Upcoming Programs at a Glance

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Almost all our programs are presented virtually via Zoom on Central Time. We offer live and virtual programs. Please read the full event notices for details because days and times often vary. You are encouraged to join our email list to receive advance notices followed by day-of-meeting reminders with the required Zoom link. You are always welcome to become a member.

Culinary Historians of Chicago:

  • Wednesday, June 25, 2025 @ 7 pm: Foods of the African Diaspora, presented by Rahim Amid and Magic Johnson, Mahari restaurant, Hyde Park (Chicago)

Chicago Foodways Roundtable:

  • Saturday, June 21, 2025 @ 10 am @ First Bank of Highland Park: Archival Methods for Preserving Family Recipes: How to Save and Celebrate Your Food Traditions. We can continue discussion over lunch. Limited seating, so reservations are a must.
  • Saturday, July 12, 2025 road trip to DeKalb, Illinois, 1 PM @ tour of Food: Gathering Around the Table @ DeKalb History Center, 5 PM: Church Supper at Kingston Methodist Church featuring homemade chicken dinner and homemade pie. Please read notice for final schedule and public transportation. Fees involved.
  • Saturday, January 24, 2026 @ 4 pm Delafield, Wisconsin: Raccoon Dinner, Fee involved.

Find Culinary Historians of Chicago and Chicago Foodways Roundtable on Twitter or Facebook.

Greater Midwest Foodways Alliance:
  • Wednesday, August 6, 2025 @ 3 PM Indiana State Fair: Family Heirloom Recipe Contest located in the Indiana Building.
  • Friday, August 8, 2025 @ 10 AM Illinois State Fair: Family Heirloom Recipe Contest located in the
  • Saturday, August 9, 2025 @ 3 PM Missouri State Fair: Family Heirloom Recipe Contest located in the 4H building
  • Sunday, August 31, 2025 @ 1 PM South Dakota State Fair: Family Heirloom Recipe Contest located at the Women’s Building

Find Greater Midwest Foodways on Twitter, Facebook or our website.

Preserving Your Family Recipes

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FREE Workshop: Preserving your Family recipes. When you dip your madeleine in your Proustian tea, make it more than a memory. This workshop, in partnership with Society life member the First Bank of Highland Park, will provide the tools to preserve your family’s culinary history whether the original format is digital, oral or on a file card! Limited seating, please reserve. Continue reading →

Food: Gathering Around the Table + Church Supper

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Join Us on Saturday, July 12, 2025 @ 1 PM

DeKalb County History Center
1730 N Main Street | Sycamore, IL 60178
Saturday, July 13, 2024 at 1 PM Central

Highly recommended:
Church Supper at Kingston United Methodist Church 121 1st St | Kingston, IL 60145
Dinner will feature chicken dinner plus homemade pie! 

Saturday, July 12, 2025 at 5 PM Central Time
Cost: $20 including admission and supper

The food on the American table may not define exactly what we are as a nation, but the traditions surrounding our foods speak volumes about who we are. Rooted in centuries of borrowing and sharing, food traditions are staggeringly diverse and constantly evolving. The intersection of cultures in America is perhaps the most important factor in the mix that is America’s food. Continue reading →

Asian Heritage Chefs in White House History: Cooking to the President’s Taste

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Join us on Wednesday, May 21, 2025 @ 7 PM, via Zoom

Podcast

Come join us to hear about the virtually unknown history of the many Asian heritage chefs who have prepared meals for U.S. presidents extending back more than a century and continuing to the present day. Yet many of their names are largely unknown.

Our speakers, Adrian Miller, a two-time James Beard Award-winning author, and culinary authority Deborah Chang, will present stories from their just-published book, Asian Heritage Chefs in White House History: Cooking  to the President’s Taste. Continue reading →

A Culinary Journey Through India: The Cuisine of Kerala

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Presented by Colleen Taylor Sen

Mintza Restaurant, 2245 West Devon Avenue | Chicago, IL 60659
Get Directions
Wednesday, April 23, 2025 at 6 PM Central Time

This series of dinners curated specially for members of the Culinary Historians of Chicago and Rogers Park West Ridge Historical Society features the cuisines of different regions of India.

At the first dinner we enjoyed the delicious cuisine of Hyderabad. This time we’ll savor the cuisine of Kerala, a small state on the southwest corner of India famous for its beautiful scenery, diverse communities, and delicious cuisine, prepared with aromatic spices (but not hot!) and coconut in various forms. Continue reading →

The Legacy and Impact of the Farm-to-Table Movement in Chicago

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Chef Jason Hammel

Come join us as one of Chicago’s most iconic chefs, Jason Hammel, takes us back to the 1990s, tracing his journey from East Coast outsider to one of the Midwest’s most passionate advocates for hyper-local sourcing. He’ll recount the early days of the farm-to-table movement, the founding of Green City Market, and the rise of restaurants dedicated to local ingredients. Lula Café, his restaurant of 25 years, has grown in parallel step to this movement, and through stories from its early days, he’ll highlight the challenges and resistance that once stood in its way. Continue reading →