Category Archives: Culinary Historians of Chicago

The Art and Soul of French Pastry

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Podcast

Program summary:

· The philosophy of French baking
· How to approach a pastry recipe
· The Do’s and Don’ts of baking

After a lifetime in pastry, internationally acclaimed pastry chef Jacquy Pfeiffer has a wealth of knowledge, advice, and tricks of the trade to help students of pastry learn to master these recipes. Chef Pfeiffer recently recorded many of these in his multi-award-winning book, The Art of French Pastry, co-authored with Martha Rose Shulman. Listen to stories from his life and career that he relates through witty anecdotes and find out more about the philosophy of baking that is the foundation of French pastry. He will offer several do’s and don’ts for baking to help anyone succeed in the kitchen. Continue reading →

Cooking with Fire — from cavemen to contemporary cooks

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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 →

Midwestern Newspaper Food Editors: Ruth Ellen Church, Clarice Rowlands & Peggy Daum

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Presented by
Kimberly Wilmot Voss, PhD
American Midwest Foodways Scholar’s Grant recipient, 2013

This talk is the story of three significant Midwestern food editors from the 1950s and 1960s. Ruth Ellen Church joined the Chicago Tribune as cooking editor in 1936 and oversaw one of the first test kitchens at a newspaper. She published many cookbooks—several under the pen name of Mary Meade. She remained the food editor until 1974 and became the nation’s first newspaper wine editor in 1962. Clarice Rowlands joined the Milwaukee Journal as food editor in 1943 based on an interest she developed as a member of the 4-H Club in high school. She occasionally wrote under the pen name Alice Richards. Peggy Daum began working in the women’s pages in the 1950s and was the food editor at the Milwaukee Journal from 1968 to 1988. She initiated the creation of what is now known as the Association of Food Journalists and was its first president. These women documented what home cooks were making and what was served in fine restaurants. They judged cooking contests and oversaw recipe exchange programs. They also had a lot of fun. Continue reading →

There’s more to Sardinia Than Sardines! The story of the island, its food and its people

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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 →

The Ina Monologue

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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 →