From the first shot fired at Fort Sumter on April 12, 1861, to the last shot fired at Appomattox, food played a crucial role in the Civil War. The North mobilized its agricultural resources; the South did not. As a result, the North fed its civilians and military, and still had massive amounts of food to export toEurope, while the South starved, morale tanked, and desertions increased. The Confederacy collapsed because it couldn’t feed its armies.

            Andrew F. Smith, is the author or editor of twenty-six books, including his latest  Sugar: A Global History (Reaktion, April 2015). Mr. Smith was also the editor of  The Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in America. He has written more than five hundred articles in academic journals, popular magazines and newspapers, and has served as a consultant to several television series, including the recent six-episode series, “Eat: The Story of Food,” that aired on the National Geographic Channel in the fall of 2014. For more about him, visit his website: www.andrewfsmith.com

Recorded live at the Highland Park Library on June 20, 2015.

Writing a book about a dinner
about a book about dinner

Presented by Christopher ‘Bull’ Garlington, writer, humorist

Podcast

The Treasury of Great Recipes was Vincent Price’s labor of love to bring haute cuisine to the masses. The Treasury was published in 1965, when local author, Bull Garlington, was learning how to walk in Birmingham, AL. His pop, a union plumber, bought the book thinking he’d cook everything in it. 50 years later, Garlington is about to make good on his father’s promise with a blog, a book, and a secret underground luxury dinner. Continue reading →

Podcast

Vincent Clarence Price was born in Troy, New York on December 11, 1832.  He moved to Waukegan, Il around 1860.  He promoted the use of baking powder and joined with a local banker to manufacture and distribute it.  The company sold many products in addition to baking powder.  After selling off the business Dr. Price opened the Price Flavoring Extract Co. again with a wide range of food products.  He also began the Price Cereal Food Co and Pan Confection Co.  Dr. Price died on July 12, 1914. Continue reading →

Presented by Jennifer McLagan

*A departure from our regular program format, Culinary Historians will host Food Patriots at 10:00 AM and Bitter will follow at Noon. At approximately 11:30, we will serve a light lunch of soup and bread for those attending in the afternoon. We will start Bitter at approximately noon. Please reserve to allow for enough food and perhaps offer to bring some soup! Continue reading →