Monroe Plateau Exhibit

Two segments of the Monroe Plateau are part of the exhibit, ‘Something of Splendor’: Decorative Arts from the White House at the Smithsonian's Renwick Gallery through May 6, 2012 in DC.  The 14 1/2 foot mirrored plateau in 7 pieces was bought by President Monroe in 1817 from Matelin in France.  It was

"mat gilt with garlands of fruit and vines with figure of Bacchus and Bacchantes and pedestals on which are 16 Figures presenting wreathes for receiving lights [candles] and 16 cups for changing at will, composed of 7 pieces altogether 13 [sic 14] feet 6 inches long, over 2 feet wide, set with its mirrors." 

The photo and info is from White House History and more details of the museum exhibit, plus a short podcast is HERE. To watch a small clip by the White House Curator speak on the plateau and other items on the exhibit go to CSPAN  

George Washington also had a plateau, part of which is displayed at Mount Vernon.  On Oct 13, 1789 he wrote to Gouverneur Morris ordering "...mirrors for a table, with neat and fashionable but not expensive ornaments for them; such as will do credit to your taste.  The mirrors will of course be in pieces that they may be adapted to the company, (the size of it I mean) the aggregate length of them may be ten feet, the breadth two feet.  The frames may be plated ware, or any thing else more fashionable but not more expensive.  If I am defective refur to what you have seen on Mr. Robert Morris's table for my ideas generally."  The quote is from the Library of Congress Washington's papers online at LC SITE

©2011 Patricia Bixler Reber
hearthcook.com

Ham 'n Hay

During the fall with the butchering of pigs and harvesting of hay, an interesting combo of ham and hay is worth mentioning.

Ham cooked with hay would “…greatly improve the flavor” [Leslie, Eliza.  New Cookery Book.  Phila: 1857], and according to the Detroit Free Press cookbook in 1881, it “…mellows the taste, and keeps it from being burned.”   A third reason given was to absorb impurities – “…they should be boiled until done, in good, soft water; and, when nearly done, throw in a handful of clean Timothy hay; it absorbs all impurities which may be around the outside of the ham. As soon as done, take out the hay, but leave the ham in the water until nearly cold, when you may take it out.”  [Annual Report of the Commissioner of Patents. 1852]

When boiling ham, hay would be placed in the bottom of a ham boiler.  A few authors said to “…tie it up in clean hay…” [E. Smith, 1727; Table, 1854 - see below]

Hay could also be part of the storing process:  “Make sacks of coarse cotton cloth, large enough to hold one ham, and fill in with chopped hay all around about two inches thick. The hay prevents the grease from coming in contact with the cloth and keeps all insects from the meat. Hang in the smokehouse, or other dry, cool place, and they will keep a long time.”  [Youman, A.E. A Dictionary of Every-day Wants. NY: 1872]

A further use of hay in the late 19th/early 20th centuries was for hay boxes, which were early forms of fireless cookers.  In the future, I will post an article on this unusual cooking apparatus.

Image from Library of Congress.

______ 

To boil a Ham. Lay your ham in cold water for two hours, wash it clean, and tie it up in clean hay; put it into fresh water, boil it very slow for one hour, and then very briskly for an hour and a half more. Take it up in the hay and let it lie in til cold, then rub the rind with a clean piece of flannel.  [E. Smith. The Compleat Housewife, 1727]

To Boil a Ham. —There are so many "best modes" of cooking ham, that it is difficult to decide among them. This much, however, is certain, that unless you have a very good cook, it will be well to envelop the ham in a flour-and-water crust, and bake it. Hams are sometimes boiled in lard, and the reason for this is, that it takes a very high temperature to make fat boil, and consequently the ham is cooked very gently. Some persons boil it in champagne, and others in white wine.

The old-fashioned way was to boil a ham, of about 20 lb. weight, in the boiler from three and a-half to about five hours, according to its size, simmering it all the time. The more modern method appears to be to put it in cold water, and bring it to boil; then simmer till done. A very old-fashioned way in England to boil hams, and which has a great many admirers to this day, is wrapping up the ham in hay, and simmering it very gently; while others are contented to place hay under the ham in the pot. No harm is done by either mode; but the cook must remember, that the ham is to be put into hot water and never allowed to boil. But to cook a ham to perfection, make a large pot-au-feu, and cook your ham in it. Let it simmer until an iron skewer will enter easily to the bone; then lift it out of the pot; take the skin off; either glaze it, or sift fine raspings over it. Send it hot or cold to table, and we will promise that neither white wine nor champagne is required to make it excellent. The hay had better be given to your horse, and the white wine and champagne drunk at table.  [Table Observances. London: 1854]

TO BOIL A HAM.   Wash and scrape the ham clean ; put it on in cold water enough to cover it; put into the water two onions, two carrots, a head of celery, a dozen cloves and a handful of timothy hay; boil without stopping until the skin will readily peel from the ham; cover the ham with rolled crackers, or bread crumbs that have been browned and rolled, and bake in a slow oven for two hours.  [The Home Cook Book. Chicago]

Nice sweet timothy hay, cut fine, is the best thing extant for packing bacon, as it imparts a pleasant aromatic taste ...   [Thomas, John.  The Illustrated Annual Register of Rural Affairs and Cultivator. 1870]

©2011 Patricia Bixler Reber
hearthcook.com

Stuffed Pigs Ears - Forced Hogs Ears

During the fall, several festivals include pig butchering demonstrations, such as this past weekend at Landis Valley Museum, in Lancaster, PA.  I didn't get to leave the bake oven, so I am not sure if they cleaned the stomach for Hog Maw or saved other parts[ie. the ears] of the pig.  In January I posted about "Pudding" made from scraps, and now I'll include a couple of British recipes for stuffing the ears. 

There were several ways 18th century cooks prepared hog's ears. Two recipes to stuff the ears are given below. One, Hog's Ears Forced by Glasse [1747 and 1799] had the same ingredients as Moxon - just written differently - anchovy, sage, parsley, suet, bread crumbs, pepper, egg yolk, and a sauce of gravy, wine, mustard, butter, flour, onion and pepper. The other recipe, Plovers Capuchine was a very different stuffing of forcemeat and the bird, a plover, positioned in the ear so its beak peaked out.

Other pig's ear receipts were Fricassee, Ragouts/Ragoed/Ragoo, Sauce, Frying, Broiled, Marbree, and Pickle.

Plovers Capuchine Take four hog's ears, boil them tender, put a piece of force meat and your birds in the ears, with the head outwards, set them upright, the tips of the ears, falling backwards; wash them with eggs and crumbs then bake them gently; and serve them up with gravy.
Peckham, Ann. The Complete English Cook. Leeds: [1790?]

Glasse:
To make a Number of pretty little Dishes, fit for a Supper, or Side-dish, and little Corner-dishes, for a great Table; and the rest you have in the Chapter for Lent.

Hogs Ears forced.
TAKE four hogs ears, and half boil them, or take them soused; make a force-meat thus: take half a pound of beef-suet, as much crumbs of bread, an anchovy, some sage; boil and chop very fine a little parsley; mix all together with the yolk of an egg, a little pepper; slit your ears very carefully to make a place for your stuffing; fill them, flour them, and fry them in fresh butter till they are of a fine brown; then pour out all the fat clean, and put to them half a pint of gravy, a glass of white wine, three tea-spoonfuls of mustard, a piece of butter as big as a nutmeg rolled in flour, a little pepper, a small onion whole; cover them close, and let them stew softly for half an hour, shaking your pan now and then. When they are enough, lay them in your dish, and pour your sauce over them, but first take out the onion. This makes a very pretty dish; but if you would make a fine large dish, take the feet, and cut all the meat in small thin pieces, and stew with the ears. Season with salt to your palate.
Glasse, Hannah. The art of cookery made plain and easy
Rundell, Maria. A new system of domestic cookery. London: 1807 has the same recipe, adding finely minced veal to the forcemeat.

©2011 Patricia Bixler Reber
hearthcook.com