http://www.westonaprice.org/motherlinda/index.html
In the Kitchen with Mother Linda
Former Weston A. Price Foundation Board Member Linda Forristal, CCP, MTA is the author of Ode to Sucanat (1993) and Bulgarian Rhapsody (1998). Visit her website at www.motherlindas.com.
Date listed is the date the article was posted to this site, not the date the article was written or first published.
* To Heat or Not to Heat: A Yogurt Question 22 AUG 2005
* Ultra-Pasteurized Milk 23 MAY 2005
* A Visit to Switzerland’s Lötschental 22 DEC 2004
* Cicada Craze 25 SEP 2004
* Grasping the Nettle 06 JUL 2004
* My Pots and Pans 23 FEB 2004
* The Antioxidant Herbs 07 DEC 2003
* Babes in Soyland: Natural Products Expo East 06 DEC 2003
* The Rise and Fall of Crisco 03 DEC 2003
* Is Something Fishy Going On? 03 DEC 2003
* The Murky World of High-Fructose Corn Syrup 03 DEC 2003
* Sauerkraut: The Miracle Cabbage 29 JUL 2003
* Rhubarb Reminiscences 07 JUL 2003
* The Holiday Berry 30 APR 2003
* Put Lard Back in Your Larder 09 FEB 2003
* Maple Sugar: A Gift from the Indians 08 SEP 2002
* Venison: The All-American Meat 08 SEP 2002
* Strawberry Patches Forever 11 AUG 2002
* The Roe to Health 30 MAR 2002
Over the 377 years that my ancestors have lived around this area (coming on the Ark and Dove founding St. Mary’s City & Maryland), and with the seafood that the Chesapeake Bay provides, there were certain bread specialties that went with it and have been passed down for many generations.
Probably the most notorious is the Maryland Beaten Biscuit. Perfect with crab or fish soup or chowder. Not only do they taste good, but they are good for the soul of the cook, allowing them to vent - as you can see in this recipe -
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MARYLAND BEATEN BISCUITS
Recipe By : Chesapeake Bay Cooking with John Shields
Serving Size : 18 Preparation Time :
Categories : Breads Regional Cooking
Amount Measure Ingredient — Preparation Method
———— —————— ————————————————
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons lard — or vegetable
— shortening
1 3/4 cups water — up to 2
(The oldest and most famous biscuit recipe of the Chesapeake Bay region originated on the plantations of southern Maryland. The traditional preparation can be termed, at the very least, a culinary cardiovascular-aerobic exercise.
Its execution is best described by Joanne Pritchett, whose great-great grandmother was a cook on a St. Mary’s plantation: “Honey, every time I know I’m going to make these biscuits, I get myself good and mad. (Normally I think about my sister-in-law, Darlene, who ran off with my husband right after Granny Pritchett’s funeral. That was years ago, but it still galls me into making some of the tenderest biscuits around.”)
“It’s very simple. I just sift the flour and salt together in a bowl. Some people, nowadays, like to use Crisco or something like that. But I believe in lard. It gives it that certain taste.
”So then, I cut the lard into the flour with the tips of my fingers, working it real quick. During this step I make believe I’m putting out Darlene’s eyes.
“Then, little by little, I pour in the cold water, until I get a good stiff dough. Put it on a real solid table with flour. Now if your table is weak, honey, the legs’ll fall right off. I’ve seen it happen!
”Depending on my mood, I use an axe or a big old mallet. I make a ball out of the dough to look like Darlene’s head and, baby, I let her have it. Use the flat side of the axe or mallet, and beat the hell out of the dough till it blisters good. Takes about half an hour, but honey, it makes them tender as butter.
“Form the dough into balls, the size of little eggs, and flatten ‘em a bit on the board. Put a few pokes in the center with a fork, then bake in a hot 425øF oven for about 20 to 25 minutes. Serve hot and put some liniment on your arm, or it’ll be acting up the next day.”
Makes about 3 dozen biscuits
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As I think of what Zero is doing to our country, maybe I need to make some tonight!