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| How we really eat
Richard Valladoniga
I've spent a fair amount of time browsing the cookbook aisles of bookstores searching for the latest tricks that master chefs employ in their kitchens, or simply looking for something new to make on my own. What I often find is a bookshelf lined with cookbooks that feature glossy photographs but are filled with useless, unnecessarily complicated recipes.
Deglaze this, parboil that.
Sometimes a straightforward recipe's simplicity is more rewarding than fine dining that requires "training your palate" or spending hundreds of dollars on fancy new equipment you may never use again. Gee, I am so glad I asked for an electric raclette maker for Christmas last year. Is garage sale season under way yet?
Recently, I discovered a cookbook series with a very populist theme -- no-fuss, authentic recipes that have been collected by two ladies, Gwen McKee and Barbara Moseley, as they traveled across the country in search of America's uncataloged culinary heritage.
The Best of the Best State Cookbook Series documents some of each state's greatest offerings in one of the most proletarian ways I've ever seen. McKee and Moseley collected recipes from state fairs, service organizations, festivals, individuals, restaurants and group events, compiling a series of cookbooks brimming with honest food from the real people who cook it. That's not to say that you won't find some truly impressive recipes -- chilled strawberry soup, anyone?
But the heart of this volume is in the fact that the majority of the recipes are ones that any home cook will feel comfortable making and proud serving. The Florida edition is filled with recipes and interesting tidbits that capture the heart and soul of the diverse people and ingredients of the Sunshine State -- but why stop there? Buy your own copy at a bookstore or online and then collect the other 49 states' editions.
Here are two recipes from the Best of the Best of Florida Cookbook, courtesy of Quail Ridge Press (www.quailridge.com). The first is a recipe that pays tribute to South Florida's Caribbean influences, while the second, though it calls for canning, is a down-home treat that can be enjoyed chilled immediately, especially now in the dog days of our long summer.
Cheeca Lodge's Jamaican Seafood Soup (From the Calypso Cafe) Soup Base: 2 ounces apple-smoked bacon, chopped 1/3 cup diced yellow onion 1/2 cup diced celery 1/2 cup diced leek 2 tbsp. packed dark brown sugar Pinch of cayenne pepper 1 ounce Jamaican jerk seasoning 2 cups fish broth 5 fresh plum tomatoes, diced 1/2 bunch fresh tarragon, chopped Salt to taste Croutons, sliced scallions or yogurt for garnish
Cook bacon in a saucepan. Add onion, celery, and leek. Cook over low heat for 15 minutes or until vegetables are translucent.
Add sugar and cook 3 minutes over low heat. Add cayenne pepper and jerk seasoning. Cook 1 minute. Stir in broth and tomatoes. Simmer 30 minutes. Add tarragon and salt.
Seafood: 3 ounces shrimp, coarsely chopped 3 ounces snapper, mahi mahi, or grouper, coarsely chopped 3 ounces stone crab meat, coarsely chopped 6 tbsp. butter
Cook shrimp, snapper, and crabmeat in butter over low heat until done. Place in soup bowls. Top with hot Soup Base. Garnish with croutons, sliced scallions, or yogurt. Yields 4 servings.
Watermelon Rind Pickles (From Let's Talk Food from A to Z) 4 pounds watermelon rinds 2 quarts plus 1 pint water, divided 4 tbsp. coarse salt 2 quarts vinegar 4 1/2 cups sugar 2 tbsp. whole cloves 10 cinnamon sticks
Use rind of a firm, not overripe, watermelon and, before weighing it, trim off outer green skin and pink flesh. Cut rind into 1 inch cubes and soak 12 hours in 2 quarts of water mixed with salt. Drain, then cover with fresh water and cook for 10 minutes. Let stand overnight in cooking water. Drain.
Combine vinegar, remaining 1 pint of water, sugar, and spices tied loosely in cheesecloth. Add drained watermelon, and boil gently for 2 hours, or until syrup is fairly thick. Remove spice bag and pack rind into hot, sterilized jars; cover with spiced vinegar to within 1/4 inch of top. Seal immediately. Makes about 3 quarts.
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