Protose & Nuttolene

Protose is a meat subsitute invented by Kellogg in the early 1900's. It comes in a can and is a type of nutmeat made from grain and peanuts. It was discontinued from production fairly recently around 2000.

Ingrediant list from the can:
ingredients are wheat gluten,water,peanuts,soy oil,contains 2% or less of soy sauce(water,salt,hydrolyzed soy protein,corn syrup,caramel color) yeast extract,salt,hydrolyzed soyand wheat protein, vitamins and minerals (niacinamide,iron(ferrous sulfate)vitamin B1(thiamine mononitrate)vitamin B6(pyridoxine hydrochloride)vitamin B2(riboflavin)vitamin B12(cyanocobalamin).


To make recipes:
http://fourpoundsflour.blogspot.com/2009/02/history-dish-mondays-protose.html
http://www.vegan-food.net/recipe/1352/Homemade-Protose/
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/403213
http://www.ellenskitchen.com/forum/messages/4723.html


Recipes using:
http://recipes.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Protose_And_Rice_Croquettes_Recipe

Cookbooks with recipes:

Title Vegetarian Cook Book: Substitutes for Flesh Foods Author E. G. Fulton
Publisher Pacific Press Publishing Company Year 1904 Copyright
http://chestofbooks.com/food/vegetarian/Vegetarian-CookBook/index.html

Granola Bars

Now a compact diverse tasty treat. But where did they come from?

Sago

Sago is an ingredient that I have seen show up as a thickener in older vegetarian cookbooks. So what exactly is Sago?

Sago is the starch that is extracted from the palm Metroxylon sagu or from cycads. The palm is native to New Guinea. It is similar to tapioca.

It was imported into Britian in the 18th century. It has since fallen out of popularity.

http://www.singaporefoodhistory.com/article-sago.htm

Asparagus

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asparagus
http://homecooking.about.com/od/foodhistory/a/asparagushistry.htm
http://www.inmamaskitchen.com/FOOD_IS_ART_II/food_history_and_facts/asparagus.html

Biology
Asparagus, Asparagus officinalis, is an herbatious perennial in the lily family. The name is derived from the Greek word asparagos.

It is native to the Western coast of Europe and ranges from Spain to Great Britain to Germany.

History
Asparagus history is difficult to track down.
Asparagus has been eaten since early times and a recipe survives from the third century AD De re coquinaria Book III by Apicius.It was cultivated by the ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans, who ate it fresh when in season and dried the vegetable for use in winter. It lost its popularity in the Middle Ages but returned to favour in the seventeenth century.
Asparagus appeared in the Americas in colonial times. I will continue to scan my cookbooks for recipes.

Jerusalem artichoke

http://homecooking.about.com/od/foodhistory/a/sunchokehistory.htm
http://vegparadise.com/highestperch26.html

So what exactly is the difference between a globe artichoke and a Jerusalem artichoke?

Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus), also called sunchokes, are the tubers of a flower in the aster family. They are not related to regular artichokes at all. They are roots/tubers, and look a little like ginger root, and are starchy like potatoes.

History
The jerusalem artichoke is native to North America and was cultivated here by Native

Americans. Samuel de Champlain is credited with sending it over to England in the early 1600's where it was called "Canada" or "French" potato. The French continued to cultivate the plant.

It has been a turn too food during times of famine or desperation.

During World War II it grew in popularity because it was a food item that could be purchased without ration stamps.

Uses
In addition to being a food item it is also used to produce alcohol in Germany called "Topinambur", "Topi" or "Rossler".

Lore
It was associated early with Leprosy and was not a common thing to eat.

Artichoke

http://homecooking.about.com/od/foodhistory/a/artichokehistry.htm
http://whatscookingamerica.net/History/ArtichokeHistory.htm
http://www.inmamaskitchen.com/FOOD_IS_ART_II/food_history_and_facts/artichoke.html

Being from California artichokes are aplenty here. In fact one of my friends grew up on an Artichoke farm near Monterrey where her family still farms them.
I have seen recipes for Artichoke soup and dishes in historic US cookbooks dating back to the early 1900's so I was wondering when they were introduced to the US.

Common US Artichokes, Cynara scolymus, (also called French artichokes) are native to the Mediterranean. They are an edible flower from the thistle family and are also related to sun flowers. The English name is derived from the Italian name articiocco which in turn is from Arabic word al-khurshuf which means thistle. Cocali is a Ligurian word meaning a pine cone.

Varities: There are many varities of artichoke, the most common being the globe artichoke. They come in many colors including purple.

History
The artichoke has been eaten by humans for over 3000 years. They first appeared in literature around 40-70 AD in the works of the Greek physician Pedanius Dioscorides in his book The Greek Herbal of Dioscorides a medicinal plant book. The Latin name for artichoke is cynara.

Around 800 AD artichoke cultivation began in Granada, Spain by the North African Moors as well as in Sicily by other Arabic people. It is believed that the modern artichoke appeared at this time through these cultivations.

They were introduced to France in the mid 1500's by Catherine de Medici, from Italy, who married King Henry II of France. Quote: "If one of us had eaten artichokes, we would have been pointed out on the street. Today young women are more forward than pages at the court."

It was introduced to England by ?? and first appears in a literature there in the 1500's.

The Artichoke was introduced to the US by French and Italian immigrants in the early 1900's. Cultivation began in the west coast near Half Moon Bay California in the 1920's (where my friends family farm is located).

Due to mafia activity and involvement with artichoke production in 1935 artichokes were banned in New York. They were not permitted to be displayed or sold, even possession was illegal.

From: http://whatscookingamerica.net/History/ArtichokeHistory.htm
"In the 1920s, Ciro Terranova "Whitey" (1889-1938), a member of the mafia and known as the "Artichoke King," began his monopoly of the artichoke market by purchasing all the produce shipped to New York from California at $6 a crate. He created a produce company and resold the artichokes at 30 to 40 percent profit. Not only did he terrorize distributors and produce merchants, he even launched an attack on the artichoke fields from Monetary to Pescadero, hacking down the plants with machetes in the dead of night. These "artichoke wars" led the Mayor or New York, Fiorello La Guardia, to declare "the sale, display, and possession" of artichokes in New York illegal. Mayor La Guardia publicly admitted that he himself loved the vegetable and after only one week he lifted the ban."

Artichoke Lore and Legends
http://homecooking.about.com/od/foodlore/a/artichokelore.htm

Ancient Greeks believed them to be an aphrodisiac increase the likelihood of having male children.

WWII Food posters

http://www.seriouseats.com/2009/05/share-the-meat-1.html


and ridiculousness
http://www.flickr.com/groups/vintagemeat/pool/
http://pzrservices.typepad.com/vintageadvertising/