‘How To Feed A Dictator’ by Witold Szablowski is an interesting book that the curious and food loving Dude came across while wondering about what leaders eat. I bought it on Amazon on 1.20.25 and 9 days later it arrived. An easy and interesting read that still took me a month to finish while reading now and then in some spare time.
It must have been an odd existence to cook for some of these folks Witold wrote about as sometimes these rebels were on the run or hiding in the jungle. In Saddam’s case he ran from palace to waiting palace, all of which ran at full operation as if he were in house, even if he was not. Many chefs who cooked for a dictator didn’t live to tell about the experience. The chefs in this book lived.
The cover of the book tells all the dictators that these chefs cooked for in the past. This is a light read. The stories are short and this book can be picked up and put down easily without losing track of what’s happening.
Thank you Witold. Keep up the unique and interesting reporting and writing.
The other day the Dude of Food discovered he had extra ground turkey in the fridge and wondered what to make. A quick online search brought his eyes to a site where he witnessed this delicious looking photo for a ground turkey pasta recipe and decided to follow up on it. It turns out the alluring photo was a creation from a food blog titled Krolls Korner.
A big thanks goes out to site creator, registered dietitian, nutritionist and chef Tawnie Graham who shares this recipe with us so we can all learn to easily create this spectacular looking and delicious dish in our kitchens at home.
Before ya’ll get started you’ll need the following items.
INGREDIENTS:
16 oz medium shell pasta
1 lb ground turkey
4 Tbsp olive oil
4 cloves minced garlic
1/2 large red bell pepper, diced small
6 white mushrooms, sliced thin
1/2 large diced white onion
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1.5 tsp Italian seasoning
3 Tbsp all purpose flour
2.5 cups beef or chicken broth
1 15oz can tomato sauce
1 cup heavy cream
2/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Begin cooking the ground turkey until no longer pink. Add some salt & pepper and when the pink is gone, pull from heat, put in bowl and set aside. I usually cover my set aside foods as they wait their turn in the mix.
Next add oil and sauté garlic, red bell pepper, white mushrooms, white onion, salt, pepper and Italian seasoning. (about 5 minutes, stir occasionally)
Whisk in flour until mixed.
Add broth and tomato sauce. When it begins to simmer add cooked ground turkey to the mix. When heated add cooked pasta, heavy cream and parmesan cheese.
Stir and let thicken.
The choice of pasta shape is yours. Slowly add salt to desired taste. Remember you can always add more but it’s tricky to reduce. Some sharp white cheddar cheese might also be a nice addition. Other seasonings that could make a great addition include fennel seed, red pepper chili flakes, dried oregano, fresh basil or even a pinch of cayenne.
In cleaning up this article I’ll finish by saying, this dish was incredible. By following chef Tawnie’s directions, barring a couple minor tweeks of my own, it was easy to create this dish. If remembering correctly, I used beef broth and didn’t add any mushrooms or red bell pepper and it was still delicious. Unfortunately I forgot to take a photo of this beautiful pasta dish I created before it was eaten. Give this recipe a try and enjoy.
Thank you Tawnie G. It is a strange phenomenon but for some reason, the fact that you have food titles made the Dude of Food want to trust this recipe more.
The other day I saw calamari rings for sale and said to myself, “Dude of Food, you don’t see calamari rings at this market every day, especially on sale, so take a good look” and I did. The rings still were still vibrant, colorful and fresh looking. I had been wanting to make a red sauce anyways so I decided to buy myself some calamari rings to toss them in the sauce.
Once in the kitchen prepared something similar to a semi spicy Arribbiata sauce with chopped tomato, garlic, onion, chili flakes and the usual assortment of spice suspects. In a separate pan I fried the calamari rings in some olive oil and set them on top of the spaghetti and sauce I had prepared. There was no wine in this sauce. The dish was delicious and a photo is below.
So after this creation I went back to see how a dish like this was supposed to be prepared.
I read a couple of recipes and they recommended that I add a little sugar to my dish. Many folks do this to offset the tomato acidity but I never have and probably never will add any sugar to any of my sauces, coffee, tea or anything else I happen to be preparing, as I don’t have a sweet tooth and don’t like sugary things. The photos below are from other recipes I used to compare my mix to. Click on photo to link to their pages.
Other than that sugar difference, my recipe and process were pretty much on point. This is an easy to prepare dish that can be enjoyed by all. Go get in that kitchen and prepare a meal surprise for someone special.
Visit the Cadbury web address above and you’ll find the following statement; “From a grocery shop, to a factory, to the Cadbury we know today. This is the story of a father and two sons and how their generosity inspired generations to come. They poured a ‘glass and a half’ into their Dairy Milk and into their workers and communities too. At Cadbury, people always have been and will be at the heart of everything we do.”
Quaker John Cadbury was first apprenticed to a tea dealer in Leeds in 1818. In 1824, John opened a grocery shop at 93 Bull Street, Birmingham, England. He sold tea, coffee, hops and mustard along with cocoa and drinking chocolate. John prepared the drinking chocolate himself by using a mortar and pestle and crushing the cocoa. The treat became quite popular and eventually John decided to start commercial manufacturing. He opened a warehouse on Crooked Lane in 1831 where he started his drinking chocolate operations with the help of his 2 sons, Richard and George. By 1842, the Cadbury’s were selling 16 varieties of drinking chocolate and 11 varieties of cocoa. In 1850, John’s oldest son, Richard and his brother George were learning to handle operations and 11 years later John Cadbury retired from the business and Richard and George took over.
George heard about a Dutch chocolate maker, Coenraad van Houten, who had devised a method of extracting most of the fat from cocoa, which made it a more appealing drink. George went to Holland to see Van Houten and returned with a cocoa fat removal machine which proved successful. By using the cocoa press, Richard and George found they were able to make their cocoa 100% pure. They focused on making totally pure cocoa and in 1866 the Cadbury’s launched their “Absolutely Pure Therefore Best” cocoa product. This product line enabled the Cadbury’s to grow their company into a successful enterprise with a reputation for quality products and for treating its employees well.
Cocoa ad
George had big ideas. He asked, ‘Why should an industrial area be squalid and depressing? If the country is a good place to live in, then why not work in it?’. George wanted to build a place full of green spaces, where Cadbury workers could leave the crowded, dirty city behind and enjoy a better quality of life. He began to draw up plans for his new country factory with Birmingham architect George H. Gadd.
In 1878, Cadbury acquired 14.5 acres of open land, four miles (6 km) south-west of Birmingham. In January 1879, Cadbury, his architect and their construction team building began the factory, along with the first 16 houses for some of his 200 plus employees. September 1879, 230 workers by train to begin their lives in the new town and facility. The name of this new town would be Bournville. This new country live/work concept was a significant upgrade from the poor living conditions of the urban environment. In Bournville, families had houses and could enjoy yards, gardens, parks, schools, medical care and fresh air. Children enjoyed new playgrounds, country outings and summer camps. The men played football, hockey and cricket in the open park spaces. Tennis and squash courts were built, along with a bowling green and swimming pools with heated changing rooms an kitchens for heating up food. All employees were encouraged to become good swimmers. There were no pubs and no alcohol was sold in Bournville and none is sold there still to this day.
Old Bournville street photo
For workers to have facilities and a home life like this was unheard of in Victorian times. Cadbury became one of the first firms to introduce a 1/2 day of work Saturday. “People told us it would mean ruin, but I don’t think any men could have been happier.” said George. By 1899 the company had 2,600 employees and was incorporated as a limited company on June 16, 1899. Richard and George owned all of the ordinary shares in their business.
Bournville locals biking
By 1900 George Cadbury renounced his proprietorship of the estate and set up the Bournville Village Trust. There were 313 houses for various social classes. In 1902, 30% of Cadbury’s capital expenditure was spent on the welfare of its workers. By 1960 the Bournville Village Trust held 1,000 acres with 3,500 houses and to this date, the town still offers affordable housing. After Richard passed, George opened a works committee for each gender to discuss proposals for improving the company. He also pressed ahead with other ideas, like a deposit account and education facilities for every employee. The site also states, “We’ve come a long way in 200 years but one thing that will never change is the generous spirit we bring to everything we do. Another exciting opportunity came along in 2010, when we found a new home alongside the Kraft Foods family. Kraft created a new division in 2012, called ‘Mondelez International’ which we are still proud to be a part of today.”
John Cadbury – Aug 12, 1801 – May 11, 1889
Richard Barrow Cadbury – Aug 29, 1835 – March 22, 1899Geo. Cadbury Sr. – Sept 19, 1839 – Oct 24, 1922
Many lives have been touched by the sweet philanthropic gestures of the Cadbury family and to this day 10% of the company profits are still donated to charity.
Clicking on these photos will lead the viewer to the various recipes.
The Hot Brown sandwich (also known as a Louisville Hot Brown or Kentucky Hot Brown) is a variation of a traditional Welsh rarebit in which early variations can be traced back to the Welsh caws pobi or ‘baked cheese’ sandwich from back in the 1500’s. A Welsh rarebit blended with tomato makes a sandwich called the Blushing Bunny.
The Hot Brown was created to serve as an alternative to late-night ham and egg dinners by the chefs at the Brown Hotel in Louisville, KY which opened in 1923. By 1926 these Hot Brown sandwiches were a huge hit for hotel patrons and locals alike and quickly became the meal choice for 95% of the Brown Hotel’s restaurant customers.
The original Hot Brown included sliced turkey stacked on the open face of white toast with Mornay sauce covering it and then sprinkled with Parmesan cheese and broiled until the top bubbles. Pimento and bacon strips were then added on top before serving. I like adding a slice of tomato on mine. Some folks make this with sliced ham instead of turkey which is a tasty alternative.
Ham Hot Brown
Q: After the Welsh rarebit which came next, the Hot Brown or the Turkey Devonshire?
A: A few years after the Hot Brown was created Frank Blandi, former owner of the Park Schenley in Pittsburgh, created the Turkey Devonshire. It was 1934 and Frank was running a restaurant by the name of the Stratford Club located on Devonshire Street in Millvale, PA and the name of his edible creation was secured.
Turkey Devonshire
The Turkey Devonshire and a Hot Brown are basically the same hot open-faced sandwich on white bread with turkey, bacon and tomato. The key difference is that a Hot Brown uses a rich Mornay sauce made with Gruyere cheese, while a Turkey Devonshire uses a cheddar cheese sauce. The Hot Brown tastes richer and more creamy compared to the Devonshire due to the cheese sauce ingredients.
Other variations from around the globe include :
Croque_Monsieur
In 1891 the Croque Monsieur sandwich was written about.
Khachapuri
Khachapuri – a Georgian dish probably dates back to the 1100’s and may be a cousin to pizza which came later in history.
Savoury Toast
Savoury toast from Tasmania is a similar creation but wasn’t mentioned until 1865.
Whatever you sandwich preference, there are many good options available to enjoy.
It is certainly no secret that people like to gather in friendly surroundings to enjoy food and drink. This behavior dates back well before the Roman Empire and Cleopatra’s famous feast. One thing you might not be familiar with is the oldest gathering spot in Manhattan, NYC. This distinction goes to a building located on the corner of Pearl St. and Broad St. in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan.
The plot of land that is 54 Pearl Street (a landfilled water lot) was purchased from the city by Stephanus Van Cortlandt in 1686. Stephanus Van Cortlandt’s daughter, Ann, married a young French Huguenot merchant, Stephen (Etienne) De Lancey in 1700 when De Lancey purchased the lot from his father-in-law.
In 1719, De Lancey applied to the Common Council for three and a half more feet to be added to his plot of land on the northwest corner where he planned to build ‘a large brick house’. The large brick house has gone through some changes since but has been a private residence, hotel and one of the most important taverns of the Revolutionary War.
The Provincial Congress hosted a banquet in the Long Room at the tavern on June 18, 1776, for General George Washington, his staff and his officers to express their gratitude for the defense of the colony. The party raised 31 toasts throughout the evening, starting with the Congress and the American Army and ending with “Civil and religious liberty to all mankind.” It was a party and officers sang campaign songs while music played. The final bill presented by Samuel Fraunces, totaling £91, included 78 bottles of Madeira, 30 bottles of port and 16 shillings for “wine glasses broken.” Fraunces Tavern served as a headquarters for George Washington during peace negotiations with the British and housed a few federal offices of the Early Republic.
British troops evacuated New York on November 25, 1783. This day is historically known as ‘Evacuation Day’. George Washington led his Continental Army in a parade from Bull’s Head Tavern in the Bowery to Cape’s Tavern on Broadway and Wall Street. New York Governor George Clinton’s Evacuation Day celebration was held at Fraunces Tavern. In true American fashion, Evacuation Day was celebrated for a week. George Washington was in Manhattan and made use of Fraunces Tavern by dining in and ordering take-out.
General Washington meets at the tavern
A week later, on December 4, 1783, the tavern hosted an elaborate ‘turtle feast’ dinner, in the building’s Long Room for George Washington during which the general bade farewell to his officers of the Continental Army.
Historically stated, The time drew near when General Washington intended to leave this part of the country for his beloved retreat at Mt. Vernon.
"On Dec 4, 1783 at 12 noon General Washington entered the room. His emotions were too strong to be concealed which seemed to be reciprocated by every officer present. After partaking of a slight refreshment in almost breathless silence the General filled his glass with wine and turning to the officers said, ‘With a heart full of love and gratitude I now take leave of you. I most devoutly wish that your latter days may be as prosperous and happy as your former ones have been glorious and honorable.’
After the officers had taken a glass of wine General Washington said ‘I cannot come to each of you but shall feel obliged if each of you will come and take me by the hand.’ General Knox being nearest to him turned to the Commander-in-chief who, suffused in tears, was incapable of utterance but grasped his hand when they embraced each other in silence. In the same affectionate manner every officer in the room marched up and parted with his general in chief. Such a scene of sorrow and weeping I had never before witnessed and fondly hope I may never be called to witness again.”
It’s easy to see that George Washington was highly respected and well loved. This kind of closing ceremony goes a long way in explaining why Washington was elected as the nation’s 1st President and why he is so well remembered by history.
On February 2, 1790, the Supreme Court dined at the Tavern to celebrate the opening of the Court. Guests included Chief Justice John Jay of New York, Justices John Rutledge of South Carolina, William Cushing of Massachusetts, James Wilson of Pennsylvania and John Blair of Virginia. Also in attendance was Robert Hanson Harrison of Maryland, who later declined to serve.
On July 4, 1804 under the management of David Ross, the Society of Cincinnati held a meeting at 54 Pearl Street. Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton both attended this meeting which was a week before their famous duel.
Re-opening 1904
Fraunces Tavern and historical team have much rich American history and they do a great job at preserving, sharing and teaching the subject. More can be learned by visiting their site.
The Dude of Food has noticed that America is particularly funny when it comes to regional foods. For example, many folks who grew up on the east coast do not like avocados. Folks from the north don’t really eat squirrel/ possum stew but might take a road killed deer home to eat. Similar peculiarities exist for some folks from the west as they don’t like lobster as much as folks from the east side of our nation. It could be due to abundance but who knows. I grew up near the beaches of Los Angeles and personally like avocados as well as lobster, crab, oysters, mussels and shrimps. I’ve wondered in the past why do I like all the crustaceans. I like fish too, but aren’t these bottom feeder animals sort of like the liver of the ocean that’s job is to clean up the mess? Also, I can honestly say that possum and squirrel are not items I’ve ever tried nor have sought to try. Slowly coming back from my digression, I’ll add that during the Covid19 timeout I learned to home brew beer. I had some practice time at home and eventually met the owner of the Lobster and Beer chain of restaurants, Mike, who had an available space and he was interested in brewing beer too. Mike let me practice in the empty space and I worked on making brew while I redid the interior design of the place. Six months later the building and my process were both more functional.
When the Covid19 lock down was over and restaurants were allowed to open back up our little neighborhood bar in Hawthorne surged with local business. People loved both the lobster and the crab rolls and many local folks spent time socializing at our little spot. I served the beers and a cook made the food. We were both kept busy as we also took online orders for a couple food delivery services. We would do nearly $2k in sales and generate decent tips in 4 hours on a Sunday afternoon with just 3 little sidewalk tables and maybe 8 bar stools.
It was during this time that I learned how to properly prepare these delicious sandwiches to the Lobster and Beer standard. I learned to portion the meats, make the aioli, chop, clean, stock, cook, box, answer the phone and serve as well as run the bar. It got hectic sometimes but it was always fun and I look back fondly to these times sharing with our customers, getting feedback on my beers and operating a fun environment. Thank you Mike and partner. (I forget his partners name but he was cool and taught me a lot.)
Recently I’ve had the craving for a lobster roll so I finally decided to make one and squash my cravings. Below is a photo of the one I made.
Home made Lobster Roll photo: p3
The preparation process is simple.
Procure Lobster and some form of roll from your favorite spot. Soft, split top New England style buns, Hawaiian bread or hot dog buns work well. I used a dinner roll. You’ll also need butter, mayo, chives, minced celery, lemon zest, salt and pepper.
Try adding minced tarragon, red onion or chopped green onion for some variety.
1lb lobster meat ¼ cup minced celery ¼ cup mayonnaise 1 tablespoon minced chives 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 teaspoon lemon zest ¼ teaspoon salt 4 buns ¼ teaspoon ground pepper 4 approx tablespoons butter
PREPARATION:
Heat lobster in pan with butter. Don’t over cook.
Mix everything but the lobster and bread in a bowl.
Cut bread and place face down on hot buttered grill to lightly toast.
Mix warmed lobster in a bowl with some of the mixed ingredient sauce and load into grilled face bun.
