Like Water for Choclate uses Magical Realism to capture the transformative qualities of everyday food and drink into something more. Also consider reading (and enjoying) Joanne Harris' amazing Chocolat.
We can thank the Russians for great literature, and of course, for vodka. And this fall we will get both.
Kicking off the winter season is a new movie that creatively re-envisions Leo Tolstoy's great heroine, Anna Karenina.
Directed by Joe Wright and starring the breathtakingly beautiful actress Keira Knightley, it is staged on a stylized inclusive theater set, designed to reflect the closed world of values that sought to control the last days of czarist Russia.
Yet few in the culinary world would connect the creation of science’s esteemed Periodic Table of Elements (something every chef interested in molecular experimentation should have) with the creation of Russian vodka.
Yet Dmitri Mendeleev, who labored long and hard to develop the Table, also used his amazing skills to define the precise formula to produce the perfectly balanced vodka – 40% alcohol by volume.
For that we should thank him most hardily. Thank you, thank you!
And yet, there is not a single vodka cocktail that honors him (or Tolstoy) by name.
Perhaps that omission will be correct this winter as the message of the new Anna Karenina movie reminds us all that the vital right to decide our own life’s course is a freedom to be treasured - and protected.
To that we at Your Culinary World gladly raise our glasses! We hope you do as well.
Post Note, November 30, 2012: In a creative marketing move that must be a reflection of current trends, the new Anna Karenina movie props are for sale on the Internet, including tables, chairs and mother-of-pearl cutlery. Amazing times these! Beautiful bargains!
Your Culinary World copyright Ana Kinkaid/Peter Schlagel 2012
Soon the U.S. will be celebrating its Independence Day. No president is more associated with American ideals than George Washington. Yet, similar to the current presidential campaign rhetoric, myths equally abound regarding the nation’s first president and Colonial War hero. Just consider...
Childhood
Then: George Washington never chopped down a cherry tree.
Then: George Washington refused his general’s salary of $48,000 while serving for 8 years as commander of the Continental Army. Instead, he billed Congress only for his expenses, which totaled $447,220!
Now: Mitt Romney has accepted no public campaign donations, choosing instead to rely on Super PACS funded by millionaires.
Human Rights
Then: George Washington was the only slave-owning President who ever freed his slaves – all 124 of them.
Now: Despite current political ads, illegal immigration is down 60% since 2000.
Religion
Then: George Washington never knelt at Valley Forge or anywhere else. He occasionally attended the Episcopal Church but was known to never kneel with the Congregation or to receive Communion.
Now: Barack Obama is a Christian. Period, end of discussion.
Temperance
Then: Washington operated one of the new nation’s most commercial successful distilleries at Mt Vernon, producing rye whiskey, apple and peach brandies.
Now: Religious guidelines aside, the White House needs to continue to represent the bounty of America to its many international guests, including California’s wines and Kentucky’s legendary whiskeys and bourbons.
Hospitality
Then: George Washington hosted a nearly endless stream of guests. He also belonged to many social clubs and service organizations such as the Fish House Club and Masons.
Now: Mitt Romney often restricts press and public access, limits questioning and won’t release multi-year income tax filings.
As you can see, the U.S. has come a long way, and yet, still has further to go. So, why not skip the patriotically named red-white-and-blue colored cocktails this Fourth, and drink what Washington drank, the famed Fish House Punch, matched with his favorite Colonial Hoe Cakes.
It’s a strong drink, but it’s honest – the way we still long for our politicians to be.
Fish House Punch
Ingredients
1 cup sugar
3 ½ cups water
1 ½ cups fresh lemon juice (6 to 8 lemons), strained
1 (750-ml) bottle Jamaican amber rum
12 oz. Cognac (1 1/2 cups)
2 oz. peach brandy (1/4 cup)
Lemon Slices
Special Equipment: Half Gallon Cardboard Juice or Milk Carton, Top end cut off
Directions
To make ice block, fill carton with water and freeze until solid, about 8 hours.
Stir together sugar and 31/2 cups water in a large bowl or pot until sugar is dissolved.
Add lemon juice, rum, Cognac, and brandy and chill, covered, at least 3 hours.
Put ice block in a punch bowl and pour punch over it.
Colonial Hoe Cakes
Ingredients
1 ½ cups self-raising cornmeal
¼ tsp baking soda
1 ¼ cups buttermilk
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 Tbsp melted shortening
¼ cup melted shortening
Directions
Combine cornmeal and baking soda in a medium bowl.
Add buttermilk, egg and 1 tbsp melted shortening.
Stir until just moistened.
Heat ¼ cup of shortening to 365 in large cast iron skillets. (Originally baked on a hoe’s metal surface, hence the name).
Pour ¼ cup batter into skillet for each hoe cake.
Fry 1 to 2 minutes until golden brown.
Serve with butter and honey.
Your Culinary World copyright Ana Kinkaid/Peter Schlagel 2012
Post Note, June 27, 2012: If you are looking for a great movie to honor the 4th that is historically accurate and entertaining, check out 1776, the Musical. It's a patriotic must.
The Games have begun, yet many of the half-million devoted tennis fans who will watch Nadal, Federer and Djokovic on home televisions and office Internet connections are unaware of the massive food service that supports this famous 14 day tournament of strength and skill.
Just consider the most recently released figures which reveal just how hard the 1,700 member FMC Catering staff at Wimbledon will be working for those 14 exciting days of play:
To Be Served
130,000 Lunches Served
40,000 Char-Grilled Meals Served
30,000 Fish and Chips Served
30,000 Meals for FMC's Own Staff
12,000 Kilos (26,455 Pounds) Poached and Smoked Salmon
As you might have noticed, the above list does not include Wimbledon’s famed “Strawberries and Cream” which are a must when attending the Games. Well, they are in a food class all by themselves where tradition meets logistics.
On average Game spectators will consume 28,000 kilos (61,730 pounds) of English strawberries - 2,000 kilos (4,409 pounds) and 7,000 liters (7,397 quarts) of fresh cream every day of play.
When added up, that’s a total of 28,000 kilos (61,726 pounds) of strawberries and 98,000 liters (103,558 quarts) of cream prepared and served in just in 14 days! WOW!
And these aren't just any generic strawberries. They're Grade 1 English strawberries from Britain’s finest strawberry producing farms such as theHugh Lowe Family Farms. Suppliers are working extra hard this year to meet the tournament’s demand as heavy rains and overly long cloudy skies have delayed the usual ripening season.
But with a courageous spirit equal to that of any tournament player, England’s berry growers are working hard to make their 5:30 A.M. delivery date each and every day.
The very same words used in the newest Wimbledon ad should also be used to describe the hard working catering staff and culinary suppliers to the Tournament – Super Human, Tough as Nails, True Champions All!
Your Culinary World copyright Ana Kinkaid/Peter Schlagel 2012
Post Note, May 26, 2012: You know you're a star when you're profiled on 60 Miuntues, America's in-depth Sunday News program faithfully watched by millions. This past Sunday Novak Djokovic was so honored.
The resulting story highlights how Djokovic's skill and courage led him from battle torn streets of Belgrade to the emerald green grass of Wimbledon. Impressive and touching. Thank you 60 Minutes!
Soon it will be time for the running of the Kentucky Derby where fine food and memorable drinks (not to mention unforgettable hats) will mix with the thunder of some of the world’s greatest racing horses.
In Louisville the most popular drink on Saturday’s Derby Day will be the Mint Julep. You simply can’t do Derby Day without one:
Mint Julep
Yield: 1 (12 ounce) cocktail Preparation time: 10 minutes. Start mixing at least by 4:30 for 5:00 post time.
Now that you have a drink in hand, it’s time to add a food to the fun as legendary as your drink – Hot Browns from, but of course, the Brown Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky by Chef Fred K. Schmidt in 1926. It is a creative variation of the traditional brunch classic the Welsh rarebit. Your guests will love it:
Derby Hot Browns
Yield: 35 appetizers
Ingredients
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1⁄8 tsp. white pepper
1 cup 2% milk
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup sherry or additional chicken broth
1⁄3 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, divided
35 slices snack pumpernickel bread, toasted
1 1/2 lbs. sliced cooked turkey
4 medium tomatoes, halved and sliced
12 cooked bacon strips, crumbled
Directions
In a large saucepan, melt butter over low heat.
Stir in flour, salt & pepper until smooth; gradually add the milk, broth & sherry.
Bring to a boil; cook & stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.
Stir in the cheddar cheese & 1⁄3 cup Parmesan until cheese is melted.
Remove from the heat.
Place toast slices on a baking sheet.
Top each with turkey, sauce mixture, tomatoes and bacon.
Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan.
Broil 3-4 in. from the heat for 3-4 minutes or until cheese is melted.
Post Note: If you want to expand your celebration to include all the cuisine made famous at the two other racces that complete the Triple Crown in racing, be sure to enjoy:
Post Note, April 5, 2012: “I’ll Have Another”, the horse purchased for a mere $11,000, just beat the other million dollar horses in this year’s Running of the Roses, i.e., the Kentucky Derby.
Ridden by an almost unknown jockey, “I’ll Have Another” bided his time in the middle of the pack and then blazed past the leaders in the final furlong to win to the roar of thousands.
It was an amazing feat – one not equaled in any of the 138 runnings of the race of race. So, if your day is hard, prepare yourself one of these famous racing cocktails and then raise your glass to toast the little horse that came from behind and remember we can all do the same. Have a great day!
Your Culinary World copyright Ana Kinkaid/Peter Schlagel 2012
Many Americans are surprised when they learn that a beloved U.S. holiday, the Cinco de Mayo, is rarely celebrated in Mexico.
This can be a startling awareness as this fifth of May holiday is linked, in a somewhat confusing manner, to two separate events in Mexican history.
First off, the Cinco de Mayo holiday does NOT celebrate Mexico's independence from Spain. That event occurs on the sixteenth of September when the nation remembers Father Miguel Hidalgo who bravely rang his church bell and asked his fellow townspeople to claim their freedom from colonial control. His courage sparked the revolution that finally set Mexico free in 1821.
The beloved American Cinco de Mayo holiday honors a different event where Mexico once again for her independence from foreign powers. And herein lays an amazing tale of commerce, history, beach songs and creative marketing.
After Spain lost her hold on Mexico in 1821, many other European powers sought to replace her and control the rich resources of the nation, especially France.
This was supported by many of Mexico’s great landowners, who holding vast colonial land grants, feared change under the new constitution.
As the powers that be struggled to form a new and more just Mexico, France’s Napoleon III approached a young (and recently unemployed) Austrian Archduke Maximilian and his beautiful (and very talented) wife Carlota, asking if they would like to be the emperor and empress of Mexico.
There was only one big problem – no one asked the people of Mexico if they wanted an emperor and empress instead of elected officials. When the imposed, though naïve, new rulers arrived on Mexican soil with a supporting army, Mexican troops defended them initially in the Battle of Puebla on, you guessed it, May 5, 1862.
But France was determined that their expansive new foreign would be a success, including within it the southern American states when the Confederacy hopefully won the Civil War then raging to the north. To protect their plans, vast new numbers of French were sent to occupy Mexico.
The young Maximilian and his lovely wife believed they could bring enlightenment to Mexico and begin to issue rulings that angered their hard line conservative supporters who thought they would return colonial benefits, not overturn them.
Without their support, Napoleon III saw his dreams of an empire in the New World evaporating and quietly withdrew his supportive troops. The result was Maximilian was executed and beautiful Carlota went mad.
Mexico returned to its internal struggle for freedom and let the years of French occupation fade into history.
Sadly, freedom does not come easy for any nation whether it is America in the 1700s or Egypt today. There are always those who seek to take advantage of the disorder that change creates. One such individual in Mexican history was Porfirio Diaz, who had fought as a young general at the Battle of Pueblo against the French.
He levered his battlefield fame into a dictatorship that lasted from 1876 to 1911which provided some internal stability but limited political freedoms. Finally when the people could stand the oppression no longer, they rose up in a rebellion against the priviledged and favored that lasted for 10 bloody years.
Because of the violence, many Mexicansimmigrated to the United States, especially California. In seeking to express their heritage in a new country that had previously largely ignored its own internal hispanic legacy, they searched for an appropriate holiday.
As they had left Mexico while she was still fighting for freedom against the entitled and endowed, they could hardly select the 16th of September as a day of celebration. Sp why not celebrate the Cinco de Mayo instead?
And so a California ethnic holiday was created, but not a national one. That would only occur in the 1980s when the Mexican beer company Corona began exporting beer to the U.S. in 1979.
At first the product was not successful but after conducting marketing focus groups with male college students, they changed their image to embrace the Cinco de Mayo date as a day of fun, not the memory of a battle.
They supported this theme to include tropical Mexican beaches as captured in the songs of their new spokesperson, Jimmy Buffett of “Margaritaville” fame.
And the rest, as they say, is history – an American holiday with a history as rich and varied as the population of America. Hopefully this Cinco de Mayo this wealth of diversity, in both people and cuisine, will be remembered and honored by all as a treasure and never a libility.
Your Culinary World copyright Ana Kinkaid/Peter Schlagel 2012
Wednesday, September 5, 2012 at 1:49PM 
