The CulinaryWoman Newsletter for 4/9/23

A salmagundi for your reading pleasure

Happy Easter! Blessed Passover! Ramadan Mubarak! And hello to all our readers. The confluence of great religions’ holy days happens only about three times a century. I hope we all are experiencing a peaceful Sunday.

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A Salmagundi Issue

Back when we were kids, WTVS, the Detroit Public Television station, ran a live auction to raise money. Local celebrities and news casters took turns auctioning prizes like trips, sports memorabilia and luxury items. I was actually invited once to lend a hand.

One of the categories was Salmagundi. We loved saying the word, which is pronounced sal-mah-GUN-dee. (The derivation is probably French.) As a food dish, it means a variety of ingredients mixed together, like the filling for a meat pie. It also means a group of miscellaneous items.

I’m finishing up a number of tasks before my move, so rather than a long feature story and short items, you’re getting a collection of ingredients this week - a salmagundi!

Goodenough Supper Club Kicks Off

Remember I told you that Jason Goodenough’s inaugural menu commemorated his mother and her elegant dinner parties. Here it is.

Jason borrowed a private home near St. Charles Avenue for the evening.

Guests dressed in their own salmagundi- dresses, suits, t-shirts and shorts. There was even a man in a boutonnière.

Jason (in the bandana) came out to talk to us between courses.

The hit at our table was his delicious riff on poulet a L’Estragon or tarragon chicken breast.

Jason’s next dinner, with a Artsy theme, will take place in an art gallery on April 27. Pounce as soon as you see the tickets to Goodenough Supper Club go live on Tock.this coming Thursday or act fast for his future dates. Follow him on Instagram (@) goodenoughsupperclub for the latest details.

Farewell To A Culinary Legend

What a delight Mimi Sheraton was. Best known for her restaurant reviews and features at the New York Times, Mimi adopted the practice of camouflaging herself when she visited restaurants, hoping to avoid special treatment.

Her travels took her all over the world. She talked about 10 of her favorite places in this article for Smithsonian. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/mimi-sheratons-10-most-memorable-meals-73227585/

In an era before the internet turned every diner into a reviewer, Mimi had enormous impact. My mother used to clip her articles and mail them to me. Her book, 1,000 Foods To Eat Before You Die is a fun and informative read.

She lived to age 97, and by all accounts from my fellow NYT alumni. was a generous colleague and friend. What an interesting time she had.

A Twilight Collection of Authors in New Orleans

We had a golden evening at Baldwin and Company, the New Orleans bookshop that focuses on Black writers. Hundreds gathered to hear Clint Smith, whose latest collection of poetry, Above Ground, became an instant NY Times best seller.

You may have read Clint’s previous book, How The Word is Passed, which looked at the mythology surrounding Confederate landmarks and monuments across the South, and their ties to slavery. That was how I discovered his writing.

Clint is a native of New Orleans and although he is lithe, he likes to eat. He confessed that as soon as his signing was finished, he planned to go to Melba’s, a legendary all night outfit, for some wings.

Clint (on the right) was interviewed by Maurice Carlos Ruffin, whose book of short stories, The Ones Who Don’t Say I Love You, is this year’s selection for One Book, One New Orleans. The marvelous turnout included Clint’s grandfather, parents and the third grade teacher who encouraged him to write, plus many admirers.

I sat with One Book’s executive director, Megan Holt, and Karisma Price, whose new book of poetry, I’m Always So Serious, is getting rave reviews. (See if you can spot me waaaay over to the right.) Also in the audience were novelists Jami Attenberg and Sarah Broom, who wrote one of my favorite recent books, The Yellow House.

I felt a little overwhelmed by being among all that literary talent, but it was an inspiring evening. Get out and hear your favorite writers when you can (including me, I hope).

Keeping Up With CulinaryWoman

The moving truck comes Tuesday and I head north on Wednesday.

I look forward to seeing Chicago friends and trying some new spots before I take the train to Ann Arbor next Sunday. My brother nabbed me a bunch of rhubarb, and I look forward to the emergence of Michigan asparagus.

I’m taking Easter Week off to focus on my journey, but I will see you a week from today. Stay safe and well and enjoy your holidays.