The Generational Recipe Shift

I've been going through my grandmother's recipe cards again putzing through and looking for something that screams Old Americana nostalgia like a nifty casserole or a recipe that's so funky and uncool that it's cool again - a horrid jello salad with marshmallows in it would adequately fulfill this want. I think making that would be so deliciously awful and retro it would revert time and space and the dish would become phenomenally awesome, like the clothes I wear that my dad boxed up from 1960-something. Sidecar cocktails and women's magazine chop suey recipes are the bell bottoms and luncheon gloves of Waybackwhen.

Still, there is one category of recipe which vexes me, the company made recipe. Recipes clipped from the back of a box of Vox (lard) or XLNT (chili beans) or other product that no longer exists. The problem here is sometimes the recipes aren't clear so I have no idea what the actual ingredient is. The instructions simply read "Stir in (X-Ingredient)." So sadly, I am left with the words that haunted me throughout college and high school trig and calculus courses: solve for X. The internet is also only so useful when hunting down something that hasn't been sold in stores since 1971.

There's always a bit of a generational recipe shift when trying to translate these cards. Sometimes the recipe is straightforward enough and I can pound out the dish easy enough. Other times my grandmother, having committed the recipe to memory or having been familiar with it, wrote it out in shorthand leaving gaps for me to figure out like baking times, degrees, or order of ingredients - creating a sudoku-style recipe where I have to fill in the blanks based on the information given which at times isn't lot, and games of sudoku don't run the risk of burning or making your kitchen smell of failure. In some cases it's simply a type of dish or flash-in-the-pan hot recipe that I'm completely unaware of and therefore have no inkling as to what the final product should be. 

But it's not all bad. I can trace out the history of culinary America, or a short period of it, through this box. It definitely reflects a time where convenience cooking is held in high regard. Sliced white bread. The intoxicating newness of frozen peas for a "Fresh Pea Soup." Canned corn that makes for a "Southwest Salad." And lo' and behold the glory and miracle that is the microwave which goes hand in hand with the frozen dinner - or ones that you can make at home! Make a dish and freeze it for later - the novelty of it all! Gather up the kids and we'll all watch a swell episode of I Love Lucy! I hear Joan Crawford will be guest starring in tonight's episode!

It's amusing to say the least. But what's even better is when the card is noted as "old fashioned" and refers to some dish popular in the 1920's like a bully old appetizer of mushrooms stuffed with crab and cheese or big bowl roman punch.
Plus I find it interesting to follow the food fads of the time. Curry powder was making a resurgence, indeed curry as the dish itself was huge. In fact there's a whole section dedicated to curry in the recipe catalog such as Hawaiian Turkey with Curry Sauce and Governor Smylie's Lamb Curry (using Smylie's brand prune chutney, of course!). Lots of stuffed mushrooms for all those neighborhood parties. I don;t judge this based solely on the box, but rather than many of these recipes are clipped from magazines and newspapers and glued to note cards.

Another big fad was Chinese food. It was HUGE in the 50's. Indeed every woman had their own unique recipe for chop suey. Incidentally, chop suey when translated to Cantonese means "odds and ends." As Jennifer 8. Lee related in her book The Fortune Cookie Chronicles Americans in the fifties whet crazy for what they thought was the national dish of all of China. This would be like someone from China coming to the U.S. and asking for our national dish which they heard was called "leftovers." (There is much more to that story but you should read her book to get it.) But basically as adventurous eating turned to the many new Chinese restaurants popping up in the U.S. which had dishes that were altered for American tastes using local ingredients - making the unfamiliar a little bit safer - people wanted to cook these dishes at home.

There's also a huge section of recipes for "Liver / Kidney," the third biggest next to "Salads" and "Grilled Meat." I assume this is one based out of poverty and of a time when people simply ate more offal before pre-packaged cuts of meat became so widely available and people were able to simply pick up mass produced choice cuts. People then became separated from it and now the populous at large is disgusted by the food their grandparents happily grew up eating.

Anyways, it's an interesing topic to look at. How food and recipes have changed and stayed the same over the years. The food fads and trends (1980's goat cheese salad anyone?). I'll probably delve into the rhetoric of recipes sooner or later too after more research. Stay tuned.

Nifty Links:
Recovered Recipes
Rockstar Ingredient Theory
War Cake Recipe
Tomato Soup Cupcake (Depression Era Recipe)

Pica: You gonna eat the rock?

Normally, this blog will update on Mondays. Today's post is just to put something up that isn't a piece of one of my research papers. Hope you enjoy.


I was unaware of this particular eating disorder until someone asked me about it at school. Curious I questioned what they were talking about. It was explained to me that some people in the world have an unusual eating disorder that causes them to eat rocks. Now I was aware of certain types of clay being formed into calcium-rich tablets but as for straight up eating clay and dirt I was a bit perplexed and decided to investigate.

Pica is a word derived from the Latin word for Magpie, a bird that is known for eating anything such as worms, animal droppings and rocks. Ther term now is used to describe a particular eating disorder in which people habitually eat things which are generally not considered food - the most common things usually are flour, cornstarch, rocks, clay and dirt. The condition is also called geophagy, which translates to dirt-eating.

Uncommon? Not really, there are cases of it documented throughout the world. Many cultures tout that it has various health benefits, the facts behind this aren't exactly well documented but we'll discuss that later. Often people resort to pica in times of extreme famine or poverty as, theoretically, it supposedly has nutritional values.

The research behind these theories is scanty at best - almost all of the studies have been relatively classist with most of them performed on relatively low income families and very few higher socioeconomic groups have ever been extensively studied.

There are a variety of theories behind it. Paul Fieldhouse in his book Food & Nutrition: Customs & Culture posits the following reasons:

• Psychological - to get attention
  
• Anthropological - traditional behavior taught by mothers to daughters during the process of gardening and food prep
• Sensory - clay eating decreases uterus movements and intestinal mobility and thus reduces nausea, it also reduces hunger
• Microbial - pica influences acidity of intestinal tract, discouraging the growth of pathogens
• Physiological - reduces the amount of saliva in the mouth which is a problem for some pregnant women
• Nutritional - pica provides some nutrient missing from the diet

The two most commonly referred to theories though are the nutritional and the psychological ones. Nutritionally, people supposedly eat clay and dirt in order to balance iron, calcium, or magnesium deficiencies. This is often is poor areas where access to a balanced diets or dietary supplements aren't available.

In regards to the idea of attention getting this theory is usually nulled by the fact that most adults, and in particular pregnant women, don't admit to the habit and struggle to keep it a secret. However, that counter-argument is itself undermined by the idea that each person could be doing it for psychological reasons.

Anthropologically, the behavior is seen as something picked up to stave off hunger during times of famine as previously noted. Sometimes the habit is carried over during times of plentifulness and then is adopted by the medicinal practices of that culture. In the theories of hot and cold medicine (the practice in which medicine is seen as a balancing of temperatures - heartburn, a hot malady, might be treated with mint, which has cooling properties) clay was a neutral medicine able to warm cold maladies or put out hot ones.

Of course, not to say there aren't plenty of risks involved. Lead toxicity is a major problem as lead poisoning which according to emedicine can have neurologic, hematologic, endocrine, cardiovascular, and renal effects. The ingestion of pathogens especially in regards to corprophagia and xylophagia where bacteria and poisonous mycological growths can occur. Obstruction of the digestion tract in regards to the consumption of paper, flour, or starch can also be a serious problem which may result in organ rupture and blood poisoning.

Nowadays you can start buying types of clay and dirt in pill form as a dietary supplement. In fact NASA requires it's astronauts on the space station to take calcium rich clay tablets to assist with keeping optimum bone density in zero gravity. So technically, many people partake in geophagy, but not in a habitual way. Indeed, taking these supplements can help cure the condition and often iron supplements are prescribed which for some helps relieve cravings.

A curious habit to consider. Future studies however still must be conducted over multiple socioeconomic, racial, gender, and age categories to ascertain any real or solid data. The little bit that has been done is incredibly biased and therefore unreliable.


Pica on Wikipedia

The Meal as Indicative of Societal Norms - The Solitary Meal

A snippet of my recent 14 page paper (not proofed) for a cultural studies class. I liked this little section - it was succinct and to the point. However, one must take a step back, the solitary meal isn't always indicative in EVERY case. Personally, a meal out or at home by myself is sometimes needed as escape or just a moment of quiet alone to collect my thoughts and relax. A cigar is sometimes just a cigar and a meal for one is sometimes just a meal for one.

Of course, neither Anderson nor Jones argue that cultural studies should focus solely on the commensalitary aspects of the meal. While Anderson does argue that the human species is a communal at heart in that humans prefer and need the company of others for their mental, emotional, and physical health, as new cultural ideals emerge the ritual of the meal does as well (124). American society today encourages an idea of the lace-up-your boots, work your way to the top, 70-hour work week mentality propagated by an overly white, protestant culture. Personal success in the work place and a large paycheck signify worth (both monetary and societal). To gain this worth in such a society the meal has had to take a back seat, no longer do we have time to cook our meals as it cuts into time needed to work. Furthermore, the family meal lost ground as “all kinds of social and economic and technological factors then conspired to shred that tidy picture to the point that the frequency of family dining fell about a third over the next 30 years,” along with children shuffling between school and activities and the ease of the microwave meal, the family meal lost ground within a society that encouraged constant activity and personal gain (Gibbs). Rarely do people even go to a restaurant unless it’s a business dinner or a martini lunch in which one can have a communal meal where networking for personal gain is the primary purpose. Rather individuals obsessed with self-worth have elevated the idea of ordering in to the office or home and wolfing down fast food in the car. Both eating habits are usually performed alone.

This solitary meal then is symbolic of a culture that encourages solitary independence and devalues reliance on others. Putnam argues that dependence on electronics and the rise of massive corporations which demand more time and attention and offer less time to develop social capital is partially the cause (283). Jones also worries that the decline of the group meal will hamper our ability to create healthy identities, ones in which we are able to interact with members of society, without social construction (141). Furthermore, he notes that in certain studies of teenage girls’ foodways that “the teens distinguish between ‘healthful food’ served at home and ‘junk food’ purchased [elsewhere]; the former symbolizes ties to family, the latter… independence” (148). The eating habits of these girls then exemplifies the idea that eating out, usually alone, is then preferred by members of American society as it gives one a sense of autonomy and self-determination. Thus the dominant practice of the communal meal begins to sink into the residual – the idea of the family sitting down to dinner is now reserved for many part of American society as part of old world nostalgia or relegated to solely Christmas dinner while the group meal is seen as a threat to individuality.

This loss of social capital via the solitary meal then can lead to the loss of communal culture. Putnam notes that “social connectedness [is] well established in the case of health and well-being,” citing that a lack of social capital correlates with a rise in unhealthy behaviors such as poor eating habits and weight gain, both common factors of the solitary meal where pre-prepared food is consumed. Indeed a recent article in Time magazine about the family meal noted that, “studies show that the more often [people] eat together, the less likely they are to smoke, drink, do drugs, get depressed, develop eating disorders and consider suicide;” for the most part the communal meal is simply more beneficial for the individual. With less importance on the communal meal (which more often than not involves the preparation of the meal as well) the pre-prepared meal gains popularity within society. These prepackaged meals, made to be eaten on the run and often alone via their single serving sizes, the solitary meal, as a propagator of culture, begins to encourage a society valuing personal reliance where cooking and eating aren’t important, therefore shifting or negating the communal values of society. The solitary meal then encourages a de-emphasis in personal health and social networking within society.

Read about Dining Alone on Vanilla Garlic.

Food as Escapism: The Use of Food in “Big Two-Hearted River” and A Farewell to Arms and its Psychological Implications

The first two pages of the paper I have been despairing about on Twitter. Comments and constructive criticism (note the key word there) are more than welcome. If anyone wants to read a draft or a finished copy, please e-mail me and let me know. Would be more than happy to welcome help.

Another note, I am attempting to create a more relaxed, not so academic tone of voice here. It's something new to me for a paper so bear with me if it's a little wobbly. This is also totally not spell checked, grammar checked or anything at the moment so please bear that in mind.

It surprises me that no one thinks of Ernest Hemingway as a food writer. Sure, maybe not in the same vein as established food writers such as M.F.K. Fisher, David, Lebovitz, or Ruth Reichl, but I find that he fits the category nonetheless. Rather than writing on his personal experiences with food as the axis and focal point of his own life - though they do feature predominantly in the appropriately named A Moveable Feast, something that will be discussed shortly - food focuses as a tool, metaphor, or means of plot and character. The use of food and drink is quite prevalent within Hemingway’s writing, albeit more drink than food (indeed, after reading his work it’s surprising he was ever sober enough to put pen to paper). Still the food itself cannot be ignored, his characters are often found eating by themselves or with others musing over their situations and using it as a source of self-reflection. One may even argue that Hemingway included these scenes as a way to have his characters actively participating in a daily ritual with which the reader could identify with, for who hasn’t mused over their own dismal state of affairs over a plate of pot-au-feu (or what have you)?

Indeed Hemingway himself realized the dominancy of food in his writing within his memoir noting that, “I found that many of the people I wrote about had very strong appetites and a great taste and desire for food” (101). Given it’s a strange revelation to have at this point after so many articles, short stories, and novels in which his characters in nearly every single chapter partake in various foodways. Indeed the memoir itself is called A Moveable Feast, directly inferring the gustatory aspects associated with Paris in which he was referring to in a letter to a friend. In addition, the very first chapter is titled “A Good Café on the Place St.-Michel” and another being “Hunger is a Good Discipline”. This and the fact that eating and plenty of drinking take place in nearly every chapter of his memoir, let alone his works of fiction place with uncanny certainty the importance of food in Hemingway’s work even if he wasn’t as aware of it’s prevalence as he thought (maybe he had been drinking to much to notice?).

Still, the food wasn’t there just for the sake of it being present, a siren-like temptation to find the nearest apple tart or glass of brandy while following the exploits of his heroes and anti-heroes and the women who loved them. As stated before, the food serves a purpose within the novel. It functions as a way to analyze and understand the characters. Food has long been an important aspect of human nature, society and psychology – it indicates our state of mind, ideals, and world understanding. One instance in particular is food’s use as a tool of escapism, a way to run away from our current problems and find comfort in or perhaps dig ourselves deeper into despair. In his book Food & Nutrition: Customs & Culture Paul Fieldhouse explores the concept of food and it’s psychological relation to us as a form of escapism by noting that “Adults frequently use food as an emotional outlet – a crutch to help them handle and to live with anxiety, tension, frustration, unhappiness, irritability, disappointment, loneliness or boredom. No human can escape such emotions as these and thus he must find ways to cope with them” (203). In the form of a meal or a simple bite to eat people and thus characters in a story are able to demonstrate mood and reflect emotions – food is a form of non-verbal communication whose messages can be as complex or subtle, if not more so, than the words we say or write. Certain foods already have established physiological and psychological connections, Bernard Lyman notes how queasiness of the stomach due to nervousness can result in the rejection of food, or the association of sweets with moments of joy and celebration or a generally pleasant state of mind (52-53). The moments of eating, sharing of food, and mentions of hunger therefore play a great role in understanding the characters, furthermore food’s use as a form of avoid their present situations.

As going into every scene of every character in Hemingway’s cannon would be excessive, not to mention hunger inducing, this paper will focus on the short story “Big Two-Hearted River” and his novel A Farewell to Arms. In relation to food I plan to engage in a dialogue that argues that food is used as a form of escapism for the character. Furthermore in analyzing this alimentary mechanism I hope to prove that in this escapism the reader is able to analyze and understand the psychological and emotional state of the characters.