Hi everyone and welcome to the blog. This week’s blog is dedicated to Independence Day in the United States. 4th July is American Independence Day, commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on 4th July 1776. This particular day in history holds a remarkable coincidence that both John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, the only signers of the Declaration of Independence later to serve as Presidents of the United States, died on the 50th anniversary of the signing, 4th July 1826. Although not a signer of the Declaration of Independence, James Monroe, the 5th President of the United States, died on 4th July 1831. Calvin Coolidge, the 30th President was born on 4th July 1872 thus being the only President to be born on Independence Day. The recipes featured this week are all American favourites, or versions of them. They are Maple Chicken & Ribs, Seared Cod with Chowder Sauce, and Key Lime Pie. The herb of the week is Borage.
John Calvin Coolidge, Jr., (July 4, 1872 – January 5, 1933) was the 30th President of the United States (1923–1929). A Republican lawyer from Vermont, Coolidge worked his way up the ladder of Massachusetts state politics, eventually becoming governor of that state. His actions during the Boston Police Strike of 1919 thrust him into the national spotlight. Soon after, he was elected as the 29th Vice President in 1920 and succeeded to the Presidency upon the sudden death of Warren G. Harding in 1923. Elected in his own right in 1924, he gained a reputation as a small-government conservative, and also as a man who said very little.
Coolidge restored public confidence in the White House after the scandals of his predecessor's administration, and left office with considerable popularity. As a Coolidge biographer put it, "He embodied the spirit and hopes of the middle class, could interpret their longings and express their opinions. That he did represent the genius of the average is the most convincing proof of his strength." Some later criticized Coolidge as part of a general criticism of laissez-faire government. His reputation underwent a renaissance during the Ronald Reagan Administration, but the ultimate assessment of his presidency is still divided between those who approve of his reduction of the size of government programs and those who believe the federal government should be more involved in regulating and controlling the economy.
John Adams (October 30, 1735 – July 4, 1826) was an American statesman, diplomat and political theorist. A leading champion of independence in 1776, he was the second President of the United States (1797–1801). Hailing from New England, Adams, a prominent lawyer and public figure in Boston, was highly educated and represented Enlightenment values promoting republicanism. A Federalist, he was highly influential and one of the key Founding Fathers of the United States.
Adams came to prominence in the early stages of the American Revolution. As a delegate from Massachusetts to the Continental Congress, he played a leading role in persuading Congress to declare independence, and assisted Thomas Jefferson in drafting the United States Declaration of Independence in 1776. As a representative of Congress in Europe, he was a major negotiator of the eventual peace treaty with Great Britain, and chiefly responsible for obtaining important loans from Amsterdam bankers. A political theorist and historian, Adams largely wrote the Massachusetts state constitution in 1780, but was in Europe when the federal Constitution was drafted on similar principles later in the decade. One of his greatest roles was as a judge of character: in 1775, he nominated George Washington to be commander-in-chief, and 25 years later nominated John Marshall to be Chief Justice of the United States.
Adams' revolutionary credentials secured him two terms as George Washington's vice president and his own election in 1796 as the second president. During his one term, he encountered ferocious attacks by the Jeffersonian Republicans, as well as the dominant faction in his own Federalist Party led by his bitter enemy Alexander Hamilton. Adams signed the controversial Alien and Sedition Acts, and built up the army and navy especially in the face of an undeclared naval war (called the "Quasi War") with France, 1798–1800. The major accomplishment of his presidency was his peaceful resolution of the conflict in the face of Hamilton's opposition.
In 1800 Adams was defeated for re-election by Thomas Jefferson and retired to Massachusetts. He later resumed his friendship with Jefferson. He and his wife, Abigail Adams, founded an accomplished family line of politicians, diplomats, and historians now referred to as the Adams political family. Adams was the father of John Quincy Adams, the sixth President of the United States. His achievements have received greater recognition in modern times, though his contributions were not initially as celebrated as those of other Founders.
Thomas Jefferson (April 13, 1743 – July 4, 1826)was the third President of the United States (1801–1809) and the principal author of the Declaration of Independence (1776). An influential Founding Father, Jefferson envisioned America as a great "Empire of Liberty" that would promote republicanism.
At the beginning of the American Revolution, Jefferson served in the Continental Congress, representing Virginia. He then served as the wartime Governor of Virginia (1779–1781), barely escaping capture by the British in 1781. After a controversial term, Jefferson failed to be re-elected. From mid-1784 through late 1789 Jefferson served as a diplomat. He was stationed in Paris, initially as a commissioner to help negotiate commercial treaties. In May 1785, he succeeded Benjamin Franklin as the United States' Minister to France.
He was the first United States Secretary of State, (1789–1793). During the administration of President George Washington, Jefferson advised against a national bank and the Jay Treaty. He was the second Vice President, (1797–1801) under President John Adams. Winning on an anti-federalist platform, Jefferson took the oath of office and became President of the United States in 1801. As president he negotiated the Louisiana Purchase (1803), and sent the Lewis and Clark Expedition (1804–1806) to explore the vast new territory and lands further west. Jefferson always distrusted Britain as a threat to American security; he rejected a renewal of the Jay Treaty that his ambassadors had negotiated in 1806 with Britain and promoted aggressive action, such as the embargo laws, that contributed to the already escalating tensions with Britain and France leading to war with Britain in 1812 after he left office.
Jefferson idealized the independent yeoman farmer as exemplar of republican virtues, distrusted cities and financiers, and favoured states' rights and a limited federal government. Jefferson supported the separation of church and state and was the author of the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom (1779, 1786). Jefferson's revolutionary view on individual religious freedom and protection from government authority have generated much interest with modern scholars. He was the eponym of Jeffersonian democracy and the co-founder and leader of the Democratic-Republican Party, which dominated American politics for 25 years.
Jefferson was born, and married into, prominent planter families; he was a loving husband to his wife Martha, who died in childbirth, and an affectionate father to their children. As a planter, Jefferson owned hundreds of slaves throughout his life; he held views on the racial inferiority of Africans common for this period in time.
Jefferson was a polymath who spoke five languages and could read two others. He was a major book collector with an enormous library, much of which he sold to the Library of Congress in 1814 after the British set fire to the Capitol which destroyed most of its works. He wrote more than sixteen thousand letters and was acquainted with nearly every influential person in America, and many throughout Europe. Jefferson is consistently rated by historical scholars as one of the greatest U.S. presidents.
James Monroe (April 28, 1758 – July 4, 1831) was the fifth President of the United States (1817–1825). Monroe was the last president who was a Founding Father of the United States, and the last president from the Virginia dynasty and the Republican Generation. His presidency was marked both by an "Era of Good Feelings" – a period of relatively little partisan strife – and later by the Panic of 1819 and a fierce national debate over the admission of the Missouri Territory. Monroe is most noted for his proclamation of the Monroe Doctrine in 1823, which stated that the United States would not tolerate further European intervention in the Americas.
Born in Westmoreland County, Virginia, Monroe fought in the American Revolutionary War. After studying law under Thomas Jefferson from 1780 to 1783, he served in the Continental Congress. As an anti-federalist delegate to the Virginia convention that considered ratification of the United States Constitution, Monroe opposed ratification, claiming it gave too much power to the central government. Nonetheless, Monroe took an active part in the new government and in 1790 he was elected to the Senate, where he joined the Jeffersonians. He gained experience as an executive as the Governor of Virginia and rose to national prominence when as a diplomat in France he helped negotiate the Louisiana Purchase in 1803.
During the War of 1812, Monroe held the critical roles of Secretary of State and the Secretary of War under President James Madison. Facing little opposition from the fractured Federalist Party, Monroe was easily elected president in 1816, winning over 80 percent of the electoral vote. As president, he sought to ease partisan tensions and embarked on a tour of the country. He was well received everywhere, as nationalism surged, partisan fury subsided and the "Era of Good Feelings" ensued. The Panic of 1819 struck and dispute over the admission of Missouri embroiled the country in 1820. Nonetheless, Monroe won near-unanimous re-election. In 1823, he announced the Monroe Doctrine, which became a landmark in American foreign policy. Following his retirement in 1825, Monroe was plagued by financial difficulties. He died in New York City on July 4, 1831.
My first recipe is Maple Chicken & Ribs, recipe by Nigella Dawson courtesy of Nigella.com
Serves 6-8, takes minutes plus marinating time to prepare and 1.1/4 hr to cook.
12 x Pork Spare Ribs
12 x Chicken Thighs, skin and bone still on
250ml x Apple Juice, as sharp as possible
4 tbsp x Maple Syrup
2 tbsp x Vegetable Oil
2 tbsp x Soy Sauce
2 x Star Anise
1 x Cinnamon Stick, halved
6 x Garlic Cloves, unpeeled
Put the ribs and chicken pieces in a couple of large freezer bags or into a dish. Add the remaining ingredients, squelching everything together well, before sealing the bag or covering the dish. Leave to marinate in the fridge overnight or up to two days. When the marinating time is up, take the dish out of the fridge and preheat the oven to 200°/gas mark 6. Pour the contents of the freezer bag into one or two large roasting tins (making sure the chicken is skin-side up), place in the oven and cook for about an hour and a quarter, by which time everything should be sticky and glossed conker-brown.
My next recipe is Seared Cod with Chowder Sauce, recipe by Emma Lewis courtesy of BBC Good Food website. First published in Good Food Magazine July 2009.
Serves 2, takes 10mins to prepare and 25mins to cook.
knob of butter
1 x Small Shallot , finely chopped
50g x Lardons or 2 x Smoked Streaky Bacon Rashers, finely sliced
100ml x White Wine
1 x Large Waxy Potato , cut into small chunks
100g x Clams
100g x Sweetcorn
50ml x Double Cream
1 tbsp x Vegetable Oil
2 x 150g Thick-Cut Cod Fillets from a sustainable source
Chives , finely chopped
Melt the butter in a pan. Cook the shallot and lardons or bacon for about 5 mins until softened. Add the wine, potato and 50ml water. Cover, then cook for 10 mins, stirring often, until nearly softened. Tip in the clams, cover, then cook for 5 mins until they have opened - discard any that don't. Stir through the sweetcorn and cream, and keep warm.
Heat a non-stick frying pan until smoking. Add the oil, swirl it around, then put the fillets in, skin-side down. Season, then cook for 3-5 mins until the skin is crisp. Carefully turn over, then cook for 2 mins more until just cooked through. Spoon the creamy potato mixture into 2 shallow bowls. Place a cod fillet in each and sprinkle with chives.
Herb of the week – Borage
Borage (Borago officinalis), also known as a starflower, is an annual herb originating in Syria, but naturalized throughout the Mediterranean region, as well as Asia Minor, Europe, North Africa, and South America. It grows to a height of 60–100 cm (2.0–3.3 ft), and is bristly or hairy all over the stems and leaves; the leaves are alternate, simple, and 5–15 cm (2.0–5.9 in) long. The flowers are complete, perfect with five narrow, triangular-pointed petals. Flowers are most often blue in colour, although pink flowers are sometimes observed. White flowered types are also cultivated. The flowers arise along scorpiod cymes to form large floral displays with multiple flowers blooming simultaneously, suggesting that borage has a high degree of geitonogamy. It has an indeterminate growth habit which may lead to prolific spreading. In milder climates, borage will bloom continuously for most of the year.
Traditionally borage was cultivated for culinary and medicinal uses, although today commercial cultivation is mainly as an oilseed. The seed oil is desired as source of gamma-linolenic acid, for which borage is the highest known plant-based source (17-28%).Borage production does include use as either a fresh vegetable or a dried herb. As a fresh vegetable, borage, with a cucumber like taste, is often used in salads or as a garnish. The flower, which contains the non-toxic pyrrolizidine alkaloid thesinine, has a sweet honey-like taste and as one of the few truly blue-coloured edible things, is often used to decorate dessert.
Vegetable use of borage is common in Germany, in the Spanish regions of Aragón and Navarra, in the Greek island of Crete and in the Italian northern region Liguria. Although often used in soups, one of the better known German borage recipes is the Green Sauce made in Frankfurt. In Italian Liguria, borage is commonly used as filling of the traditional pasta ravioli and pansoti. The leaves and flowers were originally used in Pimms before it was replaced by mint or cucumber peel. It is used to flavour pickled gherkins in Poland.[citation needed]
Naturopathic practitioners use borage for regulation of metabolism and the hormonal system, and consider it to be a good remedy for PMS and menopause symptoms, such as the hot flash.[citation needed] Borage is sometimes indicated to alleviate and heal colds, bronchitis, and respiratory infections, and in general for its anti-inflammatory and balsamic properties. The flowers can be prepared in infusion to take advantage of its medicinal properties.
Borage is also traditionally used as a garnish in the Pimms Cup cocktail, but is sometimes replaced by a long sliver of cucumber peel if not available. Borage leaves have a cucumber like flavour.
My final recipe is Key Lime Pie, courtesy of GoodFood Channel website.
Serves 6, takes 20mins + 30mins chill time to prepare and 25mins to cook.
55g x Reduced Fat Spread
140g x Light Digestive Biscuits, crushed
3 x Eggs, separated
405g x Light Condensed Milk, such as Carnation
3 x Limes, finely grated zest and juice only
85g x Caster Sugar
Melt the margarine and add to the crushed biscuits, tip into an 18cm flan or cake tin to form an even base. Chill for 15 minutes. Preheat the oven to 180C/160C/gas 4. Beat the egg yolks together with the condensed milk for 1 minute then stir in the lime zest and juice. Pour the mixture over the biscuit base and bake for 15-20 minutes until set. Leave to cool then remove from the tin and transfer the pie onto a baking sheet. You can just put the meringue on top in the tin without transferring it first but it makes it look prettier if you remove it from the tin first. With a clean whisk, beat the egg whites to stiff peaks then fold in the caster sugar. Pile the meringue onto the pie and spread out, making peaks as you go. Bake for a further 5-6 minutes until browned. Leave to cool or chill before serving.
Events being remembered this week were on the 2nd July 1962 the first Wal-Mart store opens for business in Rogers, Arkansas. 3rd July 1886 Karl Benz officially unveils the Benz Patent Motorwagen – the first purpose-built automobile. 4th July 1865 Lewis Carroll’s “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” was first published. 5th July 1948 The National Health Service Acts created the national public health systems in the UK. 6th July 1957 Paul McCartney & John Lennon were introduced to each other. 7th July 1954 Elvis Presley makes his radio debut. 7th July 2005 London Bombings occurred. 8th July 2007 Boeing unveiled their first 787. Famous birthdays being celebrated and remembered this week are on the 2nd July 1904 René Lacoste. 3rd July 1960 Vince Clarke, British songwriter (Depeche Mode, Yazoo, and Erasure). 4th July 1845 Thomas Barnardo, Irish Humanitarian. 5th July 1810 P.T.Barnum, American circus owner. 6th July 1946 George W Bush 43rd President of the US, born. 7th July 1940 Ringo Starr English drummer and singer. 8th July 1831 John Stith Pemberton American inventor of Coca-cola.
If you have enjoyed my blog, or have tried out the recipes I have included and wish to comment, please feel free to comment using the comment button or by visiting my guestbook, all comments and suggestions will be gratefully received.
