Calendar of Events
Note: Meetings are usually held on the second Sunday of each month, September through May, from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. Currently we are meeting via Zoom, but in-person meetings are held at the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Services Center, 4805 Edgemoor Lane, Bethesda, Maryland, and occasionally at other venues. The meetings are open to anyone. However, certain meetings may require a fee.
American Bread, A History
TALK DESCRIPTION
There is no humbler food than bread, none easier to take for granted. So ancient that it shows up in prehistoric sites, bread is still full of surprises. Heirloom grains and artisan loaves fetch top dollar, while home bakers pour their passion into naan and challah, anadama and pistolet.
In this book, award-winning author Andrew Coe provides the definitive history of American bread, from European settlers’ introduction to corn through the COVID-era sourdough craze. Each chapter follows an emblematic loaf that connects flour, water, salt, and yeast to the evolving story of American agriculture, industry, immigration, a Andrew Coe is a writer and independent scholar specializing in culinary history. His latest book, American Bread, A History, is a 320-page cultural and historical chronicle published by the University of California Press on October 13.
His ground-breaking book, Chop Suey: A Cultural History of Chinese Food in the United States, was a finalist for a James Beard award and named one of the best food books of the year by the Financial Times.
He has written books, articles, and blog posts on everything from the ancient history of foie gras to the secret criminal past of chocolate egg creams to where to buy the tastiest bread in New York City.
He has appeared in documentaries such as the National Geographic Channel’s “Eat: The Story of Food” and “The Search for General Tso.” He and his wife live in Brooklyn with their two children. Andy last spoke to CHoW in October 2017.
Why did supermarket white become America’s dominant bread, and how did rustic old-world bagels, ryes, and rolls find their way into our kitchens? Who was the early nineteenth-century dietary reformer who started the whole-grain revolution? Why not knead? An enriching and enlightening cultural chronicle, American Bread answers these questions and more and offers carefully sourced historical recipes to inspire the home baker.
SPEAKER BIO
Andrew Coe is a writer and independent scholar specializing in culinary history. His latest book, American Bread, A History, is a 320-page cultural and historical chronicle published by the University of California Press on October 13.
His ground-breaking book, Chop Suey: A Cultural History of Chinese Food in the United States, was a finalist for a James Beard award and named one of the best food books of the year by the Financial Times.
He has written books, articles, and blog posts on everything from the ancient history of foie gras to the secret criminal past of chocolate egg creams to where to buy the tastiest bread in New York City.
He has appeared in documentaries such as the National Geographic Channel’s “Eat: The Story of Food” and “The Search for General Tso.” He and his wife live in Brooklyn with their two children. Andy last spoke to CHoW in October 2017.