The founding impulses of the US national parks reflected Romantic notions of self-making, as almost a century after the American Revolution, post-revolution nationalism still gripped the country. In 1872, with the establishment of Yellowstone National Park, the US is widely thought to be the first nation to create a national park system,1 a move that…
Category: Foods and Recipe
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Exploring the Contemporary Foodscape – Eating in US National Parks
Early in 2018, more than 25,000 people signed a Change.org petition to “Stop Starbucks in Yosemite,” apparently agreeing with the sentiment of its creator that “multinational corporations have no place in our national parks” (Concerned Citizen 2018). Park lovers were outraged that Yosemite Valley Lodge, operated by multinational giant Aramark, was planning to open a…
Conservation vs Enjoyment? Swallowing Competing Mandates – Eating in US National Parks
I want to think about the eating experiences that Xanterra tells the world it offers in Yellowstone—from picnicking or grabbing a quick bite at Canyon Lodge Eatery to nailing a coveted reservation at Lake Yellowstone Hotel Dining Room or climbing on the saddle to head out to the Roosevelt Old West Dinner Cookout. To what…
Cou-Cou ’n’ Flying Fish – Memorable Recipes
Cou-cou and flying fish was a dinner staple when I was a child. After all, it is the national dish of Barbados, and I am a first-generation Bajan-American. Cou-cou is not to be confused with couscous! It’s a cornmeal mash, kind of like polenta or grits, that’s cooked with okra. Nowadays flying fish is fairly…
Recentering Indigenous Foodways in the Parks – Eating in US National Parks
Eager readers may look for a conclusion to this chapter that documents the return to a thriving state of Indigenous foodways within the national park system; alas, that future remains to be written. Vibrant Indigenous foodways and commitments to food sovereignty are not merely historical issues, but they are yet to be recentered in the…
Catering to Whom? – Eating in US National Parks
From the get-go, national parks were conceptualized in conflicting ways with regard to access. Although the parks were touted as spaces for everyone, early proposals for a park bureau framed the parks as well-managed resorts—“recreational spaces and manipulated gardens overseen by guardians of taste and civility” (Taylor 2016, 330). Key figures associated with the early…
Jerk Alfredo Pasta and Pan-Seared Scallops with Side Salad – Memorable Recipes
I absolutely love pasta and cheese individually; but when they come together, they make my heart dance. Now add jerk seasoning for a little heat, perfectly seared scallops, and a side salad (so I can pretend that this isn’t really overindulgence) and it becomes a seafood and pasta lover’s dream. The only thing that could…
Tagliatelle Bolognese – Memorable Recipes
When I was twenty years old, I was traveling in Italy for a study abroad trip. I knew there was so much to an Italian Bolognese that I was missing in America. I walked down the arcades of Bologna, found the tiniest trattoria, and ordered the dish I had hyped up in my head for…
Pine Tart and Cheese Roll – Memorable Recipes
Pineapple tart (commonly called “pine tart”) and a cheese roll rank among the top pastries in Guyana. They are legendary teatime treats: Buttery, flaky dough is filled with a spiced sweet pineapple jam and folded into petite triangles (for the pine tart) or filled with a spicy cheddar cheese paste and rolled into rectangles (for…
Rum and Raisin Bread Pudding – Memorable Recipes
In my house, nothing says the holiday season has officially arrived like a warm serving of rum and raisin bread pudding. It’s great on its own, but when you top it with my special chocolate rum cream sauce, it just takes things to another level. I mean, if you decided to have a few servings…