American Plate - Bite #84: Pizza

Monday, April 27, 2020 0 comments
As I've no doubt mentioned tons of times, some of the Bites of this project are far easier to obtain than others; I'm still blown away that I was able to get my hands on some beaver tail. There are other entries that will be somewhat challenging to source, but on the flip side, some of the entries are so easy that they can basically be put off until whenever it's most convenient. Say, a global pandemic? Even trapped in our homes, it's no trouble at all to enjoy a Bite that is so common to Americans, it can be found in every settlement in the country. Styles and toppings may differ, but just about everyone loves pizza.

You'd be hard pressed to name a more representative food for America, even if its origin lies in Naples, Italy. So how did it travel from being served to visiting royalty in 1889 to being served on every street corner in the USA? Well, the first pizza parlor was founded in New York City in 1905, but it took until the end of World War II to become a national phenomenon. Soldiers returning from the Italian battlefields told tales of the delicious concoction, and once it caught on with teenagers, it was the hip new snack that every cool kid wanted to eat. It didn't take long to become a commodity for franchise owners, and the marriage of pizza and fast food gave it another popularity explosion.



Different regions celebrate it in different ways, of course, from the deep dish Chicago style to the cracker-thin St. Louis style. I tend to prefer the good ol' fashioned New York style, and when it comes to toppings, I may be one of the few remaining people who love a pizza piled high with delicious, salty anchovy.

Whether it's the cornmeal crust of Pi, the cheesy goodness of La Pizza, or the experimental toppings of Dewey's, there's no shortage of terrific local options. But no matter where in America you call home, there's no doubt a slice of heaven waiting nearby.
Read more »

American Cake - Cake #11: 1-2-3-4 Cake

Monday, April 13, 2020 0 comments
Time Period: 1870-1899

When you think of the platonic ideal of "American cake", the 1-2-3-4 cake is likely what pops into your head: Yellow/vanilla sponge with a chocolate icing. The use of vanilla extract in cakes dates to about the Civil War (no correlation that I know of, but wouldn't that be wild?) and recipes for this type of cake started popping up shortly thereafter. Versions of it have been traced to an 1870 Michigan newspaper, a couple of regional cookbooks, and finally, The Joy of Cooking in 1931.

It's called 1-2-3-4 Cake because of the proportions of its ingredients. 1 cup of butter. 2 cups of sugar. 3 cups of flour. 4 eggs. Recipes vary on what else gets added, but this one makes sure to include a little liquid (milk) and some leavening (baking powder). There were also a couple of other interesting details. I generally use all-purpose flour for my baking, but this recipe insisted on cake flour. I didn't think there'd be much of a difference, but was amazed to see how much more quickly cake flour combined into the batter. This is also one of the rare times I made a frosting on the stovetop instead of in the stand mixer.


The circumstances this cake was baked in are (hopefully) once in a lifetime as well. It was meant to be a birthday cake for Tiddy in March, but that became impossible. For one, it was made in the midst of organizing the stuff we just moved into the new house; you can see the boxes in the background of the picture. I had to hunt through piles of dishes to track down all the pans and racks that I'd need. And then there came a little thing called global pandemic, which has affected every aspect of life, as you can imagine. Finally, though, we were able to amass all of the necessary ingredients and equipment, and I was able to give Tiddy a belated dessert.


So, how was it? Frankly, a bit dry. I think sponge should be moist enough on its own, and not need an assist from the frosting. I don't know that this recipe will be going into the cake rotation, but overall, though, it's not too bad. It's certainly better than the other desserts available in the culinary world right now.
Read more »