Bouillabaisse

Bouillabaisse ~ "What makes a bouillabaisse different from other fish soups is the selection of Provençal herbs and spices in the broth; the use of bony local Mediterranean fish; the way the fish are added one at a time, in a certain order, and brought to a boil; and the method of serving. In Marseille, the broth is served first in a bowl containing the bread and rouille, with the seafood and vegetables served separately in another bowl or on a platter."

"According to tradition, the origins of the dish date back to the time of the Phoceans, an Ancient Greek people who founded Marseille in 600 BC. Then, the population ate a simple fish stew known in Greek as 'kakavia.' Something similar to Bouillabaisse also appears in Roman mythology: it is the soup that Venus fed to Vulcan."

"The dish known today as bouillabaisse was created by Marseille fishermen who wanted to make a meal when they returned to port. Rather than using the more expensive fish, they cooked the common rockfish and shellfish that they pulled up with their nets and lines, usually fish that were too bony to serve in restaurants, cooking them in a cauldron of sea water on a wood fire and seasoning them with garlic and fennel. Tomatoes were added to the recipe in the 17th century, after their introduction from America."

"In the 19th century, as Marseille became more prosperous, restaurants and hotels began to serve bouillabaisse to upper-class patrons. The recipe of bouillabaisse became more refined, with the substitution of fish stock for boiling water, and the addition of saffron. Bouillabaisse spread from Marseille to Paris, and then gradually around the world, adapted to local ingredients and tastes."

"The name bouillabaisse comes from the method of the preparation - the ingredients are not added all at once. The broth is first boiled [bolh] then the different kinds of fish are added one by one, and each time the broth comes to a boil, the heat is lowered [abaissa]."

"Generally similar dishes are found in Portugal [caldeirada], Spain [sopa de pescado y marisco, suquet de peix], Italy [zuppa di pesce], Greece and all the countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea; where these kind of dishes have been made since the Neolithic Era."

From wikiHOW

Bouillabaisse Recipe

1/2 cup of olive oil 1 cup of chopped onion 1 cup of leek 4 cloves of garlic, mashed 3 large, ripe tomatoes 2 1/2 quarts of water Sprigs of fresh basil, parsley, thyme, and fennel fronds

1/2 teaspoon of saffron 1 tablespoon of sea salt 3 to 4 pounds of fish heads, bones, trimmings 1 1/2 pounds of peeled shrimp and their shells 1 1/2 pounds of wild cod chunks

1 1/2 pounds of halibut chunks 1 1/2 pounds of sole chunks 1 1/2 pounds of debearded, scrubbed mussels or clams 2 tbsp. tomato paste 2 tbsp. anise liquor such as Ouzo or Pernod Fresh bread or garlic bread

In some recipes, tomato paste mixed with anise liquor is added to the stew. To do this, strain out the fish before serving. Mix 2 tbsp. of tomato paste with 2 tbsp. of anise liquor such as Ouzo or Pernod, and whisk this mixture into the stew before serving.

2 tall pots are needed to prepare the bouillabaisse. Pour the olive oil into one of the cooking pots and heat it over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and leek until they're soft and slightly translucent. Stir in the garlic. Let it cook for approximately 1 minute until it releases its fragrance. Add the salt, saffron, fresh herbs, tomatoes, water, as well as the fish heads, bones, trimmings and shrimp shells. Bring the mixture to a simmer. Reduce the heat slightly until the stew slowly bubbles, but does not boil. Allow the stew to cook for 30 minutes.

Strain the stew over the second cooking pot. Take the solids out of the strainer and discard them. Put the second pot, now holding the strained stew, on the stove and bring the stew to a boil so the olive oil thoroughly mixes into the rest of the stew instead of floating on top.

Add the shrimp and let them cook for 1-to-2 minutes until they turn pink. Add the wild cod, halibut and sole as well as the mussels or clams. Cover the stew and let it simmer. Check it every few minutes to see if the mussels or clams have opened. Taste the stew. If necessary, add extra salt or pepper, or whatever herb is your personal preference. Serve the bouillabaisse with fresh bread or toasted garlic bread.

Text Credits: Wikipedia wikiHOW
Image Credit: Flickr

Carrot Cake

Carrot Cake ~ "Carrots have been used in sweet cakes since the medieval period, during which time sweeteners were scarce and expensive, while carrots, which contain more sugar than any other vegetable besides the sugar beet, were much easier to come by and were used to make sweet desserts. The origins of Carrot Cake are disputed but it is thought to come from Gothenburg, Sweden. The popularity of carrot cake was probably revived in Britain because of rationing during the Second World War."

"Carrot cake closely resembles a quick bread in method of preparation [all the wet ingredients, such as the eggs and sugar, are mixed together, all the dry ingredients are mixed together, and the wet are then added to the dry] and final consistency [which is usually denser than a traditional cake and has a coarser crumb]."

"Many carrot cake recipes include optional ingredients, such as nuts, raisin, pineapple, or coconut. The most common icing on carrot cake is a cream cheese icing [icing sugar, butter and cream cheese]."

"Carrot cake is often referred to as Passion cake. Carrot cake was voted as the favourite cake in the United Kingdom, according to a survey in the Radio Times in 2011."

From wikiHOW

Carrot Cake Recipe

For The Cake: 2 cups (250g) self-rising flour 2 cups (400g) sugar 1 1/2 cups (355 ml) oil 4 eggs

1 tsp. cinnamon 1 tsp. vanilla 1/2 tsp. black walnut flavoring 3 cups (330g) shredded carrots 1 cup (120g) chopped black walnuts

For The Frosting: 1/2 tsp. baking soda 1/2 cup (120g) butter milk 1 cup (200g) sugar 1 tbs. Caro syrup

For The Cake: Preheat oven to 350ºF/180ºC. Grease and flour a bundt pan. In a large bowl, mix oil, sugar, eggs, and flavorings. Add flour and cinnamon to the mixture. Mix in carrots and nuts. Pour the mixture into a pan. Bake for one hour. Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool in the pan. For The Frosting: To a small sauce pan add baking soda, buttermilk, sugar, and syrup. Bring the mixture to a boil. Pour mixture over the cake and let it sit.

Text Credits: Wikipedia wikiHOW
Image Credit: thinktankmomma

Hoppin'John ~ Happy New Year

Hoppin' John ~ "The origins of the name are uncertain; one possibility is that the name is a corruption of the Haitian Creole term for black-eyed peas: pois pigeons pronounced: [pwapiˈʒɔ̃]. The Oxford English Dictionary's first reference to the dish is from Frederick Law Olmsted's 19th century travelogue, A Journey in the Seaboard Slave States. "The greatest luxury with which they are acquainted is a stew of bacon and peas, with red pepper, which they call 'Hopping John'."

"Throughout the coastal South, eating Hoppin' John on New Year's Day is thought to bring a prosperous year filled with luck. The peas are symbolic of pennies or coins, and a coin is sometimes added to the pot or left under the dinner bowls. Collard greens, mustard greens, turnip greens, chard, kale, cabbage etc. along with this dish are supposed to also add to the wealth since they are the color of money."

"Another traditional food, cornbread, can also be served to represent wealth -- being the color of gold. On the day after New Year's Day, leftover "Hoppin' John" is called "Skippin' Jenny," and further demonstrates one's frugality, bringing a hope for an even better chance of prosperity in the New Year."

"During the late Middle Ages, there was a tradition of eating beans on New Year's Day for good luck in parts of France and Spain. The European tradition mixed with an African food item to become a New World tradition."

"The Oxford English Dictionary's first reference to the dish is from Frederick Law Olmsted's 19th century travelogue, A Journey in the Seaboard Slave States. "The greatest luxury with which they are acquainted is a stew of bacon and peas, with red pepper, which they call 'Hopping John'."

"Hoppin' John is the Southern United States' version of the rice and beans dish traditional throughout West Africa. It consists of black-eyed peas [or field peas] and rice, with chopped onion and sliced bacon, seasoned with a bit of salt. Some people substitute ham hock or fatback for the conventional bacon; a few use green peppers or vinegar and spices. Smaller than black-eyed peas, field peas are used in the Low Country of South Carolina and Georgia; black-eyed peas are the norm elsewhere."


"One tradition common in the Southern USA is that each person at the meal should leave three peas on their plate to assure that the New Year will be filled with Luck, Fortune and Romance. Another tradition holds that counting the number of peas in a serving predicts the amount of luck [or wealth] that the diner will have in the coming year."

From Lana's Cooking Secret Recipe Club

Hoppin' John Recipe

2 Cups Water 1 Tablespoon Butter 1/2 Teaspoon Salt 1 Cup Rice 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil 1 Medium Onion, Chopped 1 Red or Green Bell Pepper, Chopped

2 Stalks Celery, Chopped 2-3 Garlic Cloves, Chopped 2 15-oz. Cans Black-eyed Peas, Rinsed and Drained 1/4 Cup Chicken Stock Salt and Pepper 2 Tablespoons Chopped Parsley 2 Green Onions, Chopped 1 Large Tomato, Seeded and Diced

Bring the water, butter and salt to a boil in a medium saucepan. Stir in the rice.
Cover, reduce heat to low and cook approximately 20 minutes or until the rice is tender. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, celery and garlic. Cook until the vegetables are tender and the onion is translucent. Add the black eyed peas, stock, salt and pepper. Cook for approximately 10 minutes. Stir in the parsley. Serve the peas over a bed of rice. Garnish with chopped green onions and tomato.

Text Credits: Wikipedia
Lana's Cooking Secret Recipe Club
Image Credit: Lana's Cooking Secret Recipe Club