The Colonial Williamsburg Tavern Cookbook Hardcover - 2001 - 1st Edition

First line

THE bite-size tidbits that accompany pre-dinner drinks and the light foods that make up the first courses of dinners today were not served in colonial Virginia.

From the jacket flap

The Colonial Williamsburg Tavern Cookbook
Every year, millions of people visit Colonial Williamsburg's re-creation of eighteenth-century America for the ambience, the education, and the unparalleled experience of glimpsing our prerevolutionary past. Williamsburg's fascinating form of time travel encompasses not only the architecture and the artisans, but all the details of our rich cultural heritage, including the food. And "The Colonial Williamsburg Tavern Cookbook presents that food, our nation's culinary heritage: from stews and slaws and soups to puddings and pies and pot pies--nearly 200 recipes in all. Focusing on Williamsburg's Southern roots and coastal proximity, the dishes owe their inspiration to the distant past, but their preparations have been tailored for contemporary palates--no need to run out and get some suet in which to cook your mutton over the open hearth.
Here are perennial standbys such as Brunswick Stew, Standing Rib Roast with Yorkshire Pudding, Virginia Ham with Brandied Peaches, and Cream of Peanut Soup, as well as Spoon Bread, Lemon Chess Pie, and Mulled Apple Cider. There are also unexpected twists on age-old favorites, such as Oyster Po' Boys with Tarragon Mayonnaise, Oven-Braised Gingered Pot Roast, and Carrot Pudding Spiced with Cardamom. Just as the historic town of Colonial Williamsburg is a singular adventure in understanding our nation's history, so too this cookbook is a unique appreciation of our culinary history. In April 1772, George Washington, writing about one of the taverns in Williamsburg, noted, "Dined at Mrs. Campbells and went to the Play--then to Mrs. Campbells again" --twice in a single week. The hearty fare that Georgefound so enticing is enjoying a profound renaissance, and "The Colonial Williamsburg Tavern Cookbook will enable home cooks to relive the great American culinary tradition--the ultimate in comfort food.

Excerpt

Chowning’s Tavern Brunswick Stew

SERVES 8-10

The argument will never be settled as to whether this tasty dish cane from Brunswick County, Virginia; Brunswick, Georgia; or Brunswick County, North Carolina, although Virginia's claim is the best documented The recipe is now made with stewed chicken, corn, lima beans, and tomatoes and omits the squirrel, which was originally used
2 chickens (about 3 pounds each), cut into 6 or 8 pieces
4-5 large tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped, or 2 (19-ounce) cans, drained, seeded, and chopped
4 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels
3 medium all purpose potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch dice
2 large onions, thinly sliced
2 caps fresh or frozen lima beans
2 cups fresh or frozen sliced okra
1 tablespoon salt, or to taste
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
1 teaspoon sugar, or to taste

In a large pot, place the chickens and add enough water to cover, 2-3 quarts. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer, partially covered, until the chicken is falling off the bones and the broth is well flavored, 2-3 hours. Use
a slotted spoon to transfer the chicken to a bowl and cool.

Skim the broth. Add the tomatoes, corn, potatoes, onions, lima beans, and okra. Season with the salt, pepper, and sugar. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce the heat to medium low and cook, stirring often, until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, pull the chicken off the bones. Add the chicken to the vegetables and taste the stew for seasoning. Add more salt, pepper, or sugar as desired, Serve hot in warmed bowls.

"Southern Cooks prize okra for its distinctive flavor and texture. The vegetable cam to the New World from Africa via the slave trade."

Media reviews

Citations

• Library Journal, 02/15/2001, Page 195
• Publishers Weekly, 02/12/2001, Page 207