When an architect friend learned in 1995 that Cynthia and I would
be moving to Baltimore to join the faculty of the Bloomberg School of Public
Health, he said, “Be sure to meet Sid Mintz.” Our friend had spent two weeks on
a food and wine tour of Tuscany with Sid and could not have been more
enthusiastic about the wit, wisdom, and warmth of the man we have all known and
loved. Within the year I had met Sid and had persuaded him to join the advisory
board of the Center for a Livable Future (CLF), which was established in 1996.
Sid become a trusted advisor on all things related to the food system, a valued
colleague, and a delightful contributor to meetings of the advisory board,
smaller brain-storming sessions, and one-on-one consultations. As the CLF grew and
developed a research budget, we were able to support Sid to develop a project
on soy and a book on the subject. Ever the consummate anthropologist of food,
Sid expanded our understanding of the cultural significance of soy and how that
understanding might help us approach the challenges of food security and
sustainable agriculture. I am grateful to have known Sid and will cherish
memories of his nurture of students, colleagues, and friends; his marvelous
sense of humor; his gentle humility; and, of course, his ability to bring zest
to the dinner table.
