Cottage Industry & Shopkeeping – This Story Shall Be Taught!

Surviving in Southcoast, MA – FREEDOM.  SECURITY.  PICK ONE.  YOU CAN’T HAVE BOTH!  OR, CAN YOU?  Imagine you’re astride your heavily armored battlesteed.  It’s Friday, October 25, 1415 - Saint Crispin’s Day.  You are preparing your mind for battle.  The place is Agincourt, France and this battle will become one of the most famous in history.  You are a part of the French Cavalry, one of the finest in Europe.  As a heavily armored knight, you and your band of brothers are feared.

The French Cavalry were the Panzerkamfwagens of their day.  The Panzerkamfwagen, also known as, a Tiger tank was feared in its day - World War II.  They were perhaps the mightiest land war machine ever created.  The German Wehrmacht’s mighty war machine featured the incredible firepower of an 88 mm gun.  The Panzerkamfwagen was heavy, powerful and lethal.

Could anyone on that Saint Crispin’s Day in 1415 have imagined that victory would be decided by a product of a country’s cottage industry?  The French soon found out when the sky, the air; the entire space above them was filled with British-made arrows.  It was raining down terror and death.  The arrows, made by children and old men and women of all classes pierced the heavy armor.  There was no defense.  The British archers that launched this agony were so feared for their skill that, when captured, the first two fingers of their bowstring hand were cut off. 

At that time, England’s main cottage industry was making arrows.  Nearly everyone made them.  British soldiers fought the battle but the British people won the war.  The arrows were launched by what was then the English longbow, or Welsh longbow.  It was the Medieval version of a Tomahawk missile.  But no weapon is effective without ammunition or a soldier to use it.  The British archers and their bows and arrows did more than win a battle; they changed how war was waged.  The moral of this story is that many smaller businesses are better than a few large ones.  Depending on large businesses for our economic survival is like putting all of our proverbial eggs in one basket. 

We’ve seen enough proof of that here in the Southcoast.  The empty hulks of our textile factories and industrial might were either burned down, torn down or have been turned into housing. With this economic downturn, more and more skilled, experienced and now displaced workers are going into business for themselves.  Working for oneself offers lots of freedom and little security.  However, our individual notion of, or need for, control is sometimes stronger than the need for security.   

Everything changes.  Technology thins out the workforce.  An economy with lowered demand slows down production.  Consumer habits change.  Things are in and out of fashion.  The cost of doing business is always on the rise.  Most of what affects our jobs or our professions or our working lives is external and not within our control.

Entrepreneurism offers some sense of control to the small business owner; whether shopkeeper or cottage enterprise.  Many of those cottage enterprises evolve into shops, small factories and some grow even larger.  Our elected officials need to start paying attention, real attention, to this economic sector; not just pay lip service.  What the Battle of Agincourt proves is that everyone needs to be involved in the economy – everybody! 

The economy starts at street-level.  Demand is generated by consumers.  Consumers live in houses.  Houses create neighborhoods.  Neighborhoods develop into villages.  Villages grow into or define the character of cities.  Shopkeepers supply the villagers with what they need.  Villages are more sustainable. 

If nearly everything you need is available on a more human scale to you in your neighborhood or village, you have to travel less.  If you travel less; you consume less fuel.  If you consume less fuel; you reduce your carbon footprint.  If you reduce your carbon footprint; the environment is healthier.  If the environment is healthier; the planet’s inhabitants are healthier.  If the planet’s inhabitants are healthier; the cost of health and social services is reduced putting less strain on state and federal services.  If we reduce the cost of health and social services; the economy is healthier.      

None of this sustainability required mobilizing armies or doing business on a grand scale.  None of this required government funding.  None of this needed to be legislated.  None of this needed anything but for “we few, we happy few,”* we shopkeepers and cottage entrepreneurs.  “From this day to the ending of the world... we in it shall be remembered”*

   

*William Shakespeare, King Henry V

Mac ‘n Cheese – I’ve been Bitten!

PROLOGUE: I continue to evolve – hopefully – and explore and pursue my passions; art, food/wine (sustainability) and marketing all in one blog: In Search of a Personal Stability Zone…

NEWEST POST: Why is my first official food-focused blog on Mac ‘n Cheese? I’ve been bitten. I had my first taste of Mac ‘n Cheese at the tender age of 58 and ever since then, it’s rolled around in the recesses of my mind. Why so late? My cultural background never introduced or indoctrinated me to this culinary phenomenon. Yes, I’m a late Mac ‘n Cheese bloomer because of the orange stuff in the blue package that, even though it’s been around since 1937, was not tolerated or allowed in my mother’s kitchen.

No packaged foods in my mom’s pantry! And, even though, later in life, I had the occasion to sample the orange stuff, I could see my mother’s reason for not buying it. It tasted, in my opinion like, well, crap. Same goes for the Ramen Noodles. Now this from a guy who was brought up on traditional Portuguese dishes like Cacoila; a stew of all of the parts of a pig most people, regardless of the current economy, wouldn’t touch, buy or use. These pig parts needed to be stewed because long and slow cooking was required to make the “meat” tender enough to eat.

Residents of this part of southeastern Massachusetts who think they know what Cacoila [ka-soil-uh] is are shocked, when after asking me if I like it, they quickly find out that my memories of it are quite different from their current experiences. You see, this is a dish of the very poor and was traditionally prepared right after the annual slaughter around harvest time. It contains the pig’s heart, lungs, liver, ears, snout, and tail and, I’ll stop there. What is offered today is the same recipe only with a better cut of pork (butt or shoulder). It is now more commonly served as a sandwich in a Portuguese bread roll. It’s been referred to as Portuguese Pulled Pork.

So what does this have to do with Mac ‘n Cheese? To me, the same thing - people who know what real Mac ‘n Cheese is might understand my knowing what real Cacoila is. As the old Motown tune used to go: ain’t nothing like the real thing baby. Well, maybe more so in the case of Mac ‘n Cheese. With all of this in mind, I moved on to looking up a suitable recipe for Mac ‘n Cheese. Something told me not to follow it to the letter but I did. I was right about being wrong! My granddaughter wanted me to make her some so I did (from that recipe) and she said it was okay. She was being wonderfully nice. I loved that kid from the first time I set eyes on her!

My next attempt, using the same recipe, but eliminating one ingredient (egg that’s what set off my radar), received a much better response and the admission that the previous batch was really not as good as she claimed. My next attempt really hit the nail on the head. It’s a keeper and it’ll enter my repertoire. There’s more about my still developing Mac ‘n Cheese adventure and I’ll get into that in a follow-up blog along with the idea of a Mac ‘n Cheese cook-off for charity.

The one thing that my mind couldn’t let go of as I got into all things Mac ‘n Cheese was how is Mac ‘n Cheese connected to African-American culture? And this is where it got interesting for me. Many of my non-Cape Verdean (Black Portuguese-Americans) friends, especially around the New Year, would go on and on about the food served during this time of the year, especially the Black Eye Peas and the Mac ‘n Cheese dishes. I can understand the going on and on part since I’m easily distracted by the thought of food, cooking and eating. Good food, a nice bottle of wine and the Gypsy Kings pretty much rounds out a gastronomic experience for me.

I remember when I was in college in the Seventies; Soul Food was one of the big things. My friends of color invited me to a restaurant to share their culinary tradition, billed as Soul Food, with them. Well, we ordered, had a few beers and had some good table conversation going when someone asked me what I thought of the Soul Food. I said I didn’t know. I hadn’t had any yet. Everyone laughed. What did I think I was eating then? Well, I had Red Beans & Rice, Ham Hocks and Greens. Obviously, I didn’t have the real Mac ‘n Cheese.

At that point, however, I don’t know who was the more shocked; my table companions or me, when I said that this is what I ate at home. But, they said, “You’re not Black. Is your mom?” “No,” I said, “She’s Portuguese.” That moment has been with me ever since. It taught me that we are more connected than not. When it comes to our culinary cultures, the similarities are even more astounding. As a result of that event, I’ve been interested in culinary connections.

But, what does all this have to do with the Mac ‘n Cheese connection to African-American culture? Here’s the quick version. Mac ‘n Cheese has its origins in Thirteenth Century Italy – big surprise! It could also be considered a proto-type for Lasagna. Somehow, one of our founding fathers Thomas Jefferson brought a pasta machine to Virginia from one of his trips to Italy. His daughter Mary Randolph is credited by some food historians with inventing the dish. Makes perfect sense but how did it get on the African-American table and become a part of their culinary heritage? It’s so simple that the simplicity shocked me. I was especially shocked when I realized a sustainable similarity in French-Canadian and African-American “cuisines” because of one simple reason – hard work.

My dad was an authentic Canadian Lumberjack. He went into the woods in 1942 at the age of twelve. The food they served in the lumber camps is not only reflective of French-Canadian cooking as it had evolved from Old World France in New France. Hey, it’s cold up there! French-Canadian food is calorie-intensive! By today’s standards, it makes McDonald’s Supersize Menu seem wimpy. It’s, in short, working folk’s food. It’s cheap, plentiful and available. It’s also loaded with what it takes to keep you working. Working burns off the dreaded calories. End of story. Did I mention that most of these calorie laden dishes are also simple to prepare?

To wrap this up, this is what I’ve learned and have hopefully been successful in relating to you; we are related more through our ability to stave off hunger though hard work and creativity. Every culture has a culinary tradition of sustainability. Whether sustaining our bodies to deal with the harshness of the climate to assist us to endure our labors, we all share more than we imagine. Many of these lowly foods have been elevated to fine dining menu status or, labeled comfort food or have become a part of either our everyday lives or, of the rites, rituals and celebrations of our culture.

In many cases those foods have evolved and today satisfy needs other than their original purpose of fueling our stamina, stretching our budgets or filling our bellies. I’m already thinking of Mac ‘n Cheese variations. Just had some with hot peppers and boy it was a great remedy for my suffering sinuses! One more thing – there are more recipes for Mac ‘n Cheese than there are hairs on a dawg…

A Pipe That’s Not & Hoodwinking with Cheese to Gain Perspective

PROLOGUE: My Business Engineering blog has evolved into something that allows me to explore my cultural background as represented by food and the customs of the family table, my connections to what I am and where I live and sustainability, survival and culture in general. The exercise of concentrating the blog site’s original focus on how to become a better a "Marketing Engineer" has allowed me to focus on my marketing consulting skills. In the course of my postings, I was able to discover and understand what my original Business Engineering concept was really all about.

The hidden benefit of the marketing oriented blogging became a form of self-analysis. And, as such, I’ve discovered that I could pursue my passions of art, food/wine (sustainability) and marketing all in one blog: In Search of a Personal Stability Zone to explore our collective aspirations. Yes, the idea was inspired by Alvin Toffler’s book Future Shock. The blog’s new direction will hopefully allow me to describe directly what I’ve learned so far in life and, the posting topics will indirectly serve me as a launching point for what I’m currently pondering. The latest posting follows…

NEWEST POST: In the movie Kung Fu Panda, the main character, a panda named Po said to his Kung Fu master that the reason he didn’t quit was, “…because every time you threw a brick at my head or said I smelled; it hurt, but it could never hurt more than every day of my life just being me.” Am I suffering a mid-life crisis? No, I don’t think so. So, what’s with the introspection? Maybe it’s that I am older and hopefully a lot wiser. Perhaps Shakespeare said it best in this soliloquy (Macbeth Act 5, scene 5, 19–28)…

To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow,
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day,
To the last syllable of recorded time;
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools
The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!
Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player,
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage,
And then is heard no more. It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.

Why not merge work and play? Why not let our passion(s) be our guide? Why not do what we love? Because there’s usually no money in it! And, we all need an income. But, what if we could make a living doing what we love doing? If we could, would we strutting and fretting our hour upon this stage?

Marketing teaches us the principle of supply and demand. Is there a demand for a blog about someone’s thoughts and experiences in art, food/wine (sustainability) and marketing? As for my art passion, I’ll explore some of the World’s masterpieces and offer my perspectives on it or, what drawing is really all about and what it takes to develop the skills needed to develop as an artist.

Food and wine? I’ve spent a lot of time cooking for a living and for sheer enjoyment. My heritage has given me a solid culinary tradition with the appurtenant rites, rituals and celebrations. And, a tongue-in-cheek exploration of wine, a joke really, turned into something real interesting. Together, food and wine are, to me, the basis on which to delve into a sustainable life; not lifestyle. Of course, marketing is what I do to pay the bills but it is also the thread that connects these pearls.

These passions are what helped shape my life and I hope I have a steady supply of knowledge, experience and information to provide my readers. So, if I may, here’s my first attempt to tie all of these interests and passions into one neat bundle. ART – I’ll begin with Rene Magritte and his painting: Treachery of Images (La Trahison des Images), shown here. It was painted between 1928 and 1929. Magritte (1898-1967) was a Belgian surrealist artist popularly known for his thought-provoking images, which challenged the observers' preconditioned perceptions of reality.

In this painting, an ordinary object teaches us an invaluable lesson. The script under the image of the pipe - ceci n'est pas une pipe – in English it means this is not a pipe. It seems that the visual, a pipe and the text, this is not a pipe are a contradiction. To quote another famous artist, Pablo Picasso: We all know that art is not truth. Art is a lie that makes us realize truth. At least the truth that is given us to understand. This painting then, is not a pipe, it is an image; a painting if you will, of a pipe. I don’t think I could have found a better painting to illustrate my three passions. The Treachery of Images represents all art. It is an illusion. It is one individual’s interpretation of a subject or situation. It is more than it represents.

FOOD - Food and wine are two subjects that can also teach us that, they too are not all that they seem. Take French onion soup for example. It has reached a high status. It’s not considered diner fare. Yet, its origins may be found in abject poverty. Why else then would a culture glorify it? Many of our favorite dishes have their roots in poverty, necessity and sustainability. In this area, which is heavily populated by Portuguese, kale soup is an enigma wrapped in a mystery. It graces the average household and reigns as table d’haute in fine Lusitanian (Portuguese) restaurants. It is a soup that can be placed in a variety of recipe categories. It is the Portuguese equivalent of the Italian minestrone soup. It too is a hodgepodge of whatever is available. It represents an Old World culture of: waste not want not and offers us a valuable lesson is sustainability.

WINE - Wine has taught me much as well and I hope to share what I know and what I’ve learned with you. For example, the old wine merchants had a guideline which went as follows: Buy on apples - Sell on cheese. This adage suggests the true simplicity of wine. After all, according to the ancient Romans - in vino veritas – in wine (there is) truth. Buying on apples is from a marketing perspective, common sense. Apples strip a wine to its basic elements. The wine will either withstand the scrutiny of the (acidic properties) apple or it will not. Only those that pass the test are worth purchasing. As for the flipside of the coin; cheese is fatty. Serving it to enhance a so-so wine and entice a buyer who knows no better is not necessarily considered unethical. It is however, a good lesson in caveat emptor, another gift of the Romans which means – let the buyer beware.

I hope I’m off to a good start with this new blogging perspective as I search for my Personal Stability Zone and I hope inspire and assist you to find yours. In a world in constant flux, a place we can carve out in our heads or in our off-hours with significant value that offers a respite from the everyday is where I want to be. I hope to discover and share how we can all be more conscious of our decisions, reduce the stresses caused by the change and over-stimulation in our lives and occupy our homes and control us at work. We need another place, another environment, a zone of stability that allows us to accept or refuse, embrace or resist or, breakaway or run towards the forgotten ties that bind us. We need a place that offers us enduring relationships regardless of the insanity that assaults us every day, a - Personal Stability Zone. As with Shangri-La, it’s there if you look for it. I think it’s worth a shot to set off in search of it.