A Taste of the Past

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.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.