Did you know that most Americans did not eat tuna until the 20th century? On this week’s episode of A Taste of the Past, Linda Pelaccio sits down with Andrew F. Smith, a food historian and author of the recent book, American Tuna: The Rise and Fall of an Improbable Food. Learn about how Mediterranean immigrant populations popularized the fish in the United States, and how the Japanese made it a staple of culinary culture. Hear about how American preferences in terms of tuna preparation have chan...
Aug 09, 2012•42 min•Ep. 109
Cooking with chocolate is the theme on this week’s episode of A Taste of the Past, as Linda Pelaccio is joined by “The First Lady of Chocolate”, businesswoman, baker and cookbook author Alice Medrich. Alice explains how she found her way to baking and chocolate, and how she’s adapted to thinking in terms of home cooking instead of complex kitchen baking. Learn some tips for making world class desserts at home, and find out how sugar balance is essential for delicious and wholesome taste in sweet...
Jul 19, 2012•30 min•Ep. 108
What differentiates an herb from a weed? And what historical significance do herbs hold? Today’s episode of A Taste of the Past is a culinary history of herbs. Linda Pelaccio is joined by Gary Allen, herbalist and author of the recent book, Herbs: A Global History. Tune in to hear the difference between herbs and spices. Learn about extinct herbal plants and their ancient uses. Hear about the exchange of regional herbs, and how it has changed the culinary landscape and the food we eat today. Cul...
Jun 28, 2012•27 min•Ep. 107
This week’s episode of A Taste of the Past is a dedication to Craig Claiborne, legendary New York Times restaurant critic. Linda Pelaccio is talking with Tom McNamee, author of the recent Craig Claiborne-focused book, The Man Who Changed the Way We Eat. When Craig Claiborne began his career, there was no outlet for critical review of restaurant and food culture. Tune in to hear about how Craig Claiborne transformed The New York Times’ food coverage into the critical lens that it is known to be t...
Jun 21, 2012•36 min•Ep. 106
On this episode of A Taste of the Past, Linda Pelaccio is joined in the studio by Rebecca Federman of the Culinary Collections at the New York Public Library. Today, they are discussing the NYPL’s old menu collection and the new What’s on the Menu? program. Hear about old menus from the inauguration of President McKinley to the dedication of the Statue of Liberty. Help out the NYPL by helping to digitize some of these menus to create a searchable database! Tune in to learn about some of the more...
Jun 14, 2012•29 min•Ep. 105
This week on A Taste of the Past, Linda Pelaccio is on the phone with Giuliano Hazan, cooking instructor and author of a new book entitled Hazan Family Favorites. Giuliano comes from a tradition of fine Italian cooking. His mother, Marcella Hazan, is a famous Italian cookery writer. Tune in to hear Giuliano recount stories of frying with his grandmother, and being teased because of his Italian school lunches. Giuliano’s book includes unpretentious recipes designed to inspire home cooking. Hear a...
May 31, 2012•34 min•Ep. 104
On this episode of A Taste of the Past, Linda Pelaccio is talking with cooking instructor, author and founder of LaVarenne Cooking School, Anne Willan. Anne’s cookbook, The Cookbook Library, includes cooking instructions from four centuries of recipe history. Tune in to hear about cooking instructions from all over Europe throughout the ages, the history of dining utensils, and the role of illustrations in cooking manuals. Hear about some of the difficulties involved with recreating dishes from ...
May 24, 2012•36 min•Ep. 103
On this week’s episode of A Taste of the Past, Linda Pelaccio is talking about ancient and whole grains with Maria Speck, IACP award winning author of the NYTimes notable book Ancient Grains for Modern Meals. Topics include Maria’s upbringing with whole grains, the health benefits of eating grains, and why ancient grains have become fashionable in the food world. Quinoa has been back on the scene for a while, but learn about some lesser known grains such as emmer, kamut- and the most ancient of ...
May 17, 2012•37 min•Ep. 102
On this episode of A Taste of the Past, Linda Pelaccio is in the studio with Tim Sullivan, sake educator and founder of the site UrbanSake.com . Tune in to hear about how rice processing and milling determines sake quality, why sake is more similar to beer than wine, and why sake is unlikely to give you a hangover. Did the tsunami affect sake quality and production in Japan? Is the sake contaminated by nuclear material? Tim says that sake production is monitored by the Japanese government and is...
May 10, 2012•32 min•Ep. 101
This week marks the 100th episode of A Taste of the Past; congratulations to our hostess, Linda Pelaccio! To celebrate her 100th episode, Linda is remembering Julia Child’s 100th birthday with food writer and author of Julia Child: A Life, Laura Shapiro. Julia was one of the most natural television personalities, and her joy for teaching cooking was more than apparent. Linda and Laura recall Julia’s accessibility, and her ability to motivate and communicate great cooking methods. They also discu...
May 03, 2012•33 min•Ep. 100
“Each time a good cook dies without passing down recipes, family dishes become suddenly lost forever.” – Unknown. This week on A Taste of the Past, Linda Pelaccio talks with food writer Donna Pierce about preserving the past through cuisine and recipes. Donna Pierce started Skillet Diares , a website dedicated to “remembering, preserving, and passing down the flavors of home.” Tune in to hear Linda and Donna discuss the importance of digital media in preserving recipes, the necessity for oral tr...
Apr 26, 2012•34 min•Ep. 99
Is milk “nature’s perfect food”? This week on A Taste of the Past, Linda Pelaccio is joined by cookbook historian Anne Mendelson to debunk this myth. Anne is the author of Milk: The Surprising Story of Milk Through the Ages, a cookbook and overview of milk’s history. Learn about milk’s volatile chemistry, the differences between different mammals’ milks, and Anne’s thoughts on the raw milk debate. Also, Anne explains the beginnings of the pasteurization and homogenization processes, and how it c...
Apr 19, 2012•39 min•Ep. 98
This week on A Taste of the Past, Linda Pelaccio talks with Sheilah Kaufman, author of The Turkish Cookbook: Regional Recipes and Stories.The Ottoman Turks controlled areas from Egypt to Austria, and all of the foods of these regions are incorporated into the Turkish palette. Tune in to hear how history and conquest has shaped Turkish cuisine; here’s fish from the Aegean, pistachios from Anatolia, and bananas from the Mediterranean. Listen to Linda and Sheilah discuss the home cooking traditions...
Apr 12, 2012•32 min•Ep. 97
What staple food feeds over 500 million people, and is gluten-free? Answer- the manioc root, and it’s this week’s topic on A Taste of the Past. Linda Pelaccio sits down with Teresa Corção, chef/owner of O Navegador restaurant and co-founder of Instituto Maniva- a group that promotes the heritage root called manioc. She is an active governing member of Slow Food Brazil, and has been honored by IACP with a Humanitarian of the Year award. Sara B. Franklin is also in the studio. A writer, oral his...
Apr 05, 2012•32 min•Ep. 96
In this episode of A Taste of the Past, Linda Pelaccio talks kosher wine with Jay Buchsbaum of the Royal Wine Corp. Tune in to hear Linda and Jay define kosher wine, the history of wine in Israel, the caliber and standards for kosher wine and its place among wine connoisseurs. Forget what you know about Manischewitz; these are some high-quality wines! Listen in as Linda samples three of the wines that Royal Wine Corp. distributes. This program was sponsored by Hearst Ranch . “Wine is an integral...
Mar 29, 2012•31 min•Ep. 95
This week on A Taste of the Past we’re talking about the history of bread with hostess, Linda Pelaccio, and her guest, William Rubel. William authored the hearth-cooking book The Magic of Fire, and now has a new book called Bread: A Global History. Listen in as Linda and William discuss the ancient roots of bread making, the social and class implications of certain types of flour and bread, and bread’s place in different religious traditions and texts. This program was brought to you by Whole Fo...
Mar 22, 2012•36 min•Ep. 94
How do you indigenize a food? What are the hummus wars? Tune in to a food identity themed episode of A Taste of the Past as Linda Pelaccio chats with Ari Ariel, Assistant Professor of Hebrew and Judaic Studies at NYU. Tune in to learn how cuisine is shared and sometimes protected in different countries and cultures. Learn what makes a dish “authentic” and how hummus has caused such a fuss between nations. This program was sponsored by Cain Vineyard & Winery . “Migration provokes changes in f...
Mar 15, 2012•29 min•Ep. 93
Hooked on Downton Abbey? Curious what food was like during the Edwardian Period? Tune in to an especially historic episode of A Taste of the Past with Linda Pelaccio as she is joined by Cathy Kaufman, chair of the Culinary Historians of New York. Find out why English food has a rich tradition and why it gets such a bad reputation these days. Learn about early haute cuisine, table settings, cookbooks and the important of the dining room as it relates to the period of time featured on Downton Abbe...
Mar 08, 2012•33 min•Ep. 92
It’s Linsanity on A Taste of the Past!! Tune in as Linda discusses the cuisine and culture of Taiwan with Jessica Chien and Joanne Liu, freelance pastry chefs. Learn the differences between China, Japan and Taiwan when it comes to food and hear what makes Taiwanese cuisine stand out from the rest. From their bountiful produce and livestock options to the creative cultural dishes, listeners will come away with a new found knowledge and respect for the food from this Asian-Pacific island. This pro...
Mar 01, 2012•33 min•Ep. 91
This week on A Taste of the Past, Linda Pelaccio is joined by food writer and journalist Toni Tipton-Martin for a discussion on imagery, stereotypes and African American cuisine and culture as it relates to the famous and controversial image of Aunt Jemima. Learn more about the history behind the trademarked character and hear what Toni thinks “soul food” actually means in the context of African American cooking. This program was sponsored by Fairway Market . “There is quite a bit of debate now ...
Feb 23, 2012•40 min•Ep. 90
From food culture in 800BCE to the present day, this week’s episode of A Taste of the Past will take you there. With the help of New School professor of food studies, Fabio Parasecoli, host Linda Pelaccio takes you on a world tour of food globalization throughout major world time periods. Parasecoli, who has also edited an encyclopedic 6-volume tome on the subject– A Cultural History of Food — discusses the rise of food scholarship in major learning institutes around the world as well how food, ...
Feb 16, 2012•31 min•Ep. 89
This week on A Taste of the Past host Linda Pelaccio talks with food writer and interviewer Monica Bhide who has written on a variety of subjects from Indian cooking to her latest venture into the world of e-publishing with her newest e-book, “ In Conversation with Exceptional Women” . Learn about her tips for gaining inspiration in both cooking and writing, her views on authenticity and Indian cooking, as well as where she sees the realm of digital publishing heading. This episode is sponsored ...
Jan 26, 2012•32 min•Ep. 88
This week on A Taste of the Past get ready to dive in to the re-emerging world of “table-scaping” –ie. how to set and visually design a dinner table setting– with host Linda Pelaccio. Joined by esteemed guest, food stylist, and historian Rick Ellis, the two delve into rich the history of table setting and food service originating in Europe as well as the research it requires to bring food alive on the silver screen for period pieces. Tune into learn about the difference between “service a la Fra...
Jan 19, 2012•31 min•Ep. 87
How did restaurants become such a staple in American culture? Tune in for a lively discussion with historian and professor Cindy Lobel on this week’s episode of A Taste of the Past. Linda and Cindy chat about the history of restaurants in New York, and explain how our foodways were urbanized and colonial taverns evolved into the modern day restaurant. From Delmonico’s to boarding houses, learn more about the emergence of the restaurant and our gastronomic growth. This episode was sponsored by Fa...
Jan 05, 2012•31 min•Ep. 86
This week on A Taste of the Past we take a trip to the Abbey of Fecamp in Normandy where the Benedictine monk Dom Bernardo Vincelli created the liqueur Benedictine in the 16th century. With the help Benedictine brand ambassador Martin Duffy, learn all about the history of this ancient libation as well as some delicious holiday drinks that will keep you warm all winter long. This episode is sponsored by Heritage Foods USA “Putting a little Benedictine in your hot chocolate is sure to ‘warm your c...
Dec 22, 2011•27 min•Ep. 85
Get ready to loosen up your belt a notch or two because A Taste of The Past is having a Christmas feast. Host Linda Pelaccio is joined accomplished food historian Clifford Wright who explains history of holiday feasts from the origin of the real St. Nicholas to the significance sweets at the holidays for the poor. This episode is sponsored The Barterhouse . “We take it for granted, but there was a time when people couldn’t afford food and (Christmas) was the one time of the year you could have v...
Dec 15, 2011•33 min•Ep. 84
This week on A Taste of The Past it’s time to rediscover The Lost Art of Real Cooking with Ken Albala who has written a book on just that. Learn how our liberation from the kitchen in the ’70s has lead to our over-consumption of pre-made and pre-packaged foods. From government subsidies to food deserts, tune in to learn something new about how to recover this lost art. This episode is sponsored by S. Wallace Edwards & Sons. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Priva...
Dec 08, 2011•34 min•Ep. 83
This week on A Taste of the Past, Linda Pelaccio explores the history of public markets and meat supplies in New York City with Gergely Baics, Assistant Professor of History and Urban Studies at Barnard College. Tune in to learn about food provisioning and local markets and how policy and seasonality play into the proteins made available to the public in urban areas. This episode was sponsored by Cain Vineyard & Winery . See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy ...
Dec 01, 2011•36 min•Ep. 82
When it comes to food, what exactly does Heritage mean? How did Slow Food’s Ark of Taste help launch Heritage Foods USA and bring pasture raised pork and Heritage breed turkeys and chickens to the dinner plates of thousands of Americans? Hear the Heritage story from Patrick Martins himself, the man who founded Slow Food USA, Heritage Foods USA, Heritage Radio Network & The Heritage Meat Shop. This episode was sponsored by Hearst Ranch . See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and Cal...
Nov 17, 2011•30 min•Ep. 81
Three million tonnes of liquid gold have been produced this year and no we’re not talking about bullion, we’re talking about olive oil. From it’s first sightings on ancient Egyptian pyramids to the many different styles and pressings today, olive oil has been a staple of life for thousands of years. With the help of oil importer and expert Tony DeMarco, Linda Pelaccio takes you on an organoleptic retrospective of one of the worlds oldest delicacies. From it’s early uses helping sustain traveling...
Nov 10, 2011•38 min•Ep. 80
