Treistman - Who put the devil in deviled eggs?: the fascinating stories behind Americas favorite foods

Who put the [ DEVIL ]

in DEVILED EGGS?

Who put the [DEVIL]

in DEVILED EGGS?

THE FASCINATING STORIES BEHIND AMERICA'S
FAVORITE FOODS

ANN TREISTMAN

To LeAnna Weller Smith, the best designer in the world!

With thanks to Meg Distinti and Kristin Kulsavage.

Copyright 2011 by Ann Treistman

All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without the express written consent of the publisher, except in the case of brief excerpts in critical reviews or articles. All inquiries should be addressed to Skyhorse Publishing, 307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018.

Skyhorse Publishing books may be purchased in bulk at special discounts for sales promotion, corporate gifts, fund-raising, or educational purposes. Special editions can also be created to specifications. For details, contact the Special Sales Department, Skyhorse Publishing, 307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018 or info@skyhorsepublishing.com .

www.skyhorsepublishing.com

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available on file.

ISBN: 978-1-60239-742-2

Printed in China

TELL ME WHAT YOU EAT AND
I WILL TELL YOU WHAT YOU ARE.

Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin,
The Physiology of Taste (1825)

THE MOST REMARKABLE THING ABOUT MY
MOTHER IS THAT FOR THIRTY YEARS SHE SERVED
THE FAMILY NOTHING BUT LEFTOVERS.

THE ORIGINAL MEAL HAS NEVER BEEN FOUND.

Calvin Trillin

Who put the [ DEVIL ]

in DEVILED EGGS?

IN THE HOPE THAT HER SYSTEM OF COOKERY MAY BE CONSULTED WITH EQUAL ADVANTAGE BY FAMILIES IN TOWN AND IN COUNTRY, BY THOSE WHOSE CONDITION MAKES IT EXPEDIENT TO PRACTISE ECONOMY, AND BY OTHERS WHOSE CIRCUMSTANCES AUTHORIZE A LIBERAL EXPENDITURE, THE AUTHOR SENDS IT TO TAKE ITS CHANCE AMONG THE MULTITUDE OF SIMILAR PUBLICATIONS, SATISFIED THAT IT WILL MEET WITH AS MUCH SUCCESS AS IT MAY BE FOUND TO DESERVE, MORE SHE HAS NO RIGHT TO EXPECT.

Eliza Leslie, Directions for Cookery, in its Various Branches (1840)

WHY DEVILED EGGS and not stuffed mushrooms? Why apple and pumpkin pies, and not peach or blueberry? What is this eclectic mix of dishessome of which might only be eaten in one region of the nation and scorned in another? Needless to say, it is rather a mash-up of various foods, but in a wayhow appropriate.

Thinking about American cookery from its very roots reveals how nearly everything we eat came from Europe with settlers. It also makes very clear the elaborateand sometimes randomupdates and changes that have been made to these dishes.

Brownies were once prepared without chocolate (is a brownie without chocolate really a brownie, you might ask?). Pumpkin pie was made with rosemary, thyme, and apples. Granula, a precursor to today's granola, was hard as a rock, and had to be soaked in milk before it was eaten. Biscuits went from twice-cooked pucks taken on ship journeys because they never became stale (they started out that way), to the flaky, buttery mounds we enjoy today. Peanuts for peanut butter were once boiled, not roasted. And there are dozens of variations on meatloaf; we added the ketchup and the cheese.

About the recipes themselves: I've included many simple ones from the late 1800s and early 1900s. These may have been handed down from early European immigrants or even from ancient Rome, but those printed here represent the first ones published in America. It's fascinating to see how little emphasis was placed on measurements.

Perhaps these old recipes will inspire you to pick half a dozen apples, cut them up, and toss in some sugar to make a pie, without having to roll the dough exactly right or worry about how much liquid will seep from the crust, and so forth. It's quite wonderful to see the words of our past and find a connection with the present through these recipes.

I hope you will enjoy the roundabout journey. Let me know if there's something that absolutely needs to be included next time around!

Ann Treistman

New York City