Fading Feast A Compendium of Disappearing American Regional Foods

by Raymond A. Sokolov, Dan Seifert (Photographer), Alelaide de Menil (Photographer)

From Eastport Maine to San Diego and from Puget Sound to Key West come these pieces on the preparation and sources of numerous traditional regional foods

Genres: Food, Nonfiction, Food Writing, Culinary, Travel, Food and Drink, Foodie

276 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1981

Reviews

[Molly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was fascinating in a couple of ways. Though some of the "up-to-date" information is now way outdated, it's interesting to see what kinds of regional foodways were seemingly threatened back in the 70s. It's heartening to read about some of them and realize that the local foods movement has been working to preserve many of the foodways much better than Raymond Sokolov had predicted. Of course, there are the sad cases of foods that will probably never come back as well. Definitely worth a read, and the recipes seem exciting, though I haven't tried any of them yet.

[Godine Publisher & Black Sparrow Press · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the early 1980s, on an unusual mission for the American Museum of Natural History, Raymond Sokolov criss-crossed America in search of traditional regional cuisines. He traveled from Eastport, Maine to San Diego, California from the Puget Sound to Key West, returning with a cornucopia of recipes that few at the time seemed eager to maintain--recipes such as Cajun boudin blanc, persimmon fudge, the makings of a traditional clam bake, and, for the truly adventurous, roast bear paws.

The result, Fading Feast, was meant to serve as a preservation of these vanishing, quintessentially American foods. Since its first publication, however, Fading Feast has proven not to be a fond farewell, but rather the forerunner of reawakened interest in theses edible treasures. Written with evident passion and panache--and featuring eleven essays not included in the original edition--Fading Feast is as timely and savory today as when Raymond Sokolov first set out to record our native culinary wisdom.

[Nick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Written in the early 80s, this was perhaps one of the early books that decried the loss of regional food traditions to industrialization, commercialization, and modern agribusiness. Pulling from regional foodways and traditions, Sokolov highlights what will never be commercialized, and what will be lost should local practices fade away. It's fortunate to see many of his highlighted traditions thriving today, from wild mushrooms and pasties in Michigan, to gooseberries and clambakes on the east coast, to Tillamook Cheddar and pacific salmon in the west.

[Lynne · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was too similiar to other books that I have read in the last year.

[Nancy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fairly interesting, but not a "read-it-again" book