1930: Philly Cheesesteak

To celebrate Summer as it comes to a close, Robby and I have been making every possible sandwich combination known to man. I think sandwiches are excellent summer fare. (especially when paired with corn on the cob and watermelon) I decided to kill 2 birds with 1 stone and tap into a bit of food history while I was making our homemade Philly Cheese Steaks last night. Robby would consider this a "man" sandwich...and for good reason.
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Leave it to "The City of Brotherly Love" to master the cheese steak. "Most agree the birth of Philly's cheese steak took place at Pat's King of Steaks in the Italian immigrant section of South Philadelphia in 1930. There, Pat Olivieri plied his trade by selling hot dogs and sandwiches until he thought of something else: thinly sliced beef dripping with melted cheese in a bed of sautéed Spanish onions." source
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It seems as though the cheese steak has been morphed just a bit over the years with the popularity of adding sauteed sweet and red peppers, mushrooms, & most recently Cheese Whiz. While I followed suit with the sauteed peppers and the traditional thinly sliced rib-eye steak cooked in its own fat, I couldn't take the plunge with the Cheese Whiz. My only recipe revamp on this classic would be the cheese. Instead of mozzarella or provolone, I went with a sharp white cheddar that was divine. I knew it was a good choice when Robby's first words were, "what is this delicious cheese?!"

1937: The Cobb Salad

Cobb Salad seemed to be a nice counterpart to the cornbread last week and it was oh, so delicious! But where did this hearty garden salad come from?
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The story goes something like this...
"In 1937, Brown Derby owner Robert H. Cobb went into the restaurant's kitchen to fix a late-night snack for Sid Grauman, operator of Grauman's Chinese Theater. He browsed the refrigerator for ingredients, and chopped them up finely. Thus, the Cobb salad was born. From then on, Grauman often requested that a Cobb salad be prepared for him. Word soon spread about this creation throughout Hollywood, quickly increasing its popularity. It became such a hit that film stars started requesting "Cobb's salad", and it was eventually added to the menu of the Brown Derby restaurant." source
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When it comes to a recipe revamp, the only change I would make to the classic is to make an amped up Blue Cheese Vinaigrette rather than the heavier creamy version.

Blue Cheese Vinaigrette

Yield: 1 1/4 cups

INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup olive oil
3/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

DIRECTIONS
In a small bowl, combine vinegar, garlic, mustard, and sugar; whisk together until combined. Slowly incorporate olive oil while continuing to vigorously whisk ingredients. Stir in blue cheese and season with salt and pepper. (Vinaigrette can be prepared 2 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

1931: biscuit bliss

As September wraps up, I felt it necessary to honor National Biscuit Month. (oh, the things I think about) My mother is a fabulous cook, but my memory of Sunday morning breakfasts is none other than the glorious refrigerator biscuit! It was 1931 when baker, Lively Willoughboy secured his patent for his prized product. The idea was originally acquired by the company Ballard & Ballard which was later bought by Pillsbury in 1951.

If you think like me, you want to know where that charming little doughboy came from. It wasn't until 1965 with the launch of refrigerated crescent rolls that the iconic Pillsbury Doughboy started singing, "Nothing says lovin' like something from the oven!"
As good as those darn refrigerator biscuits are, real lovin' is baked into biscuits from scratch. This is my go-to recipe in a pinch. Please enjoy!

Cream Biscuits
Yield: 8 biscuits

2 C. flour, plus extra for the counter
2 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 C. heavy cream

Adjust an oven rack to the upper middle position and heat the oven 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl. Stir in the cream with a wooden spoon until the dough forms, about 30 seconds. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter and gather into a ball. Knead the dough briefly until smooth, about 30 seconds.

Pat the dough into a 3/4 inch-thick-circle. Cut the biscuits into rounds using a 2 1/2 inch biscuit cutter or 8 wedges using a knife. Place the biscuits on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes.

*Adding 1/2 C. shredded cheddar cheese and 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper into the flour mixture makes these biscuits oh, so savory. Increase the baking time to 18 minutes.
recipe adapted from The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook

1931: Joy

Oh what a beloved year, the first edition of The Joy of Cooking was privately published by a struggling homemaker, Irma S. Rombauer. The official title was "The Joy of Cooking: A Compilation of Reliable Recipes with a Casual Culinary Chat."

The book was written to support recent widow, Irma and her family. It was a family affair with Irma's daughter, Marion who illustrated the book and designed the cover. The original cookbook was written in a very conversational fashion addressing solutions to current depression-era problems. Topics like canning and pickling were featured alongside recipes for unique meats in an effort to be as resourceful as possible.

Think you may have a 1st edition copy of this must read tucked away in Grandma's cookbook collection? Estimated value is around $1000.00!