By Barbara Anderson

WALKING THE WOK

Many an esoteric collection can be found on the UC Davis campus—insects, exotic plants, fine wine, for instance. Then there are the cookbooks: hundreds—make that thousands—of cookbooks that are housed in Shields Library. And of the many cuisines represented there, it’s Chinese that’s taking up most of the space at the table. The library’s Department of Special Collections is home to the second-largest assemblage of Chinese cookbooks in the country—808 volumes in all.

Even though Chinese cooking has been served up in California since Chinese miners worked the Gold Rush, it took more than a century for the rest of the country to catch on to the delights of dim sum and the ecstasy of egg foo yung. Richard Nixon’s trip to China in 1973 helped open the way for tea as well as trade, and the Chinese cookery craze was on.

The library’s large collection results from gifts from two avid collectors, Gardner Pond and Peter Hertzmann. Pond—who recommended to Hertzmann that he also give his books to UC Davis—chose the campus as the recipient of his collection because, he says, he remembered that one of his favorite cookbook authors is a UC Davis alum who got his M.S. in food science: Yan Can Cook’s Martin Yan ’77.

BAND-UH GUERRILLAS

A Cal Aggie Marching Band-uh alumna and her husband living in suburban Atlanta had occasion this past summer to let a few of their neighbors know just why that fine group of musicians is known as The Pride of The Regents. Gwen (Kopping) Aumann, mellophone ’87, and her “civilian” husband, Mark, were enjoying a Labor Day–afternoon barbecue in their backyard when a neighbor down the hill chose to crank up his stereo. Gwen and Mark’s retaliatory weapon of choice? Barn Party, the Cal Aggie Marching Band-uh’s CD compilation, played at a similar volume. Apparently it didn’t take long for the other guy to shut down his music, but, as Mark reports, “since I felt that everyone should enjoy the bold, blue and bitchin’ sound of the Sons of California, I played the entire CD.”

(For the enlightenment of those of you who don’t yet own a copy of this soon-to-go-platinum CD, available on the Band-uh’s Web site at camb.ucdavis.edu/camb/cd_1998.html, here’s some of what the neighbor heard for 70 minutes on that Labor Day afternoon: “Roll, Big CA, Roll,” “Classical Gas,” “China Grove,” “White Rabbit” and, of course, “Aggie Fight.”

M.C. Escher, call your office . . .

Though it may appear that some of Escher’s drawings got mixed in with the architect’s plans, rest assured a new dining commons and dormitory will eventually take these stairways to somewhere besides heaven. The project, being built in the former home of parking lot 23, will feed and house 382 students and is scheduled to be completed by Sept. 1, 2003.

A BACKWARD GLANCE

A look at what was happening on campus some 25 years ago, as recounted in January 1978 issues of The California Aggie:

Ad for Dave and Eddie’s restaurant: “Prime rib dinners: $4.95.”

“Governor Brown has been served a subpoena to testify in the Davis 18 trial, which begins today in the Davis Municipal Court. . . . The Davis 18, a group of demonstrators protesting UC investments in South Africa, were arrested for trespassing following a five and one-half hour sit-in on May 26 at the office of UCD Chancellor James Meyer. . . .”

Ad for Larry Blake’s: “People’s Night, Tuesday, 60 cent drinks; free pretzels.”