The Good Cook Techniques & Recipes Series – Beverages

182 Pages·1983·214.823 MB·English

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ThiS volvme " one of o senes thot explams and demonstrates
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book on mternat•onol anthology of great re<:1pes
--------------------THE GOOD COOK-------------------
TECHNIQUES & RECIPES
BY
THE EDITORS OFT IME-LIFE BOOKS
----- -- ---TIME-LIFE BOOKS/ ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA---------
Cover, Ice-cold water ond finely crushed ice transform o
thick block currant syrup into o thirst-quenching drink
(page 40). The quartet of enticing beverages also includes
iced Ceylon teo (page 19) flavored with slices of fresh lime,
o martini (page 88) garnished with o green olive, and o
cup of block coffee (page 21).
Time-Life Books Inc. CHIEF SERIES CONSULTANT spondent lor the london Observer since 1968. Alan
is o wholly owned subsidiary of Richard Olney, on Ameri Davidson is the author of several cookbooks and
TIME INCORPORATED can, has lived and worked the founder of Prospect Books, which specializes
lor some three decodes in in scholarly publications about food and cookery.
Founder, Henry R. Luce 1898-1967
France, where he is highly FRANCE: Michel Lemonnier, the cofounder and vice
Editor-in-Chief Henry Anatole Grunwald regarded as on authority president of les Amities Gostronomiques lnterno
President, J. Richard Munro on food and wine. Author tionales, is a frequent lecturer on wine and vine
CExheaciurmtivaen Voicfe th Pe reBsoidoerdn,t , RCallipffho rPd. JD. aGvriudmso n obof oThke aFnrden cohf tMheen au wCaorodk cyhaerdf, sb. uGtE wRMoArkNeYd: Jloocrh 1e0n yKeuacrhse nabse ac kfeoro tdra pinheodto agsra o
Editorial Director, Rolph Groves
Group Vice President, Books, Joan D. Manley winning Simple French pher in several European countries before opening
Vice Chairman, Arthur Temple Food, he has also contrib his own restaurant in Hamburg. Anne Brokemeier is
uted to numerous gastro the co-author of o number of cookbooks. ITALY:
nomic magazines in Massimo Alberini is a well-known food writer and
TIME-LIFE BOOKS INC.
France and the United journalist with a special interest in culinary history.
Editor, George Constable. Executive Editor, George
Daniels. Director of Design, Louis Klein. Boord of Editors, States, including the influential journals Cuisine et His many books include La Tovolo oll'ltoliona, 4000
Dole M. Brown, Thomas A. Lewis, Martin Mann, Robert G. Vins de France and La Revue du Vin de France. He Anni o Tavolo and 100 Ricette Storiche. THE NETHER·
Mason, John Paul Porter, Gerry Schremp, Gerold Simons, has directed cooking courses in france on·d the LANDS: Hugh Jans has published cookbooks and his
Rosalind Stubenberg, Kit von Tu lleken. Director of United States and is a member of several distin recipes appear in several Dutch magazines.
Administration, David L. Harrison. Director of Research, guished gastronomic and oenolagicol societies, in
Carolyn L. Sackett. Director of Photography, John Conrad c uding l'A codemie lnternationale du Vin, La Con
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Anne B. Landry (art coordinator), James J. Cox (quality
Commonderie du Bontemps de Medoc et des
control). Research, Jane Edwin (assistant director), Louise
Graves. Working in london with the series editor
D. Forstal!. Copy Room, Susan Galloway Goldberg
(director), Celio Beattie. Production, Feliciano Madrid ial stall, he has been basically responsible lor the
(director), Gordon E. Buck, Peter lnchouteguiz planning of this volume, and has supervised the fi
nal selection of recipes submitted by other consul
President, Reginald K. Brock Jr. Executive Vice Presidents, tants. The United States edition of The Good Cook
John Steven Maxwell, David J. Walsh. Vice Presidents, has been revised by the Editors of Time-life Books
George Artondi, Stephen L. Bair, Peter G. Barnes, to bring it into complete accord with American cus
Nicholas Benton, John L. Canova, Beatrice T. Dobie, toms and usage.
James L. Mercer, Paul R. Stewart
CHIEF AMERICAN CONSULTANT
THE GOOD COOK Carol Cutler is the author of a number of cook
The original version of this book was created in London for books, including the award-winning The Six-Minute
Time-Life Books B.V. Souffle and Other Culinary Delights. During the 12
European Editor, Kit van Tu lleken. Photography Director, years she lived in france, she studied at the Cor
Pamela Marke. Planning Director, Alan Lothian. Chief of
don Bleu and the Ecole des Trois Gourmondes,
Research, Vanessa Kromer. Chief Sub-Editor, lise Gray.
Chief of Editorial Production, Ellen Brush. Quality Control, and with private chefs. She is a member of the
Douglas Whitworth Cercle des Gourmettes, a long-established french
food society limited to just 50 members, and is also
Stoff for Beverages, Editor, Ellen Galford. Series a charter member of les Domes d'Escollier, Wash
Coordinator, Liz Timothy. Text Editor, Jane Havell. ington Chapter.
Anthology Editor, Tokunbo Williams. Stoff Writers, Correspondents: Elisabeth Kraemer (Bonn); Margot
Hopgood, Dorothy Bacon (london); Miriam Hsia, Lucy T.
Alexandra Carlier, Sally Crawford, Thom Henvey. SPECIAL CONSULTANT Voulgoris (New York); Maria Vincenza Aloisi, Josephine du
RDeesbeoarrachhe rLsi,t toTnim. DFerassigenre (rp, rCinhceiprrayl )D, Coyalreo. liSnueb -BEaduitmor, s, Richard Sox, who was responsible for many of the Brusle (Paris); Ann Natanson (Rome)
step-by-step demonstrations lor this volume, was Valuable assistance was also provided by: Jenny Hovinga
Charles Bayle, Kate Conn, Frances Dixon, Sally Rowland.
Design Assistant, David Mockersey. Editorial Deportment, lor two years Chef-Director of the test kitchens lor (Amsterdam); Bona Schmid (Milan); Mimi Murphy (Rome)
Sarah Dawson, Judith Heaton, Lesley Kinahan, Stephanie The International Review of Food and Wine. Trained © 1982 Time-Life Books BV.
Lee, Debra Lelliott, Jane Lillicrop, Linda Mallett, Janet in New York and in Paris, where he served on ap © 1983 Time-Life Books Inc. All rights reserved.
Matthew, Sylvia Osborne, Debra Road, Ros Smith, Molly prenticeship at the Hotel Ploza-Athenee, he has No port of this book moy be reproduced in ony form or by ony elec
Sutherland, Helen Whitehorn run a restaurant on Martha's Vineyard, written arti tronic or mechanical means, including information storage and re·
e es lor a number of publications and conducted trievol devices or systems, without prior written perm1ssion from the
EUl.lSen. SRtoofbf lfinogr .B Cevheieraf gReess,e aErdcihtoerr,, GBearrrbya Sroc hLreevmittp.. ADsessoicginaeter , cooking courses. Fpiursbtl ipsrhinerti,n egx.c Perpint ttehdo ti nb Urie.Sf .pAo. ssoges moy be quoted for revoews
Editors, Anne Horan (text), Christine Schuyler (pictures). Published simultaneously in Conodo.
PHOTOGRAPHER School ond library distribution by Silver Burdett Company,
Text Editor, Sarah Brosh. Stoff Writer, Rita Mullin. Bob Komar is a Londoner who trained at both the Morristown, New Jersey 07960.
Researchers, Fran Mashes (techniques), Jane Hanna
Hornsey and Manchester Schools of Art. He spe
(anthology), Karin Kinney. Assistant Designer, Peg TIME-LIFE is o trodemork of Time Incorporated U S.A.
Schreiber. Copy Coordinators, Ta nna Gibert, Nancy cializes in food photography and in portraiture.
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Christine B. Dove books about food and has been a cookery corre- Library of Congress CIP doto, poge 176.
----------------------CONTENTS----------------------
INTRODUCTION 5 Comfort and cheer from cup and glass I Airtight seals for
bottled drinks I Sterilizing bottles I Anchoring metal
caps I Hammering in corks I Using
a wooden corker I Levering corks into place
TEAS, TISANES AND COFFEES 11 1B rews of strength and subtlety I Choosing and brewing
2 tea I Roasting and grinding coffees I A guide to teas I A guide to
coffees I Basic tactics for perfect potions I An everyday
ceremony carefully performed I Releasing flavor
and aroma I Classic counterpoints to coffee
JUICES AND SYRUPS 31 Capturing the freshness of fruits and vegetables/ A medley of
methods for making juices I Preserving juices as syrups I Getting
3full fla vor from citrus I Nut milk: A versatile mixer for fruit
drinks I Fragrant concentrations of ripe
fruit I Sumptuous syrups from unexpected ingredients
MILK DRINKS 45 The perfect food in a diversity of guises/ Luxurious drinks from
cacao beans I Whisking cocoa for lightness I Frothy blends of
eggs and milk ITa ngy drinks from fermented milk I Ice
cream: Eggs and milk churned and chilled I A creamy milk
shake swiftly made I A flourish of ice cream and soda
BROTHS 5l l Coaxing forth savory goodness I Choosing and handling
5vegetab les I Preparing meats correctly I Cleansing for
clarity I Reducing to intensify flavor I Supplying substance to a
light broth I Gentle treatment for clear results I Extra strength
from a whole bird I Beef tea: A fragrant concentrate
HOMEMADE ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES 65 Exhilarating transformations I A wine cordial flavored with
orange I A dividend of preserved fruit I Using yeast for a
sparkling effect ITe chniques for brewing a perfect
beer I Exploiting the natural sweetness of apples I A sure
approach to wine making I Liquid gold from molten honey
PUNCHES AND MIXED DRINKS 796 Convivial assemblies/Cold punches, bubbling and still/ A
piquant blend of rum and tea I Hot wine and spirits: A happy
marriage I Eggs and alcohol in heady unison I Whiskey and
cream, lightened and chilled I A warm and winey
custard I A trio of techniques for mixing drinks
ANTHOLOGY OF RECIPES 91 Teas and tisanes 92/ Coffees 96/ Juices 100/ Syrups
111 I Milk drinks 115 I Soda-fountain drinks 122 I Broths
126 I Beers and wines 128 I Liqueurs 136 I Punches
143 I Mixed drinks 154 I Standard preparations 164
RECIPE INDEX 168
GENERAL INDEX I GLOSSARY 171
RECIPE CREDITS 173
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS AND PICTURE CREDITS 176
4
- - - - - - - - - -INTRODUCTION- - - - - - - - - -
Comfort and Cheer
from Cup and '§lass
Almost everywhere in the world, the offering of a drink is an act help precipitate the starchy compounds present in the grains
of hospitality. The beverage itself may vary with the climate, used to make beer. Indeed, there are times when chemical hard
the time of day and the customs of the particular country eners are well worth using (pages 70-71).
cooling fruit syrups and sherbets under the hot Middle Eastern In the case of mixed drinks, let your palate be your guide; if
sun; a warming brew of tea, milk and yak butter in the chilly the water tastes good it will be fine for such beverages. The same
foothills of the Himalayas; an eminently soothing martini pre applies to the ice with which you will chill most mixed drinks
sented 50 stories above the noisy, frenzied traffic of a Man since it will lend its taste to a beverage when it melts.
hattan thoroughfare.
This splendid variety, this vast range of hospitable bever Tea
ages, is the subject of our volume. You will learn the techniques Tea is one of the best-known and most widely produced of hot
for preparing a full spectrum of drinks, from a simple cup of tea beverages. Tea plants are known to have been cultivated in
to a bartender's repertoire of cocktails. After an introduction to China as early as 350 A.D., and some references to tea in legend
the main ingredients and the histories ofs ome of the most popu and lore go back more than 4,000 years. At first, tea was drunk
lar drinks, a series of chapters takes up the preparation ofbever as a cure for nervous and digestive disorders. But by 500 A.D. it
ages according to type. The first chapter deals with various was also being described as a "pleasing beverage" and valued as
preparations of teas, tisanes and coffees. Subsequent chapters a stimulant, particularly by Buddhist monks who found it an
illustrate how to make fruit, nut and vegetable juices; milk aid to staying awake during their long hours of meditation.
drinks; savory broths; and alcoholic drinks. The second half of Names such as Pure Delight, the Pearl and Precious Thun
the book consists of an anthology of more than 300 recipes gath der reflected the esteem that tea enjoyed, as did the epicurean
ered from all parts of the world. tournaments Chinese emperors held to appraise new varieties.
The making of tea became a stylized ritual, codified by the
Water Eighth Century poet and scholar Lu Yu, who wrote a compendi
Water-after mother's milk, man's earliest drink-remains um on the subject. The proper brewing of tea, Lu Yu wrote,
the basis of virtually all beverages. Despite its uniform appear required toasting cakes of compressed tea leaves over a fire
ance, water varies widely. It may be naturally hard (rich in until they were "as soft as a baby's arm"; these were to be put
mineral salts) or rain-water soft or anywhere in between. It may into water that was boiling so that "billows surge wildly in the
be drawn untreated directly from a country well; it may be kettle." Lu Yu favored teacups glazed in blue, which lent a
conditioned by chemicals and conducted through a maze of city jadelike greenness to the tea.
pipes to a kitchen faucet; or it may be commercially distilled and The mystique attached to tea drinking in China spread to
poured from a bottle. Depending on the beverage you are mak Japan, where it evolved into the celebrated tea ceremony, which
ing, some waters will work better than others. reached its apogee in the 15th and 16th Centuries. The rite took
Hard water, which prevails in. most parts of the United place in a teahouse specially constructed of fragile materials
States, is of course widely used in making all household bever a thatched grass roof, rough-hewn pillars and bamboo sup
ages, and in most instances there is no reason to avoid it. How ports-that called to mind the temporality of human life. The
ever, for a drink of crystal clarity and utmost purity-parti entrance to the building was a mere three feet high, signifying
cularly when you are brewing coffee or steeping tea-try humility: Those who would pass through had to bow down, and
naturally soft water, if you can get it. Failing that, you might proud Samurai warlords had to remove their swords. Inside, the
use bottled distilled water. There are, of course, chemical soften room was decorated with spare precision, with a painting and a
ers on the market. But it is better not to use them because such flower arrangement by the place of honor. The gathering was
chemicals produce a bitter-tasting drink. For wine making, limited to six men, who conversed sedately while the water was
avoid water that is extremely hard; it will adversely affect the made ready-a fact that was signaled when pieces of iron that
taste and clarity of the finished beverage. You can use bottled had been placed in the bottom of the kettle produced a sound like
distilled water if you live in a hard-water area. wind whispering in the trees.
Quite the opposite is true in the case of beer; unlike most In the 17th Century, tea was brought to the West by Dutch
beverages, it profits from hard water because the mineral salts trading ships, and tea drinking soon became a symbol of status,
5
INTRODUCTION
particularly in England. There, tea drinking was not simply a such tisanes is available commercially, but it is a simple matter
social ritual, but a passion. Dr. Samuel Johnson, the 18th to preserve freshly picked herbs or flowers at home (pages 14-
Century critic and lexicographer, wrote that he was "a hard 15). Linden, rose hips, camomile, mint, sage and rosemary are
ened and shameless tea-drinker, who has for many years di just a few of the garden sources of fragrant and delicately
luted his meals with only the infusion of this fascinating flavored beverages.
plant; whose kettle has scarcely time to cool; who with tea
amuses the evening, with tea solaces the midnight, and with Coffee
tea welcomes the morning." No one knows exactly when tea ar Like tea, coffee was first valued mainly for its medicinal and
rived in America, but lading records show that by the middle of stimulating properties, and was used for religious purposes. The
the 17th Century the Dutch settlers in New Amsterdam were coffee tree is indigenous to Africa, and it was African tribesmen
importing silver and porcelain tea services similar to those who prepared the first beverage from whole ripe coffee berries,
they had used at home. Its popularity had spread through the Arab world by about 1200
In England, Europe and the New World, tea remained an A.D. Some time during the century that ensued, the practice of
expensive luxury until the 19th Century, when English and extracting the beans from the berries was introduced, as was the
Dutch colonists began to cultivate tea in India and Indonesia. technique of roasting them to develop flavor. By the 16th Cen
Then Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) and Formosa (now Taiwan) fol tury, coffee was prepared by pulverizing the roasted beans and
lowed suit, and today tea is commonly exported from those coun combining the powder with boiling water. This method is still
tries to others all over the world. widely used today in the Middle East; the drink that results is
The delicate leaves that produce tea all belong to the species often called Turkish coffee (page 25).
Camellia sinensis, which flourishes in tropical and subtropical When coffee was introduced to Europe by Venetian traders
countries. All varieties contain natural oils that give the tea in the late 16th Century, fanatical priests in Rome tried to per
flavor; caffeine, which acts as a mild stimulant; and tannin, suade Pope Clement VIII to ban it because of its association
which provides the tea with its pungency, color and body. The with Muslim infidels. The Pope surprised them; he decided to
different characteristics of the finished teas result from differ taste some coffee for himself and solemnly declared it to be a
ences in the soils and climates in which the plants are grown truly Christian drink.
and from the different ways in which the leaves are harvested For more than two centuries, coffee continued to cause con
and processed. Plucking the leaves is a delicate task that is troversy. In France, wine merchants objected to the new drink
carried out manually on most plantations, and the most highly because it affected the sales of their vintages. In Prussia, Fred
esteemed tea is made with tender young leaves, especially those erick the Great looked with a greedy eye on the large sums of
that are still unopened. money that were going into the pockets of foreign coffee mer
For black teas, which produce dark liquids with strong fla chants; to control the trade, he forbade the roasting of coffee
vor, the plucked leaves of the plant are treated by fermentation. beans to all but a select few and enforced the prohibition with
(Tea-leaffermentation is quite different from the better known the aid of coffee spies, who patrolled the streets literally sniffing
yeast-induced fermentation used to make alcoholic beverages, out offenders. Coffeehouses also became meeting places for the
but falls within the broad meaning of the word, which refers to disaffected in times of political unrest and were therefore
the transformation of organic material by enzymes.) First, the viewed with hostility by those in power, though few rulers were
leaves are spread out thin and left uncovered to dry-a process as savage as the 17th Century Ottoman Grand Vizier who, it is
known as withering-which makes the leaves pliable and easi said, punished persistent coffee drinkers by sewing them into
er to treat evenly. Next, the withered leaves are rolled in a leather bags and dropping them in the Bosphorus.
drum; rolling bruises them and breaks open their cells, releas Until the end of the 17th Century, most coffee production
ing the essential oils that carry the tea's flavor. The leaves are remained in the hands of the Arabs, and during the next hun
then spread out again and left uncovered: At this stage, the dred years, theft, piracy and intrigue were employed in at
enzymes that were also released by rolling oxidize the tannin in tempts to break the Arab monopoly. Dutch spies finally man
the leaves, reducing their pungency and darkening their color; aged to steal some coffee seeds from Arabia; they planted the
at the same time, the flavor in the leaves' natural oils develops seeds in the Dutch colony of Java and from there sent coffee to
further. The whole process is stopped by firing the leaves with a Europe. In 1723, a French naval officer named Gabriel Mathieu
blast of hot air. Firing also dries the leaves; drying, in turn, de Clieu somehow stole a coffee tree that was nurtured as a
helps to preserve them. curiosity in the Botanical Gardens in Paris; with this unusual
The same process is modified to produce oolong teas, which cargo, he set sail for Martinique. Despite having to share his
have a smoother taste and a paler color than most black vari meager water rations with the tree, elude pursuit by pirate
eties. For green teas-known as unfermented teas-the leaves vessels and fend off sabotage attempts by a stowaway Dutch
are steamed to make them pliable, then rolled and fired; be spy, de Clieu eventually planted his tree in Martinique and thus
cause their tannin has not been oxidized, green teas have a initiated the cultivation of coffee in the West Indies.
pleasantly bitter flavor and yield a very light-colored liquid. Four years later, in 1727, a Brazilian army officer won the
Tisanes-teas made from dried herbs, roots, seeds or flower heart of the Governor's wife in neighboring French Guiana; she
blossoms-offer further scope for experiment. A wide range of made him a gift of some cuttings from a coffee tree. He duly
6
smuggled the cuttings back to Brazil-thus begetting the most Today yogurt is widely available commercially, but homemade
prodigious yield of all. Since then, Brazil has grown to be the yogurt is far superior in taste and texture to most manufactured
largest coffee supplier in the world. varieties. Yogurt can be diluted and combined with sugar syr
The coffee fruit, or berry, resembles a cherry in appearance. ups, fruit, herbs and spices to make sweet and pungent drinks.
Inside most berries are two flattened oval beans: Some berries
have only one round bean called a peab erry; from this the highly Savory broths
esteemed peaberry coffee (page 16) is made. Both types ofberry Perhaps even more than tea and coffee, broths figure as folk
are harvested by hand, then processed to free the beans, which medicine. For centuries, people have believed that a liquid con
are surrounded not only by the fruit pulp, but also by two thin, taining all the goodness of meat, poultry or vegetables, drawn
clinging skins. Most berries are spread on the ground to dry for out by gentle and prolonged simmering, is an effective preven
several weeks so that enzymatic action-fermentation-can tive and cure-all. This faith crosses national boundaries: In Pro
loosen the skins and pulp for milling. In areas where water is vence, an ancient and enduring maxim says that garlic broth
plentiful, however, the finest, ripest berries are often cleaned (pages 58-59) "saves lives," and generations of anxious mothers
by washing. The berries are hulled, then the pulp-and-skin the world over have relied on concentrated chicken broth (pages
covered beans are repeatedly washed to free them from the pulp 60-61) as an infallible elixir. The method for making this es
sence has scarcely changed since the 16th Century, when the
English writer Andrew Boorde advised cooks to seal up their
meat in a glass or stone jar "so no air goes out, and seethe it
with water in a cauldron." Needless to say, ill-health is not a
prerequisite for any of these beverages; they are always wel
come sources of both warmth and nourishment, especially when
the weather is cold.
Beer, wine and spirits
Fruit and vegetable juices and grains become alcoholic when
by yet another variation on the principle of fermentation
their starch or sugar content is transformed by yeast into alco
hol and carbon dioxide. Some fruits and grains contain natural
yeast and may ferment spontaneously; the ancient Egyptians,
Greeks and Chinese all had fermented beverages-wines from
and briefly dried, after which the skins can be removed. Washed naturally fermented grapes and honey, and beers from natural
coffee beans tend to have better flavor-and higher prices ly fermented cereal grains. But it required a bit of luck, for
than those cured by drying. uncontrolled fermentation can result in sour liquid rather than
good beer or wine. However, fermentation can be controlled, and
Milk once you understand the techniques, you will be able to brew a
Ever since wild sheep and goats were first domesticated, about wide range of alcoholic beverages, including fizzy ginger beer,
10,000 years ago, animal milk has been a staple of man's diet. ready to drink in two days, longer-aged beer and homemade
Most of the milk consumed today is cow's milk, but sheep's milk wine and even a fermentation of honey that needs months or
and goat's milk are drunk in the Middle East and Southern even years to mature.
Europe. About half of India's milk is supplied by the water buf Mixed alcoholic drinks, such as punches and cocktails, com
falo, and the milk of the same animal is used in Italy. Milk from bine wines, spirits or liqueurs with other ingredients or bring
asses, yaks and reindeer is a common beverage in the remoter different types of alcohol together. Both punches and mixed
regions of the world. drinks are essentially party drinks that not only will enhance a
Milk is rightly prized for versatility. It can be combined with special occasion but also will do much to mitigate a dismal one.
eggs for thick and fluffy textures (pages 48-49); and with coffee Attractively garnished, an iced sparkling punch is the perfect
and fruit syrups for flavor. It has a particularly wonderful com refreshment for a warm summer's day. And a hot punch warms
patibility with cocoa and chocolate, which form a variety of a person chilled to the bone on a bitter winter's night.
sweet drinks, both sustaining and pleasantly rich in texture. Cocktails offer ample opportunity for the exercise of flair
By another version of the process of fermentation, milk can and imagination. You can perfect your own favorite techniques
be transformed into yogurt, which yields any number of refresh for preparing classic mixed drinks such as martinis and robust
ing drinks (pages 50-51). The milk is inoculated with special mixtures like Black Velvets, which contain equal parts of stout
strains of bacteria that both ferment and coagulate the liquid and Champagne. And once you understand the techniques of
into thick, tangy curds. According to one theory, yogurt was drink mixing you can indulge in the pleasant occupation of cre
first discovered accidentally by desert nomads who found that ating new mixtures: Cocktails-and most of the other bever
the milk in their saddlebags turned into curds after a day's ages described in this volume-offer almost unlimited opportu
riding, thanks to the natural bacteria contained in the leather. nities for improvisation.
7