What’s new at SoFAB
Weekend Demos are back!
Starting this weekend, we have something in the books almost every weekend, so come by for some exciting food related demonstrations, lectures and crafts. Every demo, as always, is free with admission and completely free to members, so if you haven’t already, remember to renew your memberships!
This weekend’s event is a vinegar demonstration with Liz Williams, which will be extremely cool. The process of making vinegar is truly fascinating, and once you know how, you can make vinegar out of almost any food scraps. So not only are your salads, pickles, and everything else you use vinegar for about to be much tastier, but you’ll be generating less food waste too!
National Culinary Heritage Sign Gallery Update
This distinctively named grocery store first opened in Memphis, Tennessee, on September 6, 1916. Foundd by Clarence Saunders, the store claims to be the first self-serve grocery in America. At the time, customers handed their grocery lists to clerks, who then collected everything behind a counter. With the revolutionary idea of customers walking through and collecting their own items came the hallmarks of today’s groceries - shopping carts, marked prices on every item, refrigerated cases, checkout stands, and much more. Piggly Wiggly now operates more than 600 stores in 17 states.
Thanks to a generous donation, we were able to relight our Piggly Wiggly sign, which has been a beloved part of our Sign Gallery for years.
King Cake Connection
Just a reminder, the King Cake Connection, run by Where Black Nola Eats’ own Jalence Isles will be at the museum every Thursday, Friday and Saturday from now until Mardi Gras! Come by and get all sorts of king cake themed baked goodies and gifts.
How to get involved
Are you sociable, friendly, and love telling stories? Maybe you’d like to be a docent! We host tours at the museum almost every day we’re open, and we are looking for volunteers to be part of our docent family, if this interests you please email liz@southernfood.org
National Culinary Heritage Register Spotlight
The KitchenAid story begins when Herbert Johnson, an engineer at the Hobart Corporation, observed a baker hard at work. Johnson watched the baker mixing his bread by hand, and decided that there must be a better way. He set out to develop an automatic mixer and in 1919, Hobart released the the first design of KitchenAid’s now famous mixer. Today, KitchenAid makes everything from cutlery, to coffee makers, to cooktops. A world of products with a single purpose: to make sure you get the most out of making.
Recipe from the Research Center
From Pirate’s Pantry: Treasured Recipes of Southwest Louisiana, by the Junior League of Lake Charles, Inc.
Pecan Torte
Ingredients
3 cups pecans
6 eggs, separated
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 tbs flour
1 tsp salt
2 tbs Jamaica Rum
Filling
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tbs confectioners sugar
1 tbs Jamaica Rum
Icing
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate bits
1/2 cup sour cream
Directions
Cake: Put pecans in a blender, 1 cup at a time, until finely chopped. Beat egg yolks until very light; then beat in sugar, flour, salt, rum and pecans. Mix well, and fold in egg whites beaten stiff but not dry. Pour into three 8 inch or two 10 inch layer cake pans lined with wax paper and buttered. Bake in 350°F preheated oven about 25 minutes, or until a gentle finger pressure fails to dent. Cool well and remove from pans. A few hours before serving make filling.
Filling: Whip cream with sugar and rum.
Icing: Melt Chocolate bits and fold in sour cream. Spread over top of cake.
SoFAB Pantry Item of the Week
This week’s SoFAB Pantry shout-outs are our MOTAC Martini Glasses. As always, check in at the front desk with the code word “okra” for a 20% discount.
New on the Nitty Grits Podcast Network
Tip of the Tongue
If you want to know even more about what’s going on at SoFAB, subscribe to the Tip of the Tongue, written by Liz Williams, the founder of the Southern Food and Beverage Museum!