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Media Contact: Karen Wentworth (505) 277-5627
kwent2@unm.edu

June 27, 2007

Center for Southwest Research Acquires 19th Century Cookbook

Has the way we cook here in New Mexico changed that much over the last 114 years? Scholars can actually examine that now. The Center for Southwest Research at University Libraries has acquired one of the first cookbooks ever used in this area, an 1893 first edition of “El Libro del Cocina” written by French chef Jules Geoffé.

Printed in 1893, it is considered to be equivalent to “The Joy of Cooking” to modern day American practices, and is the newest addition to the special collections at University Libraries. Director of the Center for Southwest Research Mike Kelly says, “This addition is extremely important to the University Library Special Collections, and will be preserved for our future generations.”

In his introduction, Geoffé says he wished to produce a cookbook that would be of practical use to both domestic cooks and those who had to prepare the most elaborate meals in the finest of homes. The cookbook is illustrated by José Guadalupe Posada, an important Mexican artist at the time. The book has extensive sections for handling game, eggs, and vegetables. It also has a section for dessert items.

This is Geoffé’s recipe for Biscochos

Se cascan seis huevos, separando las claras de las yemas; éstas se ponen un perol y las yemas en una cazuela;

Se añade á las yemas media libra de azúcar y se remueve con la cuchara de madera durante cuatro minutos;

Se baten las claras fuerte mente, se mezclan con las yemas y se añaden cuatro onzas de harina;

Se hace un cucurucho con papel fuerte, pagándo lo perfectamente con engrudo, y se la corta por el pico unos dos centímetros;

Se aprieta con los dedos el cucurucho para ir poniedo sobre una hoja de papel partes de pasta de una anchura de dos centímetros y medio pro ocho centímetros de largo, destinadas á formar los bizcuchos;

Hay que tener cuidádo de dejar en el papel espocios de dos centímetros, para que los bizcochos no se toquen en el momento de cocerse;

Se espolvorcan con la caja de bañar, en la cual se habrá puesto azúcar en polvo cernida con el cedazo de cerda;

Se cuecen durante diez minutos con el horno suave;

Se ve si están ya cocidos y se retiran del horno:

Se dejan enfriar los bizcochos en el papel, se despegan duespués de éste y se calocan en el plato en forma de corona, apoyándose los unos en los otros.

Los bizcochos se perfuman con vainilla, con limón ó con flor de azahar.

Biscochos

Separate the whites of six eggs from the yolks; put the whites in a bowl and the yolks in a pan;

Add half a pound of sugar to the yolks and mix with a wooden spoon for four minutes;

Beat the egg whites well and combine with the yolks; add 4 oz. of flour;

Make a pastry cone out of thick paper, carefully pasting it together. Cut the tip to 2 cm. wide;

Grasp the cone and squeeze the dough onto a sheet of wax paper, forming 2 cm. by 8 cm. shapes that will become the biscochos;

Make sure to leave 2 cm. between the biscochos so that they don’t touch each other while cooking;

Dust the biscochos with powdered sugar using a bristle sieve (sifter).

Bake them in an oven on low heat for 10 minutes;

Check if they are done, and take them out of the oven;

Let them cool on the paper, loosen them after they have cooled and arrange them on a plate in a crown shape, supporting one on the other.

Biscochos can be flavored with vanilla, lemon, or orange blossoms.

CSWR is the special collections department for University Libraries, and the resource center for the comparative and interdisciplinary study of New Mexico and the Southwest at UNM. CSWR supports the teaching and research missions of the university as well as serving the citizens of New Mexico and scholars from throughout the world. CSWR is located in Zimmerman Library.

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