Mmm, Bacon...

In preparation for the SFA's big bacon extravaganza in Louisville next month, Camp Bacon, SFA oral historian Amy Evans is on the road, documenting bacon producers in Western Kentucky. Salt, sugar, patience and family-old traditions have made this part of the South a bacon-lover's paradise. The oral histories Amy is collecting will be featured at Camp Bacon and will also appear here on the SFA website in the weeks to come. Hear tell of hog killin's and blue ribbons that will make you want to run get your skillets warm.

Nashville's Tomato Art Festival was great fun! SFA folks were everywhere: Jim Myers served as a judge in the recipe contest; Ronni Lundy signed her book In Praise of Tomatoes; Mary Beth Lasseter collected tomato stories from the crowd. What did we learn? Most people like their tomatoes red off the vine, sliced thick, and served on white bread. SFA members, mark your calendars for 2006. This event is NOT to be missed. East Nashville, thanks for a great festival!

SFA at Nashville's Tomato Art Festival

The SFA is excited to be a part of the 2005 Tomato Art Festival in Nashville this Saturday, August 13. The event features talks on heirloom tomatoes, an art exhibition, and--best of all--a Bloody Mary contest. Mary Beth Lasseter will be on hand to record oral histories, stories of our favorite tomato recipes and gardening tips. Look for her wandering amongst the crowd through the weekend. See more details and a full schedule of events at www.tomatoartfest.com.

Day at the Docks, Sept. 17

Curious about how that spanish mackerel fillet or that wahoo steak made its way from the sea to your favorite seafood market? Come to Day at the Docks - A Celebration of Hatteras Island Watermen at the harbor in Hatteras village (NC) on September 17, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more info, contact Susan West at ridgeroad@earthlink.net.

SouthernArtistry.org

Recently appointed as the SFA's full-time oral historian, Amy Evans was also recently nominated by the Mississippi Arts Commission to be included in SouthernArtistry.org, an on-line registry "designed to raise awareness of the South's artistic excellence and diversity." Amy's oral history work is featured under the category of Folk/Traditional-Oral and features a sampling of SFA documentary projects. We hope you will take some time to explore the site, as it is a wonderful resource for many creative disciplines and a fantastic outlet for showcasing the SFA Oral History Initiative.

Camp Bacon is Sizzling

Camp Bacon ticket sales are sizzling! Tickets are still available to the dinner. Rooms at the Brown for $119 are sold out, however, some are expected to open up on August 12 so check back with them. In the meantime, if you would like to book a room at the Marriott for a rate of $139, please call (800) 533-0127. The Marriott rooms will be released on August 19th so book your rooms now!

Tamale Trail Update:

On Sunday, July 24th, Mildred Jerman took home the title of World Champion (for the second year in a row!) at the 15th annual Hot Tamale Contest held in Greenville, Mississippi.

Documenting the World Championship Hot Tamale Contest is just part of the Mississippi Delta Hot Tamale Trail project. Keep checking back for updates. Want to talk tamales? E-mail SFA oral historian, Amy Evans, at acevans@olemiss.edu

SFA Save the Dates!

SFA has some great things in the works for the coming months. Mark your
calendars and watch your mailboxes!

September 16: Camp Bacon, Louisville, Kentucky; details and registration
processes posted on the web at www.southernfoodways.com. Space still
available at dinner; new rooms added for over nights at nearby hotels.

October 26-27: Delta Divertissement, Greenwood, Mississippi; details posted
in early August.

October 27-30: Southern Foodways Symposium, Oxford, Mississippi; details
posted in early August.

January 6-8, 2006: SFA Taste of the South, Blackberry Farm, Walland,
Tennessee; details posted in October.

Food Museum Online

You might like to check out this interesting website: an online food museum found at www.foodmuseum.com. See a special exhibit on school lunches, online now.

More field trip photos available online

SFA member Fred Sauceman sends these photos by which we may remember our adventures. Thanks, Fred! See them all online at http://photolab.etsu.edu/images/SFA_NewOrleans_2005.

SFA Field Trip Photos are Online!

Recovered from the SFA field trip yet? Take some time to remember the fun. SFA member Pableaux Johnson has kindly posted his photographs online for all of us to view. There are four sets of photos:

http://www.bayoudog.com/sfa1
Cane Country Tour and Opening Night Rum Party (includes chefs)

http://www.bayoudog.com/sfa2
Field Trip Sessions (including pictures of speakers)

http://www.bayoudog.com/sfa3
Awards Dinner at Restaurant August

http://www.bayoudog.com/sfa4
Bonus: Sugar Harvest photos from Levert St. John sugar mill, 2000

Cast Iron Cooking with John Folse

Cast iron cooking and Five Diamond resorts might not seem to go together, but they certainly do when John Folse swings his skillets at The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, Sept. 11-14. Join us for three days of cooking and recreation. Registration information is available by calling
800-228-5049 or e-mailing to cookingschool@greenbrier.com.

SFA Sugar Babies in New Orleans

The folks in New Orleans are excited about the SFA's arrival for the field trip in July. A few months back the Brennan family sent out a query to New Orleans restaurants, asking them to develop sugar menus around our theme.

Here's what they asked: "This July, the Southern Foodways Alliance is having a mid-year meeting in New Orleans. The theme of their meeting is sugar. This group we would like to form would not be affiliated with SFA or any other organization. We would merely use the occasion of their coming to town as a catalyst for our plan. We will welcome them to town by each (whoever chooses to participate) creating dishes based on sugar. No other rules or boundaries."

Following is a slightly edited recap of what happened. Keep these co-conspirators in mind when traveling to New Orleans this July.

TOP NEW ORLEANS' CHEFS BECOME SUGAR BABIES THIS JULY

Sugar-Inspired Promotion Promises A Sweet Summer

NEW ORLEANS, La. (May 11, 2005) - Need something to satisfy that sweet tooth? This July, New Orleans has your answer. In partnership, the finest restaurants in town will serve some seriously sweet dishes, all in honor of one historic ingredient - sugar. A spirited promotion initiated by the folks at Commander's Palace (1403 Washington Ave.) - and aptly called Sugar Babies - area chefs will participate to offer locals and visitors a little something special during the hot summer months, and to foster camaraderie among the restaurant community. No rules or boundaries apply - except for chefs to get as creative with sugar as they can possibly be.

Commander's Palace finds it most appropriate to celebrate this beloved ingredient. "We are very proud of New Orleans' friendly culinary atmosphere, and with the onset of summer we thought, 'why not?'" says Co-Owner Ti Adelaide Martin. "We embrace the fact that as one of the most exciting food cities in America, we can still unite to celebrate our local ingredients and reach out to the community in a good-natured way."

The renowned New Orleans chefs-turned-Sugar Babies hail from some of the country's most celebrated kitchens. Many have received favorable nods from the prestigious James Beard Foundation, as well accolades from national media outlets. Participants include Tory McPhail/Commander's Palace; Kevin Vizard/Cafe Adelaide; Frank Brigtsen/Brigtsen's; Donald Link/Herbsaint; Mat Wolf/Gautreau's Restaurant; Gerard and Eveline Crozier/Chateaubriand Steakhouse; Wayne and Debbie Pierce/Bon Ton Cafe; Michelle McRaney and Cindy Brennan/Mr. B's Bistro; Tom Weaver and Joseph and Jerry Fein/Court of Two Sisters; Kenneth Smith/Upperline Restaurant, Anjay Keswani/Nirvana Indian Cuisine, Jacques Leonardi/Jacques-Imo Cafe, Erik Veney/Muriel's Jackson Square, Leah Chase/Dooky Chase's, Chuck Subra/La Cote Brasserie and Tommy DiGiovanni/Arnaud's Restaurant.

SFA Member Seeks Info on Grill Masters

Fellow SFA folks, I need your help. I'm looking for folks who can claim that when they crank up the grill, neighborhood mouths start to water. One of these people may be you. I'm not looking for professional pit masters, but for those with a great recipe or a fun story. I am compiling these profiles in a book that I am writing for Taunton press, on ways that outdoor cooking has changed our culture. (P.S. -- I need Yankees, too.) Please share your stories via email, fdtfx1@earthlink.net. Thanks! -- Fred Thompson

SFA Investigates Hot Tamales

In cooperation with Viking Range Corporation, Southern Foodways Alliance oral historian, Amy Evans, is on the road again. This time she's in search of those legendary bundles of meat and masa found throughout the Mississippi Delta: hot tamales. Her route will take her to Clarksdale, Greenville, Greenwood and points in between, where she'll be mapping and documenting a Mississippi Delta Hot Tamale Trail. If you know of any cooks or vendors Amy should include on her trek, please email suggestions here: TamaleTrail@yahoo.com. Look for the completed project to appear in printed form and on-line at www.southernfoodways.com

Seeking Food Issue Feedback

Dear Good Folks at SFA,

Greetings from The Oxford American.

We hope you've had a chance to peruse our latest issue, THE OXFORD AMERICAN's first-ever Southern Food Issue. (As you may know it includes the first advertisement the SFA has ever run, a comp we provided for y'all.)

We're interested in getting your critiques of the Southern Food Issue (PRO or CON!) and therefore we invite you to send us letters on the subject. We're writing to you because we know you're passionate--and informed--on the subject of Southern cuisine. You may write anything you please as long as you speak honestly (don't worry, we've got thick skin!).

If you're interested, please email your critiques to me at carolann@oxfordamericanmag.com.

We appreciate your feedback!

Best wishes,

Carol Ann Fitzgerald
Managing Editor
The Oxford American
201 Donaghey, Main 107
Conway, AR 72035
carolann@oxfordamericanmag.com

SFA Assists Canadian BBQ Lovers

En Route magazine did a story on BBQ, using the SFA oral history project on Memphis BBQ as a resource. Check it out online at www.enroutemag.com/e/may05/travel2.html.

Announcing 2005 Carolina Gold Rice Symposium

The Carolina Gold Rice Foundation is hosting a symposium in South Carolina this August 18-20. Learn about the history of rice in the Carolinas. Tour Middleton Place Rice Fields. Eat plenty, and eat well. There are also five pre-conference events to entertain you, including a culinary tour led by SFA member Amanda Dew Manning. Registration is now open. Secure your spot quickly by visiting their website at www.carolinagoldricefoundation.org or calling (843) 709-7399.

Order your SFA gear now!

Excited about New Orleans this summer? Buy the new official t-shirt for the field trip. Want to share news of SFA with the world? Order a bumper sticker for your car. Want to be on the cutting edge of fashion? Well, maybe a t-shirt won't do it. But you can be on the cutting edge of what's cool with the SFA. Visit our online store to get great SFA gear now, and know that proceeds benefit our organization! Happy shopping. www.cafepress.com/southernfood

Update on NOLA Oral History Project

.Our resident oral historian, Amy Evans, has returned from a fruitful fieldwork frolic to the Crescent City. Her time in New Orleans was most productive, with her days and nights spent tracking down interesting folks who mix and serve the creative concoctions that keep their customers--locals and tourists alike--lubricated with the libations this town is known for: the Mint Julep, the Sazerac, the Ramos Gin Fizz. You'll never look at cocktails the same again. Keep checking back for the interviews and accompanying photographs, which will appear here on the SFA website in June. Cheers! PS: A big thank you to all the SFA members and friends who emailed Amy suggestions for interview subjects