• CULINARY HISTORIANS OF NEW YORK• Volume 15, No. 2 Spring 2002

New York City 2001 Smithsonian Folklife Festival By Annie Hauck-Lawson

OW does one convey the Hflavor of New York life through food at an outdoor festival that attracts more than 1 million visitors for two weeks in the summer heat of Washington, D.C.? This was my challenge as foodways curator of the New York City program at the 2001 Smithsonian Folklife Festival and the subject of my CHNY program in January. According to a Smithsonian official, the festival presents “diverse community-based tradi- tions in an understandable and Cooks from Brooklyn, Queens, and Manhattan (by way of Shanghai) share their respectful way, to connect the pub- -making styles and lore at the Folklife Festival. lic directly and compellingly with practitioners of cultural traditions through, a staging of “Live at the budget, equipment, and facility. …in a rich cultural dialogue on the Apollo,” daily stoopball and And what about supplies? We National Mall.’’ For the past 35 stickball games and much more. can shop for everything in New years, the festival has had specific My arena was foodways. My work York. Was the same true in the themes; last June and July, New started in earnest when I traveled nation’s capital? Old-fashioned York City was featured for the first to Washington for the 2000 seltzer bottles, still delivered time. Folklife Festival. There I studied throughout our city, were virtually Dr. Nancy Groce, a folklorist presentations, observing tradition- impossible to find in D.C. and the overall curator for the bearers talking and cooking, while But in all, we presented 80 New York City program, in turn interpreters fielded questions from themes about New York. One that hired curators for subjects such as the spectators. seemed natural was : amid all Wall Street, Broadway, transporta- At the onset of planning the the cultural diversity in New York tion, music, fashion, and foodways. New York City food program, many City, and liquid mixed in Smack dab between the Capitol issues arose: the representation of myriad ways formed a cohesive and the Washington Monument our dynamic and diverse city, lan- thematic glue. Another was “A sat a No. 7 car, an air- guage, the stage, how to organize Slice of Contemporary New York conditioned city bus, a Rosenwach the program visually, our ability to Life Through Food.” water tower for visitors to walk convey New York’s food history, Continued on page 2 Folklife Festival, from page 1 about learning this recipe from her CHNY Steering Committee father and traveling to many 2001-2002 Fieldwork ensued, and food neighborhoods throughout the Chair: Phyllis Isaacson makers were contacted. Off to Co- city. While she talked, she Vice-Chair: Stephen Schmidt ney Island for bialys and ; to creatively adjusted her stew of Secretary: Diane Klages Staten Island for rolls and chicken, cabbage, peanut Treasurer: Lee Coleman sliced white as it has been and vegetables to accommodate Members-at-Large: made since the 1930s from a 125- available ingredients. Wendy Clapp-Shapiro, year-old family ; to The program also included Membership Brooklyn’s Crown Heights for performance artists and conversa- Helen Studley, Programs hand-rolled matzoh and roti. tions about New York food life by John W. R. Jenkins, Publicity All around Manhattan: to Mid- food writers and food educators. town for handmade dough; to Presentations that tapped into CHNY Information Hotline: Harlem for painted and New York food history were (212) 501-3738 spoonbread; to Chinatown for reflected in the riveting stories that Shanghai stretch and soup accompanied food preparation— CHNY Newsletter ; and to the Lower East sliced salmon and tales of a store owner’s daughters elbow-deep in Co-Editors: Side for street from the hands of a man who kept his finger on the barrels, the necessity of Helen Brody changing pulse of his community New York water for pickle and Kathleen McElroy from the window of his pizzeria. -making, the standards and Copy Editor: Karen Berman Presenters from other segments nuances of the . Onlook- of the New York program contrib- ers were entranced by Manhattan Please send/e-mail member uted to the rich mix of the program. Shanghai chefs twirling long life news, book reviews, events In “Neighborhood and Family noodles. The same chefs revealed calendars to: Food Traditions,” a history, life and the secret of soup dumplings in Helen Brody food presentation, Bukharan court hands-on workshops. Bialys, PO Box 923 musicians from Queens made plov, a known and loved in New York but 19 Trillium Lane rice and lamb dish, in a pot carried a relative mystery beyond the city, Grantham, NH 03753 from their homeland decades ago. were the fascination of the festival, [email protected] A Manhattan bus driver cooked his helped by front-page color cover- (603)863-5299 mother’s Monk’s Rice (freshly age in the Washington Post. (603)863-8943 Fax cooked rice into which and For me, the 2001 Smithsonian other ingredients are added), and Folklife Festival was long in prepa- Papers demonstrating serious emphasized that the recipe does not ration and over in a flash. In more culinary history research will exist in a cookbook. In “Piero- than 80 presentations over two weeks, it really was the New York be considered for inclusion in giology 101: in Compar- ative Perspective’’ five females from food voices, the cooking along with issues of the CHNY newslet- two different families, including a the stories, that spoke so richly of ters. Please contact Kathleen neon-sign maker and an 8-year-old identity and dynamism in our fair McElroy, newsletter co-editor, girl, compared their recipes and town. at (718) 459-0582 or lore of the little Polish dumpling as [email protected]. made and eaten in Brooklyn and Annie Hauck-Lawson is an associate Matriculating students of culi- Queens. professor in the Department of Health nary history or related topics A Brooklyn musician cooked and Nutrition Sciences at Brooklyn are invited to contribute. the red snapper and rice dish that College. She lives in the Windsor he learned from his mother in Terrace section of Brooklyn and origi- Haiti. A folklorist of Guinean- nated the concept of “food voice” to Hungarian background prepared describe how food is used as a channel West African kansiye as she told of communication.

2 PROGRAM SUMMARIES

TALKING TURKEY: attention to the domesticated tur- FOOD HISTORY COMES OF A HISTORY OF THE key. Today’s turkey was the result AGE: PITFALLS, PRATFALLS, TURKEY IN AMERICA of government-conducted breeding AND REVELATIONS Andrew Smith experiments that began in the William Woys Weaver 1880s. These experiments created N November, the economical turkey that we ILL Weaver aimed to Andy Smith, a I know and love. The price fell and shake up the field of food fellow culinary historian W turkey became the ideal center- history in his talk on February 19 who is completing a piece of a meal for a large family and called on his fellow culinary book about the native gathering. historians to do the same. His feel- American turkey, shared Before and after the meeting ing is that culinary history has his insights on that sub- members enjoyed wine with some inherited a lot of material from the ject in a rapid-fire, turkey dishes prepared by our host past and much of it erroneous, free-wheeling evening, for the evening, Linda Pelaccio, based on false assumptions. We fielding questions and comments from recipes dating back to 1871. must look at the subject creatively, from the audience throughout his The recipes took advantage of left- and follow all paths in our talk. overs, a practice much valued in research, not just the traditional He posed the question, “Why the days when the turkey was so ones, he said, urging his audience is there no record that the Puritans much more expensive than it is to use works of art, advertising, were amazed at their first encoun- today. —JOHN JENKINS archeology, architecture, history, ter with this large American bird?” etymology—whatever it takes to His answer was that the turkey got locate the true history and origins to Europe before the Puritans got THE TASTE OF of the subject and never take any- to America and that it was far from Maricel Presilla thing at face value. Even ancient an unknown quantity. And contrary Arab cookbooks, long assumed to to other foods from the New N December 18 we were be authentically Arab, were actu- World like tomatoes and potatoes, feted with a chocolate tasting O ally assembled from a variety of the turkey was immediately wel- and an explanation of the differ- other sources, such as Egyptian, comed. It was not so very different ences of cacao beans and how they Greek, and Armenian, and often from other fowl that Europeans are analogous to the differences in written by Christians. knew, and besides, it tasted so coffee beans. Maricel, whose book, Taking the Russian samovar as much better. The New Taste of Chocolate: A Cul- his starting point, he traced the Andy went on to explain the tural and Natural History of Cacao “traditional” methods of finding its confusing etymology of the word with Recipes, was published last origins. Considered a Russian cre- “turkey,” and noted that some year, emphasized the importance of ation, the samovar had been shown Native Americans thought turkeys careful handling and drying of the by other researchers to have be- were cowardly and wouldn’t eat the beans. She provided an extensive come popular only in the 19th bird, preferring instead to use the including hot century, and then, only as the aris- feathers for blankets and robes as chocolate. The lecture also pro- tocracy began drinking tea. The well as headdresses and arrows. He vided a chocolate tasting similar to vessel itself was conclusively stated added that at first domesticated a wine tasting to illustrate the vast by these researchers to be of Asian turkeys were always much smaller differences and historical back- origin. But by thinking “outside of than their wild brethren. Only grounds of the chocolate flavors. the box,” using archeological, ar- after the wild turkey began to dis- —DORIS WEISBERG chitectural, and etymological appear did Americans turn their Continued on page 4

3 Programs, from page 3 them, farmers had to find salt for their herds. paths, Will discovered that the Mark went on to trace the his- WEBSITES OF samovar actually had its roots in tory of salt’s effect on trade, on the Greco-Roman Mediterranean founding cities, on preserving food region. and Egyptian bodies, how salt taxes CULINARY Will has long been regarded as built the Great Wall of China, how one of the leading authorities on the search for salt led to the dis- INTEREST heirloom vegetables and grows covery of oil and natural gas about 3,500 varieties in his garden. deposits. You couldn’t have a de- He came to this field via both the cent war without salt. Armies www.gac.edu/groups/convivium inheritance of his grandfather’s needed salt to feed their horses, to (on food and philosophy) seed collection and his desire to make their gunpowder, and to heal recreate historic recipes using their wounds. Countries in north- http://www.gti.net/mocolib1/ authentic ingredients, including ern Europe had to import salt from kid/food1.html (extensive list of ancient strains of wheat and nearly the hotter climes in the south culinary history links) extinct vegetables. His classic where seawater could evaporate in book, Heirloom Vegetable Gardening: large ponds leaving behind salty http://www.qmfound.com/ A Master Guide to Planting, Seed crystals. Queen Elizabeth I was history_of_rations.htm (history saving and Cultural History, reflects heard to complain about Britain’s of military rations) this interest. “dangerous dependency on costly Recently, his sleuthing for the foreign salt.” www.thousandeggs.com (Renais- true origins of ancient food prod- Mark passed around samples of sance and Medieval food history) ucts has led him in a new direction salt for us to taste from all over the —this time to Cyprus, where the world: salt dyed red from Hawaiian www.kstrom.net/isk/food discovery of a Minoan distillery has clay, gray sea salt from the Atlantic (native american history) peaked his curiosity. And it’s sure and Mediterranean coasts of to provide more fascinating grist France, bright white salt from www.essaypage.com (summaries for his historical mill. Trapani in Sicily, and a solid block are free, but charges $8.95 for actual essays, including many on —HELEN STUDLEY of salt from a salt mine in Austria. He said it was only in the early food) 20th century that a man named SALT: A WORLD HISTORY Morton invented a way to purify Mark Kurlansky salt so that it was uniform in taste and color. He pointed out the N Thursday evening, March irony that today’s chefs favor the O14, Program Chairman taste that different minerals give to Helen Studley introduced Mark the impure salts. Kurlansky, the author of the book After a lively Q & A, the audi- Salt: A World History. Mark then ence finished what was left of the led the historians on a fascinating wine and the edibles provided be- journey through time by discussing fore the talk began, all foods the effect salt has had on our closely associated with salt: pro- world. When man left his hunter- sciutto, cheese, olives, tapenade, gathering ways and settled into an kimchee, either donated by Agata agricultural style of living, finding & Valentina or prepared by Stacey sources of salt first became impor- Harwood or Bill Ciampa. tant. Salt is necessary for all animal —JOHN JENKINS life. When they began to domesti- cate animals instead of hunting

4 tion and Food Studies at New York University. For more information MEMBER NEWS on her book, visit www.ucpress.edu/ books/pages/9518.html.

Susan Baldassano is leading two Matt Lee and his brother Ted Owner Glenn Roberts reports culinary/cultural tours to Sicily in (now contributing editors at Travel that Anson Mills Historic Heir- May. These are small groups, maxi- and Leisure magazine) are designing loom Grain Products, including mum 12 participants, combining an authentic Appalachian Kentucky colonial-style parched corn flour informal cooking classes with cul- dinner with traditional blue grass and meal, is now available at Dean tural touring. There are two music at the Massachusetts & Deluca NYC, , N.C., different itineraries. Her website at Museum of Contemporary Art and Washington, D.C. Glenn ToGrandmothersHouseWeGo.com (MASS MoCA), in North Adams, recently lectured on the history of provides information or call (718) Mass., on April 20. They will be grits and corn mush at the South- 459-0582 or (212) 645-5170 ext. speaking about the food during the ern Foodways Alliance at the 111. Special offers are available to meal. The ticket price is $30 and Center for the Study of Southern Culinary Historians. tickets can be purchased online as Culture, University of Mississippi, well as by phone. More info can be and on historic grains and milling At the IACP convention in San found online at the MASS MoCA at the Annual Sustainable Agricul- Diego, Betty Fussell appeared on web site: http:/www.massmoca.org/ ture Conference at Historic a panel with Irena Chalmers and performing_arts/index.html. A Brattensville, at Fort Mill, S.C. Darra Goldstein discussing feature on their travels through “Evolution of a Career,” in keeping Kentucky appears in the March Peter G. Rose’s upcoming book, with the convention theme of issue of Food & Wine magazine. Matters of Taste: Food and Drink in “Catching the Wave” of change. 17th-Century Dutch Art and Life She asserts that “One major David Leite, a freelance food (Syracuse University Press), will be change for all of us is the coming writer whose specialty is Portu- released in September 2002. It of age in America of food history as guese , has recently gives an overview of Dutch culi- a subject with academic clout and returned from exploring the cui- nary history from the Middle Ages with outreach to the general pub- sine of the Azores from where his until the 21st century and discusses lic. It’s about time.” family emigrated. in detail the foodstuffs shown in some 60 17th-century paintings by Judith Hausman, food critic for Jane Wilson Morton’s new book, Dutch Masters. Co-author Donna The Journal News (Gannett Subur- Farmstand Companion, co-authored R. Barnes, Ed. D., professor at ban Newspapers in Westchester, with Marianne K. Preston, Hofstra University, discusses Putnam and Rockland Counties), describes the farmstand as histori- Dutch art as it relates to images of attended the Gastronomica/IACP cally being a community’s “social food and drink and the symbolism Conference in Williamstown, connectors” as these small and per- found in still life paintings and Mass., last fall. Her interview of sonal farmstands created a sense of genre scenes. The book contains a Annie Farrell, a key figure in sus- identity and place and one that told separate smaller cookbook of tainable agriculture in the Hudson the story of a town’s inhabitants. adapted recipes for the modern Valley, will appear in Gastronomica The history is followed by 70 pages kitchen, which was edited by fellow this summer. Judith is working on a of recipes. culinary historian Stephen piece on colonial Sephardic Jewish Schmidt. foodways and immigration to the Marion Nestle’s new book, Food To celebrate the 350th anniver- Hudson Valley. Informational Politics, describes how our too sary of the founding of Albany for this piece would be welcomed efficient food industry is affecting (originally named Beverwijck by and can be forwarded to her at our health by persuading people to the Dutch prior to its being ceded [email protected]. eat more. Marion is professor and to the English and renamed in chair of the Department of Nutri- 1664), an exhibition co-curated by

5 the authors and with the same name as the book will open at the Albany Institute of History and Art CULINARY BOOKSHELF on September 20 and run through December 8. It will bring together Dutch paintings in which food and The Scent of Blossoms: Quenelles de Poisson a la Sauce drink play prominent roles. Still- Sephardic Cuisine from Tomate sounds much better than life paintings and genre pictures Morocco Fish Dumplings in Tomato featuring taverns, market kitchens, By Kitty Morse and Sauce—and seems like a Mediter- and scenes of festive occasions by Danielle Mamane ranean , but there is no binder, not even meal. more than 30 Dutch artists will be (Ten Speed Press, 2001) shown for the first time together Moroccan candied carrots, sweet relishes, a wonderful carrot with an array of decorative art REVIEW BY SUSAN MILLER, M.S.,R.D. objects. A selection of historic salad, or the Fish Fillets Fez Style (with turmeric and preserved kum- Dutch and Dutch American cook- HIS collection of memories, quats), are frequently served for books and advice manuals on food recipes, and nostalgic photo- T Rosh Hashanah. Pickled veg- and drink will also be on display. graphs is an inviting story of the etables are an easy, if time cuisine and life of a Moroccan consuming, affair requiring 18 The University of Illinois Press Jewish family. Sephardic Jews from lemons and a lot of prep work. I will release Peanuts: The Illustrious areas of North Africa and Spain, doubt many readers will invest the History of the Goober Pea written by driven from their homes by the time, but it is worth trying. The Andrew F. Smith. The book Inquisition and persecutions, found book’s version of the famous spice traces the rise of the lowly peanut refuge for a time in Morocco; thus, blend, Ras El Hanout, is drastically from a slave food to a mainstream their foods were a mélange of pan- shortened from the traditional 30- American staple. It includes more Sephardic themes and Spanish and plus ingredients, and resembles our than 70 historical recipes. Arabic influences. Certain “ spice.” indigenous ingredients and menu Sample menus are given for the Richard Tarlov recently com- constructs were modified to Jewish holidays and almost every pleted work on opening the comply with the dietary laws of dish appears in full color. American Market Café at Copia: Kashruth. Esthetically it’s a compact and The American Center for Wine, For many readers, the book’s beautiful, high-quality book on Food and the Arts in Napa, Cali- best feature will be the story of glossy stock. You don’t want to fornia. Tarlov, a retail specialty Mamane’s family, including co- bring this one near the food consultant, shaped a food author Danielle Mamane, many of couscoussiere! Today, travelers program based on American farm- whom still live in Morocco. Family never find these dishes in restau- stead cheese and charcuterie, and letters and charming anecdotes rants; as with so many places, you artisan from around illustrate Moroccan daily Jewish need to be invited to private the US, and nostalgic soft drinks. life in the late 19th and early 20th homes. centuries. William Woys Weaver has been Mamane contributes the Susan Miller is a registered dietitian named professor of culinary arts history and recipes. Co-author who, in finding the culinary arena and food studies at Drexel Univer- Morse is an accomplished food more interesting and creative, made sity in Philadelphia, and will be writer and cook. The beautifully the switch from clinical to food service offering a credit course on food written introduction is rich in and business in 1989. The specialty of history in 2003. Check the Drexel culinary history. Many recipes are her company, La Table dans le Bon University website for details. pure Moroccan, without regard to Sens, is formula and recipe analysis religious origin. None are compli- and product labeling. cated. The salads with preserved lemon are particularly refreshing.

6 REGIONAL CALENDAR

Sunday May 5, 3-4:30 p.m. “Finding Our Heritage Through Cookbooks,” sponsored by the New York Women’s Culinary Alliance. Barbara Haber, curator of books at the Schlesinger Library at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Studies at Harvard University. Please contact Grace Young at (212) 673-7343, or [email protected]; or Shelley Menaged at [email protected]. Space is limited.

Give to a Friend: A CHNY Membership Application

At monthly meetings, the Culinary Historians of New York explore the historic, esoteric, and entertaining byways of food. These events are led by noted historians, authors, anthropologists, and food experts, many of whom are CHNY members. Membership benefits include advance notice of all events, a membership directory, and the CHNY Newsletter with culinary history articles, news of members, events, and book reviews. Individual – $40 per year Household – $60 per year Corporate – $125 per year Student/Senior – $20 per year Senior Household – $30 per year

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Please make check payable to CHNY and send with completed form to: The Culinary Historians of New York, Wendy Clapp-Shapiro, PMB #133, 2565 Broadway, New York, NY 10025-5657.

7 UPCOMING PROGRAMS IN THIS ISSUE

Tuesday, May 14 Folklife Festival ...... 1 “Wine and Spirits in Ancient China” — Edith J. Frankel

Wednesday, September 18 Program Summaries ...... 3 Members-only get together and business meeting followed by dinner

Thursday, October 17 Websites ...... 4 “New York State Artisan ” — Robert Kaufelt Member News...... 5

Culinary Bookshelf ...... 6

Regional Calendar ...... 7

•CULINARY HISTORIANS OF NEW YORK• C/O Wendy Clapp-Shapiro PMB #133, 2565 Broadway New York, NY 10025-5657

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