Daily Diary: 1.11.12
by Catherine R. Staat
What I Wore Today:
Top: Black basic tank, Croft & Barrow striped sweater (I fell in love with the chocolate brown color & fuchsia stripes. Maybe I was craving dark chocolate with raspberries at the time?) – thrift
Bottom: Mossimo Jeans (Target)
Accessories: Fuchsia scarf (a basic item & color in my wardrobe) & simple silver jewelry.
What I Ate Today:
- Breakfast: water, coffee, 2 waffles with peanut butter and a banana
- Lunch: water, Italian bread sticks w/sauce and a chicken & cheddar sub and coffee
- Snack: None – too busy running errands around town
- Dinner: Thinking leftovers and some homemade applesauce for dessert.
What I Did Today:
Ran several errands or is that walked several errands? After lunch, Miss Sarah and I headed over to the library. I ordered some books that were recommended to me: How to Cook a Wolf by M. F. K. Fisher and An Everlasting Meal: Cooking With Economy & Grace by Tamar Adler.
I love the conversations that started over the title of M. F. K. Fisher’s book. It went something like this…
Librarian A: You’re cooking a wolf? (upon hearing the title)
Me: No-ooo! (Giggling – Went into some detail of the book and how it was not about literally cooking a wolf but experimenting with cooking during shortages and learning how to make do.)
Librarian B: (helping a patron and hearing bits and pieces of the conversation about cooking a wolf) You are cooking a wolf? You have a wolf?
Me: Oh sure! (repeating what the book was about).
Librarian A: Do you have a wolf in your freezer?!
Librarian C: (walking in from the back office) Catherine? I ordered your books for you.
Me: Thank you!
Librarian C: (talking to the other librarians) Catherine orders the most interesting books. She is into everything! I think she is going to teach us how to cook a wolf. 
Me: (thinking…not so sure about interesting but definitely all over the place with my interests)
Librarian D: (coming out of the back office right into the middle of the conversation) Who is cooking a wolf?! Wait! What are we talking about?
This led to a wonderfully rich conversation with a patron who lives here during the winter in an Amish house with no electricity or running water - purposely. Trust me, you would never know they were living this way. We discussed the current affairs (Europe and more specifically Greece) and how unprepared we are as a country should we crash. The conversation led into chickens and gardens and growing up during The Depression and WWII and food rationing. Loved it!
Off to watch this documentary…
Dive! Trailer from Compeller Pictures on Vimeo.
Cat I have a tome called The Art of Eating which includes a number of M K Fisher’s books. http://www.amazon.com/Art-Eating-M-F-Fisher/dp/0764542613
I hadn’t heard of Fisher until about two years ago but I’m so glad I came across a reference to her, she’s like an American Elizabeth David.
Ooh, what a fun conversation. I’m starting research on WWII British war wives and how they made do. My mother grew up on a farm in Oklahoma during the aftermath of the Depression, and they often had to “cook a wolf” (in their case it was possum and squirrel).
Have you ever watched The 1940s house from PBS? The food rationing part will definitely get your attention.
My mother grew up during The Depression and her parents grew up after the late 1890s depression. The expression I heard over and over again was Waste Not Want Not. I would love to hear about the things you are discovering and/or books or media you are finding to be interesting.
OH, I will check out the 1940s house…love stuff like that. : )
Let me know when you do!
[...] up a book that I ILL* from our library. Remember my conversation at the library not too long ago about the book How To Cook A Wolf by M. F. …? It came in! While I was there, I picked up a few others – books & DVDs. I [...]