American Heirlooms - November 2019

American Heirlooms - November 2019

302-653-2411

NOVEMBER 2019

GETTIN' TOGETHER AND CELEBRATING OUR COMMUNITY

There is one thing that connects people from all over our community: food! This September, our shop’s craftsmen and their families were invited to our shop supper. We have hosted this meal on a regular basis in the past, but we haven’t had a group meal like this for the past two years. After hearing how much families enjoyed the gathering, we decided it was worth hosting again in 2019. Winfred and his father-in-law offered to cook the meal in their massive pot, steaming sausages, onions, carrots, regular and sweet potatoes, corn in the husk, and green peppers in one pot for hours. Fruit, cookies, and salads were awaiting the finished food product inside the shop as the nearly 60 hungry guests looked on at the feat happening before our very eyes. As the food steamed and boiled, we all waited anxiously to dig into the feast they were preparing for us.

The cooker we used to steam our entire meal for two hours!

Tables await hungry guests to enjoy their meal and a slideshow.

Desserts wait to be eaten. (These were not made in the cooker!)

There was even salad available for lighter options.

The crowd of guests watches as the food is taken out of the cooker.

The food is cooked and awaits hungry guests to dig in and enjoy the feast!

The two-hour wait while the food cooked in the pot was worth every bite.

Everything was so moist and juicy, and, while I had never eaten corn that was cooked in the husk before, I thought this style was a great way to prepare this common dish. It was so succulent. No one left our shop hungry on this day! After our meal was pulled out piping hot and ready to be devoured, guests gathered around tables in our workshop, and we all enjoyed a slideshow after mealtime entertainment. This presentation included

photos from the previous year and historical photos of our shop’s 35- year history. It was a simple, fun time to connect over memories and stories, and I know the families of our craftsmen enjoyed learning more about what they do on a daily basis. All it took was a little creative food genius and some shop talk to once again unite our families. –Ethan Zimmerman

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We all have pencils littering our junk drawers, stuck behind our ears, or at the bottom of our children’s backpacks, but the history of pencils is far more interesting than how commonplace the item is today. Pencils can be traced back to scribes in ancient Rome, who utilized thin-metal rods filled with lead to mark-up their work. This practice would continue until the discovery of a large graphite depository in England in 1564. Shepherds used the mineral to track their herd, and soon, pencil makers cashed in on the product by wrapping the graphite sticks with string — an early form of pencil sharpening which was done by removing the layers of string. Eventually, the string was replaced with hollowed-out sticks and mass-produced. By the time of the Revolutionary War in Colonial America, pencils were among the products restricted and heavily taxed by the British. Massachusetts settler William Munroe is credited with creating the first wooden pencils for the colonies in 1812, and Munroe’s production would later become popularized. But America’s influence on pencils didn’t stop there. Fellow Massachusetts native Henry David Thoreau discovered that mixing a higher concentration of clay into graphite made the lines each pencil drew lighter. Thoreau’s father was so impressed by the discovery that he created a numbering system. Today, the higher the number on Thanksgiving is one of the most popular holidays celebrated throughout the United States. One of the first documented Thanksgiving celebrations took place in 1621 when Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Indians shared a feast together. But the banquet, which celebrated the colonists’ first successful harvest, wasn’t just one large meal, nor did it last for only one day; in fact, the feast lasted for three days. In later years, Thanksgiving also lasted for longer than a single meal. During the time of the American Revolution, the Continental Congress chose several days throughout the year to celebrate giving thanks. Then, in 1789, George Washington made the U.S. national government’s first Thanksgiving proclamation. He used this to speak to his fellow American citizens about the Revolution’s satisfactory conclusion and encouraged them to show their thanks for the freedoms they gained. Thanksgiving became a national holiday more than 200 years after its first celebration. It gained this status largely due to the persistence of a woman named Sarah Josepha Hale. Hale was a successful magazine editor, prolific writer of novels and poems, and author of the famous nursery rhyme “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” which was first published in her 1830 collection entitled “Poems for Our Children.”

In 1827, Hale began a campaign to make Thanksgiving a national holiday. For the next 36 years, she wrote numerous editorials and countless letters to state and federal officials expressing her desire that it gain official status. In 1863, in the midst of the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln finally declared it a national holiday, hoping that it would help heal the wounds of the country. Lincoln decided that the holiday would take place on the last Thursday of November. It was celebrated on that day until 1939, when President Franklin D. Roosevelt moved Thanksgiving a week earlier in the hopes of increasing retail sales during the Great Depression. However, this plan was very unpopular, and in 1941, the president reluctantly signed a bill making Thanksgiving the fourth Thursday in November. Without the efforts of Sarah Hale, we might not have the pleasure of the Thanksgiving feast we know and love to this day. This year, give thanks for family, good food, and the resolve of one woman who recognized the importance of Thanksgiving as a national holiday.

the pencil, the higher concentration of clay there is, and thus the need for sharpening increases.

Later, most pencil manufacturing plants would move south. Traditionally, pencils were made from Eastern Red Cedar, which was primarily found in the southeastern region of the U.S. Today, pencil manufacturing continues to dominate in the southernmost part of the U.S. Yet, the reliance on Eastern Red Cedar and the increasing need for pencils has caused tree populations in the south to dwindle. Manufacturers have looked to California’s Sierra Nevada mountains for an additional source of cedar. Now, sustainable harvesting is a common practice among pencil makers to ensure thriving forests and longevity in the creation of pencils.

2 • THE SWISS CRAFTSMAN

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Copernican Theory contradicted the long-held belief that the earth was at the center of the solar system and instead claimed it was actually the sun in the center of the universe. An admirer of Copernicus, Johannes defended this idea of heliocentrism with faith. Johannes believed there was only one plausible explanation for the magnificent, rhythmic happenings in the universe: It was the work of one creator.

People often laud Sir Isaac Newton as one of the greatest scientists in the history of mankind, but few know the man who established the basis for Newton’s theories. Johannes Kepler was born in Germany in December 1571. From a young age, Johannes developed a love for the heavens and math. He would later go on to study under Michael Maestlin, who was a dedicated follower of the Copernican Theory. Developed by Nicolaus Copernicus just 30 years before Johannes was born,

Yet, no one was able to prove Copernicus’ theories — until young Johannes.

After years of study and thought, Johannes proved three things about the solar system that are still taught to budding scientists today: the planets move around the sun in a flat curve, the sun and the planets that sweep around it follow the same path within the same time period, and the length of a planet’s orbit is directly related to the radius of the planet. Johannes would later publish several books and teach his findings and theories to students. Twelve years after his death, another scientist who used the Creator to explain the universe was born. This astronomer, Sir Isaac Newton, would later explain gravity using Johannes’ theories of planetary movement, cementing his place in scientific history. Johannes later admitted to having dreams of becoming a theologian to study God’s word, and, while he never fulfilled this dream by title, his discoveries explain the divine beauty of the Creator’s work.

Turkey is, for the most part, a healthy and lean protein. Thanksgiving sides, on the other hand, tend to be a little more indulgent. This year, eschew the classic, creamy green bean casserole in favor of this lighter, healthier, and altogether tastier option.

INGREDIENTS •

2 lbs whole green beans, ends trimmed 6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

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1/2 tsp ground ginger 1 tsp crushed red pepper

• •

Kosher salt, to taste

2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

INSTRUCTIONS 1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. To the side of the stove, prepare a large bucket of ice water. 2. Cook beans in boiling water for 4 minutes. Immediately transfer to ice water. Drain and pat dry. 3. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. Stir in ground ginger and crushed pepper. Add green beans. 4. Cook together for 2–3 minutes. 5. Transfer to plate and serve.

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Brought to you by KCS Builders of American Heirlooms and Penns Creek Furniture The Swiss Craftsman

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Inside this Issue The Power in the Shop Supper Page 1 How Thanksgiving Became an Official Holiday! The Pencil’s Powerful History Page 2 A Creationist Scientist Discovers Universal Truths Still Followed Today Green Beans With Ginger and Garlic Page 3 The Best Thanksgiving Turkey Ever Page 4

The best way to take your Thanksgiving dinner to the next level is to brine your turkey.

First, brining your turkey elevates the flavor. It infuses the meat with a light savory-sweetness that brings out the flavor of the turkey itself. Second, it adds moisture. No one likes a dry turkey with dinner, and brining helps to keep it from losing as much moisture as it otherwise would while cooking, leaving you with mouthwatering results. Third, brining your turkey means you get to “wow” your dinner guests that much more. When they take their first bite, they won’t believe this Thanksgiving staple could be so tender, juicy, and flavorful!

1. Before you brine the turkey, get a cooler it will fit in. Make sure to clean the cooler with soap and water before using it!

2. Once your cooler is ready, mix the hot water, salt, and sugar. Stir to dissolve. Then, add broth and ice.

3. If there is anything in the body cavity of the turkey, be sure to remove it. Submerge the turkey breast-side up. Should the turkey float, simply add a sealed bag of cold water on top of it to hold it down. You want to make sure the turkey is completely submerged. 4. Once it’s settled at least an inch under the brine, cover the cooler with the lid and store it in a cool place. Let brine for 12–48 hours. If the brine gets above 40 degrees F, add more ice. Keep a thermometer handy to periodically check the temperature. This is to prevent bacteria from making a home in your brine and turkey. 5. After 12–48 hours, prepare your turkey as desired. For the best results, roast your turkey until it reaches an internal temperature of 161 degrees F for the breast and 181 degrees F for the thighs.

Alton Brown (a huge fan of a well-cooked turkey) is credited with developing one of the best brines. Here’s what you need:

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1/2 gallon hot tap water

•

8 lb ice (which equals| a gallon of water)

1 lb kosher salt 2/3 cup sugar

•

16 cups (128 oz) vegetable broth

This recipe is for an 18-pound turkey, but you can adjust the ingredient amounts to suit your needs. The amounts do not need to be exact, but you should try to keep it close.

4 • THE SWISS CRAFTSMAN

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