Published by The History Press
Charleston, SC 29403
www.historypress.net
Copyright 2009 by Peter G. Rose
All rights reserved
First published 2009
Second printing 2009
e-book edition 2013
Front cover: Cornelis Dusart: The Saint Nicholas Celebration (detail). Courtesy Atlas van Stolk, Rotterdam.
Manufactured in the United States
ISBN 978.1.62584.328.9
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Rose, Peter G.
Food, drink and celebrations of the Hudson Valley Dutch / Peter G. Rose.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
print edition ISBN 978-1-59629-595-7
1. Food habits--Hudson River Valley (N.Y. and N.J.) 2. Drinking customs--Hudson River Valley (N.Y. and N.J.) 3. Festivals--Hudson River Valley (N.Y. and N.J.) 4. Dutch Americans--Social life and customs. 5. Cookery, American. 6. Cookery, Dutch. 7. Cookery--Hudson River Valley (N.Y. and N.J.) 8. Hudson River Valley (N.Y. and N.J.)--Social life and customs. I. Title.
GT2853.H83R67 2009
394.12--dc22
2008055296
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To my mother: for the past
To Don: for the present
To Peter Pamela: for the future
CONTENTS
FOREWORD
In 1651, an inventory was drawn up of the personal estate of a certain farmer, Jan Jansen Damen, who had deceased on the eighteenth of July of that year on Manhattan. His house had only a few rooms (the description of which, based on a contract with the carpenter in 1641, still exists) and even less furniture. But it had a relatively rich inventory, with lots of linen, lace, clothing, pewter and a silver wine beaker, as well as brass, copper and ceramic kitchenware. The pantry contained, among others, four wooden butter molds, two wooden pint measures for milk and two copper griddles for pancakes. As it turned out, in the rear of his house, he literally brewed his wealth out of beer: on the loft, in the cellar and in the brewery the schepels of barley malt, wheat, rye and hop (just arrived from Holland) abounded. Barrels were still full of beer, including black beer, when he died.
According to his will, which also survived, he desired that his maidservant, Cicilje, would be emancipated and completely released from her slavery whenever his surviving wife would sell the farm.
Damen was an early example of a successful entrepreneur. Not only did he farm and brew his beer, but he also owned a share in a ship that sailed the coast of America. In fact, heand other Europeans who crossed the Atlantic to start a new life in New Amsterdam or along the Hudsonbecame relatively well-to-do farmers, not ostentatious, but solid and persevering. Calvinists, yes, but beer drinkers, that certainly too.
There are many ways one can try to trace back the history and adventures of those early settlers, Dutch and others. One can look at the architectural traces, the immaterial aspects of diversity and tolerance, the linguistic legacy or traditional customs. It is to the credit of Peter Rose that she has been focusing for a long time on a specific aspect, the culinary traditions of those Dutch settlers in the Hudson Valley. They left us not only cookies and coleslaw but a whole wealth of recipes that reflect the sturdiness of the seventeenth century. It is but one of the many footprints that eventually helped to form the United States of America, but certainly a most pleasant one.
I am glad that I am allowed here to compliment her impressive research in the subject. The book appears on the eve of four hundred years of Dutch-American ties, which started with the memorable journey of Henry Hudson on his Dutch ship the Halve Maen and which led to more than fifty years of Dutch presence on American soil. Food, Drink and Celebrations of the Hudson Valley Dutch comes as timely as a well-cooked meal, I should say.
Gajus Scheltema
Consul General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
New York, December 1, 2008
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Hartelijk dank (heartfelt thanks) to Consul General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands Gajus Scheltema for writing the foreword to this book. My sincere thanks to Jean Gehring and Dr. Charles T. Gehring, director of the New Netherland Project, for reading the manuscript. All of us involved in New Netherland studies are deeply grateful for his steadfast, but smiling, leadership and support. Dr. Donna R. Barnes, friend and colleague, is also always ready to answer questions and provide helpful comments. Our working relationship has turned into a fun friendship. A warm thanks to my other readers, Andrea Candee, Allison Chernow, Dr. Charles Danowski, Betty Treyz and particularly to food historian Stephen Schmidt, who interrupted the work on his own book to read parts of mine. Steve and Petrus, his dog, have become much-appreciated comrades-at-the-hearth to both Don and me.
I would also like to acknowledge here, with gratitude, George Heron for the lessons on Seneca food ways and Dr. Christopher Whann for his insightful guidance and most helpful conversations regarding the African cacao trade and cash crops. Richard Jacobs I thank sincerely for many pleasant collaborations over the course of more than twenty years and for the photos used in this book. Jonathan Simcosky of The History Press has been unfailingly kind and patient through the entire process of preparing the manuscript and illustrations. My thanks also go to Nancy Terhune for valuable insights and indexing.
When one works on projects like this over a long period of time, one comes to realize how truly important friends are. Fabulous, feisty female friends such as Andrea Candee, Allison Chernow, Fran Dowling, Alexia Jurschak, Mary Beth (Chip) Kass, Pat Larkin, Susan Simon and especially my first friend in South Salem, Betty Treyz, have helped and supported me over the years through some rather debilitating circumstances. I feel fortunate to have friends in the Netherlands, as well, who were always ready to extend a hand or solve a problem. My oldest friend (in terms of friendship), Ria van Trigt, I have known since I was three, but more recent onesJohannes van Dam, Marcella de Jong, Alexandra Gaba, Gjalt van der Molen, Marleen Willebrands and particularly Marietje van Winterwere also always willing to help.
It is special when a family member turns into a friend, and I do want to acknowledge here my nephew, Wouter J. van Vloten, who has assisted and aided me in too many ways than are possible to mention, and I am very grateful.
Most of all, I want to express my love and gratitude to my wonderful husband, Don, who makes everything possible. Together we are sustained by and deeply proud of our daughter, Peter Pamela.
Parts of the text have appeared in some form in my own two books on the subject and in the following publications. I gratefully acknowledge permission to use them in this book to the following:
