An amazing thing happened when my wife Ally and I were visiting our son when he was a military cadet at North Georgia College and State University. North Georgia is one of six Senior Military Colleges in the USA.
We met some people that were veterans who also had children who were cadets. After an introduction, which included barbecue and cookbook information, from our son to some of these wonderful people a conversation took place about some of the best chow, and worst chow, these vet’s had enjoyed while serving in the military.
Please note: I use enjoyed as a blanket term.
They spoke of great food, horrible food, carrier food, food from cans, fresh lobster, steaks, more chicken than can be imagined and pigs roasted over open fires using helicopter fuel as a starter.
As a culinary guy, I was hooked.
So, that’s the basis for my new book. The Meals of War – Feeding the Great to the Grunts in World War Two. It come out this July (2011) and will be available nationwide via many bookstores and of course at the normal online sources.
The Meals of War covers everything from memories of veterans that served in WWII to victory gardens and a historical look at the massive changes in food production in the United States. Sometimes “Rosie” carried a shovel and drove a plow! The same advancements in changing toaster factories into plants turning out tanks and planes took place in the world of food.
Everything changed during World War Two. The Meals of War, while it has plenty of humor filled stories from WWII veterans about chow, is also a culinary history book that opens the can on military cooking.
And that’s a C-ration can that was opened by the way!
Here is some info about the book.
Kent Whitaker Cooks 