Presented by Gary Fine, PhD
Please read notice carefully for this Monday evening event at the
Niles Historical and Cultural Center
Drawing on the observations of three years spent in the company of dedicated amateur mushroomers and professional mycologists. Gary Alan Fine explores the ways in which Americans attempt to give meaning to the natural world, while providing an eye-opening look inside the cultures they construct around its study and appreciation. Continue reading
Presented by Jean Iversen, Author
The neighborhoods that make up Chicago’s rich cultural landscape are often defined by the restaurants anchoring them. Food writer Jean Iversen delved into this idea more deeply, capturing the histories of eight Chicago restaurants (Won Kow, Tufano’s Vernon Park Tap, Nuevo Leon, The Parthenon, Borinquen, Red Apple Buffet, Hema’s Kitchen, and Noon O Kabab) and the neighborhoods they helped shape (Chinatown, Little Italy, Pilsen, Greektown, Humboldt Park, Avondale, Little India, and Albany Park). Continue reading
Presented by Carolyn Nadeau, PhD
Drawing from concrete data on the recipes and their primary and secondary ingredients in Montiño’s 1611 court cookbook, Arte de cocina, pastelería, vizcochería y conservería [The art of cooking, pie making, pastry making and preserving], this essay examines concepts of taste as presented in this culinary artifact. Data analysis of close to 5,000 individual references to ingredients allows today’s scholars and gastronomes to gain access to what was being prepared in the royal kitchens and to establish for the first time the culinary scaffolding for what was eaten at court in early seventeenth-century Spain. Continue reading
Presented by Kantha Shelke, PhD, Author, Food Scientist
New Year, New Meeting Locations!
Bethany Retirement Community
Pasta and noodles are so ubiquitous and popular that many nations around the world claim them as their own invention. In fact, their origins are as murky as ever, a destination that Kantha Shelke sets out for in this fascinating history. Journeying across five continents and through distant lands, she takes us on a delicious culinary adventure in order to learn more about one of the world’s most popular—and satisfying—foods. Continue reading
Michael Gebert, Editor
The world of Chicago food media is rapidly changing. Michael Gebert is a Chicago based writer who has found new opportunities to tell stories of Chicago’s rich culture. He’ll talk about the changing media landscape, how to find opportunities to share your voice within it, and the role of lists and guidebooks, from Michelin to his own, in helping people discover what their local food scene is about. Continue reading