Sunday, September 30, 2012

Robert Sullivan gets up close and casual with the American Revolution

From the PIttsburgh Post-Gazette:  Robert Sullivan gets up close and casual with the American Revolution

Underneath the towering skyscrapers of Manhattan, around the noise of thousands pushing past each other on tattered sidewalks, off in the humble Watchung Mountains surrounding the metropolis, lies a deep and rich history about the experiences of George Washington and his army during the Revolutionary War from 1776 to 1783.
In "My American Revolution," Robert Sullivan takes us along his journey through the areas around New York -- where much of the American Revolution was fought, but oftentimes ill-remembered -- in an effort to plant himself inside the shoes of those who sacrificed their lives for the words we pledged daily in elementary school: for "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."

"MY AMERICAN REVOLUTION: CROSSING THE DELAWARE AND I-78"
By Robert Sullivan
Farrar, Straus and Giroux ($26).

Mr. Sullivan begs us to start a conversation about New York with questions about what it must have felt like to experience the December cold of 1779 -- arguably the most extreme winter New Yorkers have ever faced -- when there was no wood left to burn in Morristown, N.J., in the Watchung Mountains and so, wood had to be transported from Long Island to keep soldiers from freezing to death, often without the aid of shoes. Why did soldiers continue to fight despite the weather, Mr. Sullivan ponders, when ships became locked in ice up to 18 feet thick, when it was so cold that the ink froze in the pens of soldiers as they attempted to write home to their mothers and loved ones that they were still alive?
In opening, Mr. Sullivan asks: "Do the hills around us remember all that they have seen?" Do they recall the stench of The Jersey and the other prison ships which remained docked in New York Harbor for years, feeding men vermin? Do they recall how the army relied upon mirrors to reflect the sun and signal each other from hundreds of miles away?
Yet, other questions ask us to consider how much chance played into these epic moments of America's past. The Delaware River froze in 1871, 1875 and 1893, but for some reason, it remained traversable on that fateful night when Washington and his men crossed it in 1776.
As Mr. Sullivan traverses the forests, mountains and rivers in and around New York City, he provides a glimpse into the historical minutia of the Revolution as a history buff, a 21st-century patron, a father, a son. This is a work about digging up lost facts and understanding their purpose in the larger framework of what the American Revolution was and how it is remembered.
To that end, he documents the history of the re-enactments of the Delaware Crossing, beginning with a painting by artist Emanuel Leutze in 1851, "Washington Crossing the Delaware." He explores those who became wedded to the Revolution by their literary contributions, like poet Philip Freneau who died penniless and frozen in a field, his work largely dismissed by the masses at the time.
In recounting the Revolution, Mr. Sullivan shows us the difficult task facing the baby nation's leader and soon-to-be first president, as George Washington grappled with fighting a war which at many times seemed to be a lost cause.
Most interestingly, we become exposed to the many faces of Washington, from his wooden teeth, to his kind treatment of war prisoners, to his intolerance for abandoning the war effort. There are numerous works written about Washington and yet, few emphasize his utter disdain for wasteful spending on luxurious foods despite his commanding position. When offered shad for breakfast one spring morning, one of the first caught that season, and being informed by his chef that it cost $2, Washington refused to eat it.
Writing in a conversational tone, Mr. Sullivan leaves the arguments to the historians, the details of Revolutionary paintings and writings to art and literary scholars, placing his own experiences of crossing the Delaware and Interstate 78 at the heart of this work.
"My American Revolution" is a perfect read for someone looking to learn a few neat details of the American Revolution without becoming overwhelmed by the effects of this profound moment in our history. It also sheds light on several great places to buy snacks around the battlefields where so many men lost their lives for the sake of freedom.

 

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Project Shaw Presents THE DEVIL'S DISCIPLE Tonight, 9/24

A bit late, but I think the plot of Shaw's play is interesting:

From Broadway World:  Project Shaw Presents THE DEVIL'S DISCIPLE Tonight, 9/24

Gingold Theatrical Group's PROJECT SHAW starts the season with THE DEVIL'S DISCIPLE — George Bernard Shaw's famous comedy set against the unlikely backdrop of the American Revolution, using fictional and historical characters — tonight, September 24 at 7pm at The Players Club (16 Gramercy Park South) in Manhattan. David Staller produces and directs.
Now in its seventh sold-out year, Gingold Theatrical Group's PROJECT SHAW made history in December 2009 as the first company ever to present every play (including full-length works, one-acts and sketches) written by George Bernard Shaw.
In THE DEVIL'S DISCIPLE, some of Shaw's most entertainingly iconographic characters fill out this story of revolt: of one country against another as well as of the inexhaustible battle of the human spirit — how we choose to create and define ourselves in the face of societal expectations. The play is set in a 1777 New Hampshire village where Dick Dudgeon and Anthony Andrews both open their hearts to life. THE DEVIL'S DISCIPLE, written in 1896, finally established Shaw as a playwright of the first order.
The cast of THE DEVIL'S DISCIPLE features Jeremy Bobb (HARRISON, TX: THREE PLAYS BY Horton Foote), Janie Brookshire (MAN AND SUPERMAN), Sidney J. Burgoyne, Richard Easton (THE COAST OF UTOPIA, THE INVENTION OF LOVE), Joy Franz (INTO THE WOODS), Victoria Haynes, Warren Kelley (ENGAGING SHAW), Marc Kudisch (9 TO 5, THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE), William McCauley, James Prendergast, Ben Rauch, and Ted Schneider.
David Staller produces and directs all of the PROJECT SHAW readings.
For reservations to THE DEVIL'S DISCIPLE tonight, September 24 at 7pm at The Players Club (16 Gramercy Park South), call TheaterMania at 212-352-3101 or visit www.PROJECTSHAW.com. All seats are $30. Tickets for PROJECT SHAW performances are always available after the first of every month.

 

Monday, September 24, 2012

NC: Heritage groups mark Pickens' 273rd birthday

From Independent Mail, Anderson, NC:  Heritage groups mark Pickens' 273rd birthday

— Four men wearing three-cornered hats and carrying muskets over their shoulders marched into the Old Stone Church on Sunday.
Sunlight spilled onto the simple whitewashed walls of the sanctuary as 23 parishioners listened to what little is known about the life of Gen. Andrew Pickens.
The namesake of most "Pickens" counties in the Southeast, including ones in South Carolina and Alabama, was being honored on the occasion of his 273rd birthday by members of the Sons and Daughters of the American Revolution.
Pickens was a deeply religious Christian, said Ralph Welton, a member of the Sons of the American Revolution chapter named for the general in Clemson.
"It is generally believed that his political career suffered because he was too quick to forgive rather than seek punishment for his enemies," Welton told the congregation. "He believed that each fought for the cause they believed in; however, all needed to learn to live in peace."
Pickens was born in Pennsylvania to Scotch-Irish immigrants on Sept. 13, 1739. He became an American militia leader during the American Revolution, and after he weathered battles in Cowpens and Augusta, Ga., he represented South Carolina in the U.S. House of Representatives.
He eventually settled in Abbeville and married Rebecca Calhoun. They had 12 children, one of whom, Andrew, became governor. Pickens died in Tamassee, where he befriended Cherokee Indians, a tribe he had earlier fought against in Georgia.
After Sunday's service, members of the Sons and Daughters of the American Revolution placed wreaths on Pickens' grave and that of Robert Anderson.
The latter, a militia officer and politician, gave the county and city of Anderson their names. He served under Pickens, and the two men became friends, Welton said.
Sons of the American Revolution color guard members tipped their hats after they laid wreaths.
Sheila Boyd, a member of the Tamassee Daughters chapter, clasped her gloved hands and bowed.
The color guard members then pointed their muskets skyward and fired three times.
Curiosity about heritage and lineage is steadily drawing interest in both American Revolution heritage groups.
Membership in the South Carolina chapters of the Sons grows about 10 percent a year, said Mark Anthony, a national trustee and past state president.
To attain membership, applicants must prove lineage from the war. Anthony is descended from Capt. James Withrow, who fought in the Battle of Kings Mountain.
Withrow drew a hard line when it came to the Torries he fought, even if they were family.
"He is quoted as saying to his brother-in-law, 'Look now to your friends for aid' as he lay dying," Anthony said.
Anthony is a member of the Daniel Morgan Sons chapter in Spartanburg. He joined members from chapters in Greenville, Tamassee and Clemson for the ceremony.
Wearing his red, white and navy blue Continental Army uniform seven days in a row "doesn't get old," Anthony said. That is fortunate because local Sons have been living in Colonial times quite a bit lately.
They routinely travel to schools and act out roles their ancestors played, from shopkeeper to general.
"I feel as comfortable in these clothes as I do regular clothes," Anthony said.
Last week, James Norris, president of the Robert Anderson Sons chapter in Greenville, marched from Constitution Hall to the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia to commemorate the 225th anniversary of the U.S. Constitution.
"We marched right down the middle of the green," Norris said.
The men conducted a grave dedication in Union, S.C., on Saturday and will head to Tamassee Elementary on Wednesday for another event. They will head to a national leadership meeting in Louisville, Ky., next weekend.
Still, the Old Stone Church and its graveyard hold plenty of history.
Marion Whitehurst wove her way among headstones that mark Americans from every war. She has been a member of the Old Stone Church Commission for about 30 years.
She gestured to acres of flat, upright and ornate markings.
"We have an Indian over there," she said. "We have a lady of the evening over there and a dueler over there."
The number of people buried in the Old Stone Church Cemetery remains unknown, she said, because so many graves are unmarked.
The cemetery recently opened 900 burial plots across a small road that runs along the church. Their sales pay for the upkeep of the cemetery and the 215-year-old church.
"It's in excellent condition," she said.




Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Posts resume 24 Sep 2012

My mom, who is 75, wants to go up to teeny tiny town near Rapid City, to see her sister, who is 80. They live in a house in the boonies and have no internet.

I'll be back online on Monday the 24th and promise not to miss another day.

Please bear with me, your patience is appreciated!

Monday, September 17, 2012

Recent and upcoming releases by Colonial American Christian Writers

From USA Today:  Recent and upcoming releases by Colonial American Christian Writers

Carrie Fancett Pagels, who writes Christian historical romance, joins us to introduce us to Colonial American Christian Writers and their recent releases.
Carrie: Thank you, Joyce, for the opportunity to share about recent releases by members of Colonial American Christian Writers, of which I am the founder. Two years ago at the ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) conference in Indianapolis, I approached Laura Frantz and Joan Hochstetler about forming this group. Colonial fiction has been a tough sell in the Christian market and we wanted to support and promote our subgenre and also provide research support. Our group blog is Colonial Quills.
Themes readers will frequently find in inspirational colonial/federalist era books are: forgiveness, overcoming harsh environments, servitude, loss, grieving, war, reconciliation and, of course, love! Kathy Altman of HEA recently reviewed Arms of Love, an Amish colonial/American Revolution story written by one of our members, Kelly Long. (Check out HEA's interview with Kelly.) HEA's Serena Chase reviewed MaryLu Tyndall's Veil of Pearls -- a recent federalist era novel I'd love to see made into a movie!
In September alone, we have three new releases from members of CACW, two of which are in the colonial to federalist period: Laura Frantz's Love's Reckoning (recommended today by HEA's Serena) and J.M. Hochstetler's Crucible of War. In October there are two more releases.
September: Laura Frantz's newest book, Love's Reckoning, is her fourth published novel with Revel. Laura's first three books were set in frontier colonial America. Her debut novel, The Frontiersman's Daughter, is a favorite of mine. This wonderful frontier story was followed by Courting Morrow Little and The Colonel's Lady, the latter being inspired by George Rogers Clark. All of these books have been translated into Dutch by Kok Publishing in the Netherlands.Laura's new series, The Ballantyne Legacy, is a four-book saga set in federalist American. The first book in the series, Love's Reckoning, set in Pennsylvania, was recently reviewed by Diana L. Flowers. Laura is known for having a rich poetic style in her voice and writing and writes historical fiction with strong romantic elements. She is an author other Christian writers wish to emulate.
Joan "J.M." Hochstetler just released the fourth novel in her comprehensive historical fiction series on the American Revolution. The American Patriot Series begins in April 1775 with Daughter of Liberty. Her September 2012 release, Crucible of War, "follows Elizabeth Howard and Jonathan Carleton as they face the devastation and triumphs of war — from the American colonists' first armed confrontation with the British to the spreading inferno along the frontiers of Indian territory, through the battles raging in the Middle and Southern colonies and on the high seas, and at last to the final, decisive assault at Yorktown."
In October: Rita Gerlach's Beside Two Rivers, the second book in the Daughters of the Potomac series for Abingdon Press, continues the story of a young woman who returns to England after surviving multiple hardships, and a difficult marriage, during the American Revolution. (Check out HEA's interview with Rita.)Carla Gade's novella in a Romancing America collection from Barbour, Colonial Courtships, is a romance about a young indentured woman.
Our authors have books ranging from early colonial American history -- Barbara Blythe's Fire Dragon's Angel set during the time of Bacon's Rebellion to America's federalist period with Lisa Norato's lovely Prize of My Heart and Roseanna M. White's Love Finds You in Annapolis, Maryland, an RT Book Reviews Top Pick.
To find out more about CACW, its members and their books, visit the  Colonial Quills blog.

 

Sunday, September 16, 2012

Military Loyalists of the American Revolution: Officers and Regiments, 1775-1783,

From Strategy Page: Military Loyalists of the American Revolution: Officers and Regiments, 1775-1783,

Military Loyalists of the American Revolution: Officers and Regiments, 1775-1783, by Walter T. Dornfest
Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 2010. Pp. viii,516. Append., notes., biblio., index. $125.00 paper. ISBN: 0786448156.

Although the proportion is likely exaggerated, it has traditionally been believed that about a third of the people of the Thirteen Colonies during the Revolutionary War were “Tories”. But while Loyalists gave enormous support to the Crown during the war, they have not been the subject of much serious study. 
In Military Loyalists of the American Revolution Prof.  Dornfest (emeritus, CUNY Staten I) gives us a detailed work that is both biographical dictionary of literally thousands of officers who served in Loyalist units during the Revolutionary War, and an impressive catalog of hundreds of such units.  Officer entries include rank, service, and unit, plus a reference, and many also have years of birth and death, background details, anecdotal items, and so forth.  Entries for the units are similar, but first divided into Loyalist units organized by the Crown and those organized by local volunteers, the latter on a colony-by-colony basis.  Coverage includes the Thirteen Colonies, outlying districts such as the Ohio Country and the Indian territories, and even the “other” colonies, Canada, the Floridas, the West Indies, and elsewhere. 
This makes Military Loyalists of the American Revolution both unusual and invaluable for anyone working on the American Revolution.

Saturday, September 15, 2012

Daughters of the American Revolution promote Constitution Week

From the Daily Courier: Daughters of the American Revolution promote Constitution Week

The tradition of celebrating the Constitution was started many years ago by the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR). In 1955, the Daughters petitioned Congress to set aside Sept. 17 through 23 annually to be dedicated for the observance of Constitution Week. The resolution was later adopted by the U.S. Congress and signed into Public Law #915 on Aug. 2, 1956, by President Dwight D. Eisenhower.

The aims of the celebration are to emphasize citizens' responsibilities for protecting and defending the Constitution, preserving it for posterity; inform the people that the Constitution is the basis for America's great heritage and the foundation for the American way of life; and encourage the study of the historical events which led to the framing of the Constitution in September 1787.

DAR has served America for 122 years. In 1928, the Daughters began work on a building as a memorial to the Constitution. John Russell Pope, architect of the Jefferson Memorial, was commissioned to design the performing arts center, known as DAR Constitution Hall. Today, DAR Constitution Hall is the only structure erected in tribute to the Constitution of the United States of America. DAR has over 165,000 members, with approximately 3,000 chapters in all 50 states and 11 foreign countries. For more information about DAR, visit www.dar.org or call 708-9693.

 

Monday, September 10, 2012

Daughters of the American Revolution to honor Uncle Sam

From The Patch: Daughters of the American Revolution to honor Uncle Sam

Each year the José Maria Amador Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), NSDAR, sponsors national contests.   You’re invited to participate in the American History Essay Contest and the Christopher Columbus Essay Contest.  Chapter winners are acknowledged with a $100 monetary prize, a certificate and a medal at the chapter’s Annual Awards Ceremony in February 2013.
Both essay contests are judged for historical accuracy, adherence to topic, organization of materials, interest, originality, spelling, grammar, punctuation and neatness.  The deadline for each contest is Nov. 15, 2012.
The American History Essay Contest is open to students in grades five through eight.  The 2012-2013 topic is “Forgotten Patriots Who Supported the American Struggle for Independence.”  Contestants should write a 300-600 word essay (5th grade), and a 600-1,000 word essay (6th-8th grades) focusing on the often unrecognized people and groups who provided military, patriotic and public service in support of the American Revolution.  Explain why it is especially important to honor the unsung heroes and often forgotten patriots.
The chapter will send one winning essay from each of the four grades for judging at the district level, and those winners will proceed to state level competition.  The state winners are sent to the DAR Southwest Division Chairman who forwards those winners to the National Chairman.  National winners will receive a certificate, gold pin and monetary award presented at DAR 122nd Continental Congress, June 2013.
Contact DAR chairpersons Phyllis Houghton at pnhoughton@sbcglobal.net or Arlene Farley at aerospacetchr@sbcglobal.net for an information packet and further guidelines.
The Christopher Columbus Essay Contest is open to students in grades 9-12.  The 2012-2013 topic is “To the Memory of Christopher Columbus, Whose High Faith and Indomitable Courage Gave to Mankind a New World.”  Contestants should write a 800-1,200  word essay focusing on how high levels of faith and belief, and determined courage was demonstrated in the life and actions of Columbus, and explain how this gave to mankind a new world.
The chapter will select one winning essay for judging at the district level, and that winner will proceed to state level competition.  The state winner is sent to the DAR Southwest Division Chairman who forwards the winner to the National Chairman.  The national winner will receive $1,200 and paid lodging and transportation to Washington, D.C. to read the prize-winning essay at the Columbus Memorial on Columbus Day Oct. 14, 2013. The second place national winner will receive $500 and the third place national winner will receive $300.
Contact DAR chairperson Carole Vercellino at caroleverc_@hotmail.com for an information packet and further guidelines.



Sunday, September 9, 2012

Daughters of the American Revolution to honor Uncle Sam

From the Troy Record:  Daughters of the American Revolution to honor Uncle Sam

TROY — New signs leading the way to Sam Wilson’s gravesite were recently installed at Oakwood Cemetery, courtesy of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR).

The cemetery will host a ceremony to not only showcase the new aesthetics, but also honor Uncle Sam for his tireless contributions to the cause on Sunday at 2 p.m. According to DAR New York State Regent Denise Doring Van Buren, the event will coincide with the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812.

“This project in Oakwood Cemetery is one of three that our local chapter is sponsoring,” explained Van Buren, the 42nd DAR State Regent and a native of Troy. “We raised money through outright donations and by selling pins and tote bags to our members.”

As DAR State Regent, Van Buren had the privilege of selecting projects for the local chapter to sponsor. A member of DAR for 25 years, she gives her now-deceased father, James Doring of South Troy, credit for instilling within her a love of American history – and that of Troy’s in particular. Van Buren’s three-year term as State Regent ends in July 2013.

The funds raised by the local DAR chapter – approximately $5,000 – not only paid for the creation and erection of 20 new signs to replace existing signage in need of repair but also the removal of a dead tree. The addition of two memorial benches near Wilson’s grave will offer respite to visitors who want to reflect on the life of the patriotic Trojan who provided meat rations to American soldiers stationed in the City of Rensselaer during the war.

DAR’s other locally sponsored projects include restoration of 1,800 state battle flags housed at the New York State Military Museum in Saratoga Springs and marking a Manhattan gravesite in the Trinity Church yard for Horatio Gates, the English-born American general who bested his former British comrades at the Battle of Saratoga. His actual gravesite has never been discovered.

“The event (here at Oakwood Cemetery) is meaningful to me because I value what endeavors people of the past have done that still affect us today,” said Carol Haid, honorary regent of the Van Rensselaer Chapter of the National Society of Daughters of the American Revolution in Troy. “Oakwood Cemetery is on the National Register of Historic Places and has brought many visitors to Troy. This is an ideal way of honoring Samuel Wilson and his legacy.”

Haid further noted that 2011 marked the 50th Anniversary of the Congressional Resolution recognizing “Uncle Sam” Wilson of Troy as the progenitor of America’s national symbol of Uncle Sam. She lauded Marty Mahar and several Troy delegates for their hard work in garnering acclaim for Wilson as Uncle Sam.

“Samuel Wilson has such an impact in the City of Troy since he came here in 1789,” Haid said. “The Wilson brothers, Samuel and Ebinezer, had a brick-making business then and in 1793 founded a meat-packing business.”

Haid, who is likewise state chairman of the Historic Preservation Committee, will be in attendance Sunday with Van Buren and Merry Ann Wright, president general of the National Society of DAR, who oversees 3,000 DAR chapters worldwide boasting 175,000 members.

This is very possibly the first time a DAR president general will be coming to Troy,” said Van Buren.

 

Friday, September 7, 2012

MASS: The Farm Table's Heirloom Tomato Burrata Mozzarella Salad

From WLLP:  The Farm Table's Heirloom Tomato Burrata Mozzarella Salad

At Kringle Candle in Bernardston

Updated: Wednesday, 05 Sep 2012, 2:11 PM EDT
Published : Wednesday, 05 Sep 2012, 2:11 PM EDT
BERNARDSTON, Mass. (Mass Appeal) - Brent Menke , Executive Chef at The Farm Table at Kringle Candle in Bernardston, joined us in the Mass Appeal kitchen to bring us a taste of their delicious menu .

The Farm Table at Kringle Candle
219 South Street
Bernardston, MA
(413) 648 - 5200
www.kringlefarmtable.com

Heirloom Tomato Burrata Mozzarella Salad

Ingredients:
  • Arugula
  • Basil
  • Heirloom tomatoes
  • Cape Gooseberry
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Aged balsamic vinegar
Directions:
  1. Cut tomatoes and place them on a plate.
  2. Serve with Burrata mozzarella and arugula
  3. Drizzle olive oil and balsamic vinegar on top
  4. Add some fresh basil
  5. Enjoy!

     
About The Farm Table at Kringle Candle:

When this sturdy Bernardston colonial house was built in 1800, the American Revolution was recently-concluded. More than two centuries later, the faithfully- renovated structure surrounding you finds itself at the dawn of a new revolution. In a world grown weary of chemicals, pesticides, genetically-modified plants, fruits and animals, increasingly-educated consumers are turning away from petroleum-fueled factory operations situated a continent away. More and more, the thinking person embraces healthy, ethically- produced local foodstuffs of every kind. As we considered the power of the burgeoning farm-to-table eating movement, we realized we had found not only a method, but a name for this enterprise. To that simple end, The Farm Table offers honest nourishment for the body and elegant respite for the soul.

Look around you. The candlelit spaces, open-hearth oven, and comforting fireplaces speak wordlessly of a quieter, simpler time in New England history. Our menu similarly speaks of a better time in culinary history. Created by executive chef Brent Menke and featuring internationally- nuanced New American cuisine, a meal taken here is truly an experience to remember. Virtually every item we serve is sourced from our very own organic farm as well as growers within a 50-mile radius of The Farm Table.
Our concept is based upon our company motto: “The Way it Used to Be.” A truly good restaurant should be more than a place to feed you; it should nourish the body, educate the mind and entertain the spirit. These are our modest but steadfast goals. This old farmhouse has lived many lives in 200-plus years, but it has always been a home. And now we invite you to come and dine with us in the restaurant that has become our home: The Farm Table.

About Chef Brent Menke:

Brent has cooked professionally for nearly twenty years. Prior to joining The Farm Table, he served as Chef aboard Paraffin, one of the finest luxury motor yachts sailing the planet today.

Here, he provides a glimpse into his philosophies on cooking.
In my opinion, fine cuisine absolutely must be ingredient-driven. Without superior raw materials to work with, the best chef is inevitably doomed to fail. And I don’t like to fail, ever.
Being chef aboard Paraffin provided its own special set of challenges and rewards. Cruising to some of the most wondrous places on Earth yields one a real gastronomic bonus; access to some of the rarest, freshest ingredients of all. This provides exciting opportunities for a chef to expand his knowledge and imagination while creating new and - ideally – truly great food. Aboard Paraffin we served a well-travelled clientele that included celebrities, royalty and presidents. Consequently, we were frequently asked to create dishes. The demands could be monumental and at times, sleep was optional. No matter what, the show always went on – and with a smile. Challenging as it was, this experience gave me an astounding insight into the literal world of food at a relatively young age, and I valued every moment.
What has most shaped my career? Without question, my wife and her family. Her constant support – and time spent at the family farm in France - has taught me the critical importance of ingredients. My wife’s grandmother is a formidable battleship of a woman, strong and weathered with age, and fiercely protective of her family, yet she has such a natural way with food. With eggs from the hen house, a rabbit for the pot, some carrots fresh with garden soil and peaches still warm from the tree, she produces the kind of comfort food only a lifetime of experience can provide. My wife’s father taught me that if you put love both into the garden and your work, it gives you beautiful things in return, just like a family.
My philosophy on food and life comes down to a single word: respect. Respect for the ingredients, respect for those you serve, respect for those who work for you, and respect for yourself. And I do believe if you love your work, you will surely taste it.
Brent Menke
Chef - The Farm Table

 

Thursday, September 6, 2012

Forefathers nurtured roots of Route 222

From the Reading Eagle:  Forefathers nurtured roots of Route 222

Q: Did Route 222 play an important role in the American Revolution?
The road from Reading to Easton, now Route 222, was called King's Highway in 1776.

It was a critical artery for the movement of troops and supplies during the American Revolution.

Indeed, there's strong evidence that Gen. George Washington himself traversed the road on his way to upstate New York in 1782, stopping off in the Moravian town of Bethlehem.

Revolution, however, was not on the minds of most colonists when the Reading-to-Easton road was proposed by Conrad Weiser, William Parsons and other leaders in 1753; Indians were.

There had been massacres of settlers pushing north from Philadelphia to settle what was then a frontier region.

Weiser was an Indian agent who had a general store on what is now Penn Square in Reading. Parsons, Pennsylvania's surveyor general, was responsible for much of Reading's layout and is considered the father of Easton.

The two men also were linked by military service.

Parsons, a major, served under Weiser, a lieutenant colonel, in the colony's militia.

Both men were visionaries who saw the need to connect Reading, Bethlehem and Easton to clear the way for settlement. Travel in that area was an arduous task, over winding Indian trails that could take more than a week.

"William Parsons, the whip-tongued proprietary agent at Easton, and Conrad Weiser, Reading's heavy-handed godfather, were not slow to see the need for widening this forest track into a road," Tony Wallace wrote a 1941 article in the Historical Review of Berks County.

Parsons, Weiser and other leaders petitioned authorities, saying the existing route was "often diverted and obstructed and rendered almost impassable."

Considering the modern-day backups at Routes 662 and 73 on Route 222, it might be argued not much has changed in 259 years.

Permission was granted and, in 1754, Parsons and an associate, David Shultze, began surveying the route.

"The various demands of civilized life must be levied on the light trace beaten by the foot of Indian travelers," Wallace wrote. "Or else the frontier between the Schuylkill and Delaware rivers will shrivel under Indian attack and become a line of isolated outposts."

Parsons died in 1757 in Easton, where his house was bought by George Taylor, who would become a signer of the Declaration of Independence.

It is maintained by the George Taylor Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.

Weiser, one of Berks County's founding fathers, died in 1760.

The Conrad Weiser Homestead near Womelsdorf is administered by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission with help from the Friends of Conrad Weiser Homestead.

Neither man lived to see the role the road they envisioned would play in the formation of the United States of America.

Monday, September 3, 2012

Revolution: The Director's Cut

(The plot, as the reviewer describes below, sounds similar to Mel Gibson's Patriot, doesn't it?)

From the Guardian: Revolution: The Director's Cut

 After the critical and popular success of Chariots of Fire and Greystoke, Hugh Hudson's career suffered a major setback with the failure of Revolution, his big-budget epic about the American war of independence as experienced by a fur trapper (Al Pacino) forced into military service to protect his son, a middle-class rebel throwing herself into the revolutionary cause (Nastassja Kinski) and a sadistic English sergeant major (Donald Sutherland). While expressing my admiration for its ambition, its designers and some individual scenes, my initial review was generally unfavourable. But when the film appeared on TV in the early 1990s I suggested that "the time is ripe for reappraisal". Seeing Hudson's director's cut, which involved some re-editing, a changed final sequence and, most importantly, the addition of a commentary spoken by the Pacino character, I wrote a reassessment that was published in the programme of the 2008 Dinard British film festival, which featured a Hudson retrospective. I described Revolution as "profound, poetic and original… among the great movies about the experience of individual citizens living in times of dramatic social change". This review is included in the booklet accompanying the handsome dual format DVD/Blu-ray version of the film.

Sunday, September 2, 2012

Following The Footnotes Of The Revolutionary War

From NPR:  Following The Footnotes Of The Revolutionary War

My American Revolution
Hardcover, 259 pages, Farrar Straus & Giroux, List Price: $26 


When we think of the seminal moments in the birth of the United States of America, many people would point to the battles of Lexington, Concord and Bunker Hill. But according to Robert Sullivan, the founding landscape of our nation is not in Massachusetts. It is in and around New York.
In his new book, My American Revolution: Crossing the Delaware and I-78, Sullivan writes that the majority of battles in the Revolutionary War were fought in the middle colonies: New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Pennsylvania.
In the book, he retraces the steps of Washington and his soldiers on a 30-mile trek north from the Delaware River. Sullivan tells weekends on All Things Considered host Guy Raz, the journey took him through the Watchung Mountains, a low mountain range in New Jersey, that played a key role in the Revolution. It is where Washington lit fires as warning signals to those in New York, when he saw movement by the British force.
Sullivan wanted to do his own reenactment. He managed to use a mirror and the sun's reflection to send a signal to his daughter 20 miles away in Brooklyn. Through the process, Sullivan discovered something about those signal posts. They have been critical points throughout our history.
He tells Raz, they were used as anti-Soviet missile sites by the American military. "And then at 9/11 each one of these sites had become exactly a place where people went ... to see the towers come down," he says. "These high points mattered to us strategically."

Boston has its Liberty Trail, but Sullivan says, Revolutionary landmarks in and around New York tend to go unnoticed. It could be because the British were often on the winning side of the battles fought there. "We don't champion them naturally. It's hard to champion great losses and defeats and evacuations." Like the Battle of Brooklyn, which wound up being the first big fight and failure of the Revolution.
"It was an evacuation," Sullivan tells Raz. The British "cornered Washington up into what is today Brooklyn Heights." But the Marbleheaders, a brigade from Massachusetts, rowed Washington and his troops to safety across the East River.
Though these sites might seem trivial today, Sullivan wants to champion them as footnotes of history — "and make the footnotes the top part," he tells Raz. "What we stand in is the kind of everyday landscape that seems to be no big deal in history. And so this kind of footnoted history is more about humility and understanding that you can't fight certain things."