WHAT? Innard net. Those
of you who remember your Dickens may recall that David Copperfield
was “born with a caul, which was advertised for sale in
the newspapers, at the low price of fifteen guineas.”
The English used to believe that cauls, a fetal membrane sometimes
found on a newborn’s head, brought good luck and offered
protection against drowning. If you hear caul in culinary circles,
however, it’s referring to a lacy membrane that surrounds
the intestines of mammals. French and Chinese cooks like to
wrap meat and birds in pork caul; the fat melts away during
cooking, imparting a delicious flavor and moistness, and the
membrane holds everything together. Alan Davidson quotes Jane
Grigson as saying that the caul is “so much a matter of
everyday kitchen knowledge” in France, where it’s
known as crépine, that it’s rare to even
find references to its use.
WHAT?Spanish crullers.
Long before Krispy Kreme, cafés and street vendors in
Spain were dispensing pleasure in the form of churros, addictive,
sugar-sprinkled rings or strips of fried dough. The Conquistadors
introduced the pastries—with chewy interiors and crunchy
crusts—to their American colonies, and from Mexico to
Argentina, vendors with cauldrons of frying oil invaded the
plazas and mercados, Today, almost every Latin American
country claims credit for them. There must have been a Reese’s
Peanut Butter Cup moment when the first churros fell into a
cup of sweetened hot chocolate, thereby creating one of the
most delicious breakfasts in the Spanish-speaking world, make
that the entire world.
WHAT? Well-dressed dessert.
Literally, “Moor in a shirt,” this classic sweet
from Salzburg is a rich chocolate-nut pudding/cake that is “baked”
by steaming over water. Its name is a reminder that the Turks
once fought over this part of the world. The “Moor”
presumably refers to the dark chocolate color, the “shirt”
to the whipping cream (schlag) that always accompanies
the cake.
WHAT? Loins on fire.
Our 1958 Picture Cook Book from the editors of Life
has an entire chapter called “Flaming Food.” Yes,
a mere 40 years ago, Steak Diane was the height of fashion in
grand dining rooms across America. The highpoint of the meal
came when a waiter in jacket and bowtie flamed a diner’s
sirloin tableside before his very eyes! There are a number of
variations on Steak Diane, but most call for butter, shallots,
mustard, cream, Worcestershire, brandy, and a match. The dish
is said to be named for Diane, the Roman Goddess of hunting;
many game dishes also use her name. The origins of Steak Diane
are shrouded in mystery. Food experts place its creation variously
in Australia, Brazil, or New York. Those in the last camp argue
that Steak Diane evolved from steak au poivre in the 1950s,
a period in American culinary history when waiters loved to
play with fire.
