Category Archives: Culinary Historians of Chicago

A Toast to Beer

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The Story of America’s Beer Renaissance
Presented by
John Holl

 

Join us as beer maven, John Holl, delves into our foamy past and pours forth a glorious history of craft beer. “It’s been 40 years since the first post-prohibition microbrewery opened in the United States, but craft beer is only now hitting its stride,” says Mr. Holl. “There are now more than 2,300 small breweries opening in the country, and they are producing some of the most flavorful and innovative brews that have ever been created.” Our beer leader will give us a guided tasting through the world of craft beer, with interesting facts, colorful stories, and a look at why beer matters. Continue reading →

Before the Food Network: Recollections by Chef Sanford D’Amato

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Recollections by Chef Sanford D’Amato

It’s hard to believe, but before The Food Network, being a chef in America was often considered to be a last choice when one could just not make it in any other profession. Come join us as Chef Sanford (“Sandy”) D’Amato tells us personal anecdotes and gives readings from his memoir/recipe book “Good Stock” about the state of the American culinary profession in the late 60s and early 70s. Continue reading →

The Life of Pie

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Chicago’s Crusty History
Presented by
Paula Haney, Chef/Owner

We’re going to be rolling in dough as one of Chicago’s most renowned pie mavens gives us a hearty slice of Chicago’s sweet and savory pie history.

But wait, there’s more! Our pie mistress will also delve into the myriad pies of ancient times. She’ll then dish out her perspective on modern American versus British pie, and talk about the decline of pie companies and the rise of her tiny pie shop on West Chicago Avenue. Continue reading →

When Life Hands You Lemons

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When Life Hands You Lemons,  Talk About History!
Presented by
Toby Sonneman
Author Lemon: A Global History

“The ordinary lemon is extraordinary.”–Toby Sonneman

Lemon: A Global History tells the story of the remarkable adventure of the lemon, starting with its fragrant and mysterious ancestor, the citron, adored by the Greeks and Romans for its fine perfume and sacred to many of the world’s great religions. The lemon travelled with Arabs along ancient trade routes, came of age in Sicily and Italy, and sailed to the New World with Columbus. It was an exotic luxury in seventeenth-century Europe and later went on to save the lives of thousands of sailors in the British Royal Navy after being recognized as a cure for scurvy. The last century saw the lemon’s rise to commercial success in a California citrus empire and the discovery of the Meyer lemon by the eccentric plant explorer Frank Meyer. Continue reading →