A Taste of the Past

On Thanksgiving, more than 46 million turkeys will be the centerpiece of American holiday tables. And, as usual, home cooks across the country will have questions and concerns about how to best prepare the big bird. For 41 years the Butterball team of experts has been fielding more than 100,000 calls during the holiday season on the Turkey Talk-Line. Bill Nolan, the Talk-Line Supervisor, shares the story.

Photo Courtesy of Butterball.

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Marion Nestle is one of the original food activists in America. For nearly half a century, as she tells it in her recently published memoir Slow Cooked, she has been teaching and writing about the effects of politics on what we eat and, therefore, on our health. She has been called a courageous champion of healthy food, social justice, and scientific integrity.

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Legendary baker Rose Levy Beranbaum made history when she pioneered the reverse creaming technique for baking cakes. She wrote about it in her award-winning book, "The Cake Bible," 34 years ago. Now, twelve books later, she has just published "The Cookie Bible." On this episode, Rose shares her life of baking and love of cookies.

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When the Michelin starred chef Andrew Wong was on a working tour of China, it ignited a burning curiosity in not just exploring the vast cultural and regional differences that have come to define the gastronomic identity of China, but also opened his eyes to the beauty of China’s 3000-year history first-hand. It inspired newfound respect for the local and ceremonial aspects of Chinese culinary heritage and began the formation of ideas for his own approach to cooking. And he sought help and collaboration with Dr. Mukta Das, food historian of China and Chinese diaspora, to find answers to his culinary history questions. Such is the case with their recent research on the history of Dim Sum and its relationship to the pastry arts.

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According to the authors of a new book on the history of the Cuban Sandwich, "Hiding beween the thin slices of its fillings are invisible layers of meaning, the spirit of a people, and the story of a nation--the life and times of the Cuban Sandwich." They share the tales and delicious variations of how the Cubano became a symbol for a displaced people and won the hearts and bellies of America.

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Every city has its own iconic food, particularly a sandwich. And in Chicago, it's the 'Italian Beef,' made even more well-known by the recent TV series "The Bear." Historian Anthony Buccini shares the facts of why it's Italian. We learn how the sandwich went from being served at festive occasions to being a staple take-out from a sandwich stand, all the while preserving its socio-cultural place in the cookery of Naples.

Photo Courtesy of Jeffrey CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

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Last year, Capri Cafaro, host of HRN’s Eat Your Heartland Out, recorded a show about the summer State and County Fairs. I thought it would be a terrific way to get to know her podcast, and what could be more perfect in August than to replay this episode?

There is nothing quite as American as the county or state fair. Capri welcomes Marla Calico, President & CEO of the International Association of Fairs and Expositions, who discusses the history behind the agricultural fair and how fairs have both changed and stayed the same over the years. Then you'll meet Carol Kratz & Drake Hokanson, authors who travelled the country to capture the cultural essence of county fairs for their book, Purebred and Homegrown: America's County Fairs. So whether it’s an animal judging, a pie-eating contest, or a fried Oreo that attracts you to a fair, you can hear about it here.

You can also subscribe to Eat Your Heartland Out on your favorite podcast platform and never miss an episode!  (Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Spotify| RSS).

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President Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act making it an official holiday 154 years after it was first celebrated in Texas in 1866. And that was two years after Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. Black people throughout America now embrace the official Juneteenth celebration on June 19th. One of HRN's OG podcast hosts, Nicole Taylor, joins me to talk about this very special holiday and to share recipes from her new cookbook, WATERMELON and RED BIRDS: A Cookbook for Juneteenth and Black Celebrations.

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A-Sha Noodles is the cult-favorite noodle brand known for its patented, 100-year-old legacy noodle recipe from Tainan, Taiwan. Starting in one market in 1977, the company's product is now recognized around the globe. A-Sha Foods USA has been recognized as one of the top 100 fastest growing private companies by Inc. Magazine and selected as one of the Top Ten Taiwanese Instant Noodles Of All Time for more than five consecutive years. Founder and CEO Young Chang talks about the 100-year-old recipe and its place in Taiwanese noodle culture.

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Over the past decade, Diana Garvin has conducted extensive research in Italian museums, libraries, archives, and first-hand interviews to examine the role of women's food work in relation to the politics of Fascism. She describes her findings from her new book that demonstrate how women and the Fascist state vied for control over national diet.

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Tibetan cuisine cannot be described without talking about the geography of place, or the tradition of Buddhist or shepherd culture. Husband and wife team Yeshi Jampa and Julie Kleeman talk about the history and unique background which captures the essence of Yeshi's recipes served at their food establishment, Taste Tibet, in Oxford, England, and which are now published in their new book, Taste Tibet: Family Recipes from the Himalayas.

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Italy is the largest rice production country in Europe, with a cultivation area of well over a half million acres and 1.6 million tons of total grain production. And they have been cultivating rice since the late 15th century. Count Paolo Salvadori di Wiesenhoff is an heir to and owner of one of the oldest Italian rice farms, Principato di Lucedio, which has been in existence since the 1400's. He shares the history and evolution of Italian rice production.

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The gin myth of “Mother’s Ruin,” which was depicted in William Hogarth’s 1751 print, Gin Lane, has colored the perception of alcohol consumption by women for nearly 300 years. Dr. Nicola Nice, who built her brand, Pomp & Whimsy, in an effort to write women back into cocktail history, joins Linda Pelaccio to talk about the history of gin and women.

Photo Courtesy of William Hogarth

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It was well known in diplomatic circles that one ate very well at President George Washington's table, thanks to his very talented, but enslaved cook Hercules. Stories abound about the fate of the famed cook. Author and culinary historian Ramin Ganeshram has discovered how he reemerged, now with the surname Posey, in New York City, where his skill as a chef helped him create a new life as a free man, embodying the foundational narrative of the United States.

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It’s a little known fact that in the nineteenth century, Americans favored green teas consumed hot with milk and sugar. The teas were imported from China until Japan developed an export industry centered on the U.S. Author Robert Hellyer explores the forgotten American preference and traces the trans-Pacific tea trade from the eighteenth century forward in his book, Green with Milk and Sugar (discount code: cup20). He shares his insights on how the interconnections between Japan and the United States have influenced the daily habits of people in both countries. 

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The history of cocktails in America is heavily skewed toward the male’s tale when, in fact, that is only half of story of the cocktail’s rise to social prominence. Women are largely absent from the tales of the cocktail until the late 20th century, but they were making, serving, and writing about the scene and its art long before Jerry Thomas’s famed bartender’s guide. Dr. Nicola Nice recognized the history gap while working in market research advising liquor companies. Now, along with her entrepreneurial gin liqueur business and website, she has extended her research to historical liquor literature in which she strives to fill that gap of the missing women. 

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Cider is delicious and it is historic. It is America’s first popular alcoholic beverage, made from apples brought across the Atlantic from England in colonial times. And over the past fifteen or so years it has been enjoying something of a revival. To appreciate the differing tastes of cider one needs to know more about the apples and the history as “Cider embodies the best and worst of America’s history and agricultural practices.” Cider specialists and authors Dan Pucci and Craig Cavallo delve deep into the topic in their recent book, American Cider: A Modern Guide to a Historic Beverage.

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Sourdough bread has a history that goes back at least 6,000 years and the earliest cultures--or sourdough starter--were likely an accident. Professor and amateur baker Eric Pallant shares the history and his own introduction to his storied starters from his new book Sourdough Culture.

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The cooking lessons that stick with us are rarely the ones we read in books or learn through blog posts or YouTube videos. They’re the ones we pick up as we spend time with good cooks in the kitchen. Dorothy Kalins, founding editor of Saveur magazine, calls the people who pass on their cooking wisdom her Kitchen Whisperers. Consciously or not, they help make us the cooks we are—and help show the way to the kind of cooks we have the potential to become. She has put her stories into a book, The Kitchen Whisperers, a beautifully written tribute to the people who teach us to cook and guide our hands in the kitchen.

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Although there is archeological evidence and historical writings about olive oil in the ancient world, the popularity, demand, and production of olive oil as we know it today has a very recent history. The designation of Extra Virgin did not occur until 1960, which was the beginning of the modern era for olive oil. Prof. Carl Ipsen from Indiana University, who recently won the Sophie Coe award for writing in food history, shares his research and insights on this episode all about olive oil.

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While creating and producing the hit series Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, David Page dove deep into the world of American food. His new book, Food Americana, is an exploration and celebration of the foods Americans love and call their own. Page looks at the foods’ history, its evolution, and uncovers the people and stories behind the food. Tune in and "learn how Americans have formed a national cuisine from a world of flavors."

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Like the intricate pattern of intersecting lines of an ornamental Arabesque pattern, so are the roots of the Arab cuisine intertwined. Reem Kassis has researched Arabic food for many years and wrote her first book, The Palestinian Table, about the classic dishes. As her research continued she studied how the cuisine has evolved over the course of history with so many influences of the everchanging region. Her new book, The Arabesque Table, presents a more modern take on many of the dishes that are rooted in the historic origins of the food of the Arab world and still represent a national cuisine.

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World-famous artisan bread authority and author Peter Reinhart recently shifted his focus to another form of yeasty dough, Pizza. He has launched a new podcast on Heritage Radio Network all about it, called PIZZA QUEST, where he meets all of the best pizza makers. On this episode, Linda gives you an opportunity to meet Peter and learn about his obsession and how he got there.

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While it's enjoyed throughout the US, barbecue has long been recognized as southern cooking. But the originators of barbecue have not been given their culinary due. The African American culture has been largely ignored as the progenitor of the culture of barbecue as author and soul food scholar Adrian Miller is quick to point out in his new book, Black Smoke: African Americans and the United States of Barbecue (University of North Carolina Press, 2021.) The merits of sauces and styles can be discussed from shore to shore, but that may not be as essential as correcting the narrative itself. As Miller explains it, Barbecue is American food with southern roots from plantation slave pitmasters sharing their flavors and fire.

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There has been a resurgence in the cocktail culture of the pre-Prohibition period and the MadMen era. And whether mixing at home, cocktails-to-go (outside) from a restaurant or bar, or the new kid on the block: ready to drink cocktails in a can, there has been a definite uptick in the spirits market. Author and spirits writer Kara Newman shares her views and observations and answers Linda's questions about the origins of Pimm's.

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Gypsies, Romani, Gitano - these are all names used to identify the ethnic group of Roma throughout Europe, of which there are more than 750,00 living in Spain. Food writer Valerio Farris learned about the cuisine of the Spanish Roma and the importance of preserving their recipes and culture by cooking with Roma people in and around Barcelona.

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Authentic products by artisan producers are worth protecting. Beatrice Ughi, founder and president of the food importing company Gustiamo talks about the fake and adulterated products passing as "Made in Italy", and shares her passion for keeping it real.

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Culinary historian and foremost expert on the food and foodways of the African Diaspora, Dr. Jessica B. Harris, joins Linda to talk about The Legacy Quilt, the centerpiece of a project celebrating Black contributions to American cuisine. It's all part of a major exhibition at the Museum of Food and Drink --MOFAD-- entitled, African/American: Making the Nation's Table, whose opening was delayed by COVID-19.

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Get to know another Heritage Radio Network show that gives us a glimpse into the culinary culture of the 1970s. The Shameless Chef was developed for public radio in 1977 but many of these audio treasures have never been heard before. The show’s original host, Michael A. Davenport shares his fearless attitude towards food and encourages home cooks to have fun and take risks in the kitchen. The podcast takes us back in time but still has a lot to teach us today. 

In Episode 2: How to Be Audacious, Michael shares his belief that there’s no excuse for being a ‘meat and potatoes man’ and suggests throwing out the rules to break up the monotony of your meals. He shares recipes for ‘wing dings’ and black olive soup and suggests adding an orange peel to your coffee. Ultimately, Michael subscribed to this sentiment, “don’t react to your prejudices, react to your palette.” 

Subscribe to The Shameless Chef on your favorite podcast app. (Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Spotify | RSS)

Historian and author Karima Moyer-Nocchi has been exploring and sharing information about the history and origins of Italian cooking through her books and also with photos and videos on her Instagram feed, @HistoricalItalianFood. In this episode, she shares the process of learning about pasta's past and other historical dishes.

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Scenes of Victorian Christmas feasts conjure visions of roasting chestnuts on a lively fire, roast goose on the platter, and a flaming plum pudding with, of course some mince pie and fruitcake. British Food Historian Annie Gray discusses the history of the foods of Christmas past.

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Winston Churchill was a man of discerning appetite and credits his cook for helping him through such difficult times. But who was she? Historian Annie Gray talks about her recent book, Victory in the Kitchen: The Life of Churchill's Cook.

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Ellizabeth Minchilli joins Linda from Rome to talk about the regeneration of Italy's hospitality industry and an opportunity to experience and learn about the local culture in villages outside the cities.

Photo Courtesy of Sextantio

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As American as Apple Pie? Although Pie came to America with the first English settlers, American pie focused on the sweet dessert varieties, and apple certainly earned its place at the top.  But don't forget pumpkin, pecan, cherry, custard... Petra Paredez of Petee's Pie talks about the history of the many types and flavors from the popular to the forgotten from her book, Pie for Everyone.

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Battles over the ethics of foie gras in recent years have loomed large in the culinary world.  Yet history shows that the delicacy has been around for over 5,000 years since the ancient Egyptians, and is extolled in writings of the Ancient Greeks and Romans. Ariane Daguin of D'Artagnan tells the story of foie gras and how in the Gascony region of France it has been a tradition for centuries along with their distinct regional cuisine.

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Rosh Hashanah is an ancient holiday, and many of the foods eaten for the celebration are nearly the same as they were 3,000 years ago. Shifra Klein, Editor-In-Chief of Fleishigs magazine, a publication dedicated to modern kosher cuisine, joins Linda to talk about the history of the symbolic holiday foods.

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Photo Courtesy of Oleksandra Naumenko/123RF.com

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It's often said that the last aspect of a culture that remains after assimilation and acculturation is the food. And the fullest expression of the food of a particular culture is the food that was prepared and eaten at home. League of Kitchens is an organization that offers classes that aim to transmit that culinary knowledge along with the cooking techniques and traditions of the culture. Guest host Julia Fleisch interviews the League's founder, Lisa Gross, about the philosophical foundations of League of Kitchens.

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Chile peppers did not appear in China until the late 16th century when they were introduced from the Americas. Historian and author Brian Dott discusses how the nonnative chile went from obscurity to ubiquity in China, influencing not just cuisine, but also medicine, language, and cultural identity.

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This week we're presenting the first episode of Eat Your Heartland Out. Eat Your Heartland Out is a series dedicated to highlighting the rich, yet often overlooked, culinary depth of the American Midwest. Food is the storyteller while host Capri S. Cafaro serves as your audio tour guide through this region spanning 12 states.  

The show aims to weave a tapestry of cultural diversity, immigration history, migration patterns and agricultural variations in each episode. Expect to gain new insights about Midwestern foodways through compelling interviews with historians, authors, chefs and makers; each of whom brings a unique perspective on the Midwest's culinary story.

Subscribe to Eat Your Heartland Out wherever you get your podcasts (Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Spotify | RSS)  

In March, HRN began producing all of our 35 weekly shows from our homes all around the country. It was hard work stepping away from our little recording studio, but we know that you rely on HRN to share resources and important stories from the world of food each week. It’s been a tough year for all of us, but right now HRN is asking for your help. Every dollar that listeners give to HRN provides essential support to keep our mics on. We've got some fresh new thank you gifts available, like our limited edition bandanas.

Keep A Taste of the Past on the air: become an HRN Member today! Go to heritageradionetwork.org/donate. 

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Since ancient times societies have helped the hungry--those who had no access to food. Today we have food pantries, food banks, and soup kitchens. Linda talks to Stephen Henderson who has volunteered in soup kitchens around the world for the past ten years about the history of this system of feeding those in need.

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According to the Oxford English Dictionary, “comfort food” is “food that comforts or affords solace;" It is the food people turn to in a crisis or time of uncertainty. And the current coronavirus pandemic has people eating those foods that evoke a psychologically comfortable state. Prof. Lucy Long speaks about the history and broader theories of comfort food.

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How and why has the COVID-19 pandemic affected our Food Supply Chain? And where are all the dried beans? They've been around for thousands of years and now the shelves are empty. Maybe it's a sign that Americans are cooking real food and know what's nutritious. Natalie Rachel Morris joins Linda to talk about the History of Beans and their importance.

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Often blamed for the rising rates of obesity and diabetes among black Americans, fast food restaurants like McDonald’s have long symbolised capitalism’s villainous effects on our nation’s most vulnerable communities. But how did fast food restaurants so thoroughly saturate black neighbourhoods in the first place? Historian Marcia Chatelain whose new book is Franchise, The Golden Arches in Black America, traces the history of the relationships between the struggle for civil rights and the expansion of the fast food industry.

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In her travels to the Russian North award-winning cookbook author and Russian scholar Darra Goldstein discovered the extraordinary in the ordinary. In her search to find truly Russian flavors she found that many of the old foods seemed new again in the context of modern cuisine. She shares her poetic sensibilities and sense of adventure and research on this episode.

Photo Courtesy of Barry Goldstein

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Technology and industry put more food on the shelves and in markets by extending the life of perishable goods with canning and processing methods. But was the food safe? By the late 19th century, the American food supply was rife with frauds, fakes, and deadly chemicals. It affected everything from milk and beef, black pepper and mustard to candy, whiskey and soda. It took one man, Dr. Harvey W. Wiley, chief chemist of the USDA, his entire career to campaign for food safety and consumer protection, and the ultimate creation of the Food and Drug Act in 1906. Award winning writer and science journalist Deborah Blum talks about the stories and struggles to safe food from her book, The Poison Squad, which is now a PBS documentary.

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Who ever thought a video series about watching old Italian grandmothers making pasta would become a hugely successful YouTube channel? Food writer Vicky Bennison saw something special and spent over five years filming and interviewing the women who became "Pasta Grannies." Traditional regional recipes and techniques will be preserved thanks to her foresight and work. And now there's a companion cookbook that shares not only the recipes but also the extraordinary stories of these endearing women. And Vicky shares with us the behind-the-scene tales.

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Charles Feltman, a German immigrant, invented the hot dog in Coney Island during the summer of 1867 as a convenient way for beachgoers to enjoy quality sausages on a bun without plates and silverware. The business closed in 1954, but the name lived on.  Now entrepreneur and historian Michael Quinn and his brother have resurrected the brand FELTMAN'S OF CONEY ISLAND and tell us all about the history.

The holiday season is all about food and community. There’s no better time to show your support for food radio by becoming a member! Lend your voice and help HRN continue to spreading the message of equitable, sustainable, and delicious food – together, we can change minds and build a better food system. Go to heritageradionetwork.org/donate  today to become a crucial part of the HRN community.

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There are certain iconic restaurant dishes that defined the course of culinary history over the past 300 years, known as a chef's signature dish. Now an international team of culinary experts has featured 247 of those dishes in a new book, Signature Dishes That Matter. LInda's guest, writer and editor Christine Muhlke, wrote the texts that describe the dishes' histories as well as providing context and connections between chefs and culinary movements to create an innovative and fascinating history of gastronomy.

The holiday season is all about food and community. There’s no better time to show your support for food radio by becoming a member! Lend your voice and help HRN continue to spreading the message of equitable, sustainable, and delicious food – together, we can change minds and build a better food system. Go to heritageradionetwork.org/donate today to become a crucial part of the HRN community.

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LIVE FROM INDUSTRY CITY: Linda interviews Ed Levine, food writer, author, and founder of one of the top food and cooking websites, SeriousEats.com. From a serious pizza taster to a serious website founder, Ed Levine had one mantra: “YOU ARE ONE OF THOSE people who refuse to lose who end up finding success.” It is the mindset that Levine carried with him throughout the ups and downs of his career. This tumultuous journey is also the primary focus of his latest book Serious Eater: A Food Lover’s Perilous Quest for Pizza and Redemption. 

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Restaurant guides have been around for centuries since Grimod de La Reyniére published his Almanach des Gourmandes in1804. These guides were usually opinions of one writer about upscale restaurants or coupled with travel guides. Then along came Zagat in 1979, a restaurant guide for the people by the people founded by Tim and Nina Zagat. Forty years since its launch it is enjoying a resurrection of sorts. After having been dormanat for a few years TheInfatuation.com bought the rights to Zagat and has just published the first new NYC edition, and plans for more. The editor-in-chief Hillary Reinsberg joins Linda to share the story of its rebirth.

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It’s been nearly ninety years since Irma S. Rombauer self-published the first edition of Joy of Cooking in 1931. It quickly rose in popularity and soon became the “kitchen bible,” shaping the recipes and techniques of home cooks. Irma’s daughter, Marion Rombauer Becker, revised and wrote the 6th edition in 1975, now considered a classic. Today there is a new, modern edition which reclaims many of the lost recipes over the years and adds a few new ones. John Becker, Marion's grandson and great-grandson of Irma , and his wife Megan Scott spent nine years revising and updating the recipes and information for the newest Joy of Cooking. They share their stories of that effort with Linda on this episode.

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Sichuan food has long been known for its heat and spice, but the fragrant flavors and sophistication that it holds throughout China was little known abroad. The award-winning food writer Fuchsia Dunlop has done much to introduce the finer flavors of Sichuan cuisine. She has revised her 2001 book, Land of Plenty, to create a more encompassing book of the culture and recipes of Sichuan Food.

Join Heritage Radio Network on Monday, November 11th, for a raucous feast to toast a decade of food radio. Our tenth anniversary bacchanal is a rare gathering of your favorite chefs, mixologists, storytellers, thought leaders, and culinary masterminds. We’ll salute the inductees of the newly minted HRN Hall of Fame, who embody our mission to further equity, sustainability, and deliciousness. Explore the beautiful Palm House and Yellow Magnolia Café, taste and imbibe to your heart’s content, and bid on once-in-a-lifetime experiences and tasty gifts for any budget at our silent auction. Tickets available now at heritageradionetwork.org/gala.

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What is American cuisine? Is there an American cuisine? It’s probably one of the most debated questions in food circles, certainly by food writers. Historian Paul Freedman, author of the recent best-selling book, Ten Restaurants that Changed America, explores the question in his newest book, AMERICAN CUISINE, and How It Got This Way.

Join Heritage Radio Network on Monday, November 11th, for a raucous feast to toast a decade of food radio. Our tenth anniversary bacchanal is a rare gathering of your favorite chefs, mixologists, storytellers, thought leaders, and culinary masterminds. We’ll salute the inductees of the newly minted HRN Hall of Fame, who embody our mission to further equity, sustainability, and deliciousness. Explore the beautiful Palm House and Yellow Magnolia Café, taste and imbibe to your heart’s content, and bid on once-in-a-lifetime experiences and tasty gifts for any budget at our silent auction. Tickets available now at heritageradionetwork.org/gala.

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What do football games, concerts, NASCAR, and similar outdoor gatherings have in common? Tailgate parties, or "tailgating" as it's commonly called. It's an American cultural phenomenon, and my guest today, Lynne Weems Ryan, whose moniker is Tailgage Buzz, is well-versed in the art and history of these social gatherings.

Join Heritage Radio Network on Monday, November 11th, for a raucous feast to toast a decade of food radio. Our tenth anniversary bacchanal is a rare gathering of your favorite chefs, mixologists, storytellers, thought leaders, and culinary masterminds. We’ll salute the inductees of the newly minted HRN Hall of Fame, who embody our mission to further equity, sustainability, and deliciousness. Explore the beautiful Palm House and Yellow Magnolia Café, taste and imbibe to your heart’s content, and bid on once-in-a-lifetime experiences and tasty gifts for any budget at our silent auction. Tickets available now at heritageradionetwork.org/gala.

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“There’s no genre of American cuisine as storied as Southern,” according to Rob Newton, Southern born chef/restaurateur, and now cookbook author. In his book, Seeking the South: Finding Inspired Regional Cuisines, Rob describes how the clash of cultures and ever-shifting mix of people who have moved through Southern regions have influenced the cuisine, making it culturally rich with distinct regional differences.

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Fans of the TV series "Downton Abbey" are excitedly awaiting the premiere of the movie on Friday of this week. And coinciding with the movie's release is the publication of "The Official Downtown Abbey Cookbook," by Annie Gray, one of Britain's leading food historians who joins Linda on today's episode. Dr. Gray researched recipes from historical sources for the meals seen on the show and includes notes on the ingredients and customs of the time. She gives a warm and fascinating insight into the background of the dishes that were popular between 1912 and 1926, when Downton Abbey is set – a period of tremendous change and conflict, as well as culinary development, which makes the book a truly useful work of culinary history.

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In 2005, Slow Food USA declared the 17th century Gravenstein apple a heritage food. But despite the efforts of several organizations to preserve this historically important apple, it is now listed on the Slow Food’s Ark of Taste as an endangered American food. Why has such a flavorful fruit fallen out of favor? The attributing factors are several and, fortunately,so are it's supporters. Joining me to discuss the Gravenstein apple's perilous future are Chris Mittelstaedt, a produce expert and Founder & CEO of The FruitGuys.com based in San Francisco, and Rebecca North, Director of Quality and Supply Chain at The FruitGuys.

It's HRN's annual summer fund drive, this is when we turn to our listeners and ask that you make a donation to help ensure a bright future for food radio. Help us keep broadcasting the most thought provoking, entertaining, and educational conversations happening in the world of food and beverage. Become a member today! To celebrate our 10th anniversary, we have brand new member gifts available. So snag your favorite new pizza - themed tee shirt or enamel pin today and show the world how much you love HRN, just go to heritageradionetwork.org/donate

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Pickling is an ancient method of preserving foods, and even though the preservation need is no longer the major importance in today’s gastronomic world, pickled foods are valued more as a food that excites and delivers those desired, assertive flavors. Fermentationist Jori Jayne Emde of Lady Jaynes Alchemy talk about the process and Zach Meyer from Claussen (Kraft-Heinz,) one of America's top choice, commercially produced pickles shares their history.

It's HRN's annual summer fund drive, this is when we turn to our listeners and ask that you make a donation to help ensure a bright future for food radio. Help us keep broadcasting the most thought provoking, entertaining, and educational conversations happening in the world of food and beverage. Become a member today! To celebrate our 10th anniversary, we have brand new member gifts available. So snag your favorite new pizza - themed tee shirt or enamel pin today and show the world how much you love HRN, just go to heritageradionetwork.org/donate.

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Today, we are rerunning Episode #52 of A Taste of the Past, in which we spoke with Molly O'Neill. Molly passed away this week, and she will be sorely missed.

It's HRN's annual summer fund drive, this is when we turn to our listeners and ask that you make a donation to help ensure a bright future for food radio. Help us keep broadcasting the most thought provoking, entertaining, and educational conversations happening in the world of food and beverage. Become a member today! To celebrate our 10th anniversary, we have brand new member gifts available. So snag your favorite new pizza - themed tee shirt or enamel pin today and show the world how much you love HRN, just go to heritageradionetwork.org/donate.

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William Dickinson first drilled for brine in 1817, in western Virginia, using a hollowed-out tree trunk for piping, The town soon became the "salt capial of the east." Today, two 7th generation descendants of Dickinson, siblings Nancy Bruns and Lewis Payne, have reinvented this storied tradition, transforming the process by using natural and environmentally friendly concepts to produce small-batch finishing salt. On the very same family farm where William Dickinson lived and made salt, Nancy and Lewis have recaptured salt from this pristine 400 million year old ancient sea below the Appalachian Mountains. Nancy joins Linda to tell the story.

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Community cookbooks—you know, those spiral bound collections with each contributor credited--began as a way for women to come together and share recipes and to support a common cause be it a local church, school, club, or other fundraising goal. The concept became so popular and spread rapidly throughout the nation that more than 3,000 charity cookbooks were published between 1864 and 1922, according to Feeding America, an historic cookbook project of Michigan State University. Antiquarian bookseller, collector and food historian Don Lindgren shares his insights into this movement from charitable funding to the breaking of gender limits.

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Have you ever marveled at the delicately complex beauty of a plate of Japanese food? A dish is considered well-harmonized in Japanese when it is peaceful to look at. This arrangement of food on the plates in Japan or at Japanese restaurants is largely dictated by the rules of moritsuké, or serving arrangement. These are a set of styles that draw on the ideas of balance and contrast established centuries ago. Elizabeth Andoh, an authority on Japanese food and culture, TasteofCulture.com, explains the art and philosopy behind the saying, "Japanese eat with their eyes."

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The prosperity of the 1950's kicked off the revolution in technology and design that transformed the American kitchen from scullery to the central great room of the modern home. Modern pastel colored appliances and kitchen products made by companies whose names became household synonyms for convenience were representative of the era. Writer and design curator Sarah Archer has documented this movement in her new book, The Midcentury Kitchen, and joins Linda to talk about it.

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New York City-based Senegalese chef Pierre Thiam has heightened the profile of West African cuisine in the United States with his restaurants and award-winning cookbooks Yolélé and Senegal. His new mission is to popularize the ancient supergrain FONIO in the U.S. and help farmers across the drought-prone Sahel region.

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The cuisine of the Italian south has been called the soul of Italian cuisine and bedrock in the history of Italian cooking. In her new book, Food of the Italian South, food journalist and historian Katie Parla explores the cuisine, region by region, and discovers that many of the dishes are disappearing or are lost and remain as vague memories by later generations. Katie shares her insights into the history and culture of the southern regions that shaped the country’s soulful cuisine.

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Photo courtesy of Ed Anderson.

The Basque region of Spain is a food lover's mecca. From the endless variety of pintxos--the small bites offered at hundreds of bars--to rustic ciderhouse dinners; and from over 20 Michelin-starred restaurants to private gastronomic clubs, there is clearly a strong culture of food and dining. San Sebastián, once a humble fishing village, is at the center of all this gastronomy. San Sebastian native and culinary tour guide Lourdes Erquicia shares the history of the region and its food traditions.

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For centuries, in the small town of Cetara on the Amalfi Coast of Italy, anchovies have been gathered and fermented into the piquant sauce "colatura di alici," a local specialty. Until the 1990s, colatura di alici had never been bottled or sold. People clamored for the artisanal product and asked for more. Now the town is embroiled in a "be careful what you wish for" scenario. Culinary history scholar Claire Alsup spent several months in Cetara examining the history and process, and was thrust into the middle of the town's debate.

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It's been 30 years since Irish cooking personality Darina Allen started SIMPLY DELICIOUS, her original television program and cookbook series. Today she looks back over that period of time and talks about the tried and true Irish dishes that she has gathered for her newest book, Simply Delicious: The Classic Collection. She reflects on how the cuisine has evolved over the years and descibes the traditional Irish recipes that have endured.

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Author Crystal King’s newest historical novel, “The Chef’s Secret,” is a fictional story based on a true character, Bartolomeo Scappi, who served as the Vatican chef during the 16th century Italian Renaissance. From Scappi’s original cookbooks and her extensive research on the popes and cardinals for whom he worked, King recreates and fabricates the missing pieces of the first ""celebrity chef's"" life.
As one reviewer wrote: It’s not a meant as a scholarly novel, but merits recognition for historical details on the Vatican and its occupants, and also architectural details of Roman estates… and, of course, descriptions of Scappi’s recipes and dishes.

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When Sukey and John Jamison purchased an old farmhouse over 40 years ago they had no idea they would they would become game-changing farmers, let alone being named Conservaton Farmers of the Year for 2017. As sheep farmers they learned techniques that harked back to historic methods which have roots in pre-industrial and European farming. Their lamb gained traction and was declared the best in the country by some of the top chefs and their customer list became a veritable who's who of the food world. They join Linda on this episode to talk about their experiences, stories, and recipes which they have written down in a new book that humbly declares that they achieved sustainable farming due to "pure survival techniques.

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In medieval times the term Laudemio indicated the best part of the harvest reserved for the feudal lord. This year the Frescobaldi family of Tuscany is celebrating the 30th anniversary harvest of its Laudemio Frescobaldi extra virgin olive oil with a special gold bottle. Matteo Fescobaldi, the 30th generation of the wine and olive oil family joins Linda to share the story behind Laudemio, now a consortium of 21 producers.

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Situated strategically at the crossroads of Europe and Asia in the Caucasus mountain range the Republic of Georgia has a unique and ancient cultural heritage that is famed for its traditions of hospitality and cuisine. Twenty-five years ago award-winner cookbook author Darra Goldstein introduced a generation of cooks to the culture and cuisine of that land in her book, The Georgian Feast. Today Georgia has become a hot travel destination for both its beautiful land and its food and wine traditions. Fortunately for us, an updated anniversary edition of The Georgian Feast has been released, and Darra once again brings the marvels and tastes of that rich country to her readers.

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Culinary travel is one of the fastest growing travel trends today. By combining travel with unique eating--and even cooking--experiences, culinary tourism offers an authentic taste of place and understanding of the culture. Elizabeth Minchilli shares her philosophy and tips for seeking out some of the historical food experiences which serve to preserve the ways of life and traditions that might otherwise fade away.

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Like the city itself, Rome’s culinary history is multi-layered, both vertically and horizontally, from migrant shepherds to the senatorial aristocracy, from the papal court to the flow of pilgrims and Grand Tourists, from the House of Savoy and the Kingdom of Italy to Fascism and the rise of the middle classes. Historian and author Karima Moyer-Nocchi joins Linda to talk about her recent book, The Eternal Table, in which she takes the reader on a culinary journey through the city streets, country kitchens, banquets, markets, festivals, osterias, and restaurants illuminating yet another facet of one of the most intriguing cities in the world.

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Italian cookbooks do not refer to it by name. It's not known by name in Italy. In fact, in the north of Italy it's unheard of, and the Catholic church does not recognize it. So what exactly is the Feast of Seven Fishes and how did it come to be associated with Italian-American Christmas Eve celebrations? Cookbook author Michele Scicolone helps shed some light on the search for the beginnings of this feast which just might be an Italo-American construct.

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Chinese cuisine's history dates back more than three millennia, and it's only in recent times that regional specialties beyond the usual Cantonese, Hunan, and Sichuan dishes have begun to arrive in the US. Still, one element of Chinese cookery that remains rare in the Western world is the most popular across China: street food. Author, photographer and food fanatic Howie Southworth aims to change that with his new book, Chinese Street Food, filled with history, recipes, stories, photos and more. He describes it as a celebration of a culinary culture.

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Ashley Rose Young, Historian of the American Food History Project at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, has long been interested in the foodways of America’s past. And when she’s not hosting live cooking demos to explore that history at the Smithsonian Museum, she is immersed in her study of the alternative foodways and food economies—specifically of New Orleans—which relied heavily on street vendors. This street vending became the domain of the enslaved or newly freed, disenfranchised population. And, like so many street vendors in cities around the world, their sing-song cries heralding the fruits, vegetables and sweets in baskets often carried on their heads, became the street music of late 19th and early 20th century New Orleans. Listen in for a sample of some of the cries.

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On a recent trip to Rome, I met up with Katie Parla, Italian food and culture writer, to talk to her about her thoughts on the recent renaissance of old classic Roman dishes, particularly pasta dishes. She spoke about past, present, and what she sees in the future for the food of Rome.

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In his recently published book, Creole Italian, Justin A. Nystrom explores the influence Sicilian immigrants have had on New Orleans foodways. His culinary journey follows these immigrants from their first impressions on Louisiana food culture in the mid-1830s and along their path until the 1970s. Sicilian immigrants cut sugarcane, sold groceries, ran truck farms, operated bars and restaurants, and manufactured pasta. Citing these cultural confluences, Nystrom posits that the significance of Sicilian influence on New Orleans foodways traditionally has been undervalued and instead should be included, along with African, French, and Spanish cuisine, in the broad definition of “creole.”

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Graham Kerr, aka The Galloping Gourmet, wrote a very modern and revolutionary cookbook in 1969, which was overshadowed by his huge success as one of the early TV cooking personalities. Matt and Ted Lee have resurrected the book and added Kerr's own handwritten commentary. Graham and Matt join Linda to revisit the newly republished book and early stardom of TV food.

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In the 1980s, Montgomery County, Maryland set aside one-third of the county—93,000 acres—for agricultural uses. It was a remarkable act of stewardship, especially in the Washington, DC metropolitan area, where land is at a premium. Since then more than 500 farm operations produce food for local residents and for people around the world. The Reserve has become a national model for land preservation and has created space for food production, but also for clean air and water, recreation, and history. Independent writer, Claudia Kousoulas and producer, Ellen Letourneau have created a cookbook whose recipes, profiles, essays and photographs trace the Reserve’s history.

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Food is a many layered topic in most cultures and none more so than in Sicily, where the bitterness found in the flavors of almonds and wild greens are also present in the emotions of Sicily's past. Fabrizia Lanza, born and raised in Palermo, left to study and live in northern Italy as an art historian for many years. She returned to carry on her mother's work at pre-eminent Anna Tasca Lanza Cooking School on the family property and winery, and realized the roots of so many of those bitter feelings were imbued with love for the land, people and food. She has made it her mission to promote Sicilian cuisine and bitter flavors through her books and films. Her newest film project called Amaro (bitter) is raising funds through a Kickstarter campaign and she hopes to have it completed by next fall. She shares her story with Linda on this episode.

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America has long had a love affair with cookies which led big business to get in the game and the choices of commercially made sweets seem endless. Several years ago Oreos, the iconic, #1 American cookie, celebrated their 100th birthday. Food writer and culinary historian Michael Krondl talks with Linda about their history and Nabisco - world's largest cookie factory that transformed cookie and cracker manufacturing.

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The Kanz al-fawāʾid fī tanwīʿ al-mawāʾid, a fourteenth-century cookbook, is unique for its variety and comprehensive coverage of contemporary Egyptian cuisine. It is the only surviving cookbook from a period when Cairo was a flourishing metropolis and a cultural haven for people of diverse ethnicities and nationalities. Now available for the first time in English, it has been meticulously translated and supplemented with a comprehensive introduction by scholar Nawal Nasrallah. She joins Linda on this episode to discuss the discoveries, delights, and difficulties of the task of making this important work accessible.

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Mary Randolph wrote The Virginia Housewife Cookbook, first published in 1824. But who was she and who was in the kitchen doing the cooking? Dr. Leni Sorensen, a writer, chef, and Jefferson's Monticello resident culinary historian, joins Linda to talk about the kitchens, cooking methods, and enslaved cooks who influenced the recipes and methods of cooking in one of America's oldest printed cookbooks.

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Trying to pinpoint origins of cuisines from the Caribbean is not an easy task. The many traders, invaders, colonists, and travelers left bits and pieces of their cuisines that became incorporated in the island food cultures. And Like most Caribbean islands, Jamaican foods are derived from many different settlement cultures, including British, Dutch, French, Spanish, East Indian, Portuguese, Chinese, and importantly, West African. Writer Rochelle Oliver takes us back to the 1500’s to learn about the origins of the favorite Jamaican food preparation – Jerk.

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Profoundly intertwined with human civilization, milk has a compelling and a surprisingly global story to tell, and historian Mark Kurlansky, author of the new book "Milk! A 10,000 Year Food Fracas" is the perfect person to tell it. HRN's Kat Johnson interviewed Mark last month at MOFAD, (Museum of Food and Drink) and shares it here with us. In this diverse history from antiquity to the present, he details milk's curious and crucial role in cultural evolution, religion, nutrition, politics, and economics.

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From the 1920s through the 1940s "Aunt Sammy's Housekeeper's Chat" was a hit food radio program created by the USDA Bureau of Home Economics. Aunt Sammy doled out recipes, kitchen tips, and other household advice. She was so popular that the spin-off recipe book stayed in print for 50 years. But who was she? Justin Nordstrom, editor of the newly annotated version of Aunt Sammy's Radio Recipes, joins Linda to introduce and explain the phenomenon of Aunt Sammy.

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America's agriculture has undergone many changes in the past century. One of the major changes is the growth of soy bean farming and how the little-known Chinese transplant became the nation's largest cash crop. Matthew Roth joins Linda to share the history and stories from his book, Magic Bean: Rise of Soy in America.

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The adage "Power of the Press" is never truer than when it comes to restaurant reviews. A review can make or break a business, and more than that, it serves as a reliable guide to diners' experiences. Longtime restaurant critic and food writer Mimi Sheraton shares her insights and experience and sheds some light on the history of restaurant reviews.

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Arabs have always been great traders, collecting spices and ingredients from the early Silk Road routes right through the expansion of Islam from North Africa to South Asia. With the ingredients came the development of recipes and dishes unique to the various locations. Anissa Helou has lived and traveled widely in these regions and has become an authority on the cuisines. In her new book she presents her research and recipes that are evidence of the great culinary traditions of the Islamic world.

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Food trucks announcing "halal" proliferate in many urban areas but how many non-Muslims know what this means, other than cheap lunch? Middle Eastern historians Febe Armanios and Boğaç Ergene provide an accessible introduction to halal (permissible) food in the Islamic tradition, exploring what halal food means to Muslims and how its legal and cultural interpretations have changed in different geographies up to the present day.

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Many Ancient Roman dishes included the use of fish sauce—garum or liquamen—made from fermented fish parts. Sally Grainger, one of the foremost authorities on Roman fish sauce and foods of the Roman era, joins Linda to explain the nuances, differences, and uses of the sauces, as well as other herbs, spices, and recipes she has written about in her book, Cooking Apicius.

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Until the mid-19th Century, it was not acceptable--and in some cases not allowed--for women to out and about unescorted. They would not be served even at elite restaurants. But in 1868, a journalist named Jane Cunningham Croly pushed open the doors of restaurants to women with an historic luncheon at Delmonico's in New York City, and the rest is...history. this luncheon was recreated at the famed Delmonico's with guest chef/restaurateur Gabrielle Hamilton cooking some classic dishes for an all woman group of diners. Linda gives a first hand report of that event and speaks with those involved.

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On this episode, historian and regular voice on BBC Radio 4's Kitchen Cabinet, Annie Gray, joins Linda to talk about the enormous culinary changes during the Victorian era and the birth of modern food culture. In her recent book, The Greedy Queen, Annie considers Britain's most iconic monarch from a new perspective, telling the story of British food along the way. Voracious and adventurous in her tastes, Queen Victoria was head of state during a revolution in how the British ate--from the highest tables to the most humble.

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Few ingredients have had greater influence on the cuisines and foodways of the world than peppers. Their diaspora spans millenia and has shaped the way generations of cooks create flavor. On this episode historian and three-time James Beard award winning author Maricel Presilla joins Linda and shares her work from her new book, Peppers of the Americas, in which she retraces the fascinating history of how Capsicum spread across the globe and found their way into cuisines of the world.

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On this episode, Linda welcomes Kat Johnson, HRN's Communications Director, to share an panel she moderated at the 2018 Charleston Wine + Food festival. Kat welcomed Jerome Dixon and Doc Bill Thomas from Georgia Coastal Gourmet Farms, Chef Sean Brock of Husk, and Glenn Roberts of Anson Mills to talk about the repatriation of Purple Ribbon Sugar Cane to Sapelo Island, home of the Gullah-Gechee community Hog Hammock.

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Marvin Taylor, Director and Archivist of NYU Fales Library and Special Collections, has been instrumental in building one of the top culinary collections in the nations. He and Linda discuss the meaning of classic cookbooks and other archival materials that can help us piece together the past.

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In his book Chefs, Drugs and Rock & Roll, Andrew Friedman takes us back in time to witness the remarkable changes in the American dining scene and evolution of the American restaurant chef in the 1970s and '80s. Using oral histories told primarily in the words of the people who lived it Friedman writes about the pioneers behind Chez Panisse, Spago, River Cafe and other landmarks as well as many of the the young cooks like Jonathan Waxman, Tom Colicchio, and Mario Batali who went on to become household names. Friedman shares those stories with Linda on this informative episode.

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African Americans have worked in presidential food service as chefs, personal cooks, butlers, stewards, and servers for every First Family since George and Martha Washington. Award-winning author and food historian Adrian Miller explores the lives of these men and women in his book, The President’s Kitchen Cabinet: The Story of the African Americans Who Have Fed Our First Families from the Washingtons to the Obamas (UNC Press, 2017). Miller gives us a glimpse of what life was like for these culinary artists, and he incorporates their White House experiences into the larger history of African American foodways, American foodways, and its cultural impact both at the White House and nationwide.

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Just about every culture has some form of noodles. But when and where did noodles first appear? Food historian Ken Albala joins Linda to untangle the noodle's history.

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What is most commonly known about the food and dining of Ancient Rome comes from vivid—and often fictional—descriptions of exotic foods of lavish banquets of the wealthy. But further study reveals an approachable cuisine of the Mediterranean in ancient times. Farrell Monaco describes how she combines her background in archaeology to study and recreate many of those dishes.

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Good news to David Shields is that the Speckled Whippoorwill Cowpea, Jimmy Red whisky corn, or the Sicilian Timilia strain of durum wheat has been located, identified, and successfully grown and harvested. And further success means that many of these formerly lost seeds are added to the Ark of Taste, Slow Food's global register of the most flavorful, historically resonant, and imperiled foods. David sat down with Linda to discuss some of the recent searches for seeds and why they are important in the final flavors of regional dishes.

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Who were the Acadians? What was their food culture and cuisine? Food writer and journalist Simon Thibault, talks about exploring his Acadian roots and reacquainting himself with the food and recipes from his family’s past which he documented in his new book, Pantry and Palate: Remembering and Rediscovering Acadian Food. It’s a cookbook filled with old food traditions, recipes and anecdotes “seasoned with history.”

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Culinarians are and were intellectually curious, aesthetically experimental, and gastronomically evangelical. In his new book, The Culinarians: Lives and Careers from the First Age of American Fine Dining, Dr. David Shields traces the stories of 175 lives and careers of chefs, caterers, and restaurateurs who raised the profession of cooking and fine dining in America to an art form.

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Unlike many Italian cookbooks, Autentico goes far beyond pasta. In a world where culinary shortcuts, adulteration, misleading labeling, and mass production of seemingly “authentic” food rule, culinary archaeologist, innovator and cooking teacher Rolando Beramendi has kept centuries-old culinary traditions alive.

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The American South is a diverse region with its own vocabulary, peculiarities, and complexities. Even Southerners can't always agree on all things Southern. A new book by the editors of Garden & Gun Magazine is a good source for answers. S is for Southern is an encyclopedia of Southern life, culture, and history, covering age-old traditions and current zeitgeists. Executive managing editor Phillip Rhodes, born and bred in the south, talks about the fun facts.

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Following WWII, France--particularly Paris--became the world's most stylish tourist destination and capital of fine dining. Americans were smitten. Justin Spring follows the lives of six American writers-adventurers who adopted Paris as their home, and tells how they transformed the way Americans talk and think about food and the way they eat.

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Tea has been one of the most popular commodities in the world. Over centuries, profits from its growth and sales funded wars and fueled colonization. Erika Rappaport talks about her new book, A Thirst for Empire, in which she delves into how Europeans adopted, appropriated, and altered Chinese tea culture to build a widespread demand for tea in Britain and other global markets and a plantation-based economy in South Asia and Africa. She shares her in-depth historical look at how men and women—through the tea industry in Europe, Asia, North America, and Africa—transformed global tastes and habits and in the process created our modern consumer society.

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Paris has been associated with fine dining for centuries and the city remains a veritable walking tour of historic gastronomy. David Downie, a travel and food writer living in Paris, takes a deep dive into this history for his new book, A Taste of Paris: A History of the Parisian Love Affair with Food. He shares with us stories, events and locations that brim with passion and flavor--a true food lover's paradise.

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Award winning journalist Maryn McKenna reveals the fascinating history of chicken in her new book, Big Chicken. She talks with us about chicken's rise in popularity through the routine use of antibiotics, a practice that would transform agriculture, change the world's eating habits, and contribute to the deadly rise of drug-resistant infections around the globe.

In his new book, ACID TRIP: Travels in the World of Vinegar (Abrams Books), Michael Harlan Turkell takes us on a fermented look into vinegar's soured past and bright future. He shares tales and experiences from his travels throughout North America, France, Italy, Austria, and Japan to learn about vinegar-making practices in places where the art has evolved over centuries.

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Most biographers pay little attention to people’s attitudes toward food, but once we ask how somebody relates to food, we find a whole world of different and provocative ways to understand her. Historian Laura Shapiro uses the lens of food to look at the lives of six women, each famous in her time, and most are still famous in ours; but until now, nobody has told their lives from the point of view of the kitchen and the table.

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Scents and Flavors is a 13th century Syrian cookbook which historian and Arabic scholar Charles Perry has edited and translated. Unlike many early recipe manuals this book gives us a glimpse of the social history of the medieval period in Syria. Charles talks about an inventive cuisine that elevates simple ingredients by combining various aromas of herbs, spaces, fruits and flower essences. He shares stories and descriptions of ingredients and recipes for food and drink as well as the fragrances that garnish the meals and perfume the diners.

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First patented in 1856, baking powder sparked a classic American struggle for business supremacy. For nearly a century, brands battled to win loyal consumers for the new leavening miracle, transforming American commerce and advertising even as they touched off a chemical revolution in the world's kitchens. Linda Civitello chronicles the titanic struggle that reshaped America's diet and rewrote its recipes.

From early trading posts to retail chains and superstores, award winning author Michael Ruhlman--The Soul of a Chef, The Elements of Cooking--traces the history and evolution of the American grocery store in his new book, Grocery: The Buying and Selling of Food in America. On this episode Ruhlman shares his views of grocery stores as a reflection of our culture. He examines how rapidly supermarkets—and our food and culture—have changed since the days of your friendly neighborhood grocer.

John T. Edge joins Linda today for a conversation about his new book, The Potlikker Papers: A Food History of the Modern South. John T., an esteemed writer of Southern food, traces how the food of the poorest Southerners has become the signature trend of modern American haute cuisine. He puts names and faces on the familiar dishes as he examines the food, race and politics in the South over the past 60 years.

Since 2013, David Shields has been the chairman of Slow Food's Ark of Taste Committee for the South, and will be a participant in Slow Food Nations Festival in Denver, July 14-16. There he will talk about the heirloom grains which have been revived with the help of farmers and chefs. He spoke with Linda about his work reviving many of the heirloom ingredients that made up the original flavors of southern cuisine.

Dr. Shields, Distinguished Professor at University of South Carolina, and the Chairman of the Carolina Gold Rice Foundation, is the author of Southern Provisions: the Creation and Revival of a Cuisine (Univ of Chicago Press: 2015).

Author Megan Elias explores the role words play in the creation of taste on both a personal and a national level. From Fannie Farmer to The Joy of Cooking to food blogs, she argues, American cookbook writers have commented on national cuisine while tempting their readers to the table. By taking cookbooks seriously as a genre and by tracing their genealogy, her new book, Food on the Page, explains where contemporary assumptions about American food came from and where they might lead.

It’s been 111 years since the publication of The Jungle, Upton Sinclair’s groundbreaking book on the cattle industry. Though improvements in animal welfare have been made since then, the industry has evolved to include issues Sinclair could never have foreseen. In her new book, What’s the Matter with Meat?, Katy Keiffer, host of What Doesn’t Kill You here on HRN, leads readers though a crash course on how this powerful multinational business has been able to generate such a bountiful supply of absurdly cheap animal proteins.

Roses are indigenous to Iran and distilling the essential oils of the flower to make rose water has been practiced there for over 2,500 years. Every May, when the city of Kashan is enveloped in pink and a sweet floral scent, there is a festival that honors this ancient tradition of boiling petals in barrels of water and collecting and condensing the rising steam. Cookbook author Yasmin Khan attended the festivities last year and joins us to share the stories, significance and flavor uses of rose water and to share culinary insights from her recent book, The Saffron Tales, from Bloomsbury Press.

On the season premiere of A Taste of the Past, host Linda Pelaccio is joined by Elizabeth Federici and Kathleen Squires, the director/producer and producer, respectively, of the new documentary film James Beard: America's First Foodie.

The name of James Beard has become synonymous with culinary excellence, and each year thousands gather in New York City for the James Beard Foundation Awards, which is often referred to as the Academy Awards for food. And yet, the incredible details of Beard's life are not as widely recognized.

The will air on PBS Friday, May 19 at 9:00 p.m.

For years Food History remained the purview of a few researchers writing papers for academic journals. But recently interest has grown in knowing what we ate in times past, and where certain foods in different cuisines came from. Emelyn Rude joins Linda to talk about a start-up magazine on the horizon called REPAST that aims to tell the interesting stories about food history that will appeal to everyone. And one of the early contributors, Ken Albala, a professor of history who has devoted a good part of his career writing about and teaching students about food and culinary history talks about his views on this growing interest.

This week on A Taste of the Past, host Linda Pelaccio is joined by tea sommelier for the historic St. Regis Hotel in New York City, Elizabeth Knight.

Widely recognized as one of the country’s foremost authorities on tea and entertaining, Knight shares her passion as the founder of Tea with Friends, a website devoted to all things tea. A certified English Tea Master, she is the author of bestselling books on the subjects of tea and entertaining including Tea with Friends, Celtic Teas with Friends, Welcome Home, and Tea in the City New York - A Tea Lover's Guide to Sipping and Shopping in the City.

The countries in the Persian culinary region are home to diverse religions, cultures, languages, and politics, but they are linked by captivating food traditions. The intrepid traveler, food writer and photographer Naomi Duguid covered the vast region to capture the cuisine. She uncovers the flavors of herbs, spices, fruit and tart that transcend the divisive borders and give a picture of ancient tastes of modern people.

Everyone is a little bit Irish on St. Patrick's Day, or so the saying goes. It's a celebration that's been going on in America since the mid 1700's. And except for the soda bread, the food of the day is anything but Irish. Irish-American cookbook author Margaret Johnson joins us to talk about the background of some of these dishes and others that have stayed true to their roots.

Andrea Nguyen, an author, food writer, culinary teacher and expert in Vietnamese cooking, learned to love the iconic noodle soup of Vietnam long before it became a cult food item in the US. She traveled back to her birthplace to research and learn about the birth of PHO which she recounts in her newest book, The Pho Cookbook, and shares with us in this episode.

The recently completed Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture is the only national museum devoted exclusively to the documentation of African American life, history, and culture. It was established by Act of Congress in 2003, following decades of efforts to promote and highlight the contributions of African Americans. Within the museums' exhibits are five forms of cultural expression including "Foodways: Culture and Cuisine." Author and historian of African-American foodways Jessica B. Harris was a consultant on the project, and talks about range of influence of African-Americans in the foods and cooking of the United States. And she gives us a behind-the-scenes look at the careful planning of regional foods offered in the museum's Sweet Home Cafe.

Handwritten Recipes is a living platform for culinary memories curated and edited by Rozanne Gold, a well-known chef and cookbook author. The column is part of the the website Handwrittenwork.com created by Brett Rawson, and serves to re-ignite the connection between generations of families through food, memory, and the power of the pen. While the relation of food to language is universal, the curve and slope of a loved one’s scrawl can re-capture long-lost scents, tastes and emotions at a moment’s notice--a living cookbook. Rozanne and Brett join Linda to discuss the silent power of the handwritten word in our digital world.

Chinese food first became popular in America under the shadow of violence against Chinese aliens. In her book Chow Chop Suey, Anne Mendelson traces the introduction of an altered Cantonese cuisine to white Americans by poor Chinese immigrants during the Gold Rush. She follows the eventual abolition of anti-Chinese immigration laws and demographic changes that transformed the face of Chinese cooking in America.

Today is the launch the 8th Winter/Spring season of A Taste of the Past. To get this season cracking Ramin Ganeshram joins me to talk all about the background, history, and folklore of coconuts. Where do they originate? How were they dispersed? And how are they incorporated in cuisines across the continents? Ramin will include a discussion on the cuisine of Trinidad & Tobago, the land of her paternal ancestors where she spent many summer vacations and family visits learning to appreciate the sweet pleasures of coconut.

The winter solstice is the longest night of the year. Since ancient times, people all over the world have recognized this important astronomical occurrence and celebrated the subsequent “return” of the Sun in a variety of different ways. Old solstice traditions have influenced holidays we celebrate now, such as Christmas and Hanukkah and historian Cathy Kaufman discusses the rites, rituals and recipes of many of those celebrations.

Menus hold a vast amount of historic information on America's culture, social history, economy, and everyday life. Food and culture historian and menu collector Henry Voigt shares some of the stories old menus have to tell about 19th century America.

From an accidental churning in ancient times to the modern day quest for the purest, silkiest spreads, butter has a very rich history. Historian Elaine Khosrova, author of Butter, A Rich History, shares some of her stories as we dive into the unctuous beginnings of this delicious food.

American cuisine is often described as bland, but throughout our history flavors and spices such as pepper, vanilla, curry powder and soy sauce have crossed the ocean to define our ever-changing palate. Historic Gastronomist Sarah Lohman researched the stories of these flavors in her new book Eight Flavors, The Untold Story of American Cuisine and shares them with us.

Intrepid traveler and writer Shane Mitchell shares her insights into the culture and regional cuisines of remote communities around the world from her book, Far Afield: Rare Food Encounters Around the World. She describes the food, farming, and fascinating people she met in these areas who are keeping some of the world’s oldest food traditions alive.

Artist, writer, and accomplished cook Rob Chirico talks about growing up with an Italian mother who would rather be anywhere but the kitchen. In fact, he wrote an entire book about it, "Not My Mother's Kitchen." In today's discussion Rob gives Italian-American cooking its deserved place as a cuisine separate from classic Italian and explains why.

Since ancient times Chinese cuisine has been a reflection of cultural triumph and struggle. From political battles and famines to a proliferation of gastronomic arts, food has been embedded in the national psyche and evidenced in its eight great cuisines. The Chinese authors of China, The Cookbook describe the background and evolution of their country's culinary culture.

Cakes in America aren't just about sugar, flour, and frosting. They have a deep, rich history that developed as our country grew. Cakes in some form or other have been around for millennia and were brought to America by the early settlers, primarily the English, Dutch and German. Author and cake historian Anne Byrn traces American cakes chronologically from dark, dense gingerbread and Martha Washington Great Cake to the modern California cakes of orange and olive oil.

In 1765 Richard Hennessy created the eponymous Cognac. Today, Maurice Hennessy, 8th generation, joins us to tell the story. And Kara Newman talks about the Negroni and other cocktail history from her new book, Shake, Stir, Sip.

Restaurants in America are as diverse as our population, and they speak volumes about our society according to Professor Paul Freedman, Author of Ten Restaurants That Changed America. From Delmonico's to Howard Johnson's, Freedman discusses the ten restaurants he profiles and tells how they had a sociological as well as gastronomical impact on our country.

Elissa Altman, James Beard Award-winning writer of the blog and book, Poor Man’s Feast sits down with Linda to talk about food and memories and writing her latest memoir, Treyf: My Life as an Unorthodox Outlaw. So many of life's events are intrinsically tied to smells, tastes, or a particular meal and Elissa explains how she weaves it all into her writing.

The Dutch were some of the earliest settlers in America, yet many of their culinary contributions remain little known. Food historian Peter Rose, who is from the Netherlands, has devoted her career to writing and educating Americans about the Dutch foodways--and especially their penchant for sweets and talks with us about the history of the foods we consider American classics. And Tom Daly talks about a Dutch cookie taking America by storm: the stroopwafel.

Food history explores the origins of edible items, and Saveur magazine has joined the pursuit of interesting and perhaps unusual food origins. Editor-in-chief Adam Sachs shares the topics of the magazine's latest issue, The Origins Issue, which reveals some of the mysteries of the food world.

After WWI, America went from sending food to war-starved Europe to suddenly no longer being the land of plenty. Authors Jane Ziegelman and Andy Coe discuss the culinary impact of that period which they chronicle in their new book, A Square Meal, A Culinary History of the Great Depression.

On the season finale of A Taste of the Past, host Linda Pelaccio is joined in the studio by Sarah Lohman, to look at the culinary traditions surrounding funerals throughout American history.

Dubbed an “historic gastronomist,” Lohman recreates historic recipes as a way to make a personal connection with the past. She chronicles her explorations in culinary history on her blog, FourPoundsFlour.com, and her work has been featured in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and NPR. Lohman’s first book, Eight Flavors: The Untold Story of American Cuisine, is due out with Simon & Schuster December 6, 2016.

This week on A Taste of the Past – author and culinary historian Emelyn Rude traces the history of eating chicken, from the first domestication of the chicken nearly 10,000 years ago to its current status as our favorite meat.

New York was once known as the oyster capital of the world, and was famous for the Blue Point Oyster that originated in the Great South Bay on Long Island. In 1938, that suddenly changed due to the New England hurricane known as "The Long Island Express." Inlets were cut through Fire Island, silting over oyster beds and exposing them to predators. After WWII, the wild population still hadn't recovered and the oyster industry lay dormant for decades. However, the "Blue Point" name lived on under questionable circumstances.

Fast-forward to the late 1990s, enter Chris Quartuccio. Chris grew up in West Sayville, just down the road from Blue Point. After disease wiped out much of the Eastern wild oyster population (causing the price of oysters to quadruple), the stage was set for Chris to start the first Oyster Farm on the Great South Bay in almost 80 years! This week on A Taste of the Past, Kat Johnson takes a trip to visit Chris at Blue Island Oyster Company's hatchery and nursery to learn more about the history of the oyster farming industry on the Great South Bay.

This week on A Taste of the Past, host Linda Pelaccio is joined via phone by Patric Kuh, the multiple-James Beard Award–winning restaurant critic for Los Angeles Magazine and author of Finding the Flavors We Lost: From Bread to Bourbon, How Artisans Reclaimed American Food.

Industrialization and mass production stripped many foods of their original flavors, but there's been a growing movement over the past 50+ years to get back to those flavors and restore the natural goodness of our food. In Finding the Flavors We Lost, Kuh profiles major figures in the so-called “artisanal” food movement who brought exceptional taste back to food and inspired chefs and restaurateurs to redefine and rethink the way we eat.

America's Gilded Age, the last quarter of the nineteenth century, is renowned for the excesses of robber barons and tycoons and their culture of conspicuous consumption. The lavishness of their tables impressed contemporaries and historians alike. But what about the eating habits of ordinary people at the time? Robert Dirks, author of Food in the Gilded Age, poses that question and discovers some surprising answers by peering through the lens of what then was a newly emerging science of nutrition.

This week on A Taste of the Past, host Linda Pelaccio is joined in the studio by Fany Gerson. A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, Fany has worked in many kitchens, from the three-Michelin star Akelare in San Sebastian, Spain, to Eleven Madison Park and Rosa Mexicano in New York, where she developed her celebrated modern Mexican desserts. After returning from a long trip to her native Mexico to write her first book, My Sweet Mexico, she opened La Newyorkina to share and celebrate the amazing frozen treats and sweets of her homeland.

Also joining them in the studio is Rosio Sanchez, the former pastry chef of Noma who opened her own taqueria in Copenhagen, Hija de Sanchez.

This week on A Taste of the Past, host Linda Pelaccio is joined in the studio by Chef Alex Raij.

Alex Raij and her husband Eder Montero are chefs and owners of Txikito, a love letter to the Basque country in Spain – a region whose cuisine is distinguished by excellence and simplicity in both ingredients and techniques. She is also the co-author, along with Montero, of The Basque Book: A Love Letter in Recipes from the Kitchen of Txikito.

This week on A Taste of the Past, host Linda Pelaccio is joined in the studio by Andrew F. Smith, author of the book Fast Food: The Good, The Bad and The Hungry. He is also the editor of the Edible Series, a revolutionary new series of books on food and drink which explores the rich history of man’s consumption. Each book provides an outline for one type of food or drink, revealing its history and culture on a global scale.

Tune in to hear them discuss the history of the fast food industry, from the streets to the franchises.

This week on A Taste of the Past, host Linda Pelaccio is joined by Roger Horowitz, an historian of American business, technology, and labor, and an expert on the nation’s food. He is the author of the book Kosher USA: How Coke Became Kosher and Other Tales of Modern Food (Arts and Traditions of the Table: Perspectives on Culinary History).

Horowitz traces the history and dramatic rise of kosher food products, specifically how they made their way into American food culture and were later popularized in the mass market of consumer products.

Chef Gabriel Kreuther joins us in the studio to talk about the cuisine of his native Alsace-Lorraine.

A Michelin-starred chef, Kreuther was born on a family farm in Alsace and raised on his mother's traditional Alsatian cooking. After attending culinary school and working in Michelin-starred kitchens throughout Germany, France and Switzerland, Kreuther arrived in New York City in 1997 to work as a sous-chef at La Caravelle restaurant.

He was named one of Food & Wine's Best New Chefs in 2003 and won a 2009 James Beard Foundation Award for “Best Chef: New York City.” Kreuther's eponymous restaurant offers an Alsatian-inspired dining experience overlooking Bryant Park.

Appalachian food has been sustainable and organic for generations. They have been offering “farm to table” fare forever, without needing to call it that. And the iconic dish of soup beans and cornbread is "culinary harmony," a perfect blend of the native beans with the rendered fat of the pig, an animal brought to the lower South by the Spanish in the 16th century and to the upper South by the English in the 17th. Fred Sauceman, Appalachia born and raised, tells the story.

Fred Sauceman is Senior Writer and Associate Professor of Appalachian Studies at Eastern Tennessee State University. His latest book is Buttermilk & Bible Burgers: More Stories from the Kitchens of Appalachia, published by Mercer University Press. He is also the author of the three-volume book series on Appalachian foodways, The Place Setting: Timeless Tastes of the Mountain South, from Bright Hope to Frog Level, published by Mercer as well. In addition, he is editor of Cornbread Nation 5: The Best of Southern Food Writing.

On this week's A Taste of the Past, the tropical elegance and vibrant energy of Cuba's rich history and culture are recaptured in the stories of cocktails by two owners of the well known NYC rum bar, Cienfuegos – Jane Danger and Alla Lapushchik.

On this week's episode of A Taste of the Past, host Linda Pelaccio is joined in the studio by Krishnendu Ray, Department Chair of the Food Studies program at NYU. A food studies scholar, he is the author of The Migrant’s Table: Meals and Memories in Bengali-American Households (Temple University, 2004). He co-edited Curried Cultures: Globalization, Food and South Asia (University of California Press, 2012). His most recent monograph is The Ethnic Restaurateur (Bloomsbury 2016).

On this week's episode of A Taste of the Past, host Linda Pelaccio speaks with chef and cookbook author Joyce Goldstein. For twelve years she was Chef and Owner of the ground-breaking Mediterranean Restaurant, SQUARE ONE, in San Francisco. A consultant to the restaurant and food industries, Joyce’s areas of expertise are recipe development, menu design, and staff training. She is the author of Inside the California Food Revolution, and her latest book is The New Mediterranean Jewish Table: Old World Recipes for the Modern Home.

On this week's episode of A Taste of the Past, host Linda Pelaccio speaks with "Pope of Peppers" Dave DeWitt, a food historian, award-winning author, and founder of the National Fiery Foods & Barbecue Show, which is now in its 25th year. DeWitt has written or coauthored more than thirty books on peppers and has edited two magazines on the subject. He is one of the foremost authorities in the world on chile peppers, spices, and spicy foods.

On this week's episode of A Taste of the Past, host Linda Pelaccio is joined by Dr. Tim Ryan, president of the Culinary Institute of America. Dr. Ryan has served as president of The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) since 2001. He himself graduated from the CIA in 1977, and received bachelor's and Master of Business Administration degrees from the University of New Haven. He earned his doctorate degree in education from The University of Pennsylvania. With the unique background of being a Certified Master Chef and Culinary Olympic Champion with an Ivy League doctoral degree, he is the first alumnus and faculty member to rise through the CIA to become president.

On this week's episode of A Taste of the Past, host Linda Pelaccio is joined in the studio by author, food blogger, and design writer Elizabeth Minchilli, and Rolando Baramendi, founder of Manicaretti, an importer and seller of Italian specialty items. Tune in to hear them discuss the changing food culture in Italy, from cocktails and coffee to the price of a dish of pasta.

On this week's episode of A Taste of the Past, host Linda Pelaccio is joined by Clifford Wright and Tim McGreevy. In recognition of the UN's International Year of Pulses, they discuss the history of pulses, from 10,000 years ago to their importance in today's farming and diets."Pulse” is a derivation from the Latin words puls or pultis meaning “thick soup.” Pulse crops are small but important members of the legume family, which contains over 1,800 different species.

Adrian Miller is a 'recovering' lawyer, soul food scholar, and former special assistant to President Clinton and today joins Linda Pelaccio on A Taste of the Past. Explaining that after President Clinton's second term, he found himself with extra time on his hands and ended up spending the next decade or so researching soul food. Specifically commenting on macaroni and cheese, Adrian shares how it began as a food fit for royalty dating back to the 1300s. From royalty to US Presidents, soul food has consistently had a place on the White House dinner table and Adrian goes on to recall tales of the influential African American chefs featured throughout presidential history. Tune in for a great episode!

Ever wondered how plate size affects waist size? This week on A Taste of the Past, Linda Pelaccio is on the line with Brian Wansink, Professor and Director of the famed Cornell University Food and Brand Lab, where he is a leading expert in changing eating behavior – both on individual level and on a mass scale -- using principles of behavioral science. The author of Mindless Eating and Slim by Design as well as over 200 peer-reviewed journal articles, tune in as Brian relays how we can change the way we eat in a fun, painless, scalable, meet-people-where-they-are way.

Americans eat more processed foods than anyone else in the world. We also spend more on military research. These two seemingly unrelated facts are inextricably linked. If you ever wondered how ready-to-eat foods infiltrated your kitchen, you’ll love this week's episode of A Taste of the Past. Tune in as Linda Pelaccio is on the line with Anastacia Marx De Salcedo, author of the book, "Combat-Ready Kitchen: How the U.S. Military Shapes the Way You Eat," discussing the secret military history of practically everything you buy at the supermarket.

Folklore has long explored food as a core component of life, linked to identity, aesthetics, and community and connecting individuals to larger contexts of history, culture and power. It recognizes that we gather together to eat, define class, gender, and race by food production, preparation, and consumption, celebrate holidays and religious beliefs with food, attach meaning to the most mundane of foods, and evoke memories and emotions through our food selections and presentations. Today, A Taste of the Past host Linda Pelaccio welcomes Dr. Lucy Long to the show to elaborate on her books, The Food and Folklore Reader as well as Culinary Tourism, talking how these topics play into current food studies and much more.

You don't need anybody to tell you Chicago is a food city or to extol the virtues of chicken Vesuvio, deep dish pizza, a jibarito, South Side rid tips or a Vienna Beef hot dog (on a poppy seed bun, of course). Perhaps less well known is how Chicago's cuisine developed, or how the city became the first modern industrial food center, both of which are explored in Chicago: A Food Biography by Daniel R. Block and Howard Rosing. (Chicago Tribune)

A fascinating food history of Chicago, revealing the reasons, many unexpected, why this city’s cuisine is so diverse and rich. An essential read for anyone interested in food and culinary history. (Jennifer McLagan, the author of award winning Bitter:A Taste of the World's Most Dangerous Flavor, with Recipes)

An interesting foray into Chicago's influence on food and food's influence on Chicago. (Denese Neu, PhD, author of Chicago by the Pint: a Craft Beer History of the Windy City)

Anyone interested in American food history must know a lot about the indispensable heart: Chicago. The nation’s historic food production and commodity distribution center, home to every ethnic food in America, Chicago always has been an innovative culinary center. How this came about is told in Block and Rosing’s well researched and engagingly written work. A complex story very well told, it is the best survey to date. (Bruce Kraig, co-editor, Food City: The Encyclopedia of Chicago Food and Man Bites Dog: Hot Dog Culture in America)

Chicago: A Food Biography is as much a history of today’s industrial food system as a story of the evolving food culture of Chicago. While Chicago has been a melting pot for today’s food industry, the city has remained a veritable stew of ethnic cuisine. The book is a good read for anyone interested in food and a must read for anyone interested in both food and Chicago. (John E. Ikerd, professor emeritus, University of Missouri Columbia)

Chicago’s food traditions are no less towering than the skyscrapers that define its skyline. Deep-dish pizza and Chicago-style hot dogs loom large in the culinary landscape, as does the influence of Chicago chefs like Rick Bayless, Grant Achatz, and the late Charlie Trotter. In Chicago: A Food Biography, geographer Daniel R. Block and anthropologist Howard B. Rosing chronicle Chicago’s swift evolution from frontier town to food capital—a path paved by meat and corn, migration, and modern industrialization—and make a strong case for Chicago as the most American of cities. (Meryl Rosofsky, MD, writer and adjunct professor of Food Studies, New York University)

"While visions of sugarplums danced in their heads..." But, what exactly is a sugarplum? On the season finale of A Taste of the Past, Linda Pelaccio is in studio with Michael Krondl and Cathy Kaufman discussing the history behind the sweets enjoyed throughout the holidays. Embarking on a great fruitcake debate, explaining the plethora of sweeteners used throughout the ages, as well as the origins of the infamous yule log and more, this episode covers it all!

This week on A Taste of the Past, host Linda Pelaccio welcomes Lidia Bastianich to the studio discussing her newest book, "Lidia's Mastering the Art of Italian Cuisine: Everything You Need to Know to Be a Great Italian Cook." Teaching has always been Lidia’s passion, and in this magnificent book she shares the full benefit of that passion and of her deep, comprehensive understanding of what it takes to create delicious Italian meals. Lidia goes on to introduce the full range of standard ingredients—meats and fish, vegetables and fruits, grains, spices and condiments—and how to buy, store, clean, and cook with them. She also talks the comprehensive guide to the tools every kitchen should have to produce the best results. And she has even included a glossary of cuisine-related words and phrases that will prove indispensable for cooking, as well as for traveling and dining in Italy. There is no other book like this; it is the one book on Italian cuisine that every cook will need, and tune in to hear more straight from the source!

On a special episode A Taste of the Past, Linda Pelaccio is joined by Cathy Kaufman, the managing editor of Savoring Gotham: Celebrating the Making of the Definitive Companion to New York City’s Food.

New York City boasts the world’s most diverse, fascinating, and ground-breaking food scene. Whether dining in iconic or trend-setting restaurants, noshing on vibrant street food prepared by new immigrants, or filling one’s basket at markets catering to ethnic heritage or gourmet aspirations, New York City’s opportunities for cosmopolitan eating are unparalleled. New York also has pioneered solutions to complex issues, from launching farmers’ markets and tilling urban gardens be they in vacant lots or on pristine rooftopsto politically-charged battles over licensing laws, school food and soda sizes.

Cathy Kaufman (Chair), aka, dictator-for-life, has been chair of CHNY since 2003. She is Senior Editor of Savoring Gotham and of the Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in America, and writes for many publications. She teaches culinary history at The New School and the Institute of Culinary Education and is the author of Cooking in Ancient Civilizations; she loves foie gras, but to atone for her gluttony, can be found in Chinatown twice a week, practicing tai chi.

In 1967, four-thousand Jews fled from Libya, each with one suitcase and the equivalent of $50; half of them settled in Rome. This week on A Taste of the Past, Linda Pelaccio welcomes guest Katie Parla who describes the bonds these settlers formed with their Roman ancestors’ who arrived in the 15th century and the cuisine that has survived and flourished in the restaurants of the Roman Jewish Ghetto. Tune in for a fascinating show!

Using restaurants as a lens to observe the city’s cuisine, Lolis Elie talks about food, culture and customs of New Orleans on this week’s edition of _ A Taste of the Past _.

“There are at least two traditions in Louisiana gumbo. The New Orleans tradition, and that gumbo tends to be thinner, tends not to have as thick or dark of roux, and also, when I think of Creole gumbo I think of a mix of sausage, seafood, and occasionally some poultry.” [15:05]

–Lolis Elie on A Taste of the Past

From smoked arctic char, meatball stew and savory puffed pancakes to Swedish almond wreaths, cardamom braids and whipped berry pudding, tune in as _ A Taste of the Past _ goes Nordic with Darra Goldstein. Illustrating the glorious and diverse flavors of classic Nordic cooking, Darra’s recipes in the new book “Fire + Ice” have been tailored for home cooks of all abilities. As the foremost American authority on this region, she offers readers an opportunity to discover the history, lore, and rich culinary traditions of Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden with deeply personal essays about each country, as well as information on the history of foraging, the iconic ingredients of the north, and regional cooking techniques. More than just a usable cookbook, Fire + Ice is a travelogue and love letter to Scandinavia, inviting readers and cooks alike on a guided exploration of this unique region, its people, and its culture.

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> "The land really offers up a lot of riches but you have to work for them. It’s not a climate where the soil is so rich with minerals and fertility that you can stick a seed in the ground and watch it grow.” [9:17]

"One of the most classic Scandinavian dishes that is now a high-end food is gravlax, but it comes from the Swedish word ‘gravadlax’ which is simply ‘buried salmon.'” [10:21]

–Darra Goldstein on A Taste of the Past

Zora Neale Hurston is one of the most notable authors of the Harlem Renaissance. Her extensive ethnographic research on African American foodways throughout the state of Florida remains a critical historic resource to this day. Her work provides insight into meals such as pickled pig’s feet and their rise in the southern African American community as a staple, as well as many home remedies like parched rice and bay leaves for an upset stomach and recipes to cure “loss of mind.” From Floridian fried turtle to chicken pancakes, author Frederick Douglass Opie explores the lingering impact of Hurston’s work and Florida food while incorporating recipes that remain essential today.

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In an effort to preserve a period of America’s culinary history the National Endowment for the Humanities has funded the What America Ate Project to create an innovative website and online archive of culinary sources from the Great Depression. Materials include the far-flung papers of the WPA America Eats program, a collection of rare community cookbooks, and hundreds of food marketing and advertising materials from the 1930s.

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Look in your kitchen cabinet, there’s no doubt a Pyrex dish in there somewhere, whether it be a glass pie plate or the ubiquitous glass measuring cup with the red incremental markings.  This year marks the 100th anniversary of Pyrex, and Linda Pelaccio is celebrating on today’s episode of _ A Taste of the Past _ with guest Regan Brumagen of the Rakow Research Library at the Corning Museum of Glass.  As one of the curators of the “America’s Favorite Dish: Celebrating a Century of Pyrex” exhibit, Regan and Linda engage in a fascinating conversation from all things measuring cups to the vintage advertising to the product’s place in the emergence of home economics.  Tune in for more!

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Take a trip to the Far East long ago as host Linda Pelaccio welcomes Kian Lam Kho to the studio for a brand new episode of A Taste of the Past.  Kian shares descriptive details on what banquets were like in China more than three-thousand years ago and how traditional Chinese cuisine was shaped by the worldly trading routes.  Through much culinary detective work, Kian goes on to share tantalizing facts about ancient dishes and cooking techniques used before discussing a special visit to the country that no doubt influenced his new book, “Phoenix Claws and Jade Trees.”  Tune in for a thorough explanation behind the poetic names of popular Chinese plates! To find out more, check out Kian’s website!

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> #### “Mugu gai pan, for example, the ‘pan’ in the end means that the chicken is sliced thinly, so the ‘pan’ refers to the cut.” [26:45]

“Once you know the techniques, you can adapt to your own flavor or local ingredients because I understand not everywhere can you find the exotic ingredients required for Chinese cooking.” [28:30]

–Kian Lam Kho on A Taste of the Past

Women of African descent have contributed to America’s food culture for centuries, but their rich and varied involvement is still overshadowed by the demeaning stereotype of an illiterate “Aunt Jemima” who cooked mostly by natural instinct. Toni Tipton-Martin describes her years of research amassing one of the world’s largest private collections of cookbooks published by African American authors, looking for evidence of their impact on American food, families, and communities and for ways we might use that knowledge to inspire community wellness of every kind.

“This idea that there is a ‘Jemima Code,’ for me it’s this idea that actions, thoughts, behaviors, opinions, are all crafted and generated out of this trademark image that was based on a myth.” [3:45]

–Toni Tipton-Martin on A Taste of the Past

With the harvest season in bloom, A Taste of the Past host Linda Pelaccio welcomes food historian, author, and epicure William Woys Weaver for a thorough discussion on the significance of vegetables in the colonial and revolutionary period of early America from the gardens to the table.  William shares the plethora of vegetables grown during these eras and describes the process of maintaining the seeds of the heirloom plants, of which he has amassed over 4000 varieties.  Tune in for a fascinating show and learn why maintaining the seeds of history is essential!

“The heirloom breeds of animals and vegetables are really where it’s happening at the moment.” [12:40]

“During the Victorian period, the breeders created round, smooth, red tomatoes which sort of became the ideal tomato.  The old ones didn’t look like that.  Over time the physical appearance of the plant or fruit changed because we imposed new criteria on them.” [14:30]

–William Woys Weaver on A Taste of the Past

A Taste of the Past is back for a new radio season with host Linda Pelaccio welcoming guest Stephen Schmidt to the studio for a thorough talk on manuscript cookbooks. Stephen is the Principal Researcher and Writer for The Manuscript Cookbooks Survey, which catalogs pre-1865 English-language manuscript cookbooks. An ongoing project, Stephen shares that the site aims to give culinary historians, food writers, and others enhanced access to these important, fascinating materials, which too often lie neglected in libraries, historical sites, and other public institutions. Have recipes really changed that much through the eras? Tune in for a fascinating discussion! This program was brought to you by Whole Foods Market.

“A manuscript cookbook is a cookbook that exists in a manuscript, meaning that it is hand-written.  These cookbooks go back to the fourteenth and thirteenth century.” [4:00]

“The truth about it is, the printed recipes reveal a much more sophisticated cooking than is done today in homes.” [23:15]

–Stephen Schmidt on A Taste of the Past

What is Scottish cuisine? Well, it’s certainly more than haggis. Travel to the UK’s northern-most country on a brand new episode of A Taste of the Past. Host Linda Pelaccio is joined by Rachel McCormack, an expert on the subject of Scottish cuisine. She is a regular panelist on BBC Radio 4s The Kitchen Cabinet since the first pilot programme. She has also broadcast on the station’s From Our Own Corespondent, the Food Programme and appeared as an expert guest on BBC Radio 2 on both the Simon Mayo show and the Chris Evans show. Rachel’s writing and broadcasting has covered a variety of topics from the politics of hunting, to tasting whisky in remote distilleries, to how to make Catalan doughnuts. She has written for, amongst others, the Evening Standard, the BBC Vegetarian Food Magazine, the New Statesman, the Financial Times, RED magazine and the Guardian. This program was brought to you by Heritage Foods USA

“We make everything with oats – we make drinks with oats, there’s porridge in the morning, etc.” [08:00]

–Rachel McCormack on A Taste of the Past

A sweet tooth is a powerful thing! This week on A Taste of the Past, host Linda Pelaccio is exploring the vast array of sweets across the globe with Darra Goldstein, the Editor in Chief of “The Oxford Companion to Sugar and Sweets.” As Linda and Darra point out, the “science of sweet” is only the beginning of a fascinating story, because it is not basic human need or simple biological impulse that prompts us to decorate elaborate wedding cakes, scoop ice cream into a cone, or drop sugar cubes into coffee. These are matters of culture and aesthetics, of history and society, and we might ask many other questions. Why do sweets feature so prominently in children’s literature? When was sugar called a spice? And how did chocolate evolve from an ancient drink to a modern candy bar? Tune in to this intriguing episode and check out the Facebook page! This program was brought to you by Bonnie Plants.

“The plants that tended to be bitter would be toxic, or likely… the entire verge of survival depended on the sweet.” [6:00]

“They are making a fabric now of lightly sweetened green tea… it’s meant to be worn!” [23:25]

“Frisbee actually originated with a pie tin.” [24:20]

—Darra Goldstein on A Taste of the Past

The food of the Cuban table has largely been reproduced in other countries primarily by those who left their home in an attempt to recreate the tastes and smells of their past. Now that relations are opening up again, author Ana Sofia Pelaez together with photographer Ellen Silverman traveled to Cuba to rediscover those flavors and history of the cuisine, documented in their book, The Cuban Table. Ana joins Linda today on A Taste of the Past to talk about her discoveries. This program was brought to you by Bonnie Plants.

“There’s a lot of focus on the ingredients so it was very much about having these vegetables, fruits, and spices that you put together quickly and you can walk away from it… it’s about the technique.”

“It always has to be sweet, sour, and savory – you want to hit all your points!”

—Ana Sofia Pelaez on A Taste of the Past

Elizabeth Minchilli has been eating her way through Rome since she was 12 years old. “Eating Rome,” is her homage to the city that feeds her, literally and figuratively. This week on A Taste of the Past, host Linda Pelaccio is getting Elizabeth’s personal story which is a quirky and deliciously entertaining look at some of the city’s monuments to food culture. Strolling through her favorite open air markets along with details of amazing coffee, pizza, artichokes and grappa are just the starting points for mouth-watering stories about this ancient city. If you are planning your first trip to Rome or if you’ve been a dozen times, tune in as Linda spends this episode traveling through the region with Elizabeth as the perfect travel guide. This program was brought to you by Bonnie Plants.

“The thinking is that the last thing in the world you would want after a big lunch [in Rome] is a big cup of warm milk, which is basically what cappuccino is… so they’ll give it to you but they’ll be very disapproving.” [8:22]

“These [farmer’s] markets which are only open on Saturdays and Sundays are really crowded. I think that shows a rebirth of this interest in buying quality food from the source.” [16:35]

—Elizabeth Minchilli on A Taste of the Past

This week on A Taste of the Past, host Linda Pelaccio welcomes Eric Kayser, artisan baker, founder of Maison Kayser, and author of the book “The Larousse Book of Bread” to the show. Born into a family of French bakers, dating back four generations and recognized as one of the most talented artisan bakers of his generation, Eric Kayser has built his reputation on his passion for bread. The quality of his products and his incredible skill to combine authenticity and innovation in the world of French artisanal bakeries and tells Linda how he came up through the culinary world and his philosophy behind baking. With four shops in New York City (with three more on the way) and over eighty scattered across the world, Maison Kayser has an impressive training program for new shops opening paired with unique recipes that make each trip to Maison Kayser the best it can possibly be. Tune in for Eric’s trade secrets to amazing breads and highlights from his new book “The Larousse Book of Bread: 80 Recipes to Make at Home.” This program was brought to you by Whole Foods Market.

“We say that a baker is an alchemist, you need to work with few ingredients.” [9:00]

“If you want to do a good bread, you cannot work with a machine, you need to do it by yourself. This is why we decided to write this book.” [24:31]

—Eric Kayser on A Taste of the Past

This week on A Taste of the Past, host Linda Pelaccio is taking listeners on a journey to Iceland! Welcoming guest Jody Eddy, author of the new cookbook “North: The New Nordic Cuisine of Iceland,” to chat about one of the most beautiful and untouched places on Earth and its utterly unique and captivating food scene. Characterized by its distinctive indigenous ingredients, traditional farmers and artisanal producers, and wildly creative chefs and restaurants, Jody shares intriguing details of the Icelandic plate featuring chef Gunnar Gíslason’s Restaurant Dill. This book is Gíslason’s wonderfully personal debut: equal parts recipe book and culinary odyssey, offering an unparalleled look into a star chef’s creative process. But more than just a collection of recipes, “North” is also a celebration of Iceland itself—the inspiring traditions, stories, and people who make the island nation unlike any other place in the world. Tune in for highlights and more from Jody! This program was brought to you by Bonnie Plants.

“One thing that maybe confuses people about Nordic cuisine is, well, what is it? It’s just about appreciating the place, the ingredients and traditions.”

—Jody Eddy on A Taste of the Past

On this week’s episode of A Taste of the Past, host Linda Pelaccio takes listeners on a vivid and far-ranging journey across time and space on the ancient spice trades with Dr. Gary Nabhan. Talking about his new book, “Cumin, Camels, and Caravans, A Spice Odyssey,” Gary draws on his own family’s history as spice traders, as well as travel narratives, historical accounts, and his expertise as an ethnobotanist, he describes the critical roles that Semitic peoples and desert floras had in setting the stage for globalized spice trade. Gary relays to Linda his travels along four prominent trade routes—the Silk Road, the Frankincense Trail, the Spice Route, and the Camino Real (for chiles and chocolate)—and follows the caravans of itinerant spice merchants from the frankincense-gathering grounds and ancient harbors of the Arabian Peninsula to the port of Zayton on the China Sea to Santa Fe in the southwest United States. His stories, recipes, and linguistic analyses of cultural diffusion routes reveal the extent to which aromatics such as cumin, cinnamon, saffron, and peppers became adopted worldwide as signature ingredients of diverse cuisines. With the idea that spices are viewed as political, religious, and cultural tools, Gary and Linda also touch upon how a more virtuous multicultural globalized society may be achieved in the future. Tune in to this fascinating episode! This program was brought to you by Whole Foods Market.

Photo via US Library of Congress

“I think we have to learn of the costs embedded in our own history to get right the balance between local and global.”

—Dr. Gary Nabhan on A Taste of the Past

This week on A Taste of the Past, host Linda Pelaccio is talkin’ sugar and its checkered, dark past with guest Andrew F. Smith, author of “Sugar: A Global History.” It’s no surprise that sugar has been on our minds for several millenia. First cultivated in New Guinea around 8,000 B.C.E., this addictive sweetener has since come to dominate our appetites-whether in candy, desserts, soft drinks, or even pasta sauces-for better and for worse. Offering highlights of the book and other historical factoids of this simultaneously beloved and reviled ingredient, Andy relays how sugar has held its incredible value as a global commodity up against its darker legacies of slavery and widespread obesity. Tune in to hear a layered and definitive tale of sugar and the many people caught in its spell-from barons to slaves, from chefs to the countless among us born with that insatiable devil, the sweet tooth. This program was brought to you by Cain Vineyard & Winery.

“The American Revolution is directly tied to sugar and molasses.”

“It wasn’t until the late 19th century that you had the granulated sugar and sugar cubes and things that we now know and and love.”

“Companies now have several different names for sugar so it doesn’t look like it’s the number one ingredient, which it is.”

—Andrew F. Smith on A Taste of the Past

This week on A Taste of the Past, host Linda Pelaccio takes listeners along to the recent International Association of Culinary Professionals Conference held in Washington, DC, and chats with the distinguished Anne Willan. Anne Willan has had an extraordinary career in the culinary arts and is recognized as one of the world’s preeminent authorities on French cooking and even founded École de Cuisine La Varenne in Paris in 1975. Inducted into the James Beard Foundation Awards Hall of Fame for her “body of work” in May, 2013, Anne has more than 50 years of experience as a teacher, author and culinary historian. She has written more than 30 books, including the influential La Varenne Pratique and the 17-volume, photo-illustrated Look and Cook series, showcased in a 26-part PBS program which she hosted. Her books have been translated into more than two dozen foreign language editions. Tune in asLinda speaks with this living culinary legend, live on the scene, about her new book “Secrets from the La Varenne Kitchen: 50 Essential Recipes Every Cook Needs to Know,” plus a lot more! This program was brought to you by Cain Vineyard & Winery.

This week on A Taste of the Past, host Linda Pelaccio welcomes Judy Witts Francini to talk all about the food of Italian feasts! Despite not being Italian herself, Judy has an impressive Italian culinary resume including Divina Cucina cooking classes and tours as well as a cookbook and smartphone app. Telling Linda how she initially fell in love with Italy and Italian cooking, her journey to culinary expertise has been nothing if not impressive. Going month to month featuring Italian holidays and festivals, Judy relays all the delicious details of the seasonal foods served plus more. This program was brought to you by Edwards VA Ham.

“It’s so much fun to be in a village for a festival, for a celebration; when I organize my culinary courses I like to organize it around a festival.” [15:30]

—Judy Witts Francini on A Taste of the Past

The vernal equinox is upon us and with it brings the start of spring! It is also the beginning of the ancient Persian New Year celebration of Nowruz, and on this week’s A Taste of the Past, host Linda Pelaccio is talking to the “guru of Persian cuisine,” cookbook author, and culinary educator Najmieh Batmanglij all about the history and food traditions of the holiday. Having just baked a batch of baklava, Najmieh goes on to share the meaning behind certain dishes and that are vital to a proper celebration. After the break, Linda and Najmieh delve into the essential ingredients to Persian cuisine and how many date back thousands of years. Rounding out the show, it is discussed that Nowruz is not a secular holiday, rather a celebration of the Earth for everyone to enjoy. Tune in for a wonderful show! This program was brought to you by Cain Vineyard & Winery.

“In Iran, food is an essential part of every ceremony.”

“Noodles represent the path of life and by eating them you unravel the difficulties of your life… you must eat noodles!”

“In Iranian, feasting your eyes is as important as your tastebuds.”

—Najmieh Batmanglij on A Taste of the Past

Americans once sipped coffee and ate pie around communal tables, sharing their struggles and dreams with strangers at Horn & Hardart’s iconic Automat. This week on A Taste of the Past, host Linda Pelaccio is talking the history of the automat with Marianne Hardart, the great-granddaughter of Automat co-founder Frank Hardart; her father, Augustin, was the last of three generations of Hardarts to manage the Automats. But, what exactly is an Automat? Marianne explains it was a ‘fast food’ restaurant where hot foods and drink were served by coin-operated vending machines that were stocked by actual kitchens making items fresh. Talking about all things Automat, after the break, Linda welcomes Lisa Hurwitz, the Director and Producer of The Automat, The Horn & Hardart Documentary Film (check out the Kickstarter campaign here). Adding her thoughts on the topic and sharing why the Automat is an important piece of American culinary history, she relates how more than just entertainment, The Automat is a parable of how we once dined happily together before turning to the isolated and unhappy experience offered by today’s fast food, a bad deal that no amount of advertising can disguise. This program was brought to you by Bi-Rite Market.

“There was nothing automatic about it, which was sort of a joke in the beginning, it involved several people to get the food from one place in the restaurant to another. What it evolved into was this machine that you put in a nickel and opened a door and pulled out your meal.” [5:55]

—Marianne Hardart on A Taste of the Past

“The Automat, for me, just had so much personality and character and for someone like myself who never experienced it first hand when I learned about the Automat I was extremely fascinated by the concept.” [18:45]

—Lisa Hurwitz on A Taste of the Past

From dal to samosas, paneer to vindaloo, dosa to naan, today’s A Taste of the Past is delving into the history of the food in India. Host Linda Pelaccio welcomes guest Colleen Taylor Sen, a culinary historian and writer who has specialized in the cuisine of the Indian subcontinent, to the show to dissect this country’s rich culinary traditions. The cuisine differs from north to south, yet what is it that makes Indian food recognizably Indian, and how did it get that way? To answer those questions, Colleen and her recently released book “Feasts and Fasts: History of Food in India” examine the diet of the Indian subcontinent for thousands of years, describing the country’s cuisine in the context of its religious, moral, social, and philosophical development. After the break, Colleen talks about India’s beliefs in food as medicine as it pertains to Ayurveda plus much more. This program was brought to you by Underground Meats.

“One vegetable that’s played a key role in Indian cuisine is the eggplant…in my research I kept coming across the eggplant, probably because of its ability to absorb flavors.” [4:05]

“Very few Indians are vegans, so dairy products are always a part of people’s diets.” [14:10]

“Someone could write book after book on Indian sweets!” [26:20]

—Colleen Taylor Sen on A Taste of the Past

This week on A Taste of the Past, host Linda Pelaccio is taking a trip on the Trans-Siberian Railway with author Sharon Hudgins. Sharon has traveled along this particular railway numerous times and worked for University of Maryland University College for 20 years, primarily as a professor in the university’s programs in Germany, Spain, Greece, Japan, Korea, and Russia. She also served as UMUC’s program administrator at two universities in Siberia and the Russian Far East, and today chats with Linda about the evolution of the Trans-Siberian Railway dining car from the initial journeys to the practice today. After the break, Sharon shares facts about the food vendors that passengers would see across the long journey via station stops and also how the train line has endured through historic events like both World Wars, the Cold War, as well as the current political environment in Russia. Ever wondered the background behind the term ‘mystery meat?’ Tune in to find out and hear all about this legendary train trek. This program was brought to you by Cain Vineyard & Winery.

“There wasn’t a single train called the Trans-Siberian Express, a whole lot of people think there was this one great big legendary train, but it was the route was legendary.” [14:00]

“The real point of the the Trans-Siberian Railway is that it was the only way to get across Russia… all the way across the country.” [16:55]

—Sharon Hudgins on A Taste of the Past

This week on A Taste of the Past, host Linda Pelaccio is delving into the pages of culinary history, wondering how the working-class ate at the turn of the century. Dr. Katherine Leonard Turner joins Linda via phone, adding to the discussion interesting facts and thoughts brought up in her book “How the Other Half Ate: A History of the Working-Class Meals at the Turn oft he Century.” She explains that at this time, in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, working-class Americans had eating habits that were distinctly shaped by jobs, families, neighborhoods, and the tools, utilities, as well as size of their kitchens—along with their cultural heritage. Tune in for a thorough look at food and meals for the common man. This program was brought to you by Cain Vineyard & Winery.

Lewis Hine, Library of Congress

“Certainly working class people’s cooking facilities were much much behind at this time. When the middle class had gas stoves the working class had wood and coal burning stoves… It’s a lot of upkeep and maintenance just to run coal stoves, and their kitchens aren’t separate from their homes.” [10:00]

“Urban working people are eating on the street, bar, push cart, cafeterias that sound more like where Americans eat today.” [20:00]

—Dr. Katherine Leonard Turner on A Taste of the Past

Ciao! This week on a brand new episode of A Taste of the Past, host Linda Pelaccio is chatting with one of America’s foremost authorities on Italian food, Julia della Croce. She is the author of over 13 cooking and travel books, notably “Italian Home Cooking: 125 Recipes to Comfort Your Soul” and “The Classic Italian Cookbook.” In the past decades, traditional Italian home cooking has seemingly gone to the wayside with dining in restaurants in Italy today being much different than traditional home cooking. True Italian food differs from region to region, says Julia, who emphasizes that this is imperative to the cuisine as a whole and that the food is truly tied to the land. After the break, Julia gives her thoughts on the ‘authenticity’ of Italian recipes as well as the cooking classes she leads. Tune in for a wonderful episode! This program has been brought to you by Cain Vineyard & Winery.

“Italian cooking really is home cooking. The traditions I’m talking about began in the home, not in the restaurants. The restaurants just carried out the recipes found at home… The restaurant is a relatively new concept in Italy.” [4:19]

“Traditional Italian cooking is all about two things: ingredients, which are local… and the other thing is the skill of a homemaker who today would be a great grandmother.” [8:15]

“Here I am in this little town in Puglia that no one goes to, off the beaten path, and I can’t find parsley but I can find all the Pringles I want!” [17:30]

—Julia della Croce on A Taste of the Past

This week on a brand new episode of A Taste of the Past, host Linda Pelaccio kicks off 2015 talking to Dr. Kimberly Wilmot Voss, author of “The Food Section: Newspaper Women and the Culinary Community.” Linda and Kim discuss how food blogs are everywhere today but that for generations, information and opinions about food were found in the food sections of newspapers in communities large and small. Until the early 1970s, these sections were housed in the women’s pages of newspapers—where women could hold an authoritative voice. The food editors—often a mix of trained journalist and home economist—reported on everything from nutrition news to features on the new chef in town. The food sections actually helped make James Beard and Julia Child household names as the editors wrote about their television appearances and reviewed their cookbooks. Tune in to this interesting episode to learn all about the evolution of food journalism and more! This program was brought to you by Cain Vineyard & Winery.

“The food sections in the 1950s and 1960s show that we had a more complex relationship with food than had previously been described.” [2:15]

“At the heart, many of these women were journalists… many were actually very poor cooks and some journalists didn’t want to be considered cooks.” [24:10]

—Dr. Kimberly Wilmot Voss on A Taste of the Past

This week on A Taste of the Past, host Linda Pelaccio welcomes Anna Boiardi of the infamous Chef Boyardee empire. Anna is the granddaughter of Mario Boiardi, a man who along with his two brothers (including the chef himself, Hector Boiardi) launched a canned pasta empire that now pumps out 2.5 million cans of pasta a day. Anna gives Linda the story behind how the family business came to be, including the first supermarket to sell the Chef Boyardee sauce. Between timing, great product, and a little bit of luck, Anna’s family was shot into the food stratosphere and even contributed to the wartime effort, providing food for soldiers’ rations in World War II. After the break, Linda chats with Anna about her book “Delicious Memories: Recipes and Stories from the Chef Boyardee Family,” and she divulges that it was important to include the family stories and recipes as a way to preserve her rich family history. This program was brought to you by Cain Vineyard & Winery.

“They were really introducing customers to Italian food. At the time, people didn’t even know the proper way to cook pasta.” [6:00]

“At the heart, Italian food is not really overly complicated food. It’s about really fresh ingredients, starting with good olive oil.” [26:00]

—Anna Boiardi on A Taste of the Past

This week on A Taste of the Past, host Linda Pelaccio is delving into some delicious food memories, using theJewish cuisine on Delancey Street in New York City, as a guide. Welcoming Aaron Rezny, Jordan Schaps, Arthur Schwartz and Cara De Silva to the show, they are the authors and contributors to the book “Eating Delancey: A Celebration of Jewish Food.” Delancey Street conjures up an entire world of Yiddishkeit, or, “the quality of being Jewish; the Jewish way of life or its customs and practices.” Delancey, and the streets that cross it in the Lower East Side—Ludlow, Essex, Orchard, Rivington, and its “sister” street to the north, Houston Street—are the historical home of Jewish immigrants and thus a cradle of that unique Jewish experience. The group discusses how all the foods that were brought to America in the early 20th century by Jews during the great emigration from Europe came to the Lower East Side: knishes, bagels, lox, pastrami, whitefish, dill pickles, kasha, herring, egg creams, and much more. It is an area that continues to undergo rapid change but Eating Delancey hopes to capture forever the Jewish cuisine of the Lower East Side. Tune in to hear the book’s background details by those who know it best. This is a wonderfully informative and lively show! This program was brought to you by Whole Foods Market.

“Food is about the most powerful identity market that there is.” [16:50]

—Cara De Silva on A Taste of the Past

“My favorite memory of Ratner’s is seeing a table of six nuns!” [28:25]

—Jordan Schaps on A Taste of the Past

This week on A Taste of the Past, host Linda Pelaccio is headed to the Grecian Island of Ikaria where inhabitants seemingly forget to die! Chef, author, and Greek food expert Diane Kochilas joins Linda to talk about this amazing place via her new book, “Ikaria: Lessons on Food, Life, and Longevity from the Greek Island Where People Forget to Die.” Diane explains that Ikaria is mythical, beautiful, enigmatic and a place where residents live unaccountably long lives. Part cookbook, part travelogue, filled with gorgeous photography, stunning recipes, and interviews with locals, and packed with the often quirky secrets to a long life that Ikarians are spoon-fed at birth, this book is Diane’s ethno-culinary paean to this magical island. Tune in for a relaxing episode all about the culinary life on Ikaria and wonderful highlights from the book. This program was brought to you by Rolling Press.

“Their diet is the Mediterranean diet of fifty years ago. It’s completely reliant on very fresh, seasonal food – most of it completely local.” [10:10]

“We’re Greeks! We like to feed people!” [16:25]

—Diane Kochilas on A Taste of the Past

This week on A Taste of the Past, host Linda Pelaccio is feeling festive, talking the history of the turkey with food historian Andrew Smith. Teaching food history at the New School in NYC, he is also the author of numerous books and hundreds of articles on food and history. Speaking on the the centerpiece of family Thanksgiving reunions, the turkey is a cultural symbol as well as a multi-billion dollar industry. As a bird, dinner, commodity, and national icon, the turkey has become as American as the bald eagle. Sitting down with Linda, Andrew discusses how this new world bird landed on the world’s tables starting with the bird’s origins and first recipes, before bringing up the topic of pickled turkey. After the break, Andrew explains how the turkey overcame the traditional goose holiday dinner, variations of stuffing throughout the years, and the preservation of heritage turkey breeds. Tune in for this timely episode! This program was brought to you by Cain Vineyard & Winery.

“Wild turkeys tend to taste very different depending on what they’ve consumed.” [13:45]

“Serving turkey [on Thanksgiving] did not become universal until the late nineteenth century, though it was certainly on the menu.” [26:20]

“In order to save the heritage turkeys you need to eat them.” [30:00]

—Andrew Smith on A Taste of the Past

This week on A Taste of the Past, host Linda Pelaccio welcomes Farha Ternikar, professor of sociology at Le Moyne College to talk about the history of every New Yorker’s favorite meal: brunch. Author of the book “Brunch: A History,” Farha explains that when Americans think of brunch, they typically think of Sunday mornings swelling into early afternoons; mimosas and bloody Marys; eggs Benedict and coffee cake; bacon and bagels; family and friends. Her book presents a modern history of brunch not only as a meal, but also as a cultural experience. Relying on diverse sources, from historic cookbooks to Twitter and television, “Brunch: A History” is a global and social history of the meal including brunch in the United States, Western Europe, South Asia and the Middle-East. Brunch takes us on a tour of a modern meal around the world. While brunch has become a modern meal of leisure, its history is far from restful; this meal’s past is both lively and fraught with tension. Here, Farha tells Linda of the gendered and class-based conflicts around this meal, and provides readers with an enlightening glimpse into the dining rooms, verandas, and kitchens where brunches were prepared, served, and enjoyed. This program was brought to you by The International Culinary Center.

“Brunch is a pretty modern meal as we think of it – it wasn’t really invented until the 1890s.” [3:40]

“I think in the 20s and 30s it was still a meal of the elite.” [8:35]

—Farha Ternikar on A Taste of the Past

This week on A Taste of the Past, host Linda Pelaccio welcomes one of Greece’s foremost cooking authorities, Aglaia Kremezi to the show. Author of the new book, “Mediterranean Vegetarian Feasts,” she lives on the island of Kea, Greece, and also runs a cooking school there. Talking to Linda about the meaning of “nose to tail” vegetarian cooking, Aglaia explains that when she was growing up in Greece, no aspect of food was wasted. Also inspired from her many travels around Greece and the surrounding countries, today she uncovers the history and evolution of many nearly forgotten Mediterranean recipes. Tune in to hear wonderful highlights from the new recipe book, “Mediterranean Vegetarian Feasts,” and to learn to make the most with the ingredients around. This program was brought to you by The International Culinary Center.

“These are recipes that I grew up eating, basically.” [2:24]

“One of the most expensive ingredients [in Greece] is wood to burn in the oven because there are no forests and just a few shrubs.” [10:08]

—Aglaia Kremezi on A Taste of the Past

This week on A Taste of the Past, host Linda Pelaccio is joined by Margarita Carrillo Arronte to discuss the traditional foods for Mexico’s Day of the Dead celebrations as well as her research of some of Mexico’s historical forgotten recipes, plus where they originated from. Margarita is a teacher, chef, cookbook author, entrepreneur, and culinary activist who has spent her life researching, teaching and cooking Mexican cuisine. She is also the author of “Mexico: The Cookbook,” published by Phaidon, which is truly an encyclopedia of the country’s rich history of food. Tune in to hear Margarita’s take on Mexico’s regional and culinary heritage. This program was brought to you by Whole Foods Market.

Photos from: Fiamma Piacentini-Huff & Copetevic

“The book is just the tip of the iceberg. Mexico has such a huge wealth in its cuisine.” [9:13}

“Mexican traditional authentic cuisine is very complex, it’s nourishing, and it’s healthy.” [16:54]

—Margarita Carrillo Arronte on A Taste of the Past

Were you a Gerber baby? This week on A Taste of the Past, host Linda Pelaccio is talking the history of baby food with Amy Bentley, Food Historian and Associate Professor of Food Studies at New York University. She is also the author of the book, Inventing Baby Food: Taste, Health, and the Industrialization of the American Diet. Tune in to hear all about the past, present, and future of this family necessity. This program was brought to you by Whole Foods Market.

“At some point 90% of babies were being fed commercial baby food.” [16:35]

—Amy Bentley on A Taste of the Past

This week on A Taste of the Past, host Linda Pelaccio welcomes Karen Page, author of many books but most recently The Vegetarian Flavor Bible, to talk all about eating vegetarian. With the popularity of cutting out meat in the past decade, Karen Page brings some great dishes to light in the new book. Notably, Karen and her author/photographer husband, Andrew Dornenburg, became vegetarians in 2012. Talking to Linda about the history of vegetarianism, Karen mentions that in the United States, this style of eating actually had religious roots prior to being hailed as a healthy way of living. After the break, Linda and Karen discuss the varying reasons why people choose to change their diets in such a way as well as Karen’s reason for becoming a vegetarian. This program was brought to you by Whole Foods Market.

“Why do these flavor combinations we know as classics come to be? It’s because people started playing with the ingredients that they had locally.” [6:05]

“Vegetables are being embraced by chefs of all stripes [17:48]

“People always say how do you get your protein and I say, well, I eat plants. Plants have protein!” [31:18]

—Karen Page on A Taste of the Past

This week on A Taste of the Past, host Linda Pelaccio is talking shrubs, flips, and rattle-skulls – aka colonial drinks! Welcoming food writer and author of Forgotten Drinks of Colonial New England Corin Hirsch via phone to brief Linda on this interesting topic, they start off the show talking about how prevalent alcoholic beverages were in the times of our founding-fathers. As it turns out, cider was a very common drink for all to enjoy – even children! Having to do with poor water quality at the time, alcoholic drinks were considered safer to drink than most other drinks at the time. After the break, Linda is joined in the studio by Michael Dietsch, author of the book Shrubs: An Old Fashioned Drink for Modern Times. Continuing the colonial chat, Michael shares historical tidbits about shrub: the name of different, but related, acidulated beverages. He goes on to elaborate about each type of shrub and how the beverage basically disappeared from the market, though is seeing a comeback in recent years. Tune in to hear all about the drinks that Colonial Americans loved! This program was brought to you by Cain Vineyard & Winery.

“Alcohol consumption, as robust as it was before the war began, it just reached its peak in the decades after the war.” [10:05]

—Corin Hirsch on A Taste of the Past

“Shrub was one of the first things that the British navy used to fight scurvy.” [29:03]

—Michael Dietsch on A Taste of the Past

What is it about salty snacks? What is it, in particular, about the potato chip? Learn about the history of the iconic snack with Dirk Burhans, author of Crunch!: A History of the Great American Potato Chip. Dirk traces the history of the chip back to its origins and gives listeners some great fun-facts and cultural anecdotes. Potato Chip lovers unite! This program was brought to you by Fairway Market.

“The idea of making a super thin fried potato and putting it in oil is nothing we can’t do on our own.” [04:00]

–Dirk Burhans on A Taste of the Past

This week on A Taste of the Past, host Linda Pelaccio kicks off the new radio season welcoming Lionel Vatinet, master baker of La Farm Bakery in Cary, North Carolina and author of the book A Passion for Bread: Lessons from a Master Baker. Lionel shares with Linda that his passion for bread was first nurtured when he joined France’s prestigious artisans’ guild Les Compagnons du Devoir as an apprentice at age 16. Emerging 7 years later with the distinguished and hard-earned title of Maitre Boulanger (Master Baker), Vatinet pledged to devote his life to teaching, sharing and preserving the ancient art and science of bread baking. Rather than propagate secrets, Lionel’s mission through the years has been to demystify baking and enable more bakers to produce high quality, handcrafted breads. This mission can without a doubt be seen demonstrated throughout his book’s recipes as well. Tune in for a master lesson in bread and to hear what Lionel’s plans are for the future! This program has been brought to you by Cain Vineyard and Winery.

“To be a teacher, to share, I think every culinarian should share what they know. You cannot feel like you have a secret.” [20:19]

—Lionel Vatinet on A Taste of the Past

It’s that time of year again – students are headed back to school! Linda Pelaccio gets in the spirit on a academic themed episode of A Taste of the Past with guest Ken Albala, Professor of History at the University of the Pacific, USA. He is the author or editor of 17 books including Eating Right in the Renaissance, The Banquet and Beans: A History. He has also coauthored two cookbooks, The Lost Art of Real Cooking and The Lost Arts of Hearth and Home. With the proliferation of food history courses and avid interest among scholars and the general public, the need for a solid comprehensive collection of key primary texts about food of the past is urgent. His latest book, The Food History Reader, is that collection. Tune in as he urges researchers to focus on primary sources and gives listeners some insights into the world of food history. This program was brought to you by Fairway Market.

“I think we need fewer encyclopedias and more original research and it won’t happen unless a generation of students is raised on the original sources and not the rehashes of information.” [12:00]

“People eat certain things as expressions of who they are and who they want to be.” [16:00]

–Ken Albala on A Taste of the Past

What is Midwestern cuisine? We may not ever know, but we get closer to understanding the food of the Midwest on a new episode of A Taste of the Past. Host Linda Pelaccio is joined by Peggy Wolff, author of Fried Walleye and Cherry Pie. With its corn by the acre, beef on the hoof, Quaker Oats, and Kraft Mac n’ Cheese, the Midwest eats pretty well and feeds the nation on the side. But there’s more to the midwestern kitchen and palate than the farm food and sizable portions the region is best known for beyond its borders. It is to these heartland specialties, from the heartwarming to the downright weird, that Fried Walleye and Cherry Pie invites the reader. Tune in and get some brilliant insight into an often overlooked region and its impact on the way we eat in America. This program was brought to you by The Greenhouse Tavern.

“Wisconsin is a huge cherry growing region but nothing beats northern Michigan.” [20:00]

“When you criss cross the midwest and hit the farmers markets you see, what I call, real food. You’re gonna see a nod to the housewives back in the 50’s with homemade pickles and preserves.” [23:00]

“I think the Midwest can claim the roots of fast food. Where we would be without the whole notion of fast food?” [25:00]

–Peggy Wolff on A Taste of the Past

This week on A Taste of the Past Linda tackles the delectable topic of the donut with food historian, Michael Krondl, and author of The Donut: History, Recipes, and Lore from Boston to Berlin. Tracing the donut through the years, Michael details the various types of fried dough that ultimately led to the donut that we all know and love today, including the popular cronut. However, when did donuts start being filled with sweets? Where did the donut originate? Where is the donut headed in the future – Linda predicts the up and coming biznut. Tune in to find out more about this beloved treat as well as other derivatives of donuts found around the world. This program has been brought to you by Whole Foods Market.

“I have a theory… that donuts do well in times of economic crisis. If you look at the depression, donuts were big, if you look at the 1970’s, donuts were big, and if you look at the last ten years, once again, donuts become huge.” [27:19]

“Donuts have a street cred that cupcakes will never have.” [28:43]

— Michael Krondl on A Taste of the Past

This week on A Taste of the Past, Linda welcomes Cindy Lobel to the program. Cindy is an assistant professor of history at Lehman College, a cultural historian with interests in urban development and consumer culture as well as the history of New York. Today she and Linda discuss her book, Urban Appetites: Food and Culture in Nineteenth-Century New York. Was New York City the first in the country to have a restaurant? What was the first restaurant to open in New York City? Surprisingly, it seems as though present day New York food scene is not so different than it was in the 1800s. Tune in as Cindy takes us through the beginnings of restaurants in New York City and how the now flourishing industry evolved through the years. This program has been sponsored by Cain Vineyard and Winery.

“People think that New York was born with the Zagat Guide, and that of course is not the case… free standing restaurants have a history in New York.” [5:40]

“The rise of restaurants is really tied to the growth of the city.” [8:10]

— Cindy Lobel on A Taste of the Past

This week on A Taste of the Past, Linda Pelaccio talks about the history of ramen in Japan and the United States with George Solt, author of The Untold History of Ramen. Tune into this episode to learn how international relations and trade agreements allowed ramen to evolve in Japan using non-traditional ingredients. How do ramen noodles different from other Japanese noodle soups like soba? How did ramen preparations change in order to satisfy the caloric needs of the Japanese population. Tune into this program to learn more about the first instances of instant ramen, ramen museum, and the dish’s nutritional value! Are ramen shops in Japan as popular as their equivalents in the United States today? Tune in to find out! Thanks to our sponsor, S. Wallace Edwards & Sons. Music by Pamela Royal.

“Until the introduction of Western food culture en mass in the 19th Century, the Japanese didn’t eat much meat; it was much more of fish and vegetable type of eating culture… It shows how politics, international relations, and trade affect food culture.” [6:50]

“The pushcart is really the site that the ramen phenomenon came from.” [9:20]

— George Solt on A Taste of the Past

How does one begin to encapsulate the varied cuisine of Italy? On this episode of A Taste of the Past, Linda Pelaccio is joined by Associate Professor at the New School, Fabio Parasecoli. Recently, Fabio released Al Dente, a book about the history of food in Italy. Learn how a desire for modernization suppressed the interest in Italian heirloom ingredients. Find out how economic conditions shaped Italian cuisine today. Why is Italian food so regionally diverse, and how do Italians express their local pride through food? How did Italians incorporate agricultural products from other areas into their culinary identity? Find out on this week’s episode of A Taste of the Past! Thanks to our sponsor, The International Culinary Center. Music by Idgy Dean.

“There was this idea of being ‘modern’ rather than ‘Italian’, and that allowed for the spread of products throughout the country, and many of them were industrialized food products.” [9:30]

— Fabio Parasecoli on A Taste of the Past

Linda Pelaccio welcomes Josh Kilmer-Purcell and his husband Brent Ridge, who are known as The Fabulous Beekman Boys, to this week’s episode of A Taste of the Past! The Beekman Boys describe themselves as “Two NYC guys who bought a farm and are sharing their experiment in living better lives, season by season, neighbor by neighbor.” They are the stars of The Fabulous Beekman Boys, a reality TV show now broadcasting on The Cooking Channel, and have many other endeavors, including running a farm, a mercantile, writing cookbooks and many more. Their new Beekman 1802 Heirloom Vegetable Cookbook is a delectable yearlong trip through the Beekman vegetable bounty and is packed with simple, delicious, and seasonal vegetable-forward recipes that will have readers counting down the months to green shoots every year. This program was sponsored by Fairway Market.

“This idea of growing your own crops and appreciating heirloom varieties is very important to us. [10:00]

–Brent Ridge on A Taste of the Past

“Whenever you meet an unfamiliar vegetable – know that anything can be roasted. Toss it in olive oil put in an oven bake it at 400 degrees until its soft and see how it tastes.” [15:00]

–Josh Kilmer-Purcell on A Taste of the Past

David Sax is an expert of food trends and author of Save the Deli and most recently The Tastemakers: Why We’re Crazy For cupcakes But Fed Up With Fondue. Linda and David talk about how food trends come about, how they spread across the world, and how they come back decades later. Tune in to hear about trends such as Asian BBQ and cupcakes! This program has been sponsored by S. Wallace Edwards & Sons. Today’s music provided by Pamela Royal.

“Everything’s so interconnected. We share our food culture now online and in media so much more easily and so much more widespread.” [21:45]

–David Sax on A Taste of the Past

You think you know pasta? Think again! This week on A Taste of the Past, Linda Pelaccio chats with author and pasta expert Maurren Fant who dispels many common myths around everybody’s favorite carb. From cooking times to salting water, Maura breaks down pasta from A-Z and leaves listeners with a much better understanding of the potential, history and variations of pasta. She talks about the process of writing her award-winning book, Sauces & Shapes: Pasta the Italian Way, and describes what real Italians do when it comes to cooking pasta. The pasta police are definitely patrolling the airwaves – that means no cream in your alfredo, no tomato sauce and angel hair and definitely no overcooked spaghetti! This program was sponsored by Bonnie Plants.

“People believe that pasta exists as a vehicle for sauce – it’s quite the opposite. The pasta is the main attraction.” [14:00]

“The only way to eat angel hair or tortellini is in broth!” [21:00]

“There is no cream in fettuccine alfredo!” [26:00]

–Maureen Fant on A Taste of the Past

German cuisine is often thought of as brats and not much else. Ursula Heinzelmann is here to change that perception and she’s this week’s guest on A Taste of the Past. Ursula is an acclaimed German food and wine writer, a sommelière and a gastronome. She’s written numerous books on the subject of German cuisine and has twice been awarded the annual Sophie Coe Prize in Food History at the Oxford Symposium on Food and Cookery, most recently in 2006. Her latest book is called Beyond Bratwurst: A History of Food in Germany. Tune in to this program to get an in depth look at the culture, cuisine and traditions of Germany. This program was sponsored by Bonnie Plants.

“If I had to define German food – it would be diversity, always.” [14:00]

“Food is all about meeting people, getting to know their food and sharing it.” [30:00]

–Ursula Heinzelmann

Pretzel history is this week’s topic on A Taste of the Past. Linda interviews Hans Röckenwagner, owner and founder of Restaurant Röckenwagner, James Beard Award winner, pretzel expert and more, about pretzels: where they came from, where they’re made, how they came about, and much more. This program has been sponsored by Whole Foods Market. Today’s music provided by The California Honeydrops.

“What I love about a pretzel is it has a distinct burstiness.” [12:00]

–Hans Röckenwagner on A Taste of the Past

In 1827, before Delmonico’s opened, diners ate at cafes and boarding houses (inns), where the food was simply the food available that day from the farms. Diners had no choice of dishes, but ate the food that was served. Delmonico’s changed all of that. Today’s guest is Billy Oliva, graduate of the Culinary Institute of America and currently the Executive Chef at Delmonico’s. This program has been sponsored by Heritage Foods USA. Today’s music provided by Pamela Royal.

“[Delmonico’s] is history. And when you walk through the door you feel that way.” [5:15]

“Ireland is not really known for food but that has changed so much.” [28:00]

–Billy Oliva on A Taste of the Past

Peter Hertzmann is an author, instructor, blogger, historian, and occasional butcher. Today, Peter’s expertise that shines through the rest is that of knives. Linda interviews him about the origins of the chef’s knife, which actually didn’t even exist a mere 50 years ago! Tune in to hear more about how knives have evolved! This program has been sponsored by The Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board. Today’s music provided by Obey City.

“If you look at the year 1855 as a dividing point…they did have steel before that, but that really made modern production of steel possible.” [13:55]

“The Japanese style handle with a western style blade can be very comfortable.” [35:30]

–Peter Hertzmann on A Taste of the Past

This week on A Taste of the Past, Linda explores the history of Rhubarb and other foods of The Silk Road with Laura Kelley, author and food historian. Laura tells us about how so many foods were originally used as medicine, and the lines between food and medicine have become much more clear over the years. This program has been sponsored by Rolling Press. Today’s music provided by Pamela Royal.

“Most cinnamon we see on the shelves today labelled cinnamon isn’t really cinnamon.” [15:00]

“You have to really try to kill a chili plant.” [24:30]

–Laura Kelley on A Taste of the Past

Darina Allen joins us on this week’s episode of A Taste of the Past, to tell us about Ballymaloe Cookery School located in southern Ireland, of which she is the founder. Linda asks her about real Irish cuisine, and she explains how many people in Ireland were so slow to realize the great benefits of using local food. This program has been sponsored by The International Culinary Center. Today’s music provided by Pamela Royal.

“The whole image of irish food, particularly over here [in the U.S.] in no way reflects what’s happening in Ireland.” [9:00]

—Darina Allen on A Taste of the Past

Turmeric: health benefits, flavor, dyes, and more. This spice is used in many eastern cuisines, such as Thai and Malaysian. This week on A Taste of the Past, Linda interviews food historian and spice expert Colleen Sen, who tells us all about The Wonder Spice. This program has been sponsored by Heritage Foods USA. Today’s music provided by Obey City.

“Like many ingredients, the health benefits are intensified by using it with other spices.” [5:50]

–Colleen Sen on A Taste of the Past

This week on A Taste of the Past, Linda’s guest is culinary historian, storyteller, and Soul Food authority, Tonya Hopkins. Linda and Tonya talk about American master cook Anne Northrup (wife of Solomon Northrup) and the significance she had on American cuisine and in particular, soul food. This program has been sponsored by Cain Vineyard & Winery. Today’s music provided by Plexophonic.

Image from Accessible Archives

“People think of ham as cooked and salted, but people made their own ham back then.” [26:00]

—Tonya Hopkins on A Taste of the Past

This week on A Taste of the Past, Linda explores the origin of the chocolate chip cookie. Her guest Carolyn Wyman is the author of The Great American Chocolate Chip Cookie, among other books that document the history of America’s most iconic foods. Later, Linda and Carolyn discuss the history of SPAM. This program has been sponsored by Fairway Market. Today’s music provided by Plexophonic.

“Cookies are not on the dessert menu for most restaurants; it’s more of a home food.” [23:45]

—Carolyn Wyman on A Taste of the Past

This week on A Taste of the Past: is candy food? Linda Pelaccio interviews Samira Kawash, author of Candy: A Century of Panic and Pleasure. Samira explains to us how difficult it was to make candy back in the 1800s, and how technological innovations allowed the candy industry to boom. Later, she and Linda discuss society’s perception of candy, how many other foods and beverages are less healthy, yet candy can be an easy scapegoat. This program has been sponsored by Many Kitchens. Today’s music provided by Takstar.

“The tradition in the 19th century was candy was a luxury, and it was for special occasions.” [9:40]

“I think it’s easy to look at candy and see it as really the scapegoat of our anxieties around the role of sugar in our diet and the dangers of eating foods that are far away from the farm.” [17:25]

—Samira Kawash on A Taste of the Past

This week on A Taste of the Past, Linda talks to Nic Mink, professor at the Center for Urban Ecology at Butler University, President and co-founder of Sitka Salmon Shares, and author of Salmon, A Global History. Nic tells us about the various evolutionary mechanisms that salmon have developed to survive. Later, Nic and Linda discuss the developments in catching and storing salmon – from wild to farm-raised, line caught and canned. Tune in to hear the whole discussion! This program has been sponsored by Fairway Market. Today’s music provided by The Hollows.

“Salmon was kind of nature’s first convenience food.” [10:40]

“If you ever see on a menu ‘Wild Atlantic Salmon’, that restaurant is either doing something incredibly bad, or they are mislabeling their menu.” [24:45]

“The best thing to do for a wild salmon actually is to eat one!” [34:05]

Nic Mink on A Taste of the Past

This week on A Taste of the Past, the subject is New York City food. Linda speaks with Andrew Smith, author of New York City: A Food Biography, about the history of food in New York City. Andrew brings us back thousands of years, and describes what the food culture were like throughout time. After the break, they discuss some specific food establishments such as the automat and the supermarket that imposed varying levels of change on the food industry in New York and nationwide. This program has been sponsored by Whole Foods Market. Today’s music provided by Four Lincolns.

“From about the 1830’s on, New York City became the major sugar refinery not just for the north but for the entire country.” [15:25]

“New York is really the beginning of what we think of as bagels.” [20:25]

Andrew Smith on A Taste of the Past

This week on A Taste of the Past, Linda Pelaccio welcomes guest Gustavo Arellano to discus the history of the taco. Gustavo is the author of Taco USA: How Mexican Food Conquered America, an editor at OC weekly, and a contributing editor to the LA Times. Linda and Gustavo discuss the evolution of the meal we now know as the taco, and how the taco differs around the U.S. This show has been sponsored by S. Wallace Edwards & Sons. Thanks to Pamela Royal.

“There’s a time for every taco and a season for every torta.” [12:35]

Gustavo Arellano on A Taste of the Past

“A cold chain is a supply chain that transports and stores temperature sensitive perishable goods. The most visible manifestation of the cold chain is the electric household refrigerator.” – Jonathan Rees

The world was changed by the innovation of refrigeration. This week on A Taste of the Past, Linda Pelaccio is joined by Dr. Jonathan Rees. Dr. Rees is a professor of history at Colorado State University – Pueblo, and the author of Refrigeration Nation. Tune in to hear about the origins of the ice industry and ice boxes, and learn about ‘the cold chain’. Find out how compression refrigeration developed during the Civil War era, and why the marketing of refrigerators in the 1940s relied on size. Learn why cold storage was a controversial political issue, and how refrigeration was essential to the development of the supermarket. How were frozen foods received upon their arrival? Find out on this week’s edition of A Taste of the Past! This program has been sponsored by Regional Access. Music by Jack Inslee.

“Ice was something that all classes were interested in, whether or not all classes could afford it.” [5:50]

“Producing food and having it spoil is just as harmful to the environment as refrigeration.” [17:10]

— Dr. Jonathan Rees on A Taste of the Past

This week on A Taste of the Past, Linda Pelaccio explores the roots of the Christmas celebration. She brings in guest Alice Ross, a distinguished culinary historian who recreated the recipes for a modern version of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Dinner”. Alice brings us through history, explaining where countless Christmas food traditions come from. This program has been sponsored by Heritage Foods USA. Music provided by Pamela Royal.

Image from AliceRoss.com

“Even though we think of turkey as an American bird, it was brought over to Europe and propagated there.” [20:15]

— Alice Ross on A Taste of the Past

This week on a thrilling episode of A Taste of the Past, Linda Pelaccio brings in features writer for EaterNY.com, Robert Sietsema. Robert educates us on the history of pizza, and enlightens us about where many aspects of modern pizza originated. After the break, they discuss more in depth how pizza and the pizza industry spread throughout Italy and the U.S. This program has been sponsored by Heritage Foods USA. Music provided by Pamela Royal.

“Totonno must have made one hell of a flatbread.” [13:50]

“In Naples when you get a piece of pizza, you know what you drink? You drink that great old American beverage, Coca-Cola.” [21:45]

— Robert Sietsema on A Taste of the Past

Imagine having to cook Thanksgiving dinner over an open fire! This week on A Taste of the Past, Linda Pelaccio is joined in the studio by historical interpreter Carolina Capehart. Carolina is a hearth-cooking expert, and prefers to cook all types of food over an open flame. Tune into this episode to learn what tools were used in the 1800s to boil vegetables, roast meat, and bake breads. Hear why Carolina is so dedicated to historical accuracy. Carolina explains how the colonialists pioneered local and seasonal eating- out of necessity! Learn about the founding ideals of the United States as an agrarian society. How does the language of the 1800s confuse the recreation of historic recipes? Collect some firewood and slaughter a hog; it’s time for this week’s episode of A Taste of the Past! This program has been brought to you by White Oak Pastures. Music by Pamela Royal.

“Anything you can cook these days, you can cook oven an open fire. It’s just about learning a different system.” [3:45]

“These days, everyone says that you need to eat seasonally and locally. Back in the 1800s, they did that, but mainly because they had to!” [20:20]

“90% of people back then were farmers. That was Jefferson’s ideal- an agricultural society.” [23:10]

— Carolina Capehart on A Taste of the Past

Adam Shprintzen discusses 19th Century vegetarianism in his book, The Vegetarian Crusade. This week on A Taste of the Past, Linda Pelaccio talks with Adam about the roots of meat abstention in the 19th Century with the British Bible Christians. How was vegetarianism related to the American Reform Movement and the murmurings of temperance? Tune into this episode to find out how the American Vegetarian Society organized disparaging groups of non-meat eaters. Have vegetarians faced vitriol throughout history? Learn how food entrepreneurs like Harvey Kellogg and Sylvester Graham helped spur on the spread of vegetarianism. What are the parallels between 19th Century vegetarianism and its form in the modern day? Find out all of this and more on this week’s edition of A Taste of the Past! Thanks to our sponsor, Consider Bardwell. Music by Obey City.

“The 19th Century was not only a time when people were thinking about reform, but also a time when people were thinking about ways to live a better life. People were abstaining from alcohol, rethinking sexual relationships with the ‘free love’ movement… It only makes sense that people were also considering changing their diets.” [6:00]

“Today, vegetarianism is marketed in a very personal way!” [31:25]

— Adam Shprintzen on A Taste of the Past

This week on A Taste of the Past, Abigail Carroll joins host Linda Pelaccio via phone for a discussion on the American meal. Abigail Carroll is the author of Three Squares: The Invention of the American Meal, where she upends the popular understanding of our most cherished mealtime traditions, revealing that our eating habits have never been stable—far from it, in fact. Whether we’re pouring ourselves a bowl of cereal, grabbing a quick sandwich, or congregating for a family dinner, our mealtime habits are living artifacts of our collective history—and represent only the latest stage in the evolution of the American meal. Tune-in for a historical context on how the dinner table became an evening ritual, and how this has caused with the rise of processed foods and snacking, associated problems as well. This program has been sponsored by Fairway Market. Thanks to The California Honeydrops for today’s music.

“We’re talking about food in our society almost more than ever, and all these foods trends. But I don’t see people talk about how we eat – the social context of food, the family meal, and the value of that.” [22:15]

— Abigail Carroll on A Taste of the Past

It’s Halloween on A Taste of the Past at the HRN studios! Host Linda Pelaccio welcomes historic gastronomist and blogger, Sarah Lohman, and together they talk about the history of Halloween, trick-or-treating, superstitions, costumes, Halloween cakes, and more! Learn more about the origins behind the Halloween tradition as Sarah takes us through the history from the very beginning. Also tune-in to learn about trick-or-treating, and how the custom has changed in recent years. Lastly, find out how those small treats known as candy corn (which Sarah makes at home) have become a tradition, and even how to make a batch for yourself! This program has been sponsored by International Culinary Center.

“The pre-text of this holiday was a night for people to loosen up a little bit.” [12:00]

“Halloween is this holiday of pure fun. It’s about going and having fun whether you’re a child or an adult.” [16:30]

— Sarah Lohman on A Taste of the Past

On today’s episode of A Taste of the Past, host Linda Pelaccio talks about the huge craze that surrounds fried foods: fried chicken! The guest on today’s show is Michael Twitty, culinary historian of African and African American foods. What makes each fried chicken dish so special? Learn more about the history behind fried chicken, it’s many cultural influences, and what truly makes fried chicken the comfort food for so many. Also find out about Michael’s latest project, The Cooking Gene, which aims to promote greater awareness of African American contributions to the development of Southern cuisine, promote community service and development, support the local economies of Southern communities and African American food producers, and encourage a dialogue that leads to racial reconciliation and healing in communities whose history and culture is a legacy of slavery and the slave trade. Lastly, Tonya Hopkins, The Food Griot, talks about Edna Lewis, and how she has inspired American cuisine today. Also listen to a recent panel at the New School, discussing Chef Edna Lewis at the link below. ( http://youtu.be/J0A3Ba9OhtA) This program has been sponsored by S. Wallace Edwards & Sons

“When I make chicken, for me it’s always a transformative, transcendent and ritual experience.” [8:43]

“That’s the thing that excites me. We just don’t tell these stories enough.” [22:35]

— Michael Twitty on A Taste of the Past

“Griot means storyteller. I see the world through the lens of food, and therefore I am food storyteller, or the food griot. [25:10]”

— Tonya Hopkins on A Taste of the Past

Rachel Laudan is taking a culinary approach to world history in her book, Cuisine & Emire! This week on A Taste of the Past, Linda Pelaccio talks with Rachel about the influences of medicine, politics, and religion on cuisine throughout the ages. Learn about humorism, and how this system of belief affected the food that ancient people ate. Find out what agricultural products different religious groups relied on across Eurasia. Why are most cuisines based in grain? Tune in to learn about the New World exploration, and how that inequitable culinary exchange altered the food ways of continents. Where does the United States fit into the culinary landscape? Find out all of this and more on this week’s edition of A Taste of the Past. This program has been sponsored by Heritage Foods USA. Music by SNOWMINE.

“We now expect only one cuisine to every nation. All you have to do is look at the cookbook section in the bookstore to get this idea.” [4:45]

“Everybody now can eat the same kinds of cuisine. In the past, there was a huge distinction between high and humble cuisines.” [15:10]

— Rachel Laudan on A Taste of the Past

On today’s episode of A Taste of the Past, host Linda Pelaccio welcomes Anya Von Bremzen, author, journalist, food writer, and contributing editor of Travel + Leisure magazine, into the studio for a talk about food, and the history of traditional Soviet dishes. Anya also talks about her latest book, Mastering the Art of Soviet Cooking: A Memoir of Food and Longing. In the book, Anya tells the gripping story of three Soviet generations—masterfully capturing the strange mix of idealism, cynicism, longing, and terror that defined Soviet life. On the show, Anya and Linda also welcome Anya’s mother, Larisa Frumkina, as she speaks about food history, Russian literature, and various traditional dishes. Tune-in for a truly interesting episode into the history of the USSR and the Russian dishes. This program has been sponsored by Heritage Foods USA.

“Bread was something was almost always available. It was something almost sacred.”

— Anya Von Bremzen on A Taste of the Past

“For me, food history starts with Russian literature.”

— Larisa Frumkina on A Taste of the Past

On today’s episode of A Taste of the Past, host Linda Pelaccio speaks with special guest Mollie Katzen, known throughout the culinary world as one of the best-selling cookbook authors of all time. A 2007 inductee into the James Beard Cookbook Hall of Fame—and largely credited with moving plant-based cuisine from the fringe to the center of the American dinner plate—Katzen has been named by Health Magazine as one of The Five Women Who Changed the Way We Eat, and she has been a member of the faculty at Healthy Kitchens, Healthy Lives, the groundbreaking annual symposium co-hosted by The Culinary Institute of America and the Harvard School of Public Health, since its inception. Today’s topic on the show includes the evolution of vegetarian cuisine, and how Mollie has taken the rise of vegetarian popularity to even further heights. Her latest cookbook, The Heart of the Plate, completely reinvents the vegetarian repertoire, unveiling a collection of beautiful, healthful, and unfussy dishes — her “absolutely most loved.” Whether it’s a salad of kale and angel hair pasta with orange chili oil or a seasonal autumn lasagna, these dishes are celebrations of vegetables. Tune-in to learn more! This program has been sponsored by Fairway Market.

“A lot of vegetarian food isn’t actually about vegetables. In some ways it’s actually about meat, and how you swap things out.” [9:50]

“It’s so much easier to make a dish that is focused on the vegetable. It’s so enjoyable!” [23:50]

— Mollie Katzen on A Taste of the Past