A program and book signing by
Jane and Michael Stern
3 MILLION MILES, 72,000 MEALS, 2 PEOPLE
Jane and Michael Stern are America’s leading authorities on the culinary delights to be found while driving.. They’ve been searching out American roadfood while driving, eating, and chronicling bbq pits, hamburger joints, clams shacks, ice cream parlors, diners and the like for over 30 years. Continue reading
Arranged by
Colleen Taylor Sen, Ph.D.
Village Hut
130 E. Army Trail Rd.
Glendale Heights, IL 60139
(630) 893-5800
The only religion in the world that is unconditionally vegetarian is Jainism, one of the eight religions of India. Jainism developed what is now northern India in the 6th century BCE and today has several million adherents. The cardinal rule of Jainism is ahimsa, translated as noninjury or nonviolence, which was adopted by Mahatma Gandhi.
Jains not only do not eat meat, fish, or eggs; they also avoid a myriad of other foods, including those whose production kills the entire plant, harms microscopic organisms, or destroys the germs of future life. As a result, most Jains avoid honey, fruits and vegetables with many little seeds (e.g., eggplant, figs), underground roots (potatoes, carrots, etc.), mushrooms, garlic, onions, and alcohol. Nonetheless, Jain meals can be extremely delicious, since over the centuries cooks have learned to make the most of grains and vegetables.
This meal will feature typical Jain dishes from the western Indian state of Gujarat, home to many Jains. Rajan Chokshi, owner of Village Hut restaurant, will discuss the dishes.
Khandvi Millet flour bread (bajri rotla)
Dhokla Wheat Paratha
Leelva Kachori, pigeon peas Buttermilk
Kichiri, split moong dal and rice
Stuffed Okra Pickle
Shev Tomatoes Papad
Turya Patra Walnut mohanthal
Urad dal Sweets
Another vegetable, depending on availability
Dr. Colleen Taylor Sen is the author of Food Culture in India and many articles on Indian food. She is a regular contributor to the Oxford Food Symposia.
Presented by
Marilyn Pocius
Take an armchair tour to learn about some of the incredible resources available for cooks (or just foodies) in the Chicago area. Marilyn Pocius, author of A Cook’s Guide to Chicago, leads the audience on a virtual culinary tour and gives practical advice on how to locate unusual ingredients as well as make use of the wonderful international pantry we have at our doorsteps. Chicago offers a delightful array of goodies, from shrimp chips and pomegranate molasses to tropical fruits and out-of-this-world vegetables The audience gets to sniff, taste and sample some of the ingredients and learns to tell a yam from a yucca. The lecture ends with a game. Pocius brings a big bowl of unusual produce and asks the audience to ID it. The first one to name the fruit or veggie gets to take it home.
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Presented by
Soo Lon Moy, Curator of the Chinese-American Museum of Chicago and
Bennet Bronson, Curator of the The Field Museum
Chinese owned restaurants proliferated in the first two decades of the 20th century, they all seemed to announce themselves with signs advertising “Chop Suey,” so much so that the term became emblematic for such restaurants. The popularity of these restaurants was attributed to their contrast with the bland offerings of most of the “American” restaurants of the time and the desire for variety and perhaps a touch of the exotic from their clientele. Continue reading
Presented by
Colleen Taylor Sen, Ph.D.
The only religion in the world that is unconditionally vegetarian is Jainism. Jainism developed in the 6th century BCE — its leading figure, Mahavira, was a contemporary of the Buddha — and today it has several million adherents, mainly in West and South India.
More a philosophy than a religion, the central doctrine of Jainism is that every organism, from single cell amoebas to human beings, has an eternal soul, called jiva. Continue reading