CH W Line Culinary Historians of Washington, D.C. May 2010 Volume XIV, Number 8 Ambitious Appetites — Political Aspects of Dining in D.C. During the Federal Period

Speaker: Barbara G. Carson Sunday, May 2, 2010 (Note: first Sunday) 2:30 to 4:30 p.m.

Bethesda-Chevy Chase Services Center, 4805 Edgemoor Lane, Bethesda, Maryland

Last CHoW Line or over three decades Barbara Carson has taught in universities and consulted for Fmuseums and historic houses. She considers herself a social historian who studies until September how people use objects, mainly domestic furnishings, in their everyday lives and in extra-ordinary or special situations. She has written several books and many articles. Save the Dates for autumn They all explore the ways Americans from the seventeenth to the nineteenth centuries CHoW meetings: used artifacts, consciously or unconsciously, to equip daily activities, enhance social September 12 relationships, or express spiritual and symbolic worlds. Ambitious Appetites: Dining, October 10 Behavior, and Patterns of Consumption in Federal Washington focused on both private and official use of food from the bottom to the top of society. November 14 Ms. Carson was educated at Brown University and the University of Delaware’s See you in September! Winterthur Program in Early American History and Culture. She lives in However, organizational Williamsburg, Virginia. work goes on over the summer. Top photo: Dining room of If you would like to Dumbarton House, Washington, D.C. propose speakers for the Construction of the Federal-period 2010-2011 monthly house was finished in 1804 by its meetings, see page 6. owner Joseph Nourse, Register of the U.S. Treasury. Guests can view all CHoW/DC publishes seven museum rooms of the house, as CHoW Line eight times well as the temporary exhibit gallery. each year. More information can be found Read about a May 5 special event at at www.chowdc.org. Dumbarton House on page 5. Federal Period Wedgwood tureen.

Culinary Historians of Washington, D.C. (CHoW/DC) www.chowdc.org founded in 1996, is an informal, nonprofit, educational organization dedicated to the study of the history of foodstuffs, cuisines, and culinary customs, both historical and contemporary, from all parts of the world. What Happened at the April 11 Meeting?

Our thanks go to Shirley Cherkasky, who arranged for the beautiful dining room high above Alexandria (see photos). It was a clear and sunny day overlooking the Potomac, with wonderful food, fascinating stories, balmy breezes, and friendly conversation. We took photos of some of the foods just to show you a sampling of the variety of dishes brought to the supper.

Francine Berkowitz presented the Slate of Candidates for the 2010-2011 CHoW Board (see column at right). The election will be at the May meeting.

Group and Alexandria view photos by Jack Warner Food photos by Dianne Hennessy King Nominations for 2010-2011 Board President: Katherine Livingston Katherine Livingston was book review editor of Science for many years and now does freelance editing, mostly in the field of history. In CHoW she has served six terms as treasurer, has done publicity for the meetings, and is an occasional contributor to CHoW Line. She has been president of CHoW for one year.

Vice-President: CiCi Williamson Food and travel writer CiCi Williamson is the author of six cookbooks and more than 1,500 articles in newspapers and magazines. Her latest book is “The Best of Virginia Farms,” a cookbook, tour book and history reference. She is also the host of an award-winning Virginia PBS-TV series based on Judy Newton gave a report on her appearance as part of a the book. For 22 years, she wrote a syndicated weekly food panel at Ren Con 2010, a Renaissance and Medieval food column in 160 newspapers across the country and has fair. CHoW President Katherine Livingston had been appeared on ABC-TV’s “Good Morning America” and contacted to enquire if CHoW had an expert on the subject numerous other network and cable TV shows. CiCi has a and Judy answered the call. B.S. in home economics from the University of Maryland, and has created almost 2,000 original recipes for Whatzit: This time we didn’t have to guess the purpose of publication. She has served as an officer of many culinary the mystery culinary object nor was it passed around due to associations including president of the prestigious 1,500- its sharp edge. While Claire Cassidy was describing her member Les Dames d’Escoffier International, president of Gitskan-style Sockeye Salmon with Gooseberry Marinade, the Washington, D.C. Chapter of Les Dames, board member of the Association of Food Journalists, and president of Wild Onions, and Dried Blueberries, she showed us a Home Economists in Business. CiCi is a charter member of razor-sharp, 19th-century, antler-handled Alaskan knife for the Culinary Historians of Washington and has been its cutting fish. newsletter designer for four years. As a travel writer and photographer, she has visited all seven continents, more Although the official time for CHoW’s Cooperative Supper than 100 countries and all 50 U.S. states. The native Texan was 4:00 p.m. to 6 p.m., most people stayed until around has made Virginia her home for 25 years. She currently 7:00 p.m. serves as vice president of CHoW.

Membership Secretary: Quentin Looney Keep Those Refreshments Coming! My educational background is primarily in chemistry (B.S., Please contact Anne Whitaker at M.S. and Ph.D. from Penn State, University of California at [email protected] if you have questions about Berkeley, and University of Pittsburgh, respectively) and an bringing food or drink for any of our meetings. MBA from Pitt. After seven years doing bench chemistry at U.S. Steel’s Applied R&D Center I moved to Washington (Continued on page 6)

2 CHoW Line Cooperative Supper -- Foods from the New World, Pre-Contact Stewed Bison Michelle Kretsch brought Stewed Bison and Tavern Biscuits, recipe from The Kentucky Housewife (1839) by Lettice Bryan. Although the biscuits are non- indigenous, they are great served with the stew.

Cactus Salad Gina Jenkins brought Cactus Salad Tomatillos and Pepper Relish made with (cactus), white Anne Whitaker brought Tomatillos onion, tomatoes, cilantro and olive oil; and Pepper Relish with Traditional good also with cubes of queso or Corn Chips. white farmer’s cheese.

Gitskan-style Sockeye Salmon New World Grain Salad Claire Cassidy and John Rosine Three Sisters Salad Jane Olmsted brought New World brought Gitskan-style Sockeye Salmon Randy Clarke brought Three Sisters Jackpot Grain Salad, loosely based on with Gooseberry Marinade, Wild Salad: Sister Bean (Black and Christmas a wild rice salad recipe of Richard Onions, and Dried Blueberries. Limas), Sister Squash (Butternut and Crooked Neck), and Sister Corn. Fourth Sister Pepper (Red sweet and Jalapeño), Fifth Sister Tomato, Weird Uncle Ramp (from the farmers’ market) and Mexican Tia Oregano.

The Gitskan are a Northwest Coast People who wrote a history of their Hetzler, Chef at Mitsitam, National own foodways in Gathering What the Museum of the American Indian. The Great Nature Provided. This book dish included nine New World contains cooking methods (old and ingredients: wild rice, inca red quinoa new), memories of foodways from the (pasankalla variety), corn, red and “old folks,” and adjustments to old yellow peppers, dried cranberries, recipes with newer foods added in Schnitzel Mexiko tomato, pecans, oil, from Euro-Americans. sunflower seeds plus carrots, red Tom Weiland brought Schnitzel Claire said, “The wild onions onions, black rice, MG red rice, brown Mexiko and Vegan Schnitzel Mexiko. and gooseberries are from our garden, rice, purple barley, hulled barley, and so we gathered as the Gitskan used to rye berries. do. The Sockeye is wild and caught somewhere in Alaska, and the dried New World Salad blueberries are American but bought Amy Snyder brought New World as is from the Bethesda Food Coop.” Salad of corn, black beans, orange bell John brought white wine with a llama peppers, nopales, salt and cayenne. on the label and red wine with a rooster on the label. Laura Gilliam brought with Cream.

CHoW Line 3 Pepita Dip Red Pudding Felice Caspar brought with Corn Shirley Cherkasky brought Red Chips and Squash Crudités made with Pudding and Cream, made with toasted pumpkin seed, tomato, cranberries and corn(starch). The tomatillo, onion, garlic, jalapeño, Danish name for the dessert is Rødgrød med Fløde.

Papas a la Huancaina Francine Berkowitz brought Papas a la Huancaina, a Peruvian dish from the city of Huancayo, capital of the state of Junin in the Central Andes. The potato and fresh cheese dish is garnished pasilla, ancho, cilantro, vinegar and with sliced hard boiled eggs and black salt. The wooden creature shown in olives. There is a Potato Park in the the photo is a flour scoop. She also Andes where people are trying to revive brought a Cranberry Sauce with as many varieties of potato as possible. Blackberries and Pineapple. Hotcakes Clara Raju brought Cornmeal Bison Stew with Anasazi Beans Elisabetta Castleman brought two Hotcakes with Prickly Pear Syrup and by Kathleen and Royle Carrington. turkey moles: Pumpkin Seed A-Ma-Gi, Cherokee Fried Hominy. with Chocolate and Tomato Mole with Chocolate. Elisabetta brought the chocolate from .

Katherine Livingston brought Jerusalem Artichokes, a.k.a., sunchoke, sunroot, earth apple, topinambour (Jerusalem after Italian girasole, topinambour after Brazilian Indians incidentally arriving in France at the same time). Discovered by Judy Newton brought Poke Salad, aka Claudia Kousoulas brought Three Champlain cultivated in Cape Cod in Poke Weed, Poke Sallat, made with Sisters Salad made with Canary 1605 and sent to France. It was poke grown in her yard. She advises, Beans, Corn, and Butternut Squash. displaced by the potato there when the “Pick your poke in the Spring, before potato became accepted. the red color dominates the sprouts. Wash well. Boil in about twice the Mayan White & Red Bryna Freyer brought a selection made volume of water until all the red is Angela Saunders Silverman and by the Amish: Dilled Corn, Pickled gone. Rinse. Dress. Serve cold or at Maurice Silverman brought Mayan Tomatoes, and Hot Peppers. room temperature.” White Tamales and Mayan Red Sandy Hoexter brought Tejate, a Tamales from Sophie Coe’s Americas Oyster and Corn Bisque and First Cuisines and fruits, Yellow chocolate, corn-based drink that has Cherries, Nanee, and Spiced Pineapple. been drunk in Oaxaca for thousands of Red Pepper Soup years. It is now made to be sweet ... brought by Quentin Looney. instead of spicy.

Dianne Hennessy King brought Ojibwa Wild Rice, made with cherries, mushrooms, pecans, chives, and red bell pepper.

4 CHoW Line News of Our Members Cloak and Dagger Cook Culinary Humor Kay Shaw Nelson’s CIA Confessions By Tom Weiland Spies and spices naturally come together at Zola Wine and Kitchen, but an intimate discussion on April 13 with former CIA operative Kay Shaw Nelson involved some delicious dishes from The Cloak and Dagger hat is the world’s oldest joke book? I put that Cook. Wquestion to several antiquarian booksellers and got “I tried to make [the book] some mighty strange looks in return. No, not comedies by interesting ... and combine the Aristophanes—joke collections—a great source of culinary travel and spying, despite the fact humor. Their answers were divided. that I had to cut out some of the spy stories,” Shaw said while Ancient cultures knew jokes. Egyptians apparently left sharing some recipes she picked behind hieroglyphic humor, some of it quite graphic and up in her travels around the globe. rude. The Greeks and Romans had a terse and humorous As she opened up about her life form of aphorism known as apophthegm (OED: 1553, from with the then newly established Greek “apophtegme,” ca. 700BC), which Cicero, Augustus Central Intelligence Agency, the Caesar, and others apparently collected, but I can’t find author evidence of a surviving volume. Nothing survived the Dark explained how a cover helped to Ages, either. refine her interest in the only safe topic she could always cook Limited by language skills, I ended the search with an up: food. English translation of a medieval Latin “joke book,” the Facetiae, by Poggio Bracciolini. The Catholic Encyclopedia “The life of a CIA operative dates him to 1380-1459, and his collection of Facetiae to requires secrecy at all times,” 1450 (note: “Facetiae” adopted into English in 1529: OED). He was a prolific writer and translator in the Vatican; Shaw said. “But food makes for ironically, his humor often lampooned the Catholic church, harmless conversation. ... Good and was popular despite (or perhaps because of) themes of food and good drink go hand in depravity, sacrilege, and even cannibalism. hand with the spying business.”

Below is a link to his translated work, although I cannot guarantee its accuracy, so let the reader beware. But it’s just Upcoming Event: Dumbarton House too tempting not to sample a few, eh? Also below are a couple (polite) food jokes from the volume. “Dining & Dessert in the Federal Period” www.elfinspell.com/PoggioContents.html by guest expert Jennifer F. Goldsborough. Wednesday, May 5, 6:30pm-8:00pm · Messer Matteo Franco, walking with Lorenzo de’ 2715 Q Street, N.W. Washington, DC 20007 Medici, and coming to an inn where some bad wine was served them, which, however, the host To complement the last month of the museum’s declared to be very old, said: “It seems to me in its dining exhibition — “Fran, Have you Supplied the Table?” second childhood.” — what better way to finish off a fine dining “Table” than with some sumptuous desserts? Join us for a sweet peek · Two men were boasting of the wonderful things back in time with guest speaker and well-known decorative they had seen, and one of them said that in a arts/material culture expert and author Jennifer F. certain part of the country there was a cabbage so Goldsborough, a member of the Adjunct Faculty, History of large that fifteen hundred men could stand beneath Decorative Arts for the Corcoran College of Art & Design. it. Then said the other: “And I have seen a cauldron She holds an MA from Connecticut College, and is a so big that five hundred men engaged in making it were spread over so much ground that when they specialist on American silver, ceramics, and quilts, as well spoke they could not hear one another.” “What the as a professor at the Sotheby’s Institute, New York. She devil were they going to do with such a cauldron?” formerly served as chief curator at the Maryland Historical “Cook that cabbage.” Society. Approx. 60 minutes followed by Q&A and a dessert sampling! $10; Students $5 (NSCDA and Museum Cheers! TW Members free). Paypal or [email protected]. www.dumbartonhouse.org/calendar.htm#curators_choice

CHoW Line 5 and began a 30-year career spanning a range of activities is the principal responsible for the international tax matters associated with energy management and research. I have of the Deloitte US firms. He has over 30 years of experience worked part-time locally as Lead Sales for Williams- as a tax lawyer, 23 of them exclusively devoted to the Sonoma starting in 1984, and changed from part to full time practice of international tax. He joined Deloitte in 1983, after at Williams-Sonoma in 2003 where I performed cooking a number of years as a trial attorney with the U.S. demonstrations and taught cooking technique classes. I Department of Justice’s Tax Division. He has both a J.D. and have done volunteer work for The American Institute of an LLM in tax from Georgetown University Law Center; has Wine & Food starting in 1993, rose to Chairman of the D.C. been an adjunct professor of taxation in that University’s Chapter for 2006-07, and served one year on the National School of Business Administration, and has done post- Board. Due to the strong influence of an excellent middle graduate international legal work at Oxford University. His school teacher I have had an active interest in history since undergraduate degree is in American history, from Yale 8th grade, and in recent years I have found myself more University. Bruce’s interest in culinary history started with drawn toward the history of food in particular. I was an interest in social history, combined with the fact that he introduced to CHoW several years ago and continue to be impressed with the collegial and scholarly, yet informal, likes to cook, and a realization that food history is a group discussions that are typical in the meetings and significant branch of social history generally. He manages gatherings. to further both interests, in what’s left of the day after work, by collecting antiquarian English and American cook Recording Secretary: David Bender books.Bruce has been the CHoW Treasurer this past year. I am a retired not-for-profit association executive. My 25- year career included policy/program management, Director: Katherine A. Hayes financial planning, administration, personnel oversight I have been interested in foods and cooking since and board/staff relations. My working career was spent in childhood. Growing up in a Midwestern rustbelt city with the fields of education, information science and association large ethnic populations, I learned to cook many ways with management. I grew up on an Ohio farm, which piqued an (for the time!) unusual ingredients. While working as a interest in food; its preservation and preparation. Retired for metalsmith, graphic artist, and archivist, I have continued seven years, I have the time to be active in several to pursue knowledge and experience in cooking and community and professional groups; none has provided me learning about food history. Besides CHoW, I am a charter with the enjoyment and insights into the culinary field as member of the Riversdale Kitchen Guild (2002). I’ve lately does CHoW. I started attending CHoW meetings in 2005. been satisfying my curiosity through reading widely in food Over the years, I have participated in four international and history and experimenting with unusual food items in my three stateside culinary programs. The first was at the kitchen. Katy has been a CHoW Director this past year and “Cookery at The Grange” (Bath, UK) in March 1989; the has been responsible for all arrangements regarding our most recent, a tapas class in May 2007 in Seville, Spain with meeting space. Joanne Weir. My food interests are three fold: 1) the history of food; 2) southern foods–their preparation and Director: Claudia Kousoulas presentation; and 3) country foods–the traditions and customs surrounding them. I was a CHoW Director for one Claudia is an editor and publications manager with the year and this past year I was the Recording Secretary. Montgomery County Planning Department and is also a freelance food and features writer. Her stories and cookbook Treasurer: Bruce Reynolds reviews appear in Washington Woman, Cookbook Digest, and online at AppetiteforBooks.com and at booksforcooks.com. Bruce Reynolds is, professionally, an attorney (licensed to She served as CHoW President for two years and as a practice in Virginia and DC) and a principal in the Director for four years. Claudia has written and distributed Washington National Office of Deloitte Tax LLP. There, he all our CHoW publicity for a number of years.

September 13 Susan Pinkard, “A Revolution in Taste: Last CHoW Line until September The Rise of French Cuisine 1500-1800” October 11 Patrick Evans-Hylton, “Wine in Virginia” Please note that the May issue is the last until September. November 8 Joan Bacharach, “Curating Culinary Exhibits However, organizational work goes on over the summer. for Museums: Behind the Scenes” The CHoW Board aims to schedule a well-balanced program December 13 Nongkran Daks, ““Beyond Curry & Pad of speakers throughout the year. Interest in culinary history Thai: Regional Thai Cuisine” is not limited to any one period. January 10 Tom Weiland, “The Search for the Elusive Schnitzel" If you would like to propose speakers for the 2010-2011 February 14 Nancy Baggett, “Evolution of the Romantic monthly meetings, please e-mail your ideas and information Heart Shape and Flavors of Valentine to President Katherine Livingston ([email protected]) or Confections.” Vice President CiCi Williamson ([email protected]). March 14 Fred Czarra, “Spices of Life: The Savory Story of the First Global Marketplace” The topics at right were presented during 2009-2010. May 2 Barbara G. Carson, “Ambitious Appetites”

6 CHoW Line Rare Cookbooks at Library of Congress

ome of the rare cookbooks viewed by Catharine E. Beecher and Harriet Beecher Stowe. The CHoW members at the Library of American Woman’s Home. New York, 1869. Bitting Collection SCongress tour include the following: This classic by the Beecher sisters is dedicated to “the Bartolomeo Platina. De Honesta Voluptate. Cividale del women of America, in whose hands rest the real destinies of Friuli, Italy, 1480. John Boyd Thacher Collection the Republic.” It includes chapters on good air ventilation and heat, home decoration, exercise, cleanliness, domestic In 1475 the Italian humanist Bartolomeo Platina (1421- manners, care of children, the aged, and domestic animals, 1481) compiled and published in Venice the first printed and giving to charity, as well as good cookery. cookbook and was almost immediately appointed Vatican librarian. Many of the recipes for meats, broths, stews, Hannah Glasse. Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy. pastries, and pies he had translated from the manuscript of London, 1747. Bitting Collection Maestro Martino, “Libro de Arte Coquinaria,” ca. 1450-60, that would eventually be added to the Bitting Collection by First published in England in 1747, Glasse’s cookbook, Dr. A. W. Bitting, Katherine Golden Bitting’s husband. This though similar to earlier works, became the most popular second edition of Platina was the first of only two works cookbook in England and the American colonies for the rest printed in Cividale during the 15th century by its first of the eighteenth century. She deplores French cuisine, printer, Gerardi de Flandria. It is opened to a recipe for stresses individuality, gives no diagrams for table settings, roasted chicken stuffed with bread and walnuts. but provides a chapter for ships’ captains.

Hannah Woolley. The Queen-like Closet or Rich Cabinet. Whole Duty of a Woman or a Guide to the Famale Sex; from 8th ed. London, 1684. Bitting Collection the age of sixteen to sixty. Anonymous. London, 1735. Katherine Golden Bitting Collection, Rare Book and First published in 1770, Woolley here offers preserving, Special Collections Division. candying and cookery laced with eloquent attacks on male chauvinism. Her cookery is mostly medieval and her Beginning a gradual shift in the literature from men writing medical receipts for digestive disorders may be required for male cooks to women writing for women homemakers after tasting her dishes. Two copies of the 2nd edition, and housekeepers, this anonymous work makes cookery, published in 1672 , are in the Pennell Collection. church, and children the business of women. Physical conditions of housekeeping were backbreaking and Amelia Simmons. American Cookery. Hartford, constant. The suggested interaction between the classes Connecticut, 1796. American Imprint Collection also prompted the need for advice on virtue and vice.

First cookbook written by an American to be printed in the United States, it uses ingredients commonly available to American cooks including corn, squash, and pumpkin, and is the first to offer a recipe for pumpion (pumpkin) pie. It also includes four recipes for cookies and gingerbread that are the first known to recommend the use of pearlash, the forerunner of baking powder, as well as the first recipe for cake-like gingerbread to appear in American print.

Lydia Maria Child. . The Frugal Housewife Dedicated to those who are not ashamed of economy. Boston, 1829.

Child (1802-1880), one of the first women to make a living by writing, was best known for her abolitionist work, Appeal in Favor of That Class of Americans Called Africans, 1833, and Juvenile Miscellany, the first American magazine for children. In her household guide she recommends saving and recycling, wasting neither time nor materials, and urges folk to make rather than buy, for “Economy is a poor man’s revenue, extravagance a rich man’s ruin.” Photo by Abby Brack, Photographer, Library of Congress.

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