Stories
Online Food and History Events in October
So many online opportunities in October! This month I'm highlighting 2 British organizations that do a superb job of creating meaningful online events. I was so grateful for all of the online events during the Covid years, and while I am so happy to be out and about at all the wonderful live events, sometimes its nice to stay at home with a cup of tea and learn on my couch! I want to give a tremendous THANK YOU! to Patricia Bixler Reber who writes the Researching Food History Blog for here extensive listings of both live and recorded online talks. You can see her current list HERE.
See you online!
Tuesday, October 22, 2024. 17:00 BST
We need to talk about : Gleaning in the 21st century: old traditions and new solutions for our waste-conscious world. Oxford Food Symposium Kitchen table discussion group. FREE, advanced registration required.
"...there was a time when your fathers, your husbands and your brothers were so often awakened by the call of the gleaner’s drum..."" — Critic, Léon Daléas
The 19th century social and class critique levied by Millet’s painting of women scavenging harvest leavings as gleaners contrasted by the harvest’s wealth in the background still resonates globally today. His painting inspired French New Wave filmmaker, Agnès Varda’s (2000) documentary, “The Gleaners and I.” Following collage artist Louis Pons’ admonition, “junk is a cluster of possibilities” forcing us all to not fritter away our resources.
Anyone outside of the economic elite out of necessity or for ethical reasons is tethered to obtaining adequate food, contending with waste, recycling, upcycling and repurposing of ingredients, prepared dishes, containers.
Our October Kitchen Table Conversation will include Eleanor Barnett, author of “Leftovers: A History of Food Waste and Preservation,” where she explores the ingenious ways our ancestors have extended the life of the foods they ate through preservation and recycling of food scraps; and Usha Thakrar, Executive Director of Boston Area Gleaners, (BAG). Her organization is committed to improving access to affordable, healthy food for our communities, and supporting equitable, just, and sustainable local food systems while supporting growers and reducing food waste. They rethink the local supply chain between regional family farms and consumers ensuring that fresh, healthy, affordable food is available to everyone."
Tuesday, October 24, 2024, 2:00PM - 3:00PM London Time
"Carla Baker: Where did northern Tasmanian apples go? (lightning talk)
Chihyin Hsiao: Changes for Soup: Charitable Food and the Plight of Manchester's Paupers during the Early Victorian Era" The Institute of Historical Research. FREE - Requires advanced registration
Apples played a central role in the ecological colonization of lutruwita, Tasmania, also known as the ‘Apple Isle’. By the early twentieth century, much of Tasmania was covered in apple orchards, reaching 3 million commercial trees by 1950. An icon of British domesticity, the apple’s swift acclimatization was perceived to be legitimization of British settlement and used to justify the theft of Indigenous land. Land grants were offered to those who would farm the land ‘productively’. In the West Tamar region in northern Tasmania, ‘Anglo-Indian’ soldiers purchased orchards which were promoted as an investment or retirement opportunity. At the core of Tasmanian apple advertising was the imagined location of the ‘Apple Isle’, an idyllic, pure, English farming utopia. Apple crate branding and multi-faceted advertising campaigns were employed to support this distortion of Tasmania’s geographical and cultural remoteness.
The soup kitchen was a common form of poor relief in early Victorian England. Previous scholarship has indicated that hunger was a familiar experience for industrial laborers due to the rising cost of food and the growing population in urban areas. Building upon this, this research investigates the social aspects of soup kitchens, which have been marginally discussed and yet to be explored with public records. Here, the primary focus is on issues such as how local soup kitchens were set up, how these establishments were financed, what was considered nutritious for paupers, and the seasonality of such ingredients. Through an examination of cookery books, public announcements, advertisements, and readers' comments in provincial newspapers during the Hungry Forties, this research attempts to evaluate the accessibility of charitable soup kitchens in the Greater Manchester area, where industrial laborers were densely populated, and pauperism was on the rise. It begins by examining the fluctuating prices of staple food items such as corn, bacon, onions, carrots, etc., then delves into the setup of soup kitchens, grounded in the commonly accepted political ideology of 'self-help.' Finally, it explores the ticket system of soup kitchens, which ultimately provided paupers with the opportunity to access readily-prepared hot food. Through the exploration of archival materials mentioned above, it is hoped that more textual examples can be included in broader studies of Victorian philanthropy and working-class diets.
Tuesday, October 29, 2024 from 17:00 - 19:00 London time
Kitchen Lab - From Polish roots to New York icon- The evolution and craft of the classic bagel. Oxford Food Symposium. Birgitte Kampmann and Simi Rezai-Ghassemi. FREE - requiring registration
"I asked how Cathy likes her bagel and this is her reply: “My standard order (because one always goes out to a local deli for bagels) is for a ’toasted everything with veg cream cheese,” a wonderful panoply of salty, crunchy, hot-cold sensations. More flavorful than the unadorned bagels of my New Jersey childhood, I’m a partisan, firmly believing that New York City bagels are the best in the world.”
Cathy Kaufman has lived in New York City for more than 40 years and teaches in the Food Studies department at The New School, including a course on the foodways of New York City.
As always, recipes will be sent to all who sign up, so you can bake along with me in real-time.
Online Food and History Events in September (2024)
Wednesday, September 4, 2024, 6:30 – 8:30 PM EDT
Smithsonian Associates, $30 Member/$35 Nonmember
The 16th century is one of the most fascinating periods of English history, and its vibrant center was the great city of London. During the Tudor dynasty the city on the Thames was filled with the bustling daily life of common people living in a rapidly changing city and world. Historian Cheryl White examines the panorama of ordinary life in London at the birth of early-modern England.
Food Without Borders: Caribbean Cuisine
Friday, September 6, 2024, 2:00 p.m. ET • 1:00 p.m. CT • 12:00 p.m. MT • 11:00 a.m. PT FREE online event. AARP Membership not required.
Come along with AARP Pennsylvania and HUBUB, a nonprofit dedicated to connecting people through language and food, on our latest culinary excursion across cultures. In this Food Without Borders class, discover the neighborhood eateries shaped by Puerto Rican and Cuban communities in Lancaster. We’ll explore the rich culinary traditions of these cultures, featuring dishes like Mofongo and classic meat and bean combinations. Learn about the deep-rooted influences that define Caribbean cuisine and how to bring these flavors into your kitchen.
My Life in Recipes: Food, Family, and Memories
September 8, 2024 @ 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm, ET FREE Email to request a ZOOM link
Joan Nathan is the author of twelve cookbooks including her latest work, My Life in Recipes: Food, Family, and Memories. Her 2018 book, King Solomon’s Table: A Culinary Exploration of Jewish Cooking from Around the World, won the IACP International Cookbook of the Year. That same year, the much-acclaimed Jewish Cooking in America, which in 1994 won both the James Beard Award and the IACP/Julia Child Cookbook of the Year Award, was named an IACP classic. From Culinary Historians of Washington, DC
Tuesday, September 10, 2024. 11am - 12:30pm MST. FREE
Dr Neil Buttery talks about the history of baking: bread, cakes, pies & puddings to mark the publication of his book 'Knead to Know'
Wednesday, September 11, 2024. 8 - 8:45am MST, FREE
Learn how to preserve cultural food and knowledge with Prof. Vasilis Valdramis! By Science in the City Malta
Sunday, September 15, 4 p.m. ET
Jim Chevallier, author of A History of the Food of Paris: From Roast Mammoth to Steak Frites
Culinary Historians of Ann Arbor
Wednesday, September 18, 2024. 3:30 - 5pm MST
Some foods and farming practices are good for people and the planet, others are bad. Are you getting the whole story to know which is which? UF/IFAS Extension Sarasota County
Wednesday, September 18 · 2 - 3pm MST, FREE
If you have ever wondered about baking with a sourdough starter – this Free Live Zoom Session is for you! (recording file will be shared), Vituperio - Artisan Breads & Studio
Booklady Cooks First Pop-Up Cookbook and Kitchenware Store, Surprise, Arizona
We are so excited to announce our first pop-up cookbook and kitchenware store! We will be participating in Tacos and Tequilas Under the Stars by Artisan Featured Events. We will feature some fun new and vintage kitchenware and cookbooks to make your next Taco Table an event to remember! We have curated a beautiful collection of cookbooks and books about food that highlight the foodways of the Southwestern United States and Mexico. Click here to see some of our offerings for Tacos and Tequila and click here to get your $5.00 entry tickets.
National Sandwich Month!
Have you ever stopped to think about the genius of the sandwich? It's a culinary marvel that combines simplicity with endless possibilities. But where did this beloved food item come from? Let's take a bite out of the brief history of the sandwich. Check out our collection of books featuring some of the world's best sandwiches!
A (Sampling of the) History of BBQ and Grilling in 10 Links
Check out some of these online sites all about cooking over an open fire. From Paleo humans, The Southern (US) Barbecue Trail, historic ads and videos, we've got a great sampling of Barbecue and Grilling history just for you!
Online Food and History Events in August (2024)
There are still so many opportunities to jump online and join a live event from the comfort of your home - even wearing your pajamas! Most events are free, and a few have a small charge attached. Most require some kind of log in or registration.
Happy Birthday To Better Homes & Gardens
Growing up, there were two cookbooks that were always in my mom's kitchen: the red one with the lady (Betty Crocker) and the red plaid one (Better Homes & Garden). We used both all the time until I got my own Julia Child cookbook. We might have had a favorite cookie recipe in one and a delicious bread recipe in the other. It wasn't until I started collecting vintage cookbooks that I realized the Meridith Corporation had put out all these specialized books under the Better Homes and Garden brand.
July is National Picnic Month
July is National Picnic Month! Keep reading to get some of our old and new cookbook selections. We also have some beautiful picnic bags and tableware.
Online Food Events, July 2024
During the COVID Times, I got hooked on attending online lectures, cooking classes, and seminars. Even now, I still love tuning into these events from the comfort of my own home. Sometimes I'll make a themed snack or cook along with the chef on my computer screen. It's a great way to feel like I'm getting out and about, even when I'm just lounging in my yoga pants.
Here are just a few: