The Ancestral Table: Traditional Recipes for a Paleo Lifestyle (33 page)

Rice Pudding

Rice pudding is an ancient dish, much like Congee (
see here
). The rice pudding we are familiar with in Western culture originated in the Roman era and was used as a medicine to settle upset stomachs. Recipes written as far back as 500 years ago bear the same ingredients as the ones listed below.

SERVES:
6
PREP TIME:
5 MINUTES
COOKING TIME:
1 HOUR

1/2 CUP SHORT-GRAIN RICE

1 CUP WATER

1 VANILLA BEAN, SPLIT (OR 1 TSP. VANILLA EXTRACT)

1 TSP. LEMON ZEST

1 CUP HEAVY CREAM

1 PINCH SALT

2 TBSP. HONEY, OR TO TASTE

CINNAMON, NUTMEG, OR BERRIES FOR SERVING

1. Rinse the rice until the water runs clear, about 3-4 changes of water, then drain and place in a medium-sized saucepan. Add 1 cup water and let the rice soak for 10 minutes. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat without lifting the lid, which should take about 3 minutes; listen for sounds of water boiling.

2. Once it starts boiling, reduce the heat to low and simmer until the rice starts to make a hissing sound, which indicates that the water has evaporated, about 10-15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let sit, covered, for 5 minutes.

3. Stir in the vanilla bean, lemon zest, cream, and salt; bring to a simmer on low heat and cook until the rice is tender, 10-15 minutes, stirring often to prevent scorching. Add honey to taste, about 2 Tbsp. Remove and discard the vanilla bean. Divide the pudding among 6 serving bowls and top with cinnamon, nutmeg, or berries. Serve hot or chilled.

4. For a more tropical-flavored rice pudding, use coconut milk instead of cream. Almond milk can also be used, although 3/4 cup is preferred since it is generally thinner than cream or coconut milk.

Banana Cream Pie

Banana cream pies can be found in cookbooks dating back to the 19th century, and they hold a special place in the hearts of many who grew up eating them. Cream pies were common even in medieval times, but bananas didn’t rise to fame in everyday kitchens until the 19th century. In the 1950s, the United States Armed Services voted the pie their favorite dessert. Today, it usually lags behind apple, pumpkin, and pecan pie in popularity.

In case you were wondering, March 2 is National Banana Cream Pie Day.

SERVES:
8
PREP TIME:
2 1/2 HOURS, PLUS 4 HOURS TO SET
COOKING TIME:
30 MINUTES

CHOCOLATE CRUMB BASE:

1 CUP HAZELNUT FLOUR

1/3 CUP UNSWEETENED COCOA POWDER

1 TBSP. TAPIOCA STARCH

1 TBSP. COCONUT PALM SUGAR

1/4 TSP. BAKING SODA

1 STICK (8 TBSP.) BUTTER, MELTED

1 PINCH SEA SALT

2 TBSP. MAPLE SYRUP

BANANA CREAM FILLING:

2 VERY RIPE BANANAS

1 1/2 CUPS PLUS 2 TBSP. HEAVY CREAM, DIVIDED

3 EGG YOLKS

1 PINCH SALT

1 TBSP. GELATIN POWDER

2 TBSP. BUTTER, CHOPPED

1 TBSP. MAPLE SYRUP

2 JUST-RIPE BANANAS, SLICED

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Combine the hazelnut flour, cocoa powder, tapioca starch, coconut palm sugar, baking soda, melted butter, and salt in a bowl. Spread the mixture on a silpat or nonstick baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes or until cooked through. Let cool completely, about 1 hour.

2. Transfer the cookie to a large mixing bowl. With a spoon, break the cookie apart to a coarse crumb. Stir in the maple syrup to bring the mixture together. Press evenly into the base and sides of a pie dish and refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour.

3. To make the banana cream filling, place the very ripe bananas, 1/2 cup of the cream, egg yolks, and salt in a blender. Blend until smooth, then transfer to a saucepan. Warm over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a spatula; remove from the heat as soon as it comes to a boil, 10-15 minutes.

4. In a small bowl, mix together 2 Tbsp. of the cream and the gelatin, then add to the banana mixture. Set aside and allow to cool for 15 minutes.

5. Whisk the remaining 1 cup cream to soft peaks, then fold in the banana mixture. Pour half of the banana cream into the pie shell, cover it with a layer of sliced bananas, and top with the remaining banana cream. Refrigerate until set, about 4 hours.

Birthday Cake

Cakes have been an integral part of human civilization for thousands of years, as evidenced by their historical use in ceremonial occasions like weddings and birthdays. Birthday cakes in particular date back to the Roman era and have endured as an integral part of western European tradition ever since. Germans came up with the idea of adding candles in the 1700s.

Chestnut flour is an excellent baking flour, but somewhat uncommon in everyday grocery stores. The fact that it’s hard to find lends credence to the idea that cakes should be reserved for special occasions. As we like to say at my house, this is an everyday cake, but not an every day cake. Chestnut flour is sold online, usually imported from Italy. To make a chocolate cake, replace the rice flour with 1/4 cup cocoa powder.

SERVES:
8
PREP TIME:
10 MINUTES
COOKING TIME:
1 HOUR

3/4 CUP CHESTNUT FLOUR

1/3 CUP TAPIOCA STARCH

1/3 CUP POTATO STARCH

1/4 CUP RICE FLOUR

1/2 TSP. BAKING SODA

2 PINCHES SALT, DIVIDED

1/2 CUP BUTTER, ROOM TEMPERATURE

1/2 CUP COCONUT PALM SUGAR

4 EGGS, ROOM TEMPERATURE, SEPARATED

1 TSP. VANILLA EXTRACT

1 CUP HEAVY CREAM

MAPLE BUTTERCREAM (BELOW)

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. In a bowl, combine the chestnut flour, starches, rice flour, baking soda, and a pinch of salt, then set aside.

2. In a separate mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar with an electric or stand mixer until pale and fluffy, 3-4 minutes. Add the egg yolks one at a time while the mixer is running, then add the vanilla. Beat in the flour mixture and the cream in batches, starting with a third of the flour followed by half of the cream.

3. In a separate, smaller mixing bowl, whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff peaks form. Add a spoonful of egg whites to the cake batter to loosen, then fold in the rest with a spatula. Pour the batter into a greased cake pan and bake for 40 minutes. If you want to make a layered cake like in the picture, use two 5" cake pans; otherwise, an 8" pan will work fine for a single-layer cake. To test for doneness, lightly press the top of the cake with your fingers, touching lightly and quickly so as to not deflate or puncture the surface. If it is firm, it’s ready; if it gives under slight pressure, it needs more time in the oven.

4. Allow it to cool in the cake pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely, about 1 hour. Frost the cake with Maple Buttercream.

MAPLE BUTTERCREAM

1 CUP HIGH-QUALITY MAPLE SYRUP

3 EGG YOLKS

1 CUP BUTTER, CUT INTO CUBES

1. Pour the maple syrup into a small saucepan and heat on medium, without stirring, to 240°F, about 15 minutes, swirling the pan occasionally.

2. When the maple syrup is nearly done, beat the egg yolks with the whisk attachment of an electric or stand mixer until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes.

3. With the egg yolks still inside, turn your mixer on at a slow speed and slowly pour the syrup down the side of the bowl, mixing until incorporated. Continue to mix for another 5 minutes as it comes to room temperature, then add the cold butter in pieces and mix until incorporated.

Substitution Guide

Although I believe that certain forms of rice, potatoes, and dairy have a place on an ancestral table (
see here
for more info), I acknowledge that some people prefer to omit these ingredients from their diet. Below is a guide that shows you how to make easy adjustments to each recipe so that they better fit a more stringent interpretation of the Paleo diet.

Some universal adjustments:

• Ghee can be used in place of butter and is considered Paleo-friendly (it’s even Whole30 approved); coconut oil generally can be used if you are looking to go 100% dairy-free.
  
• Coconut aminos can be used in place of tamari.
  
• For dishes that are served with rice (like curry), use cauliflower rice.
  
• Replace green peas with snow or sugar snap peas, or omit them completely.
  
• I didn’t provide substitutions for the honey, maple syrup, and coconut palm sugar found in my recipes. The amounts used are very small, and I feel that removing them would be disruptive to the overall taste of each recipe.
  
• I also didn’t provide substitutions for the wine used in my recipes, as wine is also integral to the flavor of each recipe. If you are concerned about the alcohol content, consider buying a non-alcoholic wine.