Program and exhibit tour by
Eileen A. Ielmini, Assistant University Archivist, and
Catherine Uecker, Rare Books Librarian,
Special Collections Research Center
In the pioneering culinary era of the mid-twentieth century, Chicago chef Alma Lach was one of the primary figures who transformed traditional American cooking. As a chef, cookbook author, and food consultant, Alma was widely known for her bestselling book, Cooking à la Cordon Bleu(1970), later revised and published by the University of Chicago Press as Hows and Whys of French Cooking (1974). A graduate of the Cordon Bleu school in Paris (Grand Diplôme, 1956), she was also a member of the Chevalier du Tastevin and Les Dames d’Escoffier. She authored cookbooks for children, co-hosted a cooking show on public television, developed menus for travel and corporate clients, and invented kitchen tools such as the Curly Dog Cutting Board.
Lach also collected more than 3,000 cookbooks reflecting her broad range of interests in food preparation and dining, from classic French and Chinese cuisine to cookbooks popularizing the foods of American ethnic groups and recipe books produced by churches and volunteer groups. This exhibition will explore Alma Lach’s wide-ranging culinary career and display selections from her fascinating collection of cookbooks.
Hours: Mondays through Fridays, 9 a.m. – 4:45 p.m., and, when University of Chicago classes are in session, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 9 a.m. – 5:45 p.m. Exhibit open until January 6, 2017.
Eileen Ielmini is Assistant University Archivist and head of the archives and manuscripts unit. She has been with SCRC for 18 years and is responsible primarily for collection development and donor relations. She holds a B.A. in History with minors in Historical Archaeology and Anthropology and an M.A. in Information Science.
Catherine Uecker, Rare Books Librarian, has been responsible for collection management and development of SCRC’s rare book collections for over 15 years. She holds a B.A. in History, a M.A. in Museum Studies, and a M.S. in Library and Information Science.
Friday, October 21, 2016 at 1:30 PM
Special Collections Research Center Exhibition Gallery
Regenstein Library
1100 East 57th Street, Chicago, IL
Street Parking OR Campus North Parking Lot building. It sits at 5505 South Ellis Avenue at the corner of 55th Street and Ellis Avenue
Cost: $3. (which will be donated to the collection)
Free to University of Chicago students and faculty with ID.
This program is hosted by the Chicago Foodways Roundtable. To reserve, please call (847) 432-8255, then leave your name, telephone number and how many people in your party or e-mail: chicago.foodways.roundtable@gmail.com