Today, Leigh shares her experience with a recipe that embodies the feeling of home: Edna Lewis' Beef a là Mode from A Taste of Country Living.
Recipes create a sense of home
The recipes in this auto-biographical cookbook are full of warmth, flavor, and nostalgia, and Beef a là Mode is no exception. This classic comfort food was a favorite of Edna’s family during the winter months in Freetown and was often served for special occasions.
What made this recipe so special for Leigh was how the ingredients, flavors, and aromas evoked memories of county fairs, connection to our food sources, lifelong friendships, and Sunday suppers.
One of the first things that struck Leigh when reading the recipe was the connection to each of the ingredients. How the beef, still in its hide, hung in the barn ready to nourish Edna’s family. The home grown carrots and onions used to flavor a thick, luxurious sauce that would be served with the dish. And the use of a calf’s hoof. Nothing went to waste. It was unthinkable.
Leigh was reminded of the county fairs of her childhood where her dad would support the local 4H organization by purchasing livestock. This was not only a transaction of practicality, it was a investment into the community in which he belonged.
Understanding the work that went into raising and caring for these livestock as well as the process from county fair to freezer, created a connection to food sources.
Though most of the ingredients for Beef a là Mode are readily available, there is one that may seem an odd ingredient by today’s standards, a calf’s hoof. But to Edna or any of the occupants of Freetown, this was a practical, necessary ingredient. Practical, in that it added the gelatin that would transform the drippings from a thin broth to a luxurious sauce. Necessary, as it honored all of the animal.
Leigh shares how she reached out to a childhood friend to see if it was possible to garner a calf’s hoof to make the recipe in the most accurate fashion possible. Sadly, the hoof was “out-of-season” but the chuck roast used was from her cattle-ranching friend’s ranch the JC Jensen Ranch - and it was delicious!
What struck Leigh the most, was how the aroma of the dish reminded her of her mother’s Sunday supper roast beef. A dish that her less-than-enthusiastic-about-cooking mom, pretty much nailed!
Listen as Leigh shares personal experience with the recipe and how a dish can connect us to our past, our community, and our sense of home.
Is there a specific recipe that connects you to home?
Episode Transcript
🎧 Click here for the full, interactive transcript of this episode 🎧
Books We Think You’ll Enjoy Reading
A Taste of Country Cooking, Edna Lewis
Episodes We Think You’ll Like
Join for the next episode of the podcast when Leigh shares a cookbook that would provide the funds to make a huge social change for women across the country. If you’re enjoying the podcast, we would love to have you join our supporting subscribers. For just a few dollars, you can get access to exclusive content, including the Recipe Box Roulette “card game”, more in-depth articles, and recipes. You’ll also help keep our oven lights on!
We would love to connect with you
AsWeEat.com, on Instagram @asweeat, join our new As We Eat community on Facebook, or subscribe to the As We Eat Journal.
Do you have a great idea 💡 for a show topic, a recipe 🥘 that you want to share, or just say “hi”👋🏻? Send us an email at connect@asweeat.com
Review As We Eat on Podchaser or Apple Podcast. We would like to know what you think.
\Thank you for listening to the As We Eat Podcast. This post is public so share it with a friend - or three :)
EP 56 Beef A Là Mode: A recipe to bring you home