Cool Indiana Cuisine by Ruth Paget

Cool Indiana Cuisine by Ruth Paget 

I thought Indiana was infinitely cool as a kid, because I spent long weekend vacations there with my mom, who was doing union organizing and attending International Typographical Union Midwest Conference meetings in places like Gary, Fort Wayne, and Indianapolis. (The International Typographical Union is now part of the Communications Workers Union of America.) 

The ladies auxiliary of the Union babysat me, stuffed envelopes, and wrote letters to the editor poolside while I swam for hours under Indiana’s blazing hot sun that is good for crops and kids, who need Vitamin D. 

Après nage, I looked forward to eating Indiana’s wholesome farm food that still reflects German, Polish, and Italian immigrant heritage. My favorite main dishes were German sweet and sour pot roast seasoned with cranberry jelly and pork loin with cream sauce. Both were served with buttered egg noodles. 

These dishes were different from my mom’s English roast beef and vegetables. They made me feel that Indiana was rather exotic compared to Detroit as we zoomed past signs warning drivers to share the road with horse-drawn Amish buggies. 

These Indiana memories came back to me as I read Best of the Best from Indiana Cookbooks edited by Gwen McKee and Barbara Mosely. 

For decades Indiana was famous for Notre Dame University’s football team coached by Knute Rockne. I thought the following appetizers were just the thing for football game munchies as I read the cookbook:

-beer cheese for spreading on crackers or toast made with cheese, horseradish, hot sauce, and mayonnaise 

-Gouda Wellington – warm croissant wedges made with Gouda cheese and apricot preserves 

-Reuben snacks – baked snack balls made with breadcrumbs, Swiss cheese, shredded corned beef, drained sauerkraut, and melted butter 

-Chocolate chip cheese ball – made with cream cheese, vanilla, cinnamon, powdered sugar, mini-chocolate chips, and chopped pecans 

Two other coffee and football treats include: 

-Mrs. Rockne’s Swedish coffee cake topped with brown sugar, coconut, and melted butter 

-Little applesauce muffins 

Other dishes in Best of the Best from Indiana Cookbooks are surprisingly simple to cook such as: 

-baked and stuffed green peppers that are stuffed with ground beef, tomatoes, and bread crumbs 

-seafood fettucine with a sauce made with whipped heavy cream 

-pork tenderloin with scallion and mustard sauce 

Finally, desserts are always good and plentiful when dealing with people of German descent. Some of my favorites in this cookbook include: 

-mocha and cherry cake 

-lemon cheese bars -pecan bars 

-sesame seed tea cake 

-springerles - anise-flavored cookies 

-pfeffernusse - peppernut cookies seasoned with cloves, allspice, cinnamon, white pepper, and almonds 

-gingersnaps 

Tasty recipes abound in the pages of Best of the Best from Indiana Cookbooks edited by Gwen McKee and Barbara Moseley, making it a good purchase for chefs.

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

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Pennsylvania's Value-Added Cuisine by Ruth Paget

Pennsylvania’s Value-Added Cuisine by Ruth Paget 

There is always a little something or two added to dishes in Pennsylvania to enhance flavor such as mashed potatoes with horseradish or sautéed fish with nuts. 

Flavor enhancements like this reflect Pennsylvania’s immigrant background with contributions from English, German, Italian, Polish, and other Eastern European cuisines. Value-added dishes are well-documented in The Best of the Best from Pennsylvania Cookbooks: Selected Recipes from Pennsylvania’s Favorite Cookbooks edited by golfing friends Gwen McKee and Barbara Moseley. 

The value-added ingredients in Pennsylvania dishes usually are not difficult to add and distinguish the dish with a particular culture. Dishes like this include: 

-smoked salmon pâté using canned salmon, cream cheese, onion, lemon juice, and horseradish 

-onion and herb bread made with sherry 

-blender apple pancakes that make the apples part of the batter 

-pierogis – Polish ravioli filled with cottage cheese and topped with melted butter and sautéed onions. I ate pierogis in Detroit (Michigan) as a child with my Polish babysitters who also made French terrines. 

- a non-puréed shredded cabbage soup made with onions, celery, parsley, peas, mushrooms, and diced chicken 

-cream of zucchini soup for when zucchini is exploding into bloom in summer gardens. This soup is made with zucchini, onions, and milk. 

-cream of broccoli soup made with cream and cheddar cheese 

-brie soup, which I am sure the dons of the University of Pennsylvania eat. The brie here is melted in broth with the addition of sliced mushrooms, julienned carrots, green onions, sherry, and heavy cream

-Swiss green bean salad made with green beans, Swiss cheese, olives, red pepper, and almonds 

-Amish macaroni salad made with celery, onions, parsley, carrots, and hard-boiled eggs 

-Pennsylvania Dutch pancakes made onion, scallions, and lemon juice for a tangy flavor 

-wild rice with mushrooms and almonds 

-cranberry chutney with ground cloves -pork tenderloin with orange sauce 

-lemon-apricot chicken 

One dish that is part of my family heritage in this cookbook is Gulielma’s Chicken and Dumplings. Gulielma Springett was the first wife of Pennsylvania’s founder William Penn and the step-daughter of my ancestor Isaac Penington (1616 – 1679). William Penn was also a Quaker and one of the reasons I attended a Friends School in Detroit (Michigan) for part of my high school education. 

Gulielma’s dumplings are made with parsley and chopped mushrooms, which exemplify the value-added character of Pennsylvania’s food. 

(The Pennington’s have left their mark in Pennsylvania. There is a Pennington Road in Philadelphia, which has brown brick row houses lining it. There is also a town named Pennington close to Allentown, Pennsylvania.) 

Other dishes in this cookbook that are just a little different from plain presentations include: 

 -swordfish with pecans 

-roasted red pepper with shrimp grits made with cheese 

-chocolate bourbon cake 

-black walnut cake 

-cream cheese fudge made with Philadelphia cream cheese 

-apple-cranberry cobbler made with an oat topping 

Delicious and historical recipes like these abound in The Best of the Best from Pennsylvania Cookbooks edited by Gwen McKee and Barbara Moseley, making it a good purchase for chefs and historians alike. 

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

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Asparagus Mimosa with Rice and Peas Recipe by Ruth Paget

Asparagus Mimosa with Rice and Peas 

Serves 4 

Ingredients: 

-1 pounds asparagus 

-2 cups cooked rice 

-1 pound peas 

-1/4 cup melted butter 

-6 hard-cooked egg yolks 

Steps: 

1-Cut off the tough ends of asparagus stalks. Peel or scrape to remove the outer skin. Wash and tie in serving bunches. 

2-Cook in boiling salted water for 15 to 20 minutes in a deep narrow pot with tips above the water.  

3-Remove the asparagus from the water. Undo the ties and places on top of cooked rice on 4 individual plates. 

4-Cook the peas in boiling water until the largest ones are fork tender. Drain the peas and place peas on top of the asparagus. 

5-Brush the vegetables with melted butter. Garnish each portion with the egg yolks pressed through a grater to form the mimosa. 

Source: Rose Pennington – circa 1950s 

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

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Fish Souffle Recipe by Ruth Paget

Fish Soufflé Recipe by Ruth Paget 

Serves 4 

Ingredients: 

-2 cups cooked white fish (halibut or cod) 

-1 tablespoon butter 

-2 tablespoons flour 

-1 cup milk 

-3 eggs with yolks and whites separated 

-1 teaspoon salt 

-1 tablespoon chopped onion 

-1 tablespoon snipped green onion 

-1 teaspoon paprika 

-1 teaspoon tarragon 

-1 teaspoon marjoram 

-1 teaspoon nutmeg 

Steps: 

1-Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. 

2-Place butter in a saucepan. Blend in flour and stir in milk. Cook until the sauce is smooth. Cool. 

3-Add beaten egg yolks, salt, onion, green onion, and seasonings to the white sauce and blend well. 

4-Add flaked fish to the white sauce. 

5-Beat egg whites till stiff and add gently into the fish and white sauce mixture. 

6-Pour fish mixture into a greased casserole and bake for 20 minutes. 

Source: Rose Pennington – circa 1950s 

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

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Buttermilk Ice Cream Recipe by Ruth Paget

Buttermilk Ice Cream Recipe by Ruth Paget 

Serves 4 

Ingredients: 

-1 quart buttermilk 

-1¼ cups sugar 

-2 teaspoons vanilla extract 

-1 pint sour cream 

-1 teaspoon salt 

Steps: 

1-Pour buttermilk in a large bowl. Add all the remaining ingredients. Stir thoroughly. 

2-Transfer the buttermilk to a freezing tray and freeze until the edge is about 1-inch frozen solid. 

3-Spoon this mixture into a bowl and beat with a rotary mixer until smooth. 

4-Refreeze until solid before serving. 

Source: Rose Pennington – circa 1950s 

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

Click for Ruth Paget's Books

Orange Sherbet Recipe by Ruth Paget

Orange Sherbet Recipe by Ruth Paget 

Serves 4 

Ingredients: 

-1 (1-ounce) package flavored gelatin 

-2 tablespoons cold water 

-2 tablespoons sugar 

-1/2 cup corn syrup 

-2 egg whites 

-1/2 cup hot water 

-2 cups orange juice 

-3 tablespoons lemon juice 

Steps: 

1-Soften gelatin in cold water for 5 minutes. Mix sugar and corn syrup in a saucepan and boil until syrup forms a 3-inch thread when dropped from a spoon (approximately 4 to 5 minutes). 

2-Add softened gelatin to hot syrup. Stir until thoroughly dissolved. Cool. 

3-Beat egg whites until stiff and add hot water slowly. Add the orange and lemon juices and blend thoroughly. Blend egg white mixture with the gelatin mixture. 

4-Pour this mixture into a freezing tray. When the sides are frozen, take the sherbet out and mix it. 

5-Return to the freezing tray and let freeze solid before serving. 

Source: Rose Pennington – circa 1950s 

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

Click for Ruth Paget's Books

Peach-Ginger Ale Aspic Recipe by Ruth Paget

Peach-Ginger Ale Aspic Recipe by Ruth Paget 

Serves 4 

Ingredients: 

-1 (1-ounce) package strawberry, raspberry, or cherry flavor gelatin 

-1 teaspoon salt 

-1 cup hot water 

-1 cup ginger ale 

-1 (15-ounce) can drained peach halves 

Steps: 

1-Dissolve gelatin and salt in hot water. Add ginger ale. 

2-Chill until slightly thickened. 

3-Place peach halves in a 9-inch square pan. Pour slightly thickened gelatin over the peaches. Chill in the refrigerator until firm. 

4-Cut gelatin into squares for serving. 

Source: Rose Pennington – circa 1950s 

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

Click for Ruth Paget's Books