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By Root 1087 0

’s Botany Department colleagues at North Carolina State College and it came to table in stemmed goblets snow-capped with whipped cream. Thinking that this was some new flavor of Jell-O, I dove in; then I made a face, put down my spoon, and refused to eat any more. My moratorium lasted until I’d acquired a taste for fine wine. I don’t know where wine jellies originated—England, I suspect. But I do know that from Colonial days (when gelatin had to be made at home by boiling calves’ feet) right up through the mid twentieth century, wine jellies were often served at the end of elegant southern dinners. Note: Other wines can be substituted for port: a malmsey (sweet Madeira), for example, an amontillado (sherry), even a Marsala.

2 envelopes unflavored gelatin

2 cups water

½ cup sugar

½ cinnamon stick

One 3-inch strip orange zest

One 2-inch strip lemon zest

2 cups fine fruity port such as a ruby or late-bottled vintage (see Note above)

1 cup heavy cream, whipped to soft peaks with 2 tablespoons confectioners’ (10X) sugar

1. Soften the gelatin in ½ cup of the water in a medium-size, nonreactive, heatproof bowl.

2. Meanwhile, bring the remaining 1½ cups water, the sugar, cinnamon stick, and orange and lemon zests to a boil in a small, heavy, nonreactive saucepan over moderate heat, stirring occasionally. Adjust the heat so that the liquid bubbles lazily and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes. Discard the cinnamon stick and the orange and lemon zests.

3. Pour the hot liquid over the softened gelatin and stir until the gelatin dissolves completely. Cool 10 minutes, then stir in the port wine. Cool 20 minutes more, then set uncovered in the refrigerator and chill for several hours or until the wine jelly is set.

4. To serve, break the wine jelly into small pieces with a fork (they should look like garnets or rubies), then layer into stemmed goblets with the sweetened whipped cream.

…the day started out without a fuss and the pantry shelves laid out with rows of jelly glasses…and white stone-china jars with blue whirligigs and words painted on them: coffee, tea, sugar, ginger, cinnamon, allspice.

—KATHERINE ANNE PORTER, THE JILTING OF GRANNY WEATHERALL

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Heirloom Recipe

PIG’S FOOT JELLY

Some years ago, the Home Demonstration Club Women of Iredell County, North Carolina, where I once worked, assembled and mimeographed a collection of old country recipes. This is one of them. My brother and sister and I were raised at the home of our grandparents, Colonel and Mrs. S. A. Sharpe. Our grandmother had been raised on the ancestral plantation, the McKee place, three miles from town. She knew and taught us many of the pioneer ways of cooking. Pig’s foot jelly was one of our favorites. It was a holiday dessert served in the finest of cut glass bowls. My sister remembers that it was her duty to whip the solid jelly with a silver fork into thousands of sparkling diamonds. Before the days of gelatin, animal skin and bones were cooked or rather simmered in water to extract the jelly. The broth was strained through a sieve and allowed to cool. The solid fat was removed and the jelly rubbed over with a clean hot cloth to remove more of the particles of fat.

The broth was reheated and strained through a cheesecloth bag that had been dipped in boiling water. Next, an egg white was beaten to a froth and the shell crumbled. The white and crumbled shell were added to the broth. It was heated and any impurities clung to the egg and were strained away. Now the jelly is ready to sweeten to taste. Wine to taste is added when the mixture is lukewarm. It is allowed to harden. Sometimes lemons were sliced into the jelly. Serve with whipped cream.

—Mrs. Katherine N. Knox, Iredell County, North Carolina

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TIME LINE: the people and events that shaped Southern Cuisine

1965

To bolster the strength and stamina of University of Florida football players (“the Gators”), college physicians create a carbohydrate-electrolyte sports drink that keeps them well hydrated during practice and play. “Gatorade,” they call