Benedictine (spread)

Last updated
Benedictine
Benedictine (condiment).JPG
Benedictine used as a dip, with sesame crackers
Alternative namesBenedictine spread
TypeSandwich filling, condiment, or dip
Place of origin United States
Region or state Louisville, Kentucky
Created byJennie Carter Benedict
Serving temperaturecold or room temperature
Main ingredients Cucumbers, cream cheese
Ingredients generally used onion, cayenne pepper, salt
VariationsMayonnaise

Benedictine or benedictine spread is a spread made with cucumbers and cream cheese. [1] [2] [3] Invented near the beginning of the 20th century, [1] it was originally and still is used for making cucumber sandwiches, but in recent years it has been used as a dip [3] [4] or combined with meat in a sandwich. [5] [6] This spread can be obtained pre-made from some Louisville, Kentucky-area grocery stores. [7]

Contents

Although benedictine is rarely seen in restaurants outside the state of Kentucky, it has been written about in articles in national publications such as The New York Times , The Washington Post , and Saveur Magazine , and also reported about on multimedia outlets such as the Food Network and NPR.

A benedictine-based sandwich was featured on the Food Network's 50 States 50 Sandwiches program in 2012, [8] on the television shows of celebrity chefs Paula Deen [9] and Damaris Phillips, [5] in Southern Living magazine as one of June's "2011 Best Recipes" for their corresponding issue, [10] in Garden & Gun magazine, [11] and in PopSugar. [12] [13]

History

Benedictine was invented near the beginning of the 20th century by Jennie Carter Benedict, a caterer, restaurateur and cookbook author in Louisville, Kentucky. [14] Benedict opened a kitchen for providing catering services in 1893, and in 1900 opened a restaurant and tea room called Benedict's. [14] It was probably during her catering period when she invented and originally served benedictine. [15]

Benedict's cookbooks are still being sold a century after they were first published. For example, her The Blue Ribbon Cook Book, which first published in 1902, has been reprinted numerous times and recently in 2008. [16] Although early editions of this book do not contain a recipe for the spread, [17] the 2022 edition does. [18]

Recipe

Following are the original benedictine recipe ingredients used by Benedict, as reported by the Louisville Courier-Journal and NPR: [2] [3]

The original spread is made by thoroughly blending all these ingredients with a fork. [2] [3]

Modern variants of the recipe use grated or chopped cucumber and onions rather than juice, as well as dill and common spread ingredients. They also use significantly less salt. [1] [3]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hungarian cuisine</span> Culinary traditions of Hungary

Hungarian or Magyar cuisine is the cuisine characteristic of the nation of Hungary, and its primary ethnic group, the Magyars. Hungarian cuisine has been described as being the spiciest cuisine in Europe. This can largely be attributed to the use of their piquant native spice, Hungarian paprika, in many of their dishes. A mild version of the spice, Hungarian sweet paprika, is commonly used as an alternative. Traditional Hungarian dishes are primarily based on meats, seasonal vegetables, fruits, bread, and dairy products.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vegetable sandwich</span>

Vegetable sandwich is a type of vegetarian sandwich consisting of a vegetable filling between bread. There are no set requirements other than the use of vegetables, and sandwiches may be toasted or untoasted. Vegetable sandwiches are served throughout the world and are a popular street food in India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Open sandwich</span> Single slice of bread with food items on top

An open sandwich, also known as an open-face/open-faced sandwich, bread baser, bread platter or tartine, consists of a slice of bread or toast with one or more food items on top. It has half the amount of bread of a typical closed sandwich.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tea sandwich</span> Sandwiches served with tea

A tea sandwich is a small prepared sandwich meant to be eaten at afternoon teatime to stave off hunger until the main meal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cucumber sandwich</span> Thin slices of cucumber between two slices of crustless white bread

The traditional cucumber sandwich is a crustless tea sandwich composed of thin slices of cucumber situated between two thin slices of lightly buttered white bread. The sandwich originated in the United Kingdom, and modern variants, largely of United States origin, introduce cream cheese, mayonnaise, chopped dill or spices, and salmon, and may substitute brown bread. One specific US variant includes benedictine, a green soft spread made from cucumbers and cream cheese.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Liptauer</span> Central European cheese spread

Liptauer is a spicy cheese spread from Slovak, Austrian and Hungarian cuisine. Liptauer is made with sheep milk cheese, goat cheese, quark, or cottage cheese.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hot Brown</span> Open-faced sandwich

A Hot Brown sandwich is an American hot sandwich originally created at the Brown Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky, by Fred K. Schmidt in 1926. It is a variation of traditional Welsh rarebit and was one of two signature sandwiches created by chefs at the Brown Hotel shortly after its founding in 1923. It was created to serve as an alternative to ham and egg late-night dinners.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cuisine of Kentucky</span> Food and drinks from Kentucky

The cuisine of Kentucky mostly resembles and is a part of traditional Southern cuisine. Some common dinner dishes are fried catfish and hushpuppies, fried chicken and country fried steak. These are usually served with vegetables such as green beans, greens, pinto beans slow-cooked with pork as seasoning and served with cornbread. Other popular items include fried green tomatoes, cheese grits, corn pudding, fried okra, and chicken and dumplings, which can be found across the commonwealth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cheese spread</span> Soft and spreadable cheese product

Cheese spread is a soft spreadable cheese or processed cheese product. Various additional ingredients are sometimes used, such as multiple cheeses, fruits, vegetables and meats, and many types of cheese spreads exist. Pasteurized process cheese spread is a type of cheese spread prepared using pasteurized processed cheese and other ingredients.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pimento cheese</span> Spread consisting of cheddar cheese, mayonnaise, and pimento peppers

Pimento cheese is a spread most popularly made of cheese, mayonnaise, and pimentos and served on crackers and vegetables or in sandwiches. A favorite of the cuisine of the Southern United States—it has been referred to as the "pâté of the South" and "the caviar of the South."—it also is enjoyed elsewhere, with regional variations in ingredients.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Egyptian cuisine</span> National cuisine of Egypt

Egyptian cuisine makes heavy use of poultry, legumes, vegetables and fruit from Egypt's rich Nile Valley and Delta. Examples of Egyptian dishes include rice-stuffed vegetables and grape leaves, hummus, falafel, shawarma, kebab and kofta. ful medames, mashed fava beans; koshary, lentils and pasta; and molokhiya, bush okra stew. A local type of pita bread known as eish baladi is a staple of Egyptian cuisine, and cheesemaking in Egypt dates back to the First Dynasty of Egypt, with Domiati being the most popular type of cheese consumed today.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fruit preserves</span> Preparations of fruits, sugar, and sometimes acid

Fruit preserves are preparations of fruits whose main preserving agent is sugar and sometimes acid, often stored in glass jars and used as a condiment or spread.

The cuisine of Kosovo is a representative of the cuisine of the Balkans and consists of traditional dishes by ethnic groups native to Kosovo. Due to ethnic connections with Albania, it has been significantly influenced by Albanian cuisine and has adopted elements of other Balkan countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tuna fish sandwich</span> Type of sandwich

A tuna fish sandwich, known outside the United States as a tuna salad sandwich or a tuna sandwich, is a sandwich made from canned tuna—usually made into a tuna salad by adding mayonnaise, and sometimes other ingredients such as celery or onion—as well as other common fruits and vegetables used to flavor sandwiches. It is commonly served on sliced bread.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ham salad</span>

Ham salad is a traditional Anglo-American salad. Ham salad resembles chicken salad, egg salad, and tuna salad : the primary ingredient, ham, is mixed with smaller amounts of chopped vegetables or relishes, and the whole is bound with liberal amounts of a mayonnaise, salad cream, or other similar style of salad dressing, such as Miracle Whip.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peanut butter and jelly sandwich</span> Type of sandwich

A peanut butter and jelly sandwich (PB&J) consists of peanut butter and fruit preserves—jelly—spread on bread. The sandwich may be open-faced, made of a single slice of bread folded over, or made using two slices of bread. The sandwich is popular in the United States, especially among children; a 2002 survey showed the average American will eat 1,500 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches before graduating from high school. There are many variations of the sandwich, starting with the basic peanut butter sandwich or jam sandwich.

<i>I Love Bacon!</i> Cookbook by Ben Fink

I Love Bacon! is a cookbook with over fifty recipes devoted to bacon and bacon dishes, many of them from celebrity chefs. The book was written by Jayne Rockmill and photography was provided by Ben Fink. Broken down into eight sections, the book covered how to make homemade bacon and moves onto "brunch" and "small bites" before covering soups, salads and sides, pasta, fish, meat, and desserts. I Love Bacon! was published in October 2010 by Andrews McMeel Publishing and met with favorable reviews for its unique dishes and helpful culinary tips for novices.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pub cheese</span> Type of soft cheese spread and dip

Pub cheese is a type of soft cheese spread and dip prepared using cheese as a primary ingredient and usually with some type of beer or ale added. It can be made with smoked cheeses or liquid smoke added to impart a smoky flavor. It is typically served with crackers or vegetables, whereby the cheese is spread onto these foods, or the foods may be dipped in it. It is also used as a topping on sandwiches, such as hamburgers. Pub cheese is a traditional bar snack in the United States.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Benedictine Recipe Details | Recipe database". The Washington Post . 2007-04-25. Archived from the original on 2013-07-16. Retrieved 2011-11-30.
  2. 1 2 3 Popham, Mary (April 22, 2009). "Benedictine spread; Miss Jennie Benedict's famed cookbook is back, with lots of extras". The Courier-Journal . Retrieved 2014-07-05.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Peterson, Erica (July 13, 2013). "A Summery Spread That's As Cool As A Cucumber". NPR . Archived from the original on 2014-07-14. Retrieved 2014-07-05.
  4. Schrambling, Regina (May 28, 1989). "Food; Bluegrass Flavor". The New York Times . Archived from the original on February 16, 2017. Retrieved January 31, 2017.
  5. 1 2 Phillips, Damaris (May 11, 2014). "Borage, Benedictine and Bacon Sandwiches". Southern at Heart . Season 2. Episode ZD0209H. Food Network. Archived from the original on July 14, 2014. Ladies' Tea Party. Retrieved July 13, 2014.
  6. Schrambling, Regina (April 30, 2003). "They're off and partying: The Derby bash is a Kentucky tradition worth duplicating in the West. Try these race-day classics". Los Angeles Times . Archived from the original on December 3, 2015. Retrieved August 14, 2014.
  7. Gray, Lori (March 18, 2002). "Derby Delight: Everybody wants the spread in Louisville". Saveur . Archived from the original on August 25, 2014. Retrieved July 12, 2014.
  8. Thompson, Sharon (August 15, 2012). "Food Network declares a Benedictine sandwich one of country's best". Lexington Herald-Leader . Archived from the original on July 15, 2014. Retrieved July 12, 2014.
  9. Deen, Paula (May 6, 2006). "Benedictine Sandwiches". Paula's Home Cooking . Season 6. Episode PA0713H. Food Network. Archived from the original on July 14, 2014. Mother's Day. Retrieved July 12, 2014.
  10. "2011 Best Recipes: June - Kentucky Benedictine Tea Sandwiches". Southern Living . June 2011. Archived from the original on 2014-08-13. Retrieved 2014-08-13.
  11. Portman, Jed (March 28, 2013). "Pimento Cheese's Kentucky Cousin". Garden & Gun . Archived from the original on October 16, 2017. Retrieved October 16, 2017.
  12. Einhart, Nancy (May 7, 2008). "'Wich of the Week: Benedictine Cheese Tea Sandwiches". PopSugar . Archived from the original on October 16, 2017. Retrieved October 16, 2017.
  13. Benedictine Sandwiches Recipe - Between the Bread - Food How To. PopSugar . May 15, 2013. Archived from the original on 2021-12-13 via YouTube.
  14. 1 2 Birnsteel, Laurie A. (2001). "Benedict, Jennie Carter". In Kleber, John E. (ed.). The Encyclopedia of Louisville (1 ed.). pp. 85–86. ISBN   9780813128900 . Retrieved 2014-07-05 via Google Books.
  15. Stinnett, Donna (October 2, 2006). "Claim to fame Kentucky restaurant owner, caterer contributes". Evansville Courier & Press . Archived from the original on 2014-07-14. Retrieved 2014-07-04.
  16. Cox, Larry (November 26, 2008). "Storied Kentucky cookbook still has relevance today". Tucson Citizen . Archived from the original on August 26, 2014. Retrieved August 22, 2014.
  17. Benedict, Jennie C. (1904). The Blue Ribbon Cook Book (2nd ed.). Louisville: John P. Morton.
  18. Benedict, Jennie C. (2022). The Blue Ribbon Cook Book. University Press of Kentucky. ISBN   978-0-81-319533-9. Archived from the original on 2023-08-19. Retrieved 2023-08-18 via Google books. ... this edition is the first to come complete with the now-famous spread that bears Benedict's name.