Q: I inherited a black and white pitcher with Freemason details, George Washington, and the quote “To heavens High Architect all praise All gratitude be given Who design’d the human soul to raise By secrets sprung from heaven.” The number “#0199” is marked on the bottom. One eBay site lists the value at $2,400. Can you give me an estimate or instructions on how I can find out what it is worth?

 

A: Creamware pitchers with transfer designs of Masonic symbols and themes were made for the American market by several Staffordshire and Liverpool potteries in the late 1700s and early 1800s. Some featured pictures of prominent men who were Masons or illustrated historic events. George Washington was a member of a Masonic Lodge in Virginia. The poem quoted first appeared in a book about Masons in 1769. The mark on the bottom of your pitcher indicates it’s new, not one of the early Staffordshire or Liverpool pitchers. It may have been made to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Washington’s inauguration in 1989. Some of the prices you see online are asking prices that aren’t even close to what the item eventually sells for. An old Liverpool transfer pitcher could sell for over $1,000, but a new one is only worth less than $50.

Giving thanks and rejoicing after a bountiful harvest has always been part of life for Native Americans and it was also significant for the settler Pilgrims. Little is known about the c.1621 event in Plymouth (now Massachusetts) that is the model for our Thanksgiving, but early writings tell us that giving thanks was a primary reason. And it is still at the heart of Thanksgiving today as cooks strive to present a bountiful feast.

Native Americans and Pilgrims used “local ingredients” long before that was a marketing term. The foods that were available in early New England are much like what’s in season today: turkeys, corn (maize), beans, squash, apples, cranberries, pumpkins, sweet potatoes, onions, radishes, beets, herbs and even kale. Early homemakers were just expected to know what to do with them until cookbooks were available in in the mid-1700s.

We turned to some early Americans for some of their fall favorites, slightly adapted for the modern cook, as listed in the book The Early American Cookbook by Dr. Kristie Lynn and Robert Pelton. So while you may not choose to roast your turkey on a spit over an open hearth, here are some early American side dish recipes for you to enjoy.

Hasty Pudding or Indian Pudding

Originally brought over from England, it was called “Indian Pudding” when it was made in Colonial America where cornmeal was more readily available. As a British dish, it was a quick pudding to make using a sweetened porridge made from flour, tapioca or oatmeal and milk. The recipe was transformed to use local ingredients – cornmeal, molasses or maple syrup and milk. But because it uses cornmeal, it’s anything but “hasty” since it requires 2 hours to bake.

2 cups milk

2 cups light cream

3 tablespoons stone ground yellow cornmeal

½ cup brown sugar

½ cup maple syrup

1 tablespoon butter

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon ginger

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

Pinch ground cloves

1/8 teaspoon baking soda

2 eggs, beaten

In a heavy pan scald milk and cream. Gradually sprinkle with yellow cornmeal and bring to a boil, stirring briskly. Stir in sugar, maple syrup, butter and all the other dry ingredients. Let the mixture cool slightly. In a small bowl beat the eggs with the milk or cream mixture. Pour the batter into a buttered 1 ½ quart baking dish and bake in a moderately slow oven (325 degrees) for 2 hours. (Modern cooks can serve it hot or warm with whipped cream or ice cream.)

Thomas Jefferson’s Favorite Sugarless Cornbread

1 cup corn meal

1 cup flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 eggs, separated

3 cups cream or milk

2 tablespoons butter, melted

Sift corn meal, flour, baking powder and salt into a large wooden mixing bowl. Beat egg yolks in another bowl and add 2 cups of the cream or milk to them. Then stir in melted butter. When well blended, add this smooth batter to the flour mixture in the wooden bowl. Stir until everything is completely blended. Beat the egg whites to a stiff froth and fold them into the other ingredients. Pour into a square baking pan that has been well buttered. The batter should be about 2 inches thick. Lastly, pour the remaining cup of cream or milk into the middle. Do not stir. Place very gently into a moderate oven (350 degrees) and bake for 50 minutes. Turn out, cut in squares and serve while hot. The center of this dish will be a custard. It should serve 6 people.

George Washington’s Favorite Pumpkin Pie

3/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon ginger

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups pumpkin, steamed and strained

3 eggs, beaten

1-1/2 cups milk

1/2 cup cream

1 tablespoon butter

Put the sugar into a large wooden mixing bowl and blend in cinnamon, ginger and salt. Then stir in the pumpkin, beaten eggs, milk, cream and butter. Blend well and pour into a pastry-lined pie pan. Bake in a moderate oven (350 degrees) for 45 minutes. Allow to cool. Sufficient for 1 pie.

Molasses Cake of James Oglethorpe (1696-1785), the “father” of Georgia, and founder of Savannah in 1733.

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup shortening

1 egg, well beaten

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon ginger

1/2 cup molasses

1/2 cup sour milk

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

Cream the sugar and shortening in a large wooden mixing bowl. Add the beaten egg, cinnamon, ginger, molasses and sour milk. Dissolve the baking soda in 1 tablespoon of hot water. Add this to the mixture in the bowl. Blend ingredients well. Sift the flour and baking soda together, twice, and add to the bowl. Turn into a well-greased and floured cake tin. Bake in a moderate (350 degrees) oven for 30 minutes.

Green Corn Pudding Specialty of Ethan Allen (1737-1789), leader of the Green Mountain Boys. He called it “a most delicious dish when properly mixed and baked.”

12 large ears corn

5 egg yolks, well beaten

2 tablespoons butter, melted

1 tablespoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 cups cream or milk

5 egg whites, stiffly beaten

Grate the raw corn from the cobs and put in a large wooden mixing bowl. Stir in the custard-like egg yolks and beat together very hard. Stir in the melted butter, sugar and salt. Gradually add the cream or milk, beating hard all the time. Lastly, fold in the fluffy beaten egg whites and pour into a deep buttered baking pan. Cover and bake in a moderate oven (350 degrees) for 1 hour. Then remove the cover and continue baking until the top of the pudding is nicely browned.

Special Red Bean Soup, a Favorite of Zachary Taylor (1784-1850)

2 cups kidney beans, dried

4 cups vegetable stock

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon flour

1/2 teaspoon cloves

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon celery flakes

1/4 teaspoon curry powder

1 tablespoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

2 lemons, juice only

This is believed to be one of the very best bean soups known in the long-forgotten past. Put the beans into a cast iron kettle with 4 cups cold water. Bring to a boil for 2 minutes and then remove from the stove. Let stand overnight. Then bring to a boil again and allow to simmer for 1 1/2 hours. Strain the beans into the vegetable stock and heat. Meanwhile blend the butter and flour in a small wooden mixing bowl until it is a smooth cream. Then add this to the soup in the kettle and stir in the cloves, cinnamon, celery flakes, curry powder, salt and pepper. The lemon juice is to be blended in the soup just before serving. Zachary Taylor also enjoyed this soup when made with lima beans.

Apple Fritter – Favorite of Rufus King (1755-1827), a leading Federalist from Maine. He said: “No end of fruit fritters may be made from this recipe. They’re crisp, tender, digestible – and so good.”

1 cup flour, sifted

1/4 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 egg, well beaten

1/2 cup milk

2 teaspoons butter, melted

2 large apples, pared and sliced

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

2 tablespoons sugar

Sift flour, baking powder and salt together in a large wooden mixing bowl. Combine the egg, milk and butter in another bowl, then add to the dry ingredients. Beat until smooth. (Modern cooks can chill this batter to make the fritters lighter.) Meanwhile, sprinkle apple slices with lemon juice, nutmeg, cinnamon and sugar. Dip apple slices in the chilled batter and deep fry in hot butter for 5 minutes or until brown.

So, like the original Thanksgiving celebrants, let’s give thanks for family, good and healthy food and stewardship of the land.

Happy Thanksgiving from Terry Kovel, Kim Kovel and the Staff at Kovels.com.