I had the pleasure of attending the LongHouse Food Revival this past fall in Upstate New York. Created by Molly O’Neill, this annual gathering has been called the Woodstock of food—an intense day-long symposium designed to raise the bar on how food stories are told and to connect generations of food-inspired artists, writers, and the like.
Every year, LongHouse focuses on a single story to create a multi-media “Pop-Up Food Magazine”. This year’s theme, Chop Stick Nation, explored Chinese American food stories through a variety of mediums including spoken word, film, and live cooking.
Saturday began bright and early with a foraging walk led by Ava Chin at the Huyck Preserve. Autumn in Upstate cannot be beat.
Ava introduced the crowd of mostly city mice to things like garlic mustard, burdock, and wood sorrel. We tasted a bit of this and that as we walked.
We also stumbled upon some wild apples! The tree was located near a large road, which isn’t optimal for foraging due to pollution. Oh, well.
Following the foraging walk, we made a short drive to Berne, the site of the symposium.
This city mouse loved everything about the picturesque setting, from the fresh air to the musty barn and greenery as far as the eye could see.
The sunflowers climbing high along the side of the barn were especially photogenic.
Before the symposium began, we lunched on chun-bing, “Northern China’s version of a burrito,” made by the folks from Junzi Kitchen of New Haven, CT.
After lunch, we gathered in the barn for the multi-media “Pop-Up Food Magazine.” Some of my favorite presenters included Jonathan Gold discussing the treasures of the San Gabriel Valley, Michael Twitty exploring the intersections of the African and Chinese diasporas, Jennifer 8. Lee advocating for a dumpling emoji and sharing the history of General Tso, and Laurie Ochoa in conversation with Anne Mendelson, the 2010 recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship to study the Chinese diaspora in America.
Following the thoughtful presentations, chef and author Kian Lam Kho orchestrated a spectacle of stir-frying, braising, and steaming, offering a Chinese take on the bounty of the Hudson River Valley.
Of course there were dumplings.
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One year ago: Falafel Arax – Los Angeles (East Hollywood)
Two years ago: The Year in Delicious: Top 10 Savories of 2013
Three years ago: The Year in Delicious: Top 10 Sweets of 2012
Four years ago: The Year in Delicious: Top 10 Sweets of 2011
Five years ago: The Year in Delicious: Top 10 Sweets of 2010
Six years ago: Pink’s Hot Dogs – Los Angeles (West Hollywood)
Seven years ago: Islands Fine Burgers & Drinks – Corona
Eight years ago: Ha Noi Restaurant – Westminster
Nine years ago: The Great American Detox Diet – Alex Jamieson