Cajun, Creole, and Kosher--Thoughts on History
#11
  Re: (...)
I love food history--watching a "Good Eats" on Cajun made me realize the similarities and differences in the subject cuisines. Both cultures were subject to the dispersion--against their wills. The Hebrews seemed to prepare differently--creating Kosher rules, preserving their food culture for eternity, while the cajuns moved everywhere too but absorbing nuances from Africa, France, Southern US, Haiti, Carribean, etc--both great cuisines. Two different ways of making and preserving great food traditions. I think a great example of how we got where we are--never thought about it before--hope I didn't bore you. Fusion is the Cajun method of today. Kosher is wonderful matzo ball soup!!
"He who sups with the devil should have a. long spoon".
Reply
#12
  Re: Cajun, Creole, and Kosher--Thoughts on History by Old Bay (I love food history-...)
I like things like that. I am acquiring different nationality cookbooks and love reading the info they contain.
Don't wait too long to tell someone you love them.

Billy
Reply
#13
  Re: Re: Cajun, Creole, and Kosher--Thoughts on History by bjcotton (I like things like t...)
Bill, have you read The United States of Arugula? I got it for my b'day a couple month ago and I still have not sat down and read it. Think you'd like it also.
Retired and having fun writing cookbooks, tasting wine and sharing recipes with all my friends.
www.achefsjourney.com
Reply
#14
  Re: Re: Cajun, Creole, and Kosher--Thoughts on History by cjs (Bill, have you read ...)
Quote:

Bill, have you read The United States of Arugula? I got it for my b'day a couple month ago and I still have not sat down and read it. Think you'd like it also.




No, I have not--I will look it up--thanks.
"He who sups with the devil should have a. long spoon".
Reply
#15
  Re: Re: Cajun, Creole, and Kosher--Thoughts on History by Old Bay ([blockquote]Quote:[h...)
I enjoy this kind of stuff as well, Bill. I especially like looking at similarities in cooking/architecture/etc. in different parts of the world that would never have come in contact with each other. The book Jean mentions is on my to buy list.
Daphne
Keep your mind wide open.
Reply
#16
  Re: Cajun, Creole, and Kosher--Thoughts on History by Old Bay (I love food history-...)
To add to the Jewish food history -

With plenty of herbs and sometimes generous use of spices, Sephardic Jewish cooking is aromatic. They use a lot of lemon, garlic, tomatoes, olive oil, cumin with turmeric and more. Sephardic Jews are known for their love of cooking vegetables, from salads to vegetables stuffed with fragrant meat and rice, and pies or Burekas which often have feta cheese, spinach, or potato fillings. Sephardic Jews from Morocco and other North African countries enjoy cumin, ginger, and saffron & chilies. Jewish cooks from the eastern end of the Mediterranean have adapted their food and cooking as well and make heavy use of cinnamon in their cooking, so much that they use it as a savory accent for meat dishes The kebabs, pilafs and dolmades (stuffed vegetables) of Turkish Jewish cooking are still some of the most recognizable Sephardic dishes. Fruits, vegetables, spices, and grains were plentiful in the Mediterranean climate, and thus plant foods figured heavily into Sephardic Jewish cooking.

Ashkenazi cooks prefer seasonings rather than a large number of herbs and spices. Sweet and sour stews of meat and vegetables are another form of Jewish cooking in the Ashkenazi style. To create the sweet and sour effect, cooks use sugar, honey, or raisins tempered with vinegar or lemon juice. They employ this flavoring technique for soups and meatless dishes as well. This is a sweeter Jewish form of cooking.

Because the Ashkenazi emigrated to the United States in such vast numbers, most people think of Ashkenazi cooking as all Jewish cooking. Here we find the knishes, the kugels, the tsimmes, the cholent. But it must be remembered that Jewish people cooked the food of the country they lived in, their only alteration a respect for kosher laws.

"The Israeli table is composed of all the dishes from around the globe where Jews have been and still are. New ways of preparing old recipes combined with the ability to adopt new ingredients to old dishes, alters the dish for contemporary Israel. To these cooking styles and more, Jews from Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, Egypt, Yemen etc., have each made unique contributions to the national table. All Arabic countries have more or less the same dishes only sometimes different names and adding this or that herb or spice. It has such an influence on Israeli table that even the original names stayed the same." Elinoar Moore

This information was found on www.inmamaskitchen.com which I have now bookmarked because of the amazing information and recipes on the site. Bill you might take a look - it's interesting food history.
You only live once . . . but if you do it right once should be enough!
Reply
#17
  Re: Re: Cajun, Creole, and Kosher--Thoughts on History by Harborwitch (To add to the Jewish...)
Such a great post!! I never stop learning--but that is the fun in life--what I get at the deli is only the tip of the iceberg. Let's do this more often.
"He who sups with the devil should have a. long spoon".
Reply
#18
  Re: Re: Cajun, Creole, and Kosher--Thoughts on History by Old Bay (Such a great post!! ...)
Bill that has been the fun of cooking for me - If you can find any of "The Beautiful Cookbook" series you'll find a lot of wonderful food history and geography information. I love learning about the whys and hows and whens of food!!!
You only live once . . . but if you do it right once should be enough!
Reply
#19
  Re: Re: Cajun, Creole, and Kosher--Thoughts on History by Old Bay (Such a great post!! ...)
Quote:

Fruits, vegetables, spices, and grains were plentiful in the Mediterranean climate, and thus plant foods figured heavily into Sephardic Jewish cooking.



This is what I like looking at and exploring. The natural resources have a major influence on the cuisine of a region, of course. But then I like to learn about other regions of the world that developed similar cuisine, long before encountering the other culture. Usually, resources are a BIG influence, but how did each region put it's own special twist on the ingredients? and Why?
Daphne
Keep your mind wide open.
Reply
#20
  Re: Re: Cajun, Creole, and Kosher--Thoughts on History by Old Bay (Such a great post!! ...)
Here are a few more interesting tidbits. My husband is reading the book 1491 - a bit of revionist history for native americans - north and in mexico. Did you know that as a population (big generality) native americans are lactose intollerant? They did not have cows.

I also read a book on blood types once which was very interesting and how many blood types are tied with ethnic groups and this relates with the way your body deals with food - sensitivites, etc. The asian peoples typically had one blood type, the native americans had another, the peoples from europe another and getting mixed blood types ab+, ab-, o came about after people started traveling/trading/migrating to other parts of the world.

It is all so very interesting.
Erin
Mom to three wonderful 7th graders!
The time is flying by.
Reply


Forum Jump:


Users browsing this thread: 1 Guest(s)