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.
Luke Barr is the author of the New York Times bestseller Provence, 1970 and his most recent book, Ritz & Escoffier. He is currently writing a social and cultural history of 1970s French cooking. He is also co-writing The Hunt for History with Nathan Raab, a memoir of Raab’s adventures in the rare document and… Read More »The Social History of Food and Cooking, with author Luke Barr
Author Andrew Friedman goes inside Chez Panisse and other Bay Area restaurants to show how the politically charged backdrop of Berkeley helped draw new talent to the profession; into the historically underrated community of Los Angeles chefs, including a young Wolfgang Puck and future stars such as Susan Feniger, Mary Sue Milliken, and Nancy Silverton;… Read More »Chefs, Drugs and Rock and Roll: An all-access history of the evolution of the American Restaurant Chef
June Hersh, a former teacher and businesswoman, began her writing career after retiring in 2004. Her first book, Recipes Remembered, a Celebration of Survival, (Ruder Finn Press, May 2011) was written in association with and to benefit the Museum of Jewish Heritage-a Living Memorial to the Holocaust. June has also authored The Kosher Carnivore (St.… Read More »Yoghurt: A Global History
CHoW member Karima Moyer-Nocchi will reveal insights into our notions of ‘traditional’ Italian food based on her book: Chewing the Fat – An Oral History of Italian Foodways from Fascism to Dolce Vita. This highly engaging and visually-driven presentation will examine the socio-political influence that the fascist era exerted on the formation of the Italian culinary… Read More »On Food and Fascism
The Great Gelatin Revival traces the history of aspics, jiggly desserts and jello shots. The author predicts that given the patterns of popularity since the Middle Ages, gelatin is about to come back into fashion. Not kitsch, nor artificially flavored and colored monstrosities of the mid 20th century, but seriously delicious concoctions that will thrill,… Read More »The Great Gelatin Revival
The Arabic word “Maghreb” means “land where the sun sets,” a region which includes Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Mauritania, Libya and in ancient times, parts of Spain, Sicily, and Malta. The history of the Mediterranean region of the Maghreb is unique, and the cuisine reflects the influences of the many cultures that conquered or colonized the… Read More »Flavors of the Maghreb & Southern Italy: Recipes from the Land of the Setting Sun
Speaker: Jenny Bardwell Mt. Morris, Pennsylvania Salt rising bread is a unique North American bread raised without yeast. The mystery of how it is raised has been only partly clarified. The tradition of salt rising bread began in the Appalachian region of early America, circuit the late 1700’s, where the earliest recipe was found from… Read More »Salt Rising Bread: A Nearly Lost Appalachian Tradition
Speaker: Dr. Mark Benbow Alexandria, Virginia TALK DESCRIPTION Christian Heurich (1842-1945) was not only Washington D.C.’s most successful brewer, but he was also the world’s oldest, with 90 years of experience. He walked across central Europe learning his craft, survived a shipboard cholera epidemic, recovered from malaria, and worked as a roustabout on a Caribbean… Read More »The Nation’s Capital Brewmaster: Christian Heurich and his Brewery
Speaker: Sandra Gutierrez Cary, North Carolina BIO In a career that spans more than two decades, Sandra A. Gutierrez, a journalist, author, food historian, and professional cooking instructor, has taught thousands how to cook. Born in the U.S., this bilingual, award-winning journalist and author of five cookbooks is considered one of the top national experts… Read More »Latinísimo: Home Recipes from the Twenty-One Countries of Latin America
TALK DESCRIPTION: Unlike modern cultivars, heirloom plants were bred for flavor as well as performance in the garden and field. This talk highlights our heirloom grains and vegetables from the 19th century. What are the greatest of the horticultural creations that came to typify Low country and Tidewater cookery? What were the most historically significant… Read More »Our Heirloom Grains and Vegetables
BIO Joan Nathan is the author of twelve cookbooks including her latest work, My Life in Recipes: Food, Family, and Memories. Her 2018 book, King Solomon’s Table: A Culinary Exploration of Jewish Cooking from Around the World, won the IACP International Cookbook of the Year. That same year, the much-acclaimed Jewish Cooking in America, which… Read More »My Life in Recipes: Food, Family, and Memories
Amy Eber will present an informal but fascinating history of gingerbread