Recipe: Nokake (Native American Blue Corn Cakes)

I love nokake (no-kah-kay). Perhaps it is because they are so base, simple and sustaining. It could be that they kind of remind me of the elven bread called "lembas" that sustained Frodo and Sam on their way to Mordor in The Lord of the Rings, (Geek check!). I do know that they are delicious.

The recipes for corn cakes predate the arrival of the Europeans on the American continent. There are many different recipes that include all manner of ingredients including dill, bacon bits, bear grease and even wood ashes (for real good chemical and nutritional reasons). They were an important food stuff for the Native Americans and influenced the cooking of the colonists and American food today. Cornbread, corn pone, corn sticks, hoe cakes, johnny cakes and a host of other corn meal breads find their origin in nokake.

This recipe is based on one published by Wampanoag Indian chef Sherry Pocknett. Sherry runs a catering business and also operates a the "Sly Fox's Den", a Native American foods concession stand she operates at many pow wows including the Pequot Nation's annual "Schemitzun". I've made some changes to her recipe to suit my personal taste, but the heart of it is hers.

I use nokake as a platform for several "stack" types of recipes. One consists of the nokake, topped with roasted acorn squash and then a layer of smoked pork tenderloin. The resulting dish is DELICIOUS and one of my favorites. It, and others like it will find their way here as photo opportunities present themselves.

Nokake are versatile, you can alter their preparation between sweet or savory depending on your needs. This recipe leans towards savory.

Nokake (Corn cakes)

2 cups blue cornmeal (I prefer blue, you can use white or yellow)
1/2 cup flour
2 TBS honey
1 heaping TBS baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1-1/2 cups water
1 bunch scallions/green onions (green part only), chopped
1 cup fresh sweet corn kernels
Pepper, to taste
3 TBS peanut oil
Butter

In a large bowl, sift together the cornmeal, flour, honey, baking powder, and salt.

Slowly add the water until the resulting mixture is the consistency of hot oatmeal.

Stir in the scallions, sweet corn, and pepper.

On a large griddle or skillet, heat some of the oil on medium-high heat. Ladle enough batter into the skillet to make a 5-inch cake.

Cook for 6 to 8 minutes per side.

Brush the surface with butter.

Continue making corn cakes, adding more oil as needed.

Recipe: Nokake (Native American Corn Cakes) from Chop Onions, Boil Water by Henry Krauzyk
http://www.choponionsboilwater.com

Recipe: Tomato-Onion Chutney

This is a recipe that took a little while to find and then a few adjustments to get it to where I like it. It is a popular Indian chutney found in all the Indian restaurants I have visited. The problem is that the variations are numerous and each one is a little unique.

I wanted to one that came close to one of my favorite Indian restaurants and I finally arrived at this one. Tomato-Onion chutney is a great relish. I often make it as an accompaniment for pakoras, but it works great on a number of Indian foods. It is also really good on hot dogs, hamburgers, bratwurst and other things where you might normally use an "American" relish. It may even be great on chourico, but really, what isn't?

I've used a variety of different kinds of onions in this dish and they've all worked.

Tomato-Onion Chutney

1/2 tsp peanut oil
2 TBS tomato paste (more or less, adjust it to what you like)

1 teaspoon paprika

1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/4 tsp Indian chile powder (optional for heat)

1/4 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt
1 cup onions (finely chopped)

Place a small saucepan over low heat. Add the peanut oil.

When the oil begins to shimmer add the tomato paste, paprika, cumin, chile powder (if using), sugar and salt. Simmer for 1-2 minutes mixing well.

Mix in the onion and blend well. Remove from heat immediately and set aside for flavors to meld.

Serve as a side for most Indian food.
Recipe: Tomato-Onion Chutney from Chop onions, Boil Water by Henry Krauzyk http://www.choponionsboilwater.com

Recipe: Aloo Chole

This recipe probably had more to with my wife's conversion from someone who didn't like Indian food to someone who loves Indian food than anything else. It is a milder dish, yet full of great flavor. "Approachable" is what I think an Indian food novice may think.

Aloo Chole and related chickpea dishes like chana masala are very popular street foods in India. They are inexpensive and easy to prepare and not only sustaining but really flavorful. I've had aloo chole a number of ways, from a "stew" consistency to something thicker and more in line with my recipe below. I usually prepare it as a side dish in larger Indian dinners I prepare at the house. However, aloo chole really shines as a lunch item paired with a good piece of naan or roti. Like many Indian foods it seems to get better with one or two days behind it.

I always get the impression that chickpeas can seem a little foreign to a lot of people, I find that aloo chole can really change people's opinons. So, if you're looking to introduce someone to Indian food, or you're looking to experiment yourself, you may want to give aloo chole a go.

While I have not done it, what I've learned from cooking a lot of Indian foods is that if you're looking for something a little more toward the "stew" range in a dish, the addition of oil or ghee seems to be the path you'd want to take. I've found this work well with tikka masala, I'm sure it would work here if you like.

Recipe: Aloo Chole

2 cans chickpeas (around the 14 oz. size)
I medium onion (chopped)
1 tsp onion seeds ("nigella")
1 tsp cumin
6 cloves garlic (sliced)
1 cup plain yogurt
1 medium potato (cut into 1/2" cubes)
1 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp garam masala
3/4 tsp salt
2 TBS peanut oil
1/4 cup cilantro (chopped)

Place a large pan or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the peanut oil.

When the oil begins to shimmer, add the onion and saute until translucent.

Add garlic and saute for 1-2 minutes.

Add the onion seed and cumin seed and stir for a few minutes.

Add the cubed potatoes and stir until slightly translucent.

Add the add chickpeas, spices and yogurt and stir in well. Cover, lower heat to medium and continue cooking for approximately 20 minutes, stirring it occasionally. Add a little water if necessary.

Remove cover and use a potato masher to mash about 1/3 of the mixture. Stir to blend. Again, add a little water if necessary.

Mix in chopped cilantro and serve with naan or roti bread.

It is better the next day.

Recipe: Aloo Chole from Chop Onions, Boil Water by Henry Krauzyk

Recipe: Msikwatash (Succotash)

Admit it, chances are the first time you ever heard of this dish, it was uttered by one Sylvester the Cat, right? "Sufferin' Succotash" was his catchphrase of choice whenever he was surprised or confounded by Tweetybird or that neighborhood bulldog. That's where I first heard it and I'm betting all my friends first heard it the same way. After a while you find out what succotash really is and well, if you're like my friends and me, you just think "um, yeah, okay, I don't think I want any of that." Well, we were wrong. Not only is this dish good, but it is surprisingly good. Everyone that tries it in my home really enjoys it.

Now for the etymology lesson. "Succotash" while a very popular side dish of the American south, is originally a Northeastern Native American dish. Called "msikwatash" by the Narragansett Indians of New England. It translates to "a whole ear of corn". The dish was very popular with the northern tribes and it was custom to keep some simmering all day long should anyone get hungry or unexpected guests arrive.

The original recipe called for beans, corn, salt and a good amount of bear grease or some other animal fat. The dish became popular with white trappers and traders who anglicized the name to "Succotash". They introduced it to the European colonists who substituted lard, bacon grease, butter or cream for the bear grease. It has since become a popular standard side dish in many places throughout the USA.

Try it, you'll like it.

Msikwatash (Succotash)

2 slices of bacon
1 TBS sweet butter
2 cups fresh corn kernels (from 3 to 4 ears)
10 ozs. to 1 lb. fresh or frozen baby lima beans
1 bunch scallions or green onions cut into 1/3-inch pieces (keep white and pale green parts separate from greens)
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup water
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

Cook bacon in a sauce pan over moderate heat, flip frequently, until crisp. Remove bacon to a paper towel to cool.

Add butter to fat in the sauce pan and melt over moderate heat.

When butter has melted, add corn, lima beans, and white and pale green parts of scallions/green onions and cook, stirring frequently for 2 minutes.

Add cream, water, salt, and pepper, then simmer, partially covered, until vegetables are tender (10 to 15 minutes).

While the succotash simmers cut the bacon into small bits.

After the succotash has finished simmering, stir in bacon and scallion greens

Salt and pepper to taste, and serve to surprised family and guests.

Get your succotash on with some good barbecue or for turkey day!

Recipe: Msikwatash (Succotash) from Chop Onions, Boil Water by Henry Krauzyk

Recipe: Homemade Naan

I cook a lot of Indian food at home and while frozen naan is okay, I just wanted to be able to create my own delicious, hot-from-the-oven naan. That's where the problem starts because authentic naan is cooked in a clay beehive oven called a "tandor". The internal temperature of a tandor reaches 800°F! The bread is made using a very wet and sticky dough that is slapped and stuck on the inside wall of the oven. There it quickly cooks and is removed using a metal rod. As you've already imagined, you're just not going to get close to that kind of thing from your home oven. So, you do some research, improvise and modify. Sometimes you can even get lucky.

So, for some time now, I've been trying a number of recipes and techniques to make naan and roti so I can have a hot Indian bread with my homemade Indian food. All of these noble attempts met with limited success. While roti is easier to prepare, it's just not naan, and prior to the recipe below, the best I ever did was in creating naan that looked good, but it was a little dry, crispy and well-boring!

That all changed at 8:00 PM, Sunday, October 26th when I finally "mastered" naan in my home oven. The recipe and techniques below are the product of research, trial and error and some experimenting that culminated in my success on that evening. It produces an authentic naan, that looks great, is soft, slightly moist and delicious, the perfect accompaniment to homemade Indian food. You cannot imagine my satisfaction. No, really, you can't.

There are several differences in this recipe, and the technique I use, compared to the others recipes and techniques that I tried or read about.

I use unbleached bread flour to create a drier-than-normal-naan dough. Most recipes call for all-purpose flour. Bread flour is higher in gluten and lends itself better to the dough manipulation required to make naan at home. Also, real naan is going into an 800°F oven and it needs extra moisture to cook properly in there, so the resulting dough is wet and sticky. Not so on a pizza stone in a normal home oven. I've found that going with a normal dough moisture content makes it not only easier to handle, but it bakes perfectly in the home oven.

Many recipes call for rolling out the dough, I couldn't disagree more. When I rolled the dough during previous attempts, I always found the resulting naan would be flat, dry and crisp. So, I shape the dough balls into naan shapes by flipping it hand over hand. I then let it rest and rise a little more and then give it a few more flips before popping it onto the stone.

Finally, and thanks to Chef Sanjay Thummas' excellent suggestion in his recipe, I used the broiler to cook it. This helps it to cook a little more authentically by allowing it to brown quickly and nicely. I have a newer oven with the broiler in the same space as the regular oven, so it is easy to regulate the naan's exposure to the flame. You may need to adjust or improvise based on your oven.

So after a number of less-than-satisfactory results in my Indian flatbread cooking education, I offer you my recipe for GREAT homemade naan.

Homemade Naan

3 cups unbleached bread flour
1 TBS whole wheat flour
1 tsp instant yeast
1/2 cup water (75° to 85°F)
1/2 cup milk*
1 tsp peanut oil
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
pizza stone

*Maybe a little more or a little less

In a small bowl add the water, oil, sugar and yeast. Stir well and set aside for a few minutes.

Sift all the flour into a large bowl. Add the salt.

Add the water, oil, sugar and yeast to the flour and mix it in well.

Begin adding the milk a little at a time until the dough forms a single, solid mass.

Turn the dough ball out onto a lightly floured surface and knead. I've found the best way to knead this dough is to push down and forward into the dough mass. Pick it up, return it to its original position and then repeat three times. Then turn the dough ball 1/4 of a turn and repeat the entire procedure. Continue doing this for 10 to 12 minutes.

You're looking for a dough that is soft and pliable and tacky but NOT sticky. If you're not familiar with working with dough, be patient. Dough responds slowly to changes in moisture. Make small adjustments and give it time. If the dough seems a little dry, moisten your hand with a little water or milk and continue working it. If it seems wet and is sticking to the kneading surface, dust the surface and dough with a little flour and continue kneading. Again, the resulting dough after kneading should be smooth, pliable and tacky but not sticky.

After kneading, form the dough into a rough ball and cover with plastic wrap. Allow it to relax for 10 minutes.

While the dough relaxes find a suitable bowl or container that is large enough for the dough to easily double in size. Coat that container with a thin layer of oil.

When the dough is done resting place it in the oiled container and cover it with plastic wrap. Place it in a warm place (not in the sun or too hot), and let it rise to twice it's original size. This can take anywhere from 30 minutes to two hours.

When the dough has doubled in size turn it back out onto the kneading surface.

Turn on your broiler and set your pizza stone on a rack midway in your oven. (If you have an older oven you may need to improvise here as old broilers place the food very close to the flames.)

Take the dough and GENTLY knead it down with your knuckles (don't push forward, just gently downward). Take one end of the dough and fold it midway over itself. Take the other end and fold it over that. Knead GENTLY down again. The dough should still be soft and spongey, it should form a rough rectangle. Repeat the folding and then knead gently one more time.

Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces. Place the pieces under plastic wrap so they don't dry out.

Gently shape each piece into a smooth round ball by lightly gathering it and tightening it by pinching it on the bottom over and over. (DO NOT roll it between your hands like clay). Again, the dough should remain soft and spongey. Place each ball under the plastic wrap to keep it moist. Keep the balls apart as they will rise a little bit and if they touch they'll stick. Let them rest for 10-15 minutes.

Shape each dough ball into the traditional naan shape by placing it between your thumb and fingers and quickly turning your hand over, slapping the dough into your other open hand then grabbing it similarly and repeating, (Kind of like holding a plate and turning it over). Do this over and over rotating the dough a little each time until it relaxes and begins to stretch into the naan shape. This is a two stage process you'll do it once and then place the flattened dough under the plastic wrap to allow it to rise a little and relax, and then do it briefly one more time just before you place it in the oven. By the time you've stretched your last ball for the first time, it is time to go back to your first one. See the video below for a demonstration.

Open the oven door. Grab your first naan, quickly flip it hand over hand to give it its final stretch and then CAREFULLY place it on the pizza stone. Watch and note the time it takes to bake the first one. Between one and two minutes it will start to get brown spots. Carefully turn it over until that side browns in spots. Remove from the oven, quickly brush both sides with butter or ghee (careful it is HOT) and then place in towels or a tortilla warmer to keep warm.

After the first one is done and you have a sense of the process and time involved, you may feel confident enough to cook them 2-3 at a time.

With a little practice making your own naan is kind of fun and it is certainly delicious!
Recipe: Homemade Naan from Chop Onions, Boil Water by Henry

Product Review: Arora Creations Organic Tikka Masala Seasoning Mix

As food preparation goes, Indian can be a little time consuming to prepare. Especially, if it's a work night and you're craving it! Recently, while shopping in the organic food section of my local market I came across Arora Creations Organic Tikka Masala seasoning mix.I've since had it several times and I'd like to tell you about it.

First I'd like to explain that I usually avoid most prepared foods. More often than not, if you find yourself opening a can or tearing open a packet of something that is ready-to-eat or nearly-ready-to-eat, you're just going to end up swallowing a lot of things you shouldn't. We've all read the ingredient lists on cans and packets and some of the things in there just don't grow on trees or come about naturally. So, at an age that I can't eat like a teenager without gaining a lot of weight, I've decided when I eat, is going to be damn good. Sure, sometimes it is unavoidable, but most times I'll pass on the ridiculously long, multi-syllabic chemical abominations that are in ready-to-eat foods, thank you.

All that said, you can take my recommendation of Arora Creations Organic Tikka Masala to heart. As it does fall under the nearly-ready-to-eat category of prepared foods there is a little work involved in cooking it. If your familiar with cooking Indian food at home though, the first time you cook this, you're going to realize it is a big time saver. You'll need chicken, olive oil, an onion, ginger, garlic, tomato sauce and cilantro, but the end result is worth it.

The directions are straightforward and it all comes together very easily. The recipe also calls for serving it with a side of yogurt. I handle it a little differently and mix in 3/4 cup of yogurt about 5 minutes before it's done. Shut off your heat, give it a few moments to flavor up, add your cilantro and serve it over some basmati rice. The end result is a really nice chicken tikka masala. It may be a little spicy for some, but I think most people familiar with Indian food won't be disappointed or overwhelmed. It has a great aroma, is very tasty and will satisfy Indian cravings handily. It's even better the next day.

Don't forget the naan or roti!

Arora Creations also offers many other organic and non-organic Indian selections but I haven't tried them yet. You can be sure that if I do, I'll review it here.

Arora Creations Organic Tikka Masala is certified USDA Approved Organic and can be purchased here.

Ingredients: Ground sunflower seeds*, salt, ground coriander*, ground black pepper*, ground cumin*, ground chilies*, sugar*, ground nutmeg*, ground mace*, ground cinnamon*, ground cloves*, ground black cardamom, ground cardamom*, citric acid, silicon dioxide, lemon essential oil*, soy bean oil*, ground turmeric*. *organic

Product Review: Arora Creations Organic Tikka Masala Seasoning Mix

Websites I Love: Vah Chef

I do a lot of Indian cooking at home. For me it's an area of constant exploration and discovery that is further rewarded with great food that I prepare in my own kitchen. I started my education of Indian food with several good books. I will certainly review them here in future posts.

Cookbooks are of course indispensible when learning to prepare new foods. A great cookbook will not only teach you how to prepare certain dishes, but will offer photos and even a history of the food and processes involved. Some will even give you a philosophy lesson. Books are not the only route in the age of the internet though and sometimes you can find a great source for recipes, tricks, secrets, alternatives and details there.

I stumbled upon Chef Sanjay Thumma while looking on YouTube for a good way to prepare naan in a conventional oven. Sure enough he had a couple of alternatives for preparing it and they worked out really well. What I like about Chef Thumma is that he presents his video recipes in a friendly, dynamic and easy-to-follow format. His enthusiasm is engaging and his knowledge is extremely helpful.

I had mentioned in an earlier post how I had been chasing and tinkering with a chicken makhani recipe for a long time and that I had finally gotten it to where I liked it. Well, in Chef Thumma's video on chicken makhani he mentioned that Indian restaurants around the world add a little ketchup to their recipes. Sure enough, it was a very important addition to my recipe for chicken makhani and was the missing element I had been searching for! Our recipes for this dish do differ, but I wouldn't love mine if it wasn't for this little gem of knowledge I got from Vah Chef.

His videos are full of similar tidbits and he's very entertaining to watch and listen to. If you're into cooking Indian and you want to augment and polish your skills, I highly recommend Chef Sanjay Thummas website and blog. It is definitely a website I love!

Visit vahrehvah.com to see Chef Sanjay Thumma's instructional videos and recipes!

 


Chop Onions, Boil Water by Henry Krauzyk. Websites I love: Vah Chef

Recipe: Chicken Makhani (Butter Chicken)

In my research, I've found that this is a "dining out" recipe which means that most people don't make it at home. The reasons for this are practical as most homes don't have the tandor oven necessary to make the chicken perfectly. From what I understand this recipe originated using not only the leftover meat but also the drippings from tandori roasted chicken. That doesn't mean it's impossible to make at home. Where there is a will, there is a way.

Chicken Makhani is probably the most popular Indian dish in the world. My introduction to it came at one of my favorite lunch haunts: New Mother India in Waltham, Massachusetts. I've had chicken makhani at many other places, but New Mother India's is still the best. It's their sauce of course and the extremely tender chicken doesn't hurt. They were the target I was shooting for when I started trying to replicate the dish. Two years, and a host of recipes, alterations and attempts later, I still don't have it. No one's complaining in my house though because I've come up with one that is very good and easy to prepare at home. It's a home kitchen homerun!

Now I've had Chicken Makhani in restaurants a few different ways. Sometimes it comes with a little sauce, sometimes in comes with a lot. This recipe is in the middle. If you want more sauce, just scale up all the ingredients except the chicken. This recipe also includes what I've been lead to believe is a widely used but rarely admitted to Indian restaurant secret: Good 'ol American Ketchup! Trust me, it has to be true because it makes a big difference in the finished dish!

Chicken Makhani (Butter Chicken)

1 inch piece of ginger (diced)
3 garlic cloves (diced)
1/2 cup of almonds (some recipes say blanch them. I did once but don't anymore.)
1/2 cup of plain yogurt (Greek preferred but use what you have)
1/2 tsp of mild chili powder (some Indian types are VERY hot)
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp fenugreek
4 cardamom pods
1 lb. diced fresh tomatoes (the redder, the riper, the better)
1-1/4 tsp salt
2 lbs. boneless chicken breast (cut into bite-sized pieces)*
5 TBS clarified butter (yup, this isn't for the faint of heart, it is called "Butter chicken" for a reason!)
1 large onion (thinly sliced)
6 TBS fresh cilantro (finely chopped, Chop a little extra as a garnish).
5 TBS heavy cream
1-3 TBS ketchup (I use Trader Joe's organic)

Blend the ginger, garlic, almonds and yogurt into a liquidy paste. Add a little water if necessary.

Put the ginger, garlic, almond and yogurt paste in a large bowl. Add the chili powder, cloves, cinnamon, garam masala, cardamom, tomatoes, salt and blend everything together well.

Add the chicken to the bowl and mix in well. Be sure all the chicken is well-coated.

Now, some recipes say to marinate this in the fridge from 2 to 24 hours. Me? Nah, right on to the next step and I don't taste a remarkable difference.

Preheat your oven to 350°F (Yup, I learned this from one recipe and it makes a nice difference).

Set a large, deep, OVEN SAFE pan or dutch oven over medium heat and add the clarified butter until melted. Add the onions and sauté until beginning to brown and soft.

Add the chicken and sauce mixture and fry for a few minutes to get the mixture up to oven temp.

Add the chopped cilantro and heavy cream. Carefully mix in thoroughly.

Place in the oven uncovered and cook for about an hour. Keep an eye on it. You want it to brown a little in a few places on top, but not burn or dry out! If it seems to beginning to brown too much or looks like it is drying up, throw an oven-safe cover, or aluminum foil on it and finish cooking it like that.

When time is up, immediately remove it from the oven. Add the ketchup (shhhhhh!) and stir it in thoroughly. Let it sit for about 5 minutes before serving.

Serve garnished with a little chopped cilantro. Add basmati rice and naan as sides and kabam! Indian food heaven!

*Truth be told you can use any skinless cuts of chicken you like. I like boneless breast.




Chicken makhani butter chicken recipe

Recipe: Channa Masala

I'm presently in the beginning stages of putting together the 2009 edition of my cookbook. I've been sorting out my Indian recipes for the new Indian section and I'm looking forward to seeing them in "Chop Onions, Boil Water".

This is a recipe I've put together from several others with a decent bit of tinkering in between to get it right where I like it. It is one of my wife's favorites and watching her eat it is almost as much as a treat as eating it myself. I finally managed to get it to where I like it tonight. So, this one is right off the stove and into the book and blog on the same night!

Channa Masala or Aloo Cholay and naan bread are sort of like the peanut butter and jelly sandwich of India. A lunch and snack standard. A popular and fortifying food that can be purchased from street vendors or prepared in the home. As with many Indian dishes there are lots of ingredients, it's all worth it. This stuff is even better on the second and third day. If you think you may not like chickpeas, you're wrong. Just ask my wife.

Channa Masala

2-3 TBS peanut oil
1 stick of cinnamon
6 whole cloves
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 medium onions (chopped)
2 TBS ginger (chopped)
4 green cardamom pods
2 bay leaves
4 cloves of garlic (chopped)
2 tsp curry powder
1 tsp amchoor powder
4 medium tomatoes (chopped)
2 tsp palm or brown sugar
1/2 tsp hot Indian chile powder
2 cans (30 ozs.) chickpeas
2 TBS butter
3-4 TBS yogurt
1/2 tsp garam masala
Juice of one lime
Chopped cilantro

Put the oil in a heated pan place on medium heat, when the oil begins to shimmer add the cinnamon, and cloves. Heat until the cinnamon begins to unravel. Then remove the cinnamon and cloves. Immediately add the cumin seeds. When the seeds stop crackling immediately add the onions and saute until translucent.

Add the ginger, cardamom and bay leaves and stir. Add the garlic, curry powder and amchoor powder until mix is well blended. Do not burn the mix. Lower the heat or add a little water if necessary.

Add the tomatoes, palm sugar and Indian chile powder and mix in well. Allow the tomatoes to break down and liquify.

Add the chickpeas (and some water if necessary)

Continue to cook until reduced and thick and rich.

Add chopped cilantro and blend well.

Finish with butter, yogurt, garam masala and lime juice. Salt to taste.

Serve with naan or pooris.

In Praise of Native American Cuisine

In late August I attended the Mashuntucket Pequot green corn festival. Called "Schemitzun," it is the largest gathering of Native American tribes on the East Coast. There are drumming and dance competitions as well as a rodeo and craft dealers. They also set up a small area as a traditional woodland indian village. In that village they offer a variety of cultural and craft demonstrations.

In the village, the area I found the most interesting was the cooking fire. I spent a good deal of time there talking to a young Pequot guy who was giving demonstrations of Native cooking. He was steaming clams, roasting duck and talking about how the local tribes cooked in the old days and in contemporary times. As we parted ways he directed me to a Wampanoag tribe food vendor and I was very impressed with the food I tried there. I learned quite a bit that day, but more importantly, a new food passion was ignited within me.

I am part Native American and while I love cooking all kinds of foods and I'm quite adept at cooking a good range of international cuisines including Italian, Portuguese, Hawaiian, Mexican, Thai and Indian (Asian not American), it had never dawned on me to explore Native American food beyond some of the dishes my grandmother used to prepare (johnnycakes, rabbit stew, squirrel, etc.).

That has since changed, and I am presently immersed in learning about not only how good Native American cuisine is and how to prepare it, but also the profound impact it has had on the world's cuisine. The examples are dramatic and numerous. Consider that before the Native Americans introduced their foods to European settlers, there were no tomatoes in Italy, no potatoes in Ireland. no pineapples in Hawaii and most profoundly no corn. That is just a small sampling.

The foods that Native Americans introduced to the world and their impact are much too broad a subject to broach in one entry in my humble little blog. If you're interested in learning more and getting some great recipes, I'd like to suggest two wonderful books on the subject:

Spirit of the Harvest: North American Indian Cooking by Martin Jacobs and Beverly Cox, is an extremely well-done book, beautifully designed with great background into, excellent photography and many great recipes. It is among my top five favorite cookbooks and that is saying something because I own MANY!

The Art of Native American Cooking by Yeffe Kimball and Jean Anderson is a paperback book with related illustrations, but no photographs. It makes up for that with some great in-depth writing and a plethora of great recipes. Some of the recipes are traditional and some have contemporary slants/ingredients.

The Americas have a rich native heritage and while the food and cooking contributions of its Native people are now universal, they have gone largely unrecognized. If you love to cook and eat as much as I do, it is time for you to explore this great cuisine. Trust me, you will not be disappointed! Either of these books are a great introduction to the subject.