Recipe: https://www.savortoothtiger.com/recipes/gilded-age-lobster-newburg
Original version: https://youtu.be/qUk1xQBXDWs?si=TZ9Lkq66dWuk28NI
We’re going back to 19th century, to my favorite era of all time…the Gilded Age( 1870-1900), which overlaps with some of the British Victorian era but is distinctly American . The architecture of Newport mansions, the Biltmore estate, the Waldorf & Astoria, originally 2 separate hotels before they were demolished to make room for the Empire State Building; the fashion; The Food! The over the top feasts of lobster & caviar. People read by candlelight, traveled by train and horse-drawn carriage, and dined at Delmonico’s. Sure, I wouldn’t be able to vote but man was it romantic!
The term gilded age was coined by Mark Twain. It was gold on the outside but tarnished underneath, like the huge disparity in wealth between the railroad tycoons, robber barons and working class laborers barely surviving. America had just ended the Civil War and we were full steam ahead building railroads and factories, while 20 million immigrants came to live their American dream.
Today, I’ll be making a famous Delmonico’s dish: Lobster Newberg. Before we dive in to the recipe, let’s discuss how cooking was actually done. In the Gilded Age it all depended on your economic level. Lower and middle class Americans were cooking over an open a hearth or potentially a coal or wood fired stove, using cast iron most likely. I’m using a granite wear pot, invented in 1871 and a copper pot, which had been used as cookware for centuries. Towards the end of the 19th century, we really see improvements in stoves and cookware. Wealthy families had their own chefs with a fully outfitted, modern kitchen. Gas ranges gained popularity and then eventually electric around the turn of the century.
Sources:
All photos from Library of Congress
When the Astors Owned New York, Justin Kaplan
A Thousand Years Over a Hot Stove, Laura Schenone
Time Life Books- American Cooking: The Eastern Heartland
The American Heritage Cookbook
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/cooking-through-the-ages-a-timeline-of-oven-inventions-380050/
#foodhistory#history#gildedage
We’re going back to the 19th century to my favorite era of all time the Gilded Age 1870 to 1900 which overlaps with some of the British Victorian era but is distinctly American the architecture of Newport Mansions the builtmore state Waldorf and Ator hotels originally two separate hotels owned by feuding family
Members before they were both demolished to make room for the Empire State Building the fashion the mustaches well not that guy the food the over-the-top feasts of lobster caviar people read by candlelight traveled by train and hor drawn carriage and DED at Del Monaco’s sure I wouldn’t have been able to vote
But man was it romantic the term guild at age was coined by Mark Twain it was gold on the outside but tarnished underneath like the huge disparity and wealth between the railroad tycoons robber barons and workingclass laborers barely surviving America had just ended the Civil War and we were full steam ahead building
Railroads and factories while 20 million immigrants came to live their American Dream today I’ll be making a famous Del Monaco dish Lobster Newberg before we dive into the recipe let’s discuss how cooking was actually done in the Gilded Age it all depended on your economic level lower and middle class Americans
Were cooking over an Open Hearth or potentially a coal or wood fired stove using cast iron most likely I’m using this Granite wear pot invented in 1871 and this Copper Pot which had been used as cookware for centuries during the end of the 19th century we really see improvements in stoves and cookware
Wealthy families had their own chefs with a fully outfitted modern kitchen gas ranges gained popularity and then eventually electric around the turn of the century restaurants were becoming popular the finest restaurant of the Gilded Age without comparison was Del Monaco they opened in 1827 as a small
Pastry shop but grew to the playground for New York City’s upper class princes and presidents the most expensive dinner on record nicknamed The Swan dinner cost $10,000 because they built a pool with live Swans in the restaurant for diners to just enjoy while they ate an elaborate eight course meal popular
Dishes like eggs benedict baked Alaska and lobster Newberg were all invented here Lobster Newberg was once called Lobster wenberg in honor of Del Monaco’s best customer Ben wenberg the men had a falling out and the name of the dish was changed to Lobster Newberg So Scandalous
I love it this dish is basically Lobster meat tossed in a wine cream sauce that you can serve on puff pastry if you haven’t seen the HBO drama series The Gilded Age you’re missing out on some juicy TV in episode 1 we saw the wealthy Russell family who had their own French
Chef to craft every meal the housekeepers Butlers and ladies Maids ate a little more modestly at their evening meal of roast and vegetables but what were the factory workers and lower class Americans eating imagine living in a New York City tenement with no running water electricity or proper kitchen 2/3
Of New York City’s population lived in tenement housing like this when cooking was done it was over an Open Hearth or possibly a wood burning stove with scraps from The Butcher and whatever vegetables were on sale this was typical in many big US cities there just wasn’t
Proper housing set up to accommodate New City Life many poor Americans ate street food often like oysters hot dogs it was expensive to cook and they were exhausted not like today when we say we’re too tired let’s order pizza in tenent housing with no running water you
Would have to carry buckets of water up many flights of stairs and firewood light a fire or stove prep and cook dinner for the many family members you likely had all with the slim budget after having worked a long day of factory work or caring for many children
After 1901 tenament did improve some did I mention the bathrooms were communal history brings such perspective I have to tell you about a man that is so unreal he sounds made up this fabulous Gilded Age man was Diamond Jim Brady nicknamed because he was often dripping in Jewels besides the
Over-the-top jewelry the man was really known for his stomach after his death the coroner discovered that his stomach was six times the normal size this man could eat restaurant tour George Rector called him the best 25 customers we had at a regular dinner at rector’s he would
Order and eat two or three dozen oysters six crabs two portions of turtle soup aren’t you glad I didn’t make that today six or seven lobsters two ducks steak and vegetables and for dessert a platter of pastries and a 2 lb box of candy all washed down with gallons of juice or
Lemon soda how he was not 600 lb I will never understand to get the full recipe for free click the link in the description box thanks for watching cheers and I’ll see you in the next Century