By Satenig St. Marie on Wednesday, February 29th, 2012
(Banner image: Emma Stone, Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer in “The Help.” © DreamWorks II Distribution Co., LLC. All Rights Reserved.)
It may not have been nominated for one of the academy awards, but the food in The Help certainly played an important supporting role.
Minny, Aibilene and Skeeter discuss "the book" that would change their lives over Southern comfort food. © DreamWorks II Distribution Co., LLC. All Rights Reserved.
To begin with, it was all authentic, that’s the way director Tate Taylor, a native of Mississippi, wanted it. “There’s a way we cook in the South,” he explains. “Vegetables get a certain color to them, [something] that gets lost a lot of times unless the right people make the food.” Taylor recruited real Southern women to cook all the traditional foods for the movie. Caterers and food stylists just would not do.
By Satenig St. Marie on Tuesday, October 25th, 2011
Photo © Barbara Braunstein
Once upon a time, about 50 years ago, travel by air was an elegant experience, a journey to be relished from start to finish.
The accommodations were luxurious, the service was superb, and the meals, served on fine china, were divine.
Photo © taigatrommelchen on Flickr
Just imagine dining on filet of sole with lobster sauce, prime ribs–rare, medium, or well done (your choice)–duckling, or shrimp, with all the trimmings including a glass of wine. If you were flying first class (the only way to travel!) caviar and a cocktail of your choice served before dinner. Dessert was special too, planned to feature a taste of the destination. On a trip to Hawaii, it might be macadamia nuts on ice cream; for England, Tipsy Pudding.
By Satenig St. Marie on Friday, April 15th, 2011
An early-20th-century pamphlet about the Harvey House restaurants along the Santa Fe railroad. Courtesy Kansas Memory.org, Kansas State Historical Society (copy and reuse restrictions apply)
There was a time when riding the rails was more than just a short trip from point A to point B. It was a journey to be enjoyed, not only for the passing scene, but also for the luxurious meals served in the diner car.
It all began in 1868, when to compete for passengers, George Pullman introduced the first dining car on the railways. It was no ordinary diner, though. Service was patterned after the finest restaurants in New York. Just to be sure, he named it the Delmonico, after the most prestigious restaurant of the times.
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