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Also this issue: World Warp Artsbeat Critical Mass Traveling Wares Red Dot Lure of the West The Magic Fire |
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December 19-25, 2002
artpicks
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Have you ever wondered why the slimy black eggs from an ugly prehistoric fish went from pig food to the ultimate symbol of wealth and prestige? Philadelphia Inquirer reporter Inga Saffron did after spending four years as the Inky's Moscow correspondent. In her new book, Caviar: The Strange History and Uncertain Future of the World's Most Coveted Delicacy, Saffron chronicles the sturgeon roe's rise from an undistinguished peasant food to a coveted delicacy found only in the upper echelon of society. The book also explores how the collapse of the Soviet Union and the sudden accessibility of caviar to a growing middle class led to the rise of poaching and the decline of the sturgeon population. Saffron -- a self-described lover of caviar -- writes with a passion that is nearly as strong as, well, the unique taste of caviar. Saffron will be bringing that excitement to the Penn Bookstore this week to read from and sign her book. Saffron takes the consumption of sturgeon eggs to an almost spiritual level, writing, "Caviar is not just about the taste. Those glistening black globules are a culinary Rorschach that unleashes our deeply held notions about wealth, luxury and life." Pretty heady stuff, but that's natural for a meal that was formerly only fit for a king.
Thu., Dec. 19, 12:30 p.m., free, Penn Bookstore, 3601 Walnut St., 215-898-7595.
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