From the Fields of Switzerland: Poppy Seed Noodles

Poppy flower, bulb, and seeds – Papaver somniferum; Mohnnudeln

The young peasant girls of Switzerland believed the poppy flower held certain secrets–they believed the poppy could reveal the true nature of their lover’s heart. During the warm months of spring, the girls would scour the fields for the poppy’s tell-tale red blossoms. Once they located the distinctive flower, they would pluck a single petal and place it in the hollow of their left hand, which they would then fiercely smack with their right. If the petal made a sudden bursting sound, as of a sigh quickly escaping, their beloved was loyal and would remain so until his dying day. But if no sound issued from the crushed petal, coldness reigned in his heart and he would soon abandon the bearer of the mute petal.

The poppy was more than just a means for deciphering the ways of a man’s heart, however. It also frequently appeared in the kitchens of Central European peasants. German peasants boiled the poppy seeds and ate them like sago. When a child proved querulous, they soaked cloth in a sweetened mixture of poppy seeds and used it as a pacifier. But more commonly they used poppy seeds in a number of tasty and hearty desserts. Here’s a recipe for Mohnnudeln — a delightful Central European dish that can be eaten as a dessert or a light supper.

Poppy Seed Noodles (Mohnnudeln)

1 pound potatoes, boiled and peeled
1 egg yolk
1 ounce butter
4 ounces fine white flour
1 ounce farina (cream of wheat)
1 pinch salt

Topping

1 ounce butter, lightly browned
3.5 ounces poppy seeds
powdered sugar

Mash the potatoes and mix with the egg yolk, butter, flour, farina, and salt. Roll this dough out on a floured cutting board and cut into small pieces. Form these pieces into long noodles, with centers thicker than the ends. They should be 2-3 inches long. Cook these noodles in boiling water for about 6 minutes. Remove them from the boiling water, daub off any excess water and place in a serving dish. Pour the lightly browned butter and poppy seeds over the noodles. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

 
Why Fast and Fermented Foods by Christine Baumgarthuber

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From the White House: Laplands

James K. Polk 45th president of the United States

James Knox Polk, Democrat and eleventh president of the United States (1845-1849), served as governor of Tennessee before ascending to the nation’s highest office. A dynamic leader, he oversaw the successful Mexican-American War. Despite the wave of popularity he enjoyed as a result of this war’s successful prosecution, he refused to seek a second term, and shortly after completing his first and only term he died of cholera.

Polk was born in a simple log cabin in Mecklenburg County. His father was a farmer frugal in his habits, but of a disposition kind and generous. As the oldest of ten children, Polk had to assume a great deal of responsibility for his siblings. Yet he managed to find time for his studies. When his family moved to the banks of the Cumberland River in Tennessee, Polk came under the tutelage of Rev. Dr. Henderson at the Academy of Murfreesburg, and in the autumn of 1815 he entered the University of North Carolina, from which he graduated in 1818 with highest honors.

A dignified austerity marked Polk’s term in office. Intent on eliminating the custom of dueling, which, recall, sped Alexander Hamilton to his long home, Polk quickly secured the passage of a law banning this barbaric remnant of the past, as he considered it. His wife, Sarah Childress Polk, helped him in these endeavors. She was a strict Presbyterian, plain of looks but charmingly intelligent, who quickly changed the image of the President’s home, initiating bans on drinking, dancing, card playing and fancy dining.

Here’s The Heritage Cook Book‘s traditional recipe for laplands, small muffin-like biscuits that were popular at the First Family’s austere table. Serve them with butter and jam.

Laplands

2 egg yolks
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup milk
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon butter, melted
2 stiffly beaten egg whites

Beat egg yolks till thick and lemon-colored, 4 to 5 minutes. Blend in flour, milk, sugar, butter, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Beat 2 to 3 minutes. Gently fold in egg whites. Fill well-greased 2-inch muffin pans 2/3 full. Bake at 375 degrees F. for 30 to 35 minutes. Makes 10.

 
Why Fast and Fermented Foods by Christine Baumgarthuber

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And, if you’d like to help the Kitchen keep cookin’, please consider picking up copies of my books, Why Fast? and Fermented Foods.

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A Film: Rationing in Britain, 1939

Here’s another charming and informative film from wartime Britain; it offers helpful hints about navigating the sometimes perplexing system of rationing and provides novel ideas for making the most of household odds and ends.

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