How Chicago Became a National Food Shrine: A Master Chef Dishes on Our Delicious History

Presented by Chef Carrie Nahabedian

By Scott Warner, President, Culinary Historians of Chicago:
It’s not too often that a James Beard Award-winning chef stops me on the street and says she’d like to speak to the Culinary Historians of Chicago. But that’s what happened when I was walking near Carrie Nahabedian’s acclaimed River North eatery Naha; the famed chef and I spotted each other and stopped to chat. Carrie, who had delivered a poignant talk to our group years before on her Armenian food background, told me she had another subject that she was passionate about: Chicago’s restaurant history. She said she’d been collecting books and articles on the subject for years, and wanted to share her story. What a tasty offer! We gladly booked her. Please join us as Carrie presents a cornucopia of Chicago food tidbits covering

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Laminations Be Praised! How the Croissant Came to Be, and Other Crusty Tales

Presented by Sandra Holl, Chef/Partner, Floriole, Chicago

Although the French are known for croissants, they did not invent this globally appealing culinary pleasure. Come join us as one of Chicago’s most celebrated bakers, Sandra Holl, traces the origins of the croissant and other “laminated” pastries and touches on some of the colorful, although not necessarily true, origin stories. Continue reading

“Sustainable” – A Documentary, What’s Ahead for Agriculture?

Presented by Matt Wechsler
Filmmaker, Food Activist

Join us for a discussion and screening of the award-winning documentary, “Sustainable.” Local filmmaker and food activist Matt Wechsler will show highlights from his film. He’ll cover the economic and environmental instability of America’s food system, from the agricultural issues we face — soil loss, water depletion, climate change, pesticide use — to the community of leaders who are determined to fix it. Continue reading

Whoever Said the English Can’t Cook? Cookbooks from 1300 to 1700 Prove Otherwise!

Presented by Sarah Peters Kernan, PhD

The early centuries of cookbook production in England were filled with a dazzling variety of manuscript and printed texts. “Cookeries” from 1300 to 1700 ranged from basic, undecorated texts to lavishly illustrated cookbooks. In her extensive research, Sarah Peters Kernan, PhD, has examined numerous manuscripts and printed cookeries in libraries across the United States and Europe. Continue reading