Menu and Some Thoughts on Indigenous Peoples’ Day
Hi! Hope you’re well. Here are some things that have been on my mind this week:
Sometimes, in various circumstances, I think, “what gives me the right?” Part of this is self-consciousness, a women’s self-esteem, continually adjusting, expanding and shrinking, in a man’s world. Part of this is the self-awareness necessary for a well intentioned white-presenting person moving through a dynamic diverse and complicated planet. I believe it’s OK to be self-aware and self-questioning, to continually consider and question my place in the world. Where do I fit? Am I taking up too much space or should I assert myself more?
What does this have to do with food? Well, I am a humanist. Tribalism is not exactly my jam. When I think about what sounds tasty, and might be fun, and challenging to cook, and what seems to match the season - I look everywhere. This week, I looked at the calendar and saw that Monday is Indigenous Peoples’ Day. So I researched Native American recipes. Here’s what sounded delicious and interesting and like it would all go together well and make for a nourishing meal:
Three Sisters Stew (read about the beautiful symbolism of this traditional dish)
Fry Bread Navajo tacos
Wild Rice w/ pecans and cranberries
Fried Catfish encrusted with pinenuts and cornmeal
Berry Crumble
Order here by Sunday (Oct 13) for pickup/delivery Monday (Oct 14)!
With an eye towards honoring ancestors and demonstrating solidarity and learning and perhaps borrowing a touch, I’m going for it, and I hope you like it. I mean, how could you not? A lot of these are foods we already enjoy, and that I’ve already cooked over the past few months. Stuffed squash? Tamales? Cornbread? It’s all a mix of cultures borrowing and stealing, blending and influencing. History is all about people eating each other, some taking more than their fair share, others remaining hungry. Maybe the scales will balance out, more likely not.
Gastro-solidarity is a term coined by Ashley Thuthao Keng Dam (you can read her essay here) and brought to my attention by an instagram post by Luay Ghafari @urbanfarmandkitchen. In my humble way, I see cooking the cuisines of cultures other than my own as a small act of solidarity. I am grateful for the opportunity to draw joyful attention to the foods of various cultures, and to give credit where credit is due. Speaking of blending cultures and cuisines, check out Black Dragon, which recently opened a mere 2 blocks from me. Have you been yet? What did you think!?
I want to cite the author of the beautiful passage below (screenshotted from reddit), but I couldn’t find a way to identify them. Anyway, here it is because I can’t paraphrase it in a way that would do it full justice.
Thanks for reading, and for joining me in paying homage.
Casey
