Volume 12, Issue 041 - February 26, 2007

Good Day Chef,

I hope you all had a great weekend. This week is going to be very interesting. We will take a trip around the United States and visit some of our most historic hotels, inns and restaurants, and sample their fine cuisine. This great trip is hosted by Linda and Steve Bauer and their new cookbook, Recipes from Historic America.

History has never been so enjoyable. In these pages, you'll visit family-owned inns, secluded resorts and spas, and landmark hotels in bustling cities. Recipes from Historic America chronicles the past and present of 45 inns, hotels and restaurants across the country.

Try ahi tuna from San Francisco...Minnesota wild rice soup...a "red, white and blue plate lobster special" from Philadelphia...quail from Tennessee...mahi-mahi dip from Florida...a Vermont country breakfast...New Mexico frijoles...chocolate desserts from Hershey, Pennsylvania and lots more.

Let's get started...

The Mount Washington Hotel and Resort
Route 302
Bretton Woods, New Hampshire
www.mtwashington.com

Situated in scenic Bretton Woods is a masterpiece of Spanish Renaissance architecture - The Mount Washington Hotel, built by industrialist Joseph Stickney, a New Hampshire native who made his fortune in coal mining and the Pennsylvania Railroad. Ground was broken in 1900 and construction completed in 1902 with the help of 250 Italian craftsmen. On July 28 of that year, the doors of this grand hotel opened to the public.

Bretton Woods is part of a land grant made in 1772 by Royal Governor John Wentworth. The area was named after Bretton Hall, Wentworth's ancestral home in Yorkshire, England.

The most luxurious hotel of its day, the Mount Washington catered to wealthy guests from Boston, New York and Philadelphia. As many as 50 trains a day stopped at Bretton Woods' three railroad stations. One of these stations, Fabyan's is now one of the resort's dining establishments.

Over the years, the hotel has been host to countless celebrities, including Winston Churchill, Thomas Edison, Babe Ruth and three Presidents.

In 1944, it was the site of the Bretton Woods International Monetary Conference. Delegates from 44 nations convened there, establishing the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, setting the gold standard at $35 an ounce and designating the U.S. dollar as the backbone of international exchange. The formal documents were signed in the Gold Room, located off the hotel's lobby and now preserved as a historic site.

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Blue Cheese and Spiced Walnut Terrine

Makes approximately 4 cups

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup walnuts
3 tablespoons sugar
1 pound Maytag blue cheese, crumbled, divided
2 1/2 ounces fresh chèvre
2 1/2 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 pound butter, room temperature
2 tablespoons brandy
1/2 cup minced scallions
2 tablespoons minced parsley
2 tablespoons minced chives

Preparation:

Combine the cumin, salt, cardamom and pepper; set aside. Heat oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Add walnuts and sauté until light brown. Sprinkle with sugar; sauté until sugar melts and turns light amber. Remove from the heat; toss nuts with spice mixture. Cool.

In a food processor, combine 1/2 pound blue cheese, chèvre, cream cheese and butter; purée until smooth. Transfer to a bowl; fold in brandy and scallions. Mix parsley and chives in a separate bowl.

Oil a skinny terrine mold and line with plastic wrap. Pipe a third of the cheese mixture into the bottom of mold and spread out evenly. Sprinkle with a third of the remaining blue cheese, a third of the spiced nuts and a third of the parsley-chive mixture. Repeat layers twice. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

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The Waldorf=Astoria®
301 Park Avenue
New York, New York
www.waldorfastoria.com

On March 24, 1893, millionaire William Waldorf Astor opened the 13-story Waldorf Hotel on the site of his former mansion, at Fifth Avenue at 33rd Street. Built by renowned architect Henry Janeway Hardenbergh, the Waldorf was the embodiment of Astor's vision of a grand hotel, complete with electricity throughout and private bathrooms in many guest chambers.

Four years later, the 17-story Astoria Hotel was erected on an adjacent site by Waldorf's cousin John Jacob Astor IV. The corridor built to connect the two buildings became an enduring symbol of the combined hotels. It is represented by the equal sign in the Waldorf=Astoria name.

In 1929, after decades of hosting distinguished visitors from around the world, a decision was mad to tear down the original Waldorf=Astoria in order to erect the Empire State Building and pave the way for a reincarnation 15 blocks north on Park Avenue.

When it opened on October 1, 1931, the Waldorf=Astoria was the world's largest and tallest hotel, a veritable city-within-a-city. President Herbert Hover himself delivered the radio broadcast message of congratulations upon its opening.

The Empire Room, once the premier entertainment club in New York, helped launch the careers of Diana Ross and Frank Sinatra. The first major film to feature a hotel was Weekend at the Waldorf, staring Ginger Rogers. It was the first hotel to be included in the lyrics of a Broadway show - Cole Porter's You're the Top, featured in Anything Goes, proclaims, "You're a Waldorf Salad".

There ia a long list of other "firsts" associated with the Waldorf=Astoria, including the previously mentioned electricity throughout and private bathrooms when it first opened in 1893. Some of the others: abolishing the "Ladies Entrance"...having assistant managers in the lobby to greet and assist guests with their needs...introducing room service...and encouraging people to live permanently in private suites (likely related to the room service introduction).

The hotel became the residence of three five-star generals; Dwight Eisenhower, Douglas MacArthur and Omar Bradley. The five-star insignia is still displayed over the door of the Eisenhower Suite. The Waldorf was recognized as as official New York City Landmark in January 1993.

The Waldorf=Astoria was also the first hotel to give prominence to the Art Deco style in America. The exterior and interior design are acknowledged as masterpieces of this art genre. The Starlight Roof, a jewel of décor and dining, was the first supper club to have a retractable roof.

During recent renovations, totaling in excess of $200 million, many of the hotel's original Art Deco treasures were rediscovered and unveiled, delighting a whole new generation of devoted admirers.

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Truffled Waldorf Salad

Makes 8 servings

Ingredients:

2 Granny Smith apples
2 red delicious apples
1 fennel bulb
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2/3 cups crème fraîche
juice of 1/2 lemon
6 ounces celeriac, julienned
1 teaspoon black winter truffle, shaved
3/4 cup walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped

Preparation:

Core the apples and cut into thick julienne strips. Thinly shave the fennel and place in a bowl of ice water. In a large bowl, combine the mayonnaise, crème fraîche and lemon juice. Add apples, celeriac and truffle; toss gently until well coated.

Dry fennel with a paper towel and arrange in a semicircle in the middle of the plate. Neatly arrange the apple salad in the center of the fennel. Garnish with walnuts.