The Food of a Yonger Land : A Portrait of American Food–Before the National Highway System, Before Chain Restaurants, and Before Frozen Food, When the Nation’s Food Was Seasonal, Regional and Traditional — from the Lost WPA Files is a fascinating compendium of what Americans ate in the 1930s. The book is edited and illustrated by Mark Kurlansky, best selling author of Salt : A World History and Cod : A Biography of a Fish that Changed the World among many other titles. In The Food of a Younger Land Kurlansky uses long-forgotten WPA files archived in the Library of Congress to paint a detailed picture of Depression Era Americans through the food that they ate and the local traditions and customs they observed when planning and preparing meals. The book, America Eats, was planned for publication in the early 1940s but the project was shelved when the war intervened.

Food of a Younger Land is divided into regional sections, just as the original would have been. Kurlansky selects what he thinks are the best recipes to represent the region. While the writing is uneven and some entries are merely recipes, the book captures what was eaten by a cross-section of the citizens of the United States during the depression. It is an interesting take on locavores, in many cases there is no other way to eat - food was local and seasonal. Many people grew their own food from necessity. If you enjoy reading about food, recipes, restaurants and an earlier simpler time, The Food of a Younger Land will interest you. It might be a fun road trip to try find if the foods featured in the book can still be found. Have you made your vacation plans yet? --Maeve

From ICPL Staff Picks Blog