Showing posts with label sandwiches. Show all posts

National Peanut Butter Day

The internet is telling me that today is National Peanut Butter Day in the United States!
...Okay, so I'm not in the USA, but Canada is close enough, right? Plus, any excuse to celebrate peanut butter is okay with me.
So here's a retro advertisement for Peter Pan peanut butter, from 1954. Is it just me or does that little girl look a bit...off?
(From The Gallery of Graphic Design)

Here's another advertisement, this time for Ann Page peanut butter and dated 1949. This one is of a little more interest as it lists some lovely ways to use peanut butter...
(From The Gallery of Graphic Design)

PEANUT BUTTER SPREADS
1. Combine Ann Page Peanut Butter with chopped crisp cooked bacon.
2. Combine equal parts Ann Page Peanut Butter with Ann Page Orange Marmalade.
3. Combine equal parts Ann Page Peanut Butter with Ann Page Chili Sauce.
4. Combine equal parts Ann Page Peanut Butter and Ann Page Sweet Garden Relish.
What is with peanut butter and bacon?! It seems to be a popular combination - and one that is experiencing a revival today as well with the whole bacon fad. I'm wondering how peanut butter and orange tastes together. Unfortunately I don't have any of these ingredients on hand to try out the combinations!
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Pokerounce (c.1420) ★★★

I just love the names of medieval recipes! They're always so strange and interesting.
By the way, I had no idea what Galangal was, but I was able to find it easily in my local Asian grocery store.


Original Recipe:
.xxxvj. Pokerounce. Take Hony, & caste it in a potte tyl it wexe chargeaunt y-now; take & skeme it clene. Take Gyngere, Canel, & Galyngale, & caste þer-to; take whyte Brede, & kytte to trenchours, & toste ham; take þin paste whyle it is hot, & sprede it vppe-on þin trenchourys with a spone, & plante it with Pynes, & serue forth.

The Verdict:
Well, I wasn't a huge fan. I really didn't like the pine nuts, but the honey spread was okay. I overcooked it so it kept sticking to my teeth, which was kind of gross. I also added a bit too much galangal, so it was quite peppery. I also feel like maybe it would've been nicer to spread the honey on the bread before toasting. On the other hand, Little Y gobbled up both pieces, so I guess she liked it! In this case, I feel that it's really all about personal preferences, so I give it an average rating.

Modernized Recipe:
(Adapted from Two Fifteenth-Century Cookery-Books)

HONEY
GINGER
CINNAMON
GALANGAL
WHITE BREAD
PINE NUTS

1. Cut slices of white bread into rectangles, removing the crusts. Toast.
2. In a small saucepan, heat the honey until thickened. It will thicken as it cools; mine only took a minute.
3. Add ginger, cinnamon, and galangal to the honey to taste.
4. Spread the thickened honey on the toast and top it with pine nuts.
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Caramel Sandwiches (1915) ★★★★★

Perhaps its my Dutch roots showing, but I'd prefer a deliciously sweet sandwich like this over a savory one any day!

Original Recipe:
1 tablespoon of butter
1 cup of light brown sugar
1 tablespoon of water
Melt the butter with the light brown sugar, and the water; cook for a few moments, till well incorporated, then spread between slices of buttered bread.

The Verdict:
This tastes exactly like sucre a la creme! And for those who aren't familiar with this Canadian treat, sucre a la creme is a traditional fudge from Quebec which is made with, well...pretty much the exact same ingredients as this sandwich filling. It was a delicious and decadent spread which seemed perfect for tea time sandwiches. I used whole wheat bread because it's just what we eat, but I think white bread would make this prettier and would really let the caramel flavour shine a little more. The caramel itself was a bit grainy, but that's probably just my impatience. It didn't bother me at all, but if you want a smoother spread, make sure the sugar completely dissolves (234 - 240F) and stir constantly as it cools so that large sugar crystals won't form.

Modernized Recipe:
(Adapted from The Suffrage Cook Book)

1 tablespoon BUTTER, unsalted
1 tablespoon WATER
1 cup BROWN SUGAR
BREAD

1. In a small saucepan, heat the butter, water, and sugar until the sugar is completely dissolved (234 - 240F). Once the sugar has dissolved, heat to boiling. Remove from heat and stir briskly until thickened and cooled.
2. Butter slices of bread and sandwich the cooled caramel between two slices. The caramel will solidify quickly, so only do one sandwich at a time and make sure the caramel is still warm enough to spread. Remove crusts and cut into fancy shapes if desired.
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Picnic Lunch (c. 1905) ★★★★





Summer is the perfect time for picnics, so I thought I would share this bill of fare for a picnic lunch from a circa 1905 California cookbook. I also decided to include some lemonade with our picnic. It isn't listed in this menu, but it was included in another picnic menu from the same cookbook. Also, I didn't make the salad dressing because I just used mayonnaise.
Overall, it seems like picnic food hasn't changed much over the years!












Original Recipes: 
The Verdict:
Veal Loaf: It was good, but I overdid the celery salt just a bit. It's very strong stuff, so you only need a pinch. Other than that it was yummy.

Cheese Sandwiches: Well...it's just mustard and cheese in bread, so....yeah, it was good.

Olive Sandwiches: Mr. Man really liked these, but our olives had apparently gone off, so he threw it out. He said otherwise the sandwich would have been delicious.

Potato Salad: Mr. Man LOVED this. But he loves anything with cayenne, so I wasn't surprised. He practically licked the bowl clean.

Wafers: At first I thought these were super weird and didn't really like them, but the more I ate the better they tasted. They cooked up with domes in the centers and were really spongy like mini pancakes. I am assuming you are supposed to eat these with jam, since the menu says to bring along some jelly. They taste very buttery and are alright on their own, but really delicious with jam.

Overall, a lovely picnic and all the recipes were edible!










Modernized Recipes:
(Adapted from The Times Cook Book, No. 2 )

Veal Loaf
1 1/2 pounds GROUND VEAL or BEEF
1/4 pound BUTTER, softened
1/4 cup CRACKERS, crushed, or BREAD CRUMBS
1/4 cup MILK
1 EGG
SALT
PEPPER
SAGE
THYME
CELERY SALT
BUTTER

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, thoroughly mix together ground veal (or beef; I used ground beef), butter, crackers/bread crumbs, milk, egg, and spices to taste.
3. Form the meat mixture into a loaf shape and place in the middle of the lined cookie sheet.
4. Bake the loaf for about 1 hour, basting occasionally with some butter which has been melted with a little water.

Cheese Sandwiches
BREAD
BUTTER, softened
SWISS CHEESE
MUSTARD

1. Butter slices of bread. Fill sandwiches with cheese and mustard.





Olive Sandwiches
BREAD
LETTUCE
OLIVES
MAYONNAISE or SALAD DRESSING

1. Dice olives and mix them with enough mayonnaise to spread on the number of sandwiches you want. I think I used about 5 olives and 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise for 1 sandwich.
2. Spread the mixture on crisp lettuce leaves and place between two slices of bread.

Potato Salad
12 medium POTATOES
3 tablespoons PARSLEY, minced
3 tablespoons CELERY, minced
2 tablespoons ONION, minced
SALT
CAYENNE PEPPER
3 HARD BOILED EGGS, diced
1/2 pint MAYONNAISE or SALAD DRESSING

1. Peel and dice 12 medium potatoes. Boil until tender.
2. In a medium bowl, mix together the remaining ingredients.

Salad Dressing
2 EGG YOLKS
1 tablespoon BUTTER, softened
4 tablespoons VINEGAR
1 teaspoon SALT
1 teaspoon SUGAR
1 teaspoon MUSTARD
1/2 cup CREAM

1. In a small bowl, beat together the egg yolks and the butter. Mix in the vinegar, salt, sugar, and mustard. 
2. Put boiling water in a larger bowl or pot and float the smaller bowl with the dressing in the boiling water. Whisk until it thickens.
3. When the dressing has thickened, take it off the heat and let it cool. Mix in the cream.

Wafers
1 cup UNSALTED BUTTER, softened
1 cup SUGAR
2/3 cup BUTTERMILK
1 teaspoon BAKING SODA
2 EGGS
1/2 teaspoon SALT
FLOUR
JAM, optional

1. Preheat the oven to 400F.
2. In a medium bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until combined. Mix in the buttermilk, baking soda, eggs, and salt.
3. Add enough flour to make a soft dough. I think I used 2 cups, or maybe less.
4. Drop teaspoonfuls of batter on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 7 - 10 minutes, or until firm and golden around the edges. Serve with jam if desired.
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