Most food historian generally think that the Monte Cristo sandwich is a variation of a French dish called Croque Monsieur, originally served in cafes in Paris. This sandwich is still a popular throughout France and Switzerland. If you love French Toast, this sandwich is for you! The Count of Monte Cristo is a French adventure novel that is a literary classic from 1844. The author, Alexandre Dumas is also the author of The Three Musketeers. The Count of Monte Cristo takes place in France, Italy and the Mediterranean. The themes of hope, justice, vengeance, mercy, and forgiveness centers on a man who is wrongfully imprisoned, escapes from jail, acquires a fortune, and sets about exacting revenge on those responsible for his imprisonment. The consequences for both innocent and guilty are devastating.
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7/29/2018 0 Comments Baroda Farmers MarketThe Salty Nag made a trial run yesterday to the Baroda Farmers Market! Still waiting for the Health Department to approve us and to connect with Cornerstone Alliance we had to take advantage of the Michigan Cottage Law. What a great learning opportunity and encouraging practice run! Several doors of opportunity were opened and plans moving forward are eagerly anticipated. Hoping for Labor Day weekend for the ribbon cutting!!!
Bangers and Mash, also known as sausage and mash is a traditional Irish food that is sometimes served with onion gravy, fried onions or peas. Bangers and Mash is classic "pub grub" (served in public houses throughout Ireland). The term Bangers is a reference to the sausage made during World War I when there was a shortage of meat. Sausages during this time were made with such a high water content that they "popped" under high heat when cooked. Mashed or Mash refers to the beloved mashed potato.
7/26/2018 0 Comments A Moof- a - what? MuffulettaMuffuletta is a sandwich that originated in New Orleans in the early 1900's by the owner of Central Grocery Co. on Decatur Street in New Orleans, Louisiana. For centuries, the bread (similar to foccacia bread) has been made in various versions by Sicilians and was commonly eaten during celebrations. In Palermo, it was most commonly eaten on November 2nd, the Day of the Dead.
The muffuletta sandwich consists of marinated olive salad ( an olive, celery, cauliflower, carrot giardiniera with oregano and garlic), salami, ham, swiss cheese, provolone and mortadella. This classic Naw'lins grub is served cold, but occasionally vendors will toast it. Comfort food is described as food that provides a nostalgic or sentimental value to people, reduces stress or modifies moods. Characteristically, comfort food is high calorie, high carbohydrate, simple, homemade food.
In recent studies of college students, men and individuals over 55 years old tended to prefer comfort foods that made them feel pampered and cared for, full hearty meals of steak, casseroles, soups. Women and younger people tended to prefer comfort food that were indulgent like chocolate or ice cream. What triggers the desire to consume comfort foods? For men, it tends to be positive emotions, for women, the trigger was negative emotions. Comfort foods are common to many countries and regions of the world. Most popular comfort foods familiar to us in the United States and shared by other cultures include breads, soups, potatoes, stews, rice, and noodles. Here in the Midwest, we think of cool fall days going hand in hand with football and a bowl of chili. Chili actually has origins in a much warmer region. Chili is believed to be an American dish with Mexican roots born in Texas. In 1828, J.C. Clopper visited San Antonio and wrote "The poor have very little meat and it has to suffice the family so it is cut into a hash with as much peppers as there is meat". By the 1880's, chili stands popped up all over San Antonio called "bowls o' red" as it was called was served by women called "chili queens". It wasn't long before 10 cent chili stands became tourist attractions. By 1893, a San Antonio chili stand was featured at the World's Fair in Chicago.
By the 20th century chili joints had made their way past Texas and became familiar all over the west by the roaring ‘20s. In fact, by the end of that decade, there was hardly a town that didn't have a chili parlor, which were often no more than a shed or a room with a counter and some stools. It’s been said that chili joints meant the difference between starvation and staying alive during the Great Depression since chili was cheap and crackers were free. U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson was a chili loving Texan! Johnson preferred venison to beef, probably due to his bad heart. Lady Bird Johnson, the First lady, had his favorite chili recipe printed on cards to be mailed out because of the many thousands of requests the White House received for it. "Chili concocted outside of Texas is usually a weak, apologetic imitation of the real thing,” Johnson is quoted as saying. “One of the first things I do when I get home to Texas is to have a bowl of red. There is simply nothing better.” In 1977, chili manufacturers in the state of Texas successfully lobbied the state legislature to have chili proclaimed the official "state food". 7/26/2018 0 Comments Stew Over This ClassicStew is a combination of foods, cooked in liquid and served in a gravy or sauce. Here is the United States, traditional stew means a concoction of foods such as carrots, potatoes, meat, onions, mushrooms, beans, or tomatoes. Stew is typically cooked at a relatively low temperature, over time to allow flavors to mix and mingle. Often times, less tender cuts of meat tenderize in the cooking process.
Stew may be thickened by cooking, by coating meat in flour before cooking, or by using a roux (roo) to thicken the sauce. While similar to soup, stews have less liquid and are even thick enough to be served on a plate. Stews have been traced back to ancient times with the oldest record dating back to fish stew from Japan. Amazon tribes have used turtle shells to boil the turtle with various other ingredients. Roman cook books dating back to 4th century AD have recipes for stew with lamb meat. 7/26/2018 0 Comments The History of "Pulled Pork"Pulled pork is a staple of Southern cooking in America where the art of barbecue is famous. In this sensational sandwich, tender, fatty, flavorful pork is cooked long and slow; a process that softens the tissue making it so tender, it falls apart before it even needs to be pulled. Cheap prices and easy maintenance made pork a main source of meat for the Southern Colonies. Because the South did not sell pigs to the north, swine became an exclusively Southern fare.
One would assume that "pulled pork" is pulled apart, but even the cheap cuts of meat fed to slaves was cooked in a way to produce such tender juicy meat, it fell apart. The term "pulled pork" actually refers to the heartbreaking hunger the slaves suffered. The slaves were typically so hungry that they would "pull the pork" off the coals after the meat had slow cooked and was finally ready to be eaten. Apples play a prominent role in Irish legend and folklore and are a popular ingredient in Irish recipes. Whiskey, called uisce beatha (Irish for "water of life") has also been a staple to Ireland since the sixth century when Missionary Monks brought the secret of distillation to Ireland from the Middle East. Distillation, used for making perfume was put to better use by the Irish when they mashed barley, fermented with yeast and heated in a pot still separating and retaining the impressive liquid. 7/26/2018 0 Comments What are "street tacos"?Carnitas, a fabulous dish in Mexican cuisine refers to a very slow roasted, pulled or shredded pork. Carnitas can be served several ways, but most commonly is served in tortillas with a side of salsa, fresh vegetables, beans or guacamole. Ancho is a form of dried poblano chili peppers. Poblanos have a mild flavor that can vary in degrees of heat intensity. Street tacos are smaller than the American taco or burrito and usually come in groups of two or three. Universally, street tacos are open faced to show off the various contents. Just as the sandwich is the familiar working man's lunch, tacos are that same concept allowing quick and fuss free eating. Street tacos became popular as urbanization brought families into the city and women brought or sold these gems to the workers. Fish tacos are the most famous street tacos in America (using cod, salmon and tilapia) served with pico de gallo and cabbage. Pastor tacos, the traditional favorite of street shops and vendors serve the variety of slow cooked and spiced pork.
7/26/2018 0 Comments What are Cubanos?The Cubano Sandwich is a variation of a ham and cheese, sandwich made popular in Florida cafes that catered to Cuban workers. The traditional sandwich is made with Mojo Pork. Mojo Pork is marinated in garlic, olive oil, lime and orange. Orange is the most common citrus flavor used in Mojo, the cilantro and mint provide a fresh pairing with the zesty citrus. There is some controversy as to whether salami is an important ingredient for Cuban Sandwiches. Most likely, Salami was added when the sandwich was popularized in the Tampa area due to a large Italian population but is not usually included in Southern Florida.
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