Homework #2- Civil War Food by: Jessica Abate

After reading both the articles on the diet of the soldiers during the Civil War, I am so surprised people survived as long as they did. The soldierā€™s diets were so poor that they should have been extremely under nourished. They were at a disadvantage from the start because they had very little cooking experience since during that time women did all the cooking. Whatever knowledge they did have was extremely basic. They were constantly on the run and putting their bodies through extreme physical conditions so, they needed to eat something that would fuel their body and replenish nutrients they lost, but they didnā€™t know how to do that. They ended up eating the same dish multiple times a day because that was all they knew how to cook. Also they had to cook the food extremely dry so they could preserve it for longer. Overall I think the soldiers would have had less energy to fight because their diet was so poor, but I guess there will to win over powered their undernourished bodies.

In the articles, I also found the obsession with coffee very surprising. As I read the article it did make a lot of sense as to why the soldiers loved it so much. Coffee was a lighthearted topic the soldiers could bond over and talk about. It was also something to look forward to during a very stressful time. Coffee helped remind the soldiers of home and keep them from completely losing their sanity. The soldiers became so addicted to coffee that it was the only thing they would be excited about.

The soldierā€™s obsession with coffee is something I understand completely. I love coffee img_1397-1and honestly wouldnā€™t be able to get through my day without it. Although I love coffee with all my heart, I think I would be more upset if I had to live without fruit. More than
50% of my diet is fruit, so if I no longer had access to any I would be beyond upset. I would not know what to eat to replace the fresh juicy flavor of fruit.

 

Homework #2: Food and Coffee in the Civil War

Tintype of federal soldiers enjoying coffee and hardtack. Credit: Heritage Auctions.

Tintype of federal soldiers enjoying coffee and hardtack. Credit: Heritage Auctions.

If you had a choice, which would you give up? Food? Or coffee? This week, we will look at photography of the Civil War and the difficulties of producing photographs during war, especially with the wet-plate collodion process. To help better understand the conditions that photographers worked in, this weekā€™s homework explores what Civil War soldiers ate and their dependence on coffee. The typical food ration for a Union soldier included small amounts of meat, coffee, and hardtack (whatā€™s hardtack? Look here to find out.) The Union side half-jokingly believed coffee helped fuel their soldiers. Meanwhile, the Confederate South suffered vast food shortages due to strong Union blockades, and resorted to unique recipes (called receipts in the 19th century) to produce coffee substitutes. Read about cooking on the battlefront and the importance of coffee (the word ā€˜coffeeā€™ appears more frequently than ā€˜rifleā€™ or ā€˜bulletā€™ in Civil War diaries).

Share what you think is most fascinating about a Civil War soldierā€™s diet AND post an image of a food item that you cannot live without. You can link to a photo on the web, or take a picture!

Read about what Union soldiers ate at PBS.org.

Read the NYT’s article “How Coffee Fueled the Civil War”

PLEASE SUBMIT YOUR POSTS BY THURSDAY OCTOBER 6, 2016 (CUNY is running a Monday schedule on a Thursday).

Homework #1 – Texture

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This is a Japanese snack known as Takoyaki. It is filled with chopped octopus, tempura flakes, pickled ginger, and green onions,Ā made ofĀ wheat flour based batter. The texture of this is that it is slightly crispy on the outside and it is soft and creamy in the inside, topped with takoyaki sauce, mayonnaise, and bonito flakes. The bonito flakes gives it a nice savory flavor. Takoyaki is usually served in 6 to 8 balls because it is not served as a meal but it willĀ fill you up sinceĀ the batter is made of wheat flour. You should definitely try this when you haveĀ the chance to.

moro

This was a dish made by my mother right at home. It is composed by a ā€œmoroā€ (rice and black beans cooked together) made with just enough water to obtain a loose easy to eat rice, topped with onions which were cooked to a tender yet crispy point. Ā This rice was accompanied by baked chicken meatballs, which to my taste were a bit dry, just because they were baked and completely fat free, however its flavor was delicious. Also mouthwatering fried Dominican cheese, melted on the inside and crunchy on the portions that are exposed to the oil. The salad had a firm texture, fresh and vinegary.

Rosa Luciano HW # 1

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This is a cookie dough shake that is served at a popular restaurant called Black Tap. Many of you may be familiar with these shakes because they are all over media. When I first visited this restaurant it was at the beginning of the summer. Although I had gotten a meal from this place and it was really good what had caught my attention the most was the way these shakes were made. I had ordered the cookie dough shake as shown above and just by looking at the shake before tasting it I knew I was going to enjoy it. The top of the shake that include most of its detail had a very soft and moisture taste and feeling. The whip cream on the top had a fluffy texture and the cookie itself is soft. Overall this is a very sweet dessert but is enjoyable to have. I find this shake very exclusive because I never seen one as detailed as this one and I recommend everyone to try it.

HW #1: Texture

wood fired oven

This is the main dish that I had for dinner in the Industry kitchen. It is called Oven-Poached Shrimp, Cod, and Clams with Chorizo. As you see the name, these main ingredients are all listed. It also comes with the red pepper aioli, Anaheim peppers, fresh tomato and three pieces of focaccia on top. It is just a simple oven cooked seafood dish, but the three pieces of Italian bread make the dish look more classy. The texture of focaccia is rich, slightly chewy and it’s a little bland. However, when you deep it with the aioli, it tastes more delicious. The seafood tastes soft and the oven cooked method keeps them in the original flavor. This combination helps the dish increases its dining level.

Homework # 1 Texture

The food item on this picture is called an oatmeal scone that I had this afternoon. This was my first time making this type of baking this type of bread in the college baking class. Originally this was supposed to be an oatmeal biscuit, however it was changed into an oatmeal scone. The texture of the biscuit was soft and flaky feeling. Its taste is different from any other biscuits, this biscuit also has orange zest and juice inside the bread giving it a fresh orange taste.Though some may say plain oatmeal biscuit is good enough I really do enjoy this interesting new taste of orange in this biscuit. Kind of looks like a pie.

Homework #1 Texture by Shara Bryan

For as long as I can remember, every Sunday my mom cooks a full course meal for everyone to enjoy. This Sunday, I decided to help her in the kitchen and this is what we came up with. In this photo, there’s a variety of different textures. There’s chewy curry goat, and crunchy salad paired with other soft textures from the rice and pear (aka avocado), and plantains. When food like this is cooked in my house, everyone wants some just because it’s not a boring normal dish. The textures as well as the colors makes a fun fulfilling dish that everyone want to try.Sunday Dinner

Homework #1 Texture

I remembered this from Jacks’s Wife is a famous brunch resturant. The other day I ate their chicken sandwich it was amazing especially the texture of it. The crispy bread it self taste good alreayd is like you step on the dry leaf that is how it feel with the hard layer and the soft inside. The chicken it self taste really good as well most of the time when I eat chicken There is no flavor inside ,just the outside skin but this one the sausces breaks into the chicken skin and even the inside have a great flavor. Ā Everyone should try them out at some point!Ā image