Cooking
One of the many things I love about Thanksgiving is the idea that it commemorates a time when the pilgrims and native peoples got along. With such a well-documented sad history of native Americans being mistreated, it's nice to remember that for a moment at least everyone was at peace. This Thanksgiving I'm using the cocktail hour to pay honor to those who were here before us with some "pilgrim and indian" inspired appetizers.
Foods of the Americas, Native recipes and traditions published by Ten Speed Press is a new book published to coincide with the opening of the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian in Washington DC. A gorgeous coffee table book with beautiful color as well as vintage black and white photography, it includes stories, essays and poems; great source material for learning more about the traditions of the people who came before us. It also has 140 recipes inspired by native Americans from all over the United States and beyond, using native ingredients.
While I plan to make a couple of recipes from the book, in particular the Potted Smoked Salmon and the Cornmeal Crackers, I will also make a dish based on a pilgrim recipe to pay homage to that rare, peaceful moment in history.
For my pilgrim recipe I was inspired by this account of early settler cooking:
"In another home, a homemaker was cooking a "sop of onions" over the hearth: First she boiled down the onions, then added peppercorns, "raisins of the sun," salt and vinegar for flavoring. The whole mess would be spread on bread"
Note: Here's the recipe I created for the onion marmalade, I just can't bring myself to call it sop! You could serve this alongside the turkey or on toast slices.
Pilgrim Onion Marmalade
Ingredients
1 Tablespoon oil
4 medium red onions, quartered and sliced thinly
3 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 Tablespoon light brown sugar
1/2 cup raisins
1 cup water
plenty of black pepper
pinch of salt
Pine nuts, optional
Instructions
In large skillet, heat oil over low heat. Add onions and sprinkle with salt and sugar. Meanwhile soak the raisins in one cup boiling water. Cook the onions, stirring frequently, for 15 minutes or until soft and caramelized. Add vinegar, pepper, raisins and soaking water and simmer until the raisins plump, adding more water as needed. Cook for another 15 minutes or until fairly dry (no extra liquid in pan) and glossy. Pulse mixture in food processor to a thick spreadable consistency. Top with toasted pine nuts if desired.
Enjoy!
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When you love Thanksgiving as much as I do, you want it to prolong it. One year instead of the traditional Thanksgiving feast at my parents house, we ended up at someone else's house. All was well and good until the following day--no leftovers! One...
Cooking
Pilgrim Onion Marmalade:Recipe
One of the many things I love about Thanksgiving is the idea that it commemorates a time when the pilgrims and native peoples got along. With such a well-documented sad history of native Americans being mistreated, it's nice to remember that for a moment at least everyone was at peace. This Thanksgiving I'm using the cocktail hour to pay honor to those who were here before us with some "pilgrim and indian" inspired appetizers.
Foods of the Americas, Native recipes and traditions published by Ten Speed Press is a new book published to coincide with the opening of the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian in Washington DC. A gorgeous coffee table book with beautiful color as well as vintage black and white photography, it includes stories, essays and poems; great source material for learning more about the traditions of the people who came before us. It also has 140 recipes inspired by native Americans from all over the United States and beyond, using native ingredients.
While I plan to make a couple of recipes from the book, in particular the Potted Smoked Salmon and the Cornmeal Crackers, I will also make a dish based on a pilgrim recipe to pay homage to that rare, peaceful moment in history.
For my pilgrim recipe I was inspired by this account of early settler cooking:
"In another home, a homemaker was cooking a "sop of onions" over the hearth: First she boiled down the onions, then added peppercorns, "raisins of the sun," salt and vinegar for flavoring. The whole mess would be spread on bread"
Note: Here's the recipe I created for the onion marmalade, I just can't bring myself to call it sop! You could serve this alongside the turkey or on toast slices.
Pilgrim Onion Marmalade
Ingredients
1 Tablespoon oil
4 medium red onions, quartered and sliced thinly
3 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 Tablespoon light brown sugar
1/2 cup raisins
1 cup water
plenty of black pepper
pinch of salt
Pine nuts, optional
Instructions
In large skillet, heat oil over low heat. Add onions and sprinkle with salt and sugar. Meanwhile soak the raisins in one cup boiling water. Cook the onions, stirring frequently, for 15 minutes or until soft and caramelized. Add vinegar, pepper, raisins and soaking water and simmer until the raisins plump, adding more water as needed. Cook for another 15 minutes or until fairly dry (no extra liquid in pan) and glossy. Pulse mixture in food processor to a thick spreadable consistency. Top with toasted pine nuts if desired.
Enjoy!
- Super Bowl Onion Dip: Recipe
What I consider "a super bowl" is not THE Super Bowl. It's a sophisticated little serving dish from Villeroy and Boch that's perfect for serving onion dip. I'm of the opinion you can never have too many bowls. Perhaps there is a food stylist...
- Onion Smothered Eggs Recipe
I am what's known as a good eater. There isn't much I won't eat and hardly anything I won't try at least once. When I was young there was only one food I can recall that I didn't like--hard boiled egg salad. Then while living in Florence...
- Chipotle Chili Recipe
A chipotle pepper is really just a jalapeno. No, really, it is. A smoked jalapeno. Jalapenos are sneaky little guys. They can be mild or hot, you never know until you taste them. Jalapenos go from being juicy, crunchy and green to red if left to ripen,...
- Fig, Onion And Black Olive Tapenade:recipe
I get a lot of good ideas from reading Craigslist Food Forum. Recently I read about an olive fig tapenade that people seem to be raving about. Needing an appetizer that could survive for a few hours without refrigeration, I figured it would fit the bill....
- Turkey Drumsticks Braised In Cranberry Sauce Recipe
When you love Thanksgiving as much as I do, you want it to prolong it. One year instead of the traditional Thanksgiving feast at my parents house, we ended up at someone else's house. All was well and good until the following day--no leftovers! One...