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A good place to enjoy a meal, to observe the enjoyment of others (in their meals and in each other), to talk about food and its place in our lives, to laugh (not so loudly that it will annoy the folks at nearby tables), to explain, and to have things explained, to remember the way past meals fit into and defined the moments that made us who we were, and who we were to become. The couples at some
tables -- especially in places that specialize in coffee --
occasionally consist of but one person and a laptop. There's
something about those little tables that attracts and holds on to
writers; apparently it was so long before writers substituted
keypads for ballpoints, or fountain pens, or even well-sharpened
quills (Paris's Cafe Voltaire has been
serving this purpose, along with its coffee, for centuries). Or maybe it's just that writing at a quiet little table is more pleasurable than having a regular job.
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February 2008
There's Always
Another Table
Vaguely Historical
Writings
Caesar's Last Salad, a taste of what the Ancient Romans ate. Chicken ΰ la King: A Tarnished Crown but Still Royal, whatever became of this once omnipresent dish. Digging Up the Origins of Cobb Salad, which is -- oddly enough -- just what it says it is. Eighty-six, a small excursion into the roots of a bit of restaurant jargon.
Frutta al Marzapane, some Florentine history, served with
artisanal sweets. New York's Cheesecake Stands Alone. What does cheesecake have to do with Civil War boots and saddles; or Velveeta have in common with the wonderful, but long-gone, Liederkrantz; and why does a cream cheese named Philadelphia belong on New York bagels?
Pacific Rim on the Center of the Plate. An explanation, of
sorts, of how and where this culinary genre began -- that manages,
unlikely as it may seem (at least to those who don't know the
author), to slip in an allusion to geology. Service, an overview of the history of table service, delivered at the IACP's food history symposium, "Innovations at the Table," at the Hagley Museum and Library, new Wilmington, Delaware, 29 September 2007. A Woolf at the Table: The Food of Virginia Woolf and The Bloomsbury Set, speculations on the dining habits of some famed literati. U.S. Helps in Locating U.K. Celebration Cake, or how to survive food-rationing in style. What is the Flavor of Human Flesh? was presented at a conference at Oregon State University in 1999. Some folks in the audience were unpleasantly surprised to find that the title wasn't just a teaser. They should have been grateful that there was no tasting session. The following
articles originally appeared in Scribners' Encyclopedia
of Food & Culture, but they can now be found at
answers.com (in the midst of several other articles on the same
subjects, collected all over the place):
Education about Food, a brief historical overview of how we
learn cook professionally. Slightly Scientific Musings
The following articles appeared at Leites Culinaria: A Spoonful of Molasses Makes the Sugar Turn Brown, part history, part Mr. Science in the kitchen.
The Naked Truth About Aphrodisiacs, a discourse on wishful
thinking. Dishing on Dishes
Seeing Red Over the Origins of Red Velvet Cake, lost in the mists of urban legend.
A Hunt for Icebox Cake Leaves a Cold Trail, waxing nostalgic
over a dessert of yesteryear. Speaking of Ingredients
Annatto
Adolescent/Senescent Humor
Adventures in Gastronomy, which might lead an inquiring reader to wonder how some people survive long enough to become foodies. BBQ: How to Do Culinary Research. Once you know how the pros do it, you may seriously consider changing your career plans. Collegiate Mixology, a reminiscence of the sort of event that gives college students their well-earned reputation. Dinner Date, a bittersweet tale -- all-too-common, alas -- of young lust gone messily awry. Fat Lady Burrito, has a moral of sorts it's that bliss can often be achieved only by willingly courting bodily harm (as in "deciding to risk life and intestinal well-being"). Gatherin' Mesquite, an aging child's Texas recollection. Hot Wings, or why being half-Texan may not be enough. Hunting for Morels, or, how to become an amateur mycologist and live to tell the tale. New Coffee Threat, was an April Fool's joke (in an unmarked page so that you can use it to victimize unsuspecting friends). My Cynara, a tale of artichokes and thwarted lust. My Dinner with Zal, in which a Lovin' Spoonful plays chopsticks. Remembrance of Shellfish Past, a travel saga involving crustaceans. Rocky Adventure is not your usual holiday story. In fact, there's absolutely nothing warm and fuzzy about it. Well, fuzzy maybe -- but not in the cuddly sense. Smidgens on the Grass, Alas, a little diner etymology. St. Evens Challenge, an epic saga of a hero facing life-threatening adversity in a quest for glory. At least, that's what it seemed like at the time... Stop Playing with Your Food! -- or how to frighten and disgust children for fun and profit. Strata originally appeared on The Round Table, a morning radio show on WAMC (an NPR affiliate in Albany, New York). It later ran, in expanded form, in the newsletter Philosophers on Holiday.
Thanksgiving -- our private detective seeks, in his usual
long-winded fashion, to explain the reason marshmallows are found
amongst the sweet potatoes. The Way of All Frogs, a cautionary tale about boys that can be decribed as food writing only of the most tangential sort.
Some of Dr. Sanscravat's stories ("Fat Lady Burrito" and "Bananas") can now be heard online. While you're visiting, check out the other readings -- we guarantee that you'll be amused. Some of Gary's radio
interviews are available as podcasts, including a panel discussion
on the "Culture
of Food," on Town Hall Ohio; as a guest on Evan Kleiman's show,
"Good
Food," KCRW in Los Angeles; together with the "Restaurant
Guys," on WCTC in New Brunswick, NJ; and, on "On
the Menu," on WLFP in Pittsburgh, PA. A number of interviewers have chosen to sully the pages of their respective publications with self-absorbed blather from yours truly. One of these pieces appeared in Chronogram, another in Foreword, and yet another in The Glens Falls (New York) Post-Star. A wise man once wrote, in impeccable Latin, "Dere's no accountin' fo' taste." The astonishing thing is that he was able to create that chestnut never having had an opportunity to meet Gary...
Unexpectedly Useful Stuff
Books in Print, or in Progress
The Herbalist in the Kitchen has been published -- at last! -- but, right now, you can access several entries at Speaking of Ingredients, above. The book, has finally gotten the online index that was so sorely needed. Just go to Google's page for the book and simply enter the word or phrase in question in the "search in this book" box, click "go" -- and Google will immediately identify every page in the text on which that word or phrase is mentioned. You need never be puzzled by words like "butnege," or "hboq," or "szczaw" again. This short piece
(adapted from
How to Serve Man) -- called Whats Eating
You? -- ran in
The Valley Table. Information
about the authors
other published materials -- literature
would be something of an exaggeration -- can be found in the
bibliography at the ASFSs
website. Other LinksAssociation for the Study of Food & Society
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