CONTEMPORARY ITEMS
The pandemic began a worldwide lockdown that closed business, restaurants, and schools, altering everything we had come to know. Each student was asked to contribute an object that represented a combination of the foodways theme and their pandemic experience. Many around the world and in our course found solace through food, whether it was discovering new recipes, getting takeout from local businesses or trying to make food themselves. These contributions formed the Contemporary Foodways Items section that was then divided into two categories Family + Home and Community Interactions.
Objects in the Family + Home section focus on the lives of families during the pandemic. Family became the new community when the rest of the world was inaccessible. What do these items tell us about how family and home life changed during the pandemic?
Objects in Community Interactions section are centered on the social interactions or lack thereof with our communities during the pandemic. How have the events of the past year changed how we socialize?
FAMILY + HOME
APRON
During the pandemic many young adults faced economic struggles such as unemployment. Forcing them to move back to their family homes, like Ian Marsh who was gifted this apron in December 2020. A passionate home cook he frequently spent time throughout the year in the kitchen.
Because of the pandemic my family, which includes my parents, my brother, and myself, found ourselves all living together under the same roof for the first time in years. For my brother and I, spending time in the kitchen together cooking and baking became a way to reconnect and spend quality time together doing something we really enjoyed throughout the early portion of the lockdown.
Marybeth Marsh
LOAF PAN
Loaf pans first appeared in the United States around the time of the Industrial Revolution. These pans were designed for cooking when stoves became the new form for baking, rather than fireplaces. During the 1800s, loaf pans became commercially made objects and would go on to adopt the name 'bread tin' or 'loaf tin'. This naming convention can be attributed to tin being the original metal, rather than today’s aluminum.
I received this pan as a gift in 2017 from my grandmother, who taught me the beginnings of baking. I, like many others, wanted to learn how to bake. With the surplus of ingredients in our home this pan produced more than cakes. The products that came from it represent the social bonds formed during quarantine between the recipients of these cakes, whether family or friends, that would never before have been connected.
Danielle Pfannes
RICE COOKER
The cast-iron rice pot, created by Le Creuset, is one of the companies newest pots released in the last couple of years. Designed with curved inner walls and an extra steam lid, this pot was created with the intent of making perfect rice every time. Coming in a range of colors, this pot fits into any kitchen as it’s aesthetically pleasing as well as useful for steaming any grains or vegetables.
In May of 2020, I was graduating from college as an undergrad and received the rice pot as a graduation gift from my parents. The pot had been something I had been looking at so my parents decided to surprise me with the pot as a gift. It has quickly become one of my most used kitchen accessories and has served to be a reliable piece of cookware during an unreliable time in my life due to the pandemic.
Mary Rooney
AIR FRYER
Thought to be part of a cultural fad, the air fryer has outlived its expiration date. Introduced as a healthier option to frying foods. The air fryer has been endorsed by celebrity chefs like: Emeril and Gordon Ramsay, eventually landing on Oprah’s Favorite Things List in 2016. The history of the may seem new and exciting especially with its growing popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic, but it stems from a long line of convection ovens.
The air fryer has become a staple in my house. It gives me the convenience of creating meals that would take additional time to create with my regular convection oven. Time management is very important especially being a student, having a full time job and having more responsibilities, so having the ability to cook meals quickly is very appreciated.
Tiana Pete
instaferm yeast
In March 2020, during the first few weeks of shutdowns across the United States, nothing better represented the cultural anxiety about the COVID-19 pandemic than the nation-wide shortages in yeast, flour, toilet paper, and hand sanitizer. This package of “Instaferm” yeast was one of many sold by local bakeries while grocery store shelves were emptied out.
In early 2020, as people panicked at shutdowns and skyrocketing COVID cases, yeast was among many common foods to experience national shortages. For me, trying to find yeast in the early days of the pandemic was a huge part of the anxiety that came with experiencing an event of that scale. It also was part of my experience of disconnect and isolation with the rest of the world. Without yeast, I could not make challah, and I felt more estranged from my family and jewish community than ever.
Ayla Schwartz
NO-KNEAD BREAD RECIPE
From the roll up your sleeves and do-it-yourself attitude, the redefining of women’s work in and out of the home, to the ubiquitous culture of convenience, the rise in popularity of the No-Knead Bread recipe emulates a blend of traditional and contemporary American values. It’s also reflective of an uptick in households across the country baking bread at home during the COVID-19 pandemic that left flour and yeast in scarce supply in early 2020.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, I had never baked bread before. Not wanting to go to the store or bakery to buy bread with fears of catching coronavirus, it seemed the right time to try and make it from scratch. Unlike other bread recipes that required kneading, the No-Knead Bread recipe was relatively easy and consistently turned out well.
Jennifer Junkermeier-Khan
recipe for stollen
Stollen is a traditional German bread, thought to have originated in Dresden in the 1400s & now baked during the Christmas holiday season. This recipe was one included in the “Favorite Foods” cookbook which was sold as part of a church fundraiser in mid-Michigan in the early 1970s. Cookbooks can show one a little bit about how people live and are a glimpse into other cultures. This stollen recipe is representative of German culture, but bread is cross-cultural as is the idea of creating community through food.
In the early 1970s, Richard and Judy Schultz, Julia’s grandparents, were looking for the tastiest and most authentic stollen recipe, ultimately choosing the one from “Favorite Foods.” Baking stollen has been a tradition in the Schultz family, which Judy carried on even through a global pandemic in 2020. This recipe was chosen for the exhibition because it represents the continuation of tradition as a means of connection and comfort especially through times of crisis. Not to mention, baking bread became a trend in 2020, making this recipe of stollen a fitting contribution to “Foodways: Continuity and Change.”
Julia Sager
"SHUT UP AND play ME THE HITS": DIGITAL COOKBOOK
The title of this cookbook is based on the playlist “Shut Up and Play Me the Hits”, which most of my family’s favorite songs. These recipes are some of the dinner-time “hits” of my family. Created at the beginning of the pandemic with my father its purpose was to preserve my father’s recipes. Includes recipes for lamb curry, naan, stir fry, and pesto.
I chose this item because to me it shows how formats can change over time, but human behavior often remains the same. The urge to preserve food, memory, and comfort; especially during times of uncertainty. A global pandemic provided the impetus and the opportunity to create this cookbook.
Izzy Wikle
COMMUNITY INTERACTIOns
DOORDASH DELIVERY BAG
This item is a red Doordash insulated bag that can be attached to a person's back or put on a car seat that will keep the customer’s food warm while the worker travels to the customer. The bag fits the foodways theme as it is an important item used by online delivery services such as Doordash which had a massive increase in use over the course of the covid 19 pandemic.
I chose this item for the exhibition because over the summer of 2020 I worked as a delivery driver for Doordash and witnessed first hand the change in how an increasing number of people choose to get their food delivered to them as opposed to driving out and getting their food themselves. As this was a major change in how we as a society consumed food, I thought an object related to these services was a good choice for the exhibition.
Tyler Erb
WINE BOTTLE
This 1.5 L bottle of Pink Moscato used to hold a sweet, crisp blend of rosé often described with notes of peach, melon, and passionfruit. A bottle of Sutter Home makes for a cheap and flavorful alternative to more traditional wines, as it sells for under fifteen dollars. During the Covid-19 Global Pandemic, the stress and isolation led many families to bond around alcohol, and the bottle represents a form of connection for those six feet away.
For me, this bottle of Sutter Home Pink Moscato was consumed on my 21st birthday, a quite unusual celebration due to the pandemic. Although I wasn’t able to have traditional festivities surrounding this rite of passage, I was still able to drink alcohol. A shared experience in this Pandemic has been having virtual celebrations and gatherings where participants can still have a form of connection through drinking alcohol.
Sonata Davis
TO-GO WARE BAMBOO UTENSIL SET
The Patagonia Utensil Set is sold as an alternative to single-use plastics, representing the trend toward more environmentally conscious behaviors on the side of consumers and producers. Despite this increased awareness, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, demand for single-use plastics grew to accommodate new safety standards and changed lifestyles. This utensil set served as an alternative to the plastic forks and spoons that accompanied the takeout meal.
Whether I was eating carry-out from a local restaurant or a grab-and-go dinner from the university cafeteria, the majority of my meals during COVID-19 times were eaten with this set of utensils. I had purchased the set early in the pandemic, as I realized take-out meals, with their single-use utensils, had become “the new normal”. Through using this set, I was able to follow the “reduce, reuse, recycle” mantra, which represents conscious consumption values I was taught in my childhood.
Adrian Skazalski
THE STATION MENU
This pandemic has touched the lives of everybody, not least of all the lives of food industry workers. In 2020, more than 110,000 eating and drinking establishments in the US have shut down. This drink menu tells the story of one small business that, like many others, struggles to keep its doors open and staff employed through state-mandated closures and safety measures.
I chose this menu because the restaurant it belonged to has very close ties to my family. It is where my parents met three decades ago, where I ate family dinners, and where I worked my first job. This restaurant has employed my family throughout my entire life, the hardships the restaurant faced during the pandemic were at home. Looking at this menu reminds me of the fun times spent dining out before COVID, I can only hope that those times will be back soon.
Abigail Rhoades
PASTY FROM THE U.P.
Pasties are well-known in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan because of Dutch influence, as immigrants brought this recipe to the region. This particular pasty was made with beef and potatoes served with a side of gravy, however, there are many different versions available throughout the Upper Peninsula. To some this is simply a tasty treat, to others it represents a culture, to another it could represent a childhood memory. What does it mean to you?
I got this pasty in Paradise, Michigan. Traveling is a large part of my life and trying new things on my travels is part of the enjoyment. The food was amazing, and the owner who was also the server, cashier and chef was the sweetest lady and only added to the experience. This pasty represents a light in dark times. As a global pandemic raged, I was able to create a lifelong memory.
Dale Mize
SUGAR COOKIES
Homemade Christmas sugar cookies made by mother and daughter, Jennifer and Emma Stubbs, from a family recipe embodies the importance of family time and traditions in American society. Covid-19 heightened the value of bonding with loved ones. The intricately decorated cookies show the time and thought put into this process, and the cookies are a physical representation of the meaningful memories created.
I chose this item to share my personal story that can also be universal and relatable to many others. The cookies have a social and cultural significance by embodying the importance of family time and traditions in our country, as well as being religiously significant through the ties to Christmas. Other larger societal ties include consumerism in our country, especially around Christmas, that commercialize traditions and holiday celebrations. The decorating of the cookies have artistic significance that reflect a mixture of contemporary and traditional design.
Emma Stubbs
tetráptico tamalero
Four i-Type film instant color photographs measuring a total of 3.108 × 3.024 inches each. Instant color photographs focus on tamales as traditional foods turned capitalistic mode of production. In order of appearance: photograph number one: “hoja” features a corn husk; photograph number two: “ma-mános” features two hands; photograph number three: “va-por-era” features a close-up of a steel tamal steamer; photograph number four: “hojas” features corn husks with a plastic wrapping.
Since the surge of COVID-19 cases began in March 2020, the demand for frozen food products significantly increased along with the need for essential workers to produce said items. Tamales are among one of many purchased frozen food products due to their longer shelf life. Tamal production in food manufacturing factories begs us to ask questions about the ethics behind our food consumption and the transformation of traditions turned capital product.
Stephany Bravo