Eating Authors: Mike Brotherton

As many of your have likely noticed, here at EATING AUTHORS we’re very big on the tradition of “paying it forward.” This week’s guest, Mike Brotherton, has found a way to do this that is both awesome and inspiring.

By day, Mike is a tenured professor of Astronomy at the Laramie campus of the University of Wyoming. But for one week each summer (since 2007) he has organized Launch Pad, an Astronomy Workshop for writers. I’ve been wanting to apply for years and one thing or another has always prevented me, but I’m setting my sights on 2015 to be my year to sit out under the stars with people who know what the hell they’re talking about, not to mention trips to the Red Buttes Observatory and the Wyoming Infrared Observatory.

This year’s session starts in two weeks, and if you’re one of the lucky folks going, yay for you. If you’re not, then do the next best thing and pick up one of Mike’s books.

MSB: I’ve done a lot of traveling in my time, and have eaten at a number of great restaurants around the world. Some of the memorable ones include the churrascaria’s Porcao and Marius in Rio de Janerio, House of Nanking in San Franciso’s Chinatown, L’Auberge in Sedona, Merriman’s in Maui, Cafe Pesto on Hawaii’s Big Island, Emeril’s Orlando, fabulous duck restaurants in Beijing, a great seafood place in Tianjin, the Salt Lick in Austin, and some fabulous French restaurant whose name escapes me that is actually in the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

Those and others were memorable, but I think I’ll pick as most memorable meal one I enjoyed when first visiting Dumaguete City in the Philippines and meeting my wife Jean’s family. They have a unique cuisine, with exotic items like balut and sizzling squid, and kinds of spices and sour flavors less common, but quite delicious, compared with other parts of the world.

Now, the memorable meal. My wife’s family roasted an entire pig to welcome me, locally called lechon baboy, I believe. One of her uncles got up early to cook it outside (looking something like this:), and later that afternoon an extended group of me and about 20 family members took it and cartons of side dishes to a pavilion on the beach. I got the first bite of the fatty, crispy skin while I drank San Miguel beer looking out to the Pacific. I have to say, when a pig is roasted in your honor, you remember it.

Thanks, Mike. But, you’ve gone and done it. Now everyone is going to want a pig roasted in their honor. Hmm… maybe we can do this at the next SFWA reception.

Next Monday: Another author and another meal!

Tags: Eating Authors

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