Presented by B. Marcus L. Cederström
Folklorist
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Why do we eat the things we eat? And how do those things change due to migration? Continue reading
Category Archives: Chicago Foodways Roundtable
Thoughts on the Origins of Pizzerias in America and Chicago
Presented by Peter Regas
PizzaHistoryBook.com
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In the past, the historical consensus was the first licensed pizzeria in America was opened in 1905 at 53 Spring St. in New York City by a young Italian immigrant named Gennaro Lombardi. However, in 2019 at the U.S. Pizza Museum in Chicago, Peter Regas challenged that consensus with a talk titled “Filippo Milone and the Forgotten Pizza Makers of New York City.” Continue reading
How Trader Joe’s Changed the Way America Eats
Presented by Susie Wyshak
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Discover Trader Joe’s key role in introducing fun and unusual foods into the American diet decades ago, when the company was already encouraging the non-health food store shopper to try “better for you” versions of already-popular foods. Wyshak compares items featured in a 1982 flyer to how we eat now to show TJ’s importance in creating a nation of adventurous food lovers. Continue reading
Sweet Greeks: First-Generation Immigrant Confectioners in the Heartland
Presented by Ann Flesor Beck
Author and Candy Maker
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Gus Flesor came to the United States from Greece in 1901. His journey led him to Tuscola, Illinois, where he learned the confectioner’s trade and opened a business that still stands on Main Street. Sweet Greeks sets the story of Gus Flesor’s life as an immigrant in a small town within the larger history of Greek migration to the Midwest. Continue reading
No Ketchup! Why Dennis Foley Ate 50 Hot Dogs in 50 Days
Presented by Dennis Foley
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“The basic Chicago dog has its own ingredients,” said Dennis Foley about the “Magnificent Seven” of mustard, onions, relish, tomatoes, pickle (or cucumber), sport peppers and celery salt that should top a dog with snap in a steamed bun. Continue reading