Robert C. Baker, RIP

The Syracuse POST STANDARD reported the death of Cornell Prof. Robert C. Baker, the founding father, so to speak, of Cornell Bar B que Chicken. Prof. Baker was 84.

While I never took a course from him while an undergrad at Cornell, I got to know him a bit due to my interest in and experience with preparing and serving "Cornell" Chicken at church and fire dept. functions.

I would like to extend my deepest sympathy to his family.

Wally
Cornell '67

what is Cornell BBQ Chicken ..................... ??

If you have ever eaten grilled chicken at a firemen's or church picnic in upstate New York you have probably eaten Cornell chicken.

I'm a lifelong resident of the Hudson Valley and have eaten at fundraisers every Summer for all my life, but it was only after I had discovered Roadfood that I learned of Cornell chicken from some of our upstate colleagues from the Leatherstocking area where it is known by its rightful name.

It is a simple and delicious marinade - one that any local fireman can learn to use to wonderful effect to please a crowd ( except that they too often burn the chicken halves on a too hot fire, or, alternatively, cant get the fire up to heat and serve half cooked chicken). But, what the Hell, the local corn is always worth the visit anyway.

Cheers, John

I have been in upstate New York around the Finger lakes and have experienced the Cornell chicken very close to the campus of Cornell. What I had was very good.

I have attached their recipe for your convenience.

http://home.twcny.rr.com/deschere/ken/cubbqsce.htm

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

Wow, I don't know where the hell I was in my youth, But I grew up in Syracuse and never heard of Cornell Chicken.
My first job was teaching at a school on Caygua Lake, and I visited college town every Wednesday for almost a year. And I still never had it.
How in god's name did I manage to avoid this? I'll never know


it is possible I had it, and didn't know it was called "Cornell" chicken. The recipe seems vaguely familiar.
Kind of like Buffalo wings. Growing up, we just called 'em wings. I seriously had no idea that chicken wings could be prepared any other way than with the franks original red hot sauce as the base.

Surf over to Glen Wells' site:

www.roadsidefan.com

He has a section on that site about Cornell Barbque Chicken.

BTW The folks who run our great site www.roadfood.com are Cornell Hotelies. I am a Cornell Aggie.

Wally
Cornell '67

Dearfolk,
This is the man who gave the world chicken tenders and chicken fingers, along with such specific-restaurant items as Chicken McNuggets. He also perfected the initial ideas of turkey sausage and turkey boloney, just for a few things we have to thank him for. All the minions of poultry farmers in Georgia, along with the entire Poultry Science Department at The University Of Georgia are in mourning: he took poultry from being a Sunday-kind-of-thing to an everyday thing. I'd like to thank him for his work. (Click of imaginary beer glasses.)
He did for chicken and turkey what the late, great Orville Redenbacher did for popcorn. Their work will live on far afterward.
The library is clo.
Hurriedly (And Slightly Cacklingly), Ort. Carlton in Sunnyshiny Athens, Georgia.

Ort: Thanbks for the insight of this great person. I never knew how much he contributed to the poultry world. I am aware that Georgia has a huge poultry industry.

We haven't heard much from you recently and we hope all is well in Athens. I was afraid they might have run out of beer

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

I'de always had a good opinion of Cornell graduates until I attended a fund raiser at "Llenroc" (get it??) a spanking new mansion , modeled on an old dormitory at Ithaca, on the banks of the Mohawk featuring a shiny golden elevator as its centerpiece, and owned by a couple of Cornell graduates who had made a big buck in the insurance business. Within a year of that event New York State had barred them from the insurance business.

But, my good opinion of Cornell has been restored now that I know the fine people associated with this site who are graduates of that outstanding institution.

Cheers, John

Llenroc was also the name of the former Cornell family mansion just downhill from the Cornell campus in Ithaca. I think it is still in use as the local chapter of Delta Phi fraternity. Seems to me that a restaurant in downtown Ithaca had an outdoor dining/drinking area called the Llenroc stone terrace during my time in Ithaca

And a parting thought: "one bad apple doesn't spoil the whole bunch baby" (with apologies to whoever wrote/sang it, whatever)

Wally
Cornell '67

quote:

Originally posted by Sundancer7
We haven't heard much from you recently and we hope all is well in Athens. I was afraid they might have run out of beer
Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

Sundancer,
No, there's a plenty of beer here... no problem there. It's that the U/ Ga. Library closed early every day during Spring Break; instead of running over to check my e-mail and such, I've been hitting thrift stores and processing the found books for sale.
My random bleatings will continue periodically.
Now - how is everything with you and yours? I haven't heard any reports lately. My best to all of you.
Present Without Leave, Ort. Carlton in 30601-land.

quote:

Originally posted by wallhd
And a parting thought: "one bad apple doesn't spoil the whole bunch baby" (with apologies to whoever wrote/sang it, whatever)
Wally
Cornell '67

Wally,
It was The Osmonds. I have the insufferably-awful-but-somehow-still-loveable MGM 45.
What that group did to "Yo Yo" - originally done by Billy Joe Royal for Columbia Records - oughtn't have been done to a song. At least the composers - Georgians, at that - made a bundle off The Osmonds' inferior cover version, in spite of the fact that they may well have retched all the way to the bank.
Top O' The Charts, Ort. Carlton in Vinyl-Filled Athens, Georgia.