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THE SECRETS OF SUPPER
©2024 Sandra Garson
Part One: Thursday, May 16
The Feng Shui of Food: Clean Energy for Supper
Mother Nature table trains us by emphasizing the wisdom of being in the moment. What matters when we eat or plan a meal is GPS: where we are located right now. Food that fuels our body with clean energy is synced to season and place. That’s why cultures have specific ingredients or menus for various times of year and definite menus for holidays which mark the calendar for us.
Part Two: Thursday, May 23
Dinner as Your Doctor: Food Has Always Been Medicine
Food is the original, traditional medicine still prescribed today. Most fancy pharmaceuticals come from chemical compounds found in food. Think cranberries for UTIs, cloves for toothaches, ginger for nausea. Many cultures make meals medicinal when necessary. We’ll look at how food has always been used as medicine. It’s right there in that familiar Rx.
Part Three: Thursday, May 30
Food Fights: Your Dinner is Your Identity
Our food habits develop early and stubbornly stay part of our identity, which we often end up defending. “I make it the way my mother did, not the way your mother did.” Maine sued NH to protect “Maine lobster”; France prevented California from selling “champagne”; Tunisia had UNESCO protect harissa as Tunisian; Boston is Beantown. Immigrants bring their food with them. In response, Fanny Farmer purveyed the one true American diet and now culture wars include what’s for dinner.
The SAVVY PALATES
Our content creator:
Sandy Garson, former caterer, food entrepreneur and food historian, has published many articles and two cookbooks, one award winning. After an orthopedic emergency made her close her successful Maine bakery and catering business, she helped establish a restaurant in Ulan Bator, Mongolia; taught cooking in Kathmandu, Nepal; cooked at a Buddhist monastery in Vancouver, Canada, lectured at New York’s Rubin Museum and was a panelist for MOFAD. As Nana Chef, she taught American children to cook. Lately she teaches Maine seniors how food is the secret ingredient of history.
Our props and plans coordinator:
Gael May McKibben spent most of her life in the art world in Maine, both fine art and fine crafts. She has more recently spent many years volunteering at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at USM (OLLI) taking classes, planning events, working on committees and producing food history programs with the Savvy Palates
Our tech genie:
Star Pelsue, a retired special education/behavioral therapist, finds joy in reading, cooking, and traveling. Passionate about supporting those on the Spectrum, she has dedicated her career to helping children. Beyond her professional life, Star is an avid reader and traveler. Her commitment to community is evident in volunteering for AARP Maine, Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, Ronald McDonald House, Victoria Mansion, and more. With a strong belief in giving back, Star Pelsue exemplifies the spirit of volunteerism, making a positive impact in her community.
