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As we prepare to do our patriotic duty and stuff ourselves with hot dogs and corn on the cob this weekend, it’s a good time to look back at an original American patriot, Benjamin Franklin, and his food predilections. One of the drafters of the Declaration of Independence and a signer of the U.S. Constitution, he was also a great proponent of local American produce as a way to avoid dependence on foreign imports. Perhaps you could even call him a proto-locavore.

According to the Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary Web site, the bespectacled printer, author and inventor was a fan of such native foods as cranberries, maple syrup and Indian corn, which he called “one of the most agreeable and wholesome grains in the world.”

But he was also interested in the foods of other cultures. He learned about tofu while in London, and his 1770 letter to John Bartram in Pennsylvania, accompanied by a few soybeans and a description of a “cheese” made from them in China, is the first documented mention of tofu by an American.

Franklin wished the turkey had been made the national bird, rather than the bald eagle. In a letter to his daughter he wrote, ““For the Truth the Turkey is in Comparison a much more respectable Bird and withal a true Native of America … He is besides, though a little vain and silly, a Bird of Courage, and would not hesitate to attack a Grenadier of the British Guards who should presume to invade his Farm Yard with a red Coat on.”

A few years ago there was a patriotic (or at least Francophobic) drive to rename french fries as freedom fries. If he could have looked into the future, Franklin might have been amused by the tuber-related kerfuffle. After all, in his day the French thought potatoes—fried or otherwise—were poisonous, or at the very least unpalatable, and Franklin took part in changing their minds about this New World vegetable.

Representing the newly independent United States, Franklin was a guest of honor at a dinner party thrown by the French pharmacist Antoine-Augustin Parmentier, where every course was made from potatoes, as part of a campaign to promote potatoes as the answer to wheat-crop failures. A few years later, during France’s own revolution, Parmentier was vindicated when potatoes were embraced as “revolutionary food.”

Something to ponder as you dig into the potato salad this weekend. Happy Independence Day!

Lovin’ those Leftovers
In recent history, leftovers have joined peanut butter sandwiches as staples of lunch. This trend has its roots in a time when Americans used to eat breakfast, dinner and supper, says Lynne Olver, creator of the Food Timeline. Dinner was the main midday meal and supper was always leftovers from dinner.

Sushi, courtesy of Flickr user adactio.

1980s

The Times: The 1980s were called the “Me” decade, and billionaires and moguls were featured on the covers of magazines. President Ronald Reagan declared a war on drugs, and the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, ending the Cold War. MTV launched in 1981 and movies like E.T. and Back to the Future were box office hits.

Lunch:
Sushi
Mud Pie
“New” Coke

Why it was popular: Even though sushi had available in the United States for a while, this was the decade when noodle houses and Japanese BBQ became very popular, as exotic foods went mainstream, Olver says. Mud pie typified the decade with its rich decadence. In 1985, Coca-Cola changed the formula of its regular cola, but kept its name, Coca-Cola, the same. When Americans overwhelmingly protested the switch, the company released Coca-Cola Classic, made from the original formula. New Coke, or Coca-Cola II, remained on shelves until 1992.

1990s

The Times: This was the decade of the Internet, DotCom market and cell phones. President Bill Clinton signed off on the North American Free Trade Agreement and reformed welfare. Fads of the time included boy bands, Beanie Babies and Furbies.

Lunch:
Hot Pockets
Snackwell brand cookies
Clearly Canadian

Why it was popular: Clearly Canadian was a fruit-flavored soda and was advertised for its health benefits, even though it was nutritionally comparable to drinking other sodas. By this point, virtually all employee lunchrooms had a microwave, which easily cooked frozen foods like Hot Pockets, Olver says.

2000s

The Times: The terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, shocked the nation. The U.S. to sent troops to Afghanistan and Iraq under the direction of President George W. Bush. On January 20, 2009, Barack Obama became the first African-American to be sworn in as president. In pop culture, reality TV dominates the airwaves. Who knows what else will happen — there’s a year and a half left of this decade!

Lunch:

Chinese food, courtesy of Flickr user tm lv.

Chinese food, including fried rice
Bottled water

Why it is popular: Leftovers have always been the mainstay of the portable lunch, Olver says. Most people were, and still are, eating what they had the night before for dinner, whether it’s homecooked or take-out.

Now that I’ve explored lunches from the 20th century, I have to ask: What’s in your lunch box?

Led by Angela Gray, chefs at the Folklife Festival demonstrate how to make Welsh cakes. Photo by Ashley Luthern.

At the Smithsonian Folklife Festival last week, three chefs demonstrated their techniques for making Welsh cake.

I had never heard of Welsh cakes. At first mention, I pictured something like this video of the process of making a chocolate cake, but it turns out that baking a Welsh cake is quite different.

Angela Gray, a Welsh cook who has regularly appeared on BBC Wales and teaches at the Shires Cookery School, hosted the cake bake-off. She started off by asking the three participants to list their ingredients. The base consisted of flour, species, butter, egg, dried fruits and “secret spices,” which usually included nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, sugar and cloves, as the participants revealed after the demonstration.

While the cooks were mixing the ingredients by hand, Gray reminded the more than 100 people in the audience that the mixture should not be “over-handled.” The chefs rolled out the dough and used a circular cutout to make individual cakes about the size of an American cookie.

Then the circles of dough were arranged on a bakestone, which is traditionally a flat stone placed over a fire or stove. The bakestone helps to cook the Welsh cakes on a low, even heat, for two or three minutes on each side. If you don’t have a bakestone, a flat electric griddle or baking pan would work well, too.

Welsh cakes are usually a couple of inches in diameter. Image courtesy of Flickr user zingyyellow.

Within minutes of the cakes going on the bakestone, a sweet aroma filled the tent. As the chefs plated their creations, Gray said that even though the cakes looked like scones and cookies, they were different in their taste and texture.

The perfect Welsh cake, said Gray, should be “light with just enough spice to make it interesting.” Interested in making your own Welsh cakes? Check out this recipe or head over to the Folklife Festival this week for more cooking lessons.

Culinary Experimentation
The meals of the 1960s and 1970s had a wide variety of influences. The environmental movement increased the amount of granola and other whole foods consumed, says Lynne Olver, creator of the Food Timeline. Meanwhile, the Kennedys and Julia Childs popularized French cuisine. Even with the culinary experimentation, mainstay sandwiches like peanut butter or tuna were common in lunch boxes.

1960s

Iceberg wedge salad, courtesy Flickr user SauceSupreme.

The Times: The 1960s exploded with cultural changes. The Civil Rights Movement, women’s liberation and Vietnam War protests all flourished in this decade. Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first men to walk on the moon. Acid rock, psychedelic drugs and folk music were popular.

Lunch:
Iceberg wedge salad
Carrot sticks
Nutmeg date bars
Tang

Why it was popular: The wedge salad could be as simple as a chunk of iceberg lettuce with a dollop of mayonnaise and would have been easy to pack, Olver says. The orange-flavored drink Tang didn’t become popular until NASA used it on Gemini flights in 1965 and since then it has been associated with the space program.

1970s

Quiche Lorraine, courtesy Flickr user foéÖþoooey.

The Times: The 1970s were a continuation of the changes in the 1960s. Vice President Spiro Agnew resigned from office because of charges of corruption in 1973 and the next year President Richard Nixon resigned, rather than face impeachment for his involvement in Watergate. The Supreme Court ruled on Roe v. Wade and the first Gay Pride march was held in New York City, honoring the first anniversary of the Stonewall riots.

Lunch:
Quiche Lorraine
Grasshopper pie (mint filling in an Oreo crust)

Why it was popular: Quiche was easily packaged in a lunch. Americans were intrigued by different flavors and textures; They weren’t satisfied with the same food that they had had since the 1950s, Olver says.

Don’t miss the last lunch box blog post coming Thursday!

As I wrote last week, hot weather often makes people reach for chilly white wines. But there’s no reason to reject reds!

Although most people think red wines taste best at “room temperature,” that’s not as warm as you might think, especially in summer. Between 60-65 degrees Fahrenheit is ideal for most red wines, and some taste good even colder. Put the bottle in the fridge for a few minutes before serving, or for a fun touch, use frozen red grapes as ice cubes that won’t water down your wine.

Here are some types I like (based partly on a recent Smithsonian Resident Associates tasting with wine educator Kelly Magyarics):

Type: Pinot Noir
One to try: Domaine Chandon Pinot Noir, from the Carneros region of California
Average retail price: $30
Tastes like: Plums, blueberries and pepper
Pairs with: Cedar-planked grilled salmon, orange-glazed seared duck breast, BBQ chicken, lentil salad.

Type: Malbec
One to try: Trivento Select Malbec, from the Mendoza region of Argentina
Average retail price: $12
Tastes like: Dark berries, pepper and cocoa
Pairs with: Peppercorn-crusted beef, BBQ ribs, pizza with spicy toppings, Caprese salad.

Type: Cabernet Sauvignon
One to try: Solaire Cabernet Sauvignon Central Coast, made with Cabernet Sauvignon grapes from three of Robert Mondavi’s vineyards in California
Average retail price: $15
Tastes like: Blackberries, plums and vanilla
Pairs with: Grilled ribeye steak, lamb kebabs, hard cheeses.

Type: Beaujolais
One to try: Louis Jadot Beaujolais Villages, made with Gamay grapes from the Beaujolais region of France
Average retail price: $11
Tastes like: Strawberries, licorice and pepper
Pairs with: Hamburgers, grilled fish or chicken with Cajun spice rub, mild to medium cheeses.

Type: Rosé
One to try: Toad Hollow Eye of the Toad Rosé, made with Pinot Noir grapes from California’s Sonoma Valley
Average retail price: $10 (2007 vintage)
Tastes like: Strawberries, watermelon with a slight zing of citrus
Pairs with: Fried chicken, hot dogs, sushi, melon balls…pretty much anything!