Experience the growing, harvesting, and historical process of making cocoa in Westport Museum’s hands-on exhibition that explores the connection between chocolate and Westport’s mercantile past in the 18th and 19th century. Learn more about the history of the cocoa industry in the American colonies and how the Saugatuck River and other regional waterways supported this trade.
Enjoy late hours to view this new exhibit and light refreshments.
Throughout much of American history, immigrants were encouraged to “assimilate” to life in the United States, putting aside language, dress and social morés from the “old country.” Many retained their ethnic foods as visceral links to home. By the 1960s and 70s Americans were expressing a growing interest in world cultures. As part of this movement there was a renewed sense of celebration of Americans of all ethnicities and food was an egalitarian and popular medium to explore these themes.
Time Life publishing produced a series of recipe-based books about world foods, including American Cooking: The Melting Pot about the American melting pot featuring the Kowalsky family of Westport—Polish immigrants who were successful farmers and then, later, building contractors.
To make 28 pancakes
To make the pancake batter in an electric blender, combine the flour, eggs, milk, water, sugar and salt in the blender jar and blend them at high speed for a few seconds. Turn off the machine, scrape down the sides of the jar with a rubber spatula, and blend again for 40 seconds.
To make the batter by hand, stir the eggs and milk together, then beat in the flour, water, sugar and salt with a whisk or a rotary or electric beater. Strain the mixture through a fine sieve set over a bowl.
In a small mixing bowl, stir together the fruit preserves and grated lemon rind. Set aside.
Heat a 60 inch crêpe pan or skillet over high heat until a drop of water flicked onto it evaporates instantly. With a pastry brush, lightly grease the bottom of the pan with about ½ teaspoon of the melted butter. Pour 3 tablespoons of batter into the pan and tip the pan so that the batter quickly covers the bottom; the batter should cling to the pan and begin to firm up almost immediately.
Cook the pancake for a minute or so, until a rim of brown shows around the edge. Turn it over with a spatula and cook for another 1 or 2 minutes, or until pancake is lightly browned. When the package is done, spread it with 2 heaping tablespoons of a fruit-preserve filling, roll it loosely into a cylinder, and place it in a baking dish in a 200 degree Fahrenheit oven to keep warm. Repeat the process with the rest of the pancake batter, adding butter to the skillet as needed. Serve the pancakes warm, sprinkled with confectioners’ sugar.
In 1947, the Westport Woman’s Club published The Connecticut Cookbook which is held in the Museum’s collection. The cookbook featured recipes from local ladies and was illustrated by noted Connecticut Artists such as Samuel E. Brown who lent this illustration to the Bread Chapter. This recipe for Sweet Milk Bran Bread was offered by Lillian Lambdin, wife of the noted Westport artist Robert Lambdin. This whole grain loaf is sweetened with molasses and dates—both of which add plenty of iron to the bread but raisins can be substituted or the dried fruit can be omitted altogether.
In the past, the dandelion was well known as a folk medicine cure-all. Used in soups or tinctures or made into wine, dandelion was long thought to be a blood cleanser, good for the liver and the kidneys and rejuvenating as a spring tonic, This recipe is inspired by Clara’s Kitchen, a web site dedicated to Depression era cooking by Clara Cannucciari (1915-2013) based on her own experiences living through that era. It was tested and prepared by Charlotte D’Anna, a sophomore at Staples.
Salads from foraged greens have been popular for centuries before and after the 1930s and this particular one will change your mind about dandelions being a nuisance weed to a delicious and elegant salad green with a zesty bite.
Before foraging, dandelions please be sure you are picking from an area untreated with pesticides or commercial fertilizers. The best way to pick and clean dandelions are by digging them up from the root using a common weeding tool. In a pinch a flat head screwdriver or butter knife will do the trick too.
1. Wash the dandelions: Hold each dandelion plant under cold running water, hold each dandelion by the root to wash off dirt and debris. Have a large bowl filled with cold water ready and place each dandelion into it. Swirl the dandelions around and pour off the water when cloudy. Rinse the bowl and repeat until water is clear.
2. Add 1 teaspoon of the sea salt and half of the lemon juice to the dandelions and fresh water in the bowl and set aside for 10 minutes. Pick off the flowers from the stem base and set aside on a doubled-up paper towel to dry.
3. Turn each dandelion upside-down, root facing up and softly collect the leaves in one hand then pinch and twist off the leaves 1/4 inch above the root base with the other hand. Place the leaves in a colander and discard the roots. Dry using paper towels or a salad spinner.
4. Place the dried dandelion leaves in a large salad bowl along with the cherry tomatoes
5. Whisk together the remaining salt and lemon juice along with the pepper, olive oil and honey. Pour over the dandelion salad and toss lightly. Garnish with shaved parmesan cheese and dandelion flowers.
This recipe for hoecakes is adapted courtesy of George Washington’s Mount Vernon. The first president was a fan of these cornmeal pancakes and often had them for breakfast generously drizzled with honey—of which he was particularly fond. Washington’s affinity for the stuff was so well known that during the time of the first presidency, so many well-wishers left local honey at Washington’s Philadelphia door, that there was always a surplus.
We call for baking spray or safflower oil to fry the hoecakes. You may use any flavorless oil that you like as long as it has a high scorch point, including lard or shortening.
Mix the yeast and 1 1/4 cups of the cornmeal in a large bowl. Add 1 cup of the lukewarm water, stirring to combine thoroughly. Mix in 1/2 cup more of the water, if needed, to give the mixture the consistency of pancake batter. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 8 hours, or overnight.
It may be surprising but chocolate cream pie, or chocolate tart was a common dessert during Colonial times. Chocolate arrived in America via the West Indies and was used in drinking chocolate (cocoa) and the shells of the cocoa beans were used to make a light tea.
Eighteenth century chocolate was far different from what we know today—it was a grittier product and usually flavored with spices like nutmeg, cinnamon, and allspice in a recipe similar to traditional Central American and Mexican preparations. The smooth, creamy chocolate we know today wasn’t available until later in the 19th century when machinery was invented to grind the pure cocoa paste more finely and add back cocoa butter and sugar during the refining process.
Chocolate Tart recipes are quite common in cookbooks of the period such as Englishwoman Hannah Glasse’s 1747 book The Art of Cookery Made Plain And Easy. Modern readers might be surprised that Glasse’s recipe (and most others of the time) calls for rice flour which is used as a thickening agent. Rice and rice flour were commonly used at the time since rice came to England and later America, via the robust British trade with the East and West Indies. Later, rice was grown in the southern American colonies as well. This recipe uses cornstarch as a more effective thickener however you can harken back to tradition and substitute rice flour instead.
Traditionally this tart would have been served with a sugar crust on top like a crème brulee but we prefer to serve it with Chantilly cream (sweetened whip cream). You can find that recipe here.
Makes 1, 9-inch pie
Sweetened whipped heavy cream by a fancy name is Chantilly Cream—a popular and delicious accompaniment to everything from fresh fruit to ice cream to pie and more. Culinary legend attributes this delightful airy concoction to the 17th century French chef, Vatel, who worked in the Château de Chantilly in France. In Chef Vatel’s time, as today, a copper bowl works best to whip cream—especially by hand. However, a good stand mixer and balloon whisk attachment make quick work of the job.
Serves 6 to 8
This simple dish was called “Potatoe Balls” in the 18th and early 19th centuries and an original recipe for this dish appears in Mary Randolph’s cookery book The Virginia Housewife published in 1824. These croquettes are a good way to use up leftover mashed potatoes. While the base recipe is simple, feel free to add spices or herbs to your liking. Nutmeg, imported from the West Indies, was a common ingredient in early American kitchens—even in savory preparations. Minced chives are a good addition as is grated cheese—1/2 cup of grated gruyere or 4 tablespoons soft goat cheese are two choices.
Makes about 18, serves 6 to 8
Named for a town in England in the county of Shropshire bordering Wales, the Shrewsbury biscuit is essentially a shortbread cookie. Carried to America via early colonists this cookie was commonly flavored with caraway seeds which impart a faint licorice taste. If you don’t like caraway, you may simply omit it.
1. Preheat oven to 350 F and line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2. Cream together the butter until fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes in a stand mixer. Add the egg and beat until well combined.
3. Slightly crush the caraway seeds in a mortar and whisk into the flour along with the lemon zest. Add the flour to the butter and egg mixture and mix until it comes together in a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour.
4. Flour a clean work surface liberally and roll out the dough to ¼ inch thick. Use a 2-inch round or fluted cookie cutter to cut out the cookies and place on the cookie sheet about 1 ½ inches apart.
5. Bake for about 10 minutes or until they begin to brown slightly around the edges. Remove and cool before serving.
