Editor's Letter: Issue 25, Winter 2018
There’s a stillness I enjoy as winter descends on Idaho. Traffic noise dies down as people take time off. Twinkling lights brighten up the long, dark nights. But for many years I was a grouch (or would that be grinch?) during this time. Maybe it was the rampant consumerism or my failure to layer adequately against the cold.
As I matured, my view changed. I began to look forward to the season, especially celebrations that bring together families, friends and communities for holiday food and drink. There's nothing better than gathering around a table laden with roast turkey, prime rib, ham, mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans... you get the picture.
In my house, these meals were usually accompanied by kimchi and other Korean side dishes (banchan) like seasoned spinach. I’ve been lucky to enjoy other holiday meals that have included dressing (don’t dare call it stuffing in the South) with giblets and spicy Italian sausage, stuffed cabbage rolls and potica, a Balkan dessert filled with honey and walnuts.
In this issue of Edible Idaho, we explore several holiday and food traditions. Carissa Wolf finds out that making and eating tamales during the holidays is a must for Idaho families from Latin America, and that these treats can be essential to supplementing incomes year-round. Carrie Scozzaro chronicles how members of the Coeur d’Alene tribe are returning to and keeping alive native food traditions to promote health and sustainability. Kevin Huelsmann reviews a book that celebrates the “radical” act of using local food and “exotic” ingredients to create what is now long accepted and celebrated in restaurants. And in a review of Chef Edward Lee’s Buttermilk Graffiti, we contemplate what “American cuisine” really means.
We also discover via Lettie Stratton that local farmers don’t call it quits during the winter. The cycle of life doesn’t shut down for the cold either as Casey O’Leary waxes philosophical about radish seeds, and Harrison Berry documents Idaho eateries that convert food waste to compost.
We also get to celebrate the Wood River Valley HarvestFest in Managing Editor Guy Hand’s photo essay, accompany Kurt Orzeck as he finds out more about Neckar Coffee and appreciate the artistry of Salmon River Brewing’s metalwork as detailed by Drew Dodson.
And stories by Lex Nelson and Mina Ashkannejhad highlight the sharing and giving that exists year-round, not just during the holidays. Lex profiles Boise eatery owners who help other vendors start food pop-ups, while Mina finds a Moscow food truck where online visitors can view the action live and tip employees or pay for customers’ meals.
As the cold sets in and the year comes to a close, things don’t slow down in the local food movement in Idaho, nor does it for Edible Idaho. Thanks and happy winter!
Scott Ki | Editor
