Katie's Sketchbook - Christmas at Famous-Barr 1976 - 8. Appendices

Katie's

Sketchbook

Christmas at Famous-Barr 1976

Appendices:

 

 

Appendix 1: History and Facts

 

So what did I get right, and what did I get wrong?

Christmas 1976 did indeed see Famous-Barr joining forces with Paddington Bear as the store's holiday mascot. The information about the bear's reception with the children and dignitaries at Union Station, and the subsequent parade to the store, are all in the company newsletter. The newsletter also has descriptions about the store's decor that year, the features of the holiday windows – including the unusual opening of a second corner window – a glimpse of Santaland and the Little Drummer Boy animatronics to be found there, the petting zoo, and of course, the appearance of Julia Child for cooking demonstrations and book signings.

Phew! What a glorious year for Famous and her customers young and old alike!

I should also state that the 1970s were full of bears for the store! In 1973 three live bear cubs romped and played on the 9^th floor and delighted waiting kids for Santaland. '76 saw Paddington, and by Christmas of 1980, teddy bears of one kind or another were a permanent fixture of the company's holidays. So mush so in fact, that Santaland of 1983 was billed as 'Bearland,' where an enchanted forest awaited visitors with bears and not elves building Santa's toys for him.

So what did I knowingly get wrong? One thing…Toyland, meaning the large, nearly entire floor-sized toy department did not appear in 1976. The 'final' year had been 1975, as large department stores like Famous-Barr could not compete with discount box-stores when it came to playthings anymore. I say 'final,' because sometime in the early 80s a holiday toy department did reappear, but one focused on a smaller variety of unique toys that could not to be found at the discount retailers. These new Toylands remained a holiday tradition right through to the end.

 

 

Appendix 2: Food and Recipes

 

The Menu:

[1] Lemmons Fried Chicken Wing Appetizers (with crudités and ranch dip)

[2] Harvey Wallbanger and Tequila Sunrise

[3] Salade Montreux

[4] Canard à l'Orange

[5] Bevo Mill Sauerbraten

[6] Red Cabbage and Potato Pancakes

[7] Ooey Gooey Butter Cake

[8] Mississippi Mud Pie

 

 

The Recipes:

 

[1] Lemmons Fried Chicken Wing Appetizers

Served with Crudités and Cool Dill Dip

 

Crudités were a great thing in the 70s, or so I've been told, as most parties were of the cocktail variety. Food was scarce at these affairs, and a veggie platter was something a host could whip up quickly.

Lemmons was a great restaurant that had an amazing fried chicken. Whereas most 'Southern' friend chicken involves dredging the meat in flour only, Lemmons had a combination of wet batter and spiced dredge. The result was crisp on the outside, and succulent and moist on the inside. I've done chicken wings here, but the same process will work with any cut, just increase the cooking time accordingly.

 

Lemmons Fried Chicken Wing Appetizers

Ingredients & Mode

 

Dip

- Start the day ahead to give flavors time to blend and mellow.

- Chop ¼ Cup Fresh Dill greens and place in a bowl. Top with

- 1 Quart of Sour Cream (32 Oz.), and mix in

- 2 Tablespoons Dill seed,

- ¼ Teaspoon Coleman's Mustard Powder,

- ½ Teaspoon Chili Flakes,

- A splash of Rum, and

- ½ Teaspoon of Salt. Incorporate well, cover and refrigerate overnight.

 

Chicken

- Make an assembly line so you can fry as you go: one bowl of batter; one with the seasoned flour; and the pan on the stove with the oil reading 350°F on a thermometer.

- Make the batter by beating

- 2 Eggs, with

- ¾ Cups Flour, or enough to make a fairly thin batter.

- Make the dredging mix by mixing in a shallow bowl

- 1 Cup of Flour,

- 1 Tablespoon Ground Black Pepper,

- ¼ Teaspoon Paprika,

- ¼ Teaspoon Dried Thyme, and

- 1 Tablespoon of Salt.

- Have 3lbs. of Fresh Chicken Wings washed and dried completely. Once your Oil is to temperature, dip a wing in the batter, quickly roll in the flour, and dip in the batter once more.

- Fry for about 4 minutes, monitoring the oil and maintaining the temperature.

- When cooked, set on a rack to drain.

 

Serving

- While the chicken is cooking, get out a large round platter and set the dip in the center. Make attractive piles of cut

- Celery Sticks,

- Carrots,

- tender Green Beans,

- Cherry Tomatoes, and

- Baby Broccoli florets.

- Arrange the hot chicken wings in neat stacks on the platter, and serve immediately.

 

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[2] Harvey Wallbanger and Tequila Sunrise

Cocktails for your dreams of the 70s

 

The classic pair of 1970s cocktails; it seems the bright taste of orange juice was on everyone's palate.

 

Harvey Wallbanger

Ingredients & Mode

 

- Place Ice Cubes in tall cocktail glasses. Stir in

- 1½ Oz. Vodka, and

- 3 Oz. Orange Juice.

- Pour over the top, and do not mix in, ½ Oz. Galliano.

- Garnish glass with A Slice of Orange, and

- A Maraschino Cherry.

- Serve with a straw.

 

 

Tequila Sunrise

Ingredients & Mode

 

- Place Ice Cubes in fancy cocktail glasses. Pour in, but do not stir,

- 3 Oz. Orange Juice,

- 1½ Tequila, and

- ½ Oz. Grenadine Syrup.

- Garnish glass with An Orange Wedge and

- A Maraschino Cherry in a decorative skewer.

- Serve without a straw.

 

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[3] Salade Montreux

Swiss Salad of Ham, Turkey, Cheese, and Served with a Hot Bacon Dressing

 

I have a Famous-Barr menu from The Mauritania Room, which was the upscale restaurant at the West County store. The undated carte, which is probably from the late 1960s or early 1970s, describes the Salade Montreux like this: "Bowl of fresh tossed greens with julienne of baked ham, Swiss cheese, white meat of turkey, cucumbers, tomatoes and egg wedges; bacon strips and watercress garnish, special dressing, or your choice of dressing."

 

Salade Montreux

Ingredients & Mode

 

Salade

- Ready four individual salad bowls. Set them out so you can fill them easily.

- Wash and dry 3 Heads of Bib or Boston Lettuce, and

- 1 Bunch Fresh Watercress. While the greens dry, prepare the other integrants by julienning:

- 4 oz. of Baked Ham,

- 4 oz. of Roast Turkey,

- 8 oz. of Emmentaler, or other Swiss Cheese, and

- 8 oz. English or Japanese Cucumber. Set aside, and quarter lengthwise:

- 4 Plum Tomatoes, and

- 4 Hardboiled Eggs. Set them aside too.

- While the bacon is cooking for the dressing, arrange the lettuce and watercress attractively in the bowl. Top with neat piles of the ham, turkey, cheese, and arrange the egg and tomato wedges around perimeter of the dish.

- Just before serving, spoon some of the dressing over, and send to the table immediately.

 

Hot Bacon Dressing

- Heat a heavy skillet over medium heat. When hot, place in

- 4 Strips of Bacon. While they are frying, prepare the rest by chopping

- ¼ Cup of Peanuts. Place in a bowl, and top with

- 3 Tablespoons Honey, and

- A cracking of Black Pepper. Stir and set aside.

- Once the Bacon is crisp and brown, remove to drain on paper toweling. Pour all but

- 3 or 4 Tablespoons of the Bacon Fat out of the pan, and put it back on the heat.

- Add the reserved honey and peanut mixture and stir to get some of the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Deglaze off the heat with

- 1 Tablespoon Sherry Vinegar, and quickly spoon over the salads. Top with one bacon strip each, and serve.

 

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[4] Canard à l'orange

Roast Duck with Orange Sauce

 

A favorite of the 70s, and the epitome of elegant eating, 'Duck a la Orange' fell out of favor, but deserves to be revisited. It is perfect for the holidays.

For the best quality ducks, go to your local farmer's market and look for the freshest ones possible. Also, be sure to prick the skin all over – especially on the bottom side – to let the excess fat drain away from the skin. Doing this will allow it to crisp and turn golden brown.

 

Canard à l'orange

Ingredients & Mode

 

Roasting the Duck

- Preheat the oven to 375ºF.

- Use paper towels to completely dry the surface and inside of

- 2 Fresh Ducks, about 4 to 5lbs, each.

- Set two flat racks in a large roasting pan, and prick the duck's skin with the point of a sharp knife, especially along the back and lower thighs. Truss the legs together, and tuck the wings under the back. - -- Place on the racks breast side up. Lightly

- Salt and Pepper.

- Roast in the middle of the oven for 2 hours, basting about once every 20 minutes, and rotating the pan once. Drape the ducks with foil once the skin looks crispy and brown.

- In the meantime, prepare the sauce.

 

Orange Sauce

- First, use a citrus zester to peel long thin strips from

- 2 Large Navel Oranges. Set the zest aside and juice the oranges. You should have at least ¾ Cup of Orange Juice.

- Heat 4 Cups of Turkey, Duck or Chicken Stock in a pan just until it simmers.

- In a separate pan, heat

- 1/3 Cup Honey, with

- 1/3 Cup Champagne Vinegar. Boil about 3 minutes, or until syrupy and taking on a slight golden color.

- While hot, pour in the Stock and set back on the heat. Stir until it comes to a simmer.

- Work quickly to finish the sauce with

- The reserved Orange Juice,

- 3 Tablespoons Grand Marnier, or other orange-flavored liqueur, and

- Salt and Pepper to taste.

- Take the pan off the heat and stir in

- 5 Tablespoons Chilled Butter Bits.

- This will thicken the sauce and make it lustrous.

- To serve, allowed the roast ducks to rest for 20 mins once out of the oven, then place on a platter, spoon over some of the sauce, and garnish with the Orange Zest.

- Put rest of the sauce in a sauceboat, and serve hot.

 

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[5] Bevo Mill Sauerbraten

Sweet and Sour Marinated Beef with Oranges and Spice

 

Bevo Mill opened in 1916 as a premiere German restaurant.[1] Popular legend has it that the location was chosen as a perfect luncheon spot halfway between the owners place of business, and his palatial estate – or between Anheuser-Busch's brewery and Grant's Farm.[2] The second floor chamber in the windmill section is a gilded-age private dinning space for the Busch family. It is vaulted, and the ceiling is pained blue with cupids flying this way and that.

For generations, the food at Bevo Mill was iconic, and the Sauerbraten stood out as most people's favorite. The recipe was donated for the Saint Louis Symphony to use in a fund raising cookbook, and the following is adapted from that 1954 source. Instructions for Red Cabbage and Potato Pancakes follow, and should be served with the Sauerbraten.

 

Bevo Mill Sauerbraten

Ingredients & Mode

 

Meat and Marinade

- Slice to portions of about one-inch thick,

- 4lbs. Beef Round Roast, or Sirloin Roast, trimmed of excess fat, and place in the bottom of a lidded crock. Make sure this crock will fit in your refrigerator.

- Slice 2 Navel Oranges, and arrange the slices between the meat.

- Heat a heavy skillet over medium heat. When hot, toss in

- 2 Tablespoons each of Butter and Oil. When hot, stir-fry

- 2 Medium White Onions, sliced,

- 4 Cloves of Garlic, whole

- 1 Carrot, sliced,

- 2 Stalks of Celery,

- A 3-inch section of peeled Ginger Root,

- ¼ Teaspoon Whole Cloves,

- 1 Teaspoon Black Pepper Corns,

- 2 Bay Leaves,

- ½ Teaspoon freshly grated Nutmeg, and

- 1 Teaspoon Salt. Stir and sauté for about 5 mins, or until lightly golden. Deglaze the hot pan by pouring on

- 1 Cup of Dry Red Wine, and

- ½ Cup Red Wine Vinegar. Cook a minute or two, scraping up all the brown bits from the bottom of the pan.

- Pour this over the meat in the crock, and press down with your hand. While pressing, add more

- Red Wine until it comes up to your palm.

- Cover the crock and marinate in the refrigerator for 36 hours, rotating the meat twice a day.

 

Cooking and Sauce

- Preheat your oven to 250°F, and make sure your rack is positioned to accommodate a large, lidded pan.

- Take the meat from the refrigerator. Strain the marinade well, saving the liquid. Dry the beef well with paper towels.

- Heat an enameled casserole or Dutch Oven over medium heat. When hot, toss in

- 4 Tablespoons each of Butter and Oil. When hot, fry the meat slices undisturbed for 3 minutes on each side one or two at a time.

- When everything is browned, pour over the strained marinade and bring to a simmer.

- Cover the pan and braise in the center of the oven for 2 hours or more. After 2 hours, turn the heat to low and let rest until ready to serve.

 

Serving

- Once your guests arrive, take the meat from the pan and place on a platter. Bring the sauce to a simmer, and taste for Salt.

- Thicken slightly by simmering in

- ½ Cup Gingersnap Cookies, crushed. Spoon some sauce over the meat and serve the rest in a sauceboat.

 

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[6] Red Cabbage and Potato Pancakes

Red Cabbage with Apples, Dried Cranberries and Red Wine, and Potato Latke with Onions and Scallions

 

The Bevo Mill menu I have from 1947 does not say what the Sauerbraten was served with, but both of these side dishes were available à la carte, and make the perfect accompaniment.

 

Red Cabbage

Ingredients & Mode

 

- You can make the day ahead, and reheat gently on the stovetop.

- Preheat oven to 250ºF.

- Heat a heavy, lidded pan over medium heat. When hot, toss in

- 4 Tablespoons each of Butter and Oil. Add

- 2 White Onions, sliced. Sauté for about 5 minutes, or until lightly golden. Stir in

- 3 Tablespoons Four, until thick. Then add

- 1 thinly sliced Red Cabbage (about 5 Cups),

- 2 Cored and sliced Red Apples, and

- ½ Cup Dried Cranberries. Stir and let cook 5 mins. Pour over the top

- 2 Cups Dry Red Wine,

- ¼ Cup Honey,

- ½ Cup Red Wine Vinegar, and

- 1½ Cups Chicken or Vegetable Stock. Cover and bring to a simmer. - In the meantime, make a bouquet garni by trying up in a small piece of cheesecloth

- 2 Bay Leaves,

- 1 2-inch stick of Cinnamon,

- 3 Cloves,

- ¼ Teaspoon Black Pepper Corns,

- A Blade of Mace. Tie with kitchen twine, and add to the cabbage.

- Braise in the center of the oven for 2½ hours.

- Adjust final seasonings, discard the bouquet garni, and serve.

 

Potato Pancakes

Ingredients & Mode

 

- Try to make these only an hour or so before serving, and keep warm in the oven. You want them to be as crisp as possible. .

- Zest a Large Lemon, and place in a bowl. Add

- ½ Cup sliced Scallions to the zest,

- ½ Teaspoon Salt, and

- ¼ Teaspoon Cracked Black Pepper,

- 1 Tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar. Mix and set aside.

- Juice the Lemon and pour into the bottom of a stainless steel or glass bowl. Thinly slice and toss over the top

- 1 Large Red Onion, and

- 2lbs. Potatoes (about 6 medium ones), peeled and grated. Cover with cool Water and let rest for an hour.

- Make a batter by beating

- 2 Eggs,

- 2 Tablespoons Flour,

- ¼ Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg, and

- the reserved Lemon Zest and Scallion mixture.

- After an hour, drain the grated Potato mixture well, and mix with the batter.

- Heat a pair of skillets over medium-high heat. When hot, add

- 1 Tablespoon Butter to each. When sizzling hot, make about three pancakes per pan with not much more than a generous tablespoon of batter at a time.

- Fry undisturbed for 4 minutes. Turn once and cook the other side for another 2 minutes.

- Drain on paper towels, and serve hot.

 

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[7] Ooey Gooey Butter Cake

Coffeecake with Butter and Cream Cheese Filling

 

A Saint Louis original, the legend goes that a city baker was careless making a cheesecake one morning during the 1930s. He set the disaster on the counter to cool so he could take it back for his family. A customer asked for it, and it went to a new home. The following morning, the same customer was back looking for a second one. The baker recreated his 'disaster,' and had a hit on his hands.

The authentic cake is baked at a low temperature, as the top should remain golden yellow and not show signs of browning.

 

Ooey Gooey Butter Cake

Ingredients & Mode

 

Base and Preparation

- Butter a 9 by 13-inch baking pan. Line with paper if you like for easy removal.

- Preheat the oven to 325ºF, and make the base by mixing

- 1 Cup of Flour,

- 2 Tablespoons Sugar,

- 2 Teaspoons Baking Powder, and

A Pinch of Salt. In a separate bowl, beat

- 1 Egg, with

- ¾ Cup Milk. Gradually mix into the flour mixture to make a fairly stiff dough.

- Spread in the bottom of the pan.

 

Filling

- Use in hand or stand mixer to blend

- ¼lb. Butter with

- ¾ Cup Sugar. Add to it

- 2 Eggs, and

- ½lb. Cream Cheese. Beat until well mixed.

- Pour over base, and bake in the center of the oven for about 1 hour.

- Let cool to room temperature. Dust with

- Powdered Sugar, and cut into squares.

 

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[8] Mississippi Mud Pie

Triple Chocolate – Crust, Cake, and Mousse – topped with Whipped Cream

 

This is another one of those dishes that became popular all of a sudden and slowly faded into the background. A 'pudding pie,' this one had a slightly older sibling from the 60s known as the Grasshopper Pie – a crème de menthe flavored mousse over a chocolate crust.

 

Mississippi Mud Pie

Ingredients & Mode

 

Crust

- Pulse grind in a food processor

- 16 Oz. Chocolate Wafer Cookies,

- 3 Tablespoons Brown Sugar, and

- 3 Tablespoons Softened Butter.

- Grease the bottoms and sides of a 9-inch springform pan, and pour in the crust. Use the bottom of a glass to press about half of the amount of crust into the bottom of the pan, and the remained to come up the sides of the pan evenly, at least three inches.

 

Cake

- Preheat your oven to 350°F

- Put 4 Oz. of Semisweet Chocolate, and

- 2 Tablespoons of Butter in the bottom of a microwave-safe bowl. Melt in microwave over low power, and stir every 20 seconds to ensure it does not scorch. As soon as it is just barely melted, remove and beat into it

- 3 Eggs,

- ½ Cup Sugar.

- ½ Cup Flour,

- 2 Teaspoons Baking Soda, and

- ½ Cup Buttermilk. Beat until smooth. Pour into crust and bake for 30 minutes.

- Take from the oven and let cool completely in the pan.

 

Chocolate Mousse and Assembly

- Place 6 Oz. of Bittersweet Chocolate in a pan with

- 3 Cups of Milk, and

- 1 Cup of Sugar. Set over a medium heat, and slowly melt and stir all together.

- Break 6 Eggs into a mixing bowl, and whisk lightly. Once the chocolate is melted in the milk, slowly beat in a thin stream of the hot liquid into the eggs. Once half incorporated, stir the mixture pan into the pan with the remaining eggs and put back on the flame.

- Stirring the whole while, cook the chocolate custard about 5 minutes, or until it coats the back of a spoon heavily.

- To cool more quickly, pour the custard into another bowl and set aside.

- In the meantime, beat

- 3 Cups of Heavy Cream until stiff.

- Once the chocolate custard is cool to the touch, fold in about half of the whipped cream, and carefully spoon into the pie shell. Come to the top of the crust as neatly as possible.

- Refrigerate the pie for several hours. Right before serving, unmold it, dollop the remaining whipped cream on top, and decorate by grating on some chocolate.

 

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