...A Bit of Ramdom Food History - The Origins of Fish and Chips

Commonly associated with British cuisine, fish and chips are an integral part of the culture of the UK and Ireland and remain popular in the former British colonies including Australia, New Zealand and parts of North America. Interestingly, it is has also been an easy eat in the Faeroe Islands since the British occupation in World War II.

In the second half of the 19th century, fish and chips emerged amongst the working classes in the United Kingdom as a result of the rapid development of trawl fishing in the North Sea. However, in 1860 the first fish and chip shop was opened by a Jewish man, Joseph Malin, who produced fish fried in the "Jewish fashion".
Chips as such seems to have arrived at roughly the same time, even getting a mention in Charles Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities, published in 1859: "Husky chips of potatoes, fried with some reluctant drops of oil". However, the deep friend "chip" as we have become to know it belongs to the Belgians, with a mention in a manuscript from 1781 referring to the shape of the potato being carved into a fish as far back as 1680.

Fish and Chips

Here's how to make a healthier version of fish and chips, a traditional British dish.

Ingredients

• 4 large washed red potatoes, skin on cut into wedges
  
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and pepper
  
• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• 1/3 cup natural yoghurt
• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
• 1 tablespoon capers, chopped
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 pinch cayenne
• 3 tablespoons plain flour
• 1 tablespoon polenta
• 800 grams skinless cod fillets
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges

Method

1. Preheat oven to 220 degrees Celcius.
   
2. In a nonstick roasting pan, toss potatoes, 1 tablespoon oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper until coated, ensuring potatoes are spread in a single layer.
   
3. Roast potatoes for 30 to 35 minutes or until golden and tender, turning over once halfway through roasting.
4. In the meantime, prepare the tartar sauce and in a bowl combine mayonnaise, yoghurt, parsley, capers, mustard, and cayanne.
   
5. In cup, combine flour, polenta, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper and evenly coat fish.
6. In non-stick frying pan, heat remaining oil and add cod. Gently fry for 4 to 6 minutes or until cod turns opaque in centre, turning once.
   
7. Serve with potato wedges, tartar sauce, and lemon wedges.

...and that's how to make fish and chips!

...A Bit of Ramdom History - The Origins of the Roma Gypsy

Historically, perhaps one of the most significant emigration's from India, was that of the Romani people, commonly known as "Gypsies". Linguistic and genetic studies provide evidence that around the 11th century Muslim invaders tore through what is now modern-day and Rajasthan, leaving a wake of destruction of Hindu and Buddhist communities. Another theory suggests the Roma were originally low-caste Hindus recruited into an army of mercenaries, granted warrior caste status, and sent westwards to resist Islamic military expansion. Or perhaps the Muslim conquerors of northern India took the Roma as slaves and brought them home, where they became a distinct community; Mahmud of Ghazni reportedly took 500,000 prisoners during a Turkish/Persian invasion of Sindh and Punjab. Why the Roma did not return to India, choosing instead to travel west into Europe, is an enigma, but may relate to military service under the Muslims.
The Roma define five divisions within their own kind based on territorial, cultural and dialectual differences, and some of these are recognised by local authorities:

1. Kalderash: They originated on the land of present day Romania, but now can be found in other parts of the world, too.
   
2. Gitanos or Calé: Spain, Portugal and Southern France.
3. Sinti or Manush: Predominantly Alsace and other regions of France.
4. Romnichal of Rom'nies: Britain and North America.
5. Erlides or Yerlii: South-Eastern Europe and Turkey.

Some of the customs and practices of the Roma are also present in some Hindu cultures, such as those of Bengal and the Balinese. Common practices are marrying very young with virginity being essential and a dowry being paid from the man's family to the bride's parents. Social behaviour is strictly regulated by "marime" or "marhime" purity laws; nails must not be clipped and instead an emery board; clothes for the lower body are washed separately; and childbirth must not take place within the dwelling place and the mother is considered impure for 40 days after the birth. Some of these practices are found in Judasim. Unlike the Hindu practice os cremation of the dead the Roma people bury their dead. This is a possible adaptation from the Abrahamic religions following the emigration of the Roma from the Indian subcontinent.

Sambhar

Here's how to make sambhar, a typical South Indian vegetarian dish.

Ingredients

225g too dahl, soaked
2 tablespoons coriander seeds
10 black peppercorns
1/2 teaspoon funugreek seeds
1 tablespoons grated coconut
1 tablespoon roasted chana dahl
6 dried chillies
6 french beans, cut into 2.5 cm lengths
2 carrots, chopped into cubes
1 cup chopped cauliflower
1 brown or red onion, roughly chopped
125g eggplant, chopped into cubes
50g small okra, topped and tailed
1 tablespoon tamarind paste
2 tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
10 curry leaves
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon asafoetida

Method

• Drain the dahl and place into a saucepan, adding 1 litre of water.
• Bring to the boil, then cover and simmer for 2 hours, or until tender.
• Heat a small frying pan over a low heat and dry roast the coriander, peppercorns, fenugreek, coconut, chana dahl and chillies, stirring constantly until the coconut turns a golden colour.
• Grind this mixture in a mortar and pestle or blender until fine.
• In a saucepan, bring 750 ml water to the boil and add the beans, carrot and simmer for 10 minutes.
• Add the onion, eggplant, okra and cauliflower and simmer until cooked. Add more water if needed.
• Transfer the cooked dahl, ground spices, vegetables (together with their stock) and tamarind paste into a large saucepan and slowly bring to the boil.
• Reduce heat and gently simmer for 30 minutes.
• Season with salt to taste.
• In a separate small frying pan, heat the oil over a medium head and add the mustard seeds. Cover and gently shake pan until you hear the seeds pop.
  
• Add curry leaves, turmeric, asafoetida and a pinch of salt.
  
• Add to the simmering vegetable and dahl mixture and mix well.

...and that's how to make sambhar!

...A Bit of Ramdom Food History - The BBQ

It is an Etymologists mainstream belief that the word barbecue comes from the root work barabicu, which derives from the language of both the Timucua of Florida and the Taino of the Caribbean. It literally translates to "sacred fire pit", but describes as a grill made of a wooden plate, which rests on sticks and used for cooking meat.

Evidence suggests that both word and cooking technique migrated it's way from the Caribbean and into the languages and cultures of the Spanish, French and English via the usage of the word barbacoa, making its' way into the Oxford English Dictionary in 1697.

There are some historical etymological inaccuracies stating that it is derived from the French language. Urban etymology myth has it that visitors from France to the Caribbean saw a whole pig being cooked and described it as a barbe à queue, which translates to "from beard to tail". It is ambiguous as the French word for the same is also barbecue. There is another, slightly more obscure claim that the abbreviation BBQ came from the time roadhouses and bars with pool tables emerged in the USA, calling their enterprises "Bar, Beer and Cues". Apparently though, this was originally BBCue, which later evolved into BBQ.

Rachaels ' BBq King Prawns with Garlic Lemon Dressing

...And another legend from my friend Rachael, here's how to make bbq king prawns

Ingredients

1 Kilo large raw Tiger Prawns, shell and head on
2 lemons, juiced
4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
Sea salt to taste
220 grams butter

Method

1. BBq or grill off prawns. Set aside and keep warm.
2. In a deep pan, add lemon juice, salt and garlic and lightly saute for 1 minute.
3. Add butter and gently melt into the lemon garlic mixture.
4. Serve over prawns with melba toast to dip.

...and that's how to make bbq king prawns with garlic and lemon!

...A Bit of Ramdom Food History - The Great Famine and Resulting Diaspora

As a New Zealander, I find myself one of the majority in my country who are descendants of either the English, Scottish or Irish. One of the main factors for these early settlers to come out to New Zealand and various other parts of the globe can be directly attributed to An Gorta Mór, meaning "the great hunger", which was the result of the Great Irish Potato Famine, and this became a watershed in the history of Ireland. It changed the country's demographic, political and cultural landscape forever. Between 1845 and 1852 the island's population dropped by 20–25 percent.

Approximately one million people died and a million more emigrated from Ireland resulting in the Irish Diaspora - the Irish emigrants and their decendants - which spread into countries such as the UK, USA, Brazil, South Africa, Mexico, New Zealand, Australia, Argentina and various states of the Caribbean and continental Europe. The Diaspora, roughly interpreted, consists of over 80 million people now existing worldwide claiming some sort of Irish descent, being over thirteen times the current population of the islands of Ireland.

Memorials throughout Ireland appear, immortalising the Great Famines' memory forever, including at Custom House Quays in Dublin, the thins sculptural figures, by artist Rowan Gillespie, who stand as if walking toward the emigration ships on the Dublin Quayside.

Rachael's Butternut Squash Soup

This is a wonderful winter warmer that my lovely Irish friend Rachael has given me, and I would love to share it with everybody. Here's how to make butternut squash soup, loved all over the world.

Ingredients

3 carrots, roughly chopped
1 medium butternut squash, roughly chopped
2 brown onions, roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed and chopped
3 large potatoes, roughtly chopped
salt to taste
1 litre vegetable stock
Pinch of coriander powder
Fresh cream
Chives

Method

• Wash vegetables and add to a large pot.
• Add stock and bring to the boil.
  
• Gently simmer with lid off for 25 minutes.
• Remove from heat and blend into a creamy consistency.
• Serve in warmed soup bowls, place a small dolop of cream in the centre of the soup and lightly sprinkle with coriander and chives.

...and that's how to make butternut squash soup!

...A Bit of Ramdom Food History - The Influence of Portuguese Cuisine

The Portuguese Empire and overseas interests




Red - actual possessions
Olive - exploration
Orange - areas of influence and trade
Pink - claims of sovereignty
Green - trading posts;
Blue - main sea explorations, routes and areas of influence.


The former Portuguese Empire was the first global empire in history and it's cuisine has both given and taken from it's former colonies. In the 15th century, Portuguese traders bought sweet oranges from India, where previously Southern Europe had only grown the Persian orange, which was bitter. Some South Eastern Indo-European dialects actually name the orange after Portugal, as Portugal was their main source of imports. Some examples are Bulgarian portokal, Greek portokali, Persian porteghal, and Romanian portocala. In the Neapolitan dialect (South Italian), orange is named portogallo or purualle, which literally translated to "the Portuguese ones". Other related names are found in Turkish portakal, Arabic al-burtuqal, Amharic birtukan, and Georgian phortokhali.
Spices were imported from Asia, including cinnamon, which is used in a lot of traditional Portuguese deserts. "Canja", which is a chicken broth with rice is very similar to the Asian congee, suggesting it may be been taken back to Portugal from the East.

King Charless II married the Portuguese Princess, Catherine of Brazanza, and in the 1660s tea, originally from the colony of Macau, became fashionable in Britain after she bought it to court. Portuguese influences are found throughout the Brazilian cuisine, which have their own versions of classics such as feijoada (beef, pork and bean stew) and caldeirada (mixed fish stew). In Goa, vindaloo derives from the Portuguese dish "Carne de Vinha d' Alhos", a dish of lamb, wine and garlic.

In 1543 Portuguese trade ships went to Japan and then introduced the then luxury product, sugar, and was enjoyed as the confectionery by Japanese aristocracy. This was the Japanese era of Nanban trade and was when Tempurawas introduced by early Portuguese missionaries. There is still today a dish in Portugal very similar to tempura called peixinhos da horta, "garden fishes."

Rojões – Portuguese Pork with Cumin, Paprika and White Wine

Here's my take on how to make Portuguese Rojões, a traditional northern Portuguese dish.

Ingredients

1 kilo pork, cut into large chunks
2 teaspoons coarse salt
4 garlic cloves, sliced thickly
1 teaspoon carraway seeds
2 teaspoons cumin
3 bayleaves, torn
1 bottle white wine
1/4 cup olive oil

extra olive oil for frying
2 large potatoes, cut into large chunks

Method

• Marinade the meat in all of the above ingredients over night. This must be prepared the day before for all the flavors to fuse, or you will not get the correct result.
• The following day, remove the pork from the marinade and set aside. It is important to keep the marinade for the cooking process.
  
• Heat oil in a large frying pan and brown pork on all sides.
• Place pork in a large saucepan and pour in the marinade.
• Bring to the boil then reduce heat to a low simmer and cover.
• Gently cook for 3 hours.
• Add potatoes and cook for a further 30 mins.
• Serve with rice and tomato salad.

...and that's how to make rojões!

...A Bit of Ramdom Food History - Tandooris

The origins of tandoori chicken begins in a restaurant named Moto Mahal in Peshawar, created by it's chef Kundan Lal Gujral, prior to the partition of British India. He experimented by cooking chickens in the Tandoor (clay oven), usually reserved for cooking the local breads such as naan and roti.
These ovens get to a temperature of up to 900 degrees Celsius and are bell shaped, set into the earth and fuelled with wood or charcoal. The result was that Gujral achieved a wonderful succulent chicken with a slightly charred crispy outside.

In 1947, Punjab was partitioned, joining the eastern district joining India and the western district, Pakistan. Peshawar then became part of Pakistan and Gujral then found himself to be amongst the many Hindu refugees fleeing the new Muslim Pakistan. He then started a new restaurant in Delhi and one of his patrons was famously the first Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru, who loved it so much that he made it a staple at official banquets.

Spin offs of tandoori chicken led to the popularised British favourite of tikka and tikka masala.