Presented by
Ellen F. Steinberg, Ph.D. and Eleanor Hudera Hanson

‘Learning to Cook in 1898: A Chicago Culinary Memoir’ presented by Ellen F. Steinberg and Eleanor Hudera Hanson.    Learning to Cook in 1898 is more than just a cookbook or a collection of nostalgic recipes. While the volume does contain treasured family recipes, the book’s primary focus is on the efforts taken by Irma Rosenthal Frankenstein, a young, American-born, middle class Chicago bride of Jewish heritage, to educate herself about cooking, nutrition, health and household management at the turn of the century.   In this volume, author Ellen F. Steinberg analyzes primary material found in Irma’s “First Cook Book” and memoirs. Steinberg focuses on approximately one year in Irma’s life, during which the bride-to-be collected recipes for a variety of entrees, vegetable dishes, soups, salads, tea sandwiches, baked goods and desserts.

            Ellen F. Steinberg, Ph.D. is an anthropological researcher and writer who was born and raised in Chicago. She is the author of two multidisciplinary works, Teach Me: An Ethnography of Adolescent Learning and Irma: A Chicago Woman’s Story, 1871–1966. She teaches as a visiting professor at local colleges, is a past president of Yonah Hadassah, and is vice president and Chicago-area chair of the Society of Woman Geographers.

           Eleanor Hudera Hanson is a food consultant and founding partner of FoodWatch trend consulting company. Prior to founding FoodWatch, she worked with Kraft foods for seventeen years as manager of grocery products and later as director of Kraft Kitchens. Hanson is a member of the International Association of Culinary Professionals, the Food and Culinary Professionals.

Program hosted at Kendall College.