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 →

The Old Girl Network: Charity Cookbooks and the Empowerment of Women

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Presented by
Janice Bluestein Longone
Curator of American Culinary History,
University of Michigan’s Special Collections Division

The Culinary Historians of Chicago had its first meeting in 1993, and we’re celebrating our 20th anniversary this year with a special lecture:  Before mass media, communication and transit, the first wave of the women’s movement was already active via the most ordinary of objects – the lowly cookbook. “Charity cookbooks,” a legacy of the Civil War, championed many causes: suffrage, education, temperance, prohibition, equal rights, working conditions, welfare, immigration, and legal rights and responsibilities, while benefiting churches, schools, sororities, the homeless, and others in need. The effort required to create, publish and distribute the books created networks of communication, which nurtured fledging political movements that transformed American culture.  Continue reading →

The Flavor of Africa

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Presented by
Wilbert Jones
Author, food scientist, cooking teacher

Please join Wilbert Jones as he takes you on a culinary journey throughout the earth’s second largest mass of land, Africa. This enormous continent contains 55 countries, where more than 1,500 languages are spoken. Jones will share his knowledge about the ancient Egyptian’s daily diet, national dishes from several countries, traditional use of some unique ingredients as well as cooking techniques, and current food and beverage trends emerging out of Africa. He will also address the lack of African culinary presence in America and offers some solutions to increase visibility. 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 →