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Among the many biographers who have reported on the foods most liked by George Washington, there's agreement. The Father of our Nation favored hoecakes "swimming in butter and honey" for breakfast (along with three cups of tea, without cream) and meals comprised of fish, which was his favorite food. By all accounts, Washington also loved ice cream and nuts and had a genuine affection for Madeira wine. Of course, there are countless other foods he enjoyed, especially in the years he lived in Mount Vernon, Va. -- an expansive enclave made up of self-contained farms and orchards that included animals and numerous outbuildings, such as a smokehouse and a salt house, in which hundreds of pounds of salt was stored to preserve foods like meat and fish, such as cod. When prepared correctly, a boiled salted codfish dinner, served with a little melted butter, potatoes, boiled vegetables and some kind of sauce, was considered fine eating. While salted cod is still enjoyed in a myriad of cultures around the world, today's recipe for cod cakes is offered to remind us how lucky we are to live in an age where fish comes fresh frozen and recipe ready. The hoecakes, a study in contrasts, are presented as a means to depict the difference between the sit-down breakfast hoecakes that were prepared and consumed by Washington and those cooked by field hands and slaves. The recipe left to us by Nelly Lewis Custis, Washington's step-granddaughter, contained yeast and egg and required an overnight sitting before use. Those made in the field, with the same shovels and hoes used to work the cotton and tobacco fields for up to 16 to 18 hours a day, were made on the spot, with just water and cornmeal -- food for thought on an otherwise celebratory occasion. Lastly, I give you a cake made with Madeira, the fortified wine named for the islands off the North African coast, near Portugal, from where it comes. Washington would have loved it, but so would Martha. As an alternative to her famous "Great Cake," originally made with 40 eggs, four pounds of sugar, five pounds of flour, five pounds of fruit and a half pint of fresh brandy, Martha surely would have liked the cake's streamlined list of ingredients and ease of preparation. As for George, it would be about the nuts and the wine -- but especially the wine.
Sue Ade is a syndicated food writer with broad experience and interest in the culinary arts. She has worked and resided in the Lowcountry of South Carolina since 1985 and may be reached at kitchenade@yahoo.com.
