Food Notes
by Louisa Koeppel
& Susan Ellis
By the Book
“The one thing I miss besides my family and friends,” writes Cuban
refugee Nestora Barcon-Ortiz, “is the food. I still am not accustomed
to American food. I try to avoid it because it is so fattening.
I think I’ve gain 10 pounds since I have lived here in Memphis.”
Barcon-Ortiz is a participant in The First Supper: A Collection
of Stories and Recipes from the Refugee Women of Memphis. Compiled
by the Catholic Charities Refugee Services, The First Supper contains
first-person narrations and recipes from 28 women who’ve immigrated
to Memphis from countries such as Iraq, Liberia, and Cambodia.
Recipes range from the strudel from Bosnian Dina Placo and okra
beef stew from Sudanese Mary Mogga to a flat bread called angeera
from Somalian Faduma Asad.
Copies of the The First Supper are $15, shipping charges not included.
For information on ordering, call the Refugee Services at the
Catholic Diocese of Memphis, 722-4764. All proceeds go to the
Refugee Services.
In addition to The First Supper, there are two cookbooks with
upcoming tastings that use the recipe and story format. Drop Dumplins
and Pan Fried Memories … Along the Mississippi is Pulaski, Tennessee,
native Angie Holtzhouser’s first cookbook. Holtzhouser has said
that she was inspired by her Irish great-grandfather, who was
a terrific storyteller. So, as way to pay homage, Holtzhouser
worked up a book that’s a combination of Southern- and Irish-cooking
guidebook and log with recordings of favorite family stories,
anecdotes, and legends. But Drop Dumplins isn’t all about her
family; Holtzhouser also includes recipes from noted restaurants
along the Mississippi River.
Holtzhouser will be signing copies of her book on November 29th
from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Kitchen Express in the Wolfchase
Galleria.
Finally, there’s Worth Savoring, a cookbook created to benefit
the Union County Historical Society’s education programs and museum
exhibits. And this one, says Barbara Creekmore of the Historical
Society, is a “great collectable cookbook!”
Worth Savoring is filled with original stories from such Mississippi
writers as Donna Tartt, Willie Morris, and Pulitzer Prize-winner
Stephanie Saul, plus it contains old photographs and historical
notes. Then there are the more than 400 recipes, reflecting the
old tastes of Southerners and their new appetites. And that’s
not all. Worth Savoring has the never-seen-in-print “Pappy’s recipe”
for curing ham in the Rowan Oak smokehouse from William Faulkner’s
nephew J.M. Faulkner.
There will be tastings for Worth Savoring at the Junior League
of Memphis Holiday Bazaar at the Botanical Gardens on Tuesday,
December 2nd from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and at Babcock Gifts on December
11th from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more information call Creekmore
at 601-534-9042.
Operation Pancho’s
The new downtown Pancho’s, located at 87 South Second, is not
only a whole new Pancho’s but the wave of the future. The new
Pancho’s is being presented as a prototype for future franchises.
Among the features are the Pancho’s Alley, which shows a Mexican
Memphis complete with signs to the city’s notable sites, the Bandito
Bar that showcases notorious bandits such as Bonnie and Clyde
and Yosemite Sam, the Hot and Cool Wall with Mona Lisa in a sombrero,
and the Lover’s Lane, a balcony decorated with movie posters and
love quotes.
On Beale
#1 Beale Street has new tenants. Jacque Travis, former owner of
the Arcade, and Roland Schneider of Country Squire have teamed
up to open the dining establishment on the corner of Beale and
Riverside. The menu is based on Continental cuisine with steaks,
prime rib, and seafood on the forefront. During lunch, sandwiches
and blue-plate specials with a Southern flare will be featured
along with some entrees from the dinner menu. The restaurant has
been under construction for three months and is scheduled to open
the first week of December. Lunch will be served Monday through
Friday, and dinner will be served seven nights a week. n |
Holiday Fare
Charles Dickens’ great-great grandson brings a classic taste of
A Christmas Carol to The Peabody for the yuletide season.
by Louisa Koeppel
 t is hard to believe that the holiday season is here. Has it really
been only a year since Uncle Bob got drunk on the eggnog and told
Aunt Mabel where to go? It seems that this part of the year brings
on anxiety attacks and family squabbles rather than yuletide and
cheer. And for many, Christmas in 1997 is seeing the big game
on the wide screen. Now, I know I am generalizing. Many out there
have a perfectly fine Christmas, packing up the kids and heading
to Grandma’s house. But when I look at stories
 |
Gerald Dickens, a classically trained actor, has devoted much
of his time presenting his ancestor’s work. He will deliver his
rendition of A Christmas Carol at The Peabody, along with afternoon
tea and an English holiday feast. |
about Christmases in the past, it seems that they had a kind of
magic that was lost right about the time Santa started appearing
on the Coke bottle.
When I think of Christmas, I picture those storybooks my mother
used to read me about Victorian holidays. In my eyes I could see
the candles on the trees, velvet dresses, and sugarplums stacked
high on a silver platter. It seems that back then, maybe for lack
of TVs and mega-malls, Christmas was about gathering around a
table with family and friends to share magical stories and wonderful
food.
There are those in the world who are attempting to hold onto that
magical link of storytelling and Christmas. Gerald Dickens is
one of those fellows. The great-great-grandson of Charles Dickens,
and a classically trained actor, Gerald Dickens has devoted much
of his time to presenting his ancestor’s work. He has said in
the past that he considers his great-great grandfather a journalist
first, novelist second. He feels that Dickens not only told stories,
but reported on the conditions and people around him. In the case
of A Christmas Carol, it seems that times haven’t changed all
that much.Touring throughout Europe and North America, Gerald
Dickens shares with others the fact that even in the 1990s, we
can all relate to Scrooge.
You can experience his rendition of the classic tale at The Peabody
hotel on December 2nd and 3rd. And as he transforms from Scrooge
to Tiny Tim, you can have a taste of Victorian-inspired food.
On both days, a tea will be held in the Continental ballroom at
3 p.m. For $15, finger sandwiches, scones, cookies, and tea will
be served up during Mr. Dickens’ performance. And for a memorable
family outing, A Christmas Carol will be performed during a special
dinner on December 3rd, also in the Continental ballroom. Rick
Nelson, executive chef for The Peabody, has created a holiday
feast reminiscent of the late 19th century. The menu includes
such items as cream of English onion soup, broiled pheasant with
port wine beurre blanc, and traditional mincemeat pie with creme
anglaise. The five-course dinner is $40 and starts at 6:30 p.m.
These are wonderful opportunities to share the magic of times
long gone with family or friends. What better way to start the
holiday season than with good food and a classic tale? To make
reservations, call 529-4183. n |
