Torta Caprese Brownies – Made in America!

Welcome everyone to the Table!! Today is a special day… to celebrate the release of Made in America by Lucy Lean you are invited to a virtual dinner party with me!  So, pour yourself a drink, pull up a chair and settle in.. I’ve got a story for you.

When I first heard about Made in America  I was excited – a book in which some of the best chefs in America re invent classic American comfort food? Sign me up!!!  When the book arrived, I was spellbound, happily wading through pages where Lucy not only details the history of these dishes but the chefs weigh in as well – giving their own insights into the dishes as well their own creative process of reinventing “ a classic”. As I flipped through the book,, trying to decide what recipe to make first,  the Torta Caprese Brownies by Brooks Headley caught my eye.  I know, I know, but honestly, don’t brownies always catch your eye?? So anyhow, I started reading… and felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. I ran to the bookcase and pulled out a cookbook… faded and splattered-  The Boston School of Cooking Cookbook.

The book belonged to my grandmother. She came to this country from Scotland and like  most immigrants, when she got to the US  she needed to find work. She had few skills … but she could cook. Her first job was to cook dinner for a well to do family – if they liked what she prepared, she would become their permanent cook.   For dessert, they requested an apple pie … and my grandmother was stumped. She knew how to make an apple tart, but an apple pie? Having little choice, she  made the tart … and got the job! That led to other jobs as a cook – and many of the dishes she made were “variations” of dishes she had made in Scotland, adapted for American tastes and for the ingredients available – with the help of The Boston Cooking School Cookbook.

As I continued reading through Made in America it struck me that we’d come full circle. Most of America’s comfort dishes have their roots in other countries and other cultures  – having no longstanding culture of our own, we adopted those recipes and made them ours.  That  spirit of “reinvention” continues in Made in America – a book that showcases not only delicious comfort  dishes but the creativity and inventiveness of the chefs themselves.

After finishing Made in America I couldn’t help but think that sometime in the future,if I were to peruse my grandchildren’s bookshelves I’d find a copy of Made in America -  stained and tattered.

Check out some of the other fascinating conversations and dishes from the other dinner party guests!!

 

Lucy   http://www.ladlesandjellyspoons.com/

Rachael   http://www.lafujimama.com/

Nicole   http://pinchmysalt.com/

Greg  http://www.sippitysup.com/

Jaden  http://steamykitchen.com/

Maggy  http://threemanycooks.com/

Georgia   http://georgiapellegrini.com

Gaby   http://whatsgabycooking.com/
Marla  http://www.familyfreshcooking.com/

Brooke   http://www.foodwoolf.com/

Michael   http://foodforthethoughtless.com/

Amanda   http://iammommy.typepad.com/i_am_baker/

Amanda    http://www.kevinandamanda.com/

Esi   http://dishingupdelights.blogspot.com/

Carrie  http://deliciouslyorganic.net/

Molly   http://www.organicspark.com/

Aida  http://www.aidamollenkamp.com/

Debbie   http://www.theculinarycellar.com/

Kristina   http://www.betterecipes.com/

 

Tagged as: brownies, chocolate, desserts