Wednesday, September 14, 2022

Boiled Flour

Ingredients

  • 1 lb Flour
  • Water

Directions

  1. Tightly tie 1 lb of flour into a close linen cloth. 
  2. Moisten with water and dredge with flour until a coating is formed to prevent water from entering the flour. 
  3. Boil four to five hours. 
  4. Allow to cool until solid. 
Source — New Orleans Cook Book.
Prepared by Rachel Stevenson
Louisiana Anthology
September 14, 2022

Unfermented Grape Wine

Ingredients

  • Grapes 
  • White Sugar

Directions

  1. Add grapes to a kettle and heat until the skins burst.
  2. Pour into a cheese cloth bag and allow the juice to drip out.
  3. Add 1/2 pint of white sugar for 1 pint of juice.
  4. Boil rapidly for 4 to 5 minutes.
  5. Add to a bottle, cork tightly, and seal with wax or add into fruit jars. 
Source — New Orleans Cook Book.
Prepared by Rachel Stevenson
Louisiana Anthology
September 14, 2022

Chicken Salad

Ingredients

  • Two cups shredded chicken 
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise 
  • 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1/2 cup of grapes 
  • Two tbsp pineapple juice 
  • 1/2 cup slivered almonds 

Directions

  1. Begin by adding two cups of shredded chicken to a bowl.
  2. Stir in 1/2 cup of mayonnaise and 1/4 tsp of black pepper. 
  3. Slice 1/2 cup of grapes into halves, then add to bowl.  
  4. Stir in 1/2 cup of slivered almonds and two tbsp of pineapple juice. 
  5. Recommended to serve on crackers or on as a sandwich. 
Source — Susan Stevenson 
Prepared by Rachel Stevenson
Louisiana Anthology
September 14. 2022

Sponge Cake

Ingredients

  • 4 eggs
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 lemon
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 tbsp granulated sugar

Directions

  1. Separate whites and yolks of 4 eggs.
  2. After the whites of the eggs are stiff, beat in 1/2 cup of sugar for 5 minutes.
  3. Grate the rind of the lemon. 
  4. Add the grated rind of a lemon and the yolks to the mixture, then beat well together. 
  5. Add 1 cup of flour, stirring in as lightly as possible. (Never beat a sponge cake after adding flour).
  6. Add to baking pan and sprinkle a tablespoon of granulated sugar on top. 
  7. Bake for 25 minutes in a moderate oven (350 - 375℉).
Source — New Orleans Cook Book.
Prepared by Rachel Stevenson
Louisiana Anthology
September 14, 2022

Custard Fruit Pie

 Ingredients

  • Pie crust
  • Flour
  • Stewed fruit
Custard (enough for two pies)
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup of milk
  • 1 cup of sugar

Directions

  1. Make a good pie crust. Rub a little flour on it and lay it on your pie plates. 
  2. To make the custard beat together eggs, milk, and sugar. Pour custard into the pie crust. 
  3. On top of the custard put stewed fruit. 
Source — New Orleans Cook Book
Prepared by Morgan Setliff
Louisiana Anthology
September 14, 2022

Tuesday, September 13, 2022

The Way to Tell Good Mushrooms From Poisonous Mushrooms

WARNING: This material is from a cookbook that's over 100 years old. It's for historical purposes only. Use more current resources to actually pick wild mushrooms. Let's be careful out there!!!

Overall

  • Always err on the side of caution when picking mushroom
  • Never touch a mushroom that you are not sure what the species is

Common Safe to Eat Louisiana Mushrooms

  1. Oyster mushrooms (left) are a delicious species of mushroom commonly found around decomposing trees or anywhere around bark. They are said to be the best eating mushroom in Louisiana.
  2. Boletes are also safe to consume and they run rampant in the Louisiana area. They are said to have caps that are clearly different than the stems, and pores on the bottoms of the                                                                             
  3. Portobello's, while not very common in Louisiana, are edible and delicious in many different ways.
     

Summary

Typically, mushrooms in areas where cows and sheep have pasteurized are safe to eat. Also mushrooms with pink undercaps, that slowly turn brown as they age are safe. Never eat a mushroom without understanding what is safe to eat. Good luck and happy foraging.

Source — Cooking In the Old Creole Days
Prepared by Noah Beeson
Louisiana Anthology
September 13, 2022

Monday, September 12, 2022

Boiled Fish

Ingredients


Fish

  • 1 Large red fish or sheephead
  • 1 Large onion
  • 1 Large head of garlic
  • 2 Large carrots
  • 1 Lemon sliced fine
  • Bay Leaves
  • Celery
  • Parsley (stems and leaves)
  • Salt and Pepper

Sauce

  • 2 Eggs
  • 2 tablespoons sweet oil
  • Parsley
  • Green onions
  • Olives
  • 1 tablespoon apers sauce
  • Vinegar 
  • Salt and pepper
  • Lettuce leaves
  • Lemons thinly sliced 
  • Radishes

Directions


Fish

  1. Clean thoroughly a large red fish or sheephead.
  2. Boil a pot of water. Once water is boiling add onion, garlic, carrots, lemon, bay leaves, celery, and parsley. Boil all vegetables until they are soft enough to mash with a potato masher.
  3. After you have mashed the vegetables, tie the fish in a towel and place it in boiling water to boil for half an hour. 
  4. When done, put the fish (still in the water) aside to cool. You may begin to prepare the sauce while the fish is cooling. 

Sauce

  1. Boil eggs.
  2. Once boiled, rub egg yolks with sweet oil, using drop by drop.
  3. Chop whites of eggs fine with parsley, green onions, and olives.
  4. Mix chopped ingredients with capers sauce, vinegar, pepper, and salt. 
  5. Plate fish on a platter, and garnish with crisp lettuce leaves, on which are thin slices of lemon and radishes.
  6. Pour sauce on fish and serve cold. 
    
Source — New Orleans Cook Book
Prepared by Morgan Setliff
Louisiana Anthology
September 12, 2022