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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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There’s Always
Another Table
Vaguely Historical
Writings
Caesar’s Last Salad, a taste of what the Ancient Romans ate. Chicken à 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? Another version of this article is called Cream (Not "Chester") Cheese.
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. Why Wait for Wedding Cake?, a little investigation into the history of what Thurber once described as “the most dangerous food.” Sausage, a quick look at encased meats -- and a recipe for an old dish that should never have been forgotten. Shad, an old-time seasonal food swims this way every spring. Yet Another Blog About Julie & Julia (actually a discussion of why hippies ate what they ate, back in the day). Mushrooms, Mushrooms Everywhere, more about the wily morel. U.S. Helps in Locating U.K. Celebration Cake, or how to survive food-rationing in style. Osso Buco, made with Funny Bone. A review of Barry Foy’s deliciously wicked book, The Devil’s Food Dictionary: A Pioneering Culinary Reference Work Consisting Entirely of Lies. No Country for New Turkeys, or why this food writer did not publish a turkey recipe for Thanksgiving. You can find out about all of Gary’s books at his new website. You can read one of his latest book’s (Human Cuisine) two forwards (also known as “forewarned”) here or here. The website also features a blog, and is the place to get his free monthly nesletter of food websites. 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
High School Chemistry Pays Off -- in Ice Cream, It’s
the berries. 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. Polenta Polemic: The Popular Dish Takes its Lumps and is All the Better for It, or why the classic method is overdue for an upgrade.
The Search for Silky Sorbet Doesn’t Go Smoothly, in which we
explore some possible approaches to making a frozen chocolate treat. Dishing on Dishes
Carbonara, an attempt to untangle some of the myths about this not-quite classic dish of pasta. Cleaning Out the Refrigerator, in which an encounter with the supernatural leads to dessert. A Hunt for Icebox Cake Leaves a Cold Trail, waxing nostalgic over a dessert of yesteryear. Laver Bread: Welsh Sea Biscuits, an unexpected ingredient for bakers. Seeing Red Over the Origins of Red Velvet Cake, lost in the mists of urban legend.
Worth A Hill of Beans, tracking down Cape Verde’s
national dish. Speaking of Ingredients
The Herbalist in the Kitchen; the others, those not concerned with herbs or spices, appear on LeitesCulinaria.
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. Chez Joey, in which the good doctor recalls the sandwich of his dreams, and one of the few things he learned in college. 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. Give Me Insurrection or Give Me Indigestion, an account of an early rebellion against the forces of gastronomic tyranny. 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. A little something for the ladies: On Asking for Directions, in which Dr Sanscravat attempts to answer an age-old question. 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. Even’s 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. An Introduction of Sorts provides some background info on the notorious Dr Sanscravat. It is, admittedly, somewhat vague in its details.
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, another in The Glens Falls (New York) Post-Star. and yet another in the Kingston Times. 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 and, right now, you can access several entries at Speaking of Ingredients, above.
Human Cuisine, an anthology of literary
cannibals (or literature about cannibals),
co-edited with Ken Albala, is
finished, and is finally available. What do we have to say about
this momentous event? “It’s
about bloody time!” You can read an interview about the book
here.
It's PDF, so you'll need Adobe Acrobat Reader)
Information about the author’s other published materials -- “literature” would be something of an exaggeration -- can be found in the bibliography at the ASFS’s website. Gary is
currently working on several book projects: Other LinksAssociation for the Study of Food & Society
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