Talking About FoodAmerican Food - Spring & Summer

Instructor: Virginia Guilford

Cooking, American Style• Is there an American Cuisine?• Seasonal Flavors

– Fall– Winter– Spring– Summer

• Spring Holidays• Cooking for the Spring• Summer Holidays• Cooking for the Summer

Is There an American Cuisine?

• Is American cuisine simply a mix of food from other countries?

• Are there any uniquely American dishes?

• Is there a uniquely American style of cooking and eating?

Seasonal Foods• Why do we associate certain foods with certain seasons?

– The food ripens in that season

– The food is good to eat in a particular weather

• Food for cold weather

• Food for hot weather

– The food is right for activities in that season

• Food for formal dinner parties

• Food for casual picnics

– The flavor is associated with a seasonal food

• Some food is strongly associated with one season, other food is seen as suitable for many seasons.

Spring Foods & Flavors

• Spring– Chicken, Veal, Ham– Filet of Sole, Salmon– Spinach, Asparagus, Peas– Rhubarb, Strawberries– Lemon, Parsley, Dill– White Wine, Iced Tea, Lemonade

Summer Foods & Flavors

• Summer– Hot Dogs & Hamburgers, Grilled Steak– Lobster, Steamed Clams– Corn, Green Beans, Tomatoes– Peaches, Apricots– Raspberries, Blackberries– Limes, Watermelon, Cantaloupe– Gin, Tequila, Beer, Coca Cola

Fall Foods & Flavors

• Fall– Pork, Turkey– Clam Chowder, Halibut– Mushrooms, Parsnips, Turnips, Kale, Sweet

Potatoes, Eggplant– Apples, Pears, Pomegranates, Pumpkin– Pecans, Brown Sugar, Cinnamon, Nutmeg,

Cloves– Bourbon, Rum, Apple Cider

Winter Foods & Flavors

• Winter– Roast Beef, Goose, Cornish Game Hens– Oysters, Caviar– Carrots, Potatoes, Turnips, – Pineapples, Oranges, Grapefuit– Peppermint, Chocolate, Meringue– Champagne, Scotch, Cognac

American Spring

Spring Activities & Holidays

• Visiting Flower Gardens & Flower Shows

• Kite Flying

• Trout Fishing

• Easter

• Derby Day

• Mother’s Day

Easter

American Easter Traditions• The day for Easter is different each year

– The stock exchange, and most brokerage houses are closed on Good Friday

– Easter Monday is not usually celebrated in the US

• The period of Lent precedes Easter, and the beginning of Lent is marked by Mardi Gras

• We say that the Easter Bunny brings baskets filled with candy and dyed eggs.

• Pastel colors and pretty hats are considered appropriate to wear for Easter celebrations

• Easter is usually celebrated with a family dinner.

Derby Day

Derby Day Traditions• The Kentucky Derby is a horse race held

annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States, on the first Saturday in May – The Most Exciting Two Minutes In Sports” – "The Run for the Roses

• It is the first race of the American Triple Crown and is followed by the Preakness Stakes, then the Belmont Stakes.

• Mint Julep – a bourbon cocktail.• Women dress up and wear large, elaborate hats

Mother’s Day

Mother’s Day Traditions

• Mother's Day is a day when you honor your own mother, or mothers in general.

• Many countries have a holiday like Mother’s Day.• Mother’s Day in the US is celebrated on the 2nd

Sunday in May• Mother’s Day is usually celebrated with food and

activities that women are thought to like – brunch, tea, flowers

Cook Spring• Foods that are ready to eat in April, May, and

June– Strawberries– Lettuce, Radishes– Asparagus, Spinach

• Grow your own herbs & vegetables & flowers

Spring Recipes

• Mint Julep Cocktail

• Mustard Glazed Salmon

• Lemon Cake

• Microwave Strawberry Jam

The Mint Julep Cocktail

• The Mint Julep cocktail is often served at parties before and after the Kentucky Derby horse race.

• Traditionally, a mint julep was served in a silver or pewter cup. The cup was held only by the bottom and top edges so that the drink would keep cold.

• The term "julep" means a sweet drink, particularly one used for medicine. The word itself is derived from the Persian word گالب (Golâb), meaning rose water.

Mint JulepIngredients

• ½ oz. superfine sugar• 1 oz. hot water• 8 spearmint leaves, plus one

spearmint sprig• 2 oz. bourbon

Directions

• Dissolve the sugar in the hot water in a silver julep cup or in a short glass.

• Add the mint leaves and press them lightly with a spoon — just enough to release the oil from the mint leaves.

• Add the bourbon, fill the glass with crushed ice, and stir.

• Push the mint sprig into the ice, add a short straw, and serve.

• This recipe makes one drink. Multiple the ingredient amounts by the number of drinks you want to serve.

• Usually, you should allow 3 drinks per person for a party lasting 2 hours, but a mint julep is pretty strong, so you may need less.

About Bourbon

• Bourbon is an American whiskey made from corn and aged in wooden barrels. It is supposed to be made in Kentucky.

• Bourbon is served alone (“neat”), diluted with water, served over ice cubes ("on the rocks"), mixed with soda, or made into cocktails:

• Manhattan

• Old Fashioned

• Whiskey Sour

• Mint Julep

• Well-known Bourbon Brands – Blantons

– Jack Daniels

– Maker’s Mark

Mustard Glazed Salmon

• Ingredients– 2 lemons, zested &

juiced

– 1/8 cup olive oil

– 1/8 cup Dijon mustard

– 2 garlic cloves, minced

– 1 large salmon filet, with skin on

• Directions– Place the salmon, skin side down,

on a large baking sheet lined with aluminum foil.

– Mix together the juice & zest of the lemons, the olive oil, the mustard, and the minced garlic cloves. Drizzle the mixture on the salmon.

– Let the salmon rest for 15 minutes.– Roast at 500 degrees for 15

minutes, or until almost done. – Let sit for 15 minutes, remove skin,

serve.

About Salmon • Salmon

– Wild salmon, troll-caught is best. – King (Chinook) salmon is most popular – Alaskan Sockeye is bright red with a firm

texture.– Coho is milder.– Wild Sockeye & Coho salmon is only available

in the summer.

Maida Heatter “The Queen of Cakes”

• Maida Heatter is a pastry chef and cookbook author who specializes in baking and desserts.

• She wrote cookbooks in the 1970s & 1980s• Her recipes are detailed and easy to follow • One of her most popular cakes is her tart, sweet

East 62nd Street Lemon Cake”• She is “The Queen of Cakes”

Maida Heatter’s East 62nd Street Lemon Cake

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE CAKE:

3 cups sifted all-purpose flour

2 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. salt

8 oz. unsalted butter

2 cups sugar

4 large eggs

1 cup milk

Finely grated rind of 2 large lemons

FOR THE GLAZE:

⅓ cup fresh lemon juice

⅔ cup sugar

Lemon Cake, directions1. Preheat oven to 350°. You need a 9" x 4½" tube pan or Bundt pan that will hold 12 cups of batter. Butter the pan (or spray lightly with PAM oil spray) and then cover the surface of the pan with 1 or 2 teaspoons of fine, dry bread crumbs or a teaspoon of flour.

2. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a large bowl, beat the butter with an electric mixer until soft. Add the sugar and beat until smooth. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, scraping the bowl as necessary with a rubber spatula. (The mixture might look curdled—it's okay.) On lowest speed, add the dry ingredients alternately in three additions, with the milk in two additions, beating only until incorporated after each addition.

3. Stir in the lemon rind. Scoop the batter out of the bowl into the prepared pan. Level the top of the batter by rotating the pan briskly.

4. Bake for 65 to 70 minutes, until a toothpick pushed into the cake comes out clean. Let the cake stand in the pan for 5 minutes and then cover with a rack and invert. Lift pan from cake, leaving the cake upside down. Place rack over a large piece of foil or wax paper and prepare the glaze.

5. To make the glaze, mix the lemon juice with the sugar and brush all over the hot cake. The cake will absorb it. Let cool completely and then transfer to a cake plate. Wait a few hours before cutting the cake.

About Lemons• Lemons

– Meyer lemons have a very smooth skin and are known for their delicious sweet flavor

– Eureka lemons are the most common supermarket lemon

• Best Lemons– Heavy for their size. – Slightly soft.– Smooth skin with no blemishes or green spots.

Strawberry Jam

• It is fun to make your own jam. And if you have a microwave, it is easy to do!

• Don’t try to double this microwave recipe – if you want to make more jam, you should use traditional methods of stove-top cooking.

• Serve your jam on buttered toast, on muffins or scones or popovers, or over vanilla ice cream.

Small Batch Microwave Strawberry Jam

Ingredients

• 2 cups strawberries, hulls removed, and cut into quarters

• 1 cup sugar

Directions

• Stir the strawberries and sugar together into a microwave-safe bowl. The bowl should be a lot bigger than the fruit so that there will be plenty of room for the jam to expand when it boils.

• Microwave at high. Stop every 5-10 minutes to stir the fruit and scrape down the sides. Continue microwaving the fruit, until the jam is really thick. This will probably take about 30-35 minutes.

• This recipe makes about 1 cup of jam.

• Jam will keep for a few weeks in the refrigerator. To keep longer, store in the freezer.

About Strawberries• Strawberries are available year-round, but they ripen

locally in early June• All strawberries have a wonderful flavor, but the small

berries have more flavor than the large ones.– French strawberries – ‘Fraises des bois’ – are small, sweet, dark

red berries. These have the best flavor.– Wild strawberries – are similar in size to Fraises des bois and

grow wild in fields and pastures in upstate New York

American Summer

Summer Activites & Holidays

• Picnics• Sun-tanning, Surfing, Swimming• Hiking, Bicycling, Boating• Camping • Father’s Day• Graduation• Fourth of July

Fathers Day

Father’s Day History

• Father's Day is a celebration honoring fathers and celebrating fatherhood, paternal bonds, and the influence of fathers in society.

• Many countries have a holiday like Father’s Day.• Father’s Day in the US is celebrated on the 3rd

Sunday in June• Father’s Day is usually celebrated with food and

activities that men are thought to like – barbecued meats, beer, sports

Fourth of July

American Fourth of July History• July 4th is national holiday

– Most offices and businesses are closed– Restaurants and retail stores are usually open

• July 4th is also called Independence Day. It commemorates the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from Great Britain.

• Red, White, & Blue are the colors of the American Flag, and these colors are popular for this holiday

• Usually celebrated with a picnic and fireworks.

Cook Summer• Foods that are ready to eat in June, July, and

August– Raspberries, Blackberries, Apricots, Plums, Peaches– Beans, Broccoli, Carrots, Corn– Cucumbers, Tomatoes– Zucchini, Summer Squash, Eggplant

• Farmers Markets– Farmers markets may be year round, or may only

happen in the summer– Farmers markets usually allow you to buy produce

directly from the grower

Summer Recipes

• Sparkling Sherbet Floats• Corn on the Cob & Corn Salad• Grilled Hamburgers• Flag Cake

Sparkling Sherbet Floats

Ingredients•Lime or Raspberry Sherbet•7-Up

Directions - Single•Put 1 or 2 tablespoons of sherbet into a tall glass•Fill up the glass with 7-Up.•Makes 1 servings

Directions – Punch Bowl•Put 1 pint of sherbet into a large punch bowl•Add 2 liters of 7-Up.•Makes 16 1-cup servings.

About Corn• Corn on the cob is a classic American side dish. Serve

corn on the cob with grilled meat or fish plus a salad and you will have a very American dinner. Serve corn on the cob with steamed clams and lobsters and potatoes and you will have a classic New England Clambake.

• To boil corn on the cob, you will need a pot large enough to hold water to cover your ears of corn, plus a stove top to heat the water.. You will also need tongs to help you remove the corn from the water. (If you don’t have tongs, you can use two spoons to lift the corn out of the water.)

• To roast corn on the cob on a grill, you will just need the grill. Pull back the green leaves, remove the corn silk, replace the husks. Sprinkle the husks with water, and place on the grill for 15-20 minutes.

Choosing the Best Corn

• Choosing corn– Buy corn when it is ‘in season’ and fresh –

July and August– Buy corn with the husks on. Choose corn that

has green, fresh-looking husks and golden brown corn silk

– Buy corn that feels heavy

Corn Varieties

• Corn Varieties – there are several types of corn: sweet corn, field corn, blue corn, popping corn. But sweet corn is the one we eat as corn on the cob.– Yellow Sweet Corn – ‘Early Golden Bantam’,

‘Incredible’– White Sweet Corn – ‘Silver Queen’, ‘Argent’– Varigated Sweet Corn – ‘Butter & Sugar’,

‘Honey & Cream’,

Corn on the Cob

Ingredients• 1 teaspoon of salt• 5 ears of corn, husks

removed, and silk pulled off

• 2 Tablespoons of butter for each ear of corn

• Salt, to taste

Directions• Bring a large pot of water

to the boil, add the salt and the ears of corn.

• When the water with the corn in it returns to the boil again, cover the pot, turn the heat to low, and let the corn steam for 5 minutes.

• Remove the corn from the water, and put the corn on a large platter and serve hot with butter & a sprinkle of salt.

Ingredients• 5 ears of corn, cooked &

cooled • 1/2 cup diced red onion • 3 tablespoons cider vinegar • 3 tablespoons olive oil • 1/2 teaspoon salt • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper • 1/2 cup julienned fresh basil

leaves

Barefoot Contessa Corn Salad Directions• Cut the corn kernels off the

cob. Toss the kernels together with the diced red onions, vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper.

• Just before serving, slice the fresh basil leaves into julienne strips, and toss into the salad. Taste for seasonings and serve cold or at room temperature

TechniqueHow to Cut Corn Kernels

• Stand the corn on its end in a large bowl or on a plate, and slice down with a knife, cutting close to the cob. The corn kernels will fall off into the bowl.

About Hamburgers •Burgers taste best when cooked outdoors on a barbecue grill. But they can also be cooked indoors in a frying pan – a black cast iron pan is good.• Use 75% lean if you plan to cook your burgers well done, use

85% lean if you plan to cook your burgers rare or medium rare.

• Avoid pre-made burger patties – choose your own ground beef and shape your own patties.

• Don’t add breadcrumbs or other items to the meat – pure beef is best.

•Use top quality beef – hamburgers are all about the beef. Wagyu or Kobe beef is sometimes available; and there are American versions of premium beef– Certified Angus Beef, which must come from Angus cattle. – Niman Ranch Natural Beef and Certified Hereford Beef.– Natural and/or Organic Beef

Grilled Hamburgers

Ingredients• 2 lbs ground round,75- 85%

lean• Hamburger BunsToppings• Cheese – cheddar, swiss,

blue, or monterey jack• Cooked Bacon Strips• Pickles – dill slices or bread

& butter pickles• Ketchup or Chile Sauce• Mayonaise• Mustard• Lettuce, Tomato, Onion

Slices

Directions• Cut the ground meat into 6 equal

parts. • Gently shape each of the 6 parts

into a round disk, about 1 ½ “ thick.

• Season with cracked pepper. (Don’t salt until after cooking is finished.)

• Preheat the grill• Place the burgers on the grill. Grill

for 5 minutes on the first side: flip over, and grill for 5 minutes on the second side, or until done.

• Hamburger buns can be toasted or used untoasted.

• Place each burger on a bun, and serve with toppings on the side.

Technique Shaping Burger Patties

• You can use a press to form your burger patties – many types of burger presses are available.

• You can shape burger patties with your hands. Use a light touch – pressing too hard will make your burgers tough.

TechniqueCooking Burgers

• Make a slight depression in the middle of the patty to help keep the burger flat.

• Keep your burgers chilled & use a hot grill if you want your burgers rare.

• Don’t press down on the patties as they are cooking; pressing out the juices and fat can make the burgers dry and tasteless.

More Burger Tips

•Educate your palate - taste some of the best burgers in the city:

• Shake Shack Burger • Black Iron Burger• GENUINE Roadside• Hard Times Sundaes• Heartland Brewery

Flag CakeIngredients•1 sheet cake – any flavor•Whipped cream or white frosting•Blueberries•Raspberries or Strawberries

Directions• Cover the cooled cake

with whipped cream or white frosting.

• Place blueberries in rows in a square in the upper left corner to give the effect of the stars on the flag.

• Place strawberries or raspberries in 7 rows on the rest of the cake.

TechniqueHow To Decorate a Flag Cake

Your Favorite American Foods

• What American foods have you tried?

• What American food do you like best?

• What would you make for a Mother’s Day Brunch or Dinner?

• What would you bring to eat for a picnic?

• What is your favorite spring or summer holiday?