Tag Archives: food

Christmas

Fruitcake: It is not a Doorstop

Sliced English Fruitcake
Image: TheMightyGrog, 18 June 2019 (via Wikimedia Commons)

As a kid, fruitcake was this strange cake that appeared around Christmas and never tasted like much. My mother was not a great baker, so she bought one at a store. Now I had an aunt who made her own fruitcake, and it tasted delicious. However, the prevailing view for most people is that fruitcake was either one of the few things that survived a nuclear holocaust or was regifted so often that only one really existed. And that is a shame since fruitcake, when done right, is actually worthy of a place at the Christmas table.

Fruitcake has a long history and there are many variations of it. Aside from the English version, the Italians have panforte, the Germans stollen, and there is one even in the Caribbean. Fruitcakes could be eaten anytime of the year provided you had the ingredients, but at some time they became more closely associated with Christmas. One reason, perhaps, is that the ingredients were not cheap, so you really had it on special events like Christmas or Easter. And in days before refrigeration, the fruitcake was a way to use nuts and fruits in something that could last a while. Fruitcakes were commonly soaked in alcohol to keep them moist so you could eat them throughout the winter season.

Panforte, traditional italian dessert from Siena.
Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons

For a long time, fruitcake was really something the wealthy and nobility ate. However, once many of the ingredients became more readily available (thanks to the opening of trade routes around the world), the cost of many ingredients began to come down, making them more affordable for the middle and working class. Books and illustrations showed fruitcakes and other treats as part of the Christmas feast, so many naturally began to imitate it. Another thing that made it in reach, though not until much later, was the availability for ovens in the home. Many people did not have ovens and either cooked over a hearth fire or a stovetop. If you needed a goose or turkey cooked, you had the local baker cook it for you in their ovens. This is illustrated in Charles Dicken’s A Christmas Carol where Scrooge sees people taking their Christmas goose to the baker to be cooked. And in the book, the arrival of the cooked goose in the Cratchit home meant it was time for the Christmas dinner. Until then, you either just had the traditional Christmas pudding or bought a fruitcake from the local baker.

Fruitcake was very popular, but its downfall came about the same way as home baked bread. Home baked bread was replaced by the large scale producers who sold it grocery stores. Until the advent of sliced bread, you bought the loaf and sliced it at home. Once sliced bread came about, most people bought their bread at the grocery rather than make it at home. Fruitcake fell victim to that as well. The large baking companies started churning out mass produced fruitcakes. Unfortunately, they were dense without much moisture. While convenient, they lacked the deep flavor of homemade ones. Some argue the same occurred to panettone as well. A beautiful cake that is a joy to eat when made by a real bakery. But the boxed ones you see in many stores are dry and crumbly with almost no texture (comparable to sawdust).

Fruitcake though has started to become popular again as people rediscover it. Thanks to celebrity chefs like Alton Brown and specialty producers, the rich but dense and moist cake is popular. And the specialty bakers will surprise you. Years ago, Chuck Williams, who owned Williams-Sonoma, tasted a fruitcake from a monastery in Missouri. When they decided to do this, they got a recipe from world famous chef who once worked for the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. The recipe is the traditional dark and rich fruitcake that is known and loved in England. That recipe and his advice on producing it, made it possible for that monastery to produce it. Williams realized this could be part of his Christmas catalog and the monks agreed. Fruitcake sales from the Williams-Sonoma catalog skyrocketed as people ordered and tasted the fruitcake. The making of fruitcakes turned into a major source of revenue for the small band of monks and continues to this day. Other religious orders are now selling traditional fruitcakes and other food treats as well. Some make cookies and fudge as well.

So, if you have ever wondered why fruitcake was once so popular, seek out those bakers who make it like it used to be. These are not doorstops, but something you will enjoy eating. Alton Brown likes it for breakfast with mascarpone cheese, but you can put any topping you want (or not). I often use brandy butter I make for the holidays.

Here is the monastery referenced in the above article:

Assumption Abbey Bakery
RR 5 Box 1056,
Ava, MO. 65608
US
https://www.trappistmonks.com/

Other places to buy this fruitcake and other treats:

Christmas, History

Christmas Food-Fruitcake

Sliced English Fruitcake
Image: TheMightyGrog, 18 June 2019 (via Wikimedia Commons)

As a kid, fruitcake was this strange cake that appeared around Christmas and never tasted like much. My mother was not a great baker, so she bought one at a store. Now I had an aunt who made her own fruitcake, and it tasted delicious. However, the prevailing view for most people is that fruitcake was either one of the few things that survived a nuclear holocaust or was regifted so often that only one really existed. And that is a shame since fruitcake, when done right, is actually worthy of a place at the Christmas table.

Fruitcake has a long history and there are many variations of it. Aside from the English version, the Italians have panforte, the Germans stollen, and there is one even in the Caribbean. Fruitcakes could be eaten anytime of the year provided you had the ingredients, but at some time they became more closely associated with Christmas. One reason, perhaps, is that the ingredients were not cheap, so you really had it on special events like Christmas or Easter. And in days before refrigeration, the fruitcake was a way to use nuts and fruits in something that could last a while. Fruitcakes were commonly soaked in alcohol to keep them moist so you could eat them throughout the winter season.

Panforte, traditional italian dessert from Siena.
Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons

For a long time, fruitcake was really something the wealthy and nobility ate. However, once many of the ingredients became more readily available (thanks to the opening of trade routes around the world), the cost of many ingredients began to come down, making them more affordable for the middle and working class. Books and illustrations showed fruitcakes and other treats as part of the Christmas feast, so many naturally began to imitate it. Another thing that made it in reach, though not until much later, was the availability for ovens in the home. Many people did not have ovens and either cooked over a hearth fire or a stovetop. If you needed a goose or turkey cooked, you had the local baker cook it for you in their ovens. This is illustrated in Charles Dicken’s A Christmas Carol where Scrooge sees people taking their Christmas goose to the baker to be cooked. And in the book, the arrival of the cooked goose in the Cratchit home meant it was time for the Christmas dinner. Until then, you either just had the traditional Christmas pudding or bought a fruitcake from the local baker.

Fruitcake was very popular, but its downfall came about the same way as home baked bread. Home baked bread was replaced by the large scale producers who sold it grocery stores. Until the advent of sliced bread, you bought the loaf and sliced it at home. Once sliced bread came about, most people bought their bread at the grocery rather than make it at home. Fruitcake fell victim to that as well. The large baking companies started churning out mass produced fruitcakes. Unfortunately, they were dense without much moisture. While convenient, they lacked the deep flavor of homemade ones. Some argue the same occurred to panettone as well. A beautiful cake that is a joy to eat when made by a real bakery. But the boxed ones you see in many stores are dry and crumbly with almost no texture (comparable to sawdust).

Fruitcake though has started to become popular again as people rediscover it. Thanks to celebrity chefs like Alton Brown and specialty producers, the rich but dense and moist cake is popular. And the specialty bakers will surprise you. Years ago, Chuck Williams, who owned Williams-Sonoma, tasted a fruitcake from a monastery in Missouri. When they decided to do this, they got a recipe from world famous chef who once worked for the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. The recipe is the traditional dark and rich fruitcake that is known and loved in England. That recipe and his advice on producing it, made it possible for that monastery to produce it. Williams realized this could be part of his Christmas catalog and the monks agreed. Fruitcake sales from the Williams-Sonoma catalog skyrocketed as people ordered and tasted the fruitcake. The making of fruitcakes turned into a major source of revenue for the small band of monks and continues to this day. Other religious orders are now selling traditional fruitcakes and other food treats as well. Some make cookies and fudge as well.

So, if you have ever wondered why fruitcake was once so popular, seek out those bakers who make it like it used to be. These are not doorstops, but something you will enjoy eating. Alton Brown likes it for breakfast with mascarpone cheese, but you can put any topping you want (or not). I often use brandy butter I make for the holidays.

Here is the monastery referenced in the above article:

Assumption Abbey Bakery
RR 5 Box 1056,
Ava, MO. 65608
US
https://www.trappistmonks.com/

Other places to buy this fruitcake and other treats:

TV reviews

Masterchef:Surf &Turf and Bad Spring Rolls Sends Hopeful Home

Photo: FOX
Photo: FOX

*It is week 7 of Masterchef (US). 15 contestants remain after Tyler was sent home last week.

*There is an old wisdom to be cautious about volunteering information that will be turned against you. So when a Masterchef judge asks who you do not want to be paired up with, you ought to have the good sense to realize that is a trap. Leslie, who is old enough to know this maxim, of course offers up Ahran. Which he pronounces as Ihran. He seems to have a problem with pronouncing her name. It is a variant of Aaron so think of that name when saying Ahran. It is an uncommon name I grant you (not many boys or girls get this name) but not unpronounceable.

*Courtney really wears those high heels so much that Gordon warned her not to trip on the stairs up the balcony. She says it is like a second home to her. Really? Well do not get that comfortable. Some below want to knock you off that balcony and into a steaming pile of dog poo.

*The teams are paired up by Courtney who loves pulling the strings. Christian and Francis B are both arrogant about their abilities and Courtney hopes they will clash. Christian said some unpleasant things about why he did not want to pair with her. So Courtney would love to see him take the walk out of the kitchen. Victoria and Christine are paired up. Since neither have been in the top three, she probably hopes they will produce a mediocre dish. Jaimee and Elizabeth are contrasts but both will put their heads down and do a good job. Courtney sees neither as a threat right now. Then again pairing up Cutter with Dan was a good move. While both have shown strengths at times, she thinks they will clash and fail. She was right on the money there. Willie and Daniel are paired up. Neither are a threat to her at this point so it will be theirs to loose.

*Surf and Turf is on the menu tonight. The teams, unlike in the past, will not be doing a tag team relay cooking challenge. Instead both are working at the same time to create a harmonious dish to be served to the Culinary Trio. Note that word harmonious, for that really is the key. Merely throwing some fish and beef on the plate with salad is not going to cut it here. You have to give them an impressive dish that gets their attention.

*Watch that clock! You get five minutes in the pantry to select the proteins and other things you want. Most teams come to a consensus quickly (even Ahran/Leslie) but not Cutter and Dan. They each disagree on what to do and waste their time. So in the end they have a fish and meat protein and not much else to go on that plate. It would come back to haunt them later.

Surfs Up!
1. Victoria and Christine-Pork Belly & Monkfish. The best dish of the night according to the judges. It looked fantastic and restaurant quality.
2. Willie and Daniel-Seared ahi tuna with fried chicken with Asian influences. The judges liked it though Gordon did not like the crunch on the tuna. All in all, a good meal.
3. Ahran and Leslie-A pork belly and crab guacamole tostada. Despite Courtney hoping for a clash, they both worked well together and learned to respect one another. The dish looked delicious and got high marks from the judges. And they both hugged in the end. So the hatchet each had in the other’s back is gone. Leslie also knows how to properly say her name!

Low Tide
1. Christian and Francis B-Moroccan spiced rib eye with king crab topping. It looked like something served in a college cafeteria or cheap but pretentious diner. Gordon cannot believe they brought this up saying that individually each one could produce a stellar dish. Together they put this uninspired and bland meal together. A direct hit by Courtney. They are now on the short list for going home.
2. Cutter and Dan-Seared venison with seared tuna. What more can you say when you bring up a plate that has one cooked meat on one side, and fish on the other side and virtually nothing else? This might pass for minimalist picture in some art gallery but not here. Gordon could not believe that with that massive pantry at their disposal this is all they could bring up.Cutter says they could not agree but Gordon points out that each one of them could have filled their carts with all kinds of stuff and brought out to sort later. A total failure and Gordon calls it the worst dish so far. Joe is not amused either and I do not think he actually tasted it. After playing with it a bit, he fetches a trash bin and ask Cutter to do the honors. Yikes!
3. Francis L and Elise-rack of lamb with crab risotto, yogurt and caviar. What went wrong was exactly what Courtney hoped would happened. They overcomplicated their dish making it not that good. The lamb’s fat was not properly rendered off so the yogurt was on top of that. And the sauce Francis L made did not work for the dish. Visually unappealing as well (a dog’s dinner I think is what Gordon said).

When all the other teams but the Low Tide ones are sent up to the balcony, Gordon does the head fake and calls Christian and Francis B out and then tells them they are not saved and in the dreaded pressure test. Saved is Elise and Francis L. And boy are they glad not to be in this dreaded pressure test.

Vegetable spring rolls with dipping sauce. Photo: Public Domain (Wikipedia)
Vegetable spring rolls with dipping sauce.
Photo: Public Domain (Wikipedia)

Spring Comes In Roll
I love spring rolls. So does Gordon who points out the light but yet crunchy dough and delicious fillings. Done well it is great treat. Done poorly and you have sticks with weeds in them. And Christian, Francis B, Cutter and Dan all have to make four of them with a dipping sauce (and not from a can!). Dan has the advantage being born in China. And off they go to make the best spring rolls in Masterchef history. Not hard to make but mess up the dough or filling and it is all over. Key is also making sure your oil is hot enough. Too cold and it does not cook right as Francis found out. He did something no one would do: put them in a frying pan to get them some color. If he used just a hot nonstick pan maybe. But he added oil which meant it makes them greasy.

And so the Angel of Death has his scythe ready to go. Christian presents okay spring rolls and that pass muster. They could have been wrapped more evenly and used more herbs. Francis has too much filling in his spring rolls and they are greasy. Dan was just okay but Gordon expected more and was disappointed. Cutter had one spring roll burst in the fryer but managed to get by. His rolls though had an elasticity to them they ought not to have (not crispy enough). The filling needed more flavor and acid. Not a great presentation.

Christian gets the pass, soon to be followed by Dan leaving both Cutter and Francis B to face their fate. Will it be just one or two going home tonight? The scythe falls and Francis B is sent home. This is unfortunate. Francis had shown some real talent and really looked like a strong contender. Something happened though. Perhaps he lost confidence in his abilities or got shaken up by the team challenge. Courtney gets a direct hit here. She wanted Christian out but seeing Francis B go was good as well in her mind.

My 2¢
Over the years of watching food competitions, I often wonder how it is seemingly good cooks end up not making it like Francis B. He has shown considerable talent and wowed the judges early on. Joe thought he was one to watch. So it was sad to see Francis B fall this way. So what happened? Perhaps he had a confidence issue. The wedding challenge saw him flub it up when he became captain when Leslie was replaced. Joe put him the pressure test because of his poor leadership when they (1)did not serve up the original potato side and had to come up with a plan b quickly; (2) they were two plates of fish that did not have whole fish because two fish fillets disappeared. Perhaps this challenge unnerved him as well working with Christian. Both are good cooks but together something went amiss.

There was no obvious sign of discomfort between the two but neither did they want to work together. Perhaps they could not agree on a dish that would have been better. Or they were simply arrogant to believe they could get away with such a boring dish and slide by. I suspect it is something between arrogance and not wanting to upstage. Sort of a balance of power agreement that backfired. Courtney did not get Christian out but she got Francis B, who was a threat. No surprise about Cutter and Dan. Despite having their moments, neither is really that good as to knock your socks off. Dan is an admitted food snob and I suspect thinks little of Cutter. Cutter thought Dan’s ideas were not well thought out. And because they were debating too much, they left the pantry with very little. Gordon was disappointed with Dan not showing some real cooking skills with the spring rolls. He expected Dan to really make them shine as an example of his culinary skills. They fact he made a mediocre batch is a bellwether as to his real skills. The sauce was the only thing that saved him from being in the bottom two. Had he been there, he might very well have gone home.

Next week it looks like a restaurant challenge and breakfast is on the menu. It does not look pretty. And it looks like the pressure test will be a cake.

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