Presented by Paula Marcoux
Archaeologist, Food Historian and Author
Long before the charcoal grill was invented, humans have been cooking with fire — for hundreds of thousands of years. Countless bygone cultures have manipulated fire and food to create desirable flavors and textures. This ancient process — people messing around with ingredients and combustion — is at the foundation of virtually every culinary tradition worldwide. Continue reading
Presented by Viktorija Todorovska
Food and Wine Writer, Author, Educator
Sardinia, the isolated and majestic island off the southwest coast of Italy, has a rich and ancient history as home to different Mediterranean peoples whose customs have intertwined over the centuries. The result is an unparalleled richness of cuisine that surprises even those familiar with the cuisines of other Italian regions. From myrtle, saffron, and honey to lamb, seafood, and specialty cheeses, Sardinian food features a broad variety of flavors for any occasion. Many traditional Sardinian recipes are simple and straightforward — reflecting the peasant cuisine heavy on legumes, fresh vegetables, olive oil, and bread. However, it is common for Sardinians to celebrate holidays with lavish feasts and special delicacies: suckling pig, lobster, bottarga (Sardinian caviar), and the full-bodied home-made Sardinian sausages. Continue reading
Chicago’s spicy Breakfast Queen has a savory history!
Presented by
Ina Pinkney
Restaurateur, Author: Taste Memories– Recipes for Life and Breakfast
When asked to give an appeteaser of what she will share with the Culinary Historians, Ina Pinkney demurely bats her eyes: “Hmmmm… I will tell the story of how I went from Brooklyn to Breakfast… my childhood polio… coming to Chicago without knowing a soul… baking my first cake at 37 and finding my way for 33 years… I’ll talk about what it means to be me now… post restaurant and what the future might hold.” Continue reading
How Latin American Street Food Catapulted into a Mainstay
Presented by Sandra A. Gutierrez
Cookbook Author, Food Writer, and Culinary Instructor
Learn how the dishes found in the streets of Latin America showcase the historical evolution of an entire culinary culture. According to Sandra A. Gutierrez, street food has been a constant in the culinary landscape of the Americas since Ancient times. By the time the Europeans conquered the New World in the 1500’s, outdoor markets and food stalls were commonplace. Historians documented finding tortillas, tamales, and atoles (hot drinks) sold in the streets of Mesoamerica. Continue reading
Culinary History in an Atlantic Context ‘from the Bottom Up’
Presented by
Anthony Buccini
In this talk we focus initially on two iconic regional dishes from the American South, jambalaya and Hopping John (and its Haitian and Louisianan cousins congri), which are related directly only through their inclusion of rice as a core ingredient and the etymologies of their names, and use them as exemplars of instances of the importation of culinary aesthetics from the ‘Old World’ by poor whites and enslaved blacks. In addition to offering new etymologies for these dishes’ names which are based on both sound linguistic arguments and thorough analysis of the relevant culinary history, we also examine the development of these dishes in their broader Atlantic socio-historical context. Continue reading