The theme of the Chef's table: 
Top 100 AFI Movies
High Noon Appetizer
"Do not forsake me, my darling".
This one was probably my favorite. Having recently watched the movie I was
pretty familiar with the storyline. I also had just returned from a
conference in Ft. Worth Texas, and had Rye on my mind.
So taking a cue from the old west, I knew that I had to make beef jerky. I
took cuts of flank steak and sliced it into thin strips and then set it in a
marinate. Not just any marinate, mind you. For that extra kick, I
marinated it in single batch rye for a few days and then slow dried it in
the oven. It was a little tricky due to the fact that the slices weren't
exactly the same thickness and I discovered that the thinner ones got too
thin and were almost brittle, whereas the thicker slices got to be perfect.
However, there is an art to drying meat as I've learned. If you're truly
out on the prairie or traveling the dust bowl of America, then you want to
make it as dried as possible so it will last longer. But if you're serving
it to a bunch of people in your comfy living room, you want the meet to be
dried and chewy, full of concentrated flavor, but not something that you
have to wrestle with. Luckily I had enough of the softer chewy pieces to
offer (and I kept the rest for the next time I move cattle).
However, I wasn't through. Because this movie also takes place during their
wedding day. And while Gary Cooper is off looking for people to help him
fight the bad guys, his new bride is worrying about him.
On a hunch I opened an old family cook book that I had that was printed at
the turn of the century. Lo, and behold, there was something called a
"Wedding Cake".
"Six cups butter, four cups sugar, sixteen eggs, three pints of flour, six
cups currants, washed, dried, and picked, three cups sultana raisins, three
cups citron, two cups candied lemon peel, two cups almonds, blanched and cut
in shreds, one-half pint brandy, two ounces each nutmeg, mace, and cinnamon,
one tablespoonful each cloves and allspice.
Prepare all these ingredients in the following manner: Place the butter and
sugar in a large bowl; break the eggs into a quart measure or pitcher; cover
a small waiter with a clean sheet of paper and on it lay the sifted flour,
fruit, citron, and lemon peel but into shreds, the almonds and spices, with
the brandy measured at hand; also get ready a large cake tin by papering it
inside with white paper, and outside and bottom with four or five
thicknesses of coarse wrapping paper, which can be tied on.
Having thus prepared everything, and the fire banked up to last, with the
addition from time to time of just a shovelful of coal, by which means you
will not reduce the oven heat, proceed to beat to a very light cream the
butter and sugar, adding the eggs, two at a time, beating a little between
each addition until all are used; then put in contents of the waiter all at
once with the brandy; mix very thoroughly, and smooth; put it into the
prepared cake tin, smooth over the top, put plenty of paper on to protect
it, and bake eight hours, keeping the oven steadily up to a clear, moderate
heat; watch it faithfully, and you will produce a cake worthy of the
occasion' remove from the oven very carefully, and suffer it to stay on the
tin until quite cold; the next day ice it with a thin coat of White Icing,
both the top and the sides; and place in a cool oven to dry the icing. Now
spread a second coat of icing, which will prevent any crumbs or fruit being
mixed up with the icing when you are icing to finish; now with a broad knife
proceed, with the first coat is dry, to ice the sides, then pour the icing
of the center of the cake, in quantity sufficient to reach the edges, when
stop; decorate with a vase of white, make flowers, etc., to taste."
Clearly, since I don't have a wood oven (or a waiter, for that matter), nor
did I want to make a whole freakin cake, I needed to make a few adjustments.
Top 100 AFI MoviesHigh Noon Appetizer
"Do not forsake me, my darling".
This one was probably my favorite. Having recently watched the movie I was
pretty familiar with the storyline. I also had just returned from a
conference in Ft. Worth Texas, and had Rye on my mind.
So taking a cue from the old west, I knew that I had to make beef jerky. I
took cuts of flank steak and sliced it into thin strips and then set it in a
marinate. Not just any marinate, mind you. For that extra kick, I
marinated it in single batch rye for a few days and then slow dried it in
the oven. It was a little tricky due to the fact that the slices weren't
exactly the same thickness and I discovered that the thinner ones got too
thin and were almost brittle, whereas the thicker slices got to be perfect.
However, there is an art to drying meat as I've learned. If you're truly
out on the prairie or traveling the dust bowl of America, then you want to
make it as dried as possible so it will last longer. But if you're serving
it to a bunch of people in your comfy living room, you want the meet to be
dried and chewy, full of concentrated flavor, but not something that you
have to wrestle with. Luckily I had enough of the softer chewy pieces to
offer (and I kept the rest for the next time I move cattle).
However, I wasn't through. Because this movie also takes place during their
wedding day. And while Gary Cooper is off looking for people to help him
fight the bad guys, his new bride is worrying about him.
On a hunch I opened an old family cook book that I had that was printed at
the turn of the century. Lo, and behold, there was something called a
"Wedding Cake".
"Six cups butter, four cups sugar, sixteen eggs, three pints of flour, six
cups currants, washed, dried, and picked, three cups sultana raisins, three
cups citron, two cups candied lemon peel, two cups almonds, blanched and cut
in shreds, one-half pint brandy, two ounces each nutmeg, mace, and cinnamon,
one tablespoonful each cloves and allspice.
Prepare all these ingredients in the following manner: Place the butter and
sugar in a large bowl; break the eggs into a quart measure or pitcher; cover
a small waiter with a clean sheet of paper and on it lay the sifted flour,
fruit, citron, and lemon peel but into shreds, the almonds and spices, with
the brandy measured at hand; also get ready a large cake tin by papering it
inside with white paper, and outside and bottom with four or five
thicknesses of coarse wrapping paper, which can be tied on.
Having thus prepared everything, and the fire banked up to last, with the
addition from time to time of just a shovelful of coal, by which means you
will not reduce the oven heat, proceed to beat to a very light cream the
butter and sugar, adding the eggs, two at a time, beating a little between
each addition until all are used; then put in contents of the waiter all at
once with the brandy; mix very thoroughly, and smooth; put it into the
prepared cake tin, smooth over the top, put plenty of paper on to protect
it, and bake eight hours, keeping the oven steadily up to a clear, moderate
heat; watch it faithfully, and you will produce a cake worthy of the
occasion' remove from the oven very carefully, and suffer it to stay on the
tin until quite cold; the next day ice it with a thin coat of White Icing,
both the top and the sides; and place in a cool oven to dry the icing. Now
spread a second coat of icing, which will prevent any crumbs or fruit being
mixed up with the icing when you are icing to finish; now with a broad knife
proceed, with the first coat is dry, to ice the sides, then pour the icing
of the center of the cake, in quantity sufficient to reach the edges, when
stop; decorate with a vase of white, make flowers, etc., to taste."
Clearly, since I don't have a wood oven (or a waiter, for that matter), nor
did I want to make a whole freakin cake, I needed to make a few adjustments.
First off, I slashed the entire recipe to 1/8, and estimated the over to beabout 325 and instead of making a cake, I made little mini-cakes for
everyone using a mini-muffin tin. As I suspected, all the candied fruit and
spices made it more like a savory/sweet cookie, which was a perfect
appetizer counter to the Rye Jerky, thus providing the perfect, "rugged Old
west man" blend with the "sweet and delicious wife"
