Since I chatted about Essex pudding, I have found two more recipes based on potato and both of them by Artusi - one for a light cake and one for pudding. They yield less delicate stuff than Maria Rundell's hints but the reason I wanted to share them is the reason that urged 19th century housewives to go for potato: potato is readily available.
In a brief introductory note, Pellegrino explains that potato belongs to the genus of Solanaceae, originating from South America. It was carried to Europe in the latter half of the 16th century, and took quite a while to rise in popularity. But when it did [some 150 years later], it became a favorite with both rich and poor. Let me add that, by the end of the 18th century, potato was grown in France and Central Europe under the protection of sovereigns, especially due to its nourishing qualities. The Native Americans had also developed a method for squeezing the water out of potatoes in order to save them for winter and times of famine and these 'dried' potatoes were also used for sea voyage rations among Europeans. On the other side of the Atlantic, it's possible that first settlers of Virginia and the Carolinas had grown potatoes using seeds that were brought from Peru on Spanish vessels but potato as a crop was not introduced to Northern America before 1716. The success of potato cultivation in Europe and beyond is considered largely responsible for the growth in population during the 18th and 19th centuries. Accordingly, crop failure in Ireland after 1845 resulted in great poverty, famine and misery.
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| King Frederick the Great of Prussia inspects an early harvest - Robert Warthmüller, 1886 |
The recipes featured in today's post are from Science in the Kitchen and the Art of Eating Well (1891). Artusi gives not only the ingredients and method or historical references about the potato but also some tales and it's entertaining, as usual, to read them.
At one point, he enumerates the pros and the cons of potato: it does satisfy the hunger but fails to usefully nourish - due to its lack of protein, fibre and minerals - and, like rice, it helps gain weight. Although partly correct, these views were likely not shared by many: even in Italy, potato was served with all meals except breakfast. Whatever he says, Pellegrino is not totally against potatoes. Neither of his potato-based desserts is loaded with flavor but he speaks well of them both.Torta di patate he believes worthy of note, like so many dishes from humble ingredients, that fanciful people rejected just because of their notoriety. And he goes on to tell stories of others who enjoyed a dish of precisely the food they avoided because their host was clever enough to keep the recipe a secret.
The nearest equivalent to Artusi's recipes is US traditional cake from mashed potato. A layered potato cake is also popular with modern Italian chefs but the mixture is bound with flour rather than almonds, which is Pellegrino's favorite ingredient. The modern version of torta di patate is also filled, or topped, with pastry cream.
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