ASRC 2021: Week 4

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Here's this week's Monopoly Board.

Current Literary Monopoly Board

Elias: I rolled low this week and only advanced three spaces, which meant I got to read a Biography/Memoir. This was definitely the slowest category I've had thus far and I suspect if I ever get a different non-fiction category, it'll be much the same. I ended up reading The Cooking Gene by Michael Twitty and it was a great example of how prior expectations can completely change a reading experience. I think, had I not gone in thinking this would be more of a travelogue interlaced with memoir and recipies, I would have enjoyed the book a lot more, which isn't to say it's a bad book, just that I didn't get what I thought I was.

The book is less personal memoir and far more a historical exploration of a cuisine as seen through the familial journey of Twitty's past. It is less about him, though he brings in enough anecdotes to keep him at the emotional core, and more about his parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, and the world around them that shaped their diet and food habits. It's a brilliant book, with asides into linguistics, historical farming methods, food justice in the 21st century, genetics, racism historic and modern, culinary appropriation, Judaism and the messy, personal thoughts we hold about food.

It's also a disjointed book, purposefully so, but there were times when it was clear that an earlier section was actually written after a later one, and the clarifications within would have served the book better near the front. It also lacks a distinct arc and so the chapters, and even sometimes the sections within, can feel disconnected, not helped by me getting lost as Twitty delves into the weeds of his family tree or the exact scientific process that ended up making hominy far more nutritious than the corn products that followed.

Still, the book paints a picture that is lush and deep and messy, one full of personal resonance and hardship. It gave me a better appreciation for southern food and its African American soul, a history lesson into all sorts of dishes and staples, and a lot to think about; It also gave me a hankering for Apple Butter Hamentashen.

I give it 4/5 stars.

Elizabeth: This week I rolled a ten and landed on "Hobby." This is definitely the category that is the least defined for me. I chose to read something that has been sitting on my bookshelf for a while, Cocoknits Sweater Workshop by Julie Weisenberger. I enjoy knitting a lot but have mostly made accessories before now. This book lays out a way to create sweaters that are fully customized to a person's body. It also had great information on choosing designs to be flattering on different body types. Finally, it included base patterns for a few different sweater designs. I'm looking forward to trying one of the cardigans out. I give this book 4/5 stars.

Let us know what you've been up to and we'll see you next week!