[Sca-cooks] pre-Columbian foods

[Christine Seelye-King]

As a preliminary to our usual talk of Thanksgiving fare, I thought I'd float
this one.  A lady in our household is hosting a pot-luck dinner next Friday
night, and the theme is Pre-Columbian Foods (no insects or arachnids,
please).  We are thinking foods that were here when the Westerners got to
land.  She hasn't specified a continent, although we have done South America
as it's own dinner theme a few years ago.  So, I suppose it could be either
what the Spaniards found when they arrived in more southern climes, or what
the Pilgrims were introduced to when they landed on the northern shores.
I did a websearch on 'pre-Columbian food'expecting to find lots of trendy
restaurants sauteeing grasshoppers, but got a big fat nothing.  I did nab a
lunch and dinner menu from a poster from the Food and Feasts list, which has
a boat-load of really great sounding dishes listed out for ideas.  We've
also been talking about a buffalo roast, as Ted Turner has opened his
"Montana Grille" right across the street from where my lord works, and is
also supplying buffalo to the local Farmer's Market now.  (I know, that is
really a prarie food and not something the folks just landing in coastal
areas would have had, but Uncle Ted provides, so we take advantage of
that...)
	Any thoughts?
	Christianna