Here's a tasty recipe from our December/January 2012 issue.  Browse our recipes archive by clicking on "Recipes" in the bottom right or under the "more..." section at the top of each page!  Enter Chris Cheney...

Beaver Sweet Meat by Chris Cheney

Beaver meat is rich and tender.  In texture and taste, for me it lies somewhere between pork and veal. A staple of Native diet, it was also relished by the voyageurs as well mountain men.

The story goes that bishop of Quebec, Bishop François de Laval in the 17th century posed the question of beaver being aquatic animals, like fish; therefore acceptable under Church Doctrine to be eaten on Fridays.  He submitted this proposal to the theologians of the Sorbonne who ruled in favor of this decision.

Ingredients
The front, hindquarters, and back-straps from two beavers
1 large onion chopped fine
1 tbsp. Minced garlic
1 tbsp. Salt
1 tsp. Black pepper
1 pint maple syrup (or a handful of maple sugar dissolved in a like quantity of water)
1 pint Saskatoon berries

Directions
Separate the hind quarters from the beaver carcass but take particular care not to disturb the oil sacks and castors.  Disjoint the quarters at the hip and slice them clear.  The back-straps lie on either side of the spine, from the base of the neck to the top of the hip; fillet them out from the ribs and spine.  The fore quarters are removed much like the hind.  Soak the beaver meat overnight in lightly salted water (1 tsp. salt/gallon).

Boil the beaver meat in a large trade kettle filled with fresh water until it starts to separate from the bone, about an hour or so.  Then drain and set aside to cool a bit.

While the meat is boiling, in a sheet iron pan sauté the onion and garlic in butter or marrow fat, then add the maple syrup, salt, pepper, and Saskatoons.  Let this simmer at low heat at the edge of the fire, taking care not to scorch it.

When the beaver meat is cool enough to handle, separate the meat from the bones and cube it into one inch or so pieces.  Using a large iron pot, brown these well in butter or marrow fat.  When the meat is well browned and the seasoned sweet sauced has simmered a bit, pour the sauce over the meat, mix it all well and keep it over a low heat for a quarter hour or so.

Serve with wild rice or boiled potatoes.  This beaver sweet meat is one of my favorite dishes, somewhat resembling barbecued pork, or sweet and sour veal, and visually pleasing as well, with all of the dark red and purple berries. Yum!
_

_Here's a great recipe clipped from an article out of our October/November 2011 issue.  Browse our recipes archive by clicking on "Recipes" in the bottom right or under the "more..." section at the top of each page!  Enter Chris Cheney...

A Fine Haggis by Chris Cheney

Ingredients
1 lamb's stomach
The “Pluck”, that is: the heart, lungs and liver of a lamb
2 lamb kidneys
5 lbs. finely chopped lamb
2 pounds hulled pin oats
4 medium onions
2 cloves garlic
2 Tbsp. black pepper
2 Tbsp. Salt
½ tsp. rosemary
½ tsp. thyme

Directions
Thoroughly clean the stomach, rinse with vinegar, and scald in a pot of boiling water for a minute or so.  Scrape the inside stomach lining completely away and rinse in cold water. Leave the stomach inside out for stuffing it.

Cover the oats with water and let them soak overnight, drain away the oat liquor and save it for making Atholl Brose. Then spread the swollen oats on a sheet iron pan and toast them just a bit in a fairly hot oven.

Boil the kidneys well, changing the water twice. When they cool a bit chop them fine, into ¼ inch bits.

Chop the heart, the meat, and 1/3 liver chop very fine (slice the remaining 2/3s of the liver very thin and fry in butter as a particularly tasty treat to enjoy while you’re preparing the rest of the ingredients)

Boil the lungs as well, taking care to hang the trachea over the side of the kettle, let them cool and also chop fine, taking care to remove the large veins and airways. I find that I usually end up with about half of what I started with.

Mince the garlic fine, and chop the onions well; you can use more or less to suit your taste. The same is true for the salt and pepper; for myself I would prefer a bit more pepper than this, but I am very fond of pepper. The same goes for the rosemary and thyme.

In a very large bowl mix it all together very well, and stuff it in the stomach, leaving about a fourth of the stomach for expansion. Then sew up the stomach, or tie it off like a sack, and carefully set it in a kettle large enough to cover it with water. Boil for 3 hours, checking occasionally to be sure that it is well covered with water. A heavy earthenware dish set on top of the haggis will help keep it under the water. A well fitting lid will help to keep the water from boiling away.

When it is done, carefully drain away the water and lay the kettle on its side and slide/roll the haggis onto a sturdy trencher. As the piper plays an auld Scottish tune, present the haggis to the table that is already burdened with the weight of game of all kinds; fish from the lakes, hunters’ delicacies, and of course tatties (potatoes) and neeps (turnips). Enjoy!

__Welcome to our first official post of 2012!  We are very excited to bring you Journal of the Early America's first issue of its all new second volume!  For a sneak peak at our featured articles, please see the list below!

Featured in the February/March 2012 issue (sections in bold, titles in italics):
    1.  Musings Around the Inkpot – Our letters to and from the editor.
    2.  Hoppus and Hatchet – Major William Williams' Excursion: Espionage or Adventure?
                by Alan F. Nelson
    3.  Hearthstone – A Glimpse of Worship in Colonial Virginia: Acquainting the 21st
                Century with a Colonial Perspective by John W. Hayes
    4.  Early Americas – Redcoats in Green Bay: The British Occupation of Fort Edward
                Augustus (Green Bay, WI) 1761-1763: Part I  by Richard FC Seidemann, Jr.
    5.  To Arms – Identifying Early Cannons at the Presidio of Santa Barbara
                by Michael R. Hardwick
    6.  Discerning Re-enactor – The 1st Pennsylvania Regiment in Alabama by Erich Cousins
    7.  Punchbowl – A Breech-Loading Rifle in the American Revolution?: A Book Review
                by Gene "Henri" Tesdahl & Chadwell's Station - Fiddling on the Frontier:
                A Music Review by Carroll Ross
    8.  A Matter of Taste – Dining With the Dons: Food in Early California by Jane G. Beckman

For more information about what topics we cover in each section, please click here.  Haven't secured a subscription yet?  Don't delay!  Visit our subscriptions page today.  We hope you find something you love in each and every issue of Journal of the Early Americas.

P.S.  We are always looking for writers and advertisers wishing to publish their content with us.  Please visit our writers page and advertising page for more information.  Our new website is being updated frequently, so please come back and visit us again soon to see what's new.  If you have additional questions or comments, visit our contact us page.  Thank you!

_Hello again!  We are excited to bring you Journal of the Early America's sixth issue of its first volume!  Be sure to check your mailboxes for this issue soon!  For a sneak peak at our featured articles, please see the list below.

Featured in the December 2011/January 2012 issue (sections in bold, titles in italics):
    1.  Arts and Artisans – French Knives in North America: Part III
                by Kevin Gladysz & Ken Hamilton
    2.  Hoppus and Hatchet – Foods of Necessity by Mike Moore
    3.  Hearthstone – Sprang: A Textile Technique by Carol James
    4.  Early Americas – The Family Doctoress by Elizabeth Simpson
    5.  To Arms – The Colt Patterson Revolver in the Far West by Michael Schaubs
    6.  Discerning Re-enactor – Buckskins and Beaver: One Organization's Journey
                Into the Past by Jim Hannon
    7.  Punchbowl – Preparing a Parchment Beaver by Lee Nelson
    8.  A Matter of Taste – Beaver Sweet Meat - Recipe by Chris Cheney
    9.  Musings Around the Inkpot – Our letters to and from the editor.

For more information about what topics we cover in each section, please click here.  Haven't secured a subscription yet?  Don't delay!  Visit our subscriptions page today.  We hope you find something you love in each and every issue of Journal of the Early Americas.

P.S.  We are always looking for writers and advertisers wishing to publish their content with us.  Please visit our writers page and advertising page for more information.  Our new website is being updated frequently, so please come back and visit us again soon to see what's new.  If you have additional questions or comments, visit our contact us page.  Thank you!

Journal of the Early Americas has some exciting news!  We have made some updates to our website that should make navigating it a little bit easier.  We will be continuing to roll out new changes over the next few weeks to improve your experience here and hope you like our changes.  Don't hesitate to let us know what you think.

Additionally, we have just released a new advertising schedule with significantly lowered rates, so interested parties please visit our advertising page!

As always at Journal of the Early Americas, we continually strive to deliver the best content and get better and better all the time.  We appreciate your feedback and support.  Thanks a bunch and come back soon!

Welcome back!  We are excited to bring you Journal of the Early America's fifth issue, all set for October/November 2011!  For a sneak peak at our featured articles, please see the list below.

Featured in the October/November 2011 issue (sections in bold, titles in italics):
    1.  Musings Around the Inkpot – Our letters to and from the editor.
    2.  Punchbowl – In Pursuit of Yesterday by Joe Velazquez
    3.  Arts and Artisans – French Knives in North America: Part II - siamos and "two-pin" knives
                by Kevin Gladysz and Ken Hamilton
    4.  Hoppus and Hatchet – The Typical Engagé: French-Canadian Voyageur “…each one with
                his bag, containing a few of the most necessary articles”  by Karl Koster
    5.  Hearthstone – Digging Through the Past: Grand Portage, an Archaeological Adventure
                by Steve Veit
    6.  Early Americas – Ojibwe Giiyosewin Mewinzha: The Ojibwe Way of Hunting Long Ago
                by Jeremy Kingsbury
    7.  To Arms – The Battle of Tippecanoe: Battle Map Correction by Rick Conwell
    8.  Discerning Re-enactor – The Joy of the Game:  Playing Lacrosse at  Historical Events
                by John Powers
    9.  A Matter of Taste – Like the Old Feasts in Highland Castles by Chris Cheney

For more information about what topics we cover in each section, please click here.  Haven't secured a subscription yet?  Don't delay!  Visit our subscriptions page today.  We hope you find something you love in each and every issue of Journal of the Early Americas.

P.S.  We are always looking for writers and advertisers wishing to publish their content with us.  Please visit our writers page and advertising page for more information.  Our new website is being updated frequently, so please come back and visit us again soon to see what's new.  If you have additional questions or comments, visit our contact us page.  Thank you!

Journal of the Early America's fourth issue is hot off the presses!  The August/September 2011 issue should be arriving at subscriber doors very soon!  For a sneak peak at our featured articles, please see the list below.

Featured in the August/September 2011 issue (sections in bold, titles in italics):
    1.  Arts and Artisans – French Knives in North America: Part I - "Flatin" and "a la dauphine"
                by Kevin Gladysz and Ken Hamilton
    2.  Hoppus and Hatchet – Gathered Toe and Center Seam Pucker Vamp Moccasins
                by Oliver McCloskey
    3.  Hearthstone – “ ... something more useful than PEN and INK …:” The Pencil in the
                Eighteenth Century by Wayne Krefting
    4.  Early Americas – Stockbridge: A Place, A People: Part II by Gerry Barker
    5.  To Arms – The Battle of Tippecanoe: Prelude to the War of 1812 by Rick Conwell
    6.  Discerning Re-enactor – The Hunter’s Quest: Knowledge and Lodging in the Northwest
                Territory by Dennis Neely
    7.  Punchbowl – Jefferson & Liberty: Music of 18th Century America by The Itinerant Band
                by Summer Criswell, and On the Map by Tasker's Chance by Gene Tesdahl
    8.  A Matter of Taste – The Pursuit and Death of the Buffalo by Chris Cheney
    9.  Musings Around the Inkpot – Our letters to and from the editor.

For more information about what topics we cover in each section, please click here.  Haven't secured a subscription yet?  Don't delay!  Visit our subscriptions page today.  We hope you find something you love in each and every issue of Journal of the Early Americas.

P.S.  We are always looking for writers and advertisers wishing to publish their content with us.  Please visit our writers page and advertising page for more information.  Our new website is being updated frequently, so please come back and visit us again soon to see what's new.  If you have additional questions or comments, visit our contact us page.  Thank you!

Here are two recipes from our June/July 2011 issue!  Browse our new recipes archive by clicking on "Recipes" in the bottom right or under the "more..." section at the top!  Enter Lisa Youngman...

Appone (Maize cake) by Lisa Youngman

Ingredients
2 cups cornmeal
½ tsp. of salt (or more, to taste)
Enough boiling water to make a semi-stiff mush

Directions
Mix together all ingredients.  Spread the mixture approximately half an inch thick in a well-greased heavy pan.  Bake at 375 degrees F for 20 to 25 minutes, or until cooked through.

Alternatively, form the dough mixture into elongated 3 inch “bun” shapes, placing them on a greased baking sheet.  Bake at 375 degrees F for approximately 15 minutes or until the edges begin to brown.

Pone by Lisa Youngman
Pone is a European-modified Appone recipe.

Ingredients
2 cups milk
1 cup cornmeal
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
3 eggs, separated
½ cup butter

Directions
Heat the milk almost to a boil and stir in the cornmeal, sugar, and salt.  Cook until thickened while stirring constantly.  Remove the mixture from the heat and allow to cool slightly before adding the lightly-beaten egg yolks and butter.  Fold in the egg whites which have been stiffly-beaten.  Pour the batter into a heated, buttered 2 quart casserole dish.  Bake at 350 degrees F for approximately 50 minutes.  To serve, spoon the hot bread onto a plate and top with butter.

Here's a new recipe from our April/May 2011 issue.  Browse our new recipes archive by clicking on "Recipes" in the bottom right or under the "more..." section at the top of each page!  Enter Chris Cheney...

Chris Cheney's Atholl Brose

My dear friend Steve Orr introduced me to brose several years ago, and I have since developed my own favorite recipe, though it is always a true pleasure to sample other varieties.  I start my brose with the oat liquor left over from soaking hulled pinhead oats for making haggis.

Ingredients
1 cup oat liquor
1 cup very strong brewed coffee
1 cup honey
750 ml single malt scotch
1 vanilla bean
Small handful of cacao nibs
Cinnamon stick

Directions
Thoroughly mix together the oat liquor, coffee, honey, and scotch.  Into this mixture, add one vanilla bean, one small handful of cacao nibs, and a very small piece of cinnamon stick.  Let the mixture set for a month or more before you imbibe.  Enjoy!

Journal of the Early Americas is proud to announce the addition of a new recipes archive to our website!  Recipes featured in older issues of our publication will now be posted online.  Browse your favorite historical cuisine all in one place! 

To browse the archive, simply click on "Recipes" under the Categories section of the homepage (in the bottom-right) or under the "more..." section at the top of every page.  We hope you find something you love!

Now, let's start with this tasty syllabub recipe from our February/March 2011 issue...

Chris Cheney's Syllabub

Ingredients
1 pint heavy whipping cream
1 quart port wine or Madeira
1 large fistful dark brown cane sugar, about 1 ½ cups (preferably Muscovado or Turbinado)
1 pint dark rum (preferably black naval rum)
A few hearty grates of freshly-rasped nutmeg

Directions
Note: If you do not have a syllabub maker, you may use a wooden spoon or twig whisk in your punch bowl.

Into your syllabub maker, add one pint heavy whipping cream and a large fistful of dark brown cane sugar (maple, Muscovado, or Turbinado).  Stroke the syllabub maker until the cream is just starting to firm.  Separately combine the dark rum and Madeira.  Fill a crystal shrub glass ¾ full of the rum and fortified wine mixture and ladle a nice dollop of the sweetened cream on top. Grate a dusting of nutmeg over the cream and enjoy!

Alternatively, you may choose to combine all of the ingredients into you syllabub maker and whip together.

We hope you like this latest addition to our website!  More recipes will be added to the archive soon!