Jack London enjoyed good food and he often took a turn in the kitchen as a way of relaxing. This is one of the recipes he contributed to The Suffragette Cookbook. I have altered it slightly to accommodate modern tastes and available ingredients.
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3 or 4 strips of bacon, diced
1 large yellow onion, diced
2 to 4 cloves of garlic, chopped small
2 green peppers, seeded and diced
3 cups of steamed long grained white rice
2 ripe tomatoes, diced
1 cup tomato sauce
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Salt and fresh coarse ground black pepper to taste
1/2 cup grated Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup bread crumbs
Gently sauté the bacon over a medium heat until it is crisp. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside. Sauté the onion, garlic and green pepper in the bacon fat until soft. Add the rice, tomatoes and tomato sauce and cook, stirring occasionally, until hot through. Return the bacon to the pan, add the cilantro toss gently. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Place in a casserole dish. Toss the cheese and bread crumbs together and scatter over the top. Bake in a 350°F – (180°C or Gas mark 4) oven until the cheese has melted and the top lightly browned. Serve hot as a side dish, or accompanied by a salad it makes a light entrée.
Lomi lomi salmon is a dish that did not come to the islands until after contact with Haole, (whites or Europeans). Salmon is not a Hawaiian fish. Hawaiians did not begin using it until traders brought salted salmon from Alaska to trade for Hawaiian goods. Lomi lomi means to knead or massage. It was necessary to “lomi lomi” the salmon in water to remove some of the salt, and that is how this recipe was developed. Actually, most of the ingredients used in lomi lomi salmon were unknown in Hawaii until after contact with haole people.
About 1 pound salt salmon
1 smallish white onion, diced very fine
2 to 3 green onions, chopped fine
2 to 3 tomatoes, seeded and diced small
Dice the salmon into about 1/4 inch pieces, removing any bones and bits of fat or sinew as you do. Place in a colander and rinse under cold running water to remove excess salt. Add the remaining ingredients and lomi lomi until well mixed. Place in a serving dish and set the dish on a larger dish filled with crushed ice. It should always be served very cold.
Cock a Leekie takes many forms in Scotland and is as much a part of the culture as single malt whisky, haggis, bagpipes and shortbread. I found this recipe in the records of the crofters village of Auchachenna, on the shores of Lock Gynn in Argylshire. In it’s original form this recipe probably dates from the 17th century since it mentions that if you could get them you might find the “New Virginia Patata,” preferable to neeps, (turnips). The original recipe calls for “…a venerable old cock who had outlived his usefulness in the barnyard and was too old for roasting…” Since you most likely don’t have a “…venerable old cock…” handy, you may of course use any chicken you find in your market.
2 or 2 strips of bacon, diced
1 large onion, diced
a small sprig each of thyme, rosemary, sage, and savory
1 chicken, cut up
1 large or 2 to 3 small, (depending on size) Leeks, chopped and well washed, including about 4 to 6 inches of the green tops
2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
Stock, broth or bouillon, – (or canned commercial) *
1 cup cream
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Salt and fresh coarse ground black pepper to taste
Place the bacon in a large heavy pot and gently sauté the bacon until it begins to release its fat. Do not allow to brown. Add the diced onion and herbs and continue to sauté until the onions are soft, pinkish and translucent. Add the chicken parts and lightly brown on all sides. Add the leeks and potatoes and cover all with water of stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to maintain a rapid simmer. Cover with a tight fitting lid and continue to cook until the meat is falling off the bone. Remove from the heat and leave sit until cool enough to handle. Remove the meat from the bones and dice. Set aside. Skim as much fat as possible from the broth. Return the chicken meat to the pot and stir in the cream. Cook only until all is hot through. Stir in the fresh parsley and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve hot with Fresh Crusty Bread.
* Since most likely the only chicken you will be able to find will not be a “venerable old cock,” chances are it will not produce quite as favorable a stock as the old bird would have, therefore you may wish to give your stock a bit of help.
Robert Burns, much-loved national poet of Scotland, was born on January 25th 1759. Not only in Scotland, but the world around, wherever people of Scottish decent or would-be-Scots gather, they celebrate “Burns Night.” The celebration usually involves a haggis and an inordinate amount of unblended malt whisky. Who’s Robert Burns? You most likely croon his most famous work every New Year’s Eve, for he was the author of Auld Lang Syne.
Whereas I am sure you would have no objection to hefting a glass of Glenfiddich or Glenmornagie, most of you probably wouldn’t touch a haggis with a ten foot Claymore, which is too bad because haggis has received a lot of undeserved bad press over the years. If you are interested in celebrating the Scottish Bards birthday, along with the haggis, you couldn’t do better than to serve Cock-a-Leekie soup.
Haggis has over the centuries been badly abused and sometimes deservedly, sometimes undeservedly, developed a rather bad reputation. It has received a lot of bad P.R. and has been the brunt of many a rude joke. In actuality a haggis is rather like a cross between meatloaf and pâté.. And you can make it with most anything you like. Traditionally it is made up in all or part with variety meats, that is liver, tongue, kidneys, heart etc. but it doesn’t have to be. A good haggis should contain at least some variety meats. And the filler? Oatmeal of course. We are talking about Scotland after all.
Part of the reason for a haggis’s bad rep is the fact that it is traditionally cooked inside a sheep’s stomach. Many people find this off putting, yet the eat sausages which are traditionally cooked in a sheep or pigs intestine.
Now, knowing that many Americans think they have been poisoned it they eat liver or any other organ meat, the first recipe listed below contains only a bit of liver. I’m not including any of the other organ meats because in modern large-chain markets they can be difficult to find. If you live near smaller markets that cater to farming communities, people who put up their own food, or ethnic groups who have held on to their traditional foods, you should be able to find them.
Almost Traditional Haggis
Serves about 20
First, since you will most likely not be able to find a sheep’s stomach to cook your haggis in, I suggest you buy a couple of large pieces of tripe and sew them into a pouch with cotton kitchen twine.
Olive oil or drippings
2 to 3 large yellow onions, chopped small
6 to 8 cloves of garlic, minced
2 to 3 stalks of celery, chopped small
About ½ pound of beef, sheep or pig liver
2 ½ pounds of ground beef or lamb
1 pound of ground sausage meat
3 cups of quick oats
1 tablespoon mixed dried herbs, (Italian seasoning) or favorite herbs
¼ cup of sugar
Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste – (heavy on the pepper)
Heat drippings or olive oil in a large heavy skillet. Traditionally drippings would be used, but I much prefer olive oil for health reasons. Gently sauté the onions, garlic and celery until the onions are pinkish, soft and translucent but not yet browned. Unless you have a very large skillet you may need to do this in batches.
When the vegetables are done, allow them to cool. Meanwhile, grind or chop the liver very small. Mix all ingredients together well. Fry or nuke a small amount to test for seasoning.
Using cotton kitchen twine, sew the tripe into a pouch. Stuff the pouch with the meat mixture. Do not over fill it or it may burst in the cooking. Just like when cooking sausages, the tripe will shrink some during cooking. After the pouch is stuffed, sew it shut. Now, using a skewer, poke some holes in the tripe. This will help to keep it from bursting as it cooks.
Now, using more of the cotton kitchen twine, tie several loose fitting loops around the haggis. This is so that you may lift it out of the pot while it is still hot.
Using a pot large enough to hold your haggis, cover the bottom with a layer of sliced onions, and place the haggis on them. This will keep the haggis from scorching. Fill the pot with enough cold water to cover the haggis and put on the stove on a high flame. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to maintain a simmer, cover with a lid and cook for 2 ½ to 3 hours.
When the haggis is done, carefully lift it out of the pot and sit in a large colander or some place else where it may drain. Taste the liquid it was cooked in. You may wish to use it to make a nice Mushroom Pan Gravy which is traditional to serve with the haggis, as is a good Sweet and Hot Brown Mustard.
To serve, place the warm haggis on a large serving plate or tray. Surround with decorative greens like kale, or parsley. You may wish to scatter chips, (French fries) around it as well. Serve hot with the gravy and mustard. In some regions of Scotland, haggis is served with mashed potatoes and mashed turnips instead of chips.
Haggis prepared for Hogmany 2022 by Leilehua Yuen, daughter of Geraldine.
More Traditional Haggis
by Leilehua Yuen, extracted from Pōhaku Makamae, a Holmesian pastiche in which a hapa girl, Kamaka Holmes, strives to emulate her distant cousin, the renowned Sherlock Holmes. The book makes a lovely holiday gift, as it contains about 30 Victorian holiday recipes which will combine to create a banquet for Christmas, Hogmanay, Burns Night, or any other celebration.
The speaker in this extract is Fevronia Watkins, the younger cousin of Kamaka, who plays the role of Watson, documenting Kamaka’s investigations.
Haggis is really a kind of pâté made from sheep’s pluck and oatmeal, and cased in the rumen. It is a rich dish, as the oatmeal absorbs and swells with the fat which disperses the flavor throughout. Some of the plantation managers, being Scots themselves, celebrate Burns night and so my Uncle and Kamaka were able to indulge at those events, but Kamaka’s mother, being Hawaiian, had never prepared the dish, and my Uncle, being unfamiliar with the workings of a kitchen, could not do so for himself.
It is the same recipe for a sheep or a lamb. I asked the butcher for lamb because I am not large, and would be making it myself. As every sheep and lamb is of different size, you must judge the quantities for yourself, once you have the pluck.
Sheep’s pluck (heart, lungs, and liver)
round onions
2 cups coarse oatmeal
2 cups lamb suet (if mutton suet cannot be gotten, well-refined beef suet will do)
salt
coarsely ground white pepper
Finely ground:
sage
thyme
rosemary
savory
rumen (4th stomach of the sheep)
The day before you wish to bake the haggis, wash the pluck and simmer it gently in plain unsalted water at least an hour, or until it is tender. Let it cool overnight in the cooking liquid.
Chop the heart and lungs very fine, to about the texture of the oatmeal. Grate the liver so that it crumbles to about the same texture.
Toast the oatmeal in a skillet or the oven for a few minutes until lightly browned.
Chop the onions very fine. Add the seasonings as you see fit. If unsure, start with a quarter teaspoon of each and adjust to taste.
Mince the suet.
Blend together all of the ingredients, adding in the broth from cooking a little at a time. It should be moist, but not hold together.
Test the flavor by cooking a spoonful and trying it. Adjust seasonings to taste.
Spoon the mix into the rumen until it is half full. The haggis should not be packed too tightly, as the rumen will shrink, and the mix will expand as it cooks. Massage the rumen to remove any air pockets. The air bubbles must be removed to prevent the haggis exploding.
With the kitchen string, tie off the openings. I like to leave the ends of the string long and tie them to a spoon laid across the pot, then it is easier to draw it out of the broth once cooked.
Set the haggis back into the pot of broth in which the pluck was cooked and bring it to a simmer. Watch it for trapped air bubbles which may create bulges in the casing as it contracts and the stuffing swells. Use a sharp skewer to pierce and release them. Cook for about a half hour per inch of thickness. When it is fully cooked, lift it out onto a plate and pat it dry with cloth. Lay it on a bed of mashed roots and decorate with whatever is appropriate to the occasion.
Here, I share my most unusual experience with nabe, at least, what our Japanese hosts said was nabemono. Perhaps it was a specialty of that bar.
We had been performing and teaching in Yokohama, and our Japanese hosts took us and some friends to their favorite bar. The bar, and the alley it was in, were straight out of my father’s war-time reminiscences. The rainy pavement reflecting the glow of the red lanterns, noren swaying gently as patrons passed in and out. Walking up the creaky wooden steps. . . The “girlie” posters in the bar looked as if they had been there since my father’s day.
We squeezed in and sat at a high table, two Hawaiians, and five Japanese all crowding in, drawing curious stares. We decided to order nabe to share. We chose beef heart nabe.
Our beers came first. About halfway through the second beer, a little portable stove was set on our table with an iron pot of broth. When it came to a boil, about another beer later, the waitress dropped in a half beef heart. It was frozen. As it defrosted, the broth began to seethe around the edges of the heart, and bubble through the large veins. One of our party poked at it with his hashi, and when it was defrosted waved to the waitress.
After another round of beers, she began bringing assorted vegetables which were added to the pot. After the round was finished, the pot held an island of beef heart surrounded by vegetables. Individual bowls were set in front of us and our friend with the hashi produced a spoon as well and dished chunks of heart, tender vegetables, and scoops of broth out for us. It was a memorable and convivial evening.
I have never had nabe like that before or since! I miss our friends, and hope to be able to return and enjoy more of that special nabe! Meanwhile, I shall do my best and try to cook in a way that honors my Christmas present, a beautiful vintage donabe (土鍋).
I have had nabemono which was served community style, with a simmering donabe full of broth in the center of the table and platters of the foods to go in it arranged beside. I also have had nabe which was arranged completely in the bowl which was then simmered.
If you make community-style nabemono, it is helpful to remember the following:
Put flavorful ingredients in first. Followed with things that take a long time to cook, such as root vegetables and the thick parts of cabbages. When the vegetables are partly cooked, add any noodles, tofu, and other things that you want to have absorb the flavors. Add proteins such as thinly sliced meats, fish, or eggs, and tender vegetables last.
You’ll want to eat everything that has been cooked in one batch, and then skim the broth, before setting in the next batch.
Nabemono Broth
My favorite broth is miso-based. Feel free to adjust to your taste.
6 cups chicken or turkey broth
1/2 cup mirin
1 inch ginger, finely minced
3 teeth garlic, finely minced
1/2 cup your favorite miso
Simmer everything except the miso together about 5 minutes. Put the miso in a large cup or small bowl. Scoop a little broth into the miso and stir well. Keep adding broth and stirring a little at a time until the miso will pour easily. Next, slowly pour it into the broth while stirring. Simmer another five minutes and the broth is ready to add your other ingredients!
That was Geraldine’s advice for staying healthy. It worked! She lived 82 amazing years!
That said, it’s a lot easier to get off your ass when your feet don’t hurt.
Normally, I run around barefoot, but sometimes you just gotta wear shoes. I have tried many, many shoes over the years. Generally, they are so disappointing I just go for something cute, wear my zori to the event, put on the shoes to the door, kick them off, and run around barefoot.
But, sometimes you just gotta wear shoes.
The problem is, my feet are short and wide. Really an EE. These fit true to size, and have plenty of room in the toe box. So my 8.5 EE are wide enough across the base of my toes, but to not stick out in front and trip me.
The soles have good traction, and while squishy (about like those strain-relief floor mats), are not unstable.
I also really like how they do not have that hard arch thing at the top of the heel like shoes do these days. Most shoes bruise my Achilles tendon and rub the skin off with that, so I cannot wear them. These are just the right hight at the top of the heel, and are soft, so no irritation or bruising.
Also, I have high insteps, so I cannot get into most shoes the cover the instep. Even many of the Mary Jane shoes (which I love) do not fit as the straps are too short. This adjustable strap has plenty of length for me, but is well designed so there is no excess flapping around, either.
I have tried getting shoes for diabetics because they are wider than most, but they used to start around $200. Unless you can get a prescription approved, out of reach. So the search continued. A couple of weeks ago, nursing shoes popped up in a search. I bought a pair to try. These are THE most comfortable shoes I have ever found!
If you have short, wide feet, you may want to give these a try. At under $40, they are a bargain.
Here is a beef brisket using one of Geraldine’s recipes, and my cooking method. I don’t think my mother ever owned a slow cooker. I have four – two big ones and two little ones.
This recipe says, “Damn the fat! Full speed ahead!” Remember, “fat is flavor!” As Geraldine would tell us, “We all eat way too much anyway.” Following her lead, I’d rather have a few bites of something scrumptious than a plateful of something bland.
Here are the seasonings for the rub. These are the approximate proportions. Adjust to your taste. Yes, the platter was made by Geraldine. (I miss her!) The little bowls are from China.
Mince the onions and garlic very fine. Keep mincing!
Run the peppers through your food mill and blend with the paprika and cumin. I love the fragrance of this blend! I reminds me of the spice blend used on the fried peas vendors would bring to the trains when I was in Indonesia.
Now, thoroughly mix together the garlic, onions, spices, and sugar.
Take a lovely brisket and lay it on a platter with the fatty side up. Coat the top with the blend and let it stand, covered.
While the brisket is standing, chop up some nice roots and veggies for the slow cooker. You want a thick layer on the bottom. These are going to provide flavor and steam for the brisket, and keep it from lying in its fat as it cooks. The veggies will absorb a bunch of that fat, and some people may not want to eat them but I love the flavor. Just have a huge green salad and eat the pot veggies as a treat.
Set the brisket on top of the veggies and cook on high for a couple of hours, then reduce to low and cook overnight or until as tender as you like.
Remove the brisket and set it on a carving platter. Leave to set at least 15 minutes before carving.
The veggies will be drenched in the fat and juices.
Remove and drain them. They are delicious, but very rich. Enjoy, just don’t eat too much!
Keep warm while you prepare the sides and sauces.
Separate the fat and the juices so you can serve the brisket au jus.
( “Au jus” means “with sauce.” So, you serve meat au jus, you don’t serve meat WITH au jus. That is redundant.)
On the left is the fat. I like to save it and use it for cooking omelettes. You don’t need much, just enough to oil the skillet. On the right is le jus. Put it in a lovely heat-resistant pitcher and serve piping hot with the brisket.
Enjoy!
On the left, my husband, Manu Josiah. On the right is our friend, Chris Okano, proprietor of Kitchen Umeko.
Shopping
The brisket and salad greens (nasturtiums were home-grown) were purchased at The Locavore Store
What a beautiful day in mid-May today is! Geraldine was born on 9 May, and so I have been thinking of her a lot. It was always a delight to sit with her in her garden and have sandwiches made with her delicious bread (sourdough, made with “Melissa,” the family starter), cheese or some such, and fresh spring greens from the garden.
To build this sandwich, start with an excellent bread, sliced thick. Butter it thinly, and spread with a bit more than that of home-made mayonnaise. Add a generous amount of Geraldine’s sweet hot brown mustard. Mash some of the sardines into the mustard and top with spring onions. Add a bit more mashed sardine. Top with nasturtium leaves. Top that with a whole sardine and garnish with a nasturtium.
Serve with an excellent beer or a glass of water with a squeeze of calamansi or lime.
Those who knew Geraldine will remember her mantra for good health, “Get off your ass and don’t eat shit.”
She was reared on a farm and had access to wonderful fresh organically grown (her parents were huge advocates of “natural farming”) food. Her parents were close friends of Adelle Davis, and helped Ms. Davis test many of the recipes in the books she wrote.
Geraldine was an active child, running, swimming, climbing playing with the animals when home, and at school she was active in sports. She was an avid basketball player, and her father, Gerald Wenker, was coach of the girl’s team. Her senior year in high school, she was the California State high-diving champion.
In college, she continued to be active, participating in archery, scuba diving, swimming, hiking, camping, and with her first husband, built a boat.
But the food available to college students, and easy access to wine and beer, started a slippery slope which became even more steep when she had her first child and grew less active. Feelings of frustration were quelled with unhealthy eating habits and she began a gain in weight which plagued her for the next 40 years. Though she still remained more active than most people, the additional weight damaged her hips, slowing her down more than she liked. When she became caregiver for her oldest son, she did not have the energy to care for herself. After his death, she began a process which included exercise and healthful eating. Included in that self-care was the decision to have her damaged hips replaced. To be able to have surgery, she needed to get fit. She got out her mother’s old copies of Adelle Davis’ books and with the help of her granddaughter, a nutritionist and massage therapist, began a new journey of loving and caring for herself.
In only a couple of years, she was able again to hike, swim, dance, garden, and do all of the things she loved. In her late 70s she developed lung cancer, probably as a result of smoking for a half century. She opted for palliative care, rather than aggressive treatment, and lived life to the fullest, continuing to sing, garden, and hike until just a few months before her death. To the end of her 82 years, every time people asked “Geraldine, how do you do it?” She replied “Get off your ass and don’t eat shit.”
In addition to eating healthful foods and being active, Geraldine was a huge proponent of daily weigh-ins. At the time, the bathroom scale simply told you the total weight resting on its platform. Useful data, but to get more specific information, such as how much of that weight is muscle VS fat, and how well hydrated you are, you used to have to go to the doctor.
But now. . . Smart scales! Smart scales use bioelectrical impedance analysis, which sends a tiny, safe electrical current through your body to measure your impedance. Impedance is the level of resistance the current encounters as it travels through your body. While not 100% accurate, it gives a more thorough idea of what is going on inside the body. Accessing this information on a daily basis is great bio-feedback to monitor what works and what does not for you.
But whatever books or gadgets we decide to use, it really does come down to what Geraldine always said: “Get off your ass and don’t eat shit.”
Geraldine adored books. Her book collection filled her house, and she knew each book like an old friend and visited them frequently. The Questing Feast now has books page. In it you will find all of Geraldine’s cookbooks as well as other books of interest. There are only a few books listed so far, and you are welcome to suggest more!
