A new book - stuff harvested from the WPA's America Eats project.
Very mixed. Not useful, but interesting.

"The recipies contained in this book are to be followed exactly as
written. The publisher is not responsible for your specific health or
allergy needs that may require medical supervision."

bulka wrote:
> A new book - stuff harvested from the WPA's America Eats project.
> Very mixed. Not useful, but interesting.
>
> "The recipies contained in this book are to be followed exactly as
> written. The publisher is not responsible for your specific health or
> allergy needs that may require medical supervision."

I really enjoyed that book!!! I have since read one realted book
and will order it and another related book. A good follow-on to
this, with recipes, is America Cooks by The Browns. In order to
aid your search, "The Browns" are Cora, Rose, and Bob.

--
Jean B.

On Jul 25, 7:31 pm, "Jean B." > wrote:
> bulka wrote:
> > A new book - stuff harvested from the WPA's America Eats project.
> > Very mixed. Not useful, but interesting.
>
> > "The recipies contained in this book are to be followed exactly as
> > written. The publisher is not responsible for your specific health or
> > allergy needs that may require medical supervision."
>
> I really enjoyed that book!!! I have since read one realted book
> and will order it and another related book. A good follow-on to
> this, with recipes, is America Cooks by The Browns. In order to
> aid your search, "The Browns" are Cora, Rose, and Bob.
>
> --
> Jean B.

I'm about hafway through, into The South Eats. I start to notice the
references to canned tomatoes, canned corn, ketchup, oleo. Even one
recipie for barbecue sauce, the main ingredient being three bottles of
barbecue sauce.

What happened to my fantasy that there used to be real food here.
This is what? 1940? Pre-interstate highways. And folks are already
buying food from factories. There are stories about home hog
butchering, as if it were something we all did, a then a recipie for
okra gumbo with canned vegetables.

I'm overreacting. I'll assume they mean home-canned. Probably too
much trouble to make (or spell) Worcestershire sauce down to the
farm. The pieces are a mishmash of contemporay reports, reprints,
interviews with the old folks, rural and urban, so the chronology and
geography can get a litte confusing. Plenty of excuses and reasons
explanations for me to be wrong.

Still, I'm a cranky, cynical romantic, and bristle at seeing catsup in
a recipie.

Love

bulka wrote:
> On Jul 25, 7:31 pm, "Jean B." > wrote:
>> bulka wrote:
>>> A new book - stuff harvested from the WPA's America Eats project.
>>> Very mixed. Not useful, but interesting.
>>> "The recipies contained in this book are to be followed exactly as
>>> written. The publisher is not responsible for your specific health or
>>> allergy needs that may require medical supervision."
>> I really enjoyed that book!!! I have since read one realted book
>> and will order it and another related book. A good follow-on to
>> this, with recipes, is America Cooks by The Browns. In order to
>> aid your search, "The Browns" are Cora, Rose, and Bob.
>>
>> --
>> Jean B.
>
> I'm about hafway through, into The South Eats. I start to notice the
> references to canned tomatoes, canned corn, ketchup, oleo. Even one
> recipie for barbecue sauce, the main ingredient being three bottles of
> barbecue sauce.
>
> What happened to my fantasy that there used to be real food here.
> This is what? 1940? Pre-interstate highways. And folks are already
> buying food from factories. There are stories about home hog
> butchering, as if it were something we all did, a then a recipie for
> okra gumbo with canned vegetables.
>
> I'm overreacting. I'll assume they mean home-canned. Probably too
> much trouble to make (or spell) Worcestershire sauce down to the
> farm. The pieces are a mishmash of contemporay reports, reprints,
> interviews with the old folks, rural and urban, so the chronology and
> geography can get a litte confusing. Plenty of excuses and reasons
> explanations for me to be wrong.
>
> Still, I'm a cranky, cynical romantic, and bristle at seeing catsup in
> a recipie.
>
> Love

Those canned things, even if not home-canned, are still pretty
minor compared to what we have now. That BBQ sauce, though...

You know, if you want to continue with this, you can find Algren's
completed write-up. Also Pat Willard wrote a book based on the
same archives. I got both through inter-library loan and then
decided to buy them.

--
Jean B.

On Tue, 28 Jul 2009 09:04:15 -0400, Jean B. wrote:

> bulka wrote:
>> On Jul 25, 7:31 pm, "Jean B." > wrote:
>
> Those canned things, even if not home-canned, are still pretty
> minor compared to what we have now. That BBQ sauce, though...
>
> You know, if you want to continue with this, you can find Algren's
> completed write-up. Also Pat Willard wrote a book based on the
> same archives. I got both through inter-library loan and then
> decided to buy them.

the inter-library loan system is one of the coolest things ever. it's
amazing the things they can get for you.

your pal,
blake

On Jul 28, 1:07 pm, blake murphy > wrote:
> On Tue, 28 Jul 2009 09:04:15 -0400, Jean B. wrote:
> > bulka wrote:
> >> On Jul 25, 7:31 pm, "Jean B." > wrote:
>
> > Those canned things, even if not home-canned, are still pretty
> > minor compared to what we have now. That BBQ sauce, though...
>
> > You know, if you want to continue with this, you can find Algren's
> > completed write-up. Also Pat Willard wrote a book based on the
> > same archives. I got both through inter-library loan and then
> > decided to buy them.
>
> the inter-library loan system is one of the coolest things ever. it's
> amazing the things they can get for you.
>
> your pal,
> blake

The one thing this book could use is a glossary, or footnotes. There
are a lot of terms for ingredients or techniques or measurements that
are either local, idiosyncratic, slang,or just out dated that I don't
understand (or maybe I just stoopid). What work Kurlansky did here, I
think it is more for historical, anthropological, annecdotal interest,
than for someone who could get a picture by reading a recipie. A few
hundred lines of interperetive deffinitions would fix that.

BTW, I loved the Depression Pie essay (towards the end of Far West).
She's my idea of a cook!

And, thanks for the refs., Jean. I'll hit the inter-library. That's
my MO, too - read it for free, then, while I'm waiting for it to come
out in paper or find it on sale, I'll be able to think over whether if
I really need it. Anti-impulse buying.

B

blake murphy wrote:
> On Tue, 28 Jul 2009 09:04:15 -0400, Jean B. wrote:
>
>> bulka wrote:
>>> On Jul 25, 7:31 pm, "Jean B." > wrote:
>> Those canned things, even if not home-canned, are still pretty
>> minor compared to what we have now. That BBQ sauce, though...
>>
>> You know, if you want to continue with this, you can find Algren's
>> completed write-up. Also Pat Willard wrote a book based on the
>> same archives. I got both through inter-library loan and then
>> decided to buy them.
>
> the inter-library loan system is one of the coolest things ever. it's
> amazing the things they can get for you.
>
> your pal,
> blake

Yes, and if the first level doesn't have what you want, you (or at
least I) can expand the search. And if that fails, the librarians
have other resources.

--
Jean B.

bulka wrote:
> On Jul 28, 1:07 pm, blake murphy > wrote:
>> On Tue, 28 Jul 2009 09:04:15 -0400, Jean B. wrote:
>>> bulka wrote:
>>>> On Jul 25, 7:31 pm, "Jean B." > wrote:
>>> Those canned things, even if not home-canned, are still pretty
>>> minor compared to what we have now. That BBQ sauce, though...
>>> You know, if you want to continue with this, you can find Algren's
>>> completed write-up. Also Pat Willard wrote a book based on the
>>> same archives. I got both through inter-library loan and then
>>> decided to buy them.
>> the inter-library loan system is one of the coolest things ever. it's
>> amazing the things they can get for you.
>>
>> your pal,
>> blake
>
> The one thing this book could use is a glossary, or footnotes. There
> are a lot of terms for ingredients or techniques or measurements that
> are either local, idiosyncratic, slang,or just out dated that I don't
> understand (or maybe I just stoopid). What work Kurlansky did here, I
> think it is more for historical, anthropological, annecdotal interest,
> than for someone who could get a picture by reading a recipie. A few
> hundred lines of interperetive deffinitions would fix that.
>
> BTW, I loved the Depression Pie essay (towards the end of Far West).
> She's my idea of a cook!
>
> And, thanks for the refs., Jean. I'll hit the inter-library. That's
> my MO, too - read it for free, then, while I'm waiting for it to come
> out in paper or find it on sale, I'll be able to think over whether if
> I really need it. Anti-impulse buying.
>
> B

I also do that with fiction. I will, with few exceptions, get the
book from the library. Then I will buy it only if it is something
meritorious, which I will want to read again. In fact, I am
looking forward to reading my stash of books that I have already
read and enjoyed.

--
Jean B.

On Jul 27, 11:02*pm, bulka > wrote:
> On Jul 25, 7:31 pm, "Jean B." > wrote:
>
> > bulka wrote:
> > > A new book - stuff harvested from the WPA's America Eats project.
> > > Very mixed. *Not useful, but interesting.
>
> > > "The recipies contained in this book are to be followed exactly as
> > > written. *The publisher is not responsible for your specific health or
> > > allergy needs that may require medical supervision."
>
> > I really enjoyed that book!!! *I have since read one realted book
> > and will order it and another related book. *A good follow-on to
> > this, with recipes, is America Cooks by The Browns. *In order to
> > aid your search, "The Browns" are Cora, Rose, and Bob.
>
> > --
> > Jean B.
>
> I'm about hafway through, into The South Eats. *I start to notice the
> references to canned tomatoes, canned corn, ketchup, oleo. *Even one
> recipie for barbecue sauce, the main ingredient being three bottles of
> barbecue sauce.
>
> What happened to my fantasy that there used to be real food here.
> This is what? 1940? *Pre-interstate highways. *And folks are already
> buying food from factories. *There are stories about home hog
> butchering, as if it were something we all did, a then a recipie for
> okra gumbo with canned vegetables.
>
> I'm overreacting. *I'll assume they mean home-canned. *Probably too
> much trouble to make (or spell) Worcestershire sauce down to the
> farm. *The pieces are a mishmash of contemporay reports, reprints,
> interviews with the old folks, rural and urban, so the chronology and
> geography can get a litte confusing. *Plenty of excuses and reasons
> explanations for me to be wrong.
>
> Still, I'm a cranky, cynical romantic, and bristle at seeing catsup in
> a recipie.
>
> Love

Many of the "factory" foods you are having a problem with (referring
to the 40s) are in those recipe books because they were so new, and
such a novelty, that people really wanted to try them out and find
good uses for them. It was just the times, not a total indication of
what America was eating the majority of the time.

N.

On Wed, 29 Jul 2009 11:03:11 -0400, Jean B. wrote:

> blake murphy wrote:
>> On Tue, 28 Jul 2009 09:04:15 -0400, Jean B. wrote:
>>
>>> bulka wrote:
>>>> On Jul 25, 7:31 pm, "Jean B." > wrote:
>>> Those canned things, even if not home-canned, are still pretty
>>> minor compared to what we have now. That BBQ sauce, though...
>>>
>>> You know, if you want to continue with this, you can find Algren's
>>> completed write-up. Also Pat Willard wrote a book based on the
>>> same archives. I got both through inter-library loan and then
>>> decided to buy them.
>>
>> the inter-library loan system is one of the coolest things ever. it's
>> amazing the things they can get for you.
>>
>> your pal,
>> blake
>
> Yes, and if the first level doesn't have what you want, you (or at
> least I) can expand the search. And if that fails, the librarians
> have other resources.

the thought strikes me that the librarians i've known - unlike say, tech
assistance guys or retail people - never throw up their hands say 'sorry, i
can't help you.' a dogged bunch for sure.

your pal,
blake

blake murphy wrote:
> On Wed, 29 Jul 2009 11:03:11 -0400, Jean B. wrote:
>
>> blake murphy wrote:
>>> On Tue, 28 Jul 2009 09:04:15 -0400, Jean B. wrote:
>>>
>>>> bulka wrote:
>>>>> On Jul 25, 7:31 pm, "Jean B." > wrote:
>>>> Those canned things, even if not home-canned, are still pretty
>>>> minor compared to what we have now. That BBQ sauce, though...
>>>>
>>>> You know, if you want to continue with this, you can find Algren's
>>>> completed write-up. Also Pat Willard wrote a book based on the
>>>> same archives. I got both through inter-library loan and then
>>>> decided to buy them.
>>> the inter-library loan system is one of the coolest things ever. it's
>>> amazing the things they can get for you.
>>>
>>> your pal,
>>> blake
>> Yes, and if the first level doesn't have what you want, you (or at
>> least I) can expand the search. And if that fails, the librarians
>> have other resources.
>
> the thought strikes me that the librarians i've known - unlike say, tech
> assistance guys or retail people - never throw up their hands say 'sorry, i
> can't help you.' a dogged bunch for sure.
>
> your pal,
> blake

Now that you mention it, that's true, isn't it?

--
Jean B.