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eG Foodblog: ms. victoria - Tea for three


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balmagowry, I have a cookbook that Keifel bought me in Port of Spain published by Angostura. It has everything from cocktails to desserts. Apparently, it's very good over vanilla ice cream but I haven't sampled that for myself.

I've seen this idea before in a cookbook called "American Gourmet" by Jan and Michael Stern. (The book discusses and has recipes for American "gourmet" recipes from the 40's-70's. (Fun book). They have a recipe for Angostura ice cream and describe it as "clever and delicious". Can make homemade icecream subbing angostura bitters for most or all of the vanilla (1 Tbs per pint)--or can mix into good commerical ice cream. Maybe I'll have to try it...

The pork stew sounds and looks delicious. Is it a traditional dish and/or have a name? (sorry if I missed this earlier).

"Under the dusty almond trees, ... stalls were set up which sold banana liquor, rolls, blood puddings, chopped fried meat, meat pies, sausage, yucca breads, crullers, buns, corn breads, puff pastes, longanizas, tripes, coconut nougats, rum toddies, along with all sorts of trifles, gewgaws, trinkets, and knickknacks, and cockfights and lottery tickets."

-- Gabriel Garcia Marquez, 1962 "Big Mama's Funeral"

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balmagowry, I have a cookbook that Keifel bought me in Port of Spain published by Angostura. It has everything from cocktails to desserts. Apparently, it's very good over vanilla ice cream but I haven't sampled that for myself.

I'm pretty sure I have that one - I'm pretty sure I have all of them - but what interests me is finding out that anyone in real life actually uses Angostura as part of his regular repertoire. Very cool!

EDIT to splain further: this whole interest grew out of the discussion on Bitters with Dr. Cocktail; I've been making orange bitters for 10 years or so, but until he told me I didn't know that the very first orange bitters I ever encountered, Virginia Dare, were intended for culinary use only. That made me prick up my ears, and then he started tantalizing me with pictures of Angostura cooking pamphlets, whereupon I couldn't rest until I'd acquired 'em all. And started contemplating whether there might not be a broader book or article somewhere in this, the history of bitters and possible culinary uses thereof. So it's one thing to read Angostura's propaganda on the subject, but quite another to encounter someone who actually normally does this, if you see what I mean.

Edited by balmagowry (log)
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i do in fact use angostura bitters on a regular basis. i' tend to have a bottle wherever i cook for any prolonged period. in trinidad it can be found in any kitchen. aside from the seasoning possibilities, it's well know as a curative. a well know folk remedy for upset stomach is a glass of warm milk and a dash of bitters.

i've been trying to get a picture of the sugar to upload for the last two hours, all of them have the same problems with artefacts. i'll try again tomorrow, vic is fast asleep behind and the bed is calling to me.

Don't loaf and invite inspiration. Light out after it with a club.

- Jack London

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Keifel! Welcome - thank you for joining in the fray! Come on in, the water's fine....

I won't keep harping forever on the bitters note, I promise - but I'm curious to know whether you got your use of bitters from books or lore or both; also whether you ever use any other types of bitters; I do realize that Angostura is a local specialty of sorts. The thing that fascinates me is that somehow all the hundreds and hundreds of medicinal bitters that dominated the 19th century vanished and left Angostura standing alone in their place (unless you count the digestif and aperitif types, which are really in another class entirely). There are other aromatics, but Angostura is unique.

Sorry, I'm being like a dog with a bone. I'll stop now. :blush:

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thank you for the welcome. i intend to be around a lot more.

as per request, here is the picture of the sugar, clockwise from top, white, caribbean washed grey and american brown:

13026-5-83989.jpg

Don't loaf and invite inspiration. Light out after it with a club.

- Jack London

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a well know folk remedy for upset stomach is a glass of warm milk and a dash of bitters.

Whoa! That's different. I drench a couple ice cubes w/ABitters then pour gingerale whenever things get rough in the gullet...(sorry!) But warm milk? This site never ceases to amaze. I have to try it now...

"I took the habit of asking Pierre to bring me whatever looks good today and he would bring out the most wonderful things," - bleudauvergne

foodblogs: Dining Downeast I - Dining Downeast II

Portland Food Map.com

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and a honeymoon salad (lettuce alone) of the last of the greens we bought at the farmers' market on Saturday.

Just curious - where does the phrase "honeymoon salad" come from? Have never heard that before.

The "grey washed sugar" looks much like the Turbinado or "sugar in the raw" that's sold here - is it actually different? I did notice when I was in Mexico that their white sugar is actually a greay color (rather than the light brown I see in your photos). It's coarser than American white sugar and has a richer taste - closer to raw sugar.

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phaleon56, the washed grey is similar to the raw sugar or Florida crystals available here, but it isn't quite as coarse and it's a little damp but not as much so as light brown sugar. I had it in my coffee at the hotel we stayed at in Barbados for our wedding and I am addicted to it.

As for honeymoon salad, it was something my dad always said. He was kind of famous for his "Bill-isms" but I can't vouch for him having coined that particular phrase. He was very found of homegrown head lettuce wedges with a simple dressing and that was what was served as honeymoon salad: lettuce alone.

I'm glad Keifel finally got the picture to load (now that I have drawn him into the eGullet fray). This seems to be my week for kitchen accidents. When I was pouring the sugars back into their respective containers, I managed to knock one of those pyrex bowls off the counter, thankfully emptied of it's contents. It proceeded to shatter beautifully all over the vinyl. The floor did need mopped. I wonder if it's some sort of performance anxiety?

Victoria Raschke, aka ms. victoria

Eat Your Heart Out: food memories, recipes, rants and reviews

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Wednesday breakfast at the home of the oversleepers... yes, again, though done with some impunity this morning as we were discussing that we should get up and get going.

The boychick opted for, guess what, PB&J toast. It was the last of the bread except for the heel which he won't eat and I will probably have for a snack. He also had a glass of chocolate Silk. He loves it, though no other soy milk will even be considered by him.

I had a decidedly on the go breakfast of a dulce de leche Luna bar and a Starbucks bottled frappucino (there I have admitted my secret shame). I am hoping to be a little more healthful at lunch.

We have to run to the grocery on my lunch hour to gather the goods for our Cinco de Mayo dinner (though I think our guests have abandoned us... it's difficult to get our friends motivated during the week). I think we are having lime chicken soup and I had planned on making tamales but I think we would not eat until midnight. The plan had been to go to the store yesterday, but we opted for Tai Chi class instead.

Victoria Raschke, aka ms. victoria

Eat Your Heart Out: food memories, recipes, rants and reviews

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Keifel! Welcome - thank you for joining in the fray! Come on in, the water's fine....

I won't keep harping forever on the bitters note, I promise - but I'm curious to know whether you got your use of bitters from books or lore or both; also whether you ever use any other types of bitters; I do realize that Angostura is a local specialty of sorts. The thing that fascinates me is that somehow all the hundreds and hundreds of medicinal bitters that dominated the 19th century vanished and left Angostura standing alone in their place (unless you count the digestif and aperitif types, which are really in another class entirely). There are other aromatics, but Angostura is unique.

Sorry, I'm being like a dog with a bone. I'll stop now. :blush:

trinidad is the home of angostura bitters and i grew up with it. i think part of the longevity is the whole air of secrecy they've maintained. angostura is also one of the largest bottlers/manufacturers of rum in trinidad, so the bitters is a sideline, a profitable one, but a sideline none the less.

here is their website with some of their history

and here is a picture of the cookbook:

13026-6-84009.jpg

Don't loaf and invite inspiration. Light out after it with a club.

- Jack London

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Just back from lunch. We didn't make it to the grocery, as we are waiting on a freelance check and the mail hadn't run. Keifel and the boychick will (I am hoping) go this afternoon.

We did however scrape together some pennies and go to the rolled sandwiches place across the street from my office. I always get the a turkey with jalapeno jack, bacon, spinach and sundried tomatoes. Keifel gets a BBQ pork with two cheeses and bacon (I think it's called the Porky's nightmare, hence my earlier breakfast post about Porky's revenge). I fax our order over early as there is always a long line.

Inevitably they lose our fax. We have to wait anyway and they give us a discount on our lunch. Today, not only did they lose the fax but they lost our ticket after we got there. We waited patiently. But after 20 minutes and several people who came in after us got their sandwiches, Keifel asked when we might have ours. They made them quickly and gave us a coupon for two free sandwiches. It's mostly college guys who work there and they know us, so it wasn't a big deal that we had to wait, but it was still a nice gesture on their part.

Victoria Raschke, aka ms. victoria

Eat Your Heart Out: food memories, recipes, rants and reviews

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I'm not sure if there are local purveyors of goat; I'm not sure if I want there to be. I'm still readjusting to this meat thing and goat scares me more than a little. I know it's irrational but I'm not overly fond of lamb, even from my earlier meat eating days. That might be the connection.

Actually goat or kid is much milder in flavor than lamb.

The local Mexican supermarkets carry chivo or cabrito

(both are regional names for goat) and I buy it for a spicy stew and also for chili.

"There are, it has been said, two types of people in the world. There are those who say: this glass is half full. And then there are those who say: this glass is half empty. The world belongs, however, to those who can look at the glass and say: What's up with this glass? Excuse me? Excuse me? This is my glass? I don't think so. My glass was full! And it was a bigger glass!" Terry Pratchett

 

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As for honeymoon salad, it was something my dad always said. He was kind of famous for his "Bill-isms" but I can't vouch for him having coined that particular phrase. He was very found of homegrown head lettuce wedges with a simple dressing and that was what was served as honeymoon salad: lettuce alone.

That term was around at least 50 years ago during my childhood. Our definition was "Lettuce alone without dressing" followed with a snicker.

Jim

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Jim, that makes sense. I love that (more innocent) pun-y humor. I had never heard it from anyone except my dad, it's nice to know it had wider usage than that.

andiesenji, I just assumed goat would have a similar strong flavor. I'll have to try it when we go to Trinidad for Christmas and report back.

Victoria Raschke, aka ms. victoria

Eat Your Heart Out: food memories, recipes, rants and reviews

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This seems to be my week for kitchen accidents. When I was pouring the sugars back into their respective containers, I managed to knock one of those pyrex bowls off the counter, thankfully emptied of it's contents. It proceeded to shatter beautifully all over the vinyl. The floor did need mopped. I wonder if it's some sort of performance anxiety?

You're far from alone.... as proven by this excerpt from my own foodblog

Did some food shopping and returned home. Unpacked the very last item - a two pack of some special much higher than average grade EVOO from Bertolli. It was a BJ's Club "limited edition" (supposedly) and at a great price - one bottle of filtered and one straight unfiltered, both cold pressed. I pulled off the plastic wrapper and one bottle had leaked a bit around the neck - slid straight through my hand and smashed to bits on the hardwood floor - insert multiple expletives here.

I didn't even mention the glass or the bowl that I dropped and shattered that same week on the very same floor....

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As for honeymoon salad, it was something my dad always said. He was kind of famous for his "Bill-isms" but I can't vouch for him having coined that particular phrase. He was very found of homegrown head lettuce wedges with a simple dressing and that was what was served as honeymoon salad: lettuce alone.

That term was around at least 50 years ago during my childhood. Our definition was "Lettuce alone without dressing" followed with a snicker.

Jim

My dad (also a "Bill") used the honeymoon salad/"lettuce alone" pun, too. He had lots of bad puns, many to do with food. Example:

Q: What's a buccaneer?

A: Too much to pay for corn! :groan:

Thanks for the blog, ms. victoria -- very interesting!

Cheers,

Squeat

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Ah, phaelon56, I remember your oil spill. It does make me feel better that I am not alone in my kitchen klutzyness for the blog week.

Squeat, my dad would have loved the corn(y) joke. Thanks. I'll have to share that one with the boychick. He seems to have inherited my dad's sense of humor.

Victoria Raschke, aka ms. victoria

Eat Your Heart Out: food memories, recipes, rants and reviews

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trinidad is the home of angostura bitters and i grew up with it. i think part of the longevity is the whole air of secrecy they've maintained. angostura is also one of the largest bottlers/manufacturers of rum in trinidad, so the bitters is a sideline, a profitable one, but a sideline none the less.

Many thanks, Keifel. Yes, I do have that cookbook, though an earlier and less glossy edition - from the 60s, I think. But I had no idea the Siegerts (there is still a Siegert running the company, if memory serves...?) made rum, let alone that it was their promary product. Makes a lot of sense, now I think about it. Even though they dominate the Bitters market I can see where they'd need some other cash cow to support it. And I bet their rum is good. I wonder where/whether one can get it in these parts. I've never seen it - but then I've never known to look. Will now!

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I didn't even mention the glass or the bowl that I dropped and shattered that same week on the very same floor....

Is this some kind of curse? I shattered a crystal vase during my blog!

Yes! Me and my Microwave Meltdown! Not the same as shattering glass and/or crystal, of course, but there were rubber-charcoal fragments all over the joint from the carbonized mug, so it still counts.

Yes, I love those dumb jokes too - buccaneer is an old favorite. And then there was the guy who always said to me, "I'll meet you at Chinese Dentist." Took a couple of run-throughs before I burned it into my brain that this meant Tooth-Hurtee. (Sorry.... :wacko::laugh: )

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I didn't even mention the glass or the bowl that I dropped and shattered that same week on the very same floor....

Is this some kind of curse? I shattered a crystal vase during my blog!

Did I mention that the 'special" EVOO sucked? It was totally lacking in fruitiness and flavor - really bland. I bought it specifically for dipping and ended up using it just to cook. It's okay - I now have a stylish square glass bottle ideal for decanting the cheap Bertolli into from the big plastic jug.

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