Flying for Food: The Butcher Block Edition

Matt Moore's grandfather Abraham Samuel Dennis was in his early twenties while stationed at Kessler Field in Biloxi, Mississippi, serving as a mess sergeant in the United States Army Air Corps. As the fall season brought about a welcome drop in sticky Southern temperatures, so too came rumors which would soon deploy his unit to a base little known to most Americans. Trace Moore's culinary roots by flying a Piper Cherokee in search of good butchers and food stories.

Matt Moore

Friday, November 10, 2023 at 04:59 PM ET

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In flight snacks are critical to keep the pilot working well. [Andrea Behrends]

Key Takeaways:

The author, Matt Moore, is writing a new cookbook, "Butcher on the Block," which explores his family's immigrant history and their legacy in the butchering trade, stemming from his grandfather's post-WWII grocery store.
For the book, Moore travels extensively in his Piper Cherokee plane, visiting butchers across the U.S. and abroad to gather unique stories, techniques, and recipes, such as the Rihm family's County Fair Pork Burger.
This culinary journey connects Moore to his heritage and the global trade of butchering, highlighting the people and passion behind the food that nourishes communities.

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As my mother was told, in the fall of 1941, my grandfather Abraham Samuel Dennis was in his early twenties while stationed at Kessler Field in Biloxi, Mississippi, serving as a mess sergeant in the United States Army Air Corps. As the fall season brought about a welcome drop in sticky Southern temperatures, so too came rumors which would soon deploy my grandfather’s unit to a base little known to most Americans.

Its name was Pearl Harbor.