A Rose By Any Other Name

I've often wondered at the different regional names you find for food throughout the US. Why is something called one thing in the South, and something completely different in the West? In this case, I think the reason may be more to disguise the ingredients and make the recipe sound more mysterious and interesting than it really is.


Love Apple Cake

3/4 cup butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 cups sifted cake flower
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cloves
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons nutmeg
1 cup tomato soup
3/4 cup water
1 1/2 cups raisins
1 1/2 cups chopped nuts

Cream butter or other shortening and add sugar slowly. Sift together dry ingredients and add to creamed mixture alternately with tomato soup which has been combined with water. Mix thoroughly. Add raisins and nuts and pour into a well-greased tube pan. Bake in a moderate oven (~350 F) for 1 hour. Cool and ice with Cream Cheese Frosting. Makes one round loaf (9 inches).

So why is the tomato also known as the love apple? The tomato has a long history of getting a bad rap. According to The Epicurean Table, at one point the Church of Rome banned it for being "the devil's fruit" and it was considered a sinful indulgence. The Church Fathers called it scandalous because of its seductive red color and slightly sweet, juicy flesh. They deemed the tomato a threat to male dominance; tempting, bewitching, and the very symbol of woman. These aspersions were compounded by the fact that the tomato plant contains all it needs to self pollinate. There are some who thought Eve offered a tomato instead of an apple to Adam, and thus both were cast out of Eden. The French, however, are credited with first calling it pomme d'amour , or "love apple". Regardless of its name, I'm not entirely convinced tomato soup belongs in a cake. End of story.