Sadly, he and I by no means crossed paths—it wasn’t till years later that I abandoned astronomy for gastronomy, and solely final 12 months that I learned about Haagen-Smit’s curiosity in food. When it got here time to butcher animals, households joined with their neighbors to share the workload and the meat. Pork was the staple meat in the Southeast till the Forties.

France hasn’t always been eager on garlic, mushrooms, and truffles. Before the fifteenth century, seasonings and decorations were used to disguise food that had spoiled. France had what many right now consider peasant food; it was easy …