To prepare for its ongoing two-year tour of Key Ingredients, the Georgia Humanities Council partnered with the University of West Georgia's Center for Public History to interview more than 75 people across the state to document the state's food traditions. The work done by the Humanities Council and the Center for Public History provides tremendous insight into Georgia's history and culture. Food is central to life. The dishes we grow up with, the traditions we hold dear, and the memories we associate with food and family are extremely powerful. The oral history interviews give us a fun and meaningful glimpse into joys of food.
Over the next several weeks, we will introduce you to Georgia's food traditions through a series of selections from the oral history interviews. Today's program features Rosalind Westmoreland of Claxton, Georgia. Born in 1919, Rosalind endured the hardships brought on by the Great Depression, and recounts some of them for us. Although she freely admits that “money was tight,” Rosalind insists that she hardly recognized her own deprivation, as all of her peers were “in the same boat.” As was the case with most families during the Depression, Rosalind specifies that meat and milk were rarities reserved for Sundays and special occasions… as was macaroni and cheese! She describes some of the home remedies that were invented for items that the family couldn’t afford, describing make-shift meals and cleaning concoctions.
Lastly, part of Rosalind’s interview details some of the food traditions from Southern Georgia, including fond memories from community “peanut boilings” and “cane grindings,” in addition to recipes for “traditional” Banana Salad and Pimento Cheese. Ultimately, Rosalind’s southern flair and fun anecdotes help to make her experiences with Georgia cuisine come to life. Enjoy!
Download Rosalind Westmoreland Podcast (5:23, MP3, 4.93 MB)
Special thanks go to Arden Williams with the Georgia Humanities Council, Ann McCleary with the University of West Georgia Center for Public History, and her students Katie Hicks and Kristi Hartmann Ferguson for giving MoMS an opportunity to make these interviews available. Check out the Georgia website for Key Ingredients at www.georgiafoodtour.org.
-- Roxanne Berschler, MoMS/SITES, Washington, DC
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