Despite the global splurge in nostalgia as the 20th Century turned the corner, the Good Eating staff remained unsatisfied on a few important points.
Such as: Does anyone still make red flannel hash, or make merry with a Harvey Wallbanger? They both had their day in the sun. As did absinthe, divinity fudge and Mr. Duncan Hines. Where did they all go? Have they been pushed out by raw fish, premium vodka, exotic greens and innumerable other food trends crowding furiously on the heels of the 1900s?
Our journalism mission was clear: Whither the Wallbanger and other near-forgotten culinary lights of decades past? We also noted signs of life in foodstuffs, people and tools that refuse to fade.
This century will create its own classics, certainly, but while were waiting, here are some culinary updates to chew over.
CUBE STEAK
Cube steak, the mechanically tenderized basis for countless family dinners, hasn’t gone anywhere, it turns out. It’s just keeping a low profile in your local meat case.
“I think it is probably just sort of there,” said Marlys Bielunski, director of food communications for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. Among beef steaks it ranks sixth in annual retail poundage, right after ribeye but well behind No. 1, sirloin.
“It’s very big in the South,” where it is chicken-fried, braised or “smothered” in a sauce after breading and browning, Bielunski said. “You probably do not find it in the Chicago area, particularly not downtown.”
A typical cube steak starts out as a piece of bottom round left after a couple of 2-pound roasts are carved from the primary cut. But anything can be run through the cuber, a machine with a pair of studded rollers that punch through the meat’s fibers.
Thus beaten, a cube steak gives cooks another advantage: Overcooking won’t toughen it, giving everyone time to get to the table.
— Andy Badeker
PEG BRACKEN
In the ’60s, everybody’s Mom had a copy (or so it seemed) of “The I Hate to Cook Book,” by Peg Bracken. The satirical but practical survival guide for reluctant cooks made Bracken a household name when the book hit print in 1960.
Her timing was perfect. The dawning of the women’s movement set the stage for recipes with instructions such as, “Let it simmer while you light a cigarette and stare sullenly at the sink.”
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Bracken is 81 and lives in Portland, Ore. (She lived in Hawaii for 14 years but likes rain better than sunshine. Really.) “The I Hate to Cook Book” was her second book, written when she was 40, and “The Compleat I Hate to Cook Book”-a subsequent and larger edition-is still in print with its refreshingly anarchic approach to cooking. Bracken credits its runaway success-which took her by surprise, she says-to the book’s attitude as well as the doable recipes that she had collected from her friends.
“The recipes really are simple,” she said. “It made women think that you do not necessarily have to get out the crystal finger bowls when you’re having people over to dinner. Other things are just as important, and frequently more so.”
Bracken never stopped writing books (“The I Hate to Housekeep Book,” among others.) Her latest is “On Getting Old for the First Time” (BookPartners, $14.95), a collection of essays on aging.
“When you get well along in the decades, you really do think more and more about this fairly interesting process you’re going through,” Bracken said. “It’s really a pain in the neck watching yourself fall apart-some parts faster than others.”
Bracken is currently coping with a devastating fire in December that destroyed her home office. She lost all of her professional material, including copies of her foreign editions and most of a work-in-progress. At the time of the interview, she was still trying to salvage any fragments she could find in the rubble. “Bits and pieces-that might be the name of my next book,” she joked.
When asked if she manages to laugh at everything, Bracken didn’t hesitate: “What else are you going to do?”
— Renee Enna
TOM AND JERRY
A generation ago, no holiday party seemed complete without a Tom and Jerry. The sweet, warm egg-based cocktail even had its own glassware set-a punch bowl and matching glass mugs.
Despite a popular misconception, the Tom and Jerry drink predated the Tom and Jerry cartoon duo. It was created by Jerry Thomas in 1852 at the Planter’s House Bar in St. Louis, according to “Classic Cocktails,” by Salvatore Calabrese. Many sources say the name comes from the characters of a 19th Century novel, “Life in London,” but it’s hard not to believe the creator’s first and last name might have had some influence. Many recipes exist, but the formula always includes eggs (raw at that, which may be an issue for some), brandy, rum and a nutmeg garnish.
“It sort of faded away, with all these fancy drinks coming from the West Coast,” says Jimmy Gallios, co-owner of Miller’s Pub and Restaurant, 134 S. Wabash Ave.
But Miller’s never bowed to West Coast tippling trends. Every December since 1950 has been Tom and Jerry Time at Miller’s.
If the potent Tom and Jerry never stopped selling at Miller’s, some things have changed over the years, Gallios notes: “It’s not a drink you’re going to sit down and drink two or three of. Those days are gone.”
— Renee Enna
ABSINTHE
Leave it to the French to minimize any embrace of Prohibition. Six years before Americans foreswore alcohol entirely, the French said “non!” to only one alcoholic product, absinthe.
Absinthe made the heart grow fonder, and the brain softer, in 19th Century Paris, sustaining and inspiring artists and writers such as de Musset and Verlaine. (Before Prohibition it was a favorite of decadent New Orleans bibers as well.)
Emerald green and an awesome 144 proof (most liquor is 80 proof), it was a potent potion with a minty licorice taste drunk in cafes by members of every social class. It did not cause all the physical and social ills attributed to it, though. Absinthe does contain wormwood, whose essence, thujone, is classified as a poison. But some believe the high amount of ethanol (drinking alcohol) in absinthe was even more toxic.
No matter. You are far more likely to see a glass of absinthe in a period still-life painting than find one in a bar. Yet there is an exception. Absinthe is legal in Spain.
— William Rice
HARVEY WALLBANGER COCKTAIL
In the late 1960s and early ’70s, Harvey Wallbanger was everywhere. Surfers spoke his name at beach bars. Their parents were pleased to find him at the country club. Whether or not a surfer named Harvey really did walk into walls after too much of his favorite cocktail, as the legend goes, the promoters of Galliano liqueur scored a coup when they introduced a mix of fresh orange juice and vodka (the classic screwdriver) topped with a float of their golden liqueur. The drink named Harvey propelled sales of all three ingredients.
But there’s an end, even to the seemingly endless summer, and by the mid-’70s Harvey was a has-been.
“Galliano stopped promoting it,” explains Joe McClure, a former Chicago bartender, “and the kids started drinking mai tais and vodka straight or with grapefruit juice. But I was asked to make one a couple of months ago. Maybe it’s going to make a comeback, like the martini.”
— William Rice
THE ICEBOX
The electric refrigerator pushed the icebox out of American home kitchens, but it took a while.
The refrigerator was invented in France in 1894, but did not reach American home kitchens until 1916. Though the cost, $900, limited its appeal, homemakers were tired of their iceboxes and eager for a change, according to The Food Chronology by James Trager: The icebox required fresh ice every second day, and a drip pan had to be emptied once or twice a day or water spilled onto the kitchen floor.
Refinements improved the refrigerator’s performance while lowering its price. Production jumped from a mere 5,000 in 1921 to 1 million in 1931. By 1940, a refrigerator cost only $90, and with the addition of freezer compartments later in the decade, the icebox was relegated to areas without electric power.
“No more worry while away,” an early ad for a refrigerator stated. “Go away when you like-return to find the most delicate foods in perfect condition.”
— William Rice
DUNCAN HINES
Originally a printing salesman in Chicago, Hines first published a list of his favorite restaurants as a Christmas gift for friends in 1935, according to The Food Chronology, by James Trager.
When requests for his list mushroomed, he began publishing guidebooks, including “Good Eating” and “Lodging For a Night.”
Soon, “Recommended by Duncan Hines” signs became ubiquitous in restaurants throughout the Midwest and beyond. When Hines was 70, he formed a company that licensed products to use his name.
The first product? Duncan Hines Cake Mix, introduced in 1951. Hines died in Bowling Green, Ky., in 1959 at the age of 78.
— Carol Mighton Haddix
DIVINITY
“Pick a dry day. This candy does not keep well.”
Oh, great. Caveats like these-and the need for things like candy thermometers-discourage people from making candy in the first place. The lines above, which begin the recipe for divinity from “The Joy of Cooking,” help explain why this old-fashioned confection hasn’t survived the march of time very well.
Divinity, originally a fudge made with egg whites, was probably American in origin, according to Lee Edwards Benning, author of “Oh Fudge! The recipe evolved into a foamy candy of whipped sugar syrup and egg whites, heated and cooled to precise temperatures and frustratingly susceptible to the slightest degree of humidity.
Too many rules like this, and a recipe gets filed under “Forget About It.”
“Giving a candy with a name with such strong religious connotations seems frivolous,” Benning writes. “Then again, considering the amount of stirring involved in making divinity in the early days of hand-beaten candies, only a saint with unselfish, divine devotion to her family would make this confection.”
— Kristin Eddy
THE COMEBACK KIDS
Not everything falls out of fashion. Some foodstuffs are making a welcome comeback, proving that an appetite for the old days never really goes away. Some examples:
Fondue
What’s not to love about melted cheese? Yet food groupies relegated the entertaining sensation of the 1970s to fad status, leaving all those lonely fondue forks without bread cubes, or meat for the hot oil, or chopped fruit for the chocolate fondue. Well, smarties: high-end manufacturers, from Krups to Le Creuset, are bringing fondue pots back to the kitchen with brand new designs and heavy construction that won’t scorch on the bottom. Start melting the Gruyere.
Pots de creme
First, try to recall the correct pronunciation: POE de CREM. These custards-think of a thicker creme brulee without the burnt sugar top-in such flavors as vanilla, chocolate and caramel were traditionally served in tiny china pots with lids. Who has those anymore? But the dessert is gaining new favor; look for it on the menu at Rhapsody and erwin restaurants in Chicago.
Waffle irons
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The really old-fashioned ones dripped over the fire, then early electric models were heavy and awkward. People gave up and started getting their waffles from the freezer or a restaurant. But major appliance manufacturers now have introduced non-stick electric models that cook evenly and clean easily, making Sunday brunch at home the place to be.
–Kristin Eddy
Hash
What is it about leftovers? Why do so many cooks opt to toss them rather than eat them? Perhaps it’s the booming economy. Thrift is no longer a virtue.
And, with leftovers in the doghouse, so too is hash. Oh, you may find a hash or two still on the menu at diners and coffee shops, but at home? Not many. No more of those delicious, well-seasoned concoctions based on cubed beef or corned beef, to name just two of the most popular ingredients. And don’t forget that New England favorite, red flannel hash, a mixture of beets, corned beef, potatoes and onions.
What we need is a Bring Back Hash movement. A grass-roots effort that will teach today’s cooks about leftovers management and the fine points of chopping up roasts. It’s the only way to guarantee survival for this oh-so-endangered species.
— Carol Mighton Haddix
MILK CHOCOLATE POTS DE CREME
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Chilling time: 4 hours
Yield: 8 servings
The comeback of pots de creme is evident in this recipe from chef Roland Liccione, Rhapsody restaurant, Chicago.
1 carton (1 pint) whipping cream
3/4 cup milk
8 egg yolks
12 ounces milk chocolate
1. Heat 1 cup of the cream and milk in heavy saucepan over low heat, 5 minutes. Place egg yolks in mixing bowl; add 1 tablespoon of the hot cream mixture, stirring rapidly. Add 3 more tablespoons cream, one at a time, to warm the yolks. Add yolks to pan; heat, stirring, until mixture reaches 175 degrees on thermometer, 10 minutes.
2. Melt chocolate in heavy saucepan or double boiler over low heat until smooth, about 5 minutes. Blend into cream. Pour mixture into 8 custard cups or pots de creme molds. Chill 4 hours.
3. Whip remaining cream to soft peaks. Serve with pots de creme.
Nutrition information per serving:
Calories ………… 495 Fat ………… 41 g Saturated fat .. 23 g
% calories from fat .. 72 Cholesterol .. 305 mg Sodium …….. 75 mg
Carbohydrates …… 28 g Protein ……… 8 g Fiber ……… 1.5 g
RED FLANNEL HASH, GEORGE’S DINER
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 35 minutes
Yield: 6 servings
This recipe is adapted from one in “The New England Cookbook,” by Brook Dojny. It is from George’s Diner near Lake Winnipesaukee, N.H. A food processor comes in handy for chopping the vegetables.
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large onion, chopped
1 pound cooked corned beef, roughly chopped
3 potatoes, peeled, chopped
1 1/2 cups minced cooked beets, fresh or canned
1 cup cooked turnips or rutabagas, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper or to taste
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
3/4 cup whipping cream
6 poached eggs, optional
Bottled salsa or chili sauce, optional
1. Melt butter in large, heavy, ovenproof skillet. Add onion; cook until it begins to soften, 5 minutes.
2. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Combine corned beef, potatoes, beets, turnips, salt, pepper, Worcestershire, pepper sauce and cream in large bowl. Toss gently to mix well; stir into skillet with onions. Press mixture to make a large cake. Cover; cook over medium heat until a crust begins to form on bottom, about 15 minutes.
3. Place skillet in oven; bake until top is crisp and lightly browned, about 15 minutes. (Brown further, if desired, under broiler.) Cut into wedges or spoon onto plate to serve. Top with poached eggs if desired. Serve with salsa.
Nutrition information per serving:
Calories ………… 425 Fat ………… 29 g Saturated fat. .. 14 g
% calories from fat .. 62 Cholesterol .. 125 mg Sodium …… 1,045 mg
Carbohydrates …… 24 g Protein …….. 17 g Fiber ………. 2.9 g