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One of my favorite things to do to relax, is to pick up a cookbook about a cuisine and culture with which I am unfamiliar. That way, I feel I have taken a little holiday, walked (in spirit) down unknown and enticing roads, in a different light, breathing a different kind of air and I make up imaginary  meals from the recipes I am reading. Here are a few books that look intriguing. I bookmarked them for that “holiday” I just have to find time for, and I wanted to share them with you.

Polish history and polish cuisine feature in Anne Applebaum and Danielle Crittenden’s “From a Polish Country House Kitchen: 90 Recipes for the Ultimate Comfort Food”

Many of us are familiar with kimchi , thanks to the popularity of Korean food. “Cuisine, Colonialism and Cold War: Food In Twentieth Century Korea” by Katarzyna J. Cwiertka  explores how Koreans identify with this staple of their cuisine.

Celebrity chef Yottam Ottolenghi pays tribute to his homeland and its cuisine in “Jerusalem: A Cookbook”. 

An interesting piece from NPR on food experiences in Puerto Rico. The team found that local fresh fish and produce like mangoes and passion fruit were not easily found because they were exported to New York or London where they fetch higher prices. When the agricultural system was moved towards a more industrial model, local crops were often overlooked and that had an impact on eateries that served local specialties. Dining out in San Juan often means sushi or tacos these days. This experience is not atypical. The allure of trying out different cuisines and a smaller market for traditional fare leads to an eclipse of more homey foods. It also sometimes leads to quirky combos like “masala pasta”. 

Where do we go from here? With time, people will make an effort to grow local crops again. Food is so intimately linked to our feelings and memories that we find it hard to completely detach ourselves from our roots. If the local economy  becomes robust and can support higher prices, the produce that is currently exported will again find a market at home. But , in the meantime, what about all the recipes for this local produce? The grandmoms, moms and aunts have them in their hearts so make sure to write it all down so that future generations can share the same flavors  and feel a connection to their land and people.

This is the third anniversary of blogging at Thought+Food for me and  I am deeply thankful to all of you who check in, read, and share your views.  It is a small effort  and  the problems of our food system, may in contrast,  appear monumental but things have got to start somewhere. Every time we share information or make informed decisions as consumers it gives a little nudge to the status quo. As the saying goes, “Big doors swing on little hinges”. Let us make that door swing!

Now that the elections are over, we can turn our attention back to all the unfinished business that never got done: food safety issues, hunger, the Farm Bill, re-calibrating the entire food system so it can deal with the impact of climate change. These are complex matters but not intractable, what is crucial is the will to find and enact the right solutions. Let us hope that everyone can find in them the ability to work together for better outcomes  for the food system.

When Mr. Mo Yan was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature this year, I felt  bad I had never read his books. To make up for that I started trying to read up about his work and came across this fun read from The Telegraph, which reports that the Chinese government is planning to set up a “Mo Yan  Culture Experience Zone” in the author’s village. The irony of doing this to celebrate a book which depicts the horrors of war and violence against the backdrop of a beautiful landscape is lost on the planners, it is safe to say.

What is more interesting is that Mr. Mo Yan continues to live and work on his family farm, though neither he nor anyone else in the  village grows sorghum which was such a vital part of life in the past. Apparently, even in the novel, by the 1970s , the red sorghum had been replaced a by a green hybrid variety. The new “culture zone” plans to grow sorghum to maintain authenticity.

I liked the fact that Mr. Mo Yan is unmoved by all the plans unfolding around him, so unusual in these days of frenetic publicity tours and tie-ins. Now, I must read the book!

As the blog title says, this is a “thoughtful look” at many issues relating to food and I try to provide meaningful updates so if a couple of days go by without a post , please do continue to keep in touch.  Please look at the column on the right for current items from Twitter (or you could also follow me, @greenfork). Your interest and comments are greatly appreciated!