Nasreddin Hodja & The 40 Year-Old Vinegar

Word got around the village that the Hodja had a barrel of 40 year-old vinegar.

One day, his neighbor asked the Hodja: "Is it true that you have a barrel of 40 year-old vinegar?"

"Yes I do," replied the Hodja.

"Could you spare me a little cupful?" asked the neighbor.

"No." said the Hodja.

"No?" said the neighbour, "Why ever not?"

"If I gave a little cupful to everyone who asked for it," said the Hodja, "it would not be forty years old!"

"Natural"

Through Taste T.O., I read this article on "natural" meat at The Atlantic, and was prompted to put together a few thoughts of my own on the topic.

The use of the word "natural" as a description of certain kinds of foods has always made me a touch uneasy, and looking at the comments following the article, it's clear I am not alone.

What the hell does "natural" mean when it pertains to food? And why, in fact, should it mean anything particular?

Human beings have always seen themselves as a creation separate from the rest of the planet - let's call it "nature" for short. It wasn't until the rise of the Romantic movement in the late 18th century that this was seen as anything but a good and desirable thing, at which point suddenly all the trendy folks wanted to be at one with nature. Not coincidentally, this was the era of the rise of industrialism. The sudden ability of humans to produce - and pollute - on a scale hitherto unimaginable began a new era of ambiguity about ourselves and our works. And let me be perfectly clear: this ambiguity is a good thing. We should be concerned with the effects of what we do.

The trouble is, this idea that we are separate from nature is a false dichotomy. We are animals*; part of nature, using materials found on this planet and our own evolved intelligences. As such, nothing we do is "unnatural". Undesirable, unsustainable, unhealthy, unjust, bloody stupid and even sometimes malicious, but not unnatural.

Consequently, I don't see how any meaningful legal definition of "natural" meat or other foods is to be determined. If you are going to take the view that what human beings do is separate from nature, then all of agriculture becomes unnatural. Or even hunting with anything more technologically advanced than your hands and teeth, which let me tell you, I am not about take up.

I sympathize with the desire for a simple term that will separate the food we want to eat from the food we don't want to eat. But the more I consider the, uh, nature of food and the way we access it in our society, the more it becomes clear that there is no simple term because there is no simple determination of "good" food or "bad" food.

Sure, we can say that ideally, food should be nutritious, raised and slaughtered in a humane manner, grown and harvested in a way that benefits farmers and farm workers more than corporations, doesn't damage the environment through toxic chemicals applied at the growing point or by the petro-chemicals required for packaging and shipping, and it would be jolly nice if it tasted half-way decent too. That's just not simple, and it never will be.

That list is only somewhat dependant on "nature". I'm afraid the word that comes to mind is "politics". And that's one of the main reasons I eat as much local food as I do. Like most people, the only politics I really have any level of input into are relatively local; my region, my province and my country.

Do you think that we will ever see "political food shops" instead of "natural food shops"? It doesn't have the same marketing appeal, but it would be a little more grounded in reality.








* Am I the only one who looks around and thinks, "Jeez! Look at all these crazy apes!"? I don't think so. And if anyone doubts that we are apes, let me direct your attention to the comments section of any topic of political interest on any well-read internet site. Read, inwardly digest, return, look me in the eye, and tell me we aren't primates. I promise to laugh, point and throw peanuts at you.

Maple Gingerbread

This is very good gingerbread, but it has to be admitted the maple flavour is fairly subtle. It generally is, in cakes, and if you throw in spices too, it's inevitable. But it's there, and mingles with the spices very well. You could serve it with applesauce or whipped cream, but we ate it plain and enjoyed it very much.

12 servings
1 hour - 15 minutes prep time


1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup sunflower seed oil
1 extra-large egg
1 cup dark maple syrup

2 1/2 cups soft (pastry) whole wheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 nutmeg, grated

1 cup buttermilk

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly oil a 9" x 13" pan.

Beat the sugar, oil, egg and maple syrup in a mixing bowl until smooth.

Measure the flour and mix the soda, salt and spices into it.

Mix the flour and buttermilk alternately into the syrup mixture, until just blended. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.





Last year at this time I made Baked Steak.

Minus 8 Vinegar

We actually bought this stuff a year ago. A relative had given us a gift certificate to a (then) local gourmet shop, and we bought a bottle of Minus 8 vinegar, along with a few other vinegars. The idea was that we would do a vinegar taste test. In particular, I was looking for a passable "balsamic" vinegar that didn't cost an arm and a leg. This week we finally got around to doing it.

We cooked up a batch of rice to clean our mouths between times, and put out our collection of vinegars. The results were mostly somewhat depressing, although not surprising. The corelation between price and quality was absolute. I won't comment* on any but the Minus 8, since it was the only one produced in Ontario, or even Canada.

There's a lot of hype out there about this stuff, but frighteningly, it's deserved. We made the mistake of trying it early in the testing, and after that everything tasted thin and flat by comparison. They say you can drink this vinegar, and they aren't kidding. I had my little lick and just about floated off my chair. More, more, more!

I restrained myself. After all, we paid $30 for a tiny 100 ml bottle, which seems to be the standard price. And at that price, I won't be sloshing it over just any old salad. It will get drizzled over grilled chicken or fish, strawberries, broiled peaches, or other places where it can be distinctly tasted.

I'm not a wine drinker, so I'm not even going to try to use wine terminology that I don't know. But I will say that this vinegar still maintains a wine-like character. It's sweet, grapey and fragrant, complex and lingering compared to any of the other vinegars we tried.

You will likely find it in various gourmet shops, or it can be ordered directly over the internet. The producers are rather secretive about the whole process, which adds, I suppose, to the mystique, but means there isn't much more for me to say.







*Well okay, I will just mention that the bottle of Sotaroni Vinagre de Vino Balsamico Pedro Ximenez, aged for 12 years in oak barrels, at $17.00 for 375 ml was passable, and will do for everyday "balsamic" vinegar use. Spanish, not Italian, which may be why the price was reasonably reasonable for something aged 12 years.

Dad's Maple-Sherry Salad Dressing

Back when I was a teenager my father was interested enough in cooking to keep a notebook of recipe clippings and notes on what he had done right. (The things he did wrong were more-or-less quietly allowed to lapse into oblivion. Pork chops. Canned soup. Slow cooker. That's all I'm saying on that topic.) Of course, in later years I combed through this little book looking for items to put in my own notebook, although by then my "notebook" was an Excel spreadsheet.

This was a salad dressing that he made for a party, hence the rather more luxurious ingredients than go into your average salad dressing. Very nice too.

I served it on a salad of hydroponic lettuce and watercress, carrot, red cabbage and cucumber. (Yes, I picked mine out.) It takes a little looking, but you can put together an all-Ontario green salad even now.

6 to 8 servings
24 hours - 10 minutes prep time


1/4 cup sunflower seed oil
1/4 cup sherry vinegar
2 tablespoons sherry
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1/2 clove garlic, sliced
salt & pepper
1 tablespoon filtered water

Put all the above ingredients into a glass jam jar, and close it. Shake well, and let it sit for 24 hours before using. Remove the garlic at that point, and discard it. Leftover dressing will keep for a week or so in the fridge.

Best with a light salad of mixed greens.





Last year at this time I made Cabbage with Salsa.

German Celariac Salad

It's hard to give quantities for this; use whatever size piece of celeriac you think will be eaten. If you need more dressing, just make a little more... it couldn't be easier.

This recipe was adapted out of a favourite book - Heirloom Vegetable Gardening, by William Woys Weaver. Unlike other celeriac salads I have made, this one requires cooking, which allows it to soak up the dressing. The result is very simple but flavourful.

30 minutes - 10 minutes prep time


celeriac, peeled and cut into 1/2" or 3/4" thick pieces
hydroponic leaf lettuce

2 tablespoons sunflower seed oil
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
black pepper
1/4 teaspoon finely minced fresh or dry thyme

Prepare the celeriac, and put it in a pot with water to just cover. Bring to a boil and boil gently until tender, about 10 minutes, but it will depend on the size of your pieces. Keep them 1/2" to 3/4" thick though, so that they will cook on the inside before the outsides start falling apart. Rinse well in cold water and let drain. Cool enough to handle.

Whisk together the oil, vinegar, salt, pepper and thyme.

Cut the cooled celeriac into as thin strips as you can do. Toss them with the dressing, and let them sit for 5 or 10 minutes. Arrange them over the lettuce to serve.





Last year at this time I made Sour Cherry Crisp.

Miscellaneous Items From The Canadian Farm Cook Book

When you get to the end of the Canadian Farm Cook Book, there is a chapter of miscellaneous recipes. A number of them are for chocolate, tea and coffee, but there are also some non-food items, which could loosely be described as household hints. These were found in most old cook books, and they make for fascinating reading.

I'll start with the drinks though:

"COCOA. - Cocoa is a tasty drink when properly made, and one of the least injurious. For 1 cup take 2 level teaspoons of cocoa and the same quantity of sugar, stir together and add water drop by drop, stirring constantly until a smooth, even paste has been secured. The success of the drink depends largely on the care used in thus mixing the water and cocoa. Place 1/2 cup milk over fire and allow it to heat until it begins to simmer around the sides of the pan, add the cocoa and allow it to come to the boiling point. Then remove from the fire and beat vigorously for 2 or 3 minutes. This beats the air into it and removes the heaviness from the cocoa, making it a lighter and more refreshing drink. This makes 1 cup. - Miss Blanche Stone, 505 Brunswick Avenue, Toronto."

"COFFEE SECRETS. - The almost imperceptible flavour of vanilla is a great improvement to coffee; add a teaspoon of vanilla extract to coffee for 4 persons just before serving.

A pinch of salt in coffee helps to give a delicate flavor.

In France and Norway coffee is roasted fresh every morning on a covered shovel kept in constant motion over the fire; a piece of butter the size of a walnut and a dessertspoon of powdered sugar to three pounds of green coffee added while roasting is said to bring out both flavor and aroma and to give the caramel taste so enjoyed by tourists in those countries.

White of an egg (the yolk should never be used) clears the coffee, but too much spoils the flavour.

Coffee essence, very useful in travelling or camping, may be made as follows: 1/4 pound of ground coffee put in a percolator and simmer in 1 pint of boiling water; allow it to filter, not boil, for about 20 minutes; when cool, cork tightly in bottle or can.

2 tablespoons in a breakfast cup of hot milk makes a delicious and easily prepared drink. - H. A. T., Buffalo, N.Y. - By Courtesy of "Delineator."

Although Canadians used to be more known as tea drinkers than coffee drinkers - I'm not sure how true that was - there are several more recipes for coffee, and by comparison tea gets short shrift;

"TEA. - Allow 1 teaspoon of tea to each person. Have the teapot hot and then put in the tea; pour over the boiling water until steeper is a little more than half full; cover tightly and let it stand where it will keep hot but not boil. Let it steep thus for 10 or 15 minutes and then, if desired, pour into a separate tea urn, adding more boiling water, in proportion of 1 cup of water for every teaspoon of dry tea used. Have hot water kettle of copper, brass or ordinary pitcher, if it will keep water almost at boiling point, and weaken tea to suit taste. Do not use water for tea that has boiled long. Spring water is the best for tea, and filtered water the next best.

TEA A LA RUSSE is made in the same way and served with a slice of lemon either in cup and tea poured over it, or placed on saucer beside cup. Rind is always left on. No cream is used in this tea. - Mrs. Joseph Woodrow, Richmond Hill, Ont."

That's the entire section on tea. It's mostly very good advice, although I can't imagine steeping it for 15 MINUTES!!! then diluting. Still strong enough to trot a mouse. Steep it for 4 minutes exactly, that's what I say, then take the tea ball or tea bags out, and serve it diluted only by milk, sugar or lemon, if wanted.

Okay, now that you have a nice cup of the hot beverage of your choice, let's see what else they have.

"TO PREVENT RED ANTS. - Put 1 pint of tar in an earthen vessel, pour on it 2 quarts of boiling hot water and place it in your closet."

You know what the next recipe is going to be, don't you? Oh yes, you do:

"TO REMOVE TAR. - Rub well with clean lard, afterwards wash with soap and warm water. Apply this to either hands or clothing."

From there we jump to:

"TO TAKE INK OUT OF LINEN. - Dip the part in pure tallow melted, then wash out the tallow and the ink will disappear."

which seems like the same advice, really. But this is a new topic;

"CURE FOR RINGWORM. - Put a penny into a tablespoon of vinegar, let it remain until it becomes green. Wash the ringworm with this 2 or 3 times a day.

CURE FOR RHEUMATISM AND BILIOUS HEADACHE. - Finest turkey rhubarb 1/2 ounce, carbonate magnesia 1 ounce, mix alternately, keep well corked in glass bottle. Dose, 1 teaspoon in milk and sugar the first thing in the morning. Repeat until cured. Tried with success."

From medicine we move to household decorating;

"CHEAP PAINT FOR KITCHEN FLOOR. - And one that cleans off easily. - Apply paint with a cheap white-wash brush, and oil with a paint brush. 5 pounds bright yellow ochre, 2 pounds powdered white lead, 1/4 pound white glue, 1 gallon hard water. Boil altogether and be careful it does not boil over and apply to floor while still hot. When dry take 1 gallon boiled oil and go over it. This recipe will cover a floor 15 x 15 ft. Some like a little red ochre in it. - Mrs Edwin B. Kerns, Zimmerman P. O. Ont."

Well, that explains why they didn't worry about their methods for canning meat. Do you suppose they used the same pot? If they did, they could clean it with

"COSTICK SOAP. - 5 pounds costick (40 cents worth), 20 quarts soft water, 25 pounds grease or scraps; boil all together in kettle for 2 hours, then add 1 cup salt; let stand over night after covering it up well. Next day cut soap out, boil again, with 10 quarts soft water, 1/4 pound borax, 1/4 pound resin, 1 cup turpentine, 1 cup salt, 1 cup ammonia; boil 2 hours, let it stand a while; it is then finished."

I've got to say, that sounds caustic all right. Let's hop back in the book and end it on a sweeter note:

"MAPLE SUGAR COOKIES. - 2 large cups maple sugar, 2 eggs, 1 cup butter, 2 tablespoons sweet milk, 1 teaspoon cream of tartar, 1/2 teaspoon soda, flour enough to roll soft. - Mrs Walter Edwards, Cookshire, Que."

Rainbow Trout with Leek & Mushroom Sauce

Lovely fresh trout! We picked it up at The 100-Mile Market, along with an unexpected bunch of leeks. (The only other time I've been able to get leeks in the spring is out of my own garden.) I had already bought some mushrooms earlier in the week, so it seemed inevitable that they should all meet in a sauce.

I love the combination of lake fish and wild rice - they were made to go together. I also like the combination of barley and wild rice, which is a good thing; barley is an awful lot less expensive than wild rice, and will stretch it out a little further very nicely. Use 1/3 cup barley to 2/3 cup wild rice, three cups of water and a pinch of salt. The barley expands more, so you will end up with a half and half blend.

The cheese seemed like a good idea, but I think next time I would leave it off. It seemed a bit strong for all the other flavours which were really quite delicate. But it certainly wasn't bad.

2 servings
50 minutes - 15 minutes prep time


1 medium leek
16 medium button mushrooms (300 grams, 10 ounces)
2 medium shallots
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon fresh minced thyme or savory
1 1/2 tablespoons arrowroot or cornstarch
1 cup milk or light cream

2 fillets boneless rainbow trout (450 grams, 1 pound)
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Trim and chop the leek, fairly finely. Clean the mushrooms and slice them. Peel and mince the shallots /

Melt the butter in a large skillet. Add the leeks and cook them over medium heat, stirring regularly, until softened. Don't let them brown if you can help it. When they are half-done, add the shallots and mushrooms. Continue cooking until all are soft, about 10 minutes. Season with the salt, pepper and minced herb. Whisk the arrowroot or cornstarch into the milk or cream, and add it to the skillet. Let cook for a minute or two longer, until thickened.

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Put the vegetables and sauce into the bottom of a casserole dish and spread them out evenly. Sprinkle half the cheese over them, if you are using it. Lay the fish fillets on top, and sprinkle the remaining cheese over them.

Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until the fish is firm and cooked, and the sauce is hot and bubbling. Serve with wild rice.





Last year at this time I made Herb Roasted Potatoes.

Applesauce Spice Cake

This is a lovely cake, moist and flavourful. It keeps quite well - if you can manage it.

The cocoa is not actually distinguishable as such; it is really just one of the spices here. I used my home-canned applesauce, which was rather thick. I also needed to soak my raisins (and I was quite short on them) so I added the soaking water with them. The batter should be a fairly standard medium-thick cake batter, which I then had. Finally, I didn't have any pastry flour, only Red Fife flour. I used 1 1/2 cups of that, and 1/4 cup each of rice flour and arrowroot flour. I was very happy with the results.

I've also decided to take a leaf out of my Canadian Farm Cook Book and stop calling for nutmeg by teaspoons or fractions thereof. If you are grating nutmeg, you just grate it into the bowl, so I will call for it by the fraction of the nutmeg, using a medium-sized nutmeg as standard. You are grating your nutmeg yourself as needed, aren't you? If you are not, you should be. The difference is enormous. HUGE. One of those micro-plane graters is perfect. And unlike pre-grated nutmeg, whole nutmegs won't go rancid sitting in your cupboard. Same goes for allspice. I don't think it goes rancid in the same way, but once it is ground it loses flavour very quickly.

16 servings
50 minutes - 15 minutes prep time


2 cups soft (pastry) whole wheat flour
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon allspice
1/2 cup neutral vegetable oil
2 extra-large eggs
2 cups applesauce
1 cup raisins

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly butter a 9" x 13" baking pan, or 2 8" round pans.

Sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cocoa, cinnamon, grated nutmeg and the allspice, which should be lightly toasted first in a dry skillet, then finely ground once it is cool.

Whisk together the oil, eggs and applesauce. Mix them into the dry ingredients. Mix in the raisins.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan or pans, and spread it out smoothly and evenly. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until done.

Once cooled, it can be frosted with a simple vanilla buttercream or left plain. Or whipped cream is always nice. Ice cream would surely work too; rum and raisin, maybe. Okay, now I'm thinking rum and raisin frosting...





Last year at this time I made Vegetable Hash.

Carrot & Celeriac Slaw

Was I complaining about the price of celeriac? Well I was, and not without reason. On the other hand they can be pretty large. Mine has supplied 3 salads so far and looks good for another 2. Can't complain about that.

Actually, I think this salad could have used a bit more celeriac or a bit less carrot than what I had. I've adjusted the recipe to reflect that. If you can't get Korean red pepper, use cayenne, but use it with caution - it is considerably hotter.

4 servings
1 hour - 15 minutes prep time


Make the Dressing:
3 tablespoons sunflower seed oil
the juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 to 1 teaspoon Korean red pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt

Whisk or shake together.

Make the Salad:
1 medium-small carrot, peeled and grated
2 cups finely grated peeled celeriac
1 small shallot, peeled and minced
1/2 cup broccoli sprouts, or minced parsley
1/2 cup sunflower seeds

Peel and grate the carrot. Peel and grate the celeriac; you should have rather more celeriac than carrot, although twice as much is probably more than you want. Peel and mince the shallot.

Mix the carrot, celeriac, shallot, and broccoli sprouts or minced parsley. Toss with the dressing, and set aside to marinate for 30 to 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, toast the sunflower seeds in a dry skillet until lightly browned. Turn them out at once to cool, and add them to the salad just before it is served.






Last year at this time I made Maple Flan (or Creme Caramel).

Aunt Alethea's Cheese Soufflé

This was one of the first recipes I collected, when I was in my early teens, from my Great Aunt who was always happy to talk cooking with me. I swooned at the richness and elegance and apparent complexity of it when she served it to us. It was not, however, too challenging for a beginning cook and I have made it somewhat irregularly ever since, according to how willing I am at any given time to overlook the fact that it's very, very rich.

I follow Aunt Alethea's lead, and serve it with a nice simple green salad, and good rolls or bread for a relatively light meal. You could also serve it as an appetizer; in which case it would likely stretch to 6 or 8 servings.

It really is an excellent dish for company, in spite of the fact that it must be served at once. You can get around this by making the sauce in advance, but not adding the beaten egg whites until you actually see your company coming up the walk. Keep both components aside in a cool place (but not the refrigerator, and not for much more than half an hour.) Answer the door, and excuse yourself long enough to pop it in the oven. It doesn't take long to bake, and by the time greetings have been exchanged and a drink poured, it will pretty much be ready. Magic!

4 servings
1 hour - 30 minutes prep time


2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
salt & pepper
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2/3 cup milk
3 extra-large eggs
1 cup grated extra-old Cheddar cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Butter a 1 litre (quart) casserole, or 4 smaller casseroles. Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Grate the cheeses and set them aside. Separate the eggs; put the yolks in a small dish and the whites in a medium mixing bowl to be beaten.

Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the flour, salt, pepper and mustard, and cook for several minutes until thick and pasty. Add the milk, a little at a time, stirring until the mixture is smooth between each addition. When it is all absorbed and the sauce is thick, remove it from the stove. Let it cool for about 5 minutes, then mix in the cheeses. When the are melted, mix in the egg yolks.

Beat the egg whites until stiff but not dry. Fold them gently into the cheese mixture, and put it into the prepared casserole or casseroles. Place them on a baking tray, and bake them for 30 minutes (20 to 25 minutes for smaller dishes) until puffed and browned.

Serve immediately, if not sooner!





Last year at this time I made Pea Soup with Smoked Turkey or Ham.

Cucumber & Carrot Salad

I rarely buy cucumbers as they give me nasty indigestion. However, you can get greenhouse cucumbers throughout the winter, so I got some for Mr Ferdzy, who enjoyed this simple salad.

2 to 4 servings
1 hour 20 minutes - 20 minutes prep time


Make the Dressing:
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon tamari or soy sauce

Mix in a small bowl until the sugar dissolves, and set aside.

Make the Salad:
2 small (mid-eastern type) greenhouse cucumbers
1 medium carrot
1/2 small shallot
2 or 3 leaves of hydroponic lettuce

Wash the cucumbers and trim the ends. Cut in fine julienne. Peel the carrot, and cut in fine julienne. Peel and mince the shallot.

Mix these, and toss them with the dressing. Let marinate for at least 20 minutes to an hour. Serve on the lettuce leaves.





Last year at this time I made Winter Waldorf Salad and An Old-Fashioned Canadian Egg Curry. Huh. Must nearly be Easter, I suppose.