Doe's Eat Place Oral History Project

Produced in anticipation of the third-annual Delta Divertissement, which takes place this week, the SFA announces the Doe's Eat Place Oral History Project. Located in Greenville, this family-owned and operated restaurant has been in business for more that sixty years and is a cultural and culinary icon of the Mississippi Delta. The Doe's Oral History Project is a portrait of a place, painted by generations of family, loyal employees, and devoted customers. Together, their stories celebrate the uniqueness and significance of Doe's Eat Place. Click on the link above to go directly to the interviews.

[Above, Doe Signa, Jr. tends to a pot of hot tamales.]

Bittersweet: An Exhibition on Louisiana Cane Fields by Louise LeBourgeois

SFA members in the Chicago area are encouraged to visit an art exhibit by Louise LeBourgeois. LeBourgeois is a native of New Orleans, but practices as an artist in Chicago. Her latest exhibition of paintings is entitled "Bittersweet" and focuses on the Louisiana cane fields. Visit http://www.louiselebourgeois.com/exhibition/index.html for more information on the show, which runs from October 28 through December 3. (Due thanks to SFA member Celia Leventhal for sharing this resource.)

GULF COAST FOODWAYS RENAISSANCE PROJECT

The Southern Food and Beverage Museum in New Orleans and The Southern Foodways Alliance at the University of Mississippi in Oxford are collaborating on The Gulf Cost Foodways Renaissance Project: An Oral History Initiative, an effort that chronicles the impact of Hurricane Katrina on the foodways of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast while concurrently tracking the rebirth of New Orleans restaurant industry. We are looking for related stories. If you have a story to share, please visit www.southernfood.org or call 1-888-926-1999.

Funding for phase one of the project comes from as generous grant from The Ruth Fertel Foundation.

Hoover Alexander Featured in Austin's Film & Food Festival

The Austin Film Festival's 3rd annual FILM & FOOD fundraiser will be held the evening of Wednesday, October 19, 2005. Co-hosted with Austin Monthly Magazine, FILM & FOOD takes place at the historic Driskill Hotel and all proceeds benefit the Festival's Young Filmmakers Program.

A special film premiere at the Paramount Theatre kicks off the FILM & FOOD fundraiser. The festivities continue across the street at the Driskill Hotel with Austin's finest restaurants providing the delectable cuisine and our alcohol sponsors providing the spirits. We also feature local bands on the balconies of the Driskill Mezzanine, a DJ inside and a fabulous Silent Auction.
This year's participating restaurants: Austin Land & Cattle, Dona Emilia's South American Bar & Grill, Driskill Grill, Hoovers, Kenichi, Lake Austin Spa Resort, Lisa Brooks Catering, Mars, Ranch 616, Roaring Fork, Satay, Starlite, Teo and Vivo.

FILM & FOOD is a fundraiser for our Young Filmmakers Program (YFP). Founded to introduce the arts of screenwriting and filmmaking to young people, the YFP provides students ages 9-17 with an encouraging and supportive arena in which to explore their creativity and improve their communication and storytelling skills. We offer several unique programs--Arts Education Outreach, Cinema/Television Summer Camp, Young Filmmakers Competitions & Exhibition, and panels designed specifically for students. With the exception of the Cinema/Television Summer Camp, the YFP makes all of its programs available at no cost to as many students as possible. Fundraisers like FILM & FOOD are crucial to the continuance of the Young Filmmakers Program.

To order individual tickets, log onto http://www.blogger.com/www.austinfilmfestival.com or call
512.478.4795

SFA Member Donna Florio Proposes Project Pound Cake

Donna Florio cordially invites you to participate in The Pound Cake Project, whose mission is to deliver random acts of sweetness to those in need following the hurricanes. Florio writes:

I heard a Red Cross commentator on NPR explain that institutional food and warm water get pretty boring after a few days. When he scrounged some sweet roles for the folks on his route, they were delighted. Imagine the enjoyment a little home made pound cake would bring.

Here's what I'm doing, and hope you will join in. I'm baking petite pound cakes, 3.5" x 5.5"--you can get the disposable tins at the supermarket. Your favorite pound recipe will make 8 to 9 small cakes that take only 30 to 45 minutes to bake. I'm wrapping the cooled cakes in plastic wrap with a ribbon or raffia tie, putting them in zip top bags, and freezing them till I can collect enough to make a shipment. I've got friends who are doing the same here. I think it would be nice to add labels saying something like, "made with love by Donna in Birmingham."
I hope to deliver some cakes personally, but here are ideas where you can send them: Second Harvest Food Banks are doing 'triage' runs to hard hit areas. Many churches across the South have shelters or are supporting evacuees. Likely you know someone who has lost everything or who's been volunteering. Talk to them. If you search around the NOLA.com or WWLTV websites, you'll find lists of FEMA sites. If you're inclined to carry the cakes yourself, these may be places to start. Contact the Red Cross. Check your newspaper for stories of people who may still be residing in area hotels. They're out there--you just have to find them.

If you decide to participate, please e-mail me at donna_florio@timeinc.com. I'd like to get an idea of how much the project spreads.

SFA Offers Glory Food Scholarships to Symposium

The eighth annual Southern Foodways Symposium, in and around Oxford and the University of Mississippi Oct. 27-30, will once again host three African American college students committed to food-related careers, thanks to Glory Foods the Columbus, Ohio-based manufacturer and distributor of Southern-style vegetables and entrees. The winning students, who must be age 21 or older, will be selected based on essays on this year's symposium theme: "Sugar and the Sweet Life." They will receive symposium admission (a $415 value) and $400 to cover travel and lodging. Additionally winners will meet one-on-one with Adrian Miller, African American foodways scholar and former special assistant to President Bill Clinton. Theresa Potter, director of sales promotion and marketing for Glory Foods said that the scholarships offer "an opportunity to further expose minority students to the history and culture of Southern food preparation and to do that in an atmosphere where students can encounter diverse thoughts on the subject."

Since 2001 the company has awarded symposium scholarships to African American students in memory of Glory Foods' cofounder, the late William F. Williams. A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, Williams was committed to enhancing the presence of African Americans in the food industry. "We want to bring everyone to the table, and these scholarships are a part of our effort toward accomplishing that goal," said John T. Edge, director of SFA, which is housed at UM's Center for the Study of Southern Culture. Students wishing to apply for a scholarship to the eighth annual Southern Foodways Symposium must be 21 years of age and pursuing a college degree in the food arts, hospitality management, folk arts or a related field. Students must also submit an essay between 200 and 250 words addressing the following questions: Do Southerners have a special affinity for sugar, and if so, why? What do you know about the history of sugar in the South? What will you gain from a four-day conference that focuses upon sugar and sweetness? Essays should be e-mailed to sfamail@olemiss.edu no later than Sept. 23. Winners will be notified by phone on Oct. 3.