Category: Cultural & Heritage Recipes

See below for recipe

History of Chocolate Chip Cookies

The most notable chocolate chip cookie recipe was invented by American chef Ruth Graves Wakefield in 1938. She invented the recipe during the period when she owned the Toll House Inn in Whitman, Massachusetts. In this era, the Toll House Inn was a popular restaurant that featured home cooking. A myth holds that she accidentally developed the cookie, and that she expected the chocolate chunks would melt, making chocolate cookies. That is not the case; Wakefield stated that she deliberately invented the cookie. She said, “We had been serving a thin butterscotch nut cookie with ice cream. Everybody seemed to love it, but I was trying to give them something different. So I came up with Toll House cookie. She added chopped up bits from a Nestle semi-sweet chocolate bar into a cookie. The original recipe in Toll House Tried and True Recipes is called “Toll House Chocolate Crunch Cookies”. Wakefield gave Nestle the recipe for her cookies and was paid with a lifetime supply of chocolate from the company.

Wakefield’s cookbook, Toll House Tried and True Recipes, was first published in 1936 by M. Barrows & Company, New York. The 1938 edition of the cookbook was the first to include the recipe “Toll House Chocolate Crunch Cookie” which rapidly became a favorite cookie in American homes.

During World War II, soldiers from Massachusetts who were stationed overseas shared the cookies they received in care packages from home with soldiers from other parts of the United States. Hundreds of soldiers wrote home asking their families to send them Toll House cookies, and Wakefield received letters from around the world requesting her recipe, helping spread their popularity beyond the east coast. Chocolate chip cookies were first sold in the UK in 1956 by Maryland Cookies.

Chocolate Chip Cookies – Recipe

RECIPE Adapted by Chef John Coletta

Chocolate chip cookies are commonly made with white sugar; brown sugar; flour; sea salt; eggs; a leavening agent such as baking soda; a fat typically butter or shortening; vanilla extract; and chocolate pieces. Some recipes also include milk or nuts (such as chopped walnuts) in the dough.

Sue Brides, a baker who worked with Ruth Graves Wakefield at the Toll House Inn, passed down the original recipe to her daughter, Peg, who shared it in a 2017 interview:

Yields 30 servings

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 190 degrees Celsius
2. Place the butter and sugars into an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook. Set the mixer onto the lowest speed and allow to form a creamed unified mixture.
3. Add the eggs; sea salt; vanilla extract and hot water. Continue to mix for 1-minute.
4. Add the flour and baking soda. Mix for another minute.
5. The titular ingredient, chocolate chips, are typically mixed in towards the end of the process to minimize breakage.
6. Utilizing a 60ml. scoop begin to scoop the dough and position them onto parchment paper lined cookie sheet, ensuring 10-centimeter distance from each scoop.
7. Place the cookie sheet tray into the pre heated oven. Bake for 8 to 10-minutes, until lightly browned.
8. Transfer the cookies onto a wire rack to cool.

For more recipes, visit www.worldchefs.org/news.

See below for recipe

History of Florida Smoked Fish Dip

Smoked fish dip has a long history in Florida and is deeply rooted in the state’s culinary traditions. In the past, South Florida was dotted with smoked fish huts that specialized in smoking fish and selling fish dip. These huts were a popular destination for seafood lovers seeking the best-smoked fish dip in town. While many of these huts have disappeared over the years, the tradition of smoked fish dip lives on.

Today, you can find smoked fish dip made with a variety of fish in Florida. Mullet, kingfish, amberjack, and mahi-mahi are commonly used for smoking. The oilier fish, like mullet and mahi-mahi, are ideal for smoking as they retain their moisture and flavor. However, if you can’t find these specific fish, you can always substitute them with other types of smoked fish available at your local seafood shop.

Florida Smoked Fish Dip – Recipe

RECIPE Adapted by Chef John Coletta

Yields 6 servings

Instructions

1. Flake white fish, making sure there are no bones, into a food processor.
2. Add everything else and pulse until smooth.
3. Refrigerate for 2 hours.
4. Arrange on appropriate serving vessel. Sprinkle with celery and serve with good crackers and or a sliced baguette.

For more recipes, visit www.worldchefs.org/news.

See below for recipe

Crisp Vegetable Peeling Chips – Recipe

RECIPE Adapted by JOHN COLETTA

Yields 6-8 servings

Instructions

1. Dry your vegetables thoroughly, pat them down with a clean kitchen towel or paper towel.
2. Place the vegetable peelings into a mixing bowl, Spray lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Add garlic powder, smoked paprika, and chili powder. Toss gently so every slice gets just a whisper of flavor.
3. Lay the peelings in a single layer in your air fryer basket. Avoid overlapping too much—crowding is the fastest way to end up with soggy chips.
4. Set your air fryer to 175°C and cook for about 8–12 minutes, depending on the vegetable. Keep an eye on them during the last few minutes
5. Halfway through, gently shake the basket to move the chips around. This helps them crisp more evenly and prevents sticking.
6. Once golden and crispy, carefully transfer the chips to a cooling rack. They’ll crisp up even more as they cool (yes, that’s when the magic happens). Serve warm or at room temperature for snacking bliss. 

For more recipes, visit www.worldchefs.org/news.