Book on cuisine has roots in the 1930s
Friday, August 28, 2009
“The Food of a Younger Land: A Portrait of American Food — Before the National Highway System, Before Chain Restaurants, and Before Frozen Food, When the Nation's Food Was Seasonal,” by Mark Kurlansky, 2009, Riverhead Books, $27.95.
By Katie Mulik
Special to The Gazette
Mark Kurlansky’s “The Food of a Younger Land” cooks up a vivid description of an earlier time when regional cuisine ruled the country. During a visit to the U.S. Library of Congress, Kurlansky stumbled upon the archives of a Works Progress Administration project that aimed to document America’s eating habits and customs in the late 1930s.
Written by hundreds of different Federal Writers’ Project authors dispatched to all corners of the United States, the original publication, titled “America Eats,” was planned to be a 75,000-word book on “American cookery and the part it has played in the national life.”
Unfortunately, the deadline for all submissions was the week of Thanksgiving 1941, days before the attack on Pearl Harbor. As a result of World War II, “America Eats” was never published, and only the unedited articles archived at the U.S. Library of Congress are what remain of the intended book.
Kurlansky chose the most interesting of the original submissions for “The Food of a Younger Land.” The collected submissions offer a unique look at American cuisine before fast food and frozen dinners graced our tables. The original authors’ writings take readers across the nation, serving up glimpses inside America’s kitchens, dining rooms and restaurants.
The section, “New York Soda — Luncheonette Slang and Jargon” lays out how to order your meal in typical New York City diner-speak. Want two fried eggs on toast with a cup of coffee? Just ask for: Bull’s eye on a raft with a brunette.
“Colorado Superstitions” teaches that if a woman puts a piece of wedding cake under her pillow for seven consecutive nights, she’ll dream of her future husband on the last night. And if you’re in the mood, the recipe for “Georgia Possum and Taters” appears simple and easy-to-follow. If opossum isn’t your taste, the other recipes and stories are sure to inspire the foodie in anyone.
A bit of local flavor is sprinkled throughout “The Middle West Eats” section, including a piece describing the Lyon County Beef Tour and Barbeque written by William Lindsay White. The article was originally published in The Emporia Gazette in August 1939. Titled “Kansas Beef Tour,” Kurlansky introduces the section with a very brief biography of W.L. White.
“Urban Kansas Eats and Drinks,” another Kansas entry, provides an amusing portrait of what Kansans ate in the late 1930s when “Mr. Average Kansan” was described as a “lover of beefsteak.”
The unnamed WPA author writes, “The average male Kansan likes to look upon food in quantity, and is not one to bother about the intricacies of the culinary art, although he insists upon good cooking.”
Kurlansky’s collection is an ideal read for any gourmand or history buff. “The Food of a Younger Land” offers a vast smorgasbord of edible delights guaranteeing every reader a spot at the table. So, grab a fork and dig into this pleasing work.
“The Food of a Younger Land” is Mark Kurlansky’s latest work introducing readers to the fascinating yet often overlooked world of food. His other books include “Cod: A Biography of the Fish that Changed the World” and “Salt: A World History.” He is the winner of both the James A. Beard Award and a Bon Apétit American Food and Entertaining Award for Food Writer of the Year.
For more information on the author, visit: http://markkurlansky.com.