#42: Experiencing Food Cultures

Some experiences that I would not have wanted to miss are too easy to write about. How about this one. In the 1990’s I saw a University of Calgary Continuing Education Class that was experiential: five classes, 4 nights in a different restaurant, and Calgary’s CBC radio food critic would give lectures about the cuisine of that area between courses.

I don’t know if that is exactly how the course was advertized. I am close. The cost of the course was waived because I was a UofC employee. There was an added cost of $30 per evening, to be paid directly to the restauranteur plus extra for beverages.

I asked Kelvin if he wanted to take this course with me. He said he had no interest. I was fine with that though we usually did things together. I was signing up. I already had it in my mind that I would be planning a trip around the world, pretending I was out for a meal in a different country every Wednesday night.

In a few days Kelvin had changed his mind and said he would try the course. He was tentative. I was all in.

I wasn’t far off being right, that this course would sit in for my hopes to travel.

John choose restaurants that he thought would reflect cuisines in different areas of the world: an opening lecture at the university and then an ancient European meal; an ancient Asian meal, a meal to represent a culture coming up to the middle of the 16th century, and a restaurant representing the Americas – he chose a South American restaurant.

If taking this class once was good, I thought twice would be better. I signed up for John’s sequels: a class called Hot Foods of the Worlds. Then came Contemporary Bistros and Coffee Shops. Soon there was a set of 5 lessons just on the Food of the Americas.

Soon John was running an alumni club. Once a year he would take us all to another grand restaurant he had found. One year the event was during Chinese New Year. This was the first time I had ever had a 13 course meal. I did not know how to pace myself even though I had attended many of his classes which shoould have been good preparation for this.

Here is what i especially enjoyed about those lessons – and I can still feel that joy swelling up when I write about them.  That is the same pleasure I felt on the night of the classes.

My Favourite Cheap Eats:  Calgary Banff and Beyond

First, the classes were a wonderful way to relax. Strangers at a table, all meeting in the evening to leave behind the cares of the day and gather to hear about and taste new foods.

Second, I may have learned as much from the participants as I did from John’s lectures. Everyone who came to the class already had a nascent interest in eating and many anecdotal stories that involved food. Conversation around the table was brilliant.

Third, my goal of eating my way around the world was achieved. I can’t hardly think of a food culture that I didn’t visit, via an ethnic restaurant that I could find in my home town. Later in life, when travel opportunities opened up for me, I didn’t feel compelled to taste food along with all of the other adventures I was having in a day. And if I did, I knew what to expect.

Fourth, John figured out where he wanted to take us, what he wanted to teach us , and the cooks agreed sometimes to let us into their kitchens, and if not, were always amenable to coming out and speaking with us. He and they organized menus far beyond any expectations I would have had.

The only critique people could give John was that they were so full from one Wednesday to the next, that they might have liked a week off, occasionally.

 Oh yes, when he was running a course in the week of December, some people were asking him, why this month when we are already so full. But that didn’t deter people from signing up – a full class even in the time of holiday feasting.

My interest in food has never abatted.

Arta