Category Archives: Culinary Historians of Chicago

The Story of the African Americans Who Have Fed Our First Family

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Presented by Adrian Miller
Food writer, attorney and certified barbecue judge

It’s a return trip to the Culinary Historians for James Beard award–winning author Adrian Miller, who first spoke to us in 2014 on soul food. Today he’s back to tell us about his just-released second book, The President’s Kitchen Cabinet: The Story of the African Americans Who Have Fed Our First Families, From the Washingtons to the Obamas. Mr. Miller will share the stories of the African Americans who worked in the presidential food service as chefs, personal cooks, butlers, stewards, and servers for every First Family since George and Martha Washington. We will learn how these remarkable men and women were simultaneously marvelous cooks, family confidantes, and civil rights advocates. Continue reading →

What Makes Fat Rice Tick? Culinary Tell-All Behind Logan Square Eatery

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Presented by Abraham Conlon and Adrienne Lo
Partners, Fat Rice restaurant, and Authors, The Adventures of Fat Rice

Fat Rice is one fat success. Ever since this intimate Macanese restaurant opened in Logan Square in 2012, it has been exposing its legions of diners to its delectable Portuguese/Southeast Asian-influenced cuisine. Join us as Fat Rice partners Abraham Conlon and Adrienne Lo discuss the rich culinary history of Macau, and how global Portuguese cuisine has had an international influence on the way the world eats today. Continue reading →

How the Depression Affected Our Culinary Landscape

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Presented by Andrew Coe
Author, Culinary Historian

Come join us for an insightful discussion with the co-author of A Square Meal: A Culinary History of the Great Depression, a book which The New York Times says is an “engaging and often moving cultural history.” Andrew Coe, who wrote the book with his wife, Jane Ziegelman, will explore for us the intersection of food, politics and culture during the Great Depression, a period of seismic shifts in the country’s political and social landscape. Continue reading →

Passion for Persia Showcasing a Dazzling Culinary History

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Presented by Naomi Duguid
Traveler, writer, photographer, cook

Here in the west, though we may know a little about the great Persian empires of times past, we have been cut off from an appreciation of Persian culture by complicated geopolitics. And we’re not familiar with the old deep-rooted connections between the various peoples in Iran and neighboring countries. Continue reading →