Although it's widely known and accepted that Midwesterners are, always have been and always will be hicks, and darned proud of it, food and its history also depends on the population and what is available. Detroit was founded by the French, and so cooking was very much influenced by that in the 1700-1800s and that style of cooking was popular and common in Michigan. Food in the cities was far removed from that the pioneers subsisted on, which by nature had to be made from ingredients that were portable and could be stored long term as refrigeration was not available and transportation of foodstuffs was inconvenient. The railroads in the 1800s made food more portable and so more variety became available. I got this from "food timeline", and the Occidental Saloon in Tombstone certainly was going "upscale", LOL. "Sudden wealth from gold and silver brought sudden change. It came earliest in California. Bayard Taylor reported in 1850 "it was no unusual thing to see a company of these men, who had never before thought of luxury beyond a good beefsteak and glass of whiskey, drinking their champagne at ten dollars a bottle, and eating their tongue and sardines, or warming in the smoky campfire their tin cannisters of turtle soup and lobster salad."...Teddy Blue, a Montana cowboy during the 1880s when the cattle trade flourished, wrote: 'talking about food, do you know what was the first thing a cowpuncher ordered to eat when he got to town? Oysters and celery. And eggs. Those things were what he didn't get and what he was crazy for.'...It was not only oysters that, with the coming of the railroads, suddenly became avaialble in Sheridan, Wyoming, in Miles City, Montana, or Virginia City, Nevada. Gambling and concert saloons as well as hotel bars offered their well-heeled customers fancy fare printed on equally fancy menus, often in broken French... "In Wyatt Earp's and Doc Holliday's Tombstone, the Occidental Saloon served a Sunday dinner to tickle "Doc's" fashionable palate: Soups Chicken Giblet and Consumme, with Egg Fish Columbia River Salmon, au Beurre Noir Relieves Filet a Boeuf, a la Financier Leg of Lamb, Sauce, Oysters Cold Meats Loin of Beef, Loin of Ham, Loin of Pork, Westphalia Ham, Corned Beef, Imported Lunches Boiled Meats Leg of Mutton, Ribs of Beef, Corned Beef and Cabbage, Russian River Bacon Entrees Pinons a Poulett, aux Champignons Cream Fricasse of Chicken, Asparagus Points,br> Lapine Domestique, a la Matire d'Hote Casserole d'Ritz aux Oeufs, a la Chinoise Ducks of Mutton, Braze, with Chipoluta Ragout California Fresh Peach, a la Conde Roasts Loin of Beef, Loin of Mutton, Leg of Pork Apple Sauce, Suckling Pig, with Jelly, Chicken Stuffed Veal Pastry Peach, Apple, Plum, and Custard Pies English Plum Pudding, Hard Sauce, Lemon Flavor And we will have it or perish. This dinner will be served for 50 cents." And so it appears that nearly anything can be Americana. I guess, though, that peanut butter might not be since it was not common until the 1880s or so, so scratch the peanut butter and jelly and replace it with Casserole d'Ritz aux Oeufs, a la Chinoise and Suckling Pig! Or hardtack and pemmican, your choice. Annie

This is a bit off topic for cutlets, but I was reminded of a terrific Veal Stew that I used to make. The recipe is from a cookbook author who was one of my 80's favorites. Having been exposed to more flavor profiles now, I might add some smoked paprika for enhanced flavor. Veal Stew a la Marlene Sorosky Mushrooms-frozen or fresh (multiple types), Sliced ü cup vegetable/olive oil 2 ý lbs Veal Stew Meat (leg or shoulder, cut into 1 /12-2 inch cubes) 1 Large onion chopped 3 cloves of garlic, finely minced 1 Tblsp Paprika 1 teaspoon salt ü to ý teaspoons freshly ground pepper Grated orange peel from one orange 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves, crumbled 1 can (28oz) of whole tomatoes, drained partially 1 cup dry white wine 1 package of frozen peas (10oz.) Chop onions and mince garlic. In large, heavy saucepan heat the oil. Sauté the veal over high heat until brown on all sides. This will need to be done in batches, do not overcrowd the pan. As each batch is browned, remove it to a bowl. Reduce heat and add the chopped onion and garlic. Cook until the onions are tender but not brown. Stir in the paprika, salt, pepper, orange peel and thyme. Return meat to the pan and add the tomatoes, breaking them up with your fingers. Add the wine and the mushrooms. Stir well, cover and simmer over low heat for 1 ý- 2 hours or until the meat is tender, stirring every 10 to 15 minutes. Add the peas 15 minutes before serving!! The stew may be refrigerated up to two days or frozen. To freeze, cool it and place in an airtight container. Defrost at room temperature and reheat in a saucepan over moderately low heat until heated through. Serve with a salad and crusty bread, plain noodles or noodle pudding.

Woo hoo!!! Congrats on finally getting the book from the library, and that recipe!!! When you make it, please post pictures if you get a chance! Special thanks for posting the recipe! Smiles, Sooz

I was always intrigued by vintage cookbooks that used chicken livers in Italian meat sauces. A few years ago, I found another one in the book In Tuscany by France's Mayes, tried it, and really liked it. (Bracketed comments are mine.) FIORELLA'S RAGU DI FUNGHI PORCINI This recipe begins with odori, the earthy mix of root vegetables and parsleythat is at the heart of many Tuscan dishes. Serves 6 to 8 Odori: 1 carrot, minced 1 celery stalk, minced 1 onion, minced A handful of parsley, chopped 1 clove garlic, minced 2 Tbs. EV olive oil 2 Italian sausages, casings removed [14 oz.] 3/4 pound ground veal 2 chicken livers, cut in small pieces Salt Pinch of red pepper 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 cup red wine [I used chianti] 1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms 1 Tbs. tomato paste 6 to 7 fresh chopped tomatoes or one 28-ounce can tomatoes Sauté the odori ingredients in the olive oil [medium heat] to make the odori. Add the sausage, veal, liver, salt, red pepper and garlic. Sauté until brown, [medium-high heat] stirring often. When the mixture begins to stick to the pan, add the wine and stir [occasionally] until it evaporates. Meanwhile, put the dried mushrooms in hot water for 10 minutes. Remove them from the water [straining and reserving it], chop, and add them to the meat, stirring well. Add the tomato paste and the tomatoes. When the sauce has come to a boil, add the water from the dried mushrooms, well filtered. Simmer slowly for about 40 minutes. Serve with fresh-cooked, al dente tagliatelle or fettuccine. [I used fettuccini but would also be good on mafalda. It's too chunky for thin pasta like spaghetti.] I make different sauces depending on the time of year. In summer, my favorite is based on fresh tomatoes. In winter, I often use creamed vegetable soups with less liquid added as a sauce, especially roasted garlic soup. In springtime, we eat a lot of veal and I often make a sauce based on Veal Marengo.