1 00:00:07,640 --> 00:00:09,920 Speaker 1: Hello, and welcome to favorite production of I Heart Radio. 2 00:00:09,960 --> 00:00:13,440 Speaker 1: I'm Annie Reese and I'm Lauren Vogelbaum, and today we're 3 00:00:13,440 --> 00:00:17,639 Speaker 1: talking about Edna Lewis. Yes, it's been a long time 4 00:00:17,680 --> 00:00:23,040 Speaker 1: since we've done a profile of deliciousness as we call them. Yes, 5 00:00:23,880 --> 00:00:27,640 Speaker 1: uh yeah, And we wanted to feature Edna Lewis because 6 00:00:27,680 --> 00:00:31,680 Speaker 1: she was a chef and writer who, as a black 7 00:00:31,720 --> 00:00:37,400 Speaker 1: woman from the American South, helped elevate fresh seasonal American 8 00:00:37,440 --> 00:00:41,280 Speaker 1: cooking UM in a time when that combination of things 9 00:00:42,000 --> 00:00:45,919 Speaker 1: wasn't even really considered to exist. She's considered a bit 10 00:00:45,960 --> 00:00:48,919 Speaker 1: of a of a like chef's chef um like. Even 11 00:00:48,960 --> 00:00:51,000 Speaker 1: though her work was impressive and had a lot of 12 00:00:51,040 --> 00:00:53,840 Speaker 1: impact on chefs in America UM and on people who 13 00:00:53,880 --> 00:00:58,320 Speaker 1: teach chefs in America, she's unfortunately a little bit of 14 00:00:58,360 --> 00:01:01,680 Speaker 1: like a like a cult figure um like like, meaning 15 00:01:01,840 --> 00:01:05,560 Speaker 1: that although she was well known and respected in industry circles, 16 00:01:05,600 --> 00:01:08,319 Speaker 1: she she never became the sort of public figure that 17 00:01:08,440 --> 00:01:13,160 Speaker 1: some chefs doing similar work at the time did. Yeah. 18 00:01:13,319 --> 00:01:16,920 Speaker 1: And um, I I had never heard of her, And 19 00:01:18,280 --> 00:01:21,000 Speaker 1: I feel like you you have a lot more knowledge 20 00:01:21,200 --> 00:01:24,200 Speaker 1: of of these people in in the cooking world than 21 00:01:24,280 --> 00:01:26,640 Speaker 1: I do. I remember when we did like our food 22 00:01:26,680 --> 00:01:31,319 Speaker 1: TV one, I had heard of maybe two people. It's 23 00:01:31,360 --> 00:01:36,160 Speaker 1: just like a big I didn't have Food Network, And honestly, 24 00:01:36,240 --> 00:01:39,120 Speaker 1: like it's funny to me, it's almost like when I 25 00:01:39,200 --> 00:01:44,200 Speaker 1: admit to people I don't really listen to podcast I 26 00:01:44,200 --> 00:01:46,399 Speaker 1: I just never even though I love food and I'm 27 00:01:46,400 --> 00:01:49,040 Speaker 1: fascinated with it, I never really read books or watch 28 00:01:49,120 --> 00:01:51,480 Speaker 1: TV about it. And I still don't unless it's for 29 00:01:51,760 --> 00:01:55,200 Speaker 1: this job. Sure, yeah, that I think that that's a 30 00:01:55,280 --> 00:02:00,600 Speaker 1: danger as a like professional day job podcaster UM or 31 00:02:00,760 --> 00:02:04,400 Speaker 1: or you know, um human who does a lot of 32 00:02:04,880 --> 00:02:07,320 Speaker 1: writing in in any given field. Is that you know, 33 00:02:07,400 --> 00:02:09,720 Speaker 1: like by the time I'm done with my day, I 34 00:02:09,760 --> 00:02:12,160 Speaker 1: do not want to listen to another podcast. I don't 35 00:02:12,200 --> 00:02:15,480 Speaker 1: want to read about more food stuff. I want to 36 00:02:15,520 --> 00:02:20,320 Speaker 1: like binge, watch five episodes of Supernatural and go to sleep. Yes, 37 00:02:22,280 --> 00:02:26,320 Speaker 1: this is the darkest secret of the podcaster you kin reveal. 38 00:02:26,760 --> 00:02:28,760 Speaker 1: I hate it when people ask me, like, what the 39 00:02:28,760 --> 00:02:31,640 Speaker 1: podcast do you listen to? Um? I do have some. 40 00:02:31,840 --> 00:02:37,919 Speaker 1: I do have some, but but it's an extremely curated list. Yeah. Yeah, 41 00:02:38,040 --> 00:02:41,520 Speaker 1: And I'm very glad that you brought Edna Lewis to 42 00:02:42,040 --> 00:02:46,040 Speaker 1: my attention. Um, and yeah, you kind of you jumped 43 00:02:46,040 --> 00:02:49,840 Speaker 1: in and answered my question before I could even ask it. Lauren, 44 00:02:50,720 --> 00:02:54,960 Speaker 1: you're so eager I was, I was, But but do 45 00:02:55,000 --> 00:02:56,840 Speaker 1: you do you want to ask it? Anyway? As a 46 00:02:56,960 --> 00:03:03,880 Speaker 1: transition into her biography, you know, I suppose I will, Lauren, 47 00:03:04,360 --> 00:03:09,560 Speaker 1: for for how we we want to uphold our traditions 48 00:03:09,600 --> 00:03:18,920 Speaker 1: here right, for formality's sake? Exactly? So Edna Lewis, who 49 00:03:19,080 --> 00:03:22,919 Speaker 1: was she? Who? But she well, I get to be 50 00:03:23,120 --> 00:03:27,720 Speaker 1: you for a second. Um. Edna Lewis was born in 51 00:03:27,720 --> 00:03:32,560 Speaker 1: a Freetown, Virginia, in April nineteen six, one of eight children, 52 00:03:33,160 --> 00:03:36,320 Speaker 1: and Freetown was a small town populated by formally enslaved 53 00:03:36,360 --> 00:03:41,800 Speaker 1: people after emancipation, in part founded by her grandfather. Yeah, 54 00:03:41,840 --> 00:03:45,640 Speaker 1: his family was one of three that founded Freetown. Um. 55 00:03:45,680 --> 00:03:49,040 Speaker 1: She she calls it a village, really a farming community. 56 00:03:49,440 --> 00:03:52,560 Speaker 1: And these families built a town from scratch. At church 57 00:03:52,640 --> 00:03:57,280 Speaker 1: and entertainment hall, it's yearly holidays. He also opened the 58 00:03:57,320 --> 00:04:00,560 Speaker 1: first school and Freetown and held classes in his living room. 59 00:04:00,560 --> 00:04:06,320 Speaker 1: Her grandmother had been enslaved as a brick mason, and Yeah, 60 00:04:06,640 --> 00:04:10,400 Speaker 1: Louis was close with her family and her grandfather she 61 00:04:10,400 --> 00:04:14,160 Speaker 1: she wrote about her grandparents previous lives. When they were enslaved. 62 00:04:14,560 --> 00:04:16,799 Speaker 1: Their family was all close um in a big house 63 00:04:16,839 --> 00:04:21,200 Speaker 1: that her grandparents built to keep everyone close together. Her 64 00:04:21,320 --> 00:04:25,240 Speaker 1: her grandfather, parents, three sisters, two brothers, and cousins who 65 00:04:25,320 --> 00:04:29,200 Speaker 1: quote stayed with us from time to time. As a child, 66 00:04:29,360 --> 00:04:32,279 Speaker 1: Edna worked on her grandfather's farm, which introduced her to 67 00:04:32,480 --> 00:04:36,560 Speaker 1: food production at a really early age. H Yeah. Freetown 68 00:04:36,640 --> 00:04:40,479 Speaker 1: aimed to be as self sufficient as possible, growing almost 69 00:04:40,520 --> 00:04:43,360 Speaker 1: all of their food um. They tried to only purchase 70 00:04:43,400 --> 00:04:47,600 Speaker 1: things like sugar and flour and coffee things that required 71 00:04:47,680 --> 00:04:51,840 Speaker 1: like specialty growing and processing. So Lewis's early life was 72 00:04:52,120 --> 00:04:56,440 Speaker 1: steeped in a seasonal food and eating. Yes. And one 73 00:04:56,440 --> 00:04:58,400 Speaker 1: of my this is one of my favorite things I 74 00:04:58,400 --> 00:05:00,560 Speaker 1: read about her at the time. I'm as she was 75 00:05:00,640 --> 00:05:04,160 Speaker 1: learning to cook, there weren't a lot of modern cooking 76 00:05:04,200 --> 00:05:06,520 Speaker 1: tools available to her, but she didn't let us in 77 00:05:06,640 --> 00:05:09,640 Speaker 1: her way, and she used these creative solutions like like 78 00:05:09,760 --> 00:05:12,919 Speaker 1: um using coins to measure things in place of measuring 79 00:05:12,960 --> 00:05:16,960 Speaker 1: cups and spoons. The legend goes that she knew a 80 00:05:17,080 --> 00:05:22,360 Speaker 1: cake was done by the sounds it made, which I love, 81 00:05:23,040 --> 00:05:25,840 Speaker 1: I love that. I mean, I can. I can give 82 00:05:26,040 --> 00:05:28,800 Speaker 1: a cake at a solid finger poke and be like, oh, 83 00:05:29,120 --> 00:05:32,680 Speaker 1: that's the right texture. But I have never I cannot 84 00:05:32,680 --> 00:05:38,039 Speaker 1: do that. That's not not my skill. Nope me. After 85 00:05:38,560 --> 00:05:40,679 Speaker 1: the death of her father when she was sixteen, Lewis 86 00:05:40,720 --> 00:05:43,039 Speaker 1: moved to Washington, d C. For a brief period, and 87 00:05:43,080 --> 00:05:45,000 Speaker 1: then to New York City, where she got a job 88 00:05:45,040 --> 00:05:48,040 Speaker 1: as a laundress. However, she had never ironed before, and 89 00:05:48,200 --> 00:05:51,039 Speaker 1: within three hours she was fired. I have been there, 90 00:05:52,000 --> 00:05:55,960 Speaker 1: she so though. And she found a job quickly after 91 00:05:56,080 --> 00:05:59,240 Speaker 1: as a seamstress. And she made quite a reputation for 92 00:05:59,240 --> 00:06:02,840 Speaker 1: herself for her work for celebrities and her West African 93 00:06:02,839 --> 00:06:06,039 Speaker 1: inspired dresses. Yeah, like she was sort of a big deal. 94 00:06:06,080 --> 00:06:09,800 Speaker 1: She sewed for Marilyn Monroe. Yeah, and she also campaigned 95 00:06:09,839 --> 00:06:15,320 Speaker 1: for FDR and she had a series of other odd jobs. Uh. 96 00:06:15,400 --> 00:06:18,960 Speaker 1: In a two five documentary about her called Fried Chicken 97 00:06:19,000 --> 00:06:23,160 Speaker 1: and Sweet Potato Pie, she talks about how during this 98 00:06:23,240 --> 00:06:26,400 Speaker 1: time she she felt alienated as a as a black 99 00:06:26,400 --> 00:06:31,599 Speaker 1: woman living in the North. She did meet and marry 100 00:06:31,800 --> 00:06:36,680 Speaker 1: her husband, Steve Kingston there, and he was an activist 101 00:06:36,839 --> 00:06:41,240 Speaker 1: and a communist, and she spoke very little about him 102 00:06:41,360 --> 00:06:44,960 Speaker 1: on the record um or about her ties, especially through 103 00:06:45,040 --> 00:06:48,840 Speaker 1: him UM to the American Communist Party, although she did 104 00:06:48,880 --> 00:06:52,680 Speaker 1: say that the Communist Party USA were the only people 105 00:06:53,320 --> 00:06:56,599 Speaker 1: encouraging black people in New York City at the time 106 00:06:56,680 --> 00:07:00,840 Speaker 1: to to really participate in their community. UM. One of 107 00:07:00,880 --> 00:07:03,919 Speaker 1: the odd jobs that she held was typing for the 108 00:07:03,960 --> 00:07:09,400 Speaker 1: party's paper, The Daily Worker. That's right. UM. In she 109 00:07:09,520 --> 00:07:11,880 Speaker 1: was hired as the head chef of a New French 110 00:07:11,920 --> 00:07:17,480 Speaker 1: inspired restaurant called Cafe Nicholson and Manhattan's East Side. Yeah, 111 00:07:17,560 --> 00:07:20,240 Speaker 1: her friends John Nicholson and a photographer by the name 112 00:07:20,240 --> 00:07:22,840 Speaker 1: of Carl Bissinger opened it up, UM, and they all 113 00:07:22,880 --> 00:07:26,080 Speaker 1: knew each other through the Communist Party. UM. They invited 114 00:07:26,080 --> 00:07:28,280 Speaker 1: her to come run their kitchen, and this was a 115 00:07:28,320 --> 00:07:30,560 Speaker 1: big deal. This was when female chefs were rare, and 116 00:07:30,760 --> 00:07:34,960 Speaker 1: black women as chefs were even rarer. The restaurant was 117 00:07:35,000 --> 00:07:38,520 Speaker 1: popular among the posh celebrity crowd, with patrons like Marlon Brando, 118 00:07:38,680 --> 00:07:43,080 Speaker 1: Greta Garbo, Eleanor Roosevelt, Tennessee Williams, and Salvador Dolly, which, 119 00:07:43,120 --> 00:07:47,600 Speaker 1: by the way, Lauren, has Paul ever told you about 120 00:07:47,760 --> 00:07:54,480 Speaker 1: his idea for a Salvador Dolly themed food Chuck that 121 00:07:54,560 --> 00:08:00,280 Speaker 1: would be amazing. Uh, Dolly, I am, I am I 122 00:08:00,320 --> 00:08:02,640 Speaker 1: remembering this? Right? Did he write a cookbook? Am I 123 00:08:02,680 --> 00:08:05,120 Speaker 1: thinking of Kurt Vonnegut? What's going on in my brain 124 00:08:05,200 --> 00:08:09,920 Speaker 1: right now? But I I approve of this idea of 125 00:08:09,960 --> 00:08:12,720 Speaker 1: Paul's and I wanted to happen. I do too. He's 126 00:08:12,760 --> 00:08:15,120 Speaker 1: got a whole pitch. It's pun based. Please reach out 127 00:08:15,120 --> 00:08:18,200 Speaker 1: to him, let him explain it to you. It's excellent. 128 00:08:18,720 --> 00:08:21,320 Speaker 1: I'm mad. I didn't think of it. Oh, shall do? 129 00:08:21,560 --> 00:08:26,520 Speaker 1: Shall do? Yes? Uh? But anyway, while this restaurant was 130 00:08:26,600 --> 00:08:30,680 Speaker 1: French inspired, uh ed. The Lewis frequently prepared Southern dishes 131 00:08:30,720 --> 00:08:34,720 Speaker 1: there too. Allegedly, Truman Capode would please with her to 132 00:08:34,800 --> 00:08:37,960 Speaker 1: make biscuits, and her chocolate souffle was a well known 133 00:08:38,240 --> 00:08:43,480 Speaker 1: signature dish, but people there assumed that she had trained 134 00:08:43,600 --> 00:08:50,080 Speaker 1: in France, um, including fellow Southerner William Faulkner. She did 135 00:08:50,120 --> 00:08:52,600 Speaker 1: this for three years before she left the post, though 136 00:08:52,640 --> 00:08:55,880 Speaker 1: she remained on as a business partner. She began cultivating 137 00:08:55,880 --> 00:08:59,199 Speaker 1: her personal brand and career, lecturing at the American Museum 138 00:08:59,320 --> 00:09:03,800 Speaker 1: of Natural Street, for instance. She also took prominent jobs 139 00:09:03,840 --> 00:09:07,640 Speaker 1: as a chef and private caterer, and uh it was 140 00:09:07,679 --> 00:09:10,440 Speaker 1: it was a big deal that even some of what 141 00:09:10,559 --> 00:09:13,400 Speaker 1: she was cooking at the time was Southern cuisine. Um, 142 00:09:13,400 --> 00:09:16,760 Speaker 1: other black chefs and chefs from the South considered those 143 00:09:16,800 --> 00:09:20,040 Speaker 1: dishes to be kind of like only for for home cooking. 144 00:09:21,120 --> 00:09:23,880 Speaker 1: She and her husband around the same time also owned 145 00:09:23,880 --> 00:09:30,559 Speaker 1: and operated a pheasant farm, UM, which was around unsuccess 146 00:09:32,240 --> 00:09:35,599 Speaker 1: I mean pheasant farm. I've already got some alarms on 147 00:09:37,679 --> 00:09:44,079 Speaker 1: cons uh yeah, but uh yeah. She she reportedly left 148 00:09:44,200 --> 00:09:48,440 Speaker 1: Cafe Nicholson at her husband's urging. Um. Nicholson would later 149 00:09:48,480 --> 00:09:51,880 Speaker 1: say that um that her husband, as Steve Kingston, was 150 00:09:51,960 --> 00:09:54,680 Speaker 1: sort of always going on about how she should be 151 00:09:54,720 --> 00:09:58,079 Speaker 1: making her food for the common people, not the bourgeoisie. 152 00:09:58,600 --> 00:10:02,400 Speaker 1: M h. In nineteen seventy two, she wrote that Edna 153 00:10:02,559 --> 00:10:06,400 Speaker 1: Lewis cookbook with the help of socialite Evangeline Peterson, and 154 00:10:06,440 --> 00:10:11,640 Speaker 1: it focused on bringing fresh, seasonal ingredients to American homes. Yeah, 155 00:10:11,720 --> 00:10:14,960 Speaker 1: the food scene in America was blossoming at the time, 156 00:10:15,040 --> 00:10:18,400 Speaker 1: as we've talked about in a few different different episodes here. Uh, 157 00:10:18,679 --> 00:10:21,320 Speaker 1: partially thanks to the work of folks like James Beard 158 00:10:21,400 --> 00:10:25,400 Speaker 1: and Julia Child and this first cookbook that Lewis wrote, 159 00:10:25,520 --> 00:10:30,319 Speaker 1: UM featured a wide range of European and euro American recipes. UM. 160 00:10:30,360 --> 00:10:32,640 Speaker 1: You know that that the repertoire of an urban and 161 00:10:32,720 --> 00:10:37,480 Speaker 1: sophisticated chef, UM, along with a few Southern classics. UM. 162 00:10:37,520 --> 00:10:40,840 Speaker 1: Her husband passed away while she was writing the book, though, 163 00:10:40,880 --> 00:10:45,360 Speaker 1: and I do not believe that she ever remarried. Right 164 00:10:45,640 --> 00:10:49,000 Speaker 1: before the book published, while taking a break from professional 165 00:10:49,000 --> 00:10:53,640 Speaker 1: cooking after suffering a broken leg, she met Judith Jones, 166 00:10:53,679 --> 00:10:56,800 Speaker 1: who was a well known cookbook editor who had worked 167 00:10:56,800 --> 00:11:00,440 Speaker 1: with Julia Child. Jones encouraged Lewis to incorporate more of 168 00:11:00,440 --> 00:11:04,000 Speaker 1: her own voice in her next project, and Lewis took note, 169 00:11:04,480 --> 00:11:06,560 Speaker 1: and her next book did just that. And we'll get 170 00:11:06,600 --> 00:11:08,199 Speaker 1: into that, but first we're gonna pause for a quick 171 00:11:08,240 --> 00:11:19,960 Speaker 1: break for word from our sponsor. And we're back. Thank 172 00:11:20,000 --> 00:11:25,959 Speaker 1: you sponsor, Yes, thank you, uh so Yes. Judith Jones 173 00:11:26,280 --> 00:11:29,880 Speaker 1: really worked with Edna Lewis um to to encourage her 174 00:11:29,920 --> 00:11:33,559 Speaker 1: to get these these stories that she would tell about 175 00:11:33,600 --> 00:11:37,400 Speaker 1: about cooking, about her her life growing up, UM down 176 00:11:37,440 --> 00:11:41,079 Speaker 1: on the page the way that she she talked about them. 177 00:11:41,120 --> 00:11:44,480 Speaker 1: So The Taste of Country Cooking debuted in nineteen seventy six, 178 00:11:44,600 --> 00:11:47,800 Speaker 1: and it featured memories from her childhood, food traditions from 179 00:11:47,800 --> 00:11:51,520 Speaker 1: the South, and influences and themes of her African American heritage. 180 00:11:51,760 --> 00:11:54,120 Speaker 1: And this book frequently gets credit for being the first 181 00:11:54,120 --> 00:11:57,480 Speaker 1: of a series of cookbooks that showcased all that Southern 182 00:11:57,520 --> 00:12:01,199 Speaker 1: food can be, that it was something to be respected 183 00:12:01,640 --> 00:12:05,520 Speaker 1: instead of something looked down on. And her voice in 184 00:12:05,559 --> 00:12:08,560 Speaker 1: it is just so strong, um I wanted to read 185 00:12:09,000 --> 00:12:12,319 Speaker 1: a quick passage of from so so. The book is 186 00:12:12,360 --> 00:12:15,200 Speaker 1: split up into into seasons, and there are frequently these 187 00:12:15,320 --> 00:12:20,600 Speaker 1: long descriptions of how her her meals and recipes came 188 00:12:20,640 --> 00:12:24,319 Speaker 1: about um, in addition to the actual recipes themselves and 189 00:12:24,360 --> 00:12:26,640 Speaker 1: so UM. At the at the top of the book 190 00:12:26,679 --> 00:12:32,760 Speaker 1: and in the Spring section, she writes, breakfast was about 191 00:12:32,800 --> 00:12:34,959 Speaker 1: the best part of the day. There was an almost 192 00:12:35,040 --> 00:12:38,079 Speaker 1: mysterious feeling about passing through the night and awakening to 193 00:12:38,160 --> 00:12:40,720 Speaker 1: a new day. Everyone greeted each other in the morning 194 00:12:40,760 --> 00:12:43,120 Speaker 1: with gladness and a real sense of gratefulness to see 195 00:12:43,120 --> 00:12:45,959 Speaker 1: the new day. If it was a particularly beautiful morning. 196 00:12:46,000 --> 00:12:49,160 Speaker 1: It was expressed in the grace. Spring would bring our 197 00:12:49,240 --> 00:12:52,959 Speaker 1: first and just about only fish chad. It would always 198 00:12:53,000 --> 00:12:55,520 Speaker 1: be served for breakfast, soaked in salt water for an 199 00:12:55,520 --> 00:12:58,640 Speaker 1: hour or so, rolled in seasoned corn meal and fried 200 00:12:58,679 --> 00:13:01,640 Speaker 1: carefully and home rendered lard with a slice of smoked 201 00:13:01,640 --> 00:13:05,199 Speaker 1: shoulder for added flavor. There are crispy fried white potatoes, 202 00:13:05,240 --> 00:13:08,600 Speaker 1: fried onions, batter, bread, any food left over from supper, 203 00:13:08,760 --> 00:13:12,280 Speaker 1: BlackBerry jelly, delicious hot coffee and cocoa for the children. 204 00:13:12,760 --> 00:13:16,319 Speaker 1: And perhaps if a neighbor dropped in dandelion, wine was added. 205 00:13:16,760 --> 00:13:18,960 Speaker 1: With the morning feeding of the animals out of the way, 206 00:13:19,280 --> 00:13:26,400 Speaker 1: breakfast was enjoyable and leisurely. Ah, that's beautiful. And the 207 00:13:26,440 --> 00:13:30,760 Speaker 1: book is just full of this prose. Um. Uh yeah, 208 00:13:30,880 --> 00:13:32,520 Speaker 1: and and and like I said, so, so the recipes 209 00:13:32,559 --> 00:13:35,120 Speaker 1: are divided into seasons, um, and they are as much 210 00:13:35,160 --> 00:13:39,240 Speaker 1: stories as they are recipes. Um. You've got entries like 211 00:13:39,520 --> 00:13:44,120 Speaker 1: an early spring dinner after sheep sharing um featuring braised 212 00:13:44,200 --> 00:13:48,240 Speaker 1: mutton ribs with thyme and onion, skillet, cooked wild asparagus, 213 00:13:48,280 --> 00:13:51,440 Speaker 1: a salad of beet tops and other garden greens, potato 214 00:13:51,520 --> 00:13:55,400 Speaker 1: yeast rolls, lment which is a creamy like almond and 215 00:13:55,480 --> 00:14:00,400 Speaker 1: vanilla geltin dessert, and butter cookies. Um. For summer, there's 216 00:14:00,440 --> 00:14:03,480 Speaker 1: making ice cream on a summer afternoon featuring vanilla custard 217 00:14:03,480 --> 00:14:07,199 Speaker 1: and peach ice creams. UH. Morning after Hog Butchering, Breakfast 218 00:14:07,280 --> 00:14:10,520 Speaker 1: from the Fall, and a dinner celebrating the last of 219 00:14:10,559 --> 00:14:13,600 Speaker 1: the barnyard foul for the winter. A lot of the 220 00:14:13,640 --> 00:14:16,800 Speaker 1: stories in the book reference older technologies and methods like 221 00:14:16,840 --> 00:14:19,520 Speaker 1: wood stoves, stuff like that, but the recipes themselves are 222 00:14:19,520 --> 00:14:23,560 Speaker 1: revised for for modern cooks and modern kitchens. And this 223 00:14:23,560 --> 00:14:27,120 Speaker 1: this cookbook is considered to be the first entry in 224 00:14:27,240 --> 00:14:32,720 Speaker 1: like Neuvelle's Southern cookbooks soon to be booming business. Um, 225 00:14:33,120 --> 00:14:36,760 Speaker 1: the same way that Nouvelle Cuisine in France was at 226 00:14:36,760 --> 00:14:40,960 Speaker 1: the time refocusing on on taking like taking good ingredients 227 00:14:41,360 --> 00:14:44,440 Speaker 1: and not mucking them about too much. UM that that's 228 00:14:44,440 --> 00:14:47,840 Speaker 1: what these recipes were doing for Southern cooking. UM. It's 229 00:14:47,880 --> 00:14:51,040 Speaker 1: it's something that from a food and cooking standpoint, the 230 00:14:51,040 --> 00:14:53,840 Speaker 1: American public was kind of hungry for. Um. You know, 231 00:14:53,960 --> 00:14:58,000 Speaker 1: you were coming off of decades of just increased industrialization 232 00:14:58,040 --> 00:15:02,080 Speaker 1: of food of convenience foods. UH. Seventy six was the 233 00:15:02,160 --> 00:15:04,960 Speaker 1: same year, um, that this book came out, that Alice 234 00:15:04,960 --> 00:15:09,720 Speaker 1: Waters debuted an American menu at Japanese. On top of that, 235 00:15:09,840 --> 00:15:12,280 Speaker 1: is one of the first American cookbooks authored by a 236 00:15:12,320 --> 00:15:16,360 Speaker 1: black woman to reach a national audience. Yeah, this, this 237 00:15:16,440 --> 00:15:19,680 Speaker 1: book was really revolutionary and in a number of ways. Um. 238 00:15:19,720 --> 00:15:22,520 Speaker 1: You know, remember that it was coming out within a 239 00:15:22,560 --> 00:15:27,520 Speaker 1: decade of the national laws and rulings that banned discrimination 240 00:15:27,760 --> 00:15:30,880 Speaker 1: based on race and skin color. Um in a racial 241 00:15:30,920 --> 00:15:34,560 Speaker 1: marriage had only been legalized nine years previous in nineteen 242 00:15:34,600 --> 00:15:37,760 Speaker 1: sixty seven, the abolition of poll taxes, which were one 243 00:15:37,760 --> 00:15:42,400 Speaker 1: of the many ways that formerly Confederate slaveholding states actively 244 00:15:42,440 --> 00:15:47,000 Speaker 1: prevented Black Americans from accessing their equal rights after emancipation. Um. 245 00:15:47,040 --> 00:15:50,360 Speaker 1: And that it only happened ten years previous in nineteen 246 00:15:50,400 --> 00:15:54,520 Speaker 1: sixty six. The civil rights movement had put this kind 247 00:15:54,520 --> 00:15:58,080 Speaker 1: of monolithic view of the culture of the South on 248 00:15:58,120 --> 00:16:02,400 Speaker 1: the national stage in a very negative light. Um of you, 249 00:16:02,480 --> 00:16:06,240 Speaker 1: partially left over from the Civil War, UM of Southerners 250 00:16:06,320 --> 00:16:12,880 Speaker 1: being poor and ignorant. Um. And simultaneously, over the few 251 00:16:12,920 --> 00:16:16,560 Speaker 1: decades leading up to this um, there had arisen this 252 00:16:16,760 --> 00:16:21,320 Speaker 1: like myth of the gentility of the white Antebellum South, 253 00:16:21,480 --> 00:16:23,040 Speaker 1: you know, like gone with the wind, all that kind 254 00:16:23,080 --> 00:16:29,400 Speaker 1: of stuff. And these two narrow beamed views of Southern 255 00:16:29,440 --> 00:16:34,800 Speaker 1: culture really ignore and and e race. The actual lived 256 00:16:34,840 --> 00:16:39,800 Speaker 1: experience of Southern people, and especially black Southerners, and and 257 00:16:39,840 --> 00:16:45,240 Speaker 1: these views persist today, but but books like Louis's fight 258 00:16:45,280 --> 00:16:50,080 Speaker 1: against them by showing people that these cultures are valid 259 00:16:50,520 --> 00:16:55,000 Speaker 1: and beautiful and like, yeah, complicated, but but not to 260 00:16:55,080 --> 00:16:58,520 Speaker 1: be ignored or raced. Um. You know. It shows that 261 00:16:59,000 --> 00:17:03,480 Speaker 1: America does have cuisine, and it's Southern cuisine, and it 262 00:17:03,560 --> 00:17:11,080 Speaker 1: exists thanks to black people. Mm hmm. In Lewis followed 263 00:17:11,240 --> 00:17:14,040 Speaker 1: the taste of country cooking with in pursuit of flavor. 264 00:17:15,080 --> 00:17:20,520 Speaker 1: Uh yeah. Also also with them the the encouragement of 265 00:17:20,680 --> 00:17:23,240 Speaker 1: Juith Jones, who she would remain friends with the rest 266 00:17:23,280 --> 00:17:26,480 Speaker 1: of her life. While she did spend a good chunk 267 00:17:26,520 --> 00:17:28,400 Speaker 1: of her career cooking in the South, she did move 268 00:17:28,440 --> 00:17:30,920 Speaker 1: to New York to work at Gage and Tolner, which 269 00:17:30,920 --> 00:17:33,560 Speaker 1: was a restaurant in Brooklyn, when she was seventy two, 270 00:17:33,760 --> 00:17:35,720 Speaker 1: but she moved to Georgia in the nineteen nineties to 271 00:17:35,880 --> 00:17:43,040 Speaker 1: retire from restaurants at least. Yeah. During that decade, she 272 00:17:43,160 --> 00:17:46,600 Speaker 1: and a coalition of friends formed the Society for the 273 00:17:46,640 --> 00:17:49,960 Speaker 1: Revival and Preservation of Southern Food, with the goal of 274 00:17:50,000 --> 00:17:54,720 Speaker 1: sharing traditional Southern recipes and preparations. She became a friend 275 00:17:54,720 --> 00:17:57,280 Speaker 1: and mentor to Scott Peacock, who was the head chef 276 00:17:57,280 --> 00:17:59,800 Speaker 1: at the Georgia Governor's Mansion, and the two of them 277 00:17:59,840 --> 00:18:02,720 Speaker 1: were together to write The Gift of Southern Cooking, Recipes 278 00:18:02,800 --> 00:18:06,040 Speaker 1: and Revelations from two Great American Cooks, which was published 279 00:18:06,040 --> 00:18:09,600 Speaker 1: in two thousand three. Uh. Peacock and Lewis we were 280 00:18:09,600 --> 00:18:12,000 Speaker 1: great friends. And for the last few years of Louis's 281 00:18:12,040 --> 00:18:15,159 Speaker 1: life they lived together in Decatur, Georgia, which is just 282 00:18:15,320 --> 00:18:18,080 Speaker 1: kind of down the street from US UM, with him 283 00:18:18,119 --> 00:18:22,760 Speaker 1: acting as her caretaker. Uh. And he's a white gay 284 00:18:22,920 --> 00:18:26,199 Speaker 1: chef who was born in nineteen sixty three. Um. They 285 00:18:26,400 --> 00:18:29,880 Speaker 1: were an interesting pair. UH. But she had never had 286 00:18:29,880 --> 00:18:32,440 Speaker 1: any children or or made that much money from her work. 287 00:18:33,760 --> 00:18:36,879 Speaker 1: And she died in two thousand and six, just short 288 00:18:36,920 --> 00:18:41,879 Speaker 1: of her ninetieth birthday. That same year, the thirtieth edition 289 00:18:42,080 --> 00:18:44,280 Speaker 1: of The Taste of Country Cooking was released with a 290 00:18:44,320 --> 00:18:48,240 Speaker 1: foreword by Alice Waters. Over the span of her life, 291 00:18:48,280 --> 00:18:53,359 Speaker 1: she accumulated a lot of awards. In Johnson and Wales 292 00:18:53,359 --> 00:18:56,720 Speaker 1: awarded her with an honorary PhD and Culinary Arts in 293 00:18:58,119 --> 00:19:01,960 Speaker 1: she received the James Beard Living Budge an award Nadom. 294 00:19:02,119 --> 00:19:05,399 Speaker 1: The Scoffier International named her a grand dum Grand James 295 00:19:05,440 --> 00:19:08,080 Speaker 1: I was saying, And she became the first recipient of 296 00:19:08,080 --> 00:19:11,920 Speaker 1: the Southern Food Wasys Alliances Lifetime Achievement Award. Her face 297 00:19:12,040 --> 00:19:14,360 Speaker 1: was on a stamp, which I know, compared to those 298 00:19:14,359 --> 00:19:16,679 Speaker 1: other things might not be super cool, but I love it. 299 00:19:16,720 --> 00:19:21,520 Speaker 1: I think that's awesome. No. Absolutely. In a book of 300 00:19:21,640 --> 00:19:25,600 Speaker 1: essays celebrating Lewis written by professional chefs, food writers, educators, 301 00:19:25,600 --> 00:19:28,240 Speaker 1: friends and family called Edna Lewis at the table with 302 00:19:28,280 --> 00:19:34,119 Speaker 1: an American original came out. Um and uh. Some of 303 00:19:34,119 --> 00:19:37,600 Speaker 1: these essays and uh, some other journalistic pieces that have 304 00:19:37,640 --> 00:19:42,199 Speaker 1: been written about Louis explore the notion that that although 305 00:19:42,240 --> 00:19:46,280 Speaker 1: she she did intensely influence American cuisine through her writing 306 00:19:46,440 --> 00:19:50,280 Speaker 1: about provincial American life, um, there's also a lot that 307 00:19:50,320 --> 00:19:53,240 Speaker 1: we don't know about her. Um. And in all likelihood, 308 00:19:53,359 --> 00:19:56,320 Speaker 1: she was a lot more complicated than this image that's 309 00:19:56,359 --> 00:19:59,600 Speaker 1: often painted of her as this grand dame of the 310 00:19:59,600 --> 00:20:04,880 Speaker 1: healthy in days of Southern cooking. Uh. Or maybe that 311 00:20:04,920 --> 00:20:09,439 Speaker 1: she aspired to be that straightforward, that that's what she 312 00:20:09,560 --> 00:20:16,640 Speaker 1: wanted for the world. In two posthumous Lee Gourmet Magazine 313 00:20:16,680 --> 00:20:21,720 Speaker 1: published an essay that Lewis had written way back, titled 314 00:20:22,400 --> 00:20:24,840 Speaker 1: what is Southern? It was it was lost, her friends 315 00:20:24,880 --> 00:20:28,920 Speaker 1: found it and submitted for publication. Uh and it's been 316 00:20:28,960 --> 00:20:31,720 Speaker 1: called something of a manifesto. Uh and I'd like to 317 00:20:31,720 --> 00:20:36,480 Speaker 1: read a couple of passages from it here. Um. Southern 318 00:20:36,680 --> 00:20:39,040 Speaker 1: is Bessie Smith, Give me a pig foot and a 319 00:20:39,080 --> 00:20:41,919 Speaker 1: bottle of beer. Southern is a great yeast roll the 320 00:20:42,000 --> 00:20:44,679 Speaker 1: doe put down overnight to rise, and the next morning 321 00:20:44,720 --> 00:20:47,399 Speaker 1: shaped into rolls and baked, served hot from the oven. 322 00:20:47,480 --> 00:20:49,960 Speaker 1: There is light as a dandelion in a high wind. 323 00:20:50,840 --> 00:20:53,320 Speaker 1: Southern is a sun dog, something like a rainbow or 324 00:20:53,400 --> 00:20:55,800 Speaker 1: the man in the moon on a late summer afternoon. 325 00:20:56,880 --> 00:20:59,760 Speaker 1: Southern is a mint julip, a goblet of crushed dice 326 00:20:59,800 --> 00:21:01,639 Speaker 1: with a sprig of mint tucked in the side of 327 00:21:01,640 --> 00:21:05,439 Speaker 1: the glass. Plain sugar syrup the consistency of kerosene poured 328 00:21:05,480 --> 00:21:08,439 Speaker 1: over the ice. Then a jigger of bourbon. Stir and 329 00:21:08,480 --> 00:21:11,159 Speaker 1: bruise the mint with a silver spoon, Sip and enjoy. 330 00:21:12,119 --> 00:21:14,240 Speaker 1: Southern is a hot summer day that brings on a 331 00:21:14,320 --> 00:21:17,720 Speaker 1: violent thunderstore, cooling the air and bringing up smells of 332 00:21:17,800 --> 00:21:20,960 Speaker 1: earth that tempts us to eat the soil. Southern is 333 00:21:20,960 --> 00:21:24,800 Speaker 1: Tennessee Williams in street car Southern is a springhouse filled 334 00:21:24,800 --> 00:21:27,840 Speaker 1: with perishables, kept cool by a stream running through and 335 00:21:27,880 --> 00:21:33,400 Speaker 1: a spring keeper. A salamander is they're watching over and Uh. 336 00:21:33,480 --> 00:21:36,960 Speaker 1: Then the the last the last paragraph of the of 337 00:21:37,000 --> 00:21:41,320 Speaker 1: the essay Southern is all the unsung heroes who passed 338 00:21:41,320 --> 00:21:44,320 Speaker 1: away in obscurity. So many great souls have passed off 339 00:21:44,320 --> 00:21:47,720 Speaker 1: the scene. The world has changed. We are now faced 340 00:21:47,720 --> 00:21:49,760 Speaker 1: with picking up the pieces and trying to put them 341 00:21:49,800 --> 00:21:53,240 Speaker 1: into shape, document them so the present day young generation 342 00:21:53,359 --> 00:21:57,119 Speaker 1: can see what Southern food was like. The foundation on 343 00:21:57,119 --> 00:22:01,440 Speaker 1: which it rested was pure ingredients, open pollinated seed, planted 344 00:22:01,480 --> 00:22:05,800 Speaker 1: and replanted for generations, natural fertilizers. We grew the seeds 345 00:22:05,800 --> 00:22:08,520 Speaker 1: of what we ate. We worked with love and care. 346 00:22:11,320 --> 00:22:20,159 Speaker 1: My heart is swelling. Oh yeah, she she was a 347 00:22:20,280 --> 00:22:27,520 Speaker 1: really incredible writer. I I very highly recommend um definitely 348 00:22:27,720 --> 00:22:31,520 Speaker 1: picking up the taste of country cooking and the collection 349 00:22:31,560 --> 00:22:34,200 Speaker 1: of essays is is great as well. Um. Edna Lewis 350 00:22:34,240 --> 00:22:37,720 Speaker 1: at the table with an American original. Uh. In reading 351 00:22:37,720 --> 00:22:43,800 Speaker 1: through those essays, Uh, Doctor Jessica Harris came up, Yeah 352 00:22:44,040 --> 00:22:47,239 Speaker 1: and like a lot of them. Uh, and I was 353 00:22:47,480 --> 00:22:52,960 Speaker 1: I was really proud that we got that interview. Uh 354 00:22:53,040 --> 00:22:56,680 Speaker 1: and um uh just thinking about how she's doing, and 355 00:22:56,720 --> 00:23:00,439 Speaker 1: I hope she's doing okay. Yeah, her name comes up 356 00:23:00,440 --> 00:23:03,440 Speaker 1: a lot and in research that we do for sure. 357 00:23:03,680 --> 00:23:06,760 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, oh yeah absolutely. I'm I'm kind of glad 358 00:23:06,800 --> 00:23:10,120 Speaker 1: that I didn't know exactly how big of a deal 359 00:23:10,200 --> 00:23:11,720 Speaker 1: she was when we went in there, because I would 360 00:23:11,720 --> 00:23:18,640 Speaker 1: have been even more terrified. Yes, yes, um, but yeah, 361 00:23:18,680 --> 00:23:22,760 Speaker 1: I definitely been moved by the things I've read by 362 00:23:22,880 --> 00:23:25,120 Speaker 1: Edna Lewis, and I'm really glad we talked about her, 363 00:23:25,800 --> 00:23:29,600 Speaker 1: and I think that it will be one of the 364 00:23:29,640 --> 00:23:32,160 Speaker 1: books that I actually am going to read for fun 365 00:23:32,240 --> 00:23:38,680 Speaker 1: and not for work. Yes, I aspire to to do 366 00:23:38,760 --> 00:23:44,680 Speaker 1: that thing all the way through as well myself. Yes, yes, um. 367 00:23:44,680 --> 00:23:47,520 Speaker 1: And that brings us to the end of this episode. 368 00:23:47,520 --> 00:23:49,200 Speaker 1: But we do have a little bit more for you, 369 00:23:49,720 --> 00:23:52,160 Speaker 1: we do. But first we've got one more quick break 370 00:23:52,200 --> 00:24:04,960 Speaker 1: for a word from our sponsor, and we're back. Thank you, sponsor, Yes, 371 00:24:05,040 --> 00:24:13,680 Speaker 1: thank you, And we're back with listeners. I feel nice 372 00:24:13,720 --> 00:24:15,760 Speaker 1: and like I'm out in a meadow and I'm doing 373 00:24:15,840 --> 00:24:20,600 Speaker 1: kind of the like Princess swing around. She takes in 374 00:24:20,760 --> 00:24:27,520 Speaker 1: the beauty and the animals around her. Yeah, yeah, totally yeah. Good. 375 00:24:27,640 --> 00:24:29,919 Speaker 1: Uh one of those good like animation crane shots that 376 00:24:29,960 --> 00:24:34,280 Speaker 1: I always really respect. Yeah, exactly exactly. I'm glad I 377 00:24:34,280 --> 00:24:39,560 Speaker 1: had captured at least a part of it. Anthony wrote 378 00:24:40,040 --> 00:24:42,960 Speaker 1: regarding mole. During a listener mail, it was mentioned that 379 00:24:43,000 --> 00:24:45,320 Speaker 1: the writer's mother used peanut butter and her mole in 380 00:24:45,320 --> 00:24:47,480 Speaker 1: culinary school. We had a few weeks of text next 381 00:24:47,520 --> 00:24:50,840 Speaker 1: Cuisine with a heavy focus on Mexican. During my research, 382 00:24:50,880 --> 00:24:52,840 Speaker 1: I did find that mole is as diverse as a 383 00:24:52,920 --> 00:24:56,440 Speaker 1: Marcela spice blend can be in Indian families or regions, 384 00:24:56,680 --> 00:24:58,960 Speaker 1: meaning every family or region can have a different approach 385 00:24:59,000 --> 00:25:02,840 Speaker 1: to making mole. Malay can be made with chopped, crush 386 00:25:02,960 --> 00:25:05,879 Speaker 1: or ground nuts. Recipes I uncovered and cooked while in 387 00:25:05,880 --> 00:25:09,520 Speaker 1: culinary Arts called for cacao and crushed almonds. I remember 388 00:25:09,520 --> 00:25:11,800 Speaker 1: this specifically as I can recall that while the flavor 389 00:25:11,840 --> 00:25:13,880 Speaker 1: was beautiful, I was not a fan of the texture 390 00:25:13,960 --> 00:25:16,399 Speaker 1: the almonds left. I wish I had ground them more, 391 00:25:16,440 --> 00:25:19,240 Speaker 1: perhaps into an almond butter, before adding it to the malay. 392 00:25:19,400 --> 00:25:22,080 Speaker 1: I hope my experiences with malay can answer the writer's 393 00:25:22,119 --> 00:25:24,679 Speaker 1: question about peanut butter and mola. For me, this seems 394 00:25:24,680 --> 00:25:27,960 Speaker 1: like a logical substitution for other ground nuts that can 395 00:25:27,960 --> 00:25:32,960 Speaker 1: be added to malaise. With regards to mispronunciation, I can't 396 00:25:32,960 --> 00:25:37,159 Speaker 1: remember the podcast, but I believe Annie mentioned Jacomo but 397 00:25:37,240 --> 00:25:41,280 Speaker 1: pronounced it gackamo. That sounds like me. I won't deny it. 398 00:25:41,560 --> 00:25:44,520 Speaker 1: I remember because I made the same mistake once in 399 00:25:44,560 --> 00:25:49,000 Speaker 1: front of my wife's family. Being Italian, myself and my 400 00:25:49,040 --> 00:25:51,400 Speaker 1: wife of first generation Italian American, her mom was worn 401 00:25:51,400 --> 00:25:54,879 Speaker 1: in Italy. I was heavily tastized and grad we're saying 402 00:25:54,880 --> 00:25:57,440 Speaker 1: it wrong. It's hard enough to convince people I am 403 00:25:57,480 --> 00:26:00,800 Speaker 1: really Italian and a redhead, but not being able to 404 00:26:00,800 --> 00:26:03,680 Speaker 1: speak the language just fortifies to them that I'm lying 405 00:26:03,720 --> 00:26:08,320 Speaker 1: about my heritage. The common nickname for Jackomo is jack. Yes. 406 00:26:08,359 --> 00:26:10,159 Speaker 1: I can't believe I've heard that. I don't know what 407 00:26:10,200 --> 00:26:14,440 Speaker 1: I was doing, but the pronunciation should be similar. Every 408 00:26:14,520 --> 00:26:18,680 Speaker 1: Italian will argue that their dialection region are the correct ones, 409 00:26:19,000 --> 00:26:21,440 Speaker 1: but I've kind to learn that the pronunciation is more 410 00:26:21,560 --> 00:26:24,320 Speaker 1: like jacomo. Now don't say too fast. The oh is 411 00:26:24,400 --> 00:26:26,560 Speaker 1: drawn out to a long oh sound. Oh. Now I'm 412 00:26:26,600 --> 00:26:32,119 Speaker 1: in my head the jack part sounds just like Jacques 413 00:26:32,200 --> 00:26:35,720 Speaker 1: with a sound. I just thought I would help just 414 00:26:35,800 --> 00:26:37,800 Speaker 1: in case Annie meets the love for her life and 415 00:26:37,840 --> 00:26:42,280 Speaker 1: his name is Jacobo. Thank you. Um. The story that 416 00:26:42,400 --> 00:26:44,879 Speaker 1: rained me in on my culinary career obsessions with the 417 00:26:44,920 --> 00:26:47,560 Speaker 1: story of capers. And I was in Italy walking the 418 00:26:47,560 --> 00:26:50,560 Speaker 1: cliffs of Oh, You've given me another thing to pronounce 419 00:26:50,920 --> 00:26:53,960 Speaker 1: Capri with my wife and her mom. I noticed an 420 00:26:54,040 --> 00:26:56,560 Speaker 1: overgrown plant growing out of the side of a wall. 421 00:26:57,240 --> 00:26:59,080 Speaker 1: The plant had little berries on it. I asked my 422 00:26:59,160 --> 00:27:00,840 Speaker 1: mother in law what it was and she told me 423 00:27:00,880 --> 00:27:03,360 Speaker 1: that it was a caper plant. Being a stupid American, 424 00:27:03,400 --> 00:27:05,800 Speaker 1: I wanted to pick them. She immediately hit my hand 425 00:27:05,840 --> 00:27:07,680 Speaker 1: and it felt as if she had a hidden wooden 426 00:27:07,720 --> 00:27:11,080 Speaker 1: spoon with her. It hurts. Side note. I firmly believe 427 00:27:11,119 --> 00:27:12,840 Speaker 1: every Italian woman has a wooden spoon on her at 428 00:27:12,840 --> 00:27:15,400 Speaker 1: all times to hit the man and they are stupid. 429 00:27:15,920 --> 00:27:18,760 Speaker 1: But maybe that's just me. I have so many welts 430 00:27:18,760 --> 00:27:22,040 Speaker 1: from wooden spoons. She told me they were poisonous, that 431 00:27:22,119 --> 00:27:24,520 Speaker 1: they needed to be brined first before we can eat them. 432 00:27:24,560 --> 00:27:27,520 Speaker 1: Having known that capers have been around four thousands of years, 433 00:27:27,560 --> 00:27:31,080 Speaker 1: my mind asked itself a spiritual question. How thousands of 434 00:27:31,119 --> 00:27:33,639 Speaker 1: years ago did they figure out that this poisonous berry 435 00:27:33,760 --> 00:27:37,359 Speaker 1: was edible if they brinded it from there? I was hooked. 436 00:27:37,600 --> 00:27:39,639 Speaker 1: I am unsure how legit A bit my story is 437 00:27:39,680 --> 00:27:42,320 Speaker 1: on capers, but perhaps a caper episode would be nice 438 00:27:42,320 --> 00:27:46,720 Speaker 1: to have. Yes, I am hooked. This is exactly this 439 00:27:46,760 --> 00:27:50,000 Speaker 1: is what got me into this podcasting gig. Is this 440 00:27:50,160 --> 00:27:53,760 Speaker 1: I've got to find out now, I've got to know. Yeah. 441 00:27:53,840 --> 00:27:56,320 Speaker 1: Oh and and that is that is on our short list? Um, 442 00:27:56,400 --> 00:27:59,439 Speaker 1: for for sure. I'm just waiting free day when I 443 00:27:59,480 --> 00:28:05,600 Speaker 1: have an attention to truly concentrate on the caper. Yes, 444 00:28:05,720 --> 00:28:09,159 Speaker 1: and I already my my brain is like pawns, pawns funds, 445 00:28:09,280 --> 00:28:14,160 Speaker 1: so many caper funds to be made. Also, I'm I'm 446 00:28:14,240 --> 00:28:17,520 Speaker 1: on certain that my future love of my life will 447 00:28:17,600 --> 00:28:22,080 Speaker 1: be named Jacomo. And you have saved me a great barriss. 448 00:28:24,400 --> 00:28:27,840 Speaker 1: I could have lost him forever. Yeah, but now, but 449 00:28:27,960 --> 00:28:32,760 Speaker 1: now now I am saved. I look forward to our 450 00:28:33,320 --> 00:28:41,880 Speaker 1: happy future, living happily ever after with Jacomo. Um Hannah wrote, 451 00:28:42,480 --> 00:28:44,200 Speaker 1: I've been listening to you two for quite a while. 452 00:28:44,240 --> 00:28:46,280 Speaker 1: I think maybe since the beginning of food stuff days. 453 00:28:46,520 --> 00:28:49,200 Speaker 1: I've never written in before, but felt compelled to after 454 00:28:49,240 --> 00:28:52,120 Speaker 1: the listener mail to episode where someone wrote in asking 455 00:28:52,200 --> 00:28:56,560 Speaker 1: if we don't have Australian thick shakes in the United States. 456 00:28:56,920 --> 00:29:00,000 Speaker 1: I felt the need to set the record straight my credentials. 457 00:29:00,120 --> 00:29:01,960 Speaker 1: I'm from the US and had been working at a 458 00:29:02,000 --> 00:29:04,960 Speaker 1: cafe in Australia before the pandemic forced me to come 459 00:29:05,000 --> 00:29:09,120 Speaker 1: back home. So an Australian milkshake is basically just milk 460 00:29:09,240 --> 00:29:12,480 Speaker 1: blended with some flavoring. Usually there's a singular scoop of 461 00:29:12,520 --> 00:29:14,520 Speaker 1: ice cream thrown in there, or if you're at the 462 00:29:14,520 --> 00:29:16,960 Speaker 1: place I worked, whipped cream when you run out of 463 00:29:17,000 --> 00:29:19,760 Speaker 1: ice cream. But the point is that it is flavored 464 00:29:19,800 --> 00:29:23,840 Speaker 1: and slightly creamier and frothier than plain old milk. An 465 00:29:23,840 --> 00:29:26,400 Speaker 1: Australian thick shake has a few more scoops of ice 466 00:29:26,440 --> 00:29:30,120 Speaker 1: cream and is more similar to an American milkshake, blended 467 00:29:30,160 --> 00:29:32,920 Speaker 1: concoction of ice cream and milk that can be too 468 00:29:32,960 --> 00:29:35,120 Speaker 1: thick to really be drunk through a straw, but you 469 00:29:35,160 --> 00:29:38,560 Speaker 1: try anyway before sometimes giving up and going for the spoon. 470 00:29:39,320 --> 00:29:41,400 Speaker 1: I never found thick shakes to be as thick as 471 00:29:41,400 --> 00:29:44,520 Speaker 1: I remember milkshakes being in the US. But to be fair, 472 00:29:44,760 --> 00:29:48,640 Speaker 1: I'm no kind of sore unrelated to milkshakes. Because of 473 00:29:48,640 --> 00:29:50,960 Speaker 1: the pandemic and not going to the grocery stores often 474 00:29:50,960 --> 00:29:53,000 Speaker 1: as we used to, my parents and I have been 475 00:29:53,000 --> 00:29:55,280 Speaker 1: going through the cabinets and seeing what we could make 476 00:29:55,320 --> 00:29:58,280 Speaker 1: with whatever we find. One thing we found was two 477 00:29:58,480 --> 00:30:01,760 Speaker 1: cans of poppy seed phil While I was a little 478 00:30:01,800 --> 00:30:05,080 Speaker 1: wary of the best by date being in, we figured 479 00:30:05,120 --> 00:30:07,840 Speaker 1: the can was still intact and wasn't bulging or anything, 480 00:30:07,920 --> 00:30:11,280 Speaker 1: so it would probably be okay. We made ham and tashin. 481 00:30:11,840 --> 00:30:13,680 Speaker 1: I hadn't had them since I was a kid and 482 00:30:13,720 --> 00:30:16,080 Speaker 1: had never made them myself, so it was a fun experiment. 483 00:30:16,480 --> 00:30:19,200 Speaker 1: They turned out really well, but only used half the 484 00:30:19,320 --> 00:30:21,680 Speaker 1: can of poppy seeds. I think my dad ate the 485 00:30:21,680 --> 00:30:25,080 Speaker 1: rest of it on toast. Hopefully we remember to use 486 00:30:25,120 --> 00:30:29,040 Speaker 1: the other can before another five years passes. We've also 487 00:30:29,080 --> 00:30:31,920 Speaker 1: been cooking some Austrian, Ukrainian and Jewish foods and an 488 00:30:31,920 --> 00:30:34,200 Speaker 1: attempt to connect a little bit with our family history. 489 00:30:34,520 --> 00:30:37,400 Speaker 1: My grandfather immigrated to the States in the late nineteen thirties. 490 00:30:37,720 --> 00:30:40,000 Speaker 1: I never met him, but my mom remembers him talking 491 00:30:40,040 --> 00:30:43,240 Speaker 1: about plum dumplings, so that was the first thing we tried. 492 00:30:43,720 --> 00:30:46,280 Speaker 1: The ones we made didn't stick together quite right, and 493 00:30:46,320 --> 00:30:49,000 Speaker 1: we ended up with some plums and empty dough shells 494 00:30:49,040 --> 00:30:51,960 Speaker 1: floating and boiling water. Hopefully we can get it to 495 00:30:51,960 --> 00:30:57,400 Speaker 1: work better next time. Yes, I've never heard of that, 496 00:30:57,440 --> 00:31:01,680 Speaker 1: but that sounds really good, right yeah. Oh and I have, um, 497 00:31:01,720 --> 00:31:04,680 Speaker 1: I have like a lot of apricots right now. Um. 498 00:31:04,720 --> 00:31:07,520 Speaker 1: One of my friends got like a box of food 499 00:31:07,560 --> 00:31:10,560 Speaker 1: from one of these places. It's trying to distribute food 500 00:31:10,640 --> 00:31:14,800 Speaker 1: to to humans who need it right now. Um. And uh, 501 00:31:14,920 --> 00:31:17,320 Speaker 1: you know she works in theater. She and many of 502 00:31:17,320 --> 00:31:19,360 Speaker 1: my friends are are humans who are very glad to 503 00:31:19,360 --> 00:31:22,160 Speaker 1: have these services happening um in our community right now. 504 00:31:22,280 --> 00:31:25,920 Speaker 1: But she also just perceived like a heck in flat 505 00:31:25,960 --> 00:31:29,800 Speaker 1: of apricots, and she was like, dude, please take some 506 00:31:29,880 --> 00:31:36,480 Speaker 1: of these apricots. Oh. So I'm thinking I've been I've 507 00:31:36,480 --> 00:31:39,400 Speaker 1: been thinking about making a cobbler, but now I'm like, 508 00:31:40,160 --> 00:31:45,040 Speaker 1: what if I make a dumpling? Oh? Also, okay, right, 509 00:31:45,280 --> 00:31:48,680 Speaker 1: I've got I've got a suggestion all right here, hear 510 00:31:48,720 --> 00:31:51,680 Speaker 1: me out. Um. Okay, So I had a bit of 511 00:31:51,680 --> 00:31:56,320 Speaker 1: a mix up the other day where I was I 512 00:31:56,360 --> 00:32:00,000 Speaker 1: was doing curbs. I pick up of some alcohol okay, 513 00:32:00,080 --> 00:32:03,320 Speaker 1: And I was using an app it's all online, and 514 00:32:03,360 --> 00:32:04,800 Speaker 1: there was a mix up, and I wasn't mad about 515 00:32:04,840 --> 00:32:08,320 Speaker 1: it because, uh, you know what, it wasn't worth getting 516 00:32:08,360 --> 00:32:10,760 Speaker 1: mad about whatever. Yeah, we're all doing just the best 517 00:32:10,800 --> 00:32:13,760 Speaker 1: that we can under troubled times. Yeah, I can wait 518 00:32:13,800 --> 00:32:17,680 Speaker 1: for my box of wine. It's okay. So I was 519 00:32:17,680 --> 00:32:20,960 Speaker 1: sitting there and that my trunk was open, and I'm 520 00:32:21,000 --> 00:32:23,240 Speaker 1: just feeling all like all this weight being added and 521 00:32:23,280 --> 00:32:25,440 Speaker 1: I'm thinking and I did not order that much. I 522 00:32:25,440 --> 00:32:28,240 Speaker 1: don't know what's going on. So I get back to 523 00:32:28,240 --> 00:32:30,960 Speaker 1: my apartment. I opened the trunk. They for some reason. 524 00:32:31,000 --> 00:32:32,400 Speaker 1: I can't figure out if they did this because they 525 00:32:32,440 --> 00:32:36,640 Speaker 1: felt bad or that it was another order mix up. Um, 526 00:32:36,680 --> 00:32:40,000 Speaker 1: there's I have an entire case of huge handles of 527 00:32:40,080 --> 00:32:44,760 Speaker 1: vodka now oh like not like the wine boat, like 528 00:32:44,800 --> 00:32:49,200 Speaker 1: the big junks. I got a whole thing. Um, I 529 00:32:49,200 --> 00:32:52,040 Speaker 1: didn't pay for it, for sure. So what if we 530 00:32:52,160 --> 00:32:55,040 Speaker 1: did something with africas and vodka? What if we combine 531 00:32:55,120 --> 00:33:03,800 Speaker 1: our excess and make something that could potentially you really gross, 532 00:33:03,840 --> 00:33:09,000 Speaker 1: sound exciting. Look up some recipes I've made. I've made 533 00:33:09,040 --> 00:33:15,720 Speaker 1: like a like a sour orange wine from like macerated 534 00:33:16,720 --> 00:33:23,080 Speaker 1: sour oranges in vodka before Uh, maybe maybe it could 535 00:33:23,080 --> 00:33:26,720 Speaker 1: work similarly. I'm not you know, I can check it out. Yeah, 536 00:33:26,840 --> 00:33:29,480 Speaker 1: but she should also definitely make cobbler and jumplings that 537 00:33:30,280 --> 00:33:32,920 Speaker 1: probably be better than whatever we would get out of 538 00:33:32,960 --> 00:33:37,520 Speaker 1: that experience. But also, if you just want some vodka, 539 00:33:37,920 --> 00:33:40,720 Speaker 1: I will give you some. Yeah. Yeah, let me know. 540 00:33:40,800 --> 00:33:44,760 Speaker 1: That sounds great. I'm not going to turn it down. Well, 541 00:33:44,800 --> 00:33:48,080 Speaker 1: If any listeners seriously as any suggestions for what to 542 00:33:48,120 --> 00:33:51,440 Speaker 1: do with either or both of those things, um, please 543 00:33:51,440 --> 00:33:53,400 Speaker 1: send them to us. Thanks so much for these listeners 544 00:33:53,440 --> 00:33:56,440 Speaker 1: are writing in you can email us. Our email is 545 00:33:56,480 --> 00:34:00,320 Speaker 1: Hello at Savior pod dot com. We're also on social media. 546 00:34:00,400 --> 00:34:03,720 Speaker 1: You can find us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at 547 00:34:03,880 --> 00:34:06,160 Speaker 1: savor pod, and we do hope to hear from you. 548 00:34:06,600 --> 00:34:09,520 Speaker 1: Savor is production of I Heart Radio. For more podcasts 549 00:34:09,520 --> 00:34:11,279 Speaker 1: to my Heart Radio, you can visit the I Heart 550 00:34:11,320 --> 00:34:14,480 Speaker 1: Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your 551 00:34:14,480 --> 00:34:18,040 Speaker 1: favorite shows. Thanks as always to our super producers Dylan 552 00:34:18,080 --> 00:34:20,520 Speaker 1: Fagan and Andrew Howard. Thanks to you for listening, and 553 00:34:20,560 --> 00:34:29,960 Speaker 1: we hope that lots more good things are coming your way.