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--> --> Nov. 12: Five years later ... By Jeff Cheek This is a fifth anniversary column. The first "Food & History" was published Nov. 11, 1997. That's five years or 260 columns. It is also a good time to pause and look back, and ask for your input. It started when I called Jeff Keating, then editor of the Ashland "Daily Tidings," for an appointment. I told him I had worked my way through Texas A&M, 1946-50, as a waiter in a posh supper club. My first experience with exotic foods. I started collecting recipes and interesting anecdotes as a hobby. After graduation, I had a combined military/civil service career for the next 40 years. 33 of those years were spent overseas. I added stories from Hawaii, Thailand, Laos, Okinawa, Spain and Japan to my collection. My French born wife, Denise (Mama) has also contributed. I sold Jeff on the idea of a column with a different format: The history of a dish followed by the recipe. The first column was "Hush Puppies And Runaway Slaves." Four other newspapers have since started publishing the column. Over the years, more than 100 readers have sent me letters and e-mails, praising the column. I am proud of these tokens of approval and have kept them. I wrote a Thank You note to all of them and filed their letters. I have received only one hate letter. I burned it without responding. Some readers have asked where I find these stories. I carry a notebook. Any time I find an interesting recipe or story, I jot it down. I research it in the library or write to the source. I wrote to the Belgian Embassy for data on Orval cheese. Mr. de Velp, Commercial Attaché, promptly replied with a warm letter and a hard cover combined travel guide and cookbook. The Dutch Embassy was equally supportive when I asked for information on hutspot, a traditional Dutch dish created to mark the liberation of Lyden in 1573. Several friends have contributed. Dr. Pen Dowdey, MD, has been a friend since 1939. He provided the information for the Cajun Seven Course Crawfish Dinner. Dr. Julian Jones of the University of Maryland sent several Turkish recipes. And Professor Hirayasu Maruya at Kitasato University, Towada, Japan gave several Japanese stories and recipes. Sometimes, one column will generate a second one. I wrote about Napoleon I, who created the sugar beet industry. Later I wrote about Napoleon III, who inspired margarine. Both had only one son, born late in life. I wondered: What happened to their children? This led to a column on the tragic lives of Napoleon II, and Napoleon IV. I also have notes for a future column on Napoleon younger brother, Jerome. The Emperor forced Jerome to abandon his American wife, Elizabeth Patterson, and marry Princess Catherine of Wurttenberg before making him King of Westphalia. Jerome bankrupted Westphalia and faded into history. The American family he had traded for a tarnished crown did much better. His son, Jerome Napoleon Bonaparte, was a successful businessman. His grandson, Charles Joseph Bonaparte, was Attorney General of the United states, 1906-09, under his friend, President Theodore Roosevelt. This review is just a background for a special request. SPECIAL REQUEST I had 27 columns outlined when I met with Jeff Keating. After five years, I now have 62 ideas to research listed in what I call my Blood Bank. But these are stories that I am interested in. I would much prefer to write about dishes and recipes YOU are interested in. Several readers have also suggested that "Food & History" be published as a cookbook. Please give me your thoughts, through this newspaper, on both these questions. And, finally, thanks for reading and supporting "Food & History." Jeff Cheek lives in Medford Editor's note: Those wishing to respond to this column may send emails to minyi.su@ dailytidings.com, or write to: Jeff Cheek C/O Ashland Daily Tidings, ATTN: Community News Editor, P.O. Box 7, Ashland, Ore. 97520 Email your... Technical questions & comments to: WebMaster Daily Tidings editorial comments & questions to: Editor Visit our other Oregon Newspapers... | Albany Democrat-Herald | Ashland Daily Tidings | Corvallis Gazette-Times | | Lebanon Express | Newport News-Times | Springfield News | Cottage Grove Sentinel | Ashland Daily Tidings 1661 Siskiyou Blvd. Ashland, OR 97520 Telephone 541-482-3456 © Copyright 2001 Lee Northwest Publishing