So Samantha’s made her first radio appearance, on UMass, Lowell’s WUML. She was interviewed on the Sunrise Bookshelf, making recommendations about cookbooks and other food books. Click on the link above to listen to a podcast of the interview.
Last night, PBS’ Newshour had a disturbing report on losses to farmers in the midwest who have fallen victim to the recent flooding. Here’s more from The Ethicurean:
The vast disaster in Iowa has inspired an Iowa-based coalition of sustainable-ag folks to partner with Farm Aid to develop the Family Farm Disaster Fund specifically for small and independent farmers, including an Iowa-targeted sub-fund. Willie Nelson is coming to Iowa this weekend to kick off the program, and Farm Aid has also launched an online campaign.
There is much more information on this and other ways to help on The Ethicurean.
Kansas State’s Hale Library Features Happy Hour Exhibit, “Happy Hour! Top Shelf Selections from Special Collections”
Swizzle sticks, tiki glasses, pink elephants, and little paper umbrellas accompany drink books, which are the subject of a new exhibition now on display through September 10 at Kansas State
University’s Hale Library. The exhibition is organized by Hale Library’s Richard L.D. & Marjorie J. Morse Department of Special Collections, which is home to one of the largest and most comprehensive cookery collections in the United States.
Nearly sixty rare and unusual books from the early 1700s to the present covering distilling, mixology, bartending, bar humor, Prohibition, spirits, beers, and wines are on display for the first time. The oldest book in the exhibition is George Smith’s A Compleat Body of Distilling which was printed in London in 1725.
“Our books about alcohol are a significant and underutilized part of our Cookery Collection,” said Roger Adams, associate professor and Hale Library’s rare books librarian. “Distilling has been part of American agriculture for centuries. K-State has programs in milling, food science and safety, fermentation, as well as restaurant management and hospitality that support the spirit, beer, and wine industries. This exhibit is not only informative, but it is an interesting look at the history of alcoholic beverages.”
- from the Hale Library’s press release
Some of our favorite books won James Beard Awards this past weekend. Let’s have a round of applause for: The River Cottage Meat Book by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall; Peter Reinhart’s Whole Grain Breads; Cooking by James Peterson; A Geography of Oysters by Rowan Jacobsen and Imbibe! By David Wondrich.
We feel particularly proud this year as three of the winners (Peterson, Jacobsen and Wondrich) have all had signings here at Rabelais.
Just what we need… foie gras from petri dishes.
Many thanks to Ali over at Ethicurean.com for her nice profile of Rabelais. She dropped in for the first time last week, right into a storm of activity. If you’re not familiar with it, Ethicurean.com is an excellent source for info on all of the issues surrounding the food on your plate, including food policy and politics, food news, coverage of the local/sustainable/organic movements, etc. And it’s a good read. Highly recommended.
There was a whirlwind that swept through the store yesterday. A modern day film crew is astoundingly compact and contained. And yet when they came in the energy in here changed noticeably. Andrew, who I actually went to college with (and who gave me an early glimpse into ‘gourmet’ food), has that ineffable presence of a person who lives much of his life in the public eye. He sweeps into the room with crew and the room expands. Now I have known this guy since we were finding our way as young adults, we have both observed each other making those silly mistakes you make when you are young. So I am not in awe of my friend Andrew. On the contrary I am proud of what he has made out of himself. So when he chose to film a segment on Maine for his show Bizarre Foods on the Travel Channel I was happy to help out with segments ideas (the Deathmatch crew has agreed to put together a Bizarre Deathmatch for the camera, to be shot tomorrow). And then when he brought his crew in to film in the store I was appreciative that he was going to give us this publicity, but more importantly, wondrous at how our lives have taken us to this intersection.
Not to get too philosophical, I mean we are talking Bizarre Foods here. We have a small clip of Rob (Evans-Hugo’s) working with Glass Eels that we will post soon. And I am sure I will have some photographic evidence from Sunday’s Deathmatch. Yes, we have been invited. Some courses being proposed include Sea Cucumber; June bugs; Sea Beans; Moose Heart; and a deconstructed reconstructed Italian…. It is a shame that it isn’t Uni season but it will still be a rocking party! We have been told that the show should air sometime in August. We will be sure to post any news as soon as we hear it.
This is not a book review. Wrong books (mostly), wrong guy, wrong premise, etc. I’m pretty sure there is someone at the NYTimes who likes food and can tell good cookbooks from bad.