You can’t, of course, sit down to a meal with a president; but you can have some of his favorite foods. You can find the favorite foods of each president here; plus some highlights below. First…

A word about Presidents Day:

Prior to 1971, the U.S. celebrated both Abraham Lincoln’s birthday on February 12th and George Washington’s birthday on February 22nd. These separate holidays were eliminated to give federal employees (and afterward, many other folks) a perk.

In 1971, both presidential holidays were shifted to the third Monday in February and combined as Presidents Day, to allow federal employees a three-day weekend. The private sector followed.

Adieu, Lincoln’s Birthday; and yours too, George Washington.

So now what can Lincoln admirers do to celebrate Lincoln’s birthday? Thanks to Steven Spielberg, we can watch the DVD of Lincoln every year and reflect on the political process…while enjoying an Abraham Lingon sandwich and a glass of milk. Take two slices of whole wheat or pumpernickel bread (we substituted raisin bread), spread with peanut butter and lingonberry jam* or preserves, and enjoy!

> Here are more favorite foods of the presidents.

> A closer look at dining and drinking with George Washington.
 
 
THE PRESIDENTS’ FAVORITE FOODS

George Washington said about food: “My manner of living is plain, and I do not mean to be put out by it. A glass of wine and a bit of mutton are always welcome. Those who expect more will be disappointed.” He enjoyed meats, including steak and kidney pie (also a favorite of Ronald Reagan), fish, and a wide variety of fruits and nuts; and beer was brewed at Mount Vernon.

However, at a Presidential dinner guests would find roast beef, veal, turkey, ducks, fowls, hams, and other meats, along with puddings, jellies, oranges, apples, nuts, almonds, figs, raisins, and a variety of wines and punch. Martha Washington’s recipes include fruit cakes, sugar cakes (like cookies), carraway cakes, spice cakes, marzipan cakes, cheesecakes, ladyfingers, macaroons, gingerbread, custards, pies, and tarts.

Breakfast was simple: eggs, hoecakes, and rice waffles, along with coffee and tea, bread, and toast. What about cherries? He did, indeed, love them; and no doubt enjoyed them in preserves, jellies, and pies. [source]

[2] Oysters, plentiful on ocean coasts, were favored by Abraham Lincoln, who was typically was not concerned with what he ate, as long as it was nourishing (photo © Whole Foods Market).

He brought back to America a French-trained cook, the first pasta machines and waffle irons; and served the first julienned fried potatoes (e.g., French fries).

Abraham Lincoln ate what was put in front of him. During the day, he grazed on coffee, apples, and other fresh fruit. He could make a dinner of bread and cheese. A teetotaler, no alcohol was served in the White House (which drew private grumbles from guests).

He did have two favorite dishes: chicken fricassee with biscuits, and oyster stew or oysters any style; and enjoyed a dessert of apple pie. He was also fond of bacon. Here’s more about his food preferences.

Eisenhower enjoyed stews and was a staunch meat-eater, which was typical for his time. He knew how to cook, and liked to make his own beef soup. One of his favorite desserts was prune whip (here’s a recipe), although he enjoyed the more popular apple pie and rice pudding.

Kennedy was not a big eater, but he liked the standards of the day—lamb chops, steak, baked chicken, turkey (white meat), and mashed potatoes. He also was fond of seafood, baked beans and corn muffins; when he ate dessert, it was something chocolate. Lunch was often soup, a sandwich, and fruit; his favorite soup was fish chowder. Like Lincoln, Kennedy was a small eater and often had to be reminded that it was dinner time.

Johnson favored Southwestern, Mexican, and especially barbecue cuisine—not unusual for a Texan. He also loved a meal of chicken fried steak and mashed potatoes. He despised fish. His beverage of choice: Fresca. Breakfast often consisted of creamed chipped beef on toast and a cup of tea. For dessert: banana pudding, tapioca pudding, or German chocolate cake. Johnson was also fond of canned peas and sweet potatoes topped with toasted marshmallows. Here’s a recipe [source]

LBJ was a big man who often ate ravenously. Texas Governor John Connally said: “Most of the time he had no manners. He’d eat off the plate of either person on either side of him. If he ate something that he liked and they hadn’t finished theirs, he’d reach over with his fork and eat off of their plate.” [source]

Nixon, a weight watcher, he often had cottage cheese and fruit for lunch; he is famous for snacking on cottage cheese and ketchup. He started each day with a breakfast of fresh orange juice, half a grapefruit, cold cereal with skim milk and coffee. He loved meat loaf for dinner—a fact that engendered so many requests that the White House had the recipe printed on the back of the letterhead they sent to consumers. Here’s a recipe. [source]

[4] Bill Clinton loved his mother’s sweet potato casserole (photo © Saveur).

[5] Ronald and Nancy Reagan both enjoyed monkey bread for breakfast (photo © Dishmaps).

Gerald Ford was a hearty eater who preferred American staples: bacon burgers, casseroles, liver and onions, pot roast, spaghetti and meatballs, and spare ribs. He rarely ate dessert, but when he did, lemon pudding and butter pecan ice cream were favorites.

Jimmy Carter was not a big eater, but he enjoyed down-home, southern-style dishes such as pork chops with cornbread stuffing, grits, baked and fried chicken. His favorite vegetable was eggplant; he also liked butternut squash, collards, kale, and okra. It’s not a surprise that the former peanut farmer enjoyed snacking on peanuts.

Ronald Reagan liked chicken and beef dishes and hearty bowls of soup. Although the nutrition-conscious First Lady focused on fiber-rich foods and dishes with a minimum of fat and cholesterol, Reagan shared George Washington’s enjoyment of steak and kidney pie. He loved macaroni and cheese, too (here’s his personal recipe).

For breakfast, he might be treated to monkey bread, a Hungarian sticky coffee cake so-called because one pulls apart the pieces as a monkey would (its original Hungarian name is aranygaluska, which literally means golden dumplings). Here’s a recipe.

For dessert, Regan liked brownies, chocolate cake, chocolate mousse, ice cream, and pumpkin pecan pie. He liked snacking on jelly beans—especially the licorice ones (he had Jelly Belly make up a red, white and blue mix for the White House—in fact, the blue jelly bean color was created for this purpose!). Chocolate chip cookies were another favorite snack.

George H. W. Bush loved snacking on pork rinds and popcorn. He adored hot sauce. But he is better known for what he didn’t like: broccoli, which his mother served every day. He also refused to other crucifers, such as Brussels sprouts and cauliflower.

Clinton loved to eat, from fast food to Tex Mex (chicken enchiladas, tacos, to ribs cheeseburgers, fried chicken, and roast beef. For sides, he prized his mother’s sweet potato casserole and corn pudding. He put jalapeños on his cheeseburgers. For dessert, carrot cake, ice cream, lemon chess pie, and peach pie were often on the menu. After leaving office, Clinton became a vegetarian for health reasons and became a vegan. (And he looks great!)

George W. Bush liked Tex-Mex and beef tenderloin—not surprising for a Texan—plus comfort foods like warm biscuits and chicken pot pie. He and Mrs. Bush liked spicy foods, and wanted Southwestern and Tex-Mex as often as possible, with huevos rancheros for breakfast on Sundays; and deviled eggs for snacking. For lunch, George W. liked a BLT, grilled cheese sandwiches made with Kraft Singles and white bread, peanut butter and honey sandwiches, and occasionally, a burger.

Barack Obama cites pizza as his #1 favorite food; his go-to in D.C. is the deep dish cornmeal crust pizza at Pi Pizzeria (with original locations in St. Louis). He is also a chili fan, a dish that Michelle Obama converted to turkey instead of beef. He likes salmon for dinner and snacks on almonds or trail mix. Also a burger buff, he has been known to bring foreign guests to Ray’s Hell Burger in Arlington, Virginia.

Joe Biden likes ice cream, more ice cream, and pasta with red sauce, especially his wife’s chicken parm with rigatoni. He also favors a cheesesteak-type sandwich from a favorite eaterie in Wilmington.

________________

*Initially two individual holidays were for celebrated in government offices in the District of Columbia, on the actual birthdays, February 12th and 22nd. It was expanded to include all federal offices in 1885. State government offices, including schools, followed suit, followed by banks and other businesses. In 1971, the Washington’s Birthday holiday was shifted to the third Monday in February and combined with the Lincoln’s Birthday celebration to allow federal employees a three-day weekend.
 
 

You can’t, of course, sit down to a meal with a president; but you can have some of his favorite foods. You can find the favorite foods of each president here; plus some highlights below.

George Washington said about food: “My manner of living is plain, and I do not mean to be put out by it. A glass of wine and a bit on mutton are always welcome. Those who expect more will be disappointed.” He enjoyed meats, including steak and kidney pie (also a favorite of Ronald Reagan), fish and a wide variety of fruits and nuts; and beer was brewed at Mount Vernon.

However, at a Presidential dinner guests would find roast beef, veal, turkey, ducks, fowls, hams, and other meats, along with puddings, jellies, oranges, apples, nuts, almonds, figs, raisins, and a variety of wines and punch. Martha Washington’s recipes include fruit cakes, sugar cakes (like cookies), carraway cakes, spice cakes, marzipan cakes, cheesecakes, lady fingers, macaroons, gingerbread, custards, pies and tarts [source]

Breakfast was simple: eggs, hoe cakes and rice waffles, along with coffee and tea, breads and toast. What about cherries? He did, indeed, love them; and no doubt enjoyed them in preserves, jellies and pies. [source]

Thomas Jefferson may be our most epicurean president. He developed a passion for French cuisine while Minister to France, and became fond of pasta and other foods while traveling through Europe. Yet, Jefferson retained his liking of local specialties: baked shad, crab, green peas, sweet potatoes, turnip greens and Virginia ham, among others. Asparagus became widely available during Colonial times, and was a particular favorite. He is also known for his wine cellar.

He brought back to America a French-trained cook (James Hemmings), the first pasta machines, Parmegiano-Reggiano cheese and waffle irons; recipes for ice cream (not yet popular in the U.S.) and served the first julienned fried potatoes (e.g., French fries). He popularized foods from the humble (macaroni and cheese) to the elegant (Champagne). When Jefferson took the Oath of Office in 1801, one of his first priorities was finding a French chef for his kitchen.

Abraham Lincoln ate what was put in front of him. During the day, he grazed on coffee, apples and other fresh fruit. He could make a dinner of bread and cheese. A teetotaler, no alcohol was served in the White House (which drew private grumbles from guests).

He did have two favorite dishes: chicken fricassee with biscuits, and oyster stew or oysters any style; and enjoyed a dessert of apple pie. He was also fond of bacon. Here’s more about his food preferences.

Skipping ahead to more recent times:

Dwight Eisenhower enjoyed stews and was a staunch meat eater, which was typical for his time. He knew how to cook, and liked to make his own beef soup. One of his favorite desserts was prune whip (here’s a recipe), along with the more ubiquitous apple pie and rice pudding.

John Kennedy was not a big eater, but he liked the standards of the day—lamb chops, steak, baked chicken, turkey (white meat) and mashed potatoes. He also was fond of seafood, baked beans and corn muffins; when he ate dessert, it was something chocolate. Lunch was often soup, a sandwich and fruit; his favorite soup was fish chowder. Like Lincoln, Kennedy was a small eater and often had to be reminded that it was dinner time.

Lyndon Johnson favored Southwestern, Mexican and especially barbecue cuisine—not unusual for a Texan. He also loved a meal of chicken fried steak and mashed potatoes. He despised fish. His beverage of choice: Fresca. Breakfast often consisted of creamed chipped beef on toast and a cup of tea. For dessert: banana pudding, tapioca pudding or German chocolate cake. Johnson was also fond of canned peas and sweet potatoes topped with toasted marshmallows. Here’s a recipe.

LBJ was a big man who often ate ravenously. Texas Governor John Connally said: “Most of the time he had no manners. He’d eat off the plate of either person on either side of him. If he ate something that he liked and they hadn’t finished theirs, he’d reach over with his fork and eat off of their plate.” [source]

Richard Nixon, a weight watcher, often had cottage cheese and fruit for lunch; he is famous for snacking on cottage cheese and ketchup. He started each day with a breakfast of fresh orange juice, half a grapefruit, cold cereal with skim milk and coffee. He loved meat loaf for dinner—a fact that engendered so many requests that the White House had the recipe printed on the back of the letterhead they sent to consumers. Here’s a recipe. [source]

Gerald Ford was a hearty eater who preferred American staples: bacon burgers, casseroles, liver and onions, pot roast, spaghetti and meatballs and spare ribs. He rarely ate dessert, but when he did, lemon pudding and butter pecan ice cream were favorites.

[1] Enjoy a steak and kidney pie in honor of George Washington. Here’s a recipe from Gordon Ramsay. [2] Jefferson was an epicure but without the pasta he brought back from Europe, it would have taken us that much longer to enjoy this American favorite. He also loved asparagus. Here’s a the recipe that combines both, from Umami Info. [3] Oyster stew or oysters on the half shell would please Lincoln (photo courtesy Whole Foods Market). [4] Ever had a prune whip, an LBJ favorite? Here’s a recipe from Taste Of Home.

[5] JFK enjoyed a corn muffin at breakfast—although he never saw a corn muffin “surprise” like this. Here’s the recipe from Betty Crocker. [6] Sweet potato casserole was a favorite of Clinton, Johnson and Kennedy. Johnson liked his topped with toasted marshmallows. Here’s a recipe. [6] Ronald Reagan liked monkey bread. Here’s a recipe from Dishmaps.

Ronald Reagan liked chicken and beef dishes and hearty bowls of soup. Although the nutrition-conscious First Lady focused on fiber-rich foods and dishes with a minimum of fat and cholesterol, Reagan shared George Washington’s enjoyment of steak and kidney pie. He loved macaroni and cheese, too (here’s his personal recipe).

For breakfast, he might be treated to monkey bread, a Hungarian sticky coffee cake so-called because one pulls apart the pieces as a monkey would (it’s original Hungarian name is aranygaluska, which literally means golden dumplings). Here’s a recipe.

For dessert, Regan liked brownies, chocolate cake, chocolate mousse, ice cream and pumpkin pecan pie. He liked snacking on jelly beans—especially the licorice ones (he had Jelly Belly make up a red, white and blue mix for the White House—in fact, the blue jelly bean color was created for this purpose!). Chocolate chip cookies were another favorite snack.

George H. W. Bush loved snacking on pork rinds and popcorn. He adored hot sauce. But he is better known for what he didn’t like: broccoli, which his mother served every day. He also refused to other crucifers, such as Brussels sprouts and cauliflower.

Bill Clinton loved to eat, from fast food to Tex Mex (chicken enchiladas, tacos, to ribs cheeseburgers, fried chicken and roast beef. For sides, he prized his mother’s sweet potato casserole and corn pudding. He put jalapeños on his cheeseburgers.

For dessert, carrot cake, ice cream, lemon chess pie and peach pie were often on the menu. After leaving office, Clinton became a vegetarian for health reasons and became a vegan. (And he looks great!)

George W. Bush liked Tex-Mex and beef tenderloin—not surprising for a Texan—plus comfort foods like warm biscuits and chicken pot pie. He and Mrs. Bush liked spicy foods, and wanted Southwestern and Tex-Mex as often as possible, with huevos rancheros for breakfast on Sundays; and deviled eggs for snacking. For lunch, George W. liked a BLT, grilled cheese sandwiches made with Kraft Singles and white bread, peanut butter and honey sandwiches, and occasionally, a burger.

Barack Obama cites pizza as his #1 favorite food; his go-to in D.C. is the deep dish cornmeal crust pizza at Pi Pizzeria (with original locations in St. Louis). He is also a chili fan, a dish that Michelle Obama converted to turkey instead of beef. He likes salmon for dinner and snacks on almonds or trail mix. Also a burger buff, he has been known to bring foreign guests to Ray’s Hell Burger in Arlington, Virginia.

________________

*Initially two individual holidays were for celebrated in government offices in the District of Columbia, on the actual birthdays, February 12th and 22nd. It was expanded to include all federal offices in 1885. State government offices, including schools, followed suit, followed by banks and other businesses. In 1971, the Washington’s Birthday holiday was shifted to the third Monday in February and combined with the Lincoln’s Birthday celebration to allow federal employees a three-day weekend.

Jambalaya is a delicious, spicy, main course consisting of rice and practically everything else in the refrigerator! It’s a great way to use favorite meats and veggies (shrimp, peas, carrots, bell peppers). You can start from scratch; for a family night, using leftovers is more than acceptable.

Jambalaya is also an economical and easy way to feed a large group—Super Bowl Sunday, Oscar parties, even outdoor fêtes.

But, as a creation of New Orleans, we like it best for Mardi gras.

The recipes for Jambalaya and the Sazerac Cocktail are below.

Here are more Mardi Gras recipes—a whole celebration’s worth!
 
 
JAMBALAYA HISTORY

Jambalaya originated in Louisiana. Creole jambalaya, called red jambalaya by the Cajuns to differentiate it from their take—sprang from the French Quarter of New Orleans, the sector originally inhabited by Europeans.

Jambalaya was an adaptation of paella by the Spaniards, most of whom could not afford saffron (an essential paella ingredient) due to high import costs. Tomatoes were substituted to color and flavor the dish.

French Creoles introduced jambalaya to the Cajuns of southern Louisiana, who rarely used tomatoes (it’s swamp country). Instead, they browned the meat for color and smoky flavor and referred to their recipe as brown jambalaya.

The word “jambalaya” is a combination of the Spanish jamón or the French jambon, meaning ham, and another word; however, what word that is can be controversial.

 
While there are different recipes for each dish, both paella and jambalaya incorporate chicken, ham, sausage and seafood.

Since jambalaya could be made economically in big black cast iron pots for crowds*, it became popular for large events, including church suppers, weddings and political rallies.

The recipe evolved to seafood-only versions, meat-only versions, and vegetarian/vegan recipes. One of the benefits of a jambalaya bar is that each person can customize the dish as he/she wishes.

The easiest way to make the rice is to use Zatarain’s Jambalaya Mix. Alternatively, use plain white rice with cajun seasoning from McCormick, or other brands.

Thanks to Olivia Manning and Zatarain’s for the suggestion!
 
 
RECIPE: JAMBALAYA BAR

This recipe makes five dinner-size portions. Multiply it for a larger crowd. Don’t worry about leftovers: leftover Jambalaya is delicious (even cold!).

Ingredients For 5 Servings

Cooked Proteins (Total 1.5 Cups)

 
Vegetables

 
Rice

 
Preparation

1. MIX the water and rice mix in a large saucepan until well blended. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low; cover and simmer for 25 minutes or until most of the water is absorbed and the rice is tender

2. REMOVE from the heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork before serving and place on a platter or individual serving plates. Bring to the table with the add-ins.

[1] A pot of Jambalaya, served at the table. Here’s the recipe(photo © Gimme Some Oven).

[2] Deconstruct the ingredients for a Jambalaya Bar (photo © Olivia Manning | Zatarain’s).

[3] Zatarain’s Jambalaya Mix (photos #3 and #4 © McCormick).

[4] You can use Cajun seasoning to flavor plain white rice.

[5] Bake a King Cake for dessert (photo © King Arthur Flour).

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*One of the charms of paella is the crispy rice crust that develops at the bottom of the pan, called soccarrat. You can’t get socarrat from cooking in a large kettle. Paella is cooked in a wide, shallow pan with a layer of rice on the bottom. At the end of cooking, the heat is turned up to create the crust. Socorrat derives from the Spanish verb socarrar, to singe.

[6] The Sazerac Cocktail, a New Orleans specialty (photo © Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse).

[7] A bottle of the original Sazerac cognac, currently for sale for €12,500 at Old Liquors (photo © Old Liquors).

Beer and Jambalaya are natural companions, but you might like to start the event with a round of one of New Orlean’s signature cocktails, the Sazerac.

Developed in the 1830s, the Sazerac is a New Orleans variation of a cognac or whiskey cocktail, named for the Sazerac de Forge et Fils house of cognac with which it was originally made, plus rye.

As the story goes, the cocktail was first mixed at Antoine Amédée Peychaud’s apothecary on Royal Street. With his own bitters—still called for in the recipe— Peychaud’s bitters, served friends a Cognac cocktail made with his own bitters (you can make your own too—here’s more about bitters). It was then popularized at Sazerac Coffee House, a saloon on Exchange Place in the French Quarter.

The primary ingredient in the cocktail was switched from cognac to rye in 1870 and an absinthe rinse added, due to changing tastes; the recipe remains so today, but you can go back to the original—or make both recipes to see which you prefer.

It is one of many descendants of the Old Fashioned. The absinthe and Peychaud’s bitters make it unique to New Orleans.

Bartenders of today use rich simple syrup (2:1 sugar:water ratio instead of 1:1) instead of the sugar cube.

Ingredients Per Drink

 
Preparation

1. RINSE a chilled old-fashioned (rocks) glass with the absinthe, add crushed ice and set it aside.

2. STIR the remaining ingredients in a shaker over ice and set it aside.

3. DISCARD the ice and any excess absinthe from the prepared glass, and strain the drink into the glass. Garnish and serve. Optionally, you can serve the drink straight up.

You may think of meringue as cookies, or dessert cups that hold fruit or mousse, like vacherins or pavlovas*. It can also be made into a cake layer (dacquoise), or float, freshly beaten, in a sea of creme anglaise.

The Difference Between Pavlova & Vacherin

Pavlova is a meringue-based dessert or formed into a crisp shell. It is filled with fresh fruit, ice cream, mousse and/or whipped cream.

Vacherin is also made of crisp meringue, but typically formed into layers that are filled with almond paste, fruits, ice cream and/or whipped cream.

Essendially, they use the same ingredients, but style them differently.

(Note that vacherin is also the name of a cow’s milk cheese made in France and Switzerland).
 
 
TYPES OF MERINGUE

French Meringue

That’s classic meringue, a dry meringue also called basic meringue.

Egg whites are beaten until they form soft peaks. Then sugar—ideally superfine sugar, which you can make it by pulsing table sugar in a food processor—is slowly incorporated to maximize volume. This results in soft, airy, light peaks that stand up straight—for a while, anyway (they’ll ultimately deflate).

French meringue is spooned or piped into dessert shells (such as vacherins) and cake layers (as in a dacquoise), and baked, later to be topped with fruit, mousse, or whipped cream.

It is also often folded into batter to make lady fingers, sponge cakes and soufflés.
Italian Meringue

A softer style of meringue, Italian meringue can top a lemon meringue pie or Baked Alaska.

One of our favorite childhood desserts, Floating Island (île flottante in French), consists of beaten egg whites form into “islands” and set in a sea of custard sauce (crème anglaise).

After the whites have been whipped to firm peaks, boiling sugar syrup is poured in. Whipping continues until the meringue has reached its full volume, sand is stiff and satiny.

The technique delivers a more stable, soft meringue for cakes, pastries and pies, that doesn’t collapse.

Italian meringue is often used to frost cakes; it can be used alone or combined with buttercream. It creates meringue toppings on pies.

Here‘s a recipe.

As a technique, pastry chefs use it to lighten ice cream, sorbet and mousse.

Swiss Meringue

Swiss meringue is whisked over a bain-marie to warm the egg whites. After the sugar is completely dissolved, the mixture is removed from the heat and beaten vigorously to attain full volume. It is then beaten at a lower speed until cool and very stiff.

This forms a dense, glossy marshmallow-like meringue. It is usually then baked.

Swiss meringue is smoother, silkier, and somewhat denser than French meringue and is often used as a base for buttercream frostings.

Here’s a recipe from Martha Stewart.

MERINGUE-MAKING TIPS

 
 
RECIPE #1: RED WINE ITALIAN MERINGUE COOKIES

Only a pinch of red wine sea salt is used, to garnish; so if you don’t have/want to make red sea salt (the recipe is below), look to see what you do have; lavender or rosemary sea salt, for example. In a pinch (pun intended), you can use plain kosher salt or coarse sea salt.

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. HEAT the wine and sugar to a rolling boil, in a saucepan over high heat.

2. ADD the egg whites to a clean bowl and mix at high speed, until the egg white is all frothy and starts to form soft peaks. When the wine comes to a rolling boil…

3. LET the wine boil for another 60 seconds, remove from the heat and pour into a measuring cup with a lip, or other easy-pouring vessel. With the mixer on high…

4. SLOWLY pour the wine down the sides of the bowl. Continue to mix at high speed until the hot mixture reaches room temperature (the volume will continue to increase). Turn off the engine of the mixer once the mixture has cooled down.

[1] Meringue cookies (photo courtesy American Egg Board). [2] Pavlova: a hollow center that’s filled with strawberries (photo courtesy Rob Shaw | Bauer Media). [3] Vacherin: layers of meringue filled with fruit, etc. (here’s the recipe from Hello Magazine). [4] A vacherin variation: stacked layers of meringue garnished with fruit and whipped cream (here’s the recipe from Martha Stewart). [5] Floating island: freshly-beaten meringue in crème anglaise (here’s a recipe from Big Red Kitchen). [6]. Swiss meringue, colored to frost cakes and cupcakes (photo Johnny Miller | Martha Stewart).

[7] Red wine sea salt meringues (photo and recipe courtesy Raw Spice Bar). [8] Homemade red wine salt (photo and recipe courtesy Two Wolves). [9] Pink and chocolate: the perfect meringues for Valentine’s Day (here’s the recipe from The Kitchn)

5. PREHEAT the oven to 225°F, and pipe or otherwise shape the meringue as you wish. First line baking sheets with parchment, dusted with confectioner’s sugar to prevent sticking. Then you can use a piping bag with or without nozzle (the original meringues were shaped with two spoons!). You can pipe roses, stars, or use the occasion to pipe different shapes (why must they all be uniform?). Here’s more about piping meringues.

6. BAKE for 1 hour, then remove from the oven and cool to room temperature (you can leave in the oven with the door open). If not using the same day…

7. STORE completely cooled in an airtight container, packed loosely and with room at the top, so you don’t crush them.
RECIPE #2: HOMEMADE RED WINE SEA SALT

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. BRING the wine to a boil in a saucepan over medium to high heat. Reduce the temperature and simmer until the liquid reduces to 1-2 tablespoons and is thicker and a bit syrupy.

2. ADD 1 to 1-1/2 cups of salt For every tablespoon of reduced wine. Add one cup, stir and if the liquid hasn’t absorbed as well as you would like it to, add some more. Stir until the salt is completely covered. Spread over paper towels on a plate and let dry overnight.

3. STORE in clean air-tight jars; add a ribbon and present as a gift.

HERE’S MORE ABOUT MAKING YOUR OWN FLAVORED SALTS.

It’s easy, it’s great for gifting, and you’ll save a fortune! Check it out.

Here’s more about flavored salts—not all are made from actual sea salt. Conventional salt is less expensive; and when it’s flavored, you can’t detect the subtle mineral and other terroir nuances of sea salt anyway.

 
THE HISTORY OF MERINGUE

Some sources say that that meringue was invented in the Swiss village of Meiringen in the 18th century, and improved by an Italian chef named Gasparini.

Not all experts agree: The Oxford English Dictionary, for example, states that the French word is of unknown† origin.

The one fact we can hang on to is that the name of the confection called meringue first appeared in print in chef François Massialot’s seminal 1691 cookbook (available in translation as The court and country cook…. The word meringue first appeared in English in 1706 in an English translation of Massialot’s book.

The other is called “pets” in the manuscript of collected recipes written by Lady Rachel Fane (c. 1612–1680) of Knole, Kent. Slowly-baked meringues are still referred to as pets in the Loire region of France (the reference appears to be their light fluffiness, perhaps like a kitten?).

Meringues were traditionally shaped between two large spoons, as they are generally at home today. Meringue piped through a pastry bag was introduced by the great French chef Marie-Antoine Carême (1784-1833—he preferred to be called Antonin), the founder of the concept of haute cuisine.

He also invented modern mayonnaise, éclairs, and other icons of French cuisine.

________________
†Contenders from include 1700 on include, from the Walloon dialect, maringue, shepherd’s loaf; marinde, food for the town of Meiringen (Bern canton, Switzerland), is completely lacking. None of the others sounds right, either. By default, we like the Latin merenda, the feminine gerund of merere to merit, since who doesn’t merit a delicious confection? But as our mother often said: “Who cares; let’s eat!”
  

But now, there’s aged coffee, a growing trend.

Aged coffee is not analogous to old, stale, flat coffee. It comprises specially selected beans, that are aged using techniques that bring out the best aged qualities.

While the marketing message compares aged coffee to aged balsamic vinegar, whiskey, wine, etc., that’s an apples-to-oranges comparison. Still, aged coffee isn’t exactly new. The first coffee drunk by Europeans was aged.

THE HISTORY OF AGED COFFEE

Venetian traders first brought coffee to Europe in 1615, but it wasn’t a “quick trip” from Venice.

At the time, all imported coffee beans came from the port of Mocha, in what is now Yemen. It traveled south by ship around the Cape of Good Hope, then all the way up the west coast of Africa, continuing northward to England.

By the time the coffee arrived, exposure to salt air over time significantly changed the taste of the coffee. When coffee was subsequently grown in Indonesia, the voyage was even longer.

Europeans came to prefer the flavor over “fresh” coffee. In fact, when the Suez Canal opened in 1869, greatly shortening the voyage, Europeans still preferred the aged coffee to the fresher beans.

And so it came to be that some coffee was intentionally aged for six months or longer in large, open-sided warehouses in shipping ports—plenty of salty ocean air to transform the beans.

Over time, preferences changed. Fresh coffee beans became the preferred type of coffee in Europe, the U.S. and elsewhere.

However, everything old is new again, and aged coffee has become the old new style to try.

Here’s more history of coffee.

AGED COFFEE HAS BEEN IN THE U.S. FOR A WHILE

Starbucks has been aging coffee for certain single-origin coffees and for signature blends, such as Anniversary Blend and Christmas Blend.

At Peet’s, you can find Aged Sumatra Coffee.

Boutique producers also have introduced customers to the joys of aged coffee.

Ceremony Coffee in Annapolis has a Barrel Aged Coffee Series.

Water Avenue Coffee in Portland, Oregon sells Oak Barrel Aged Sumatra Coffee and Pinot Noir Barrel Aged El Salvador Coffee.

So is aged coffee a connoisseur product, or a marketing throwback to the past?

It is definitely the former! Everyone who savors a full-bodied cup of coffee black should try it. Why black? Well…add too much milk and sugar and you won’t taste the marvelous nuances.

What To Know About Aged Coffee

[1] A glass of Nespresso aged coffee from the 2014 vintage (photo courtesy Nespresso). [2] Sumatra coffee beans: aged (top) versus unaged (photo courtesy Starbucks Melody). [3] Roasted and ready to grind (photo © Nebojsa Rozgic).

[4] and [5] Nespresso Limited Edition Selection Vintage 2014 contains three sleeves.

HOW TO CREATE AGED COFFEE

Beans with the promise to age well are carefully aged under conditions that are best for the particular type of bean and vintage. As with many agricultural products, the “terroir” of the bean—the type of land, climate, seasonal weather and other environmental factors—produces different flavors and aromas in the finished product.

After harvesting, the beans are bagged in burlap and regularly rotated to distribute moisture and prevent mold and rot. Some roasters prefer to age the beans in wine or whiskey barrels to impart still more flavors and aromas to the finished beans.

The beans are usually aged at their origin, often at a higher altitude, where the temperature and humidity are more stable.

Aging time ranges from six months to three years. Samples are roasted and brewed several times a year during the aging process and when the desired flavors have been achieved, are roasted after they are finished aging.

A dark roast is best, as it evens out the flavor and accentuates the body of the coffee. Sometimes they are blended with other aged beans.

However, some connoisseurs prefer a light roast on single-origin aged coffees, which better emphasizes the single-origin qualities.

INTRODUCING NESPRESSO’S FIRST AGED COFFEE:
THE LIMITED EDITION SELECTION VINTAGE 2014

For the first time, super-premium coffee brand Nespresso now offers coffee lovers the chance to taste aged coffee.

After years of development and expertise, Nespresso experts selected Arabica beans from the highlands of Colombia, which promised to age well. These beans, from the 2014 harvest, were then stored under controlled conditions for two years.

They were then ready to roast. The experts selected a sophisticated split roasting technique: One part of the beans was roasted lighter to protect the elegant aromas specific to these beans; the other part was roasted darker to reveal the maturity of the taste and enhance the richness of the texture.

The result: a cup of espresso that is rich in body, mellow in flavor and velvety-smooth in texture. An elegant woodiness is layered with fruity notes.

The goal—to create a new sensory experience for coffee aficionados—has been achieved! The aged coffee is a real treat—and a great gift idea.

Don’t let this limited edition slip through your fingers. Get yours now, in either original or Vertuo capsules.

Then, we can both look forward to the next aged vintage!
 
 
HOW MANY COFFEE REGIONS CAN YOU NAME?

More than 40 countries around the world grow coffee.

How many can you name? (The answer.)