Mark Kurlansky wrote Salt: A World History; 1968: The Year that Rocked the World; and Cod: A Biography of the Fish That Changed the World. His latest effort is a compendium of essays on regional food written by real people in real time.
Food of a Younger Land is a dredging up of a 1939 WPA (Works Project Administration) effort. Writers both famous and not drill down on the seasonal and sustainable food of the late '30s. "The Northeast Eats," "The South Eats," "The Middle West Eats," "The Far West Eats," "The South West Eats" rationalize the 132 chapters of recipes and recitation.
Food of a Younger Land hearkens back to an era when something as simple as a strawberry stayed put rather than having its ass hauled clear across the country in a refrigerated truck.
Originally called America Eats, the WPA project was eclipsed by Pearl Harbor, only to be resurrected by Kurlansky. The book is a batch of love letters to such dishes as Cape Fear Johnny-Cake (milk, flour, salt, shortening and baking powder for the forward-thinking) and Montana Fried Beaver Tail ("Tail… is held over a fire by means of a stick, pincers, or even the hand…."). Contributors include Eudora Welty and Zora Neale Hurston as well as anyone else looking to make a buck on FDR's FWP (Federal Writers Project).
Here is Edward O'Brien's rendition of the "New York Automat": "A stranger entering these precincts is led by the crowd toward a trim marble counter, in which are several plate-like depressions. A nickel is the unit of purchase, so coins or bills are here exchanged for scintillating showers of nickels, which are miraculously never too many, never too few. With a fistful of nickels, and wearing hat, coat, carrying brief-case or handbag, the crowd moves on toward the walls of food, assembling as they go trays, silver and napkins." Imagine what he would do with the drive-through at Starbucks.
"Mississippi African-American Recipes (William Wheeler Talks)" explains how Southern blacks ground huckleberries and corn husks to make coffee. Written by Wheeler in dialect, the chapter is introduced by editors as an example of "the slave and Negro narratives that the FWP had been doing for years before America Eats." Wheeler's description of a hot breakfast beverage is as follows:
"We used to gather huckleberries, put dem in a skillet, parch 'em real brown. Den beat 'em up fine wid a hammer and use this fer coffee. We used to drink bran coffee too. Dis wuz made by parchin' corn, takin' de husks and making into a brew."
For the hardcore locavore, this book is essential. Eating locally can be a matter of desperate times requiring desperate measures, depending on your whereabouts.
Whereas two Burger Kings or Starbucks don't differ so much regionally, taking the time to talk to locals reveals lots of local color, all of it sustainable. Kurlansky's compendium covers the kind of ground that radio journalist Studs Turkel might have if he had had an MP3 Player and a gas card.
Barista of the Week: Charlotte Sullivan of Noho Coffee on Pleasant St., Northampton
Coffee in the Valley and everywhere else, for that matter, is all about the vibe; the place requires a perfect combination of social interaction and caffeine. "Just wake me up…" is the silent plea of many who start the day with a barista. The good ones know your name, your order, and whether you like to talk or not. These fearless agents of wakefulness deserve as much credit as EMT workers.
Valley Locavore: Have you read the book Gimme Coffee's Barista Manual 1.0?
Charlotte Sullivan: Yes.
Are your coffee beans local?
Well….they have something to do with the Berkshires.
(Note: Actually they are roasted in Great Barrington.)
Do you think you will always be in the coffee business?
No. But I will continue to drink and brew the best coffee in the world, wherever I am.
Do you feel as though people tip enough?
No.
Do you ever feel like a therapist?
Yes. Once, a woman came in at the end of the day and was lamenting about how her adolescent daughter hated her. I told her those feelings would pass and made her a small cappuccino. I think it was very healing.
A daily latte habit can run a person up to $30 a week. Do people complain about prices?
Yes. Once a customer found it upsetting that an Americano (espresso with hot water) was 50 cents more than espresso. "I really want an Americano," he said, "but I don't want to pay for the hot water."
What is with the bubbles? Your art work—bubble drawings?
I had the idea for them while washing dishes one night in Greensboro, Ala. I was living there during the winter several years ago, working on some architectural projects. This past December the project was discovered on my website www/hybridfloaters.com by several design blogs, and from there its Web presence continued to multiply.
How has being a barista influenced your life, besides the bubbles?
I am working on a project called Tasseography right now with two friends of mine. The project involves photographing used latte cups and writing fortunes which derive from the pattern on the inside of the cup. It's like reading tea eaves, only from espresso drinks. I also have been experimenting with using coffee grinds as a face mask at the end of the day.
Sounds smelly.
It is, but smelly like coffee—Vienna roast!
In Season: Chanterelle Mushrooms
"Fungus Among Us:" Mushroom Foraging Lecture and Tour
Arcadia Wild Life Refuge, Easthampton
127 Combs Road, Easthampton
413-584-3009
Sponsored by Connecticut River Valley Sanctuaries
Saturday, July 25, 2009, 1 p.m.-4 p.m.
Instructor: Marty Klein-Planne, naturalist
Audience: Adult
Fee: Adults $12 members/ $16 nonmembers
