Worth the Trip
My Indiana Adventure Through Food By Kristin Hess Photos Provided by Kristin Hess “So, what do you do for a living?” It’s a simple question, but my answer seems to be anything but simple. The short answer: I use food as a way to connect with people around Indiana. I suppose I could say “I discuss food and spirituality with a 90-year-old woman whose hands show her love of the land. I chat with a pierogi master named Jesús who is willing to brave 100° heat to make his masterpieces. I sample persimmon pudding with a woman who dreams of bigger things for her community.” The full answer is that I work for Indiana Humanities and travel the state with our Food for Thought program, which was created as a two-year celebration of Indiana food culture. Specifically, I roam across the state with an interactive exhibit about the past, present and future of Indiana food culture. I take the exhibit from town to town, working with the festivals, visitors’ bureaus and libraries that host it to create programs that extend the conversation beyond the exhibit. At Indiana Humanities, we believed from the outset that food could be a catalyst for conversations. And I’ve proved the point, talking with farmers, restaurateurs, foodies and Hoosier families I never would have met any other way. Something else happened, too: Over those plates of local specialties and Hoosier delicacies, I deepened my love for Indiana and the people who live here.
The best part of the Food for Thought adventures? The people. They’ve defined the experience. Here are a few I met:
Jesús and Lynethe: For a respected Polish/Slovak chef, Jesús has an unexpected story: He was born in Mexico and cooked his first pierogies upon his arrival to the U.S. about a decade ago. But Jesús doesn’t simply cook at Lynethe’s Deli & Pierogies, the restaurant he owns with his wife in Whiting. He provides much more than food as he goes above and beyond for his customers. After our conversation, Jesús left to cook pierogies in the 104° heat of the Pierogi Festival in Whiting. Rachel: I stumbled upon Rachel’s beautiful Amish farm one afternoon in Parke County. Ninety-year-old Rachel welcomed me in her home and spent hours telling tales of her
My trip, by the numbers Miles traveled: 2,822 (Would get you to Seattle, or Acapulco, Mexico) Indiana counties traveled through: 33 Amount of coffee consumed: at least 570 ounces Slices of pizza consumed: 27, many from Mother Bear’s Pizza in Bloomington Time spent driving: 43.5 hours Number of songs played in the car: 653 Photos taken: 3,978
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garden, the animals and the role food has played in her life. When I looked at her hands that had worked the land for nearly 90 years, I felt something powerful; Rachel’s hands told a story. She was this tiny little lady with the strongest hands I’d ever seen. We discussed the intersection of food with spirituality, family and life. Now we’re pen pals. Don: Once a race-car mechanic and Indy 500 pit crew member, Don Shepherd is a National Sprint Car Hall of Fame inductee and part of racing royalty. Now out of racing for a quarter century, Don travels to festivals in Indiana and beyond with his wife, Mary, making apple dumplings. People I spoke to at the Whiting Pierogi Fest traveled there just to buy the Shepherds’ creations. Don is an affable guy, and fair-goers can’t help but take part in this chapter of his life.
Jacqui: The youth services librarian at Mitchell Community Public Library, Jacqui facilitated Food for Thought programming for the youth in Mitchell. Over dinner and my first persimmon pudding, she explained her dreams for what Mitchell could be. From forming special bonds with senior citizens to pushing forward technology for the youth, Jacqui’s commitment to community and the role of the library in shaping the future inspires hope.
fall 2011
