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Doc M
Great Quack Healer of the Frontier
USA
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May 17 2002
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 Posted - February 16 2005 : 5:13:19 PM
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Doc M loves to peruse historical -- some might say hysterical --
cookbooks, and has just come across two receipts from "A Quaker Woman's Cookbook" which first came out around 1821. In the absence
of Mohicanland Gnomes to use in the following recipes, I guess you'd
have to stick to the author's original suggestions.
Brain Cakes
When the head is cloven, take out the brain and clear it of strings,
beat them up with the yolks of two eggs, some crumbs of bread, pepper,
salt, fine parsley, a spoonful of cream, a spoonful of flour; when they are well-mixed, drop them with a spoon into a frying pan with a
little hot butter, and fry them of a light brown color.
Browned Calf's Head with the Skin On
After scalding and washing the head clean, take out the eyes, cut off
the ears, and let it boil a half hour; when cold, cleave the upper
from the lower jaw, take out the tongue, strike off the nose, score
the part which has the skin on, rub it over with beaten egg, sprinkle
it with salt, pepper, parsley, cayenne; lay pieces of butter over it,
and put it in a dutch oven to brown, basting it often; cut down the
lower part in slices, skin the tongue and palate and cut them up; put
them in a pot with a little water; when done, thicken it with brown
flour and butter, season it with pepper, salt, some pickled oysters,
wine or brandy (if you like it) and let it stew fifteen minutes. Lay
the baked head in a dish and put the hask around it, and lay force
meat balls and brain cakes round the edge of the dish.
There is another recipe for "Maryland Biscuits" where she describes
working the dough with an iron hammer or an axe -- Doc M has often
been tempted to do the same!
Anyway, a fascinating read -- "A Quaker Woman's Cookbook: The Domestic
Cookery of Elizabeth Ellicott Lea" by William Woys Weaver
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susquesus
Mad Hermit of the North Woods
USA
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September 03 2003
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 Posted - February 16 2005 : 6:58:20 PM
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| Doc M- that is some hot sounding grub! As recently as the 70's my grandma used to make homemade head-cheese for my grandpa out on the old swine farm. What a woman- head cheese, delivering babies without anesthetics or nurses, and whacking the heads off chickens. They just don't make 'em like that anymore. |
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Chris
Colonial Settler
USA
Bumppo's Patron since [at least]:
May 25 2002
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Posted - February 16 2005 : 9:17:50 PM
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Hi Doc M,
I appreciate your recipes, but I have a much easier one for moose tongue.
Have hubby bring home moose tongue in bottom of mesh bag under all the other deboned meat. Wrap and freeze the meat. Throw the mesh bag in the washing machine with clorox. Run through at least 2 wash cycles. Put through one dryer cycle. Fold mesh bag. Discover well washed and cooked tongue in the bottom. Eat or throw in garbage.
True story; no kidding. I accidently did it. 
Chris
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Wilderness Woman
Watcher of the Wood
USA
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November 27 2002
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Posted - February 17 2005 : 10:59:34 AM
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So... Chris. Which did you do -- eat it or throw it in the garbage? And if you ate it, how did it taste?
Doc, I loved reading those recipes, even though my stomach was turning in circles as I did so, because I could just picture my Quaker ancestresses happily cleaving, scalding, cutting, striking, slicing, and de-stringing away!
Thanks for a great look into the culinary arts of the past!
[WW heads for the mint tea to soothe her flip-flopping innards.] |
"It is more deeply stirring to my blood than any imaginings could possibly have been." |
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Doc M
Great Quack Healer of the Frontier
USA
Bumppo's Patron since [at least]:
May 17 2002
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Posted - February 17 2005 : 12:37:39 PM
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Makes you look at broccoli in a whole new light, doesn't it? About the
"strangest" thing I personally cook with is smoked ham hocks -- without the piggy-wiggy feet attached, thank you very much -- because
you can't make my southern great-granny's wonderful navy bean soup
without them. My dad used to eat scrapple, which when cooking smells
remarkably like fried cat food. I did eat tongue a few times...strangly enough I don't think the recipe included Clorox, but
I might have been mistaken. It tasted fine, but the texture was very...TONGUE like. Organs...fuggettaboutit!!
Doc M |
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Stephanie
Gathering Sachemess
USA
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June 23 2002
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Posted - February 17 2005 : 1:57:56 PM
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As you imagine your ancestresses happily chopping away, you must certainly understand now why their life expectancy was rather short!
Steph |
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Kaylynn44
Mohicanite
USA
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July 13 2002
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Posted - February 17 2005 : 3:34:08 PM
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About the "strangest" thing I personally cook with is smoked ham hocks -- without the piggy-wiggy feet attached, thank you very much --
That reminds me of when I was a kid, my mom loved eating pickled pig's feet. YUCK!!! 
Love,
Kay |
~ An Infinite Zephyr~
Some things never end
As long as goodness exists
Winds shall always soothe
www.cloudsbooks.com
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Wilderness Woman
Watcher of the Wood
USA
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November 27 2002
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Posted - February 17 2005 : 3:44:46 PM
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Actually, Steph, I am wondering if that may have been part of the secret to their longevity. A good number of them chopped along well into their 80s!
Hmmmmmmm.... fried cat food. Hmmmmmmmmm... I wonder if Bruiser would like that variation. Thanks for the tip, Doc! |
"It is more deeply stirring to my blood than any imaginings could possibly have been." |
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Chris
Colonial Settler
USA
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May 25 2002
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Posted - February 17 2005 : 9:16:23 PM
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| The moose tongue went in the garbage. I'm not fond of tongue to begin with, and I was afraid the laundry detergent and clorox might have been lethal, or at least really, really tough on the digestive system. |
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Kate
Ariel's Cabin Caretaker, Retired
United Kingdom
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June 10 2002
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Posted - February 18 2005 : 10:42:26 AM
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I agree Doc M, these old recipes are just fascinating! But they sure make ye glad that you don't have to feed yer family by doing all that!!
Another animal 'by-product' that really makes me shudder is TRIPE! How can ANYONE possibly enjoy that!! My daughter bought some for the dog last week. She's (the dog, not Heather!  ) not a good eater but being 'in season', the vet recommended a high protein diet. Daughter thought TRIPE would be JUST THE THING! OHMIGOD, THE SMELL AS IT COOKED!!! I CANT BEGIN to tell you how it POSITIVELY, ABSOLUTELY STINKS when being cooked!!! I would equate it with the place where skunks go to die!!! UGH!!!  We suffered as it boiled for 20 mins, mashed it with the rice - and the dog wouldn't go ANYWHERE NEAR IT!! That dog is SMART, I'll give ye THAT!! And the smell hung around the house for HOURS!! UUUUGGHH!
Y'know, many people eat 'tongue' over here. But it is usually prepared by the butcher/deli whoever, and it is sliced up thinly and presented as cold cuts/sandwich sliced meat. To see it lying on a deli tray here, you would probably have no idea what it was if there was no price label telling you what it was.
I have to say that *I* am not partial to it. (I was there! I SAW WHAT IT WAS!!) Just as you wouldn't get me eating anything that has eyes on/in it!!! NO SHEEP'S HEAD FOR ME, THENKYOUVEDDYMUCH!!!  If I have to catch it, chop it's head off, hack through it's skull, gouge out it's eyebulbs, or mash up it's brains, I'm not interested!!!
I'm sorry - I'm one of these meateaters that eats flesh of animals so long as *I* don't have to be the one to stare into it's big, soft brown, doleful eyes as it is killed. It's down to those liquid brown eyes that I actually eat very little meat. But I guess if I lived in Grandma's (and her Grandma's) time, and it came down to 'do it or die hungry', I'd have that cute little chickie's head chopped off or that calf's liver winkled out quicker'n you could say 'Jack Winthrope'! 
Lucky for me, Charlie Fleming, my butcher, isn't as squeamish as I am!! I had some of his beef sausages yesterday - MMMMMMM MMMMMM!!!
My maxim is; "If you don't know what's in it, just eat and enjoy! After all, it all tastes like chicken anyway!!! But if it looks back at ye, just say 'hello' and PASS IT BY!!" |
Kate
"Cuimhnich air na daoine o'n d'thainig thu." (Remember the people from whom you came.)
~ Celtic Wisdom
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Doc M
Great Quack Healer of the Frontier
USA
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May 17 2002
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Posted - February 18 2005 : 2:01:50 PM
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Words to live by, Kate -- Never eat NOTHIN' that's a-lookin' back at ye on the plate!
Imagine the problems all those Quaker mothers ran into ...
"Thee are NOT leaving this table, young lady, unless thee finshes
thy lovely brain cakes with eyeballs!!!"
Doc M |
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Christina
Deerslayer
USA
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May 27 2002
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Posted - February 18 2005 : 2:41:42 PM
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I've never eaten tongue nor brains and doubt I ever would, but I do confess to loving head cheese and certain other organ meats (kidney, livers, etc.)
One of my favorite things, though, is something Kate will probably be familiar with. MARROW TOAST. This is where you scrape the marrow out of a boiled soup bone and serve it hot, with salt and pepper, on toast. Or, like my mom's family did, on plain white bread. The Slovaks in Western Pennsylvania called the dish "spig..." (don't know why) It might sound gross to some folks, but let me tell you, I could kill for some good marrow toast just about any time of the day...
Scrapple ain't bad either.
eyes, tongues, and brains? Nope. |
See this face? This is the face of a woman on the edge.
Whoopi Goldberg, "Jumping Jack Flash"
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Kate
Ariel's Cabin Caretaker, Retired
United Kingdom
Bumppo's Patron since [at least]:
June 10 2002
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Posted - February 18 2005 : 3:15:48 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by Doc M
Words to live by, Kate -- Never eat NOTHIN' that's a-lookin' back at ye on the plate!
Imagine the problems all those Quaker mothers ran into ...
"Thee are NOT leaving this table, young lady, unless thee finshes
thy lovely brain cakes with eyeballs!!!"
Doc M
Heeheehee... were it *I* sitting at that table, Doc M., chances are I'd STILL be sittin' there, just a skeleton sittin' in the chair, STILL watchin' those eyebulbs, with a note writ into the dust on the table, "Thee'll give in before *I* do, Mom!"
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Kate
"Cuimhnich air na daoine o'n d'thainig thu." (Remember the people from whom you came.)
~ Celtic Wisdom
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Christina
Deerslayer
USA
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May 27 2002
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Posted - February 18 2005 : 3:40:59 PM
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Heeheehee... were it *I* sitting at that table, Doc M., chances are I'd STILL be sittin' there, just a skeleton sittin' in the chair, STILL watchin' those eyebulbs, with a note writ into the dust on the table, "Thee'll give in before *I* do, Mom!"
This brings up fond memories of the time when my cousin Eddie Joe and I sat a record THREE AND A HALF HOURS at a dining room table because we refused to eat the green pepper part of our stuffed peppers....
I'm with you on the eyeballs, Kate. My suitemate senior year of college was Greek and during Easter they used to eat some festive dish that included a full sheep's head and the eyeballs. I lived in fear she was going to bring them home as leftovers!!!
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See this face? This is the face of a woman on the edge.
Whoopi Goldberg, "Jumping Jack Flash"
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Doc M
Great Quack Healer of the Frontier
USA
Bumppo's Patron since [at least]:
May 17 2002
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Posted - February 18 2005 : 4:54:02 PM
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My record was three hours because I refused to eat a glob of those
disgusting nasty tiny canned peas that passed for haute cuisine in
the '50s. The only thing approaching it in yuck factor was if the
peas were combined with diced carrots. BLEAHHHH! I was in college
before I realized vegetables didn't have to be gray and limp.
Still hate them tiny peas, though.
Doc M |
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Kate
Ariel's Cabin Caretaker, Retired
United Kingdom
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June 10 2002
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Posted - February 18 2005 : 7:14:46 PM
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It's the RED HAIR Christina! We're too stubborn to just give in!! *I* once sat for over four hours at our dining table, refusing to eat the fish before me! I could not STAND fish of any sort but the rule at our house was "You eat what's set in front of you - or you sit there until you do!" (There's starving kids in Africa would be GLAD of it, after all!".)
My equation in this situation was, 'how long you sit it out is dependent on how comfy the chair is'... (those dining chairs were actually quite comfy). Like you ladies, I was NO QUITTER! 
Funny... I actually LOVE a piece of fresh, fried fish now! AND I LOVE 'petit pois' AND I JUST LOVE stuffed peppers!! Hehehehee..
BUT as for sheep's head and eyeballs, well... they are right up there with the frog legs and stewed 'sssss... word' (legless things) and witchety grubs! The day I have to put any of those things into my mouth is the day that I am no longer among the living! I will KNOW that I am in hell and cavorting with those who can't tell righteous living from unclean eating habits!!
C'mon, let's face it!! Can ye imagine having to spend all yer life just hunting enough witchety grubs and snails to have the energy to wash yer hair???
Maaaannnn!! Keep yer eyeballs and yer worms!
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Kate
"Cuimhnich air na daoine o'n d'thainig thu." (Remember the people from whom you came.)
~ Celtic Wisdom
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caitlin
Bumppos Tavern Patron
USA
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May 17 2002
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Posted - February 18 2005 : 8:43:38 PM
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The above recipes I wouldn't try even with ketchup!
The sheep eyes remind me of the 2nd Indiana Jones movie! Does anyone remember that scene?
I have tried frog legs (yes, they taste like chicken), sashimi (though I can forgo the eel), and steak tartar. Growing up with a German mother who loved any fish, elk, limburger cheese and eating garlic and an onion like an apple.... well, it always created an interesting culinary experience! |
Jack McCall: "Should we shake hands or something, relieve the atmosphere. I mean how stupid do you think I am?"
Wild Bill Hickok: "I don't know, I just met you."
"A nation with no regard to it's past will have little future worth remembering."
A.Lincoln
"Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize that they were the big things"
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Kate
Ariel's Cabin Caretaker, Retired
United Kingdom
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June 10 2002
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Posted - February 18 2005 : 10:07:06 PM
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Yep, yer right, Caitlin, it's a cultural thing. Somewhere in the world, going out for a sheep's head is equivalent to our going out to Burger King and in the Australian Outback, they'd 'just DIE for a witchety grub, don'tcha know', while in France, they can't see past 'frog legs and pomme frites'!
There's probably some little guy in Papua New Guinea who is grimacing and screwing up his nose at the thought of our 'Western' diet; "They do WHAT to their meat, Wal? They... they COOK it???? UGH!!! IF THAT DON'T BEAT ALL!" We can laugh at the thought of their eating lizard eggs like they were Hershey Kisses or cry that they eat 'cat' and 'dog' in Korea but... when it comes down to it, they probably don't understand how on earth we would want to eat slimy oysters or rubbery Calamari!!
And while I'm willing to concede that food is a cultural thing and some things are definitely an acquired taste, and that I actually enjoy trying some of the weird and wonderful cuisines of the world, me, myself, personally, am drawing the line at the sheep's head and eyeballs!
Yes, Caitlin, I remember that scene WELL!! And if ever someone WAS kind enough (???) to offer me some of their 'eyeball soup', I would only have to conjure up that particular scene in my mind to know that that is one dish I DEFINITELY do not need to try! I DO NOT NEED MY SOUP TO BE STARING BACK AT ME!!
What a thought! *shudder!*
(I can't help wondering though, what tastes better - blue eyes or brown?? No - no, be fair. You get red onions, you get brown onions, you get greeen onions - they all taste different... It's a fair question...)
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Kate
"Cuimhnich air na daoine o'n d'thainig thu." (Remember the people from whom you came.)
~ Celtic Wisdom
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SgtMunro
Soldier of the King
USA
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September 23 2002
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Posted - February 18 2005 : 11:47:02 PM
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I had sheep's head once, while TDY to Turkey, many years ago. Actually, it was a ram, and it wasn't half-bad... I still prefer it to the 'kitty-on-a-stick', 'puppy-on-a-stick' or 'monkey-on-a-stick' from my many forays into the "P.I." (Ahhh, Angeles City, my town... an adult Disney World, but that is another story), and other garden-spots of West-Pac.
Your Most Humble Servant,
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Serjeant-Major Duncan Munro
Capt. Thos. Graham's Coy.
42nd Royal Highland Regiment of Foote
(The Black Sheep of the Black Watch)
"Nemo Me Impune Lacessit"
-Or-
"Recruit locally, fight globally." |
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Kate
Ariel's Cabin Caretaker, Retired
United Kingdom
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June 10 2002
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Posted - February 19 2005 : 09:29:32 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by SgtMunro
I had sheep's head once, while TDY to Turkey, many years ago. Actually, it was a ram, and it wasn't half-bad...
Don't tell me, Sgt... it kinda tasted like chicken?? |
Kate
"Cuimhnich air na daoine o'n d'thainig thu." (Remember the people from whom you came.)
~ Celtic Wisdom
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SgtMunro
Soldier of the King
USA
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September 23 2002
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Posted - February 21 2005 : 08:06:30 AM
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Actually it was closer to veal in taste, but with a unique consistency. Cat tastes like chicken, and monkey tastes like pork. As for dog, it has a beef taste, but it is very lean (As Mel Gibson pointed out in the 'Patriot', "Yes, dog makes a fine meal."). Anyway, I prefer my American Diet of 'regular' beef, pork and chicken... I'm sorta boring like that.
Your Most Humble Servant,
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Serjeant-Major Duncan Munro
Capt. Thos. Graham's Coy.
42nd Royal Highland Regiment of Foote
(The Black Sheep of the Black Watch)
"Nemo Me Impune Lacessit"
-Or-
"Recruit locally, fight globally." |
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Christina
Deerslayer
USA
Bumppo's Patron since [at least]:
May 27 2002
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Posted - February 21 2005 : 12:27:46 PM
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Well, Sarge, you're certainly MORE adventurous than I'd ever be with most of my meats, but I have had rattlesnake, snails, alligator, frogs legs, head cheese, various organ meat, spig, marrow, tripe, and all the various bizarre versions of sushi including eel, sea urchin and MY personal favorite --- salmon roe.
However, MY particular food prejudice is against lamb and veal. I can't eat things that are killed when they're still babies...I guess we all have our own personal culinary quirks! (But yes, no matter WHERE they come from, I am DEAD SET against eyeballs...)_
AND Rocky Mountain Oysters... |
See this face? This is the face of a woman on the edge.
Whoopi Goldberg, "Jumping Jack Flash"
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Chris
Colonial Settler
USA
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May 25 2002
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Posted - February 21 2005 : 1:23:49 PM
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Hi Christina,
What's "spig?" It just sounds gross.
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Christina
Deerslayer
USA
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May 27 2002
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Posted - February 21 2005 : 1:30:30 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by Chris
Hi Christina,
What's "spig?" It just sounds gross.
Hi Chris! It's a Slovak-slang word for this dish, as described above. And if you like marrow toast, it's not gross, just funny sounding:
One of my favorite things, though, is something Kate will probably be familiar with. MARROW TOAST. This is where you scrape the marrow out of a boiled soup bone and serve it hot, with salt and pepper, on toast. Or, like my mom's family did, on plain white bread. The Slovaks in Western Pennsylvania called the dish "spig..." (don't know why) It might sound gross to some folks, but let me tell you, I could kill for some good marrow toast just about any time of the day...
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See this face? This is the face of a woman on the edge.
Whoopi Goldberg, "Jumping Jack Flash"
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SgtMunro
Soldier of the King
USA
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September 23 2002
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Posted - February 21 2005 : 10:15:46 PM
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quote:
Christina asks: Well, Sarge, you're certainly MORE adventurous than I'd ever be with most of my meats...
Not so much adveturous, but sometimes it was an example of the 'locker-room' mentality common amongst young men. It was a case where the other guys in my squad did it, so instead of looking like a sissy, I followed suit. The other times had to due with survival expediency, in which case I ate some real interesting things...
Your Most Humble Servant,
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Serjeant-Major Duncan Munro
Capt. Thos. Graham's Coy.
42nd Royal Highland Regiment of Foote
(The Black Sheep of the Black Watch)
"Nemo Me Impune Lacessit"
-Or-
"Recruit locally, fight globally." |
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42ndNCO
Pioneer
USA
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September 23 2002
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Posted - February 22 2005 : 05:24:28 AM
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| Hey Sarge! Didn't some of your lads enjoy a meal of King Cobra when you were in the Gulf? You know, an SRE (Snake, Ready to Eat). |
Humbly &c.,
Ensign mcmillan
1/42nd Royal Highlanders
(The Black Sheep of the Black Watch)
"Nemo Me Impune Lacessit" |
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Calf's Head and Brain Cakes
