Notes and Queries: Dishwasher (Human), Anglo-Saxon Spelt, Shave Ice, Plantain Recipes, Cricket Flour, and San Pascual.

Local, dishwasher, anger, containers, hands and more essays by Peter Hertzmann.  Fresh ideas, tight writing, three cheers and more. Enjoy the rest of his site too.

When the Romans left Britain, did the Anglo-Saxons reject spelt wheat in favor of bread wheat, beer in favor of bread?  Or was it archeologists’ methods and assumptions that created this impression?

“If I look at [shave ice]  through one side of the prism, I see the tourist economy and militarization of Hawaii,” [says Hi’i Hobart] “But if I look at another side, I’m a kid in Hawaii walking from the beach to get my shave ice, which is this beautiful delicious thing.” Kim Severson gets a crash course in the complexities of shave ice. And congratulations to Dr. Hobart, who’s pulled of the NYTimes and a special issue of Food Culture and Society on Hawaii as well as a Ph.D. this summer.

Plantains still haven’t really made it to the American table even though they are one of the world’s most important food crops. Erica Dinho of My Colombian Recipes has twenty recipes for plantains from snacks (chips) and soup, through main dishes (wrapped, stuffed, baked, in casserole), as vegetable, as arepas, and as a dessert with syrup, with guava and cheese, or in a cake. Tempted?

And while we are on foods coming to the American table, the retail price of cricket flour (as in insect) averages $40 a pound.  So unless cricket farming takes off in a big way, cricket crackers look like remaining a luxury. (Lots of good links to insects as food here by the way).

Anonymous 20th-century ex-voto, oil on metal. Natalia Cabarga.

“My husband retired and to occupy himself he started cooking and he cooked dreadfully and gave us all stomach upsets. I was frightened he would poison us. At last he got bored of cooking and took up gardening, thanks to blessed San Pascual. ” From a twentieth century ex-voto (offering, in this case a painting, in fulfillment of a vow) to San Pascual Bailón (spelling varies), the patron saint of the kitchen.  The story of San San Pascual Baylón from colonial times to modern ex-votos by art historian Natalia Cabarga.  Even if you can’t read Spanish, enjoy the images.

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• Discrimination: Using the Not-So-Simple Grindstone to Make Multiple Maize Dishes →