Thanksgiving

Beginning in the 1930s, and through 1945, the “First Kitchen,” led by First lady Eleanor Roosevelt and her house staff, was a plain and simple one (“dreary,” but perhaps appropriate for Depression-era fare) writes Laura Shapiro in the New Yorker this week. Lunches were stuffed eggs, fried liver, carrot relish or maybe broiled kidneys or braised sweetbreads, creamed beef. Mrs. Roosevelt was devoted to Cornell University home economists and their “science” – eschewing the art of cooking for a more “scientific” homemaking approach. Shapiro writes that as homemakers were embracing “canned soup, cottony white bread, and American cheese,” Mrs. Roosevelt was focusing on efficient (and seasonal) cuisine – unfortunately, she did little to advance the idea that such food indeed could be very tasty. Today, we know that seasonal- and nutrient-rich foods can be delicious; we, ourselves, our preparing one such this Thanksgiving. See the definitive missive on the topic – NOURISHING TRADITIONS by Sally Fallon and any of the featured blogs at realfoodmedia.com