Exhibit highlights American food traditions

PALMER — A celebration of food and what’s to eat in the Valley is underway at the Palmer Museum of History and Art, thanks to a “Museums on Main Street” exhibit called “Key Ingredients: America by Food” from the Smithsonian’s Traveling Exhibits program.

The exhibit is on loan in Alaska thanks to funding from the Alaska Humanities Forum. After the exhibit closes in Palmer, it will be packed up and hauled up the highway to Talkeetna where a slate of community activities are planned around it.

Palmer Museum of History and Art executive director Selena Ortega-Chiolero said she’s planned an activity related to the exhibit nearly every week it’s in town. From ice cream making demonstrations to pie eating contests, a recipe swap and a display of historic local cookbooks, she said the exhibit fits perfectly with the story of the Mat-Su Borough.

“It’s almost like it was designed for Palmer,” Ortega-Chiolero said.

The highlight of the might be the Palmer Historical Society’s recipe swap planned July 12 during the Midsummer Garden and Art Faire. Or maybe it’s the potluck lunch and tours of Spring Creek Farm offered from noon to 4 p.m., July 19.

Though the pinnacle of the exhibit might be the old recipes Janet Kincaid will prepare in her actual Colony kitchen in the Colony Inn and will serve from noon to 4 p.m., July 12 during the Garden and Art Faire.

In the Colony era, the building that now houses the Colony Inn was the dormitory where teachers lived and ate their meals, Kincaid said.

Ortega-Chiolero said some of the most interesting conversations she’s heard from people going through the exhibit were parents trying to explain the notion of etiquette to their children.

To help, Kincaid will set up a table in the Colony Inn with formal table service from the Colony era and cookbooks on display from local collections.

Ortega-Chiolero said she worked with Sheri Hamming from the Palmer Historical Society, Kincaid and others to come up with food related fun that would appeal to the whole community.

People are invited to stop by the museum in Palmer and pick up an entry form for the recipe swap, Ortega-Chiolero said. And some people will be invited to prepare their recipe for sampling, she said.

Ortega-Chiolero said they are looking for recipes that use Alaska Grown foods, but not game. She said organizers didn’t want to run the risk of game processed improperly making anyone sick.

Colony House Museum also will be open for folks to learn more about local history, Hamming said.

People can also stop by the Palmer museum with copies of old cookbooks or local recipe compilations to loan to the display. Kincaid said it was interesting to flip back through the older books and see how women’s names were listed — like Mrs. Max Sherrod, Mrs. Don Irwin.

“They went by their married names, even in a cookbook,” Kincaid said.

She said cooking and food has changed a lot in the last few years.

“We’re trying to get young people back enthused about cooking,” she said. “We’re hoping to restore people’s love of cooking and community.”

Kincaid said modern conveniences like frozen dinners and microwaves have taken away some of the pleasure of eating, like the smells of dinner cooking.

“Throw some onions in a skillet and you are instantly starving,” she said.

During the Garden and Art Faire, several food-related classes also will be offered at the Alaska Bible College, including a class on making cheese and another on making sauerkraut.

“My goal with all of this is to let people know how significant this is in Palmer,” Ortega-Chiolero said. “It’s so important for our young people not to lose this tradition.”

For more information, visit keyingredients.org.

Contact Heather A. Resz at 352-2268 or heather.resz@frontiersman.com.

Associated exhibit activities at the Palmer Museum of History and Art 723 S. Valley Way, Palmer.

June 20 — Noon to 4 p.m., Local plant demo with Peggy Hunt

July 5 — 8 p.m., Picnic and movie on the museum lawn

July 12 — 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Midsummer Garden and Art Faire

July 12 — noon to 4 p.m., Recipe swap with Palmer Historical Society

July 19 — noon to 4 p.m., Potluck and tours with Spring Creek Farm