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A review by
Marty Martindale
The Greeks
termed it “anthropophagy;” most of the rest of the world
refers to it as “cannibalism.” Yet, almost all of society
practices denial when it comes to dining on people. Animals?
No problem. People? A large problem!
Co-editors,
Ken Albala, a professor of European history at the
University of the Pacific and Gary Allen food writer and
author, co-opted earlier on their compilation, The Business
of Food: Encyclopedia of Food and Drink Industries in 2007.
They term the book’s Table of Contents, “Menu.” Short
biographies of each writer are found in a section titled,
The Kitchen Staff.
Ken Albala,
Gary Allen and Surge Publishing have graciously come up with
a cannibalism platform for 21 writers, some scholars, others
professionals, writers, practitioners and interested persons
who have taken varying looks at the seemingly forbidden
topic. In the collection, the reader will find storytelling,
essays, poetry and drama at times taunting the reader,
fascinating others. The topics conjure up clever,
extenuating circumstances from weird amuse bouches to the
tongue-in-cheek simplicity for some grizzly delicacies.
Ken Albala
breaks the ice early with a quotation from the well-admired
James Beard, who once said, “I believe that if I had to
practice cannibalism, I might manage if there were enough
tarragon around.”
Frequently,
between the works of the different writers, both editors
lighten things up with cannibalistic recipes, not too
extreme and not tested. After the fascinating story, The
Watchman’s Secret,” they intervene with recipes for Andes
Mints, a layered affair of thinly-sliced soccer player and
double mint chewing gum. Allen counters with his recipe for
Caesar Salad, wherein a marinated emperor is sliced neatly
and garnished with Romaine lettuces, dressed with beaten
egg, garlic and liquamen.
Following a
deep story entitled Brain Food, they insert a recipe by M.
L. McCorkle titled Bush Almondine, to be sure, a down-home
recipe, better than possum: some ingredients are diced,
Bush baked, not roasted, Cream of Mushroom soup, Cheney
brains, canned Rove, corn flakes crushed and a generous
sprinkling of sliced almonds.
In a section
the editors title, Flouting the Taboo, Ellen J. Fried, in
her The Depiction of Cannibalism in Advertising states,
“Images of cannibalism are everywhere in our culture. It is
the subject of jokes and cartoons. It is the topic of
movies, both pornographic and for general audiences, books,
poems and songs … and the depiction of cannibalism is also
in pun-intended, alive and well.” Later, Fried goes on to
say in answer to why cannibalism invokes humor, “Humans tend
to laugh at things that frighten them in an effort to
relieve their fears.”
In a parting
section, Gary Allen brings us back to objectivity with a
chapter he calls Strangers in the Night where he reminds us
that we, as a society, have helped make fans of vampires
and Dracula an ever-increasing audience. He also goes into
the many meanings for the word blood in our culture and
reminds us of its symbolism in Christian communion and
Kosher slaughtering practices.
Just as the
last forbidden cuss word may be out in the open, now there’s
also a new, honorable platform for writers of cannibalistic
tales, and we all have a right to laugh, for we are
acknowledging our very own fears and
“it’s okay.”
Ken Alabal’s
website is:
www.kenalbala.blogspot.com/
Gary Allen’s website is:
http://www.foodsiteoftheday.com/gallen%20news.htm
Marty Martindale’s website is:
Food Site of the Day
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