Sunday, August 3, 2008

Veal Curry.

My copy of Casserole Cookery: One-Dish Meals for the Busy Gourmet was originally owned by one Anna Van Blarcom. Googling her name takes me down several rabbit holes, including one great one that would have Anna Van Blarcom marrying into the MacCutcheon family. This tickles me because my friend Jeannette's grandma, Jean MacCutcheon gave me the cookbook; odds of it being the same Anna are slim, as she'd have been 80 by the time the cookbook came out. Regardless! This book had a history. It was owned by Anna Van Blarcom; she put her name in it, and she ticked off recipes of interest. Veal with Squash. Salmon Steaks with Lima Beans. Kidney Beans and Red Wine. Zucchini with Italian Meat Sauce. Curried Veal with Brasil Nuts. Veal Curry.

There's only one page where Anna availed herself of the "Cook's Comments" lines. On page 21, for the recipe for Veal Curry, Anna wrote "10 min in Pressure Cooker." 10 minutes beats 1 1/4 hours, when trying to cook for... whatever her household situation was like.

I was going to steer clear of the more controversial meats, but I have to say, Anna was particularly fond of this recipe, and so, for Anna's sake, I'm chucking delicate sensibilities to the wind. Also, once I get to the Alaska and Montana cookbooks, there'll be no avoiding more exotic meats (the bear fat pie crust comes to mind).
Veal Curry

Time: 1 1/4 hours

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs. veal cut into 2-inch squares
1 1/2 cups raw rice
6 tart apples, peeled and cubed
1 package seedless raisins
4 spring onions, tops and bottoms chopped
1/4 lb. butter
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger
salt and pepper

Sauté the veal in olive oil in skillet. Transfer to a low buttered casserole. Add all the other ingredients: rice, apples, raisins, onions, curry powder, ginger, salt and pepper. Pour in 4 cups water. Cover and simmer in a medium oven (350°) for 1/14 hours. Serves 4 or more.

Menu
Veal curry
Salad: Mixed greens (escarole, lettuce, cress) with French dressing (2 parts olive oil, 1 part wine vinegar, salt and pepper)
Vienna bread
Coffee

Story
The beauty of this curry is that it takes only one boy to serve it.


I have no idea what to make of that story. The cartoon accompanying the recipe is a turbaned, wild-eyed man with a big bowl of steaming curry. I see references to "12 boy curry" and "20 boy curry" and the like, where the "boys" are add-ins to curry dishes, and I hope that's what they were trying to get to here...

Vienna bread is baked in a steamy oven, like a baguette. So, crisp crust, fine crumb. I think the point is "bread suitable for sopping up curry," which is always fine with me. Take One Cookbook... is decidedly pro-sopping.

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