Food from Time Trip #2: Potlikker

"Harriet, Kyla, Zammie, and Joseph all sat at a small wooden table eating plates of a dish Millie called “pot likker”. She had boiled some greens and onions in water with some salted ham and had used the liquid as a stock to pour over ashcakes and dumplings she had made from cornmeal.

The cabin was basically just one room with a small kitchen area although Millie did most of the cooking outside on a wood stove. The food was good and filling. Harriet knew it was probably more than Millie could afford to be giving out under normal circumstances. Harriet had a dollar that she tried to give to Millie for payment, but Millie refused it. Harriet later gave the money to little Joseph and told him to give it to his mother after they left."

-- from Time Trip #2: 

A Ride On the Underground Railroad

Greens in potlikker with dumplings.

Read more about Potlikker in this article from The Atlantic.

TIME TRIP ADVENTURE 4

KILLING FOR COUNTRY  

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THE JOURNEY TO ANCIENT GREECE 

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A RIDE ON THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD

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WITNESS TO THE FIRST THANKSGIVING 

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Food from Time Trip #3: Pottage Stew

The celebration lasted through the night. Additional bonfires were made along the beach and everyone gathered in groups and told ghost stories and sang old songs. The Indians sang songs of their ancient heroes, and the non-Separatist Pilgrims sang the catchy drinking songs they remembered from back home. It was early morning before everyone was asleep, but it wasn’t long the next day before the festivities began again.

One of the most popular dishes the next morning (especially for those men who drank too much the night before) was the hot vegetable soup. The vegetables and grains were prepared in medieval stews called pottages. Pieces of meat were boiled with the veggies and the soup simmered and was reduced until a thick broth was formed. Both adults and children lined up for large helpings, ate until they were full, and then went back for more. 

-- from Time Trip Adventure 3: Witness to the First Thanksgiving 

 

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KILLING FOR COUNTRY  

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THE JOURNEY TO ANCIENT GREECE 

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TIME TRIP ADVENTURE 2

A RIDE ON THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD

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TIME TRIP ADVENTURE 3

WITNESS TO THE FIRST THANKSGIVING 

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Food from Time Trip #1, Part 4

Fried Tilapia and Lumpia

     “How long was I asleep?” he asked his mother.
     “I don’t know. A couple hours at least.”
     Zammie couldn’t believe it. “A couple hours? Where’s Kyla?”
     “She’s at the table eating already. She took a nap too, but she woke up a few minutes ago.”
     Zammie took another moment to shake out the cobwebs before going to the kitchen. He walked in to see his dad, Kyla, and Kyla’s parents all gathered around the kitchen table. A banquet of fried tilapia, lumpia rolls, rice, and fresh vegetables sat on the table. Kyla had just about cleaned all the meat off of a full tilapia fish leaving nothing but the bones.
     “Look who finally woke up,” said Zammie’s father.
     “Hello, Zammie. How are you?” asked Kyla’s parents.
     “Hello, Uncle. Hello, Auntie. I’m fine.”
     “Come eat then,” said his father, “before Kyla eats up everything.”

-- An aftertrip meal (Chapter 15)

Lumpia and Fried Tilapia are both common items to be found on Filipino dinner tables. Lumpia are basically eggrolls with a thinner wrapping and filled with shredded cabbage, carrots, and pork among other things. Tilapia is a very popular fish in the Philippines and it has a light, flaky texture with a good flavor that appeals to most palettes.

Lumpia (All Recipes)

Fried Tilapia (Kitchen - The Heart of Our Home)

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THE JOURNEY TO ANCIENT GREECE 

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A RIDE ON THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD

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WITNESS TO THE FIRST THANKSGIVING 

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Food from Time Trip #1, Part 3

Fire-roasted Eel

"The four of them had returned to the beach and were gathered around a small campfire they had built near the boat. It was early afternoon, and Vinnie had already caught an eel and had bought some bread and olive oil for the lunch he was preparing for the children."

-- from Time Trip #1 (Chapter 12)

Eel has a very soft texture and a relatively sweet flavor to it. Click here for a series of potential recipes for eel available from Food Network.

Image of an eel by Kim Fair

Eel fillets

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Food from Time Trip #1, Part 2

Raw Fish

Zammie took one of the small knives in the corner of the boat and began scaling the fish. 
“Is it dead?” asked Kyla. 
“Yes,” said Zammie. “But I’m so hungry I’d eat it live.” 
“Gross,” said Kyla. 
Zammie rinsed the fish in the water then chopped off the tail and head. Then he slit the belly open and rinsed out the fish guts in the water as well. 
“I hope this doesn’t attract sharks,” said Zammie. 
“Me too,” said Vinnie with his crooked grin. 
Zammie sliced off a thick filet from the side of the fish and offered it to Kyla. 
“Wow, you’re pretty good at that,” said Vinnie. 
“I go fishing with my dad and uncles a lot,” said Zammie. 
“Eat it raw?” asked Kyla. 
“It’s sashimi,” said Zammie. “Like at the Japanese restaurant we went to.” 
Kyla held the pink fish flesh between her fingers and took a small bite out of it. She chewed a couple times then smiled and took a bigger bite. 
“Good, huh?” said Zammie. 

-- from Time Trip #1 

(Kindle Locations 1224-1242).

Image from Thomas Pickard Photography

 

Image of raw tuna from the Tsukiji Fish Market in Japan.

Fish Curry

Vinnie's wife Leela makes a spicy Indian fish curry for Argo and cousins when they stay at Vinnie's village for a night.

The sweet and spicy curries that are so prevalent in South Indian cooking go just as well with fish as they do with chicken or goat. An array of spices can be used including coriander, turmeric, cumin, and various types of peppers.   

 

Image from SpicyTasty.com 

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A RIDE ON THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD

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Food from Time Trip #1, Part 1

Miki Noodle Soup

Prepared by Zammie's mother and eaten by the two cousins for an after-school snack.

Miki noods are thick, egg noodles, and Miki noodle soup is a Philippine type chicken noodle soup with a rich broth and large chunks of chicken. It's typically eaten with bread rolls called pan de sal.

Image from Saving My Life at 30

Roasted Lamb

Roasted lamb similar to that shown below was purchased and eaten by the two cousins from the agora marketplace in Delphi.

Roasted Lamb rotated by a spit over an open fire has been a traditional meal from a traditional method of cooking in Greece for thousands of years.

 Image from Greek Meat Recipe

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KILLING FOR COUNTRY  

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THE JOURNEY TO ANCIENT GREECE 

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A RIDE ON THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD

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TIME TRIP ADVENTURE 3

WITNESS TO THE FIRST THANKSGIVING 

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