Butter

Alexander was born in New York City and moved in early childhood to Washington, DC. Her upbringing reveals a wide range of influences, both geographical and political, with ties to both New York and the American South—or “Up South,” a distinction often given to Washington, DC, a name which indicates a geographic location that sits in proximity to northern states but shares cultural elements common among more southern states.

In “Butter,” Alexander’s speaker takes the reader on a tour of culinary influence in the American menu. The speaker’s childhood experience with food, perhaps autobiographical, covers quite a bit of ground. The “turkey cutlets sauteed in lemon / and butter” (Lines 5-6) suggest the cook knew their way around French technique. The “butter and cheese on green noodles” (Line 6), though easily categorized as a kid-friendly dish, gives a nod to Italian cuisine with its pasta colored with spinach or another leafy ingredient. The “Yorkshire puddings” (Line 8) are unequivocally British. The metaphorical and so-called melting pot of America is right here on the table—a mix of Jeffersonian travels, British colonial history, and decades of immigration.

Alexander’s speaker moves deeper into specific territory with her gravy-less rice and her hominy grits. While “sweet potatoes” (Line 15) are by no means exclusive to the South, they enjoy a stronger tradition there than in the northern US.