What will we discover today?

Today is an official US holiday. The traditional name is Columbus day. But, in recent years, proponents of Native American Culture proposed changing the name to Indigenous peoples’ day. While it’s true that Christopher Columbus “discovered” the Americas, there is a downside to that momentous occasion. The people who lived in the Americas didn’t need to be “discovered”. They had their own lives, culture, and societies. The first group he encountered were the Taino people who inhabited the Dominican Republic. They had a population of over 125,000. Between violence, slavery, and the introduction of European diseases, the Taino lost 85% of their population within the first couple decades of meeting Columbus. And, they were declared extinct by 1565. Now, that’s just one of the tribes he encountered. So, What else will we discover today?

Well, for starters, The United States of America celebrates Columbus for discovering it. But, in reality, he never set foot on North American soil. He landed in the Bahamas, and set up base on Hispanola (what is the Dominican republic and Haiti today). On subsequent trips, he brought dogs to use as military weapons to keep the natives under control (no wonder Haitians eat dogs, JK). While he did leave the islands to explore mainland areas, those landings were in South and Central America. Even though he was a mere 800 miles from Florida, he never actually went there. So, the whole myth about Columbus discovering America is way overblown. Perhaps it’s time to change the names of some popular places in the states: The District of Columbia, Columbus Ohio (and 21 other states), the Columbia river, and Columbus Mountain, to name a few.

Did Columbus say What will we discover today?

So, how did these myths start? Columbus didn’t commission ships to discover the “new world”. He set out to Find a new route to the far east and expand Spain’s involvement in the spice trade. He realized that flat Earth theory was wrong, and assumed he could reach India via the west. Unfortunately, he didn’t realize there was a huge land mass between Europe and Asia. In fact, he didn’t even know this was a new land. He just assumed it was part of India. Hence the way natives became “Indians”. In fact, it was other people who called it the New World. If he knew it was a New place, why did Amerigo Vespucci’s name end up on it? Columbus died thinking he landed in the Indies. What else will we discover today?

And, it was less about learning than colonizing. The first people he encountered welcomed he and his crew with open arms. They even helped repair the damaged Santa Maria ship. He re-payed them by Capturing and enslaving some of them, and bringing European “culture” and technology (mostly the machinery and outlook of warring factions). And, of course, there were the diseases that the natives had no immunity toward. At first, he praised their kindness and peaceful nature. But, he was there on a mission to find gold and commodities. Since gold was not as plentiful as he thought, he treated the natives as commodities. He would send hundreds of slaves back to Spain to appease his benefactors. And, he and his crew would help themselves to natives for everything from sex to slavery to killing for sport and using the body parts as food for their guard dogs.

So, I suppose you could say Columbus and his people discovered the value of people, but, in a destructive way.

We did them a favor

Fans of Columbus, and indeed, Columbus himself contend they did the natives a favor by teaching them the ways of Christian Civility. It was more a case of opportunism than charity though.

“As soon as I arrived in the Indies, on the first Island which I found, I took some of the natives by force in order that they might learn and might give me information of whatever there is in these parts.”

I don’t remember taking people “by force” as a tactic of charitable giving. It’s kind of like crossing the line to do the “right” thing. Because everybody knows doing the right thing involves breaking laws, ethics, and the tenets of basic humanity.

This passage comes at a time when he also describes the peaceful nature of the natives:

“They do not bear arms, and do not know them, for I showed them a sword, they took it by the edge and cut themselves out of ignorance.“

So, what favor is this to the natives? You brought warring ways to a peaceful society. And, let’s not forget, between disease, abuse, and direct use of violence, The conquistadors virtual decimated entire cultures and societies. Do you think that natives asked What will we discover today? Only to find out their new “friends” were pure evil?

What will we discover today in the aftermath?

The long term effects of this horrific event are a mixed bag. In terms of modern technology, connectedness, and commerce, what happened to the indigenous people of the “new world” is merely a footnote. People have things they never could have dreamed of. Instead of a patchwork of tribes occupying various territories, everyone in the Americas has the opportunity to be part of a global community. The collective vision, drive, and ambition embodied in modern civilization would not be feasible without the colonization of these lands.

Enter the conquistadors

As for Columbus and those who followed in his wake, their contribution isn’t as great as the people who actually went to North America. Columbus never colonized anything. Those duties went to the men we know as the “Conquistadors”. These were a series of violent men who took over native lands by force. Vasco Nunez Balboa stowed away on a failed mission to colonize central America. He continued the work “relatively peacefully”, establishing a presence in Panama (and discovering the Pacific ocean). But, others didn’t like that approach. So, general Pedro Arias Dávila (known as Pedrarias) took over. He ended up beheading Balboa for disagreeing with his violent approach. Subsequently, Davila sent his brother and forces to reign terror over the peninsula.

So, Davila and Fransisco Hernandez Cordoba conquered everything from panama through Nicaragua from the south. Meanwhile Hernan Cortez took Mexico from the North, and sent His cronies Cristóbal de Olid to take over Honduras and Pedro de Alvador to conquer Guatemala. The spread of violence was infectious as native factions joined with the conquerors against their neighbors. In addition, the Spanish forces got into territorial disputes themselves, especially when they discovered gold in some of the areas. It’s not unexpected though. Columbus was brought up on charges for his abuse of indigenous people, but, was acquitted. This gave a green light to these men to commit horrendous atrocities in the name of “god” and the Spanish Empire.

Northern Expansion

All of this conquering and obliterating local tribes occurred in the 16th century. But, there was little movement into North America. Spain did start the oldest city in North America when they established St Augustine Florida in 1565. Although, Mexico stretched far into what we now call the United States. So, technically, Cortez colonized that. But, Spanish Colonization missed the boat on the United States itself. England established colonies in Virginia and elsewhere in the 1600’s. Dutch explorers did likewise. And, French colonizers Took to the northern reaches of Canada and made their way into the states.

Who won the colonization wars is evident by the primary languages of the regions. Canada is a combination of French and English. South and central America use Spanish and Portuguese. And, the United States is primarily English speaking with conclaves of Spanish, French, and Germanic languages. Notice that the languages of the indigenous tribes are not among the major languages. Oh yeah, they were pushed to the brink of extinction.

Of course, later came all sorts of immigrants from all over the globe because everybody wants a piece of America. Maybe we should have built a wall… Too late?

Anyway, What will we discover today? Hopefully something about food.

So, Columbus introduced Europeans to a land rife with possibilities to exploit. Some of what came out of it was positive. But, there were many atrocities along the way. Ironically, Norse Vikings discovered this land centuries before Columbus. Despite their reputation for being marauders, pillagers, and rapists, it’s Columbus and his followers who did just that. I guess it was only a matter of time before this giant landmass and myriad islands would be “discovered” and exploited.

Instead of celebrating Columbus or indigenous people today, let’s celebrate a different day: one that’s less boastful and more hopeful. Coincidentally, today is also Thanksgiving day in Canada. It’s another day that stems from European explorers lost in the Americas. But, it takes stock of life and the value thereof. The story says that Martin Forbisher landed in Newfoundland while searching for the Northwest passage in 1579. This was right in the time of European settlement of the Americas. He was so grateful to have made it that far that he and his men gave a heartfelt thanksgiving and shared a meal of boiled meat (not quite as glamorous as the American version where natives and settlers feasted together). Although understated, it showed true appreciation of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Given all these plot lines that run through Columbus exploring the islands, south and central America, and Everyone else developing the north, let’s take the time today to be more Canadian about the whole thing and just give thanks.

Here are some recipes to help with that task:

The British are Coming Beef Wellington

cheffd

Print Recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine British, French

Servings 4 people

Ingredients

  

• 1 1/2 lb beef tenderloin trimmed center cut
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 4 6 inch sheets Frozen puff pastry dough
• 1 large Egg
• For duxelles
• 3 cups Assorted wild mushrooms chopped
• 1 cup diced shallot
• 1 tsp chopped fresh garlic
• 1 Tbsp chopped fresh Thyme
• 1/4 cup sherry wine
• For Demi glace sauce
• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh shallot
• 1/4 cup red wine
• 2 cups homemade or high quality beef or veal stock
• Butter to finish

Instructions

 

• Make the duxelles: saute onion and garlic in olive oil over medium high heat until translucent. Add in the mushrooms and stir. cook until soft. Add the sherry and reduce to a glaze. Add in the thyme and season with salt and pepper. Then puree in a food processor. Set aside.
• Make demi glace: Saute shallots in oil over medium high heat until translucent. Add red wine and reduce until it is a glaze. Add half the stock and turn heat down to medium. Reduce by 1/2 volume. Then add the rest of the stock. Reduce by 1/2 again. Set aside.
• Pre heat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.
• Cut the tenderloin into 4 filet mignon steaks. Oil each and season with salt and pepper, coating evenly. Sear on a grille or in a saute pan over high heat until all sides are evenly browned (about 2 to 3 minutes per side.
• Lay out the puff pastry sheets and paint with whisked egg. Place a spoonful or more of the duxelles in the center of each sheet (enough to cover the top of the tenderloin. Spread to the size of the steak, but keep in the center of the puff pastry. Put the steak on top of the duxelles. Then lift the 4 corners of the puff pastry and wrap around the steak. Fold them over to seal the steak in the pastry. Repeat with all the steaks. Then put them on a parchment lined sheet pan sprayed with pan spray. Brush the tops and sides of the pastry with more egg.
• Bake the wellingtons for about 20 minutes. They should achieve a golden brown crust. Use a meat thermometer to test the internal temperature. You want it to be around 125 for medium rare.
• Heat the demi glace and whisk in a pat of butter. Adjust the seasoning of the sauce. Sauce the plate and place the wellington on top of the sauce.

Notes

If you prefer a well done steak. Cook the steak through more before wrapping in pastry.

These are individual wellingtons. If you prefer, you can leave the tenderloin whole and Wrap the entire thing, Then you can cut it to order. It will show off the medium rare center. But, be careful cutting it. The puff pastry can fall apart easily.

 

Keyword Beef WEllington, British, duxelles, Father’s day, mushroom, Tenderloin

French Cassoulet with Duck Confit

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Print Recipe

Prep Time 1 hour hr

Cook Time 4 hours hrs

curing time for the duck 1 day d

Course Main Course

Cuisine French

Servings 4 people

Ingredients

  

• For the Duck Confit
• 4 each duck legs Medium to large
• 8 each garlic cloves (crushed)
• 4 Tbsp Kosher salt
• 1/2 cup sliced shallots
• 4 cups Duck Fat (you can do a mix of duck fat and oil if duck fat is hard to find)
• 8 each Thyme sprigs
• 8 each parsley sprigs
• 1 Medium carrot chopped
• 1 Tbsp Black Peppercorns
• 2 each Bay leaves
• For the Cassoulet:
• 2 cups Large White beans (cannelini is preferred)
• 1 cup diced white onion
• 1 cup diced celery
• 1 cup diced carrot
• 1 TBSP Chopped fresh garlic
• 8 each thyme sprigs
• 8 each rosemary sprigs
• 1 each Bay leaf
• 1 cup Red wine
• 1/2 cup diced pancetta
• 1 cup diced french style sausage
• 1 cup Diced Pancetta
• 8 cups Beef or veal stock
• 1 Bunch Broccolini Aspiration
• olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

 

• Cure the duck legs: Rub the duck with salt, garlic, and herbs. Refrigerate overnight, up to 2 days.
• Soak the beans over night in water.
• make the confit: Brush off the salt. Reserve for later seasoning. Heat a heavy pan over high heat. Sear the duck until it is a solid brown. There should be a good amount of duck fat rendered out. Add in the vegetables and stir around. Add in the rest of the ingredients and bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat, cover with foil, and, put in a preheated 300 degree oven. Let it cook for at least 2 hours. The meat should be ready to fall off the bones at that point. You could also do this in a hot pot or slow cooker (see manufacturers instructions). Allow the duck to cool in the oil naturally. This will maintain the moistness.
• Make the cassoulet: Heat the stock in a pot to a simmer. Render the bacon in another pot. Then add in the Sausage and pancetta. Stir around. add in the vegetables and garlic. cook until translucent. Add in the beans and herbs and stir until the beans are well coated with the flavors in the pot.
• Add in the wine and reduce until it is almost gone. Then add in the stock. Bring the mixture to a simmer. Then let it cook for several hours until the beans are soft and the stock becomes a Saucy Coating. Season and test that the flavors are good. When it is done, the beans should still maintain their shape, but have some give. You don't want to overcook them. If you need to add more liquid to get them cooked through, add water or stock. Again, this can be done in a slow cooker following manufacturer's instructions. This way, you can set it in the morning and have it ready to go at night.
• Heat a little olive oil in a saute pan. Saute the broccolini over high heat. Add a little water, salt, and pepper. It should be a vibrant green. This should take about a minute.
• The duck can be served on or off the bone. If you decide to take it off the bone, the meat should just fall off if it is cooked enough. Just, be careful of the thin bones. You might miss them. Serving the leg whole makes a nice presentation too. So, either way.
• For service: Remove the bay leaves and herb stems. Scoop the cassoulet into a bowl or crock. Top with the donfit duck and broccolini. Serve with a hearty red wine. Enjoy!

Keyword Baked Beans, Cassoulet, Comfort food, Confit, duck, French, Slow cooker, Traditional

Mexican Chorizo and Corn Empanadas with Cumin Chili Sauce

cheffd

Print Recipe

Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Course Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine Mexican

Servings 4 people

Ingredients

  

• For Dough:
• 3 cups Flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 5 oz Melted coconut oil
• 1 cup water
• Filling:
• Avocado oil for cooking
• 4 oz chopped chorizo sausage
• 1/4 cup diced sweet onion
• 1/2 tsp chopped fresh garlic
• 1 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh tomato
• 1/2 cup cooked corn, removed from the cob (preferably fresh, we grille ours)
• 1/4 cup Shredded cheddar or jack cheese
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp chili powder
• Salt and pepper to taste
• For Sauce:
• Avocado or olive oil to cook
• 1 cup fresh diced onion
• 1 tsp chopped fresh garlic
• 1 Tbsp chopped fresh jalapeno or chili of your choice
• 1 Tbsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1 oz tequila
• 1 each 28 oz can of crushed tomato
• 1 can water (the can from the tomatoes)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

 

• Make the dough: Either by hand or in mixer, using dough hook, combine flour and salt. Add in oil and water. Mix until a smooth dough is formed. It should be very pliable, but not wet or sticky. If too wet, add more flour. If too dry add more water. Lightly flour the dough and set aside, covered with plastic for about an hour. The gluten needs to relax.
• Make the sauce ahead of time as it takes a while to cook. Heat oil in a heavy pot, over high heat.. Add in garlic and onion. Cook and stir until translucent. Add the jalapeno and stir. Then add the tequila. Cook off the alcohol. Then add the remaining ingredients. Stir and bring to a boil. Then cut the temperature back to low to medium. You want a light simmer. Allow to simmer at least an hour, stirring occasionally. It should resemble pasta sauce when done.
• Make the filling: Saute the onion and garlic in heated oil until translucent (stirring occasionally). Add in the chorizo, and allow it to brown. Stir as needed. Add the spices and mix well. Remove from heat and add in the rest of the ingredients. Fold together until the mix sticks together. You should be able to make a ball of the mix.
• Make 8 to 16 balls out of the dough. Press them in a tortilla press or flatten by hand. Place a little bit of the filling in the center of each disk of dough. Then fold up the sides to create a half moon and crimp the edges to seal in the filling. Place them in a flat pan lined with parchment and spray with pan spray or use a silicone non stick pad. Place in a pre-heated 400 degree oven for about 15 to 20 minutes. They should become golden brown. Serve hot with the chili sauce.

Keyword Appetizer, Chorizo, corn, Cumin chili sauce, empanada, Mexican

Aztec Hot Chocolate

cheffd

Print Recipe

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Course Drinks

Cuisine Aztec, Mexican

Servings 4 Cups

Ingredients

  

• 1 Quart Light Cream or half and half May substitute milk
• 8 oz Chocolate shavings, chips, or drops (use your favorite type)
• 1 3 inch Cinnamon Stick
• 1/2 4 inch Vanilla Bean
• 1 small Hot fresh Chili (may substitute chili powder)
• Marshmallow, whipped cream, or other garnish

Instructions

 

• Put the cream in a heavy pot. Split the vanilla bean and scrape the seeds into the cream. Add in the pod as well. Split the chili and remove the seeds and stem. Add the cinnamon stick and chili. Bring the cream up to a low simmer over low to medium heat. You don't want to boil it. You just want to infuse the cream with the flavors. Simmer for about 10 minutes.
• Whisk in the chocolate until it is evenly dissolved. Stir constantly to avoid scorching and sticking.
• Remove the vanilla pod, cinnamon stick, and chili. Pour into prepared glasses or mugs. A nice touch is to dust the rims with a mixture of sugar, cinnamon, and chili powder. Top with marshmallows or other topping if desired.

Notes

We use cream for ours. If that sounds too rich for you, substitute milk. You could even use vegan milks like almond or coconut.

You may also substitute chili powder for the chili. We use fresh chilis to get a more rounded flavor.

The type of chocolate used depends on your taste. Milk chocolate is generally sweeter than heavier cocoa content chocolates. You can also adjust the amount of chocolate to your tastes.

And, we use vanilla beans. But, again, you can use extract if you want.

Keyword Aztec, Chili, cinnamon, Hot Chocolate, Marshmallows