Artsy: The Futurists' Failure

Is it possible to write about Italy without writing about food?

Just out of college, fresh from my art history classes, I might have said yes. After all, it's not like every Italian work of art is food-centric. But after reading this Slate series by Kate Bolick, I'm not so sure.

The series starts traditionally enough, with a trip to Italy. Bolick and a small crew of intellectual/academic friends headed to Rome and Milan this past February to explore the world of the Futurists, 100 years after the publication of their not-actually-that-famous Manifesto.

But let me skip to the end. Several months after the trip, back in New York. Bolick and one of her co-travelers, artist Karen Azoulay threw a Futurist-inspired dinner party. The dinner sounds kind of insane, but totally cool in that way that theory-based dinners are cool. It's a natural product of studying the Futurists, anyway, since they're one of the few artistic movements (that I'm aware of) that published a cookbook.

The Futurists were really proto-Wylie Dufresnes, seeking to bring science into the kitchen and to change the way people think about food in general. They understood the powerful role food plays in our lives - Cookbook author and Futurist leader F.T. Marinetti wrote:

"A given taste of something can sum up an entire area of life, the history of an amorous passion or an entire voyage to the Far East."

Totally. Of course, Marinetti sought to destroy the food that would remind Italians of their heritage, just as he wanted to destroy museums and libraries and other institutions that house the past. He felt that escaping the past and forgetting it was the only way to embrace the future.

And maybe he was right, for Italy anyway. Not entirely, of course - technology hasn't completely avoided Italy. It's not like Italian teenagers aren't texting all over Rome, just like the kids in America and Sweden and Australia and everyplace else. But Italy's brand, for lack of a better term, is still rooted firmly in the past. The way, way, way past. And the food is a part of that.

In the article, it's not the dinner party scene that makes this painfully obvious - that's expected, and still feels pretty avant-garde, actually. No, it's the trip. The friends amble through Italy, dizzying themselves with technology-obsessed art and discussing the less appealing aspects of Italian Futurism (the fascism and misogyny).

And eating. They look longingly at spinach and ricotta tarts, even as they munch on pizza bianca and seek out pasta carbonara in the shadow of the Coliseum. The food they eat has been a part of Italian culture for centuries and it looks likely to stick around for centuries more.

The author is conscious of it, too, and one of her guests admits that if he was a teenager growing up among the classical ruins and Renaissance worship of Italy at the dawn of the 20th century, when the rest of the world was moving full steam ahead into the future, destroying the past might have seemed like the only way out.

To answer my initial question, no. I don't think it's possible to write about Italy without mentioning the food. Not to write well, anyway.

On the last page of the magazine, Bon Appetit runs a column called "Feedback," in which celebrities answer a handful of questions about their food preferences. They're always asked "of all the places you've traveled, where did you have the best food?" Invariably, they answer, "Italy."

It's a blessing to have that kind of reputation - to the outsider, anyway. But to a frustrated teenager yearning for something new, I can see why all that pasta, and everything it means, might feel more than a little stifling.

[Images: Graphic art by F.T. Marinetti; Cover of the Futurist Cookbook; Dynamism of a Soccer Player by Umberto Boccioni]

Trendy Monday: Inaugural Food Links

It's a big week for Washington, huh? And not surprisingly, that's trickled over into the food media, which is all about the parties and the food and the balls, among other things. Here's just a little smattering:

• Obama soda? (that's just the tip of the Obama iceberg over at Elizabeth Large's blog)
• White House Chef Wars
• Inauguration party menu
• Obama's favorite recipes
• Obama eats DC

Dictionary Friday: Volstead

Volstead Act
The Volstead Act, which reinforced the prohibition of alcohol in the United States of America, was popularly named after Andrew Volstead, Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, which oversaw its passage. However, Volstead served as the legislation's sponsor and facilitator rather than its author. It was the Anti-Saloon League's Wayne Wheeler who conceived and drafted the bill.

The bill was vetoed by President Woodrow Wilson (largely on technical grounds, because it also covered wartime prohibition) but overridden by Congress on the same day, October 28, 1919. The Act specified that "no person shall manufacture, sell, barter, transport, import, export, deliver, furnish or possess any intoxicating liquor except as authorized by this act". It did not specifically prohibit the purchase or use of intoxicating liquors. The act defined intoxicating liquor as any beverage containing over 0.5% alcohol and superseded all existing prohibition laws in effect in states with such legislation. The combination of the Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution and the laws passed under its authority became known simply as "Prohibition" and enormously affected United States society in the 1920s (popularly known as the Roaring Twenties).

Today marks the 75th anniversary of the repeal of Prohibition, officially, the Volstead Act. Seems like a good reason to celebrate, no? Also seems like a good day to head to Volstead's in Federal Hill, huh?

Also, how cool is this? It's an article from the April 15, 1921 NYT about a Maryland member of the House of Representatives calling for the repeal of the Volstead Act.

Artsy Meets Researchy: Polling

We are so deep into presidential election season that I can barely remember what the media looks like when we're not trying to make a leadership decision (oh, we're never really not making that decision, you say? The 2012 election starts on November 5th? Awesome.)

I'm suffering from a severe case of election fatigue, probably brought on by the daily emails I share with a group of politically diverse high school friends. We've been emailing consistently since the recount in 2000 and - wow - is it exhausting sometimes.

Here's what I've discovered about myself recently: I really prefer thinking and talking about the psychology and sociology of politics over the actual politics. I don't enjoy policy debate at all. But give me a good conversation about the merits of polling, about why you might see more of one candidates signs than the other, about the theatrics of conventions. I'm all over those.

This article fits nicely into my wheelhouse. It's a carefully written exercise in discrediting the polls this year. Not surprisingly, since I am a market research analyst, I tend to trust research. However, I seriously distrust presidential polls - largely for the reasons outlined in the article. It's a worthwhile read for anybody who cares about such things, and it'll make you look at even Real Clear Politics - which is probably the best source for polling data - a whole new way.

And how is this artsy? I think the article makes clear that the "art" part of presidential polling is even more important than the science sometimes. Research is always a combination fo art and science...but in this case, I'm afraid that creativity (intended or otherwise) gets the better of stats class.

Oh, and how, exactly, is this about food? Well...the article references the New Coke debacle as an example of what not to do. Granted, this is more b-school than CIA, but the food we eat gets to our stomachs with a lot of help. It's not all knife work and sauces - marketing is pretty important, oo.

That Whole Rachael Ray Scarf Thing

After several days of trying to avoid it, I've started to feel compelled to comment on this Rachael Ray scarf drama (if you don't know what I'm talking about, read this). I can sum up my comments in one word: DUMB.

I've made no secret of my dislike for Rachael, but come on. She's not a terrorist. She's not even pretending to be a terrorist, unless you define terrorist as "really lucky and annoying faux-chef." I gather that the issue with the ad is less that RR is a proponent of jihad and more that a symbol of holy war has subtly creeped into fashion...but I still think that's silly. Don't get me wrong, I take cultural creep very seriously. I do. But I just don't think this particular situation represents an actual problem.

So that's one side of my complaint: everything's been blown out of proportion.

But the other side is similarly annoying to me. Dunkin' Donuts actually pulled the ad? For real? I have no words.

I'll grant that the stylist involved could've been more sensitive to potential misinterpretations, but can't we all just be grown up about this?

Sigh. This is why I didn't want to write about this whole deal to begin with. I can't even write coherently about the subject, plus now I'm going to spend the rest of the day rolling my eyes involuntarily.

In happier news: It's beautiful out. Perfect Belvedere Square weather!

Quotable (and Researchy): Urbanspoon's Lattes & Obama Analysis

My statistics professor might be rolling over in his grave to hear me say it, but there's a mild but real correlation here!* States with more latte-purveying Starbucks stores are more likely to have gone for Obama. - Ethan at Urbanspoon

Today's a big day for a certain couple of Democratic Presidential nominees. So could there possibly be a better time to look at consumer consumption and voting patterns? Of course not.

Fortunately, since I'm lazy, the super-stats foodies at Urbanspoon have done all the heavy lifting necessary. If you're looking for some fabulous cocktail party conversation fodder, look no further. This is the post you've been waiting for.

Without giving anything away (because the post is totally interesting and should be read in its entirety), there's one really big surprise. At least, to me it was a really big surprise. And I've been to Wyoming. Vermont, it's not. Or it wasn't in 1989, anyway.

Go. Read it now. See, interesting, right?

McCain's Recipe Scandal

For some reason, I feel compelled to post about this total non-story (via Althouse) - apparently an intern on the McCain campaign posted a "McCain family recipes" story on the candidate's website, but lifted the recipes directly from the Food Network website. The campaign was alerted, the recipes were pulled and the intern got in trouble.

Dumb, yes, but it seems like more of a rookie mistake - again, a dumb one, but not, like, campaign-destroying.

Really, it seems to me that the worst things about this are: a) is ahi tuna with Napa cabbage anybody's family recipe? And b) some of the recipes pulled were courtesy of one Rachael Ray. Ugh.

Who's In Charge: Me or My Meals?

For the past month or so, Michael Pollan's been making the rounds to promote his new book In Defense of Food. Last week, he guest-blogged at the Amazon Food Blog. It's a good post, though I'd already read some reviews of the book and other interviews with Pollan, so I was already familiar with most of the ideas he puts forth.

I haven't read In Defense of Food, but I have read several chapters of The Omnivore's Dilemma (I keep meaning to actually buy the book, and keep forgetting, but certain chapters have been reprinted here and there).

I like Pollan's writing style very much and, based on what little I've read, his arguments seem compelling. But there's always been something that bothers me about the all-or-nothing perfectly healthy, ethical and "whole" eating culture that's sprung up around him.

I've written about my issues (and exhaustion) with this cultural movement before (here and, more recently, here). In general, I think that the nanny-state-ishness (that's a word? maybe?) of the movement rankles my libertarian sensibilities. I hate it when people tell me what to do - and especially what to eat (by far the worst part of pregnancy).

And, actually, I'm not sure I really have anything new to add to what I've already written, except to point out that one of the early commenters to Pollan's Amazon post Freudian slipped in a way that nicely sums up what I don't like about the whole movement. After explaining that Pollan's books made such an impact on him that he changed his approach to food and feels much better for it, he referred to his "new eating regime".

I think he meant "regimen"?

I'm thrilled for the commenter that he feels great, but that little slip sums up exactly what I don't want my food to be: I don't need a food-focused totalitarian regime running my life.

And that is exactly what I fear food would become if I spent more time thinking about the ethics of what I eat. I'm pretty sure I don't need more guilt in my life, or more seemingly binding rules for myself. So if I sometimes choose to eat a Little Debbie snack cake (or a McDonald's french fry), can I just feel OK about that?

I'm going to choose to say yes.

Old School Thursday: Pop Foods & Globalization

Happy National Brandy Alexander Day! Do people even drink things like that anymore? I know that a few years ago, there was a resurgence of classic cocktails…but it didn’t extend to my house.

Speaking of classic, today has a few dogs in the “global products” fight. (Maybe I should’ve waited until today to write my “OK just go global” post.)

Today in 1893, the Coca-Cola trademark was recorded. Nearly 90 years later, in 1980, Coke began substituting high fructose corn syrup instead for half the (more expensive) sugar in their products – at least their products sold in the US. I’m not sure how controversial the switch was at the time, but I do know that there are some soft drink experts who believe that a switch back to sugar would be a smart move these days.

In other global junk food news, today in 1990, the first McDonald’s opened in Moscow. I won’t go on and on about it, but events like this played an important role in my decisions to major in international relations, minor in art history and eventually get into advertising. Behold the regime-shifting power of global brands and all that. I am painfully theoretical sometimes.

And on a totally different note, today in 1948, the New Yorker published J.D. Salinger’s essay “A Perfect Day for Banana Fish” – eventually the first essay in Nine Stories, a book that I was (predictably) obsessed with around ninth grade. Dixon is probably lucky he’s not named Seymour.

Food and Politics: The New Congressional Menu

Last night, my friend Jason (aka Paco) sent me this article from Politico about the Congressional cafeteria's new menu.

I have three thoughts:
1. Doesn't sound so bad.

2. Except that anybody can write a nice-sounding menu. Solid execution, especially on a grand cafeteria-sized scale, is a lot more difficult. I wonder how the food actually tastes.

and

3. I swear, in America, people whine about everything.

What Does This Say About Towson?

Urban Spoon manages to combine nearly all of my interests (if only fancy shoes and early 20th century paintings were somehow involved...) in this post exploring the relationship between the prevalence of steak vs. sushi restaurants and political leaning in particular cities (via Freakonomics).

It's not perfect, of course -as the post points out - but it's interesting nonetheless. If I had more time and energy, I'd get into this on a more detailed local level, making district-based comparisons. Maybe it's because I live in a state where there are a lot of pockets of blue, a few pockets of red and a TON of pockets of purple, but I think that if you broke this down more locally, you might get different results.

Because here's the thing: in 2004, my district was split almost evenly between Bush and Kerry. However, while I don't think Towson is home to a single "steak" restaurant, there's about 1 sushi restaurant for every 10 people in this town.

I'm sure there are a million reasons for that - it's a college town, it's fairly young, maybe steak restaurants perform better in "downtown" locations while sushi places are equally or more successful in suburban places, maybe sushi restaurants require less of an investment in terms of decor (the ones around here aren't that pretty, at least) so they're less risky.

But if I had a dissertation to write, this could be a fascinating jumping off point.