What’s a home chef and advocate for zero waste to do when locked down in a pandemic? How about writing a cooking memoir with a focus on leftovers? That’s what New Yorker Jacquelyn A. Ottman did when she hunkered down here with a friend. The result: “Connecting from a Quarantine Kitchen: My Shelter Island Pandemic Story”.
In it, Ottman shares her personal experiences and insight into cooking while sheltering at a friend’s Shelter Island home during the first 60 days of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Looking back, making and enjoying those meals three times each day over the course of our quarantine, anchored both of us during an uncertain time,” Ottman wrote in the book.
Ottman stayed with artist and author Karen Kiaer, a long-time Shelter Island resident, during the early days of the pandemic. Together they documented the meals they prepared during the challenging time between March 17 and May 21.
You can hear all about it when writer and food historian Charity Robey moderates a discussion with Ottman and Kiaer. Hosted by Shelter Island Historical Society, it takes place via Zoom on Monday, December 7 at 6 PM. To register, email archivist@shelterislandhistorical.org.
The Historical Society connection to ‘Quarantine Kitchen’
So why is the Historical Society hosting this online gathering? It was a call by the Historical Society for submission of pandemic stories that prompted Ottman to complete the memoir.
The Historical Society says her story offers a sense of what life was like for residents — particularly home cooks — on the Island during this time. The Society plans a digital exhibit at the History Center based on Ottman’s book along with a recorded interview of Ottman and Kiaer.
“Connecting From A Quarantine Kitchen” is on sale at the Havens Store, open Wednesday to Saturday, 10 AM to 4 PM, or online. The book is also available through amazon.com.
About Jacquelyn Ottman
Ottman grew up in New York City working with her family’s business, Ottman & Company (she wrote a history of the company that’s also available on amazon.com). The firm supplied restaurants with top-quality steaks, chops, and roasts. At an early age, she developed a love for good food and for making meals, and an aversion to waste.
That aversion grew into passionate advocacy for zero waste. Considered a pioneer in the field of green marketing, Ottman is the author of five books on the subject and speaks frequently on the topic to audiences around the world.
She is also the founder of a website devoted to changing consumer attitudes called WeHateToWaste.com.
A pandemic memoir emerges
Ottman was in the early stages of writing a book about leftovers when the pandemic began. Just days before she joined Kiaer in Shelter Island, she’d attended an introductory cooking course at the Institute of Culinary Education in Manhattan.
“So, when I arrived on Shelter Island on March 17, with plenty of time of my hands and happily confined to a nicely outfitted kitchen, I was eager to discover just what it takes to ‘plan ahead’, to cook ‘just enough’, ‘use every scrap’ and safely and deliciously roll what was left from one meal into a new one.”
She heard about the Historical Society’s interest in gathering COVID-19 stories, and her pandemic memoir took shape. In it, between recipes, Ottman reflects on the experience of finding connection, comfort, joy, and creativity in the kitchen.
“Each meal provided an opportunity to connect, share stories, update each other on our respective projects and just enjoy a nice meal together,” Ottman wrote.
“I got lost in the flow of chopping and dicing, assiduously consulting recipes and double-checking my measure,” she wrote. “I looked up frequently to glance at the sun setting over Gardiner’s Bay. My focus shifted from the scary headlines and daily updates to more immediate questions.”
