A matter of taste

By CK Wolfson - July 19, 2007

My mother would eat to savor and enjoy. My father ate because my mother told him dinner was ready.

Food is a subject to which people respond subjectively. A particular taste or sniff can conjure memories as vividly as those provoked by music or image. It is as emotionally charged for some as it is a plain and simple necessity for others, used as nourishment as it is used for remedies, pacifiers, indulgences, even as political statements.

Many significant events and periods of my life can be defined by food groups: the new-in-town hors d’oeuvre stage, the formative peanut butter, Spaghetti-O’s, and casserole years, followed by the recipe book years, and throughout — the dark chocolate years.

Ask about my sons, and I’ll probably share some childhood stories about the eating eccentricities of the younger, and the fragile digestive system of the elder.

So although this issue of Food includes recipes from Island chefs, and other practical information about everything from centerpieces by Joyce Wagner to JJ Gonson’s instructions for making ice cream, to Island food stand favorites by Julian Wise, it also goes beyond the expected to offer some intimate glimpses of our contributors’ personal experiences elicited by food.

Kay Goldstein summons the pleasures of early Vineyard mornings and nature’s bounty in both her first person feature and profile about clamming.

In her essay, Sirius satellite radio talk show host Nancy Aronie explains the meaning and impact of food during her childhood.

Cookbook author and Island native Shirley Craig shares memories with publisher/writer Jan Pogue on growing up in a home with the aromas and flavors inherent in a Portuguese family.

This month’s FOOD is a rather delicious mix: satisfying, filling, and one we trust leaves our readers with something memorable.