YELLOW CORNMEAL DUMPLINGS
1 cup ground yellow cornmeal
3/4 cup all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp white pepper
2 1/2 tsp sugar
1 tsp unsalted butter, softened
2 cup chicken stock
AZAFRAN SOUP
6 cup water
2 tbsp azafran (see note)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp white pepper
3 cup chicken stock
2 yellow summer squash, diced
3 cup corn kernels
1 bunch spinach, washed and stemmed
Directions
To make the dumplings, combine the cornmeal, flour, baking powder,
salt, pepper, and sugar together in a bowl. Add the butter and milk
and mix well to make a batter that is moist but not sticky. If the
dough is too moist, knead in a little more flour. Divide the dough
into 1" balls, flatten, and shape into small triangles.
Pour the chicken stock into a pot and bring to a boil over medium
heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer and drop in the dumplings. Cook 3
to 4 minutes, until tender and cooked all the way through. Remove
the dumplings from the stock and set aside.
For the soup, heat 2 cups of the water and the azafran in a large
saucepan over medium-high heat until the liquid has reduced by half,
about 7 minutes. Pour through a fine sieve, discard the azafran, and
return the liquid to the saucepan. Add salt, pepper, stock, and the
remaining 4 cups of the water and bring to a boil over medium-high
heat. Add squash, reduce the heat ans simmer 5 minutes. Add cork
kernels and simmer another 5 minutes. Add dumplings and spinach,
cook 2 minutes, and serve immediately.
**Note** Azafran, also called Native American saffron my the American
Indians, is an herb that is actually fine threads from the stigma of
the safflower plant. Despite the name, azafran is not the same as
saffron, which is an expensive spice derived from the crocus plant in
the iris family. (Saffron can be substituted for azafran, though:
use 1 pinch of saffran for 2 tablespoons of azafran).
Azafran is commonly sold in Latin American markets and specialty herb
stores. It can also be ordered by mail. It is best stored in a cool
dark place and will last several months in a sealed plastic or glass
container.
From "Native American Cooking," by Lois Ellen Frank
Servings: 6 servings
Azafran Soup With Spinach Greens & Yellow Cornmeal Dumpli Recipe brought to you by Recipe Ideas
Categories: Bread; Breads; Soup; Spinach; Vegetable
The History of Recipes
It is quite feasible to trace the history of transcribed cooking instructions way back into antiquity, in fact as far back into history as the Egypt of the Pharoahs, and maybe further still. However, these, old cook books were just very basic pictorial instructions for food preparation.
Fascinatingly, the oldest recipe in existence, according to Professor Solomon Katz, is a collection of tablets in ancient Sumerian which recount the making of bread which is then used to make a drink, quite possibly a form of beer as it is recorded as making those who drank it feel wonderful and blissful. Progressing into The time of the romans 25BC a roman called Apicius assembled a few documents detailing recipes prepared by his fellow Romans. In his works, Apicius tells us how the meals of wealthy Romans were separated into hors d`oeuvre, main course and dessert, known in latin as `Gustatio, Primae Mensae and Secundae Mensae`. Additionally, he informs us how the early Romans made use of a wide range of spices and herbs, including some familiar names like thyme, fennel and asafoetida. As our culinary historical trip moves to more modern times there were a couple of recipe books which appeared in the fourteenth century - a recipe book entitled `Forme of Cury`, and another, similary entitled `Curye on Inglish`. Perhaps surprisingly, these are not about the indian food that is served today, but instead descriptions of the types of food on the tables of the nobility of the time. In the 15th century, knights returning from the crusades brought back a variety of foods and herbs from Arab cooking, including spices like coriander, parsley, and basil. The introduction of these new foods and spices prompted an increase in recipe publications, the majority of which are now in academic collections. Over the next few centuries, the upper-class families of Wesstern Europe competed to serve the most extravagent meals, and as a consequence, the best chefs and their recipes were highly sought after. Nevertheless, it wasn`t until the nineteenth century that haute cuisine and cookery books became popular. Mrs Beeton in the UK, and the equally well-known Fannie Merritt Farmer in the USA, dedicated years of their lives to assembling, testing, and writing down recipes to help cooks of their time. By the arrival of the twentieth century, cookery publications were highly popular mostly as a result of more people being able to read, people having increased leisure time and being a little richer. The introduction of television brings us TV cooks and the demand for the accompanying recipe books. Which pretty much brings us up to date and the invention of the internet, permitting everybody to search through thousands of recipes just like those on this site. |
We hope you enjoy this Azafran Soup With Spinach Greens & Yellow Cornmeal Dumpli recipe.
