On the Table: The Curious Home of Gary Allen, Food Writer & Dillettante

Sixty years ago, restaurants in Nashville were closed because of the fear of contagion—by even the possibility of folks of different races eating together. Today we close eateries for fear a different kind of contagion.

We may be living in fearful—and fearsome—times, when even the thought of commensality seems like risky business. We may be afraid to eat together, in public, but we can still share our conversations about food with each other around virtual tables (like this one). Bon appetit—and à votre santé!

The deadline for the Sophie Coe Prize in Food History is fast approaching (April 25th). If you're thinking of entering, go to this page, ASAP!

You can, if you wish, follow us on Facebook (where, among other things, we post a LOT of photographs), and Twitter. Still more of our online scribbles can be found at A Quiet Little Table in the Corner. There’s even an Amazon author’s page.

A couple of thoughts about commensality, from On the Table’s culinary quote collection:

I wonder if I love the communal act of eating so much because throughout my childhood, with four older brothers and a mom who worked in the restaurant business, I spent a lot of time fending for myself, eating alone—and recognizing how eating together made all the difference. Thomas Keller

Men that can have communication in nothing else can sympathetically eat together, can still rise into some glow of brotherhood over food and wine. Thomas Carlyle

Gary
April, 2020

PS: If you encounter broken links, changed URLs—or know of wonderful sites we’ve missed—please drop us a line. It helps to keep this resource as useful as possible for all of us. To those who have pointed out corrections or tasty sites (this month we’re tipping our hat to Dwight Furrow), thanks, and keep them coming!

PPS: If you wish to change the e-mail address at which you receive these newsletters, or otherwise modify the way you receive our postings or—if you’ve received this newsletter by mistake, and/or don’t wish to receive future issues—you have our sincere apology and can have your e-mail address deleted from the list immediately. We’re happy (and continuously amazed) that so few people have decided to leave the list but, should you choose to be one of them, let us know and we’ll see that your in-box is never afflicted by these updates again. You’ll find links at the bottom of this page to fix everything to your liking.

— the new sites —

Archaeobotanist Searching Art for Lost Fruit, The

(Gastro Obscura’s Vittoria Traverso, on Isabella Dalla Ragione’s efforts to rediscover Italy’s lost fruits and vegetables)

Bitter Side of Cocoa Production, The

(Teresa Carr, at Sapiens, on the Fine Cacao and Chocolate Institute’s efforts on behalf of the world’s cacao farmers)

Coalition for Food & Agricultural Sociology

(site for “...scholars and activists doing work on food and agricultural systems within the discipline of sociology”)

Cooking from Georgia O’Keeffe’s Recipes

(Rachel Syme’s New Yorker essay)

European Journal of Food, Drink and Society

(academic journal from Technological University Dublin)

Feed the World

(Henrietta Moore’s review of Martín Caparrós’ Hunger: The Oldest Problem, in Literary Review)

From Chop Suey Houses to Saloons: What Was Chicago’s Foodie Scene Like in the Early 20th Century?

(Monica Eng reports on WBEZ’s Curious City)

Horn & Hardart Automats: Redefining Lunchtime, Dining on a Dime

(Michelle Cohen’s fond reminiscence, for 6sqft)

How a Potato Is Fueling the Fight to Protect a National Monument

(Aimiee Maxwell’s Gastro Obscura article about a nearly 11,000-year-old indigenous foodstuff in Utah)

How Coffee Processing and Fermentation Impact Flavors in Your Cup

(Lauren Mowery explains—for Vinepair—what happens to coffee before it appears, miraculously, in your cup)

How the Tip of Florida Became a Tropical-Fruit Paradise

(Atlas Obscura visits Homestead Florida’s Tropical Research and Education Center and the Fruit and Spice Park)

Monks Who Accidentally Invented Washed-Rind “Stinky” Cheese, The

(Christine Clark, on the magic—or monster—that is Brevibacterium linens; in Vinepair)

Origins of Taste, The

(paper by Peter Atkins and Ian Bowler, in Food in Society: Economy, Culture, Geography)

Point of Saturation

(Andrew Egan’s article, in Tedium, about the ubiquitous point-of-sales systems used in the restaurant industry)

Why of Cooking, The

(Joe Pinkser reveals the best books to help in understanding what goes on in the kitchen; in The Atlantic)

— inspirational (or otherwise useful) sites for writers/bloggers —

Author Blogging: 5 Reasons to Start and 3 Ways to Do It Right

Decline & Fall of Editorial Quality, The

Dirty Secret, A: You Can Only Be a Writer If You Can Afford It

Do You Make These 7 Mistakes When You Write?

Global Food History

How to Copyright a Book in the U.S. (Written by a Lawyer)

Imagination and the Language of Wine

Impostor Syndrome: Do You Sometimes Feel Like a Fraud?

Latest on the Flavor Pairing Saga, The

On the Table - the curious home of Gary Allen, Food Writer & Dillettante

our sponsor

Food Sites for April 2020

0 Comments:

Search

The Libro-Emporium