Category: Dear Dad

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bake a cherry pie for national pie day

I am sure that the words ‘trifle’, ‘flummery’ and ‘whipped syllabubs’ pass smoothly from your lips… but do you know what they are? These can be found in a wonderful new book entitled the  ‘City Tavern cookbook’ that recreates many of the standard dishes found in colonial America. What is surprising is not the fusion of French, German and English cooking, but the variety of spices that might be unexpected in this time and place, such as ‘curry.’ ( check out page 179 for a ‘West Indies Curried lamb that is as extraordinary as it is tempting)

Much wisdom can be found in this cookbook, here is a quote from President John Adams on the after effects of an imported table wine:

“I drank Madeira at a great rate and found no inconvenience in it!”

George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Madison and Adams were all fond of apples and cherries and their recipes and those of others close to them are very intriguing. The recipe for a ‘buttered apple pie’ ) not included in this wonderful book is similar to my own… the apples are sliced and pre-baked.

What better way to celebrate NATIONAL PIE DAY than to recreate one of these wonderful pies. I have known Laura for over 40 years and until today did not know that she loved cherry pie… all these years I would enjoy them alone thinking she preferred an alternative which was also prepared. Tomorrow I will make Laura a cherry pie.

I will say that the bread pudding recipe was a bit boring but the anise biscotti sounded delicious!

Happy National Pie Day 23rd November 2010!

Roger Freberg

PS. CLICK here or on the picture of the pies for my recipe page

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the truth was written in the past

two steps forward one step back

The book entitled “Atlantis the antediluvian world” was received as ‘fact’ when the book was released in 1882. Kings and heads of state reviewed with awe the tale of Atlantis, and with the recent discovery of Troy and the continued exploration of Egyptian antiquity, who could blame anyone from being captivated? We often don’t admit to being hoodwinked which is why you seldom hear about this book, but it is fun to read!

Which brings me to a curious point, one of the things that are quickly vanishing out of libraries and large private collections and into the hands of many everyday people are thousands and thousands of books. If you haven’t been to a library recently — and few have — there is one thing missing… books!  Personally, I am not sad to see the library go the way of the dodo. Libraries are the clerics of an ancient technology.

However, the challenge we have today is sifting through the interpretations of others and never seeing the original source. If you don’t read the original books, you might believe  that Abraham Lincoln’s overriding passion wasn’t to free the slaves. You might not be aware that many believe he was influenced by an account of the capture and slavery of a seaman in North Africa in the early 1800’s.

By building your own library, you can see for yourself what people thought about their times and the people in them. Just as any good chef will own hundreds of cookbooks ( although there are those who won’t admit it!), how can you really know your field if you have not read their founding books?

Find something you enjoy and buy some books!

Roger Freberg

PS. Laura has started her own  Psychology Library

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first rain in california

a beautiful rainy day

California rains are a bit different than I have experienced in the north and in the south. When rain comes here, it never rains very hard by comparison but it will last for a week or so. What we really want to have in our three growing seasons is an ‘intermittent rain’. Rain followed by sunshine then rain and more sunshine works well for California’s crops… even those grown in our national forests. 😉

There is a quiet beauty on a California rainy day.

Roger

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baking ahead for Saint Paddy’s Day

keeping the spirit of Saint Paddy's Day alive!

Last year I posted my corned beef pie recipe and it generated much discussion.  Meat pies are very popular everywhere the British land and pop up often at picnics and special occasions. Most American’s are unfamiliar with any corned beef pie and this is why it is so special.

Laura remarked that she thought a corned beef pie appeals to women’s almost inherent desire for carbohydrates, vegetables and pastry, while men love the sheer meaty satisfaction. It’s hard for almost anyone to leave a meal of corned beef pie unsatisfied. The key to making a great corned beef pie is using the best corned beef ( I make my own), the best vegetables, a great gravy and a perfect crust!


This pie is now nicely tucked away … but I am sure I’ll have to make many more!

Roger