https://honealthy.blogspot.com/ |
 |
Isleta Bread or Bear Claw
Image Source: Wikipedia |
I finally had the opportunity to visit Manhattan's phenomenal bookstore , The Strand , which contains over 18 miles of books , new and used. Of course , I drifted over to the food and cooking section and was happy to find the out-of-print book , The Dictionary of American Food & Drink by John Mariani (New York , 1983). This book contains a lot of terms inspired by American cowboys , loggers , Native Americans , or by region. Below are some of Mariani's entries for culinary terms that are unusual , out-of-use , or just plain interesting. Disclosure: Some of Mariani's history is sketchy or incomplete but the names are fun!
How many do you recognize? Enjoy!
Adam's Ale: Slang for water. A colloquialism based on the assumption that the only drink Adam had in the Bible was water; this term [was] often heard in soda fountains and at lunch counters.
Brush Roast: A North Carolina term for a dish of oysters cooked on a wire netting over a wood fire and served with butter , chow-chow , and corn bread.
Cackleberry: A logger's term for an egg. The cackle refers to the sound made by chickens , and in prison lingo eggs are referred to as 'cacklers" (or 'shells').
Dusty Miller: A sundae made with powdered malted-milk topping. The term derives from a noctuid moth of the same name whose speckled wings resemble the dusty topping on the sundae. The moth's name is first mentioned in port in 1909; the sundae probably dates from the 1920s.
Eatin' Iron: Cowboy slang term for a knife , fork , or spoon.
Franconia Potatoes: Boiled potatoes baked with butter. The name refers to the Franconia range of the White Mountains in New Hampshire. The recipe below is from a 1944 cookbook: Boil potatoes in salted water , place in a buttered pan , pour melted butter over them , season with salt and pepper , and bake till browned at 400º.
Grape Pie: A pie made from eastern grapes of the Labrusca variety and its hybrids. This pie in some form was originally made by the Indians living along the vine-rich regions of Canandaigua Lake in New York , and it is rarely made anywhere else in the United States.
Herman: A Midwest colloquialism for a bread starter , often kept over decades.
Isleta Bread: A Pueblo Indian bread shaped like a bear's claw , hence the alternate names 'bear claw' or 'paw bread'.
Jake: An alcoholic beverage made from Jamaican ginger during the Prohibition era. The name comes from its allusion to Jamaica.
Kishka: A Jewish-American baked sausage made with meat , flour , and spices. The word , from the Russian for 'intestines ,' was the first first printed circa 1936.
Larrup: Cowboy term for molasses , which was also called 'long sweetening ,' The origin of the name is unknown , though the same word in dialectical English means a 'beating.'
Mountain Oyster: The testicles of the bull , pig , or lamb. Sometimes called "Rocky Mountain oysters ,' they are usually breaded ad fried in the West. The name derives from the general appearance of the final product and not a little euphemism. It is a term used both by cowboys and meat packinghouse workers.
Nioi: A Hawaiian 'chili water ,' made with chili peppers , water , and salt , that serves as a seasoning for various dishes.
Ohio Pudding: A pudding of sweet potatoes , carrots , and brown sugar , popular in Ohio.
Pair of Overalls: Cowboy term for an order of two drinks served at once.
Quaking Custard: A cream custard of New England around which are garnished egg whites. The name refers to the quivering texture of the dish.
Rum Tum Tiddy: A New England blend of tomato soup and Cheddar cheese served as a main course.
Salt Hoss: Cowboy's term for corned beef.
Trapper's Butter: Trapper's term for bone-marrow of a killed animal , which was often made into a thickened broth.
Underwears: A cowboy's term for sheep.
Valley Tan: Trader's term for a whiskey made by the Mormons of Salt Lake Valley.
Whistle Berries: A cowboy's term for beans , perhaps because of the flatulence they often cause.
Yale Boat Pie: A dish made with layers of meat , poultry , and shellfish set in a pastry crust. The name comes from Yale University in New Haven , Connecticut . . . .
Zephyrina: A North Caarolina cookie baked by both the Indians and the early settlers of the territory. The name derives from the Latin , zephyrs , for 'wind ,' because of their light , airy quality. Combine 2 cups flour , 1 tbs. butter , salt , and enough water to make an elastic dough. Roll thin , cut into rounds , prick with fork , and bake till browned in a 375º oven.
