What I learned from Food Media South

Last Saturday, this was my world.

Food Media South
WorkPlay
Birmingham, AL
Southern Foodways Alliance

Here are my take-aways. At least, I think this is what they said. Any errors of interpretation are mine.

Duncan Hines was a real person. He wrote travel guides back in the days before restaurant inspections. He was more concerned about whether a restaurant would make you sick than how locally it sourced its artisanal products. // Post and Courier: Hanna Raskin

After World War II, Greeks in Birmingham changed from immigrants after our jobs to fellow Americans. They became white. (Question: how could Greeks ever not be counted as from a Western country? Greece is the birthplace of Western culture. WTF?) // Alabama News Center: Opa! and Okra: The Greek Connection By Bob Blalock

The ~8-minute film is available at the SFA site, Johnny’s Greek And Three.

America is a young culinary country. // Wanna become a food writer? Become a writer. // Lucky Peach

When entering a situation in which you have no experience, own your ignorance. // Discomfort is not always a bad thing. // From Lagos

Johnny’s

Montgomery, AL, has a large Korean population due to Hyundai. Most stay for 3 to 5 years and plan to go home when done. IT dudes often come for 3-5 months. Being intentionally temporary changes the “immigrant experience.” It becomes similar to a diplomatic mission or military deployment. // Cooking Light: Mississippi Chinese Lady goes home to Korea

Classes now require digital literacy. // You Can Now Study Tacos at the University of Kentucky // Taco Literacy

Story Corps teaches people to interview their family members. (I think. Notes started to get foggy about here. Long day.)

Who is being left out of the story? Who is being centered; who is being othered? // La Cocina: Cultivating Food Entrepreneurs

Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott