Monthly Archives: January 2012

Sing A Song Of Sixpence: On the anniversary of ‘The Raven’

Posted on January 29, 2012 by

January 29 – Today’s posting came about in a tangential manner.  I read that it is the anniversary of the publication for Edgar Allen Poe’s famous poem, The Raven.  For some unknown reason, it made me think immediately of the children’s nursery rhyme, “Sing a Song of Sixpence” and the line, “four and twenty blackbirds baked in a pie”.  This song dates back to the 1700s, but the history is much longer than that.  Apparently, it was common for nobility to include elaborate culinary feats for the amusement of their guests during entremets, from the French for ‘between servings’ or … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Literature | Tagged blackbird pie, canoe, culture dash, entremets, Guttenberg Project, Haida, literature, Poe, Raven, sixpence, Tlingit, Tsimshian | Leave a comment

Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Posted on January 11, 2012 by

New twist on a classic comfort food… When I started a dietary routine to rule out food sensitivities, I couldn’t eat white potatoes or other nightshade vegetables for at least 3 weeks.  This meant no mashed potatoes or Italian food for that time as well, so I had to come up with meals that would be equally satisfying and easy to prepare.  Did I mention that dairy was out, too?  My love for good food and cookbooks came in handy while I adjusted my food selections.  Luckily, I also live in the reigning state for sweet potato production.  North Carolina … Continue reading →

Posted in Agriculture, Botany, Recipes, Side Dishes | Tagged a dash of culture, co-op, culture dash, low glycemic, mashed, North Carolina, Recipes, Side Dishes, Sweet Potatoes | 1 Comment