Tonight was our third meeting and this week’s choice was Food Of A Younger Land by Mark Kurlansky.  It was all based on the WPA’s work done in the 1940’s collecting regional food stories and recipes.  It was interesting to an extent… though recipes have never been a great interest of mine.

I cook because I have to feed my family… who work very hard and need a good meal.  Working all day on a little bowl of oatmeal or a salad for lunch, isn’t gonna cut it around here!

People brought spoon bread, cornbread, sopa bread pudding, and pasties tonight… all recipes from the Food book.  No one brought blue crabs, clams, possum, or squirrel.  Neither did persimmon pudding, pumpkin soup, gumbo, or Waldorf salad make an appearance.  We were all out of lamb fries and Rocky Mountain oysters, although we’d all eaten THOSE!

We had a fun time discussing what we’d eaten that was included in the book, or strange things that weren’t.  (I’ve eaten seal, caribou, and “muktuk”, whale blubber… I think I won the “weird” category)

I had no idea about this project (and others) through Roosevelt’s WPA.  I know of the work of the CCC, but had no idea the government hired writers to give them jobs.  Same with artists.

The other books we’ve already read and discussed are Second Hoeing by Hope Williams Sykes and Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver.  In two weeks we’ll finish with My Life in France by Julia Child.

It’s been fun to do… I would never have chosen to read these books.

What are *you* reading?

P.S.  Thanks for the tips on rototillers… I took notes!

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February 21, 2011   Any Ideas Part II

February 21, 2010   Every Morning (so you WANT to live on a ranch?)

February 21, 2009   It Has Begun…

February 21, 2008   It’s Disgusting… (Are you SURE you want to be a ranchwife?)