Food from Cultures

Foods are a way that cultural groups express their way of living.  Since the people of the cultures have prepared these foods for many generations they changed gradually over time.  When people came to Texas they found out that they couldn't always cook familiar foods as they had in their homelands because they would need ingredients that weren't available in Texas. Some people found other ingredients they could use as substitutes for the ones that weren't available.  Many people also created new recipes based upon their traditional ones using ingredients that included the crops that grew in Texas. The many different ways to cook and prepare foods  have provided the people of the United States with a varied diet.

Homemade Tortillas

4 and 1/2 cups flour
2 tbs. baking powder
1 tsp. salt to taste
3 tbs. solid vegetable shortening
1/2 cup lukewarm water

Put flour in a big glass bowl. Then add salt, baking powder, and the
vegetable shortening. Mix ingredients until the mixture looks like a rough rock. Add water slowly, and knead until the dough looks like a smooth ball. Cover with a towel and set aside for half an hour.

To make the tortillas, pinch out little balls of dough and put them on a cutting board that has flour lightly sprinkled on it. Then get a rolling pin and one ball of dough and roll it into a flat circle. Put the flat circles on a warm griddle. You have to cook each side until it is golden brown. Now you have flour tortillas!

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Chicken Enchiladas

1 Chicken, about 3 pounds
1 med. onion
3 tbs. butter
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup chicken broth
1 4-oz. can green chiles, chopped
1 doz. corn tortillas
1 lb. longhorn cheese, shredded

Cook and bone chicken. Brown onion in butter. Add soups, broth, chiles, and heat well. In a large deep pan, layer tortillas, chicken sauce, and cheese. Repeat until the casserole is filled, ending with cheese. Bake 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Serves eight.

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Bunuelos

3/4 cup milk
4 T. butter
1 T. aniseed, slightly crushed
1 tsp. salt
2 beaten eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
cooking oil for deep-fat frying
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon

In small saucepan, heat milk, butter, aniseed, and salt to boiling. Cool to  room temperature. Stir in beaten eggs in mixing bowl, stir together flour and baking powder. Add egg mixture. Mix well.

Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface. Knead till smooth, two or three minutes. Divide, and shape dough into twenty balls. Cover; let rest ten minutes. Roll out each ball into 4-inch circle. (For flatter bunuelos, allow rolled dough to stand, uncovered at room temperature for 20 minutes, turning after ten minutes to allow surface to dry slightly.) Fry, one at a time, in deep hot fat (375 degrees) for four minutes or until golden brown, turning once. Keep remaining circles of dough covered. Drain on paper towels. Combine cinnamon and sugar in plastic bag. Gently shake warm bunuelos, one at a time, in sugar mixture.

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Salsa for Children

1 20 oz. can Italian-style tomatoes
1/4 cup onions
1/2 tbs. vinegar
1 tbs. salad oil
1 tsp. finely crushed oregano leaves
1 tsp. finely crushed parsley leaves

Crush tomatoes by hand. Add the rest of the ingredients. This salsa is a mild sauce. Makes three cups.

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Cornbread

2 cups buttermilk
2 eggs
1 tsp. baking soda
2 cups yellow cornmeal
2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
drop of vanilla
1 tsp. melted butter

Combine buttermilk, eggs, and soda, and beat well. Mix together cornmeal, sugar, and salt. Add buttermilk mixture, and mix well. Add vanilla. Pour into 9x9x2-inch baking pan coated with 1 tsp. melted butter. Bake at 450 degrees for about 20 minutes.
Makes eight - ten servings.

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"Soul" Ice Cream

1 cup heavy cream
1 cup light cream
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 tsp. vanilla (optional, can be lemon or other flavors)
pinch of salt
Makes 2 quarts

Using a wooden or plastic spoon, stir contents until sugar dissolves. Place this mixture in an ice cream container. Insert dasher. Place the lid on, and be sure it is snapped or screwed firmly in place. Lock support arm firmly in place. Plug in, if freezer is electric. Have ice and salt ready. Layer ice-salt-ice-salt around the container. As the salt melts the ice, continue to replace it. Freezing time is 20-50 minutes. Use your plastic rubber spatula when stirring in your container, so you do not damage interior or dasher. When the ice cream reaches consistency you like, remove dasher and serve immediately, or store in the freezer until ready to serve.

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Sweet Potato Pone

6 medium sweet potatoes, peeled
2 cups brown sugar
1 stick butter or margarine
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. allspice
1/2 tsp. cloves
1 cup molasses
six eggs, beaten
2 T. flour
1 cup milk

Grate potatoes. Mix all ingredients well, and cook in grease 9x9 inch deep baking dish at 350 degrees until set and slightly brown on top. Makes six to eight servings.

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Alsatian New Year's Bread

1 1/2 cups milk, scalded
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
2 pkgs. dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 C. raisins
5 cups sifted flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1 egg, beaten
1 T. bourbon

When milk gets hot, dissolve butter and sugar in it, and cool. While it cools, dissolve yeast in warm water. Then combine milk mixture, yeast, and eggs. Add raisins. Add this mixture to flour and salt. Let rise until double in size. Loosen from side of bowl, and work into a ball. Make designs on dough, and put on greased pan. Let rise until finger imprint stays on dough. Combine egg and bourbon, and brush on top of dough. Dough is often braided and formed into wreaths. Bake at 350 degrees until top is light brown. Cooking time will vary with size.

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Castroville Parisa

1 lb. lean ground beef
1/2 lb. onions, finely chopped
1/2 lb. American cheese, finely grated or chopped
lemon juice
salt and pepper

Mix beef, onions (both uncooked), and cheese. Sprinkle small amount of lemon juice over mixture. Taste. Add salt and pepper to taste. Mix well. Serve on good crisp crackers. Makes 10-12 servings.


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Cafe Brulot

3 large cups of coffee
1 orange peel
1 lemon peel
6 whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick
8 small sugar lumps
1 1/2 cups brandy

Brew coffee very strong, and keep it very hot. Rinse a brulot bowl or chafing dish and a silver ladle with boiling water. Cut an orange and lemon peels into 1x1/8-inch strips. Place peels, cloves, cinnamon, and sugar into bowl, and crush into a somewhat consistent mixture. Mix in brandy. Turn out lights. Ladle out some mixture from bowl, and ignite in the ladle. While blazing pour back into
bowl. Keep ladling mixture in and out of bowl while brandy flames. Add hot coffee, slowly, and continue to ladle mixture until flame dies. Serve in 6 demitasse cups.

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Gingerbread Men:

1 cup soft butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/3 molasses
2/3 cup light corn syrup
4 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. soda
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ginger
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. cloves
raisins or currants

Cream butter and sugars together until light. Add molasses and corn syrup, and mix well. Add sifted dry ingredients, kneading dough until smooth. Chill several hours or until firm enough to roll. Roll out on lightly floured board to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut out with cookie cutter, and place on lightly greased baking sheet. Place raisins or currants on cookie for facial features and coat buttons. Bake at 350 degrees for about 8 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on racks. Store in airtight container. Makes about 3 dozen.

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Timmermann Sisters' Christmas Cookies

1/2 lb. butter
1 lb. sugar
3 eggs
1 lb. flour

Cream butter, and add sugar. Add eggs one at a time. Beat well. Add enough flour so dough can be rolled on a board. Cut out different shapes. Use a wooden pick or skewer end to make holes in cookies, so tree hangers can be attached. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes. Cool on wire rack. Makes about 3 1/2 dozen cookies. The cookies can be kept in the freezer from year to year to use as decorations.

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Pfeffernuesse

3 eggs
2 cups flour
2 cups light brown sugar, packed
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. soda 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground cloves
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 cup finely chopped almonds
1 box (15oz.) seedless raisins, ground
2 T. ground citron
confectioners' sugar

Beat eggs and brown sugar until light. Sift flour with baking powder, soda, salt, cloves, cinnamon, pepper in a large bowl. Add almonds, raisins, and citron to dry ingredients, and stir to coat. Pour egg-sugar mixture into flour-spice mixture, and stir to make stiff dough. Using one rounded teaspoonful of dough at a time, roll into balls between floured palms. Put on well greased pan, leaving 2-inch spaces between cookies to allow for spreading. Bake at 375 degrees for 10- 12 minutes. Do not cook hard or dry. While still warm, roll well in confectioners' sugar. When cool, store airtight. These cookies should be stored at least a week before being eaten. Makes 4 dozen.

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Tea Scones

2 cups flour
2 T sugar
1/4 cup butter
2 T raisins
1 tsp. baking powder 1 egg
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup milk

Place flour in a bowl; rub in butter. Add baking powder, salt, sugar, and raisins. Mix well. Beat egg, and add to milk; reserve 1 T of mixture. Add remainder to dry ingredients. Knead to make moist dough. Turn onto well-floured board. Roll out 3/4-inch thick. Cut into 2-inch rounds with biscuit cutter. Arrange on lightly floured baking sheet. Brush tops with reserved egg mixture. Bake at 425 degrees until risen and lightly browned, about 25 minutes. Let cool. Makes nine.

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Shortbread Cookies

1 cup butter
1/2 cup light brown sugar
2 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking powder

Cream butter and sugar. Sift together flour, salt, and baking powder. Add to butter mixture, and mix well. Roll out 1/2-inch thick, and cut in rounds or squares. For petticoat tails, cut into a large round using a plate as a guide, then cut a smaller round in the center. Divide the larger circle into eighths. Remove to a cookie sheet, leaving 1/2-inch spaces between each triangle. Prick with a fork. Bake at 325 degrees for 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Sprinkle with sugar as soon as they are removed from the oven. Cool a little before lifting from baking sheet. Makes 16-24 cookies.

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Welsh Rarebit

4 slices of toast
1/2 lb. cheese
1 tsp. butter
2 tsp. flour
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. dry mustard
4 T. milk
salt and pepper

Toast bread. Grate cheese into a saucepan, and heat gently until
melted. Add remaining ingredients, and mix well. Spread over toast and return to grill until brown. (Instead of pre-cooking cheese mixture, grated cheese and seasonings can be mixed with enough additional milk to give a spreadable mixture, piled on toast, and then heated under grill. Garnish with parsley, and serve at once.)

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Danish Apple Cake

2 cups toasted bread crumbs
1 T. sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 cup butter
2 1/2 cups applesauce containing sliced apples
1/2 pint whipping cream
2 T. sugar

Crumbs may be from dried French bread, toasted white bread, zwieback, cake, or a combination of these. Brown crumbs in a skillet with 1 T. sugar, cinnamon, and butter. Place prepared crumbs in well-buttered 9x9x2-inch baking dish in layers alternating with cooked applesauce. Bake 1 hour at 350 degrees. Unmold. Serve cold with a generous helping of whipped cream, sweetened with 2 T. sugar. Decorate with dabs of red jelly.

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Pebbernodder

5 cups flour
1 1/2 cups butter
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/8 tsp. white pepper
1/2 cup finely chopped almonds

Mix all ingredients together. Form into rolls 1/2 inch in diameter. Cut into small pieces and drop on buttered baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes. The cookies may be rolled in colored sugars before baking. Store in tightly closed tins. Makes about 8 dozen.

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Sandbakkels

1 cup butter,softened
1 cup shortening
2 cups sugar
1 egg
4-4½ cups all- purpose flour

Combine butter, shortening, and sugar. Cream until light and fluffy. Beat in egg. Gradually add flour, and continue beating to form dough. Keep adding flour until dough no longer sticks to fingers when handled.Place dough into individual sandbakkel forms or patty shells, making sure no dough extends over edges of molds.  Place forms on cookie sheet, and bake at 350º for 5 minutes.   Remove from molds, and cool completely.  Store in airtight containers.   Makes about 7 dozen. 

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Saltimbocca:

8 slices boiled ham
8 veal cutlets, pounded thin
1 tsp. sage
salt and pepper
3T. butter

Lay a slice of ham on each cutlet, and sprinkle with sage, salt, and pepper. Do not roll up, but secure meat slices flat with toothpicks inserted at a slant. Sauté meat in butter for three minutes on each side. Discard toothpicks. Serve on toast or on bed of chopped spinach, and garnish with slices of hard boiled egg, if desired. Serves 4.

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Zabaglione

6 egg yolks
1/3 cups sugar
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup dry or dry or sweet wine

Beat egg yolks, adding sugar gradually, until firm. Add cinnamon and wine slowly, beating well. Set over hot water. Cook and beat until sugar is dissolved and mixture resembles thick custard -
about 10 minutes. Serve immediately in sherbet glass. Serves 6.

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Biscuit Tortoni

1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 egg white
1/2 cup macaroons, crumbled and sieved
1 T. minced cherries
1 T. minced almonds
2 tsp. sherry

Whip cream. Gradually fold in sugar, stiffly beaten egg white, macaroons, cherries, almonds, and sherry.  Pack into individual paper cups.  Top with extra macaroon crumbs and colored sugar crystals, if desired.  Freeze until firm.   Makes 6-8 servings.

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Wendish Noodles

3 eggs
2 tablespoons of water
1/4 teaspoon of salt
2 and 1/2 cups of flour

Mix all ingredients.  Let stand 15 to 20 minutes.  Shape into 5 balls and roll thin.  Let dry and cut with a sharp knife.

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