culinary history

America’s signature dishes can be found coast to coast. Crab Louie. French-fried onions. Pecan pie. You can practically taste them. Maybe you’ve even made them. But what most of us don’t know is the history behind these epicurean delights. Culinary historian Sherry Monahan decided to investigate signature recipes, from breakfast and breads, to soups and salads, to sides and main dishes, and desserts, particularly those served at hotels and restaurants. Where did they come from? Why do they remain so popular? She answers these questions in her new book “Signature Dishes of America: Recipes and Culinary Treasures from Historic Hotels and Restaurants.” She joins the podcast to give us the inside scoop on how some of our country’s most famed dishes originated.

This public conversation, part of the Spirit & Place Festival, guests to hear culinary historian Michael Twitty speak live and in person during a live podcast hosted by Tanorria Askew and Candace Boyd. Audience members were given a chance to interact with each other and the speakers during a book signing and reception catered by vendors located in The Amp, which is part of the 16 Tech Innovation District.

Michael W. Twitty is a culinary historian and food writer who blogs at Afroculinaria.com and has appeared on numerous television programs with hosts including Henry Louis Gates (Many Rivers to Cross) and Michelle Obama (Waffles and Mochi). The Cooking Gene was published in 2017 and traces Michael’s ancestry through food from Africa to America and from slavery to freedom.

It was a finalist for The Kirkus Prize and The Art of Eating Prize and was a 3rd place winner of Barnes & Noble’s Discover New Writer’s Awards in Nonfiction.

The Cooking Gene won the 2018 James Beard Award for best writing as well as book of the year, making Michael the first Black author so awarded. His piece on visiting Ghana in Bon Appetit was included in Best Food Writing in 2019 and was nominated for a 2019 James Beard Award. KosherSoul, his follow-up to The Cooking Gene, was published in August 2022 and received the 2022 National Jewish Book Award. Michael can also be found on MasterClass online, where he teaches Tracing Your Roots Through Food. Michael is a National Geographic Explorer, a TED fellow, and a member of the 2022 TIME 100 Next class. He served as a historical consultant on the FX adaptation of Octavia Butler's "Kindred." Kosher Soul

In the 1940s the U.S. Department of Agriculture and A&P supermarkets teamed up to hold a contest to see who could breed the meatiest, most efficient, most visually appealing chicken. 

Research:

• Audio Productions inc. “The Chicken of Tomorrow.” Documentary. (1948).
• Boyd, William. “Making Meat: Science, Technology, and American Poultry Production.” Technology and Culture , Oct., 2001, Vol. 42, No. 4 (Oct., 2001). Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/25147798
• Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Robert Bakewell". Encyclopedia Britannica, 1 Jan. 2023, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Robert-Bakewell. Accessed 21 April 2023.
• Bugos, Glenn E. “Intellectual Property Protection in the American Chicken-Breeding Industry.” The Business History Review , Spring, 1992, Vol. 66, No. 1. Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/3117055
• Cook, Robert E. et al. “How Chicken on a Sunday Became an Anyday Treat.” USDA. 1975. https://naldc.nal.usda.gov/catalog/CAIN769013731
• Cornell University. “Backyard Revival: American Heritage Poultry.” https://exhibits.library.cornell.edu/backyard-revival-american-heritage-poultry
• Elfick, Dominic. “A Brief History of Broiler Selection: How Chicken Became a Global Food Phenomenon in 50 Years.” Aviagen. http://en.aviagen.com/assets/Sustainability/50-Years-of-Selection-Article-final.pdf
• Horowitz, Roger. “Making the Chicken of Tomorrow: Reworking Poultry as Commodities and as Creatures, 1945-1990.” From “Industrializing Organisms.” Susan R. Schrepfer and Philip Scranton, editors. Routledge. 2003.
• Killgrove, Kristina. “Ancient DNA Explains How Chickens Got To The Americas.” Forbes. 11/23/2017. https://www.forbes.com/sites/kristinakillgrove/2017/11/23/ancient-dna-explains-how-chickens-got-to-the-americas/
• Laatsch, David R. “The ‘Chicken of Tomorrow.’” University of Wisconsin-Madison. Livestock Division of Extension. https://livestock.extension.wisc.edu/articles/the-chicken-of-tomorrow/
• Long, Tom. “Henry Saglio; his breeding knowhow changed poultry industry.” Boston.com. 12/26/2003. http://archive.boston.com/news/globe/obituaries/articles/2003/12/16/henry_saglio_his_breeding_knowhow_changed_poultry_industry/
• McKenna, Maryn. “The Surprising Origin of Chicken as a Dietary Staple.” National Geographic. 5/1/2018. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/poultry-food-production-agriculture-mckenna
• Peters, Joris et al. “The biocultural origins and dispersal of domestic chickens.” PNAS. Vol. 119, No. 24. June 2022. https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2121978119
• Short, Michael. “Delmarva’s $4.8 Billion Chicken Industry Was Accidentally Hatched 100 Years Ago.” Lancaster Farming. 2/19/2023. https://www.lancasterfarming.com/farming-news/poultry/delmarva-s-4-8-billion-chicken-industry-was-accidentally-hatched-100-years-ago/article_36af9702-f119-51d1-a122-aee4b78955ce.html
• Shrader H.L. “The Chicken-of-Tomorrow Program; Its Influence on ‘Meat-Type’ Poultry Production.” Poultry Science. Volume 31, Issue 1, 1 January 1952, Pages 3-10. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0032579119513013
• Wiehoff, Dale. “How the Chicken of Tomorrow became the Chicken of the World.” Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy. 3/26/2013. https://www.iatp.org/blog/201303/how-the-chicken-of-tomorrow-became-the-chicken-of-the-world

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In this episode of Eat My Globe, our host, Simon Majumdar, shares the stories of two of the most important discoveries in food history – that of microwaves and of pasteurization.

Both changed the way we eat and the safety of the ingredients that we buy. And, both have really fascinating histories that go back further than you might think.

Make sure to follow along every week and follow us on:

Twitter: @EatMyGlobePcast

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Twitter: @SimonMajumdar

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Produced & Distributed by: Producergirl Productions

In this episode of Eat My Globe, our host, Simon Majumdar, enjoys one of the most fascinating conversations he has ever had with a culinary figure.

Michael W. Twitty’s knowledge of the food world and its history is astonishing, and his way of sharing is inclusive and fun. Here, they talk more about the history of rice, but about so many other things as well. You don’t want to miss it.

Make sure to follow along every week and follow us on:

Twitter: @EatMyGlobePcast

Instagram: @EatMyGlobe

Facebook: @EatMyGlobeOfficial

Twitter: @SimonMajumdar

Instagram: @SimonMajumdar

Facebook: @SimonMajumdarPage

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-majumdar-2760156

Produced & Distributed by: Producergirl Productions

Make sure to follow along every week and follow us on:

Twitter: @EatMyGlobePcast

Instagram: @EatMyGlobe

Facebook: @EatMyGlobeOfficial

Twitter: @SimonMajumdar

Instagram: @SimonMajumdar

Facebook: @SimonMajumdarPage

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-majumdar-2760156

The pie has been around for centuries, in both savory and sweet forms. But pies have been perceived and presented in a lot of different ways, and have even been an issue of deep contention. 

Research:

• Tanglen, Randi. “A cultural history of pie.” The Madisonian. Nov. 24, 2020. https://www.madisoniannews.com/community/cultural-history-pie
• Anastolpoulo, Rossi. “Why Apple Pie Isn’t So American After All.” Food 52. October 8, 2021. https://food52.com/blog/24688-apple-pie-origin-story
• Siegel, Matt. “’Substantial, Satisfying, Hard to Digest.’ How Apple Pie is Like America.” Literary Hub. Sept. 1, 2021. https://lithub.com/substantial-satisfying-hard-to-digest-how-apple-pie-is-like-america/
• Snell, Rachel A. “ As North American as Pumpkin Pie: Cookbooks and the Development of National Cuisine in North America, 1796-1854.” Erudit. Oct. 7, 2014. https://www.erudit.org/fr/revues/cuizine/2014-v5-n2-cuizine01533/1026771ar/
• “Pie.” New York Times. May 2, 1902. https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1902/05/03/118469204.pdf?pdf_redirect=true&ip=0
• “A Shortcrust History of Pies.” BBC. https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/articles/zmtn2sg
• Simmons, Amelia. “American Cookery, or the Art of Dressing Viands, Fish, Poultry and Vegetables, and the Best Modes of Making Pastes, Puffs, Pies, Tarts, Puddings, Custards and Preservesd, and All Kinds of Cakes, From the Imperial Plumb to Plain Cake. Adapted to This Country, and All Grades of Life.” Hudson & Goodwin. 1796. Accessed online: https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/12815/pg12815.html
• Soyer, Alexis. “The Modern Housewife or, Menagere Comprising Nearly One Thousand Receipts, for the Economic and Judicious Preparation of Every Meal of the Day, with those of The Nursery and Sick Room, and Minute Directions for Family Management in All its Branches.” New York. D. Appleton & Co. 1850. Accessed online: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/41899/41899-h/41899-h.htm
• Howland, E.A. “The American economical housekeeper, and family receipt book.” H.W. Derby. 1845. Accessed online: https://d.lib.msu.edu/fa/23#page/10/mode/2up
• “History of Pies.” What’s Cooking America. https://whatscookingamerica.net/history/piehistory.htm
• Hale, Sarah. “The ladies' new book of cookery : a practical system for private families in town and country; with directions for carving, and arranging the table for parties, etc. Also, preparations of food for invalids and for children.” 1852. Accessed online: https://d.lib.msu.edu/fa/48#page/2/mode/2up
• Masterson, Kate. “The Great American Pie.” New York Times. August 10, 1902. https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1902/08/10/118475659.pdf?pdf_redirect=true&ip=0
• Simmons, Amelia. “American cookery, or, The art of dressing viands, fish, poultry, and vegetables : and the best modes of making pastes, puffs, pies, tarts, puddings, custards, and preserves : and all kinds of cakes, from the imperial plumb to plain cake, adapted to this country, and all grades of life.” Hudson & Goodwin. 1796. Accessed online: https://www.loc.gov/item/96126967/
• Traill, Catherine Parr Strickland. “The female emigrant's guide, and hints on Canadian housekeeping.” Maclear. 1854. Accessed online: https://archive.org/details/cihm_41417/page/n11/mode/2up
• Kelly, Alison. “A Brief History of Pumpkin Pie in America.” Library of Congress Blof. Nov. 20, 2017. https://blogs.loc.gov/inside_adams/2017/11/a-brief-history-of-pumpkin-pie-in-america/
• Clarkson, Janet. “Pie: A Global History.” Reaktion Books. 2009. 

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