Fifty Years in a Maryland Kitchen (1913) w. Winter Okra Soup, French Eggplant, Blackberry Pudding & more -- Vintage Cookbook TBT

Vintage Cookbook: Fifty Years in a Maryland Kitchen (New and Revised Edition) - Mrs. B. C. Howard 

Publication Details: Norman, Remington Co., Baltimore, 1913

There is no question that this week's installment qualifies as "vintage"! Fifty Years in a Maryland Kitchen was first published in Baltimore in 1873 and was enormously popular in the United States at the time though early editions of it -- as well as the revised 1913 edition we are looking at today -- are now quite rare.

Written by a Mrs. B. C. Howard, the book has over four hundred recipes of all different types as well as cooking advice and tips. It makes for a fascinating piece of cultural and social history. Here we see the techniques in use before home refrigeration and how people's eating tastes, in part due to necessity of course, were rather different. It is unlikely that one would find, for example, a recipe for German style Baked Head (cow) in a cookbook today, but at the time often all parts of an animal would be consumed.

The book has sections that would for the most part be familiar, such as Meats, Soups, Vegetables, etc. But in the era before the rise of modern medicine there are also recipes for the sick as well as a miscellaneous section that has recipes and tips for things like homemade shampoo, stain removers or, which we have included, tooth paste (it has brandy in it).

We have included at least one recipe from each section. Some of these, such as the Veal Cutlets are pretty similar to what would be done now. Others such as Fresh Tongue with Caper Sauce or Stewed Beef Kidneys for breakfast are less.

These are but a tiny fraction of what the book has to offer. While original copies are quite expensive, folks interested can pick up modern reprint editions online for much less.

While I would hope it would not be necessary to remind readers of this, please remember that these recipes should be approached with caution if you want to recreate one and that the methods or ingredients used in some cases in 1913 would be regarded as unsafe now. Always make sure you fully cook meats and dishes to modern safety standards, using safe and pasteurized ingredients, and that you do not preserve, can or jar items without learning how to do so properly using modern methods from a modern source.

(click on scans to enlarge)

Korean Style BBQ Beef Short Ribs with Grilled Eggplant

Today we are going to take a look at making a Korean style beef short rib marinade for the BBQ. This recipe relies on hours of marinading to make for very tender ribs on the charcoal grill. We will accompany them with some grilled eggplant.

Here we used around 2 - 3 pounds of short ribs. For this type of recipe you need to use thinner cut or "flanken" style ribs.

I like to use somewhat less sugar than many recipes call for, add a small amount of apple juice for extra tartness and to add a little more heat than some do. Adjust the proportions as necessary to fully marinade depending on how many ribs you have.

Marinade:

1 1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup rice wine (mirin) or dry sherry
1/4 cup unsweetened apple juice
2 tablespoons sesame oil
10 minced cloves of garlic
1 minced onion
3 tablespoons minced ginger
2-4 teaspoons red chili pepper flakes (optional and to taste)
1 tablespoon black pepper

Mix all of the ingredients together thoroughly. Marinade the ribs in the mixture in a large bowl or in large freezer bags for at least 4 hours but if at all possible for 12 hours or overnight.

Just before grilling slice an eggplant in to large, 1/4 inch or so thin pieces. Toss them in some olive oil, salt and pepper.

Take the ribs out 1/2 hour or so before cooking and let sit at room temperature. Discard the marinade after this.

Prepare your charcoal grill to a high heat and grill the ribs 3-4 minutes a side for medium rare or to the desired doneness. Turn only once. 

Serve to eat immediately garnished with chopped green onion and sesame seeds.

To make the eggplant grill 2-3 minutes a side until softened and charred to your liking. Grilled eggplant is easy to do, tastes great and goes nicely with just about any BBQ main.

Enjoy.

See also: Beef Short Ribs Charcoal Barbecued with Homemade BBQ Sauce

See also: West Indian Style Beef Short Ribs and Potato

Eggplant, Black Mushroom, Lentil and Wild Rice Stew

Submitted by Natalie


Today we look at a delicious vegetarian dish with spinach, black mushrooms, lentils, wild rice and eggplant that is excellent as a main or side and that combines lots of flavour with a pleasing texture.







Ingredients:

1 chopped onion
1 small eggplant, chopped into bite sized pieces.
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon tandoori masala spice
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce (optional for non-vegetarians) 
1/2 teaspoon Vegeta seasoning dissolved in 1/2 cup boiling water (or 1/2 cup vegetable stock)
3/4 cup of re-hydrated black fungus mushrooms-sliced and cut into smaller pieces.
1 cup small orange lentils-washed1 cup cooked wild rice, slightly al dente 
1 cup chopped spinach
cayenne pepper
water

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan to medium-high. Add the chopped onion and chopped eggplant and saute for 5-10 minutes using a bit of the stock to keep it moist as eggplant is very absorbent.

Add the re-hydrated black fungus mushrooms, the tandoori masala and the cumin, and saute for a couple of minutes more, allowing the seasonings to sizzle and become aromatic.

Add the remaining stock, wild rice, lentils, garlic, a dash of cayenne pepper, the Worcestershire (optional), apple cider vinegar and soy sauce, and 1 cup of water and simmer for 35-45 minutes until the lentils are nice and soft.

With a few minutes left to cook, add the chopped spinach, stirring until it melds into the stew.

When ready stir in 1 teaspoon of butter and mix in until creamy, sprinkle parsley over the stew and mix slightly.

Serve in bowls and squeeze some lemon over each portion. Perfect served as well with a jammy soft boiled egg. Add a dash or two more of cayenne and/or desired hot sauce over top for a bit a extra kick.

Enjoy.

See also: Spicy Red Cabbage and Sesame

See also: Zucchini Fundido -- A spicy appetizer or party dish!

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