Posted by: hearttohearthcookery | October 17, 2009

Smoking Sausage in a Chimney

Sausage Smoking in a Chimney
Sausage Smoking in a Chimney

With the cool weather and butchering time approaching, it is time to think of cleaning farmes (intestines) and stuffing them with the chopped meat left from the primary cuts.   Since sausage only requires what is considered a “cool” smoke, the links can be very successfully smoked in a chimney over a few days.  The front sausage is the traditional mahoghany red color and almost ready.  The links in the rear have only been in the chimney a few hours.  Preparing and smoking sausage has been a wonderful way to spend these cool, wet few days.

My November 7th hearth cooking class is filled but there still are openings in the class November 14th.
More information on my classes, demonstrations and programs can be found on my website www.hearttohearthcookery.com

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Posted in culinary history, food history, Food preservation, Hearth cooking classes, Sausage, Smoking | Tags: , , ,

Posted by: hearttohearthcookery | October 13, 2009

Sunchokes-A Native Food

Sunchoke tubers

Sunchoke tubers

The native sunchoke (also known as Jerusalem artichoke) is not a member of the artichoke family at all but related to the sunflower.   The tuberous plant grew wild along the eastern seaboard from Georgia to Nova Scotia.   The plant is tall like the sunflower and can grow from 3 to 12 feet high.  In the fall, a yellow flower, small for the size of the plant emerges.

The tubers, with food stored for the plant in the winter, are harvested and boiled or roasted in the fall or very early spring.  Fall is the best.  This past weekend, I rubbed the tuber with bear grease and wrapped it in a corn leaf and roasted the sunchokes in the embers.  The process of wrapping and roasting is pictured below. (Look carefully for the wrapped sunchoke in the ashes!)  The taste is one of delicate sweetness and nutty. 

Please visit my website www.hearttohearthcookery.com.  There are two upcoming fall classes.  One November 7th and the other November 14th!

Preparing and roasting sunchokes

Preparing and roasting sunchokes

 

 

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Posted in ALHFAM, culinary history, food history, Hearth cooking classes, Lenape, Native American, Sunchokes | Tags: , , , ,

Posted by: hearttohearthcookery | September 28, 2009

Shackamaxon Bean

Garnet red bean pods of the Shackamaxon bean

Garnet red bean pods of the Shackamaxon bean

 

Yesterday at the Harvest Festival in Union County, New Jersey, I stayed dry under my canvas roasting a wild turkey and green corn with the Three Sisters and dried venison in my trade kettle.  While tending the fire and talking to the public that seemed not to mind the “liquid sun”, I removed the black/blue Shackamaxon beans from their reddish pods. 

The Shackamaxon bean is one of the beans that I grow for Lenape interpretation.  William Woys Weaver writes in his Heirloom Vegetable Gardening book that the Shackamaxon is a variety of pole bean that dates before the 1800’s and was preserved by Quaker farmers of southeastern Pennsylvania and South Jersey.  The area of Pennsylvania referred to as Shackamaxon is found along the Delaware River and is referred to as the Kensington section of Philadelphia.  The Penn Treaty Park is located there as it is thought to be the site of a treaty with the Lenape and William Penn.

What was very exciting as I shucked the beans was that some of the pods were not reddish in color and the beans were not black/blue.  A variant?  William Woys Weaver explained to me today that those beans were an older “Native American” bean that has reemerged. 

I have some Shackamaxon beans that are available as seed if anyone is interested.  Please contact me a foodhxsmp@gmail.com if you have any interest.

Wanishi!        Please visit my website at www.hearttohearthcookery.com

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Posted in culinary history, food history, Lenape, Native American | Tags: , , , , ,

Posted by: hearttohearthcookery | September 25, 2009

To Broyle Chicken Presented for Table

To broyle chicken with sauce
To broyle chicken with sauce

At the Pennsbury Manor fundraiser dinner Thursday evening September 24th , over 110 people enjoyed a beautiful evening with the paths  illuminated with candles, the music and voices of the Tuckers, and the offerings of food  at many stations on the grounds.

Those that meandered down the path to the Bake and Brew found myself and hearth cook Margaret Lapolla preparing Portugal Cakes for tasting and describing a table symmetrically arranged with food as if the Penn’s would be imminently dining. 
The receipt (recipe) for To broyle chicken which had been prepared on the gridiron was presented with a sauce containing anchovies, forced meat balls, cockcombs and garnished with lemon and served on a pewter reproduction charger. 
For more information on myself and food history offerings, please visit www.hearttohearthcookery.com.
NEW: September 27, 2009 Lenape Program information posted on the Moonwater Woman page!

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Posted by: hearttohearthcookery | September 21, 2009

Hearth at Work-Gridiron

Hearth at Work

Hearth at Work

September 20, 2009 the hearth was very busy, as the cooks at Pennsbury Manor utilized  many pieces of hearth cooking equipment for a demonstration.   I will focus on the gridiron (the hearth’s broiler).  The two halves of chicken were flattened well and covered with a mixture of thyme,  parsley, onion and bread crumbs.  The aroma was wonderful!

My hearth cooking classes utilize the hearth to teach  many techniques as this picture portrays.   The next scheduled classes are Saturday November 7th at Historic Speedwell and Saturday November 14th at Bolton Manion.  I would love to meet some of you at these classes.  We have great fun and great food!

For more information about my classes and other offerings please visit www.hearttohearthcookery.com

To broyle chicken

To broyle chicken

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Posted by: hearttohearthcookery | September 16, 2009

Roasting Stick

Roasting rabbitAt Phillipsburg Manor in Tarrytown, NY, I participated in a three day Green Corn Festival.  Yes, I did roast, boil and harvest the silks of corn in the green stage.  But this picture is of roasting a rabbit on a roasting stick at the main fire.

It was a wonderful weekend even though I had just returned from Maine and the loss of my Mother.

 

Visit my website at www.hearttohearthcookery.com

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Posted in culinary history, food history, Lenape, Native American

Posted by: hearttohearthcookery | September 16, 2009

In Memorium

Ruth Ellen Alley McLellan

Ruth Ellen Alley McLellan

 

For those of you who have been followers of my blog, you may have noticed that I have not posted any Bites of Food History since August 21, 2009.

I was blessed with being able to be with my Mother, Ruth Ellen Alley McLellan at her passing August 26,2009 in my home state of Maine.  I have many things to be thankful for as my Mother had her 87th birthday in January and I was there.  I was there on Mother’s Day.  She always lived independently in her home and was in good health despite her many mobility issues with arthritis.  She was my unconditional support, my cheerleader and always listened intently about all my adventures with food history and travel. 

All of the work that I do in food history will now be in the memory of Ruth Ellen Alley McLellan 1922-2009, Guy Stanwood McLellan 1919-1998, Viola Caroline Wood Alley 1898-1978 and Leslie Earl Alley 1895-1988.

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Posted by: hearttohearthcookery | August 21, 2009

Roasting Ears of Green Corn

Green Corn

Green Corn

This past weekend, August 15 and 16, 2009, I participated in the Roasting Ears of Corn Pow Wow at the Museum of Indian Culture in Allentown, PA.  I worked with Hopi Red corn in the green stage and roasted and boiled the ears after harvesting the silks for drying.  I have more pictures on the Moonwater Woman page.
Visit my web site at www.hearttohearthcookery.com

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Posted by: hearttohearthcookery | August 13, 2009

Cherries or Chirrys!

To preserve Chirrys

To preserve Chirrys

This is my latest work in 18th century preservation.  The colors of the preserved cherries were so vivid.  This receipt is another early 18th century, To preserve Chirrys.  The stems were removed from the sweet cherries and they were preserved whole.  Sugar was added to water and brought to a boil and then the cherries added.  Scumming was needed during the process as is pictured here. 
One pound of cherries were kept out of the preserving kettle until after the rest were done.  That pound was processed in the same syrup and mashed to add color to the preserving syrup.  It was such a wonderful, colorful receipt that tastes just a good!
 
An announcement has been added to my Moonwater Woman page and as always please visit my website at www.hearttohearthcookery.com
 

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Posted in culinary history, food history, Food preservation, Preserving with sugar | Tags: , ,

Posted by: hearttohearthcookery | August 8, 2009

Chocolate Demonstration at Ward-Heitmann Museum House

Metates

  This is my nephew who assisted me today at the chocolate demonstration at the Ward-Heitmann Museum House’s Summer Festival.  He roasted fermented cacao beans, hulled them, and processed the nibs into chocolate liquor on the metate.

This is some of the equipment that is used at my chocolate workshops.  The next scheduled workshop is February 6, 2010. 

Chocolate workshops can travel if there are 6 or more people interested in learning and experiencing this 17th and 18th century process. 

For more informatation on the chocolate workshop and other classes, please visit my website at www.hearttohearthcookery.com.

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Posted in chocolate, confectionery, culinary history, food history, Hearth cooking classes | Tags: , , , ,

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