The Allusionist 223. Bonus 2025
Jan 20, 2026
Join Alex Ketchum, a researcher specializing in feminist food spaces, as she delves into the captivating intersection of feminist cookbooks and restaurants. She challenges the limitations of wave-based feminist theory and highlights how cookbooks have fostered unique culinary networks. Discover her insights on how feminist and lesbian cookbooks subvert traditional gender roles, all while sharing hilarious anecdotes about everything from dinosaur poop to playful profanity. It's an engaging blend of food, feminism, and fun!
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Limitations Of Wave Theory
- Wave terminology (first/second/third/fourth wave) flattens feminist history and centers middle-class white US women.
- Alex Ketchum warns the shorthand erases complexity and excludes many activists and timelines.
Feminist Cookbooks As Cultural Artifacts
- Bloodroot Restaurant published seasonal cookbooks with poetry, lyrics, and artwork linking food to feminist culture.
- Alex Ketchum cooked the Bloodroot sourdough chocolate devastation cake for academic milestones.
Cookbooks Reflect Feminist Divisions
- Feminist cookbooks reacted differently to changing gender roles, from 'quick meals' to detailed, multi-step recipes.
- These variations reflect tensions between liberal, corporate, eco-, and socialist feminist perspectives.
