History Bites – A quick look at the origin of the modern menu
For many years European cuisine and British Cuisine in particular was influenced by the French. So much so that many French Culinary words have been absorbed into the English language. Ones that quickly come to mind include Croissant, terrine, soufflé, hollandaise and canapé.
Two French phrases are the basis for the structure of the modern written menu – table d’hote and a la carte. A third French phrase, service a la francaise, we now call the buffet.
Table d’hôte . From its origins in the 17th century table d’hôte is now a familiar way of presenting a menu. A literal translation is “the hosts table “and basically it means a fixed menu at a fixed price. A wedding menu would fall into this category. This type of menu could be as simple as offering a single selection of one entree, one main and one dessert but it would more likely offer the guest a choice from at least two entrees, two mains and two desserts. Generally the guest accepts what is put in front of them. Often only the host knows the fixed price or price per head. Here the chef would hopefully take considerable care in offering a well balanced menu.
Another interpretation of this style of menu would be a restaurant that would offer multiple choices of each course at a set price. I would think that this style of menu is very popular in good restaurants now. A guest may be offered two courses at a particular price or three courses for a higher price. Side dishes that once upon a time were “included” are generally priced separately. Hopefully restaurant staff would guide the patron in making wise selections.
A third example of table d’hôte is a degustation menu. Here multiple small courses are offered at a set price and it is almost always accompanied by matching wines and beverages to complement each course.
The a la carte menu came to the fore in the early Nineteenth Century. A literal translation of the term is “at the card”. Here a customer would choose from a menu where everything has an individual price and the menu could be quite extensive. If you were dining in a restaurant featuring an a la carte menu you might expect that most menu items were cooked to order (yes that used to happen)but more likely there may be some items pre-prepared. Regardless of this you would expect a high degree of service by knowledgeable staff.
In Australia many club and hotel bistros offer a la carte menus but with heavy reliance on pre-prepared food. Here price pointing is important with the aim of attracting the general population. Customers decide for themselves what to eat, often with the help of photos or displays. The level of service is often limited to cashiers and plate clearers.
When I was growing up, if you were dining a la carte it was considered posh and probably a rare event. Cole’s cafeteria, a local cafe, the fish and chip shop or a Chinese restaurant were more likely alternatives, but none of these were on a regular basis. Today, dining out for many is the norm and as consumers we are spoilt for choice. We have a multitude of restaurants and dining options offering either specialisation or a mishmash of culinary styles. Hidden within it all, but not forgotten, are those two terms.
The much maligned buffet became popularised in the nineteenth century (with those who could afford it), with after theatre crowd suppers. The buffet is a form of self service/self selection from an array of food on open display. Nowadays it has various interpretations throughout the world and across all strata’s of society. At one end of the scale you would have correctional institutions often being served at a form of buffet with strict price controls, while a New Year’s Eve buffet at a popular restaurant in New York would have almost unlimited options with both pricing and the quality and variety of food.
In Australia, the Coles Cafeteria (yes that qualifies as a buffet) had a run of more than 50 years from 1928 and for many of those years it was a family favourite. In our youth a trip to Coles and its cafeteria was a special treat offering multi coloured jellies and a soft drink and ice cream concoction called a “spider”. My favourite was a “Lime Spider”.
Two years before the demise of the Coles cafeteria in 1987, Sizzlers was born in Brisbane. The concept proved very popular and became the go-to family restaurant. Memorable for its toasty cheese bread and unlimited buffet visits, you could also order grilled items.
By the early 2000’s things weren’t as rosy for Sizzlers. Changing trends in eating out led to a revenue slide and Covid was the nail in the coffin, with the last Sizzler’s outlet closing in 2020. We had three or four Sizzler’s restaurants locally and I can still recall the shock of their closure.
These days buffets are not uncommon, but they are generally found within the club industry, particularly in NSW, where larger clubs can offer a variety of dining options. Other popular locations for buffets are the tourism operators which ply their trade within the harbours of our larger cities. And let us not forget the buffets with perhaps an undeserved bad reputation – the ones that are enjoyed by 1.2 million Australians cruise passengers annually.
Thinking about cruising and cruise ships, my earliest recollection of dining out with a menu in front of me was on the P and O – Orient Ship the S.S. Oriana in 1962. I’m sure there were earlier occurrences but this was a special time.
The Oriana, in March of 1962, had been involved in a collision with an aircraft carrier in California. I’m not sure how long the Oriana was out of service but it had resumed its cruises out Sydney later in the year and our family was on the Christmas – New Years cruise.
At the time the ship had two classes – First Class and Tourist Class (where we were) and the livery of the ship was a corn coloured hull with a white superstructure. There was only one restaurant in tourist class but I recall they had an occasional ice-cream outlet offering three flavours of ice-cream, an impressive afternoon teas set up in the ballroom and also a lunch buffet in the same room.
On board they had a “Junior Club” but apparently I ate in the restaurant with the rest of our family. Every morning a bugle melody would resonate through the ship (well at least in tourist class) calling passengers to breakfast. The aroma of the freshly baked bread rolls was wonderful and I always had two.
Other memories were the guided tours through the engine room, the Bridge and naturally through the massive galley. It was while watching the kitchen brigade working that I developed an interest in cooking.
Below are two menus, a breakfast and a dinner from that first of four trips our family did on the Oriana in the 60’s. The third menu is a luncheon menu from a 1985 cruise that Mum and Dad went on. By then the Orient Line name had disappeared, the ship was painted all white and it was a single class ship.
Looking at the breakfast and dinner menus you’ll note the strong British influence with French overtones. You’ll also notice that on both the luncheon and dinner menus cheese is served as a final course – that’s the English way. In France cheese is served before dessert or in place of dessert. I remember that the Head Chef was British as were many of the crew.
Twenty two years later , in 1985, not a lot had changed but there were a few international dishes creeping in on the luncheon menu, which reflected the multi-cultural nature of Australia. Note the addition of Australian wine by the bottle, the house wine by the glass and check out the prices. Also of interest was the Consommé Olga which was also featured on the menu of the RMS Titanic on the 14th April, 1912.
After starting my cooking apprenticeship I found myself often correcting people when they referred to luncheon as dinner and dinner as ‘tea’. I also started using the 24 hour clock. Yes I worked with European Chefs. In retrospect that must have really annoyed my family and friends.
So the two recipes today are re-created from the 1985 luncheon menu. Firstly a hearty soup – Scotch Broth and for the second is Farfalle Cacciatore where we will also have a look at another Mother sauce – Tomato.
Scotch broth
The technical name for this soup is a potage. That means that it is a soup thickened by the weight of its ingredients; strain the soup and you will have just broth with perhaps a slight thickening from the starch of the potatoes and barley. Scotch broth had its origins naturally in Scotland and was written about in the early 1800’s. Like many dishes that came from a working class background it utilised the most abundant and cheapest ingredients available – mutton neck, barley and root vegetables. After breaking-the-fast a cast iron pot would be filled with ingredients before being swung over the fireplace where it would slowly cook and be ready for the workers returning for their early afternoon dinner. This soup has similarities to other soups of peasant origin; soups such as minestrone and Spanish bean soup.
Ingredients for 5 litres:
- 1 cup pearl barley soaked in 3cups of cold water for 6 – 8 hours
- 1200 g boneless lamb shoulder or 900g boneless lamb leg
- 2 litres vegetable stock
- 2 bay leaf
- Seasoning
- 2 sprigs of thyme
- 1 Swede or turnip about 250g, peeled, 1 cm dice
- 250 g carrots peeled, 1cm dice
- 650 g potato peeled, 1cm dice
- 1 large leek trimmed, halved, washed, green and white separated
- 2 celery stalks trimmed, peeled, 1 cm dice.
- ¼ of a Savoy cabbage about 400g, cored, 1cm dice.
- 1/3 cup curly parsley leaf rinsed, pat dried, roughly chopped (1/3 cup finished)
- Salt and Pepper
- Crusty bread to serve
Soak the barley, preferably the night before.
Prepare vegetables
Place the lamb, stock, bay leaves and thyme in your saucepan. Slowly bring it to the boil before turning it down to simmer for one hour
Gently skim the scum from the surface of the soup and discard the scum.
Add the Swede, carrot and the white of leek. Continue simmering for a further hour
Add a little water to compensate the evaporation.
Add the barley and any of the water the barley hasn’t soaked up.
Add the potato. Continue simmering for another 15 minutes
Take out and discard the bay leaf and thyme
The meat should be tender enough to take out of the soup. Cut the meat into a one cm dice, discarding any sinew or excess fat. Add the diced meat back into the soup.
Add the green leek, celery and cabbage to the soup. Simmer for a further 15 minutes
Gently skim the surface of fat. There should be more fat if you are using lamb shoulder. Alternatively carefully use some absorbent kitchen paper to soak it up
Add the parsley and serve
Alternatively you could use lamb shanks, just allow for the bone’s weight.
I used boneless lamb leg. If you are using other cuts you will need to extend your cooking time by perhaps one hour before you add the carrot and Swede.
Turnip is another vegetable you could use as well as or instead of Swede
Maybe avoid parsnip
Kumara would make it more ‘down under ‘style. Add that with the potatoes.
Farfalline Cacciatore
By 1985 Italian cuisine was well entrenched in Australia thanks to post-war migrants, so it was not surprising to see it on the Oriana’s menu. Farfalline pasta is a miniature version of Farfalle pasta and we often refer to it as bow-tie pasta. Its origin is from northern Italy can be traced back to the 16th century. You may find Farfalline harder to find than its big brother which is what I will use.
Cacciatore sauce is often associated with braised chicken, but it is a standalone sauce that can also be used with rabbit, lamb or potatoes, in a similar way or just as a straight pasta sauce. Interestingly you can use either red or white wine and either black or green olives. I prefer fresh tomatoes in season but the standard 400g can of peeled or crushed tomatoes is a good substitute and also cheaper. Two saucepans (one with a lid), a colander and a small mixing bowl are required for this recipe.
- 40 ml olive oil
- 1 medium onion peeled and thinly sliced
- 1/2 red capsicum deseeded, de-stalked, white removed, thinly sliced
- 1/2 green capsicum deseeded, de-stalked, white removed, thinly sliced
- 4 garlic cloves peeled, crushed or thinly sliced
- 200 g button mushrooms washed, pat dry, sliced
- 5 ml lemon juice
- Leaf from two sprigs fresh thyme
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- Sea salt
- Cracked black pepper
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- Generous pinch of chilli flakes
- 200 ml chardonnay or any dry white wine
- 400 g can crushed tomatoes
- 80 g of Kalamata olives drained and pitted.
- Vegetable stock optional
Ingredients
Heat the oil in a suitable sized saucepan
Add the onion and garlic and sweat for two minutes
Add both capsicums and continue cooking for another three minutes
Add the mushrooms and lemon juice. Cook until the liquid from the mushrooms has evaporated. Turn the heat down
Add the thyme, turmeric chilli flakes and tomato paste and cook for another two minutes
Add white wine and tomatoes and bring the sauce to the boil before turning the heat down to maintain a low simmer for 10 minutes. Lid the saucepan
Add the olives and continue cooking for another 10 minutes.
Check seasoning and serve.
THE PASTA:
Allow 100g pasta per person or a little more or less depending on your appetite
Follow the instructions on the packet
When the pasta is cooked to your liking drain the pasta.
The pasta is best when you don’t rinse it.
When it is well drained place your pasta in the mixing bowl with a little of the Cacciatore sauce and fold the sauce in
Portion the pasta in pre-warmed serving bowls followed by a generous ladle of sauce
Top with freshly grated parmesan cheese (optional)
You will find the colour of the green capsicum will dull with only a little cooking so you can replace it with more red capsicum or yellow. Alternatively sweat the green capsicum separately at the last minute and either fold into the finished sauce or place on top
Replacing the dry white wine with a red variety shouldn’t change the flavour too much but there will be a difference in colour
Drained and pitted green Manzanilla olives can be substituted for the black olives.
In season tomatoes:
During our Australian summer we have available some delicious tomatoes and I often use ripe Roma tomatoes in both sauce and soup recipes. They are easily prepared and will give you a great start for any tomato based sauce.
Firstly pre-heat your oven to 150c then wash and core one kilo of firm ripe Roma tomatoes. Split the tomatoes and place in a baking dish and sprinkle with 50ml olive oil and a little salt and cracked black pepper. Roast in the oven for one hour. Add sliced onion and garlic after 30 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent scorching. The tomatoes will collapse and the flavour will intensify. There should still be lots of juice but you are going to blend everything, but do not strain. Use the blended mix in place of the crushed tomato, onion and garlic in the Cacciatore sauce.
Your finished Cacciatore sauce will be smoother with the other ingredients becoming more visible.
French Mother Sauces – Tomato Sauce– not to be confused with Tomato ketchup
Previously when we did the meat mixed grill I gave you the recipe for our first “Mother Sauce” –Espagnole. Last issue , in the Chicken Tetrazzini recipe we made a veloute sauce, but I forgot to tell you that it was another of the five “Mother Sauces” – we’ll go back to that in a future issue.
The classic Tomato sauce still has a place in our kitchens even though it’s not used as much as it used to be and there is less of a tendency to use roux in tomato based sauces – but it’s worthwhile having a look at it. The process is similar to sauce Espagnole. You’ll need a thick bottom lidded saucepan or Dutch oven and a strainer for this recipe.
- 40 g butter
- 40 g plain flour
- 60 g smoky bacon diced small
- 1 cup carrots washed, small dice
- 1 cup onions peeled, small dice
- 1 cup celery washed, small dice, avoid leaf
- 6 mushroom stalks optional
- 4 parsley stalks
- 2 cloves garlic peeled, thinly sliced
- 2 sprigs thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 400g cans crushed tomatoes
- 1 litre vegetable stock
- Scant salt and pepper
Ingredients
Melt the butter in over medium heat and gently sauté the bacon.
Add the carrots, onion, celery, mushroom stalk and garlic and sweat for a further 5 minutes
Take the saucepan off the heat and mix in the flour. Return the saucepan to the heat and add the stock and tomatoes. Stir to break up the roux.
Add the thyme, parsley and bay leaf
Bring liquid to the boil before turning down to a low simmer and lid the pot
Simmer for 1.5 hours, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching
Strain the sauce, avoiding pushing the vegetables through the sieve.
If needed return the sauce to the saucepan to further concentrate the sauce
A little seasoning when done
Use, refrigerate or freeze the finished sauce
A dated recipe, but still tasty. More relevant for perhaps a cream of tomato soup
You may be wondering, after looking at the last picture, why do we throw away all the vegetables? Firstly remember it is a Tomato sauce not tomato and vegetable sauce. However if you take more care with preparing the vegetables, that is peeling the carrot and celery and making sure the cuts are actually even in size and then removing the thyme and bay leaf you would then have a different sauce without straining.
