Second World War Rissoles

How to make Second World War Spam rissoles:

During the Second World War Spam or similar "mystery meat,"or "bully beef," made up a percentage of the housewife's meat ration. It proved to be a very useful ingredient for quick and easy dishes like these rissoles. Cooks serving troops in the field used this recipe using much larger quantities.


For troops, these were a welcome change from MREs. Wrapped in waxed paper, 2 rissoles made a complete meal in the field. See the November 11, 2010 blog for a discussion of "Spam."

Ingredients

12oz corned beef or Spam finely diced
2 cups cold mashed potatoes
2 cups cooked mixed vegetables such as carrots, corn, peas, beans.
1 cup breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon salt and pepper
1 teaspoon of dried mixed herbs
2 tablespoonfuls of Worcestershire Sauce

Method

- Mix all ingredients

- Shape into 1/2 cup patties.
- Bake in a hot oven.
400 degrees for 40 minutes

Australian Troops at a World War II Jungle Kitchen and
 Aid Station


Too Light - By One Rissole: A World War I Observation
During the night before my Division (21st) attacked on October 4 1917, my unit was in the tunnel under the road at "Clapham Junction," near Hooge. Rations having failed to arrive, each man was given a rissole and a packet of chewing gum. We went over about 6 a.m., and despite severe losses, managed to push our line forward 1,300 yards. When we were back in "rest" dug-outs at Zillebeke, our officer happening to comment on our "feed" prior to the attack, my mate said : "Yus. Blikin' good job for old Jerry we did not have two rissoles a man - we might have shoved him back to Berlin!"
Comment by C. Hartridge, 92 Lancaster Street, S.E 1 from <www.firstworldwar.com> 

Australians were raised in culture where military duty was an expectation. Australians were continuously involved in wars some somewhere on the planet for the past 120 years. From the Boer wars in the late 1800's and early 1900's, the two world wars,  Malayan  Guerrilla warfare from 1947 to 1960, Korea, Vietnam and so on today in Iraq and Afghanistan . My military training started in high school and continued into officer training school where I served as a small arms instructor. I left as a senior sargent and headed for the USA.

Salmon Rissoles revisited

Salmon Rissoles Revisited

In the March 9, 2011, blog we featured salmon rissoles. Today, we revisit the salmon rissole recipe with some alternative approaches to the ingredients and the cooking procedures. Rissoles are one of the most common low-cost foods in many nations and have been popular under different names for hundreds of years. The rissole allows more expensive meat ingredients to be combined with lower cost and more available grain and vegetable ingredients, often the left-overs. Using bread crumbs made from stale bread is a common example of a left-over used in most rissoles. For a history of the rissole see post on Australian Outback Rissoles Monday, October 25, 2010.

In the previous salmon recipe we used canned salmon as a way to reduce the cost of this tasty and most nutritious of foods. In recent months the price of salmon has dropped significantly. Lately, we have been buying three to four pounds of salmon and grilling and smoking the salmon. This left-over smoked salmon, marinated, grilled and smoked with several tasty grilling spices makes a great basic ingredient for salmon rissoles. One popular way to speed the preparation of most rissoles is to use salsa. Salsa with its tomato, onions and spices quickly adds several of the basic ingredients in most rissoles. In this recipe we used a green tomato and ginger salsa. Ginger was present in the earlier salmon rissole recipe. Onion is an important part of most beef pork and chicken recipes. Green tomatoes were common in many older rural recipes. In the days before the use of present garden pest control measures, green tomatoes were
 more common and ripened red tomatoes were often lost to the garden predators. Green tomatoes have just as many nutrients as the red ones.
 See the end of this blog for a green tomato and ginger salsa recipe.

Ingredients.

2-3  cups of crumbled smoked salmon
2 cups of breadcrumbs with 2 teaspoons of
 Italian seasoning or use Italian breadcrumbs
2 beaten eggs or one cup of Eggbeaters
1 cup of thinly shredded cabbage
1 cup of green tomato and ginger salsa
1/2 cup of olive oil
Crumble the smoked salmon and mix in a bowl with other ingredients except the olive oil. Select a muffin baking tray and place one teaspoon of olive oil in each cup of the muffin tray, Place a 1/2 cup of the mixture in each cupPreheat the oven to 400 degrees and bake for 30 minutes.

The present day baking pans, such as the one-cup muffin pans above, offer an alternative to cooks short on time. These new heavy non-stick  baking pans allow the cook to preheat the oven, place the mixture in the pan, and do other things, instead of monitoring and turning rissoles in a frying pan.

Green Tomato and Ginger Salsa

Initial Ingredients.
12 cups diced green tomatoes
4 cup diced onions
2 cups of diced red bell peppers
1 cup of finely chopped crystalized ginger
3 tablespoons of pickling salt
2 tablespoons of chopped or minced garlic
2 teaspoons of black pepper
1 teaspoon of ground cloves
2 teaspoons of ground ginger
1/2 cup of lime juice
1/2 cup of apple juice
2 cups red wine vinegar
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar


Later Ingredient: 1 cup of dried potato flakes


Bring all initial ingredients to a slow boil in an 8 quart pot while stirring well. Slow boil for at least 2 hours and reduce content by about 20%. Then add potato flakes and slow boil for 3-5 minutes to produce a salsa texture.

Bottle in one-quart bottles. This recipe produces a medium salsa. Use an an alternative to basic red tomato salsa.

Salmon Rissoles

Salmon Rissoles

Salmon are among the most healthy of foods. Canned salmon is one of the least costly ways to get this healthy  food into the diet. One of the quickest and easiest ways to prepare a tasty meal is the following salmon rissoles recipe. The recipe was assembled to appeal to people who do not prefer fish dishes. The recipe still includes healthy ingredients.

2 Cans of salmon (15 oz. can)
2 cups of Italian breadcrumbs or use 2 cups of plain breadcrumbs with 1 tsp. dried basil, 1 tsp. oregano, 1 tsp. dried thyme.
1 finely diced onion
2 eggs beaten
1 cup shredded cabbage
2 tsps. of ground ginger
2 TBS of Balsamic vinegar or Malt vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1/2 cup of plain flour


Drain about half the liquid off the 2 cans of salmon and  mix in a bowl with onion, vinegar, and spices.   Mix well until the salmon is well flaked. Add the rest of the ingredients except for the flour. Mix well. Prepare the patties. I use a half cup measure. This will provide 12 patties. Roll the mixture in flour.

Cook in a large covered frying pan, with 2 TBS of olive oil, and brown the patties on both sides. I keep the frying pan covered to keep the patties moist. The burner should be on medium heat.

For those who do not like the "fishy" taste of fish, the addition of the Balsamic or Malt vinegar and ginger adds to the taste of the dish and reduces any "fishy" taste. The vinegar helps keep the dish safe
 and tasty to reheat or eat cold on a sandwich at a
later date. Keep the dish refrigerated between meals. While selecting fresh or frozen fish at the supermarket can be a gamble, consistently using a canned brand such as Bumble Bee will reduce the gamble.

The health of the dish can be increased. Use oatmeal in place of white bread crumbs. Some will use three egg whites, but this is a modest improvement. I felt the cup of shredded  cabbage added to the taste and health of the dish. The shredded cabbage also makes the patties less likely to fall apart during the cooking process. They will fall apart if the onion is not finely diced. A half cup of finely chopped fresh parsley adds to the taste and look of the dish.

The recent emphasis on this recipe followed a required diet change for Judy and her battle with skin cancer. The surgery was successful, but time in the sun was not an option, and Judy needed serious increases in Vitamin D, especially D3. Salmon is one of the best sources of vitamin D.

A note from Lance Armstrong:
Salmon oil comes from the fatty tissues of salmon, which contain omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D and other nutrients, according to dietitian Matthew Kadey,  vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that is stored in your adipose, or fat, tissues that surround your organs and beneath your skin. Your body needs it for bone maintenance, immune system support and proper blood calcium levels.
Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/285532-vitamin-d-and-salmon-oil/

The recent time spent on this recipe took me back to the days we kept a sailboat in Bellingham, Washington, and enjoyed the sailing and fishing. We caught many salmon. We had a love-hate relationship with the Orcas (killer whales). These beautiful animals were better at catching salmon and their presence usually meant the salmon were elsewhere.

Outback Queensland Curry

Outback Queensland Curry

Typically the dish is curry and rice and often called "lamb curry." Very often you are eating curried mutton, not the more tender lamb. I watched my grandmother in Outback Queensland prepare curry and rice on the wood cook stove in the late 1940's. One of my assignments, as a nine-year old was to constantly stir the boiling white rice so it did not stick to the bottom of the saucepan. A curry dish was and is a staple in the sheep country of Outback Australia. The outback sheep were Merinos, prized for their wool, not their meat. As a result, the only sheep readily available for eating were those too old for shearing. The Outback cook faced a major challenge in transforming the mutton into an appetizing dish. To do this, the cooks, like my grandmother, chopped the mutton into into small pieces, used a massive amount of spices and simmered the the dish for a long time. The extensive use of fruits and vegetables in the following recipe is typical of curry dishes prepared in the tropics.

2 TBS of olive oil
1 green apple chopped and diced
2 cans of stewed or diced tomatoes, 15 oz. cans
1/4 cup of flour
1 can of pineapple pieces undrained, 15 0z. can
4 TBS of raisins
1 TBS Worcestershire Sauce
1 TBS garlic, minced
2 chopped onions
1 banana sliced
1 TBS curry powder, I use Madras Curry powder
1 1/2 lbs. of chicken, lamb, mutton or beef cubed
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup of shredded coconut
2 TBS lemon juice

Roll the cubed meat in flour and brown in a pan or dutch oven with the olive oil. Add the Worcestershire Sauce, garlic. Add onions and saute. Add rest of ingredients and bring to a slow boil while stirring. If mixture is too thick, I add a liquid, chicken broth or stout beer. Place in a covered casserole dish or Dutch Oven and simmer in the oven at 250 degrees for at least 2 hrs. Serve over a bed of rice.

 The Ram Traders website noted that curry is a very healthy spice mixture largely composed of turmeric. Turmeric is the source of  Curcumin among many other compounds. The other spices and herbs in curry powder, almost every one, are known from early times for improving mental functioning (then called simply "the braynes"). Curry powder offers a pleasant, easy way to add these vitally important substances to one's diet. A good teaspoon of curry powder (yes, the kind in the supermarket) per pound of meat in any recipe will make that dish into a mild "curry". Or, use in vegetable dishes. Or, simply keep curry powder at the table and sprinkle it lightly onto your food --- it is already roasted.

By 3000 B.C. turmeric, cardamom, pepper and mustard were harvested in India. The earliest known recipe for meat in spicy sauce with bread appeared on tablets found near Babylon in Mesopotamia, written in cuniform text as discovered by the Sumerians, and dated around 1700 B.C., probably as an offering to the god Marduk.

Time in the far Outback.

During high school vacations I earned great money as a roustabout picking up wool as the shearers did their work. The sheep station was west of Longreach Queensland and about as Outback as you can get.  Curry was often served. The money kept my Harley Davidson World War II motorcycle in gas for the rest of the year. The work was hard and gave me a great reason to finish high school.

A note of thanks regarding the motorcycle.




As a teenager growing up with an absent father, a neighbor, Fred Allen, served as "big brother." Fred was nationally known as a retired champion racing car driver. One day when I was having trouble getting to the two jobs I was holding after school and weekends, Fred said  that I needed a motor cycle to get around and asked if I could afford one. I said that the most I could afford was forty pounds (about $80.00) A few days later he visited with me and said he found a great bike, a Military Police bike from World War II. It would cost exactly 40 pounds. He delivered it the next day. I later figured out that the Harley Davidson 750 cc. in great condition cost a lot more, and Fred had made up the difference.

Noel Shore

Growing up in the Outback was a very adventurous time for a teenager. The swimming holes - the mountains to be climbed - the deadly snakes - the wild pigs - and so it went. I was most fortunate to have a dear friend to share the experiences - one Noel Shore. Noel's father Frank Shore was a "Navvy." The Navvys were an important part of the history of outback Queensland. The Queensland Government website reported on the life of a Navvy:

Constructing the railway network in Queensland was a major task. It took money, equipment, know-how and hard physical work.

"The might and muscle of thousands of men cut away hillsides, filled valleys, erected bridges, dug tunnels and laid sleepers and track.

Once each line was completed, the hard labour of men in small gangs maintained the track in good working order."

Frank Shore was a Navvy responsible for rail line maintenance for the steam trains traveling  to Springsure. This line led through a creek canyon. For Noel and I, one of our greatest experiences was to spend a day out with the Navvy team. The trip on the little motorized rail cart and the time spent exploring creeks and cliffs were adventures of a lifetime for us.

Aboriginal Cave Drawings

One of our greatest adventurous was the exploration of the ancient caves by creeks that were home to generations of aboriginals. We took this photo. While we were respectful, we did add a sign of our passing by inscribing our initials and the date. We did no damage to the existing artwork. It is my understanding that these caves and the aboriginal art work are now carefully preserved and protected. Noel and my initials are also preserved behind glass along with the aboriginal art.

Oregon Coast Clam Chowder

Oregon Coast Clam Chowder.

As an impoverished University of Oregon student in Eugene in the late 1960's and carrying draft cards from both Australia and the USA, my idea of a good time was hanging out at Mo's Clam Chowder House in a run down store on the Newport Harbor Wharf and listening to Mo (Mohava Neimi) tell stories. This recipe is an adaption of the one Mo gave me. When I thanked her and asked why she she was sharing such valuable property, Mo said, "It would be hard for most people to reproduce the taste because I get all the seafood fresh off the boats tied up just a few yards away."

A Mo family comment:
At a great loss to the Oregon Coast, Mohava Marie Niemi died in 1992 at the age of 79. Her legacy lives on to this day and in 1999, Mo's Clam Chowder was a featured entree at the first luncheon ever held in the Smithsonian Institute, which celebrated the "Best American Regional Foods." She would have been proud. 

This adaption of Mo's recipe is closely tied to New England Clam Chowder.


1/2 lb. lean bacon, diced in 1/2 inch slices. I prefer thick peppered bacon.
1 large onion diced
6 cups diced, unskinned potatoes
2 TBS olive oil
3 cups of thick whole milk or half & half, or soy milk (Mo's chowder had a thick, rich, tasty milk base. Because of lactose intolerance in the family I use vanilla soy and the can of condensed mushroom soup to thicken the base.)
1 can of condensed mushroom or mushroom-garlic soup
4 cans of minced or chopped clams, 6 oz. each
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder or diced garlic
1/2 teaspoon of lemon pepper

Saute bacon in the olive oil until brown in a dutch oven. If the bacon is too fatty, pour off half the fatty oil. Add the onion and saute. Add the potatoes. Add the spices and cook the mixture for about 5 minutes while stirring the mixture. Add the the rest of the ingredients and stir for about five minutes. Slow cook the covered Dutch Oven or casserole dish at 250 for 60 minutes. Serve hot with a dollop of butter and a sprinkle of mild paprika and fresh chopped parsley if available. Traditionally, clam chowder is served with saltine crackers.

One of the debates regarding clam chowder is the "overcooking" of the clams. The clams do get less tender with continued cooking. I like the clams chewy, some do not. To reduce cooking time, cook the potatoes in a steamer before adding to the mixture. Then cook the dish for 15 minutes at 250. Another debate relates to the absence of vegetables other than potatoes. I have been know to add a cup of chopped celery and enjoyed the addition.

The Newport Harbor Wharf - Oregon Coast

Linda Stradley in her web site on the History of New England Clam Chowder included the following observations.

By 1836, clam chowder was already well-know in Boston and served at Ye Olde Union Oyster House, the nation's oldest continuously operating restaurant. The building that houses the Union Oyster House is about 250 years old. Daniel Webster, the noted lawyer and orator who served as a Congressman and as Secretary of State, was a regular at the bar, where he was known for downing a tumbler of brandy and water with each half-dozen oysters--and he'd rarely eat less than six plates of the tasty bivalves!

A New England clam chowder, made as it should be, is a dish to preach about, to chant praises and sing hymns and burn incense before. To fight for. The Battle of Bunker Hill was fought for--or on--clam chowder; part of it at least, I am sure it was. It is as American as the Stars and Stripes, as patriotic as the national Anthem. It is 'Yankee Doodle in a kettle.'

 Who made the first clam chowder?

 Impossible to pin on one person, but chowder, any of a variety of soups featuring salted pork fat, thickened with a flour, heavy roux, crumbled ship biscuit or saltine crackers and milk, first materialized with Breton fisherman who migrated south to New England from Newfoundland. They would take much of the offal of their daily catches and combine them with readily available ingredients in large soup pots to feed themselves, each other and their families. Over time, as it became a culinary staple in the Northeast, the recipe refined and began to be served commercially. This was when large amounts of milk and cream began to be added, giving it its characteristic look and texture we know today. Also, large slices of potato became common in the soup, and in the chowders widely recognized as the best, onions sautéed in the drippings from pork fat are also incorporated into the recipe. To this day there are usually never vegetables besides a select few legumes added to chowders, although some recipes call for thinly sliced strips of carrot to enhance the aesthetic value.

Chicken Pot Pie

Chicken Pot Pie

First - The Sierra Cup.

I started backpacking as a teenager in the costal mountain ranges of Queensland, Australia where "backpacking" is called "bushwalking." Even in the high-country streams we quickly learned not to drink unknown stream water no matter how clear it looked. In the USA I fell in love with the Wind River high country of Wyoming. Even at 12,000 feet in fresh snow I learned to boil or purify the water. The tool of choice was the Sierra Cup. The cup I use is the larger one and it is described as follows by TBO-TECH:

Use a Sierra Cup for boiling water, cooking, purifying water by bringing to a boil, or simply drinking out of. There are two sizes available, the standard 1-cup version (8oz) or the jumbo 1 3/4-cup (14oz). Both Sierra Cups are made of durable stainless steel with a heavy gauge wire handle. Great for camping or placing in your survival kit. When you're in the wild, camping or in a survival situation, having something to put water in is a necessity. Finding a source of water but not having anything to carry it to the fire with would be extremely frustrating. With a sierra cup, you're all set. You'll also be able to cook or make tea.

Now I have found a great use for the Sierra Cup - cooking chicken pot pies. The smaller Sierra Cup will serve an individual. The larger cup will serve two. Most camping stores carry the small cups.

4 cups of chopped chicken breasts (1/2 inch squares)  or 2 pounds
2 cups of chopped carrots
10 ozs. frozen peas - frozen in butter sauce preferred
10 ozs. frozen corn - frozen in butter sauce preferred
2 cups of chopped onions
1 cup of chopped celery
1 cup of chopped bacon - 2 thick slices of peppered bacon preferred
1 teaspoon each of salt, pepper, ground cloves and garlic powder or minced garlic
3 cups of chicken broth


Place the mixture in a pot, bring to a boil, and simmer for at least 50 minutes. Thicken mixture by adding  dried mashed potato until in paste form and spoon paste into the Sierra Cups. Using the overturned sierra cups, cut circles of pastry to place on the top. Use a knife or fork to make a few holes in the top of each pie.

Place in a 400 degree oven for at least 40 minutes. The pies can be eaten cold or hot and are easily transported by wrapping in foil and using a plastic fork for eating at the work site.

Bushwalking - high country Snowy River Country Australia