with John Ota
As part of the research for his book, The Kitchen, John Ota travelled to Plymouth, Massachusetts where he cooked a meal over an open fire with Pilgrim Foodways historian Kathleen Wall. On the 400th anniversary of the Harvest Feast between the New England colonists and the Wampanoag people, John will share his experiences of the culinary history, architecture, cooking methods and the dishes from the first Thanksgiving of 1621. Continue reading
Sam Bilton, Food Historian and Restauranteur
Food historian and writer Sam Bilton is encouraging bakers to immerse themselves in the joy of making gingerbread.
Gingerbread is a lovely, squidgy treat which has played a part in almost everyone’s childhood. But do you know what gingerbread was made of when it first arrived on our plates? Was it flavoured with honey? Continue reading
Chef Peter Hoffman
Come join us as acclaimed New York chef Peter Hoffman, author of the recently published book “What’s Good?: A Memoir in Fourteen Ingredients”,reveals why he combined the story of his career with profiles of the favorite ingredients that he found at his favorite farmers market. Hoffman, founder of iconic Manhattan restaurants Savoy and Back Forty, describes his journey from line cook to chef/owner during New York’s culinary shift from French dominance to a more global and farm-to-table approach. Continue reading
Time was we could never get a Chicago food critic to speak to our group; they religiously refused to reveal their identities in public. That is until about three years ago when the Tribune’s esteemed food critic, Phil Vettel, published a story in the paper, complete with his photo, explaining that it was almost impossible for him to remain anonymous when reviewing restaurants. Continue reading
By Flo Selfman
Having been a top singing star, Dinah Shore became a pioneer television personality with “The Dinah Shore Chevy Show,” which showcased her distinctive voice and relaxed Southern charm from 1951 to 1963. In 1970, she returned to television as host of “Dinah’s Place,” an NBC morning show that covered homemaking, crafts, child-rearing, health and beauty—always with a song, of course, and usually a cooking segment, either by Dinah or her celebrity guests. Many leading chefs got their first national exposure on “Dinah’s Place.” Continue reading