Recent Eric Stanway Columns

Snag some quick protein and carbs with sausage rolls

Eric Stanway | Thursday, February 9, 2012

The venerable sausage roll, a sausage and herb mixture wrapped in bread, is an hors d’oeuvre that has been a favorite around our house for …

Tasty Shepherd’s Pie is a relatively new tradition

Eric Stanway | Thursday, January 12, 2012

“The Eastbourne Board of Guardians have ordered a mincing machine … for the use of aged and toothless paupers in their workhouse.” – Pall Mall …

Pie will make you thankful for caves of Cheddar

Eric Stanway | Wednesday, January 4, 2012

When you amble over to that cheese board during a party and cut yourself a hunk of cheddar, you are indulging in a tradition that …

Kugels have been embraced by different cultures for 8 centuries

Eric Stanway | Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Back in my younger days, I married into a family of Lithuanian-Polish descent. While in the bosom of this group, I discovered many traditions of …

Don’t mince words: This pie has long been popular

Eric Stanway | Wednesday, December 21, 2011

EDITOR’S NOTE: Mincemeat can be used in a variety of ways, which does not allow for a meaningful nutritional analysis. “The serving men doe sit …

Yule Bread handed down from ancient tradition

Eric Stanway | Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Have you ever wondered about the tradition of putting out a plate of cookies for St. Nicholas on Christmas Eve? Well, it’s older than you …

Let them eat (cheese)cake for the holidays

Eric Stanway | Wednesday, December 7, 2011

There are some things that just don’t go together. Bacon and ice cream, for example. Or anchovies and chocolate pudding. You can add to that …

Picadillo: Sweet Mexican dish fit for an emperor

Eric Stanway | Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Gen. Augustin de Iturbide was nothing if not flexible. Instrumental in the Mexican War for Independence in the early 19th century, he started out fighting …

Muffins are baker’s delight for treat that can’t be beat

Eric Stanway | Wednesday, November 23, 2011

“Do you know the muffin man the muffin man the muffin man. Do you know the muffin man, That lives in Drury Lane?” – 19th-century …

We have Wampanoag to thank for tasty succotash

Eric Stanway | Wednesday, November 16, 2011

When British settlers first arrived in New England, they were at a definite disadvantage. Far from being farmers, they were largely a collection of lawyers …

Tasty black spice has peppered recipes for ages

Eric Stanway | Wednesday, November 9, 2011

“The door led right into a large kitchen, which was full of smoke from one end to the other; the Duchess was sitting on a …

Turn this prank into a delectable rice-based treat

Eric Stanway | Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Young Valerius was a very unhappy man. The year was 1574, and Valerius was an apprentice in charge of staining the decorated glass for the …

Stingy Jack’s tricks turn into our Halloween treat

Eric Stanway | Wednesday, October 26, 2011

There is an old Irish legend concerning an unsavory figure by the name of Stingy Jack. Jack was known far and wide as a man …

Making gelatin far easier than its ancient roots

Eric Stanway | Wednesday, October 19, 2011

In this age of modern convenience foods, it’s easy to lose track of the trials our ancestors had to go through just to create the …

America has love affair with Twinkies – even deep-fried

Eric Stanway | Wednesday, October 12, 2011

I was recently watching CNN’s dispatches from the Iowa State Fair and was struck by the fact that, for those correspondents who weren’t out chasing …

Kids, create a tasty recipe with peanut butter

Eric Stanway | Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Young chefs have demonstrated their creativity in the kitchen for the last decade by reinventing the classic peanut butter sandwich with a twist in the …

British had tasty solution to loss of free milk

Eric Stanway | Wednesday, October 5, 2011

“Though we eat little flesh and drink no wine, yet let’s be merry; we’ll have tea and toast; custards for supper, and an endless host …

For the early colonists, squash proves valuable

Eric Stanway | Wednesday, September 21, 2011

By the time Capt. John Smith set about exploring Virginia in the summer of 1608, he had gained an onerous reputation aboard ship. During the …

‘Delight’ is part of candy’s name for good reason

Eric Stanway | Wednesday, September 14, 2011

In the book “The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe” by C.S. Lewis, four children travel to a new world, where they meet a variety …

Fondue perfect for casual dining with friends

Eric Stanway | Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Yard-sale season is always a good time to find those culinary castaways that, once popular with home chefs, now are just cluttering up the kitchen. …

Mustard has been flavoring food for millennia

Eric Stanway | Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Mean Mr. Mustard sleeps in the park Shaves in the dark, trying to save paper. Sleeps in a hole in the road. Saving up to …

Perennially popular peanut: The wonder of you

Eric Stanway | Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Long before peanut allergies swept the land and made lunchrooms off-limits for this versatile legume, peanut butter was a staple in lunchboxes nationwide. Although peanut …

Tracing cole slaw’s path through history to your plate

Eric Stanway | Wednesday, August 17, 2011

We know from Apicius that ancient Roman cooks prepared shredded cabbage dressed with vinegar, eggs and spices. Food historians generally agree the term “cole slaw” …

Sriracha sauce makes for genuinely hot chicken

Eric Stanway | Wednesday, August 10, 2011

We seem to be going through some sort of hot sauce renaissance, with people from all walks of life swearing by the stuff. Sure, there …

Eggplant: Worldly traveler with variety of uses

Eric Stanway | Wednesday, August 3, 2011

In “The Pleasantries of the Incredible Mulla Nasrudia” by Idries Shah, he recounts the cautionary tale of a courtier who ingratiates himself to the king. …

All sorts of benefits – and pleasures – from licorice

Eric Stanway | Wednesday, July 27, 2011

A few years ago, I was casting about for a Christmas present for my (now deceased) father. I found my quarry in an English exports …

Tale of soy-based yuba begins with ancient legend

Eric Stanway | Wednesday, July 20, 2011

According to the Kyonan Rubet-shu, published in 1813, there is an ancient legend purporting that an inn once stood on China’s Yuden Mountain, a sacred …

Tortellini – from a goddess’ navel to your table

Eric Stanway | Wednesday, July 13, 2011

In Guiseppe Ceri’s 19th century poem, “Venus’ Navel,” he purports that Venus, the goddess of love, decided one day to have a little rendezvous with …

Forget the inconvenience; biscuits are worth effort

Eric Stanway | Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Back in 2008, the city of Knoxville, Tenn., was thrown into turmoil. The ugly news was that the White Lily mill, active since the 19th …

Simplicity of Brown Betty helps its popularity

Eric Stanway | Wednesday, June 29, 2011

When European settlers came to these shores in the early 17th century, they brought with them a number of recipes from their respective homelands. Puddings …

Glass of switchel good for the Constitution

Eric Stanway | Wednesday, June 22, 2011

“Ma had sent them ginger-water. She had sweetened the cool well-water with sugar, flavored it with vinegar, and put in plenty of ginger to warm …

The wheel story behind presidential big cheeses

Eric Stanway | Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Every now and then, a story comes along that’s so outlandish, it stretches credulity. This particular example is the incidence on two occasions whereupon a …

Garlic tasty for some, healthy for all

Eric Stanway | Wednesday, June 8, 2011

“In any case, let Thisbe have clean linen. And let not him that plays the lion pare his nails, for they shall hang out for …

Hail Caesar Salad, whatever its origin

Eric Stanway | Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Throughout history, many dishes have borne the name of their creators or their patrons. Lobster Wenberg (or Newberg, as it’s now known) was christened after …

Chip off the old cookie

Eric Stanway | Wednesday, May 25, 2011

It has often been said that many of our favorite dishes are actually the result of accident. This certainly holds true in the case of …

With Europe at war, French cook ‘creates’ mayonnaise

Eric Stanway | Wednesday, May 18, 2011

It frequently amazes me how the most prosaic of dishes can have a convoluted and dissentious history. Take mayonnaise, for example. I’m pretty sure most …

National Escargot Day coming up quickly

Eric Stanway | Wednesday, May 11, 2011

There is an ancient Chinese legend that tells of a man who discovered a large snail in his garden. On a whim, he prepared a …

Beets weren’t always at the heart of Polish borscht

Eric Stanway | Wednesday, May 4, 2011

There are some foods that have sustained cultures throughout millennia. Ancient grains such as barley, wheat and rice come immediately to mind, although there are …

New England’s connection to cod runs deep

Eric Stanway | Wednesday, April 27, 2011

“And this is good old Boston, The home of the bean and the cod, Where the Lowells talk only to Cabots, And the Cabots talk …

After a taxing day, nothing hits the spot like tea

Eric Stanway | Wednesday, April 20, 2011

“Tea in the morning, tea in the evening, tea at suppertime, You get tea when its raining, tea when its snowing, Tea when the weather’s …

These cheeses fit the mold for great taste

Eric Stanway | Wednesday, April 13, 2011

“Drink a pot of ale, eat a scoop of Stilton, every day, you will make old bones.” – Nineteenth-century saying, Wymondham, England We generally do …

Be smart and give flavorful Aburaage Udon a try

Eric Stanway | Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Humans have a tendency to anthropomorphize other members of the animal kingdom, attributing to them values and prejudices that we recognize in ourselves. Owls, for …

Returning barley to ancient confection

Eric Stanway | Wednesday, March 30, 2011

“Their twin smooth tips are sharp “As briars; the blades through flute and twist and warp “Like barley-sugar if it glittered, or the gold “Shafts …

Salisbury steak can be traced to Civil War doctor

Eric Stanway | Wednesday, March 23, 2011

“Yeah, I’ve had strange-looking patty melts at Norm’s. I’ve had dangerous veal cutlets at the Copper Penny. Well, what you get is a breaded Salisbury …

If you have moxie, you enjoy this drink

Eric Stanway | Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Among the peculiarities of New England is a singular beverage that’s virtually unknown in the rest of the country. I’m speaking of Moxie. Among the …

Welsh wrote the book on vegetarian sausages

Eric Stanway | Wednesday, March 9, 2011

“The breakfast was delicious, consisting of excellent tea, buttered toast and Glamorgan sausages, which I really think are not a whit inferior to those of …

There are plenty of people who love their Spam – a lot

Eric Stanway | Wednesday, March 2, 2011

“Well, there’s egg and bacon; Egg sausage and bacon; Egg and Spam; Egg, bacon and Spam; Egg, bacon, sausage and Spam; Spam, bacon, sausage and …

Linguine and clam dish fit for a president to serve

Eric Stanway | Wednesday, February 23, 2011

It has been often said that America is a great melting pot – and nowhere is this more evident than in the rich and varied …

Nachos born out of restaurateur’s desperation

Eric Stanway | Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Ignacia Anaya had a problem. As maitre d’ of the Victory Club in Piedras Negras, Mexico, he had seen his share of difficulties. But now, …