28 Comments

You are absolutely correct to celebrate life and great food, while doing what we can to help those in need. Does Jose Andres stop cooking because of tragedy? No, he and his crew do what they can to help. What Alice Water has done is remarkable.

As for Soho Charcuterie, I worked there in the late 70's. What a wonderful experience. Memories of food and experiences that I carry with me to this very day. The guy, I wish I could remember his name, that only made the pates which were still one of the best I have ever tasted (Duck pate with apricots). The lady that only made quiche. They were amazing. A weekend outing to the NJ countryside and some of the best farm raised food I have ever had. Going to a farm in Montauk that was a complete eye opener. One of the very best restaurant experiences I have ever had!

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Thank you for commenting on and sharing the Flannagan article. As a retired educator (from LA and now in Nor Cal) I have seen the wonder in student's eyes when they grow things that can then be eaten. I know of a high school in a fairly agricultural area, for students who were disenfranchised from regular high school, who became engaged in learning due to participation in the Edible School Yard program. Children learn more from activities and direct participation than from books (and I like books). These things engage the whole person in learning. To deny them these experiences is narrow minded intellectualism.

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Thank you for the stellar book list! I just finished Alex Lobrano's, My Place at the Table, and loved it. On to the rest...

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So many things to love in today's post! (Except the Flanagan piece, which I have no need to read based on past experience - I will spare myself). My Calamityware mug helped me through the pandemic panic, book recommendations, and the reminder of the dear departed Food (and their lemon poppy seed cake). Thank you!

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Thank you for sharing your piece from 2010. I remember tearing up when I heard Alice Waters share her (incredibly compassionate) ideas about the Edible Schoolyard way back when -- on a Bay Area public radio station. That she (and others) have realized this dream is so encouraging!

Love the booklist! so excited about the new-to-me titles! (Will see how many are audiobooks...) Thank you in advance for further recommendations.

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I love this piece; good food is absolutely essential to a good life and, especially in times of disaster, a delicious and nourishing meal can do wonders for someone who is struggling. Side note: this is exactly the reason why I donate to World Central Kitchen, a charity that provides fresh-cooked meals to people who have been affected by natural disasters or other crises (such as the war in Ukraine).

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Sep 30, 2022·edited Sep 30, 2022

What has gotten me through this pandemic in mostly one piece is the artists. The man who told you to stop writing about food can stop reading your writing and should stop attempting to censor others.

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ahh the Soho Charcuterie- what a flash from my past! I cooked there when I first moved to NYC in 1985- the last summer before they closed.

We had great ingredients and i had the freedom to create whatever salads i wanted for the case- but always had to make- curried tuna, chicken with tarragon mayo and jumbo (U10!)shimp with an herb mayo i think. Francine and Madeline were alot of fun to work for as were all of the staff.

@william Brown- we never got to go on any field trips!!

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Love all books about oysters — especially any by Rowan Jacobsen. Looking forward to adding

The Oysters of Locmariaquer to my reading list.

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Ahhh! I loved the book Blue Willow! I read it in 6th grade and it is a story that has stuck with me since.

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Don’t be too hard on your grandparents; they were obviously devastated by overwhelming grief. I almost felt the same when my brilliant and kind younger brother-the light of our family-was killed on Christmas Day by a drunken driver four years ago. I celebrate the holiday on a smaller scale and can’t say “Merry” Christmas, but the reader who said we need hope and columns like yours to lift ourselves up is right.

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EEEEK - more books to add to the ever growing list of food memoirs (because choosing one from the library selection is actually overwhelming). Thank you!

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I have pondered this question too after wondering if it was somehow indecent to blog about my joy in travel and food while so much suffering is going on everywhere. But we all need hope --it’s as vital as food and water. Your words couldn’t be more true: “We should help in all ways we can. But in times of trouble--especially in times of trouble--it is important to celebrate life.”

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This Lady is my food writing role model! I have read her every book and cookbook unless she has written another one this year. Follow her wherever you can find her writing!! I do!!

Marykayscatering.com

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Oct 1, 2022·edited Oct 1, 2022

As a writer, researcher and food expert you could put your talents to work as a consultant to Jose Andres and the World Central Kitchen. With your knowledge of cuisines and cultures around the world, you could help Andres' team create menus relevant to the people who are receiving the food.

https://wck.org/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwyt-ZBhCNARIsAKH1175cCuv4nsvSEVQDrXZIOO4_xc8gJVvXQUL9pHSqtMxcVOU8F-2wqTQaAiLNEALw_wcB

And thank you for the new book list!

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Yes, you're completely right about activism and living your life - it's not now nor has it ever been a zero-sum game, and those who think it is are the first to ditch.

FYI, I'm no fan or Alice Waters (I'm with the late Anthony Bourdain on that score - most people don't have TIME to cook "slow food" or plot meals out in advance!), but Caitlin Flanagan excoriates her for all the wrong reasons. Cooking is so looked down upon by people as "women's work"/"servants' work" that most people my age and younger reach adulthood without knowing the basics of feeding themselves. I didn't take Home Ec because it was an elective by the time I got into 8th Grade, and Mom had already taught us how to fend for ourselves in the kitchen and basic housekeeping - and I could learn Typing instead! (Thankfully - my 8th Grade Typing class gave me an employable skill I use to this day.)

Again, I'm with Bourdain here - Home Ec shouldn't be gendered, it should be taught to boys as well as girls. Maybe men wouldn't be bears with furniture and a big-screen TV if they had to learn the basics of cooking and cleaning for themselves....

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