P is for Pumpkins and Potatoes

Whenever I begin research, I turn first to cookbooks. As far as I'm concerned, there's nothing that can evoke the feel of a time and place like its food. So when I started writing my historical novel AMBER & FLAME, which is set in 1701 Cremona, Italy, I was pleased to find an amazing cookbook called The Gastronomy of Italy. It outlines Italy's traditional dishes by region, and explains their evolution, history and cultural significance. Not being Italian, the term "Italian food" rarely made me think of anything other than pasta, risotto or pizza (I did know that our American pizza is not what they eat, at least). But Italy's a big country. My ignorance could be equated with someone thinking they knew about American food because they'd tried clam chowder and Boston baked beans.

Surprisingly, two ingredients that had a significant impact on historical northern Italian cuisine were in fact American: pumpkin and potato. Yep, prior to discovering the New World, Europe had never encountered these two staples of their diet. There was no pumpkin gnocchi before America, no Irish Shepherd's Pie, no English fish and chips.

Granted, we should probably thank Europeans for some of our favorite pumpkin and potato dishes, because our preparation was on the primitive side for a bit. We might enjoy a nice, crusty pumpkin pie every Thanksgiving--but that was a recipe we stole from the British half a century later. They made a spiced squash dessert pie while the pilgrims were still stuck on the medieval tradition of meat pies. The pumpkin served at the first Thanksgiving was probably a custard of eggs and milk and honey baked in a pumpkin shell hollowed of its seeds.

Here's my favorite, all-American, super-simple, and very-delicious pumpkin recipe:

PUMPKIN SOUP

1 can pumpkin
2 cans of milk
1/3 cup maple syrup (or to taste)
1 tsp. cinnamon
sprinkles of nutmeg and cloves

Whisk together over medium heat and enjoy! It's like pumpkin pie without the crust.