May 15: It's still a very small world

By Jeff Cheek

Sometimes a "Food & History" column will generate a response from a reader. On April 7, 1998, I published a story praising Union Gen. Grant and Gen. Simon Buckner, CSA, for not letting a bitter civil war destroy their friendship, forged when both were cadets at West Point. I received a long, informative letter from Mrs. Mary Buckner Brubaker of Ashland. She is Gen. Buckner's granddaughter. She offered additional details of this enduring bond.

Recently, I received two such letters. The first was generated by the column on Gail Borden. The letter was from Mrs. Nancy Grant Miller of Ashland. The letter read:

"Dear Mr. Cheek, what a surprise for me to see my family home mentioned in your Gail Borden column in the Daily Tidings, February 6, 01. The birthplace of Gail Borden on a farm near Norwich, N.Y. was the Grant farm owned by my family for over 150 years. The Borden house was a small house about a 5 minute walk up the road. I used to play with children of farm hands who lived in the Borden house. I called the Chenango County Historical Society to find out what happened to the Borden house. It was still there when my mother sold the farm and moved to Oregon in the 1960s. The house has been torn down but there is a historical marker in Borden's memory. I am sending a copy of your article to the Chenango County Museum. Thanks for writing the article and bringing back memories of home. Sincerely, Nancy Grant Miller."

The second letter came from Mrs. Arminta Braasch, of Carson City, Nevada:

"Dear Mr. Cheek, my sister in Klamath Falls sent me a copy of your (zodiac) column because, in 1981, I wrote a "Gastrological Cook Book," which only proves there's nothing new under the sun. We thought it was unique. I never attempted to publish the book but after my sister recently published her novel, I thought I'd give it a try on the Internet. It's in the process now and should be available probably in two or three months. I thought you might like to take a look at it. If so, I'll send you a copy when it's available. It's a sort of tongue-in-cheek approach [with] each chapter [arranged] according to the signs of the zodiac,[and] containing a thumbnail sketch of how the signs affect our diets, etc. Followed by twelve authentic recipes, everything from champagne to rattlesnake. These are various recipes I've accumulated over the years. Martha Stewart probably wouldn't care for it but maybe Apicius would. I think I'll look him up at the library and see what I can learn. Meanwhile, I've alerted my sister and hopefully she'll continue to send me the column you plan to write in the future. I look forward to them. And more recipes. The Creamed Carrot Soup looks tempting. I will try it soon. Best wishes, Minta Braasch."

I received a travel grant from the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) to study and write on Basque cooking. We will be in Reno and Carson City, Nevada for a week in May, as the University of Nevada/Reno is the only college in the U.S. granting degrees in Basque Studies. I hope to contact Mr. Braasch while there.

This recipe for Apple Crumble is from (then) Ambassador Mike Mansfield. He sent it for the VIP section of a cook book I was writing, the "Misawa Gourmet."

INGREDIENTS:

5 apples

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup melted butter

1 cup flour

1 cup brown sugar

Cinnamon to taste

PREPARATION: Butter a casserole. Peel and slice apples; put in casserole. Mix other ingredients, sprinkle over apple slices. Bake 1 hour at 350 degrees.

Jeff Cheek lives in Medford