloves as well:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6yrrqbwbLiw/Uvg35I2SCqI/AAAAAAAABWQ/8JWRJy0jmx4/s1600/Applesauce+Cake.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6yrrqbwbLiw/Uvg35I2SCqI/AAAAAAAABWQ/8JWRJy0jmx4/s1600/Applesauce+Cake.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grandma Minnie's Applesauce Cake</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Although Dutch cuisine is often considered somewhat bland, quite a few of Grandma VandenBergh's recipes call for curry, nutmeg, mace, or cloves. These bring to mind the Spice Islands (now the Maluku Province of Indonesia), where the Dutch East India Company tried to impose a monopoly on the spice trade in the 17th century. The <a href="http://twocookbooks.blogspot.com/2011/05/two-apple-cakes.html">Dutch apple cake</a> I learned to make from my mother is redolent with cinnamon, as are the <a href="http://twocookbooks.blogspot.com/2013/01/oliebollen.html">oliebollen</a> which are a traditional Dutch treat for New Year's:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BWOUOyUOk_k/Uvg8NN-u19I/AAAAAAAABWc/ZjCfNkGh8g4/s1600/Oliebollen_3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BWOUOyUOk_k/Uvg8NN-u19I/AAAAAAAABWc/ZjCfNkGh8g4/s1600/Oliebollen_3.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oliebollen</td></tr>
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And when I have made Grandma VandenBergh's <a href="http://www.twocookbooks.blogspot.com/2014/01/curry-soup-with-brown-beans.html">curry and bean soup</a> on a chilly winter afternoon, the aroma warms the whole kitchen. <br />
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It is interesting to speculate whether my grandmothers ever shared recipes. I haven't found any evidence of that, but they did apparently like to use some of the same spices. Grandma Minnie's cuisine was influenced by the Palatine Germans who settled in the Mohawk Valley, but who knows, maybe some of her cake recipes with spices originating in the Spice Islands date back to Dutch traditions as well. Two Cookbook Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17335781525305019661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2658831113751644798.post-14979318005808720312014-01-26T14:10:00.000-08:002014-01-26T14:10:32.429-08:00Curry Soup with Brown BeansWe are feeling a blast of cold air from the Arctic this week in Upstate New York, and snow is expected to fall again soon. So a warm bowl of homemade soup will be very welcome. <br />
<br />
I have found two similar recipes for white and brown bean soup with curry in Grandma Vanden Bergh's 1920's cookbook, "<i><a href="http://twocookbooks.blogspot.com/2011/02/simple-hearty-fare.html">Eenvoudige Berekende Recepten</a></i>," and my husband seems to prefer the heartiness of the latter version. So here it is: <br />
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<u>Curry Soup with Brown Beans</u> <i>(Kerrysoep van Bruine Boonen)</i><br />
<br />
1/2 pound (250 grams) dried brown beans<br />
2 quarts (2 liter) water<br />
1 teaspoon (7 grams) salt <br />
1 medium onion<br />
1/2 to 1 tablespoon curry (depends on how spicy you like it!)<br />
2 tablespoons (40 grams) butter or margarine<br />
<br />
The recipe also calls for 30 grams (3 tablespoons) of whole wheat flour, but I found that I could omit this, since the soup became thick enough without this added thickening agent.<br />
<br />
- Wash the beans and soak overnight in the water. <br />
- The following day, cook the beans over low heat for 2 to 2 1/2 hours .<br />
- Melt the butter in a frying pan; chop the onion and fry in the butter, along with the curry, until dark brown, but taking care not to burn the onion.<br />
- Pour the onion mixture in with the simmering beans, and continue cooking for 15 more minutes.<br />
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- If you wish to have a smooth soup, pass the soup through a colander and pour into serving dish. Serve with croutons or a chunk of whole wheat bread.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1jPQ5ryVwXs/UuWGzgqkqQI/AAAAAAAABVw/iShzvV5FIKU/s1600/Bruine+boonen+soep.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1jPQ5ryVwXs/UuWGzgqkqQI/AAAAAAAABVw/iShzvV5FIKU/s1600/Bruine+boonen+soep.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kerrysoep van bruine boonen</td></tr>
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<i>Eet smakelijk!</i> Enjoy your meal!<br />
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<u>Dutch vocabulary</u><br />
<br />
<i>boter</i> = butter<br />
<i>bruine boonen</i> = brown beans<br />
k<i>erry</i> = curry<br />
<i>tarwebloem</i> = whole wheat flour<br />
<i>ui</i> = onion<br />
z<i>out</i> = saltTwo Cookbook Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17335781525305019661noreply@blogger.com0