Food of the New York Times: The Depressing Food of the Depression

Full article is here on the newspaper's site.

Here's an interesting combination of themes: history and food. As you study this article, be prepared to address these topics in class:

1. In a few sentences, what is this article about?
2. Who is the audience for this article?
3. How is this article organized? What are the major subpoints?
4. Do you think you would enjoy reading these food historians' book? Why or why not?
5. Are you aware of any similar experiences in Russian history? What foods might be associated with these experiences?

Which of these words or phrases are unfamiliar to you?

square meal
ascending (to the presidency)
gourmand
solidarity (with)
tenement
no-frills
the crash (or the Crash)
medley
the land of plenty
fraught (a fraught subject)
mystery dishes, mystery food
mashup
home-ec
glop
tidbits
savory
let-me-eat-cake ("Let them eat cake")
sophisticate (noun)
got back on its feet
snazzy
can-do