Wednesday, November 18, 2009

SFA Symposium Highlights 2009 Music and Food

Music and Food
Exploring Interdependent Cultural Expression
12th Annual SFA Symposium

The lectures started with a welcome from Ted Ownby, director of the Center for the Study of Southern Culture, followed by a wonderful lecture by Bob O'Meally, the Zora Neal Hurston Professor of English at Columbia University, is the author among other books, Lady Day: The Many Faces of Billie Holiday. O'Meally talk about Food in Work Songs. He claims that, "Everything we do as a community is about music and/or cuisine." He goes on to talk about examples of work songs that incorporate food...such as James Brown - "Make it Funky" & Bessie Smith - "I Want a Little Sugar in My Bowl" & Billie Holiday - "Gimmie a Pig Foot" and many others....Most of these songs use food to show emotion and do not so signs of wanting food. He talks about many songs with street vendors crying, which I found interesting. Such as Oscar Brown Jr., Willis James and Louis Armstrong. He played a well-known song called "Watermelon Man" by Oscar Brown Jr.

(Photo by Larry Lucas)

Another lecture titled "Meet Buster Holmes" by Tom Sancton, a clarinetist and former Paris bureau chief for Time, talked about growing up in New Orleans in the 1960's with a passion of jazz music. He had the desire to learn the true New Orleans jazz music and traditions during the segregation era as a young boy. I really enjoyed this talk. I could see Tom Sancton's love for food and music and how it greatly impacted his life. He talk about growing up in New Orleans during a time where blacks and whites started to come together.

His talk centered around Buster Holmes - the king of red beans and rice who traveled the world to cook for the Preservation Hall Jazz Band. Buster's was a restaurant/jazz venue in New Orleans where people of all race and class came together. Buster made the best Red Beans and Rice in town and sold it for 27 cents (60 cents with sausage). It was the place where musicians hung out...Brass Bands would start and end their marches there..and would play all through the night. He remembers improtu jazz session...the sound of the trumpet..and everyone's happy spirits. "It was not just a place to eat," Sancton said. "It is an experience of itself."

"Buster was someone that welcomed everyone," Sancton said. "He brought together people of all walks of life...through music and food."


Marshall Chapman gave a talk titled "On the Road," which was great humor and entertaining. Look out for the Podcast on the SFA website soon. She talked about being on the road with a tour band..and how food influenced the places she played and traveled to along the road. Food brought together members of her band and great memories. She remembers the best meal she ever had at an Italian Restaurant in NYC...and eating crabs with her guys. Through her stories she brings to life food and what it feels like to live on the road. This was one of my favorite talks...(I barley took notes I was so deep in thought while she spoke). I could relate to living on the road with OITF and the memories I made due to food and chefs. Just like Champman I was excited to travel to the south (back home) and the coastal cities. Certain dishes reminded me of home and gave me comfort. Food brought me closer to members of OITF and made the memories everlasting and exciting. Cheers Marshall Chapman..I enjoyed your lecture!

Another lecture was given by Jett Williams titled, "Mother's Best Flour: Hank Signs for His Supper." Jett Williams talked about her father Hank Williams and his Radio Show in 1951 - 1952 where Mother's Best Flour sponsored it. "Best Biscuit you ever hmmm a tone in." Jett talked about her battle to prove Hank Williams was her father..and later a battle to the rights of Hanks Music/the discovery of the largest known body of unreleased Hank Williams material.

Part 2 lectures To Come......


Pig in a Bottle (tree) Dinner - Southern Foodways Alliance Symposium 2009

Featuring Dan Latham of Jim 'N Nick's
Hosted by Cynthia Gerlach of Bottletree Bakery
October 29, 2009

Dan Latham (Thursday Night Dinner at Bottle Tree)

Dan Latham prepared a wonderful meal to kick off the Halloween weekend of the 2009 SFA Symposium. Dan Latham, also known for former L&M Kitchen and Salumeria in Oxford Mississippi, is now now raising and curing pastured pigs for Jim ‘N Nick’s. This wonderful dinner was served family style with lots of old favorites from L&M. Ashley Hall with Kermit Lynch picked some great wines for the evening. Including a Chateau Saint Martin Garrigue 2008 (Coteaux Du Languedoc) and a Cuvee Floreto 2007 (Sang des Cailloux Vacqueyras).

The porchetta was a smaller pig that was deboned and stuffed with cubed pork shoulder and seasoned with fennel, rosemary, sage and garlic. It was to die for! The meal ended with Bottletree's famous Humble Apple Pies. Brought me right back to Oxford...and great food memories of college.

What a perfect way to start the weekend!


Menu:
Olives
Farinata with Rosemary
Chicken Liver Toast

Rigatoni with Ricotta
Late Summer Veggies and Jalapeno

Greens with Pecans, Pears, Grana, and Aged Balsamic
Kale and Local Beans
Local Grits with Smoked Ham

Assorted Pizzas :
L&M's Italian Sausages, Peperonata and Fresh Mozzarella
L&M's Bacon, Onions and Thyme

Porchetta Sammies

Bottletree Goes Balogna Desserts

Georgia Flooded Farm Relief Effort

Georgia Farmers still need everyone help this holiday season due to recent flood damages. Please keep them on your mind. The Jim N Nicks/Peachtree Road Farmers Market was a huge success a few weeks ago...as well as all of the other events held by restaurants throughout the area.


Letter From Slow Food: Concerned Atlantans (and citizens from all around) really rose to the occasion in October. When the call went out to help our local farmers who experienced severe flood damage to their farms, local businesses and residents came through in a big way.

Slow Food Atlanta would like to thank all of the generous businesses that have helped raised funds for our flooded farmers, including Woodfire Grill, Rosebud, Muss & Turners, Jim N Nicks, Mellow Mushroom and Farm 255.

We also want to give a special thank you to Whole Foods, whose total donation will be about $29,000!

There continue to be a bevy of interesting and fun events to help educate and connect you to your local good, clean and fair food community. Scroll down for more details.

And we hope you all have a delicious Thanksgiving!

See you at the Table,
Slow Food Atlanta


Slow Food Atlanta is calling for all willing supporters to join our volunteer brigade. We are constantly being asked to left a hand at worthwhile events. We would love to assemble an email list of friends who would be willing to be called on. Here are a few opportunities coming up soon:

Georgia Flooded Farm Relief Effort

Join the flooded farm rejuvenation team by volunteering for one of these upcoming workdays. Volunteers need to be in good physical condition and have appropriate footwear. Additional details about the farm activities will be provided in a confirmation email for each farm's workday. Thank you for joining the remediation team and helping to rejuvenate these local farms!

More workdays will be announced soon; you can join the volunteer corps by emailing suzanne@abraxis.com.

Davis Farms, Roberta

Large volunteer team is needed for two projects on Sunday, November 15. The first project is to dismantle the flood-damaged greenhouse, erect a new hoop house, and tuck seedlings into their new secure abode. The second project is to pick up and distribute straw to start building the organic matter in a flood-damaged and water logged field. Davis Farms is located in Roberta, 2.5 hours south of Atlanta.

Shifts Available:

SUN 11/15 10:00am-4:00pm


Jamo's Organics, Lawrenceville

Teams of three people on each day will help to rebuild beds by digging a dry creek bed, transferring soil to replace what washed away, and seeding a winter cover crop. Work days are flexible; if you can make it at some other time, let us know. Jamo's Organics is located in the metro Atlanta area.

Shifts Available:

SAT 11/21 10am-4pm

MON 11/30 10am-4pm

Garmon Family Farm, Whitesburg

Team of four people needed to remove topsoil from the fence at the bottom of the pasture so that it can be moved back up to the growing beds. Possibility for fence repair and transplant work as well. Garmon Family Farm is located one hour southwest of Atlanta.

Shifts Available:

SAT 11/14 8am-noon, or 1:00-5:00pm

SAT 11/21 8am-noon, or 1:00-5:00pm

Love is Love Farm, Douglasville

Weekly workdays will be held on Tuesdays for one month, starting November 17, with Wednesdays as an alternate possible workday. Love is Love Farm is 30 minutes west of downtown Atlanta.

Shifts Available:

TUES Nov 24, 9:00am-2:00pm

TUES Dec 8, 9:00am-2:00pm

TaylOrganic Farm, LLC, dba Split Cedar Farm, Ellenwood

A team of three volunteers are needed to replant transplants, aerate the soil, and other preparatory activities. TaylOrganic Farm is 40 minutes southeast of Atlanta.

Shifts Available:

SAT Nov 21 9:00am- 2:00pm

Hope's Garden, Atlanta

Two teams of up to six volunteers each are needed to get the greenhouse back in shape and transfer topsoil back in. Hope's Garden is located in metro Atlanta.

Shifts Available:

Flexible dates starting the week of Nov 23. Shifts can be 4-6 hours on two different days.

Slow Food Atlanta