Category Archives: Chicago Foodways Roundtable

Recipes for Domesticity: Cookery, Household Management, and the Notion of Expertise

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Program and exhibit tour by
Julia Gardner, Exhibit Curator
and Head Reader Services, Special Collections Research Center

Special Collections Research Center Exhibition Gallery
Regenstein Library
1100 East 57th Street, Chicago, IL

How does one roast a fawn or properly set a dinner table for twelve? For centuries, people have been documenting and decoding the vast array of knowledge associated with domestic life, assembling cooking and household guides to assist with the tasks of daily living. Not merely collections of recipes and how-to instructions, these guides also document cultural  patterns and give insight into the development of modern-day kitchen and cooking practices. This exhibition, drawn primarily from the Rare Books Collection, provides a sampling of European and American cookbooks and domestic manuals from court chefs of the 15th century to cooking icons of the 20th century. Continue reading →

The Secret Financial Life of Food

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Presented by
Kara Newman

Kara Newman began her career as a financial writer.  Her inspiration for The Secret Financial Life of Food  began with two little words in the financial newsweekly Barron’s.  Jim Rogers, a noted commodities expert, gave the following advice:  “Buy breakfast.” He was talking about pork belly futures (which no longer trade) and frozen orange juice futures.  That one little comment snapped into focus the point that agricultural commodities aren’t abstract financial concepts – at heart, they’re about food. Pork bellies become the bacon on your plate; frozen orange juice becomes the OJ in your glass. In the end, it’s all about food. Continue reading →

Soup & Bread: Building Community One Pot at a Time

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Presented by Martha Bayne

Martha Bayne explores the social role of soup and its history as a tool for both building community and fostering social justice. She examines the classic model of a soup kitchen, national initiatives like Empty Bowls fundraisers and Sunday Soup dinners, as well as casual soup swaps and community soup cookoffs. Continue reading →

Soup & Bread

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Building Community One Pot at a Time
Presented by
Martha Bayne

Martha Bayne explores the social role of soup and its history as a tool for both building community and fostering social justice. She examines the classic model of a soup kitchen, national initiatives like Empty Bowls fundraisers and Sunday Soup dinners, as well as casual soup swaps and community soup cookoffs. Soup, she explains, means different things to different groups: For the activists of Food Not Bombs, the act of serving soup can be a political statement; to others it can be art practice, social service, or ministry. But though the context may change, the essential connection remains the same: In extending hospitality over the soup pot, a connection is formed and community ties are strengthened. Continue reading →

Pastrami on Rye: An Overstuffed History of the Jewish Deli

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Presented by
Ted Merwin, PhD

In Chicago, New York, L.A. and other American cities, the delicatessen was the lifeblood and the linchpin of the Jewish community. The “soul food” and atmosphere it dished up became a quintessential part of American culture for Jews and non-Jews alike.  But as Jews moved into the suburban middle class, the deli lost its bite, giving way to other ethnic restaurants and cuisines. Can the deli be resurrected. Continue reading →