[Magdalen] WTPho?

[Jay Weigel]

​Even in Madison, WI,​ with its plethora of foreign students (in the early
1960s it had the largest Indian student population in the US), there were
only Italian, Chinese, and American restaurants until the mid-1960s when
first Ella's Deli, then Ovens of Brittany, and then the Parthenon opened on
State Street. Now, of course, it's way different, but back then, the only
way you got international cuisine was in someone's home. So I tasted a bit
of Spanish, Basque, and Argentine cuisine while dating a Spanish major who
lived with guys from Spain and Argentina, for instance. My first
introduction to Indian food came from a friend who had served in the Peace
Corps in northern India and learned not only the local cuisine, but how to
mix the spices. My immediate reaction was, "WOW! Where has this been all my
life?!".....and it was only dal! But my late ex didn't have a very
adventurous palate, sad to say. I have maintained mine to this day and am
open to trying just about anything.

On Sat, Apr 9, 2016 at 10:30 AM, Charles Wohlers <
charles.wohlers at verizon.net> wrote:

> I can remember when I was about 11 (1958 or so) my father took a business
> trip to Belgium - transatlantic air travel was still unusual then - and
> brought back a taste for French food. This was before Julia Child. So after
> he returned, he got my mother to cook something very exotic - coq au vin. I
> remember basically tolerating it then. I was a kid, and it was different,
> after all.
>
> No Indian food until I was in grad school (early 70's) and my research
> director took us to the one and only Indian restaurant in Philadelphia.
> He'd gotten his Ph.D. in London (Imperial College) and so had developed a
> taste for Indian cuisine there. I've loved it ever since.
>
> Chad Wohlers
> East Bridgewater, MA USA
> chadwohl at satucket.com
>
>
>
> -----Original Message----- From: Scott Knitter
> Sent: Saturday, April 09, 2016 9:24 AM
> To: Magdalen at herberthouse.org
> Subject: Re: [Magdalen] WTPho?
>
>
> In old photos of downtown Chicago, it looks like the really exotic
> places to eat are "chop suey" restaurants. No Mexican or anything more
> specialized.
>
> On Sat, Apr 9, 2016 at 7:33 AM, Cantor03--- via Magdalen
> <magdalen at herberthouse.org> wrote:
>
>> I'm sure the big cities, especially the immigrant coastal cities,  have
>> always been aware and open to new cuisines, but for much of the
>> USA the commonality of ethic restaurants and the availability of
>> the greater variety of foods in groceries for new recipes is a
>> recent phenomenon.
>>
>
>
>
>
> --
> Scott R. Knitter
> Edgewater, Chicago, Illinois USA
>