A Taste of the Past

This week on A Taste of the Past, Andrew F. Smith once again joins Linda Pelaccio in the studio! Andy teaches food history at the New School in New York City, and is the author and editor of numerous books on culinary history. On this episode, Andy talks about his newest book called Drinking History: Fifteen Turning Points in the Making of American Beverages. Hear about water quality during the Colonial period, and how it led to the proliferation of alcoholic beverages. Why did beer not succeed initially in the New World? Learn about the gendered considerations of specific drinks, like tea and alcohol. Listen in to find out some surprising facts about Prohibition, and how the movement directly related to the outcome of World War I. This program has been sponsored by 360 Cookware. “Food is even more important than food. You can go for weeks without food, but you need to take in water every couple of days.” [5:40] “People think that we drink a lot of alcohol now, but we don’t drink as much as if it were earlier times.” [10:30] “New Yorkers never believe Prohibition was for them. The upper classes drank from the beginning to the end.” [29:40] — Andrew F. Smith on A Taste of the PastSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on A Taste of the Past, Linda Pelaccio is investigating the recent donut trend! Tune in to hear some interviews from customers of The Vault in Chicago conducted by correspondent Whitney Henry-Lester. Later, Linda calls up pastry chef and cookbook author George Geary. Recently, George authored the book 150 Best Donut Recipes: Fried or Baked– a comprehensive donut-making guide. Find out why donuts have holes, and how donuts became popular during war times. Learn how to cook all kinds of donuts – fry, bake, cake, and yeast! Hear about the rise of donut franchises like Dunkin’ Donuts and Krispy Kreme, and why gourmet donuts are becoming fashionable in U.S. cities! This episode has been sponsored by 360 Cookware. “The only main problem around making donuts at home is that the shelf life is so low versus all of the horrible ingredients that they put in donuts at normal donut shops.” [32:40] — George Geary on A Taste of the PastSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on A Taste of the Past, Linda Pelaccio delving into the history of soy sauce with Helen Roberts, the Publicity Manager and Creative Culinary Director at Kikkoman USA. Soy sauce has a rich history, dating back to 500 B.C. in China! Learn about the brewing processes that are used to make soy sauce! Tune in to learn about the Japanese standards for soy sauce, and why many soy sauces in the United States would not pass as authentic in Japan. Helen also shares some alternative uses for soy sauce; learn how to brine your turkey and make chocolate with soy sauce! Hear about the rich family history of the company, and its horizontal operating ideology. Check out the Kikkoman USA documentary trailer on their website. “Make haste slowly” – it’s the Kikkoman way! This episode has been brought to you by S. Wallace Edwards & Sons. “People haven’t learned how to use soy sauce properly. A lot of times, it seems too salty because they have used way too much. You should use soy sauce as an umami ingredient to increase the flavors of everything else.” [10:30] — Helen Roberts on A Taste of the Past See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Everyone has heard about George Washington Carver, and his famous peanut preparations. But did you know that he did not actually invent peanut butter? This week on A Taste of the Past, Linda Pelaccio is setting the peanut butter record straight with author Jon Krampner. Jon recently wrote Creamy & Curnchy, a book all about the history and evolution of peanut butter! Learn about the most popular peanut varieties, and whether or not they can be turned into good peanut butter. Hear about the five major changes that have occurred in peanut butter production throughout the years. How do preferred flavors and textures of peanut butter change throughout different areas of the the United States? Learn about the important cultural role that peanut butter plays in the United States, and why it proved to be useful in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. This episode has been sponsored by White Oak Pastures. “I think the [return to natural peanut butter] is part of a broader trend of Americans just wanting to eat in a more healthy and natural way, and reject some of the corporate foods that have been foisted upon them.” [24:00] — Jon Krampner on A Taste of the PastSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Linda Pelaccio begins today’s episode of A Taste of the Past by taking a moment to spread the word about Family-to-Family, a relief organization that allows a group of people to sponsor a family who has been affected by Hurricane Sandy. Thanksgiving has always been accompanied by charitable spirit; check out Family-to-Family, and get involved with the hurricane relief efforts. Today, Linda is speaking with food historian Sandy Oliver about the roots of Thanksgiving! Sandy is also the author of the book Saltwater Foodways, a history of Yankee cooking and New England eating traditions, and the recent Maine Home Cooking. Tune into this episode to learn about the religious considerations of Thanksgiving, and how it came to be a national holiday. What foods were most likely on the table during the first harvest feast? Sandy and Linda share some dishes that you may not recognize! Hear about the history of Thanksgiving commercialism! This program has been sponsored by Rolling Press. “Most of us don’t recognize mincemeat for the preserve that it is. It is a way of preserving meat along with apples and other kinds of fruits. It also was convenience food.” [14:05] — Sandy Oliver on A Taste of the PastSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on A Taste of the Past, host Linda Pelaccio is joined by celebrity pastry chef to the stars Eric Lanlard who has recently published several recipe books for baking at home. He discusses the origins of baking and the history of prominent bakers who worked under harsh conditions and the comparison to baking today. Hear chef Lanlard talk about early recipe creation and baking for the Queen of England and her passion for food. He discusses the history of Antonin Careme’s baking for royal courts as well as his own cooking for celebrities. His most recent book is a selection of recipes for home baking called “Tart It Up!” This program was sponsored by Whole Foods Market. “I wanted to put [savory baking] back in fashion.” [2:01] “I know what it’s like to put something on the table and get the wow factor.” [2:03] “I like giving more tips, I like getting more flavors.” [2:04] “Baking is like chemistry.” [2:05] “I want to make [baking] accessible.” [2:05] — Eric Lanlard, Pastry Chef on A Taste of the PastSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What spirit were the Three Musketeers drinking back in the 17th century? Armagnac! On this episode of A Taste of the Past, Linda Pelaccio is joined in the studio by David Lincoln Ross, a food writer and armagnac expert. Learn about the ancient roots of the spirit in Egypt, and the differences between cognac and armagnac. Learn about the regional grapes used to make traditional armagnacs, and the importance of oak from the Mon Lunzon forest in the aging process. How does one choose a bottle of armagnac? Learn about the different characteristics of armagnac that can be used to determine what quality spirit to buy. How does armagnac pair with food? Learn about the culinary landscape of Gascony, France, and how armagnac plays a significant role in its food culture. This program has been brought to you by Cain Vineyard & Winery. “Cognac, in the most simple terms, is distilled twice. It yields a more refined spirit with a higher level of alcohol when it comes out of the still. It’s called double distillation. Armagnac has a simpler or continuous distillation process so the spirit that comes out after the distillation process is at a lower proof, but because it has only been distilled once, it has a more fragrant and flavorful result.” [6:40] — David Lincoln Ross on A Taste of the PastSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On today’s episode of A Taste of the Past, Linda Pelaccio is talking about Jewish Italian food, or Cucina Ebraica, with a panel of experts. Jayne Cohen is a food writer and cookbook author involved with preserving the culinary roots of Jewish cooking. Her most recent cookbook is entitled Around the Passover Table and Cooking for Jewish New Year. Cara De Silva is a food historian who writes about food and culture, and has authored In Memory’s Kitchen: A Legacy from the Women of Terezin– a book featuring recipes from women in a Nazi concentration camp. Alessandra Rovati is a Jewish Italian food writer who also authors the blog Dinner in Venice. Tune in to hear how and when Jewish people immigrated to Italy, and how the various neighborhoods where they resided influenced their cooking. Learn why Jewish cuisine helped to popularize certain vegetables in Italian food, such as the tomato and the eggplant. What substitutes were used by Jews in the pork-heavy Italian diet? Hear about how ethnic tradition and cultural food survives through holiday meals. What Jewish foods have become part of everyday Italian cuisine? This program has been sponsored by Route 11 Potato Chips. “The number of things that went into making Italian Jewish cuisine… created a cuisine of incredible variety- even though it was all Jewish in some way. There were also issues whether or not some of these dishes came to be associated with Jews- and that was sometime the case- but most of these dishes were brought by Jewish people.” [6:50] “There has been fusion since there have been borders!” [15:00] — Cara De Silva on A Taste of the Past “One thing that is notable about Jewish Italian cuisine is that it was influenced by so many immigrants, sort of like Jewish food in the United States.” [11:20] — Jayne Cohen on A Taste of the PastSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

American food writer Betty Fussell joins Linda Pelaccio this week on “A Taste of the Past” for a conversation on culinary history, cultural identity and food literature. Betty is an award-winning writer and is the author of eleven books, ranging from biography to cookbooks, food history and memoir. Learn how she discovered food through travel and writing and became an “accidental” food historian. Listen as Betty describes the American cuisine she discovered throughout her life and elaborates on everything from corn fields to Mexican markets. Find out why Betty fell in love with New York City as she reads one of her literary passages live on-air! This program was sponsored by S. Wallace Edwards & Sons. “The food of my family was absolutely terrible – the land of the bland! It was Midwestern bible belt food in California. The discovery of the drama of what food could be was enormous!” [07:08] “Corn created settlements, it’s the basis of our agriculture in the Western world. It’s totally different from the plow culture of Europe.” [12:15] “I have two romances – one is the California landscape I grew up in, two is New York City. The wonder of New York City has never left me, it’s the last of the great cities of the last two centuries.” [21:20] –Betty Fussell on A Taste of the PastSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on A Taste of the Past, host Linda Pelaccio is joined by Canadian food writer Noami Duguid, who has authored seminal books such as “Seductions of Rice” and “Burma: Rivers of Flavor”. Tune in and hear what it’s like being an outsider in a foreign land and how Noami navigates cultures and communities to learn about the cuisine that lives amongst them. Find out how the politically oppressed people of Burma operate in their kitchens what makes their food simultaneously accessible and unique. From fish paste to garlic, discover the layered flavors of Burma and the delicious dishes that come from them. This program was sponsored by Hearst Ranch. “I’m always a beginner – wherever I am. I will never be an expert. All I’m trying to do is get my head in a place where I have some understand of what grows there, how people think about their food, how things are made, what’s important to them and what’s not important of them.” [3:43] “I didn’t want to talk about the people of Burma as victims because we think of victims as less than whole.” [9:00] “In Burmese culture, people use tea leaves in salad. They ferment them, use them fresh or dried.” [21:00] “My problem with breakfast in Burma is there are so many things I want to eat!” [26:50] “Food is an entry point – it’s a way of understanding how things work.” [28:30] — Noami Duguid on A Taste of the PastSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.