Not sure I ever mentioned that my great-grandfather used to sponsor immigrants. One of them was Katherine the cook. Not sure where she learned to cook. I suspect it was some Nobleman’s kitchen.
Whenever I visited she would serve me one of my favorites, radishes. My grandmother having grown up with her never really learned to cook. My mother at first didn’t like to serve me radishes as she always had seen Katherine’s method of serving them. Always carved into a flower. Once my mother realized you could actually eat them without first carving them into a flower, I started to get them at home.
Suffice it to say that I never saw an ordinary meal from Katherine. Any visit during the winter had her serve hot chocolate. Not hot cocoa, not instant chocolate. Bakers chocolate whipped into hot milk with sugar added.
I do have to admit, as a child not every dish was to my liking. As an adult I still find it amazing how much work it took to make some of the “ordinary” meals. It did explain how a nobleman’s kitchen could actually keep a kitchen staff well occupied all day.
The other related tale is that a friend insisted we dine at a new restaurant. Their signature dish was “chicken peprikash.” Everyone else was impressed. I only learned that there was a name for Katherine’s style of cooking chicken. Needless to say Katherine’s was much better.
Whenever I visited she would serve me one of my favorites, radishes. My grandmother having grown up with her never really learned to cook. My mother at first didn’t like to serve me radishes as she always had seen Katherine’s method of serving them. Always carved into a flower. Once my mother realized you could actually eat them without first carving them into a flower, I started to get them at home.
Suffice it to say that I never saw an ordinary meal from Katherine. Any visit during the winter had her serve hot chocolate. Not hot cocoa, not instant chocolate. Bakers chocolate whipped into hot milk with sugar added.
I do have to admit, as a child not every dish was to my liking. As an adult I still find it amazing how much work it took to make some of the “ordinary” meals. It did explain how a nobleman’s kitchen could actually keep a kitchen staff well occupied all day.
The other related tale is that a friend insisted we dine at a new restaurant. Their signature dish was “chicken peprikash.” Everyone else was impressed. I only learned that there was a name for Katherine’s style of cooking chicken. Needless to say Katherine’s was much better.
Last edited:
Ed, after following this thread as you have, I think you know better than to have typed this.
You are forgiven this time. Don’t let it happen again, or I will send a mini drone your way, loaded with semi precious stones and a shipload of resistors and diodes.
Last edited:
I'm having some trouble parsing this.Your great grandfather imported a cook from the old country. She must have been somewhat older than your grandmother, but was still being made to work when you were a kid? Not sure if you bred young in your family (so granny was only about 50 at the point of the radish story) or the poor cook was not allowed to retire?
Great grandfather was helping folks immigrate most of his life. Katherine was perhaps 15 years older than my grandmother. So figure me 5, mother 30, grandmother 55 and the cook 70.
As Katherine had no children, she effectively was part of our family. She did pass away before I turned 8 or 9.
As Katherine had no children, she effectively was part of our family. She did pass away before I turned 8 or 9.
Impressed you could remember a chicken dish over all those years. My lad can’t remember something he ate yesterday!
Food is very good at lodging memories. I bet everyone in this thread can remember the best and worst food experiences of their lives and probably a bunch in the middle as well.
True?
True?
The restaurant tale was when I was in my early 20’s. I still make some of Katherine’s dishes. Among them I regularly do a liver pate. I can also carve radishes into flowers. However I do have trouble finding some ingredients locally, such as smoked whitefish.
Bill,
It might be a good thing he has no cause to remember some foods!
ES.
Grandma J's chili
Mom's pork chops with rice & gravy
Grandma L's salt rising bread
Dad's marinated, grilled kebabs
"Market Street Meat Loaf" with my wife's personal touches
My first actual French omelette, at (the now defunct) Autre Chose in Cambridge . . . . 1105 Mass Ave for the locals
Navy Grog tiki drink at (the now defunct) Trader Vic's in Scottsdale
Last edited:
As a kid I made cheese cake at the uncles resort that he built. I’ve not made another cheese cake until last weekend, what else Betty Crocker’s ultimate cheese cake recipe, it turned out pretty good. Guest requested cherry pie filing topping so a can of Ed smiths to go with it. Done with cheese cake for a while 🙂
A radish cut like a flower yes. Chicken maybe not. I've been trying to think of my earliest food memories and I've got as far as chocolate ready brek with a hazy memory of meatballs listening to Danny Kaye. I'll try and pin down an age.
As to chocolate memories, I remember when Mars candies stopped using Hershey’s chocolate and started using their own.
I just put 2.5 kg of farm raised coho salmon in my smoker, brined it overnight. Should be ready to try at lunch.
The salmon came out nice and flaky, but not as much flavor as I expected. Good enough for my consumption, but not really to show off for company.
Have you ever tried breathing new life into it? I once did pink salmon and was concerned about a strong brine. When it came out, I had the same feeling as you. I simply mixed a little water, liquid smoke, salt and sugar and painted the fish a few times, letting it dry between coats, before packaging. Worked quite well and no one other than me was the wiser.
Last edited:
Did you allow a good pellicle to form before smoking? I have found that step is important.
Frankly, I prefer smoking trout to salmon. A little horseradish sauce and some Melba toast and you're all set!
Pete
I just reheated a piece of my freshly smoked salmon for dinner. A quick sauté in my fry pan with butter and a small bit of ghost pepper, made the boring salmon really quite tasty.
Went great with green tea.
Went great with green tea.
