Hollywood, Brownies and the Oscars

Soon the bright spotlights of Hollywood will shine high in the sky and the red carpet will be rolled out below. Cinematic star after star will walk that carpet and then take their seat, hoping that the T.V. cameras will focus on them as the announcer calls their name to come and claim a coveted Oscar.

Yet there are stars who have not sought the limelight or the Award. Some actors, such as Marlon Brando, have even chosen not to attend the Academy Ceremonies to avoid having to accept their award in person.

Another such ceremony-shy celebrity was Katharine (or Kate) Hepburn.  Born into a socially aware New England family, she was not an actress who needed to be discovered, hopefully drinking sodas at Schwab's Drug Store lunch counter.

For you see, her mother, also named Katharine, was a strong willed feminist and a national known suffragist. Along with Margaret Sanger, she co-founded the organization that would become Planned Parenthood.

Her efforts were matched by her husband, Thomas Hepburn, who as a doctor also fought for the right of women to obtain safe and complete health care.

This was not, as you might guess, a household that produced passive Victorian daughters (or actresses). At every meal the six Hepburn children were encouraged by their parents to speak freely and debate any topic of interest. And while current events and individual sporting activities were often the subjects of dinner discussions, there was one topic and dessert that was enjoyed by all – brownies.

But not just any brownies - the brownies of Bertha Palmer, owner of Chicago’s Palmer House Hotel and female extra ordinary.

Like the senior Katharine, Bertha was an early advocate of women’s rights – both in the doctor’s office and at the ballot box. Her active support was vital to the success of the Women’s Building at the Columbian Exposition, right down the boxed lunches served there. 

Palmer knew, as many of the early American feminists did, that mutual conversation and supportive fellowship was critical to the success of a national suffrage movement. If the women gathered at the Fair’s Pavilion could be prompted to linger over luncheon, common ground through conversation could be found.

But how? What better than a great new dessert – one too good to put down (but not too messy to enjoy). And that was the task that Bertha Palmer set for her skilled pastry chefs at the Palmer House.

Their resulting creation was the brownie (see recipe below).  It was that same brownie that Kate’s mother served proudly to her progressive family, along with the story of its origin and purpose. These were the same brownies that Kate would later make for Hollywood friends as she passionately explained why talent and truth matters so much more than mere money or annual awards.

Let’s hope the Academy remembers this culinary lesson wrapped in sweet chocolate as they honor those who stand in the bright lights of fame brownies,  on rich red carpets beneath California's starry skies.

PALMER HOUSE BROWNIES (With Many Thanks to Feminism and Hollywood)

INGREDIENTS

• 1lb 2 oz Semisweet Chocolate
• 1 lb Butter
• 1lb 8oz Granulated Sugar
• 8 oz Cake Flour (King Arthur)
• 1 tbsp Baking Powder
• 4 Whole Eggs
• 1 lb Crushed Walnuts
• 1 cup Water
• 1 cup Apricot Preserves
• 1 tsp Unflavored Gelatin

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
2. In a double boiler, melt chocolate with butter.
3. Mix sugar, flour and baking powder in separate mixing bowl,
4. Add chocolate butter mixture and mix for 4-5 minutes.
5. Add eggs.
6. Pour onto 9-inch by 12-inch baking sheet.
7. Sprinkle walnuts on top of batter and press down slightly into mixture.
8. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until batter has risen ¼ inch and the edges are crisp.
9. Remove and cool for 30 minutes.
10. In a saucepan, heat and bring to a boil for 2 minutes the water, apricot preserves and gelatin.
11. Brush apricot glaze over cooled brownies with pastry brush.

Enjoy!

Your Culinary World copyright Ana Kinkaid/Peter Schlagel 2013

Downton Abbey's Charlotte Russe Offers a Lesson in Compassion

While watching the fifth episode of Downton Abbey, Season 3, many of the show’s observant viewers noted that when the American Isobel Crawley hosted a thoughtful luncheon after the death of Lady Sybil, Ethel Parks, the disgraced housemaid, served a final course entitled a “Charlotte Russe”.

No dessert could have been more appropriate, especially after Lord Robert Crawley burst in, shocked that his family was being served by the former prostitute.  Christian charity was one thing, but in his eyes, the family’s reputation was quite another matter.

Yet, perhaps his mother, Violet Crawley, the Dowager Countess of Grantham, knew quite a bit more about both life and culinary history when she remarked dryly on seeing the Charlotte Russe, “It seems a pity to miss such a good pudding.”

For you see, the Charlotte Russe is one of those grand dishes that comes with an equally grand pedigree. Its creator was the legendary French Chef Marie Antonie Careme, who history remembers as “the King of Chefs, and the Chef of Kings”.

High praise that, and yet, it is totally true. He not only cooked for the leading powers of his day (Talleyrand, Napoleon, George IV and the Czar of Russia), he defined the toque as the classic chef’s hat, clarified the four “Mother Sauces” and established “service a la russe” as the accepted form of table service in polite society.

It was while he was working for the shy Czar Alexander I of Russia that he created the Charlotte Russe. “Russe”, of course, refers to Russia. (Can you say, “Make your employer feel important by naming something after his country”?)

But who is Charlotte? Charlotte was the sister-in-law of the Czar and was married to George III of England. (Yes, ‘that’ George of ‘Lost the American Colonies’ fame). After the fall of Napoleon, for whom he had worked earlier, Careme had been employed by King George’s son, the Prince of Wales (and future George IV).

While serving the English Prince, he had observed and had come to admire the quiet nobility of this former princess from the tiny German state of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, who managed both a mentally unstable royal husband and a family of 15 overly ambitious children(!) 

At the same time she also mentored the careers of Bach and Mozart and supported scientific discovery in the field of botany. The world famous Royal Kew Gardens exist today because of her keen support and insightful interest.

But her contributions do not stop there. Truly a woman ahead of her times, she founded orphanages and hospitals for expectant mothers. She supported education for women, especially for women “to whom life had not been kind”.

So you can see why Careme named a dish after this remarkable Queen, for he had seen enough of life himself to understand its many hardships and the need for rulers to address them.

Whether it was intentional or not, Julian Fellowes, the author of Downton Abbey, could not have picked a better dessert for the 'fallen’ housemaid, Ethel Parks, to serve. She was exactly the kind of women Queen Charlotte had sought to lift up and support. Even the other Downton ladies joined Isobel in her defense. Or as the grand Lady Violet note, neither a pudding (nor a life) are, should be foolishly wasted.

We can be thankful then that the esteemed Careme, in the cold snows of Russia, showed more awareness and compassion to the twists and turns of life by naming a dessert after this courageous Queen than did Lord Robert with his hot tempered moral lecture at the luncheon table.

Equally, the twist and turns of culinary history should often serve to remind us all within the Industry how even the simplest of actions, a kind word – a thoughtful gesture, can enrich lives beyond our knowing. And that, perhaps, is something to always remember, whether we serve upstairs or down.

Your Culinary World copyright Ana Kinkaid/Peter Schlagel 2013

How to Save Downton Abbey Hollandaise Sauce Then AND Now

The culinary accurateness of the Downton Abbey Series should delight all professionals in the hospitality industry.

From soufflés to silver service, it is more than obvious that great research has gone into every aspect of the script where food is concerned.

But Downton's writers go even further. They show what can go amiss in the kitchen as well as what works. For example, sauces. Sauces are the wonder of cuisine. There are five major ones, entitled "the Mother Sauces", each with seemingly endless variations on their major taste themes. 

One such sauce is Hollandaise, an emulsified sauce in which egg yolks not only serve as the emulsifier, but also as a thickening agent. The final viscosity or thickness of the sauce is determined by how much fat is emulsified in and to what degree the egg yolks are cooked. 

The more the egg yolks are cooked, the thicker the hollandaise will be. However, the more the egg yolks are cooked, the more chance that the final result will be scrambled eggs, not a glorious hollandaise sauce. It's a delicate balance.

And that's just what happened to Ivy, the perky new kitchen maid, in the Dowwnton Abbey kitchen right before a grand meal. Even Daisy, the more experienced assistant cook, panicked when she saw the curdled sauce.

It's Alfred, the very new and very tall footman, who comes to the rescue. Prior to serving at Downton, he had worked as a hotel waiter, where he had caught glimpses of how master chefs save a separated or "broken" sauce.

He quickly strained out the curdle portion of the sauce and whisked one egg yolk and 1 tablespoon of water to the remaining sauce, still keeping it warm during the process. His fast reaction would please any chef and mark this young man as someone to promote. (Is Mrs. Patmore, Downton's cook, observing his flare, leading possibly to future plot developments?) 

A hundred years ago, chefs used double copper pots to make hollandaise sauce. Ouch - that's expensive and a royal pain to keep clean and polished. Today's chef has the advantage of improved cookware, such as Rose Bake and Oven Ware. 

Developed by Rose Levy Beranbau, author of the James Beard's acclaimed The Cake Bible and known as someone with a very sharp eye for technique to a diva level, her Rose Caramel Pot with double pouring spouts is a marvel for sauces sweet or savory.

Additionally, for those sauces requiring the use of a lift KitchenAid Mixer, no busy chef who cares about easy and elegance should be without the Rose BeaterBlade.

Its patented "Wind" design scraps the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl with every turn. When detached, it even doubles as a spatula.  

Alfred saved the day in Downton's Edwardian kitchen with his knowledge of the new and useful. If he lived today, he's surely reach for Rose's outstanding cookware and save the day once again. Tools and technique have always matter and they always will.

 Your Culinary World copyright Ana Kinkaid/Peter Schlagel 2013

Why the San Francisco 49ers Favorite Super Bowl Food Should Be Bourdin Sourdough Bread

There are certain culinary classics that have stood the test of time secure in a city that appreciates fine food. San Francisco is one such city and the legendary food they cherish is their very own and very unique sourdough bread.

This flavorful bread began in 1849 (the same 'golden' year the 49ers Football Team is named after) when Isidore Boudin, a hopeful immigrant arrived in San Francisco from Burgundy. He was drawn to California from his native France by the recent discovery of massive deposits of gold in the region's streams and mountains.

But Boudin had no desire to dig in the dirt. As a skilled baker, he intended to make his fortune baking bread for the hungry miners, yet he started with little beyond but his own knowledge of classic French baking techniques and a precious bag of flour.

Very quickly he noticed a unique tangy taste had developing in his bread. As a professional, he was able to dentify its source and knew that he had found his treasure - a natural occurring yeast. And not just an common yeast, but one unique to San Francisco. 

Scientists would later honor its rarity by naming this terrior bacterium "Lactobacillius Sanfrancisensis". Once incorporated within flour, it naturally causes the dough to raise. By always preserving a small starter portion of the dough, the bacterium will continually act as a levying ageny for future loaves. 

Boudin worked hard and soon his horse-drawn delivery wagons were delivering his signature loaves to elite Nob Hill homes and elegant downtown hotels. Sadly his long days (and perhaps one or two too many pastries) caught up with him and he died in 1887.

But he had not labored alone. His wife, Louise, and his beloved daughter, Lucie, knew the bakery as well as he and on his death continued producing the bread he loved. Year by year the bakery's client list (and its bank account) grew.

Then in 1906, disaster struck as a massive earthquake shattered San Francisco's calm. And although the earthquake was very bad, the resulting fire was worst. Soon huge sections of the City were on fire - including area where the Boudin Bakery was located.

Louise had lost her husband; she had no intension of loosing her bakery as well. Dodging falling bricks and flaming timbers she worked her way to the remains of her baking kitchen and found the original dough starter begun by her husband.

She scooped it into a bucket and carried it out to safety. Referred to thereafter as the "mother dough", it continued to raise dough (pardon the pun there) for the Boudin family at their rebuilt bakery from 1910 to the late 1930's.

Yet by the end of the 1930's the Great Depression had taken its toll. San Francisco's grand families no longer entertained lavishly and many of the major hotels had closed their namesake restaurants. Even the demand for a truly great bread had dropped dramatically as families and corporates watched every penny.

Enter Steve Giraudo, Boudin's Master Baker. An Italian by birth, he was as devoted to fine bread as Louise and Isidore Boudin had been. He bought both the bakery and the mother dough starter. Once again San Francisco had her beloved bread (and so did the many sailors and soliders passing through San Francisco during World War II).

This increased exposure broadened the fame of Boudin Sourdough French Bread so that in 1975, Steven's son, Lou Giraudo, opened their first public demonstration bakery and cafe on Fisherman's Wharf to the delight of thousands of visiting tourists. Today there are eight additional cafe locations in the San Francisco area and seven more throughout the State. 

Not bad for a firm that was started by a Frenchman with a bag of flour. So you can see why the 49ers Football Team should (and do) love this bread. Like them, it has survived hard times and 'risen' to the acclaim of all. And now they are on their way to New Orleans, a city with such a strong French heritage Boudin himself would have loved it. 

Maybe the fact that New Orleans's Super Dome looks a bit like a rounded load of sourdough bread will bring them great good luck! 

Your Culinary World copyright Ana Kinkaid/Peter Schlagel 2013

Cheer the Super Bowl Ravens on with a Slice of Smith Island Seven Layer Cake

Millions will be watching America's Super Bowl Football Game but a lucky few will be cheering Baltimore's Ravens on while savoring a slice of Smith Island Cake.

And what, you are asking, is a Smith Island Cake? Only one of the culinary world's sweetest secret, unless you're from Maryland where the cake is honored as the State's official dessert. 

To find the makers of this amazing cake crafted from seven plus wafer thin layers, all individually baked, you have to travel (and only by ferry) to a tiny island, of the same name as the cake, located in cold waters of Chesapeake Bay.

Only 400 people live on the 8 x 4 mile island yet since the early 1600's those who have lived here have proudly called it home. And well they should have since the Island was famous throughout the world for the high quality blue crab, oysters and fish harvested by the Island's watermen as they were called. 

Yet it was not to last. As the East Coast of the United Stated developed industrially, toxic wastes were dumped into the Bay. Year by year the catch declined until it was too small to support a livelihood. The resulting hard times forced many to leave the Island.

But there were some who simply would not leave their island home. They fought the fear that poverty often brings with the resources at hand - baking pans and treasured recipes, both used in new and creative ways to break boredom and embrace a brighter future.

Instead of baking traditional two or three layer cakes, they baked paper thin layers of cake by spreading only a small amount of batter in each pan. Once cooked, they iced each layer and stacked them up to see how high they could go. 

The effect these brave kitchen cooks created was stunning. Today it is part of culinary history AND a major tourism attraction for the Island as hundreds come to savor both the present day beauty of the Island and its legendary tall cakes.

Perhaps the tenacity of those hardy early Island cooks will be with the Ravens as they take the field and fight to devour, layer by layer, the defenses of San Francisco's famed 49er's. 

Post Note, January 30, 2013: The culinary wonders of Maryland aren't just limited to Smith Island's fantastic cake. Here are some of our other favorites, all perfect for Super Bowl viewing parties:

Your Culinary World copyright Ana Kinkaid/Peter Schlagel 2013 

POST NOTE, January 30, 2013: Baltimore's culinary heritage includes many wonderful dishes in addition to the pride of Smith Island. Check out these food treasures: 

Berger Cookies - The official cookie of Baltimore, first created in 1835 by an immigrant German baker, this rich regional treat is a vanilla cookie topped with a thick layer of rich dark chocolate fudge. Its appearance is simple; its flavor is unforgettable. A cookie must for your culinary bucket list.

UTZ Crab Chips - High quality potato chips flavored with Chesapeake Bay crab seasonings since 1921 by this family owned company. The resulting taste is a regional treasure. An legandary game snack! 

National Bohemian Beer - Known in Balimore as the "Natty Boh" this brew is a premium German style beer similar to a Pilsner, known as the world's golden beer. Proudly brewed since 1885, it is the official beer of Baltimore and was the first American beer sold in canned six-packs. Many thanks!  

Pit Beef Barbecue - Baltimore's take on barbecue is crisp and crusty on the outside and rare and juicy on the inside. Often served piled high on a toasted bun.

Lake Trout Fish Sandwiches - The very popular everyday lunch sandwich of Baltimore. Made from Atlantic Whiting fillets, not trout, it comes garnished with ketchup and a horseradish sauce.

Chicken Boxes - Another lunch favorite of BMore. These carry-out boxes contain 4-6 chicken wings and either western, curly or regular fries. Sold in fried chicken shops and Chinese takeout restaurants (rice substituted for potatoes there). Often enjoyed with a "Half and Half", a combination of equal portions of iced tea and lemonade.

Your Culinary World copyright Ana Kinkaid/Peter Schlagel 2013