2005 Chautauqua
September 24, 9:30-8:30pm

"FOOD FOR THOUGHT AND THOUGHTS ABOUT FOOD"

AMERICA’S GASTRONOMIC GRAIL

John T. Edge - Director of the Southern Foodways Alliance, University of Mississippi

CELEBRATE AMERICA'S DIVERSE CULTURES BY LOOKING AT THE FOODS THAT WE HOLD DEAR, THE FOODS THAT CONJURE HOME AND HEART

John T. Edge, Director of the Southern Foodways Alliance at the University of Mississippi, will open the 2005 Waxahachie Chautauqua Assembly on September 24th. Mr. Edge is a frequent contributor to Gourmet and is a columnist for the Oxford American. His work has been featured in the 2001, 2002 and 2003 editions of the Best Food Writing compilation. He dedicates his time to studying, celebrating, promoting and preserving the diverse food cultures of America. He was recently interviewed on the CBS "Good Morning" show and National Public Radio.

Author of many books, his most recent works, Fried Chicken: An American Story and Apple Pie: An American Story were recently published by Putnam Publishing Group. Mr. Edge traveled across the country for one year seeking stories and recipes of the best fried chicken and apple pie. He writes about food as culture and food as artifact.  Mr. Edge says "These books are intended to be portraits of America by way of our iconic foods. They are about people; they are about place. They are about the foods that we hold dear, the foods that conjure home and the foods that conjure heart." (The Daily Mississippian, October 22, 2004) 

Other books by Mr. Edge include the James Beard Award-nominated cookbook, A Gracious Plenty: Recipes and Recollections from the American South and Southern Belly, a mosaic-like portrait of Southern food told through profiles of people and places. He is general editor of the book series Cornbread Nation: The Best of Southern Food Writing.

In 2003 Mr. Edge was named "One of Twenty Southerners to Watch" by the Financial Times of London. This award recognizes those whose achievements will have a greater impact in the future, both on the national and international stage.  Mr. Edge holds a Masters degree in Southern Studies from the University of Mississippi. The Southern Foodways Alliance is an affiliated institute of the Center for the Study of Southern Culture at the University of Mississippi. He was a finalist for 2004 MFK Fisher Distinguished Writing Award given by the James Beard Foundation.  (Website www.johntedge.com)

LAST CHANCE FOREVER: BIRDS OF PREY

Kelley and John Karger, Last Chance Forever Bird of Prey Conservancy, San Antonio

WITNESS THE POWERFUL BEAUTY OF DYNAMIC RAPTORS AS THEY SOAR THROUGH GETZENDANER PARK! JOIN THESE BIRD REHABILITATORS, USING THE ANCIENT ART OF FALCONRY TO DEMONSTRATE THE FLIGHT OF HAWKS, OWLS, FALCONS, EAGLES AND OTHER BIRDS OF PREY.

The Waxahachie Chautauqua Assembly on September 24th will give a rare chance to get up close and personal with raptors. John Karger, master falconer and executive director of Last Chance Forever, the Bird of Prey Conservancy will direct this exciting program. Mr. Karger and Kelly Raynor will present a free-flight demonstration by some of their birds. They skillfully introduce their audiences to wild bird identification, the role these birds play in the environment and human's role in conserving our natural environment. Using the ancient art of falconry, in which Mr. Karger started his apprenticeship at age 9, he shows the natural behaviors of hawks, owls, falcons, eagles and other birds of prey. Looking a hawk in the eye is awesome, but feeling the breeze from a falcon's wing is, according to an Indian legend, a blessing from the gods.

Located in San Antonio, Last Chance Forever specializes in rehabilitating birds of prey and returning them to the wild. In fact, they are able to release about 80% of the birds they receive back to their natural environment. Mr. Karger and his programs are nationally known. Some folks around Waxahachie may recognize him by another name and his alter-identity - the King's Royal Falconer. Last Chance Forever's shows are a popular feature of the Scarborough Faire Renaissance Festival here in Waxahachie.

KITCHEN CHEMISTRY

Dr. DIANA MASON and the Mean Green Demo Team, University of North Texas, Denton

DISCOVER AMAZING CHEMICAL REACTIONS RIGHT IN YOUR OWN KITCHEN THROUGH DEMONSTRATION BY THIS RESPECTED SCIENCE EDUCATOR.

Dr. Diana Mason, chemistry professor at University of North Texas, will bring her Chemistry Department's Mean Green Demo Team back to Chautauqua for the second year to perform kitchen science demonstrations. Having taught high school chemistry and math for 10 years before going back to school for her doctorate, Dr. Mason retains a strong interest in chemistry education. She and her Demo Team travel around the state - and sometimes the country - to give science presentations for a wide variety of student and adult audiences.

CHAUTAUQUA CHORALE
Directed by Brandon Keaton and Linda Robins, Southwest Assembly of God University

The 2006 Chautauqua Chorale will be made of two choirs from Southwest Assembly of God University, the Southwestern Chorale and the Harvester Choir. Chorale directors will be Brandon Keaton, founding director of the Southwestern Choir and instructor and coordinator of Vocal Studies at SAGU, and Linda Robins, director of the Harvester Choir and Chair of the Department of Music at SAGU.

LISTENING TO THE STILL SMALL VOICE: THE STORY OF GEORGE WASHINGTON CARVER

PAXTON WILLIAMS: Playwright, actor, Chicago, Illinois

AN INSPIRING STORY ABOUT A MAN BORN INTO SLAVERY WHO BECAME KNOWN AS THE "WIZARD OF TUSKEGEE." THERE IS MORE TO DR. CARVER THAN 300 USES FOR THE PEANUT!

Actor/playwright Paxton J. Williams will give life to this scientist, educator and humanitarian on the stage of the Chautauqua Auditorium on September 24th. Mr. Williams will take the audience on a journey from Civil-war era Missouri, to Carver's laboratory, to the halls of Congress to witness the trials and ultimate triumph of the "Wizard of Tuskegee" in his production titled, "Listening to the Still Small Voice." Mr. Williams writes that in this play the audience will see the story of a humble, spirited man who did the best he could to serve humanity and that there really is more to Dr. Carver than the 300+ uses for the peanut!

Paxton Williams himself follows Dr. Carver's philosophy that "service measures success." He has been very active in numerous community service activities and has received several awards and appointments. Mr. Williams, like Dr. Carver, is a graduate of Iowa State University, as well as earning a Master's degree in Public Policy from the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan. During the 2003/2004 academic year Mr. Williams studied at the University of Birmingham in England as Rotary Foundation Ambassadorial Scholar. Most recently he was selected as a 2005 Chautauqua Scholar by the Missouri Humanities Council and will portray Dr. Carver at various venues throughout Missouri during the summer.

"IF MUSIC BE THE FOOD..."

Larry Palmer: Professor and Head of Organ and Harpsichord Department, Southern Methodist University, Dallas

Camille King, Soprano

MUSIC FROM HENRY PURCELL'S BAROQUE PERIOD TO THE 20TH CENTURY THAT HAVE BEEN INFLUENCED BY FOOD. DR. PALMER WILL BRING A SOLOIST AND ONE OF HIS ELEGANT HARPSICHORDS

"If music be the food of love,
Sing on till I am fill'd with joy."

The first line of this song comes from Shakespeare's Twelfth Night and the music was written by Henry Purcell in 1692. Larry Palmer, Professor and Head of Organ and Harpsichord at Southern Methodist University and University Organist, will bring one of his elegant harpsichords and a soloist to the Chautauqua stage on September 24th There they will present this song and other music and songs about food in the Chautauqua program entitled, of course, "If Music Be the Food of Love".

Educated at Oberlin College Conservatory and the Eastman School of Music, Dr. Palmer is internationally known as performer, scholar, and teacher. He has written more than 100 articles and is the harpsichord contributing editor for The Diapason (Chicago). One of the books he has written, Harpsichord in America - a 20th Century Revival (1989/1983), is cited as an indispensable reference work. His discography includes two solo recordings for the Musical Heritage Society and five compact discs for Encore Performance/Limited Editions Recordings. He has also organized and taught in fifteen summer harpsichord and organ workshops.

During the recent seasons Dr. Palmer has appeared as organ and harpsichord soloist with SMU's Meadow Symphony and I Palpiti Ensemble and as soloist with the Dallas Symphony; played solo recitals in Baton Rouge, Coppell, and at the University of Oklahoma; and has been seen nationally in the PBS television documentary "Landowska: Uncommon Visionary." Know for his stylish performances of baroque music, he is also committed to contemporary works. More than 40 new scores for harpsichord, organ and choir have been written for him.

Camille King has a successful and varied career that encompasses opera, oratorio, chamber music and recital. She studied voice with such distinguished teachers and singers as Leopold Simoneau at the San Francisco Conservatory and Judith Raskin at the Manhattan School of Music. Her career in opera has included leading roles in productions with Rome Opera, Innsbruck Opera, Minnesota Opera, San Francisco Opera, Central City Opera, Chautauqua Opera and Colorado Opera Festival.

Miss King is also in demand as soloist with orchestra, in oratorio performances and in chamber music throughout the Southwest. She has appeared as a featured soloist with the Los Angeles Master Chorale, the Pacific Chorale, the Los Angeles Mozart Orchestra, the Virginia Symphony, the Santa Barbara Symphony, the New West Symphony, the San Diego Chamber Orchestra, Musica Angelica and Mladi.

FOOD AND BANQUETS IN HOMER'S ODYSSEY

Dr. Susanne Kimball: Professor for Interdisciplinary Studies, University of Texas at San Antonio

HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED HOW WE TEXANS ARE SIMILAR TO THE ANCIENT GREEKS? MANY OF OUR TRADITIONS, E.G. BBQ, CAN BE TRACED BACK TO THE ANCIENTS IN THIS LOOK AT FOOD IN HOMER'S ODYSSEY.

What can the ritualistic hunting and killing of the "beast" and roasting of the most prime piece of meat in Homer's famous work mean for us now? Dr. Susanne Kimball, professor for Interdisciplinary Studies at the University of Texas at San Antonio, will tell Chautauquans her discovery of the ways many Texas food traditions are similar to those of the ancient Greeks. Her fresh look at the role of food in Homer's Odyssey can help us to better understand our own traditions as she looks at the rituals of dining, entertaining and storytelling in Homer's works.

Dr. Kimball, who earned her Ph.D. at the University of California at San Diego, is committed to teaching the literature and arts of the world as the fabric which connects diverse and seemingly disparate cultures throughout the ages.

Dr. Kimball believes that art and literature give us clues to understanding various cultures, including our own. She sees that literature is only relevant inasmuch as we can see the commonality of the human spirit, and is never so serious that you can't have a good laugh. She is currently collaborating with about seventeen of her colleagues from a variety of departments on a text for a creative, research-writing course on diverse ways of thinking and examining the world.

THE SLOW FOOD MOVEMENT - PLEASURE REDISCOVERED

Michael Cox: Moderator, General Manager, Central Market, Plano

A LIVELY PANEL DISCUSSION OF THE INTERNATIONAL SLOW FOOD MOVEMENT, RECLAIMING THE DINNER TABLE AND EATING REGIONALLY AND SEASONALLY

Central Market will join up with the Dallas Slow Food Convivium to present a panel discussion on the Slow Food Movement on September 24th, moderated by Michael Cox, General Manager of Central Market-Plano. The panel members will include:

• Deborah Rogers, award winning Cheese Maker from Deborah’s Farmstead Cheeses, Fort Worth, TX
• Robert Hutchins, Rancher/Farmer, Rehoboth Ranch, Greenville, TX.
• Rachel Gaffney, Cookie Maker, Rachel Gaffney’s Authentic Irish Goods, Dallas, TX.
• David Brawley, Artisan Baker and Consultant, Dallas, TX.

The Slow Food Movement is spreading fast! Founded in Italy1986, it was a response to the fast food culture expanding throughout the world. It advocates the preservation of native varieties of fruits and vegetables, as well as promotion of local and traditional cuisine and the passing down of culinary and farming knowledge They believe that food is a window to culture, and preserving and sharing culinary heritage is about preserving our own unique cultures. Their goals include reviving the kitchen and the table as the centers of pleasure, culture, and community, and supporting regional and seasonal culinary traditions, and living a slower and more harmonious rhythm of life. The official symbol of Slow Food is the snail.

The Slow Food Movement now boasts over 80,000 members in over 100 countries. The American version, Slow Food USA, has active groups in most major cities, including Dallas, Houston, and Austin. Members join small chapters called convivia (Latin for feast) that gather locally to celebrate and preserve regional food and culture Slow Food Dallas was launched as an educational non-profit organization in the fall of 2003. It attributes its growth to people’s hunger for community, for good food, and for a slower paced life.

Slow Food Dallas members include a variety of chefs, restaurant and grocery store owners, farmers and growers, cheese makers, wine makers, cooking and food educators, and food writers, as well as many others who are attracted to the idea of slow food. Their events include potlucks, local producer food and wine tastings, talks with artisan producers and growers, and festivities in honor of seasonal harvests.

Sources: Slowfood.com      SlowfoodDallas.org

COOKING DEMONSTRATION

Jamie Samford, Executive Chef of Central Market-Dallas

Central Market is one of the country’s pre-eminent food stores. It is a small but visible part of the much larger organization of parent company H.E. B., which operates 300 supermarkets, including the Waxahachie store. Central Market began in Austin in 1994 where the Howard E. Butt family opened the original store, with the idea of creating an enjoyable shopping experience through providing high quality products, great varieties of fresh food and employees knowledgeable and enthusiastic about good food. Each 75,000-square-foot market carries 700 varieties of fresh produce, 80 varieties of saltwater and freshwater fish, 60 types of homemade sausages, 600 varieties of cheese and 13,000 specialty foods. Central Market stores are now located in San Antonio, Houston, Fort Worth, Plano, and Dallas.

Central Market is one of the country’s pre-eminent food stores. It is a small but visible part of the much larger organization of parent company H.E. B., which operates 300 supermarkets, including the Waxahachie store. Central Market began in Austin in 1994 where the Howard E. Butt family opened the original store, with the idea of creating an enjoyable shopping experience through providing high quality products, great varieties of fresh food and employees knowledgeable and enthusiastic about good food. Each 75,000-square-foot market carries 700 varieties of fresh produce, 80 varieties of saltwater and freshwater fish, 60 types of homemade sausages, 600 varieties of cheese and 13,000 specialty foods. Central Market stores are now located in San Antonio, Houston, Fort Worth, Plano, and Dallas.

Michael Cox, General Manager of Central Market in Plano, was previously manager of Dallas’ famous Routh Street Café and co-owner of the highly acclaimed Star Canyon with Chef Stephan Pyles. He is also one of the leaders of Slow Food Dallas.

HISTORY OF CHOCOLATE: PATHWAY TO THE GODS

Meredith L. Dreis, Research Fellow, Texas Archaeological Research Laboratory, University of Texas Austin and owner of ArcheoProductions.

Sharon Edgar Greenhill, Vice-Chair of the Austin Historic Landmark Commission, author of "Historic Austin", and museum design and preservation consultant.

TAKE A JOURNEY FROM THE LAND OF THE ANCIENT MAYANS TO MODERN TIMES TO LEARN THE FASCINATING STORY OF CHOCOLATE.

Chocolate was the drink that Aztec emperor Moctezuma offered Spanish explorer Cortés and his army in 1519 in what is now Mexico City. This was an honor for Cortes because the Aztecs normally reserved this exotic frothy beverage made from the cacao bean for their nobility and warriors. And so began the Western World's love affair with chocolate.

Bringing to Chautauqua the story of chocolate from ancient to modern times will be will be Meredith Dreiss and Sharon Edgar Greenhill, who earlier this year debuted their documentary film: "Chocolate: Pathway to the Gods", which traces our 3,000 year-old passion for chocolate. They are also writing a book a book that explores the sacred realm of cacao and chocolate in Mesoamerica.

Ms. Dreiss is a Research Fellow at the Texas Archaeological Research Laboratory at UT, with specialization in Mayan archeology. She also owns ArcheoProductions which develops and produces anthropology related educational and entertainment products. Ms. Greenhill, former Director of Planning for Laguna Gloria Art Museum's building project, Vice-Chair of the Austin Historic Landmark Commission and author of Historic Austin, consults on museum design and preservation projects. Sharon Greenhill also tells us that she is a regular attendee and admirer of the Chautauqua at Boulder, Colorado!

FROM THE MOUNTAIN TOP: AMERICAN OLD-TIME MUSIC FROM THE OZARKS - AND PIE SOCIAL

"Harmony", Dave Smith, Robert and Mary Gillihan, Fox, Arkansas

BEFORE BLUEGRASS AND BEFORE COUNTRY/WESTERN, THERE WAS THE MUSIC OF THE AMERICAN PIONEERS. HEAR THE OLD TIME MUSIC OF GOSPEL, FOLK SONGS AND FIDDLE TUNES FROM THE MOUNTAINS.

It takes an amount of pluck to call your group "Harmony," but this fine trio from Stone County, Arkansas lives up to its name. Mary and Robert Gillihan have been a musical mainstay around the Ozark Folk Center for about 30 years, singing and playing the repertoire of the Ozarks, the old ballads, the popular parlor pieces and gospel songs, all with great integrity, powerful delivery and a sense of fun. Their knowledge of old stories and dances broaden the context of their music. Although they have developed a distinctive duet style they have accommodated themselves in various groups over the years, and their longtime friend Dave Smith has dropped in from his Bear Pen Farm to join in one or more of those groups. A fine singer and solo performer in his own right, Dave adds a wider variety of instruments to the group, fiddle, banjo and button accordion, to Mary's stalwart Autoharp playing and Robert's rhythm guitar. Various other Ozark oddities and a string bass round out the band sound, but it's the songs, their singing and their way of drawing you in to their music that you will remember most. Harmony has appeared at events and concerts across Arkansas and in several other states. In 1997, they performed at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, as part of a series of musical salutes to the states. A year later, they were first runner-ups in their division on Minnesota Public Radio's A Prairie Home Companion national contest.

Pie Social begins at 6:30 at the Chautauqua Auditorium. Have a delicious piece of fresh-baked pie donated by local eateries and bakeries. All proceeds benefit Waxahachie CARE food bank.

DOCTOR BLUEFIELD'S ATTOYAC VALLEY MEDICINE SHOW

Attoyac Valley String Band, Nacogdoches, Texas

The Attoyac Valley Medicine Show is a troupe of East Texas musicians and entertainers that will hopefully defy your preconceived notions of modern day entertainment. By all appearance and details, the group hails from the first quarter of the last century .Using a 1928 Model A huckster wagon and a totally vintage appearance, the Attoyac Valley Medicine Show includes comedy and buck dancing, along with unique old time string band music. The music is a mixture of original and traditional tunes which are focused on the "lost culture" of earlier times in East Texas. This "medicine show approach to music" is designed to transport the audience to those earlier times. In the great tradition of the old time medicine shows, their audience is first lured in by the rustic bantering ditties of the Attoyac Valley String Band, and then is turned over to the skillfull gab of the learned and renowned pontificator, Professor Zebulon J. Whiloughby (AKA Rattlesnake Jack). As Jack peddles his magic elixir, his spiel is designed to dispense a cure-all dose of laughter combined with an unusual twist of living history.

The current medicine being peddled is Dr. Bluefield's Indian Herbal Nomomaladaise, which is actually a delicious edible mayhaw syrup. This is an act that can be fun for the whole family. The show has been featured in Texas Highways magazine, and has performed numerous other festivals and historical gatherings throughout the region.