by Lynn Greene
Discovering history
Cookbooks offer peek into the past
We’re well into February and by now, if you have children
in school, they have uncovered some interesting facts about
black history. Since 1976, February has been designated
Black History Month, so chosen because Frederick Douglas
and Abraham Lincoln were both born in this month.
Douglas (1818-1895) was a prominent abolitionist, born
into slavery, and a self-taught man of letters, publishing
his autobiography in 1845. Lincoln (1809-1865, the 16th
president, issued the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863
and championed the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution
— the amendment that eliminated slavery.
I mention these historical factoids as a prelude to my
suggestion that cookbooks are a good, painless way to learn
a little history. Many cookbooks, especially the older
ones, offer bits of wisdom about how to shop (revealing
the variety of commodities available at the time), how
to serve a dinner party (exposing the social mores of the
time) and other tidbits of cultural history.
Rufus Estes’ cookbook has hundreds of recipes, for example,
and a bit of history on how he became a railroad porter
and chef. From Chicago, he published this book in 1911.
Then there’s “What Mrs. Fisher Knows About Southern Cooking,”
a book published by the Women’s Cooperative Printing Office
in San Francisco in 1881. It includes recipes for plantation
corn bread, flannel cakes, old time ginger cake and a whole
section on croquettes: lamb, chicken, crab, liver, oyster
and fish.
While every ethnic group has what it calls “soul food”
— comforting food that recalls warm memories; the term
has come to connote foods that are common to the African-American
cooking experience. The roots of this food extend to Africa.
These include yams (sweet potatoes will do), pumpkin, sorghum,
watermelon, okra and leafy greens.
Tall tales of seeds from native African plants being transported
in the slaves’ ears, hair or clothing could be true. However,
many culinary historians believe that the slave traders
brought the food, as well as the slaves, over for trade.
Either way, the early slaves had to make do with scraps,
leftovers and unwanted portions of meat.
The fact is, these people were very creative with what
they had. When slaves were used as cooks in the “big house,”
they gained even more expertise, and soon, there was a
lexicon of slave cookery. Nothing was ever wasted in the
black kitchen. Leftover fish became croquettes, stale bread
became bread pudding, and each part of the pig had its
own special dish. Fried pies were developed that could
be tucked into a pocket for a sweet pick-me-up in the fields.
Today, black families have their own ideas of what black
cuisine is. For some, it is hogshead cheese sliced on saltine
crackers with hot sauce; for others, it’s crab cakes, hush
puppies, corn pone, greens, fried catfish, smothered chicken
or gumbo.
Hoppin’ John
This is made as a New Year’s Day recipe because it is
said to bring good luck. Black-eyed peas, also known as
cowpeas, are cooked with ham and served with hot rice.
The name may come from a tradition of having the children
in the home hop around the table once before sitting down
for the meal.
1 pound dried black-eyed peas, or cowpeas
6 to 8 ounces salt pork (or bacon), diced
1 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 pound cooked ham, cubed
1 ham bone or large ham hock
black pepper, to taste
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
dash Tabasco sauce
Rinse peas, then cover with cold water and bring to a
boil. Boil 1 minute, remove from heat and cover pan. Let
peas stand for one hour.
Saute salt pork until golden brown; add onion and garlic,
and saute until onion is tender.
Add the salt pork and onion mixture to the peas, along
with the ham, ham bone or hock, and seasonings, adding
enough water to cover.
Bring to a simmer, cover, and simmer gently until peas
are tender but not mushed, 1 to 2 hours. Remove ham from
bone, chop, and return to peas. Taste for seasoning and
adjust.
Serve over cooked rice.
Lynn Greene is senior editor for Community Shoppers Inc., which publishes the Stateline News. Contact her at lgreene@communityshoppers.com. |
