Rachel Laudan

“Difficulty between the United States and Great Britain about Wild Pigs.” How can anyone not love a title like that? It’s from the New York Times, May 23, 1854, p. 4. The story explains that American whalemen had killed a few wild pigs on one of the Falkland Islands and that England and America were [...]

The breadfruit is a remarkable food: The prickly football-size pod is full of nutrients and energy. Growing on one of the earth’s highest-yielding trees, it could even help alleviate world hunger, backers believe. There’s just one problem: It tastes remarkably bland. Julia Flynn Siler’s article on breadfruit, or more specifically on the Inaugural Breadfruit Festival [...]

As I thought about it, I decided to make this a separate post. In Hawaii, the question of native Hawaiian heritage has expanded from maintaining taro cultivation, the big topic in the 90s, to include hand pounding taro to make poi.  To all of you out there who suspect that a purple puree can’t be [...]