In medieval times the term Laudemio indicated the best part of the harvest reserved for the feudal lord. This year the Frescobaldi family of Tuscany is celebrating the 30th anniversary harvest of its Laudemio Frescobaldi extra virgin olive oil with a special gold bottle. Matteo Fescobaldi, the 30th generation of the wine and olive oil family joins Linda to share the story behind Laudemio, now a consortium of 21 producers. A Taste of the Past is powered by Simplecast See Privacy Policy at https:/...
Feb 07, 2019•35 min•Ep. 320
Situated strategically at the crossroads of Europe and Asia in the Caucasus mountain range the Republic of Georgia has a unique and ancient cultural heritage that is famed for its traditions of hospitality and cuisine. Twenty-five years ago award-winner cookbook author Darra Goldstein introduced a generation of cooks to the culture and cuisine of that land in her book, The Georgian Feast . Today Georgia has become a hot travel destination for both its beautiful land and its food and wine traditi...
Jan 31, 2019•47 min•Ep. 319
Culinary travel is one of the fastest growing travel trends today. By combining travel with unique eating--and even cooking--experiences, culinary tourism offers an authentic taste of place and understanding of the culture. Elizabeth Minchilli shares her philosophy and tips for seeking out some of the historical food experiences which serve to preserve the ways of life and traditions that might otherwise fade away. A Taste of the Past is powered by Simplecast See Privacy Policy at https://art19....
Jan 24, 2019•45 min•Ep. 318
Like the city itself, Rome’s culinary history is multi-layered, both vertically and horizontally, from migrant shepherds to the senatorial aristocracy, from the papal court to the flow of pilgrims and Grand Tourists, from the House of Savoy and the Kingdom of Italy to Fascism and the rise of the middle classes. Historian and author Karima Moyer-Nocchi joins Linda to talk about her recent book, The Eternal Table , in which she takes the reader on a culinary journey through the city streets, count...
Jan 17, 2019•43 min•Ep. 317
Italian cookbooks do not refer to it by name. It's not known by name in Italy. In fact, in the north of Italy it's unheard of, and the Catholic church does not recognize it. So what exactly is the Feast of Seven Fishes and how did it come to be associated with Italian-American Christmas Eve celebrations? Cookbook author Michele Scicolone helps shed some light on the search for the beginnings of this feast which just might be an Italo-American construct. A Taste of the Past is powered by Simpleca...
Dec 20, 2018•36 min•Ep. 316
Chinese cuisine's history dates back more than three millennia, and it's only in recent times that regional specialties beyond the usual Cantonese, Hunan, and Sichuan dishes have begun to arrive in the US. Still, one element of Chinese cookery that remains rare in the Western world is the most popular across China: street food. Author, photographer and food fanatic Howie Southworth aims to change that with his new book, Chinese Street Food , filled with history, recipes, stories, photos and more...
Dec 13, 2018•46 min•Ep. 315
Ashley Rose Young, Historian of the American Food History Project at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, has long been interested in the foodways of America’s past. And when she’s not hosting live cooking demos to explore that history at the Smithsonian Museum, she is immersed in her study of the alternative foodways and food economies—specifically of New Orleans—which relied heavily on street vendors. This street vending became the domain of the enslaved or newly freed, disenfr...
Dec 06, 2018•44 min•Ep. 314
On a recent trip to Rome, I met up with Katie Parla , Italian food and culture writer, to talk to her about her thoughts on the recent renaissance of old classic Roman dishes, particularly pasta dishes. She spoke about past, present, and what she sees in the future for the food of Rome. A Taste of the Past is powered by Simplecast See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info ....
Nov 29, 2018•32 min•Ep. 313
In his recently published book, Creole Italian, Justin A. Nystrom explores the influence Sicilian immigrants have had on New Orleans foodways. His culinary journey follows these immigrants from their first impressions on Louisiana food culture in the mid-1830s and along their path until the 1970s. Sicilian immigrants cut sugarcane, sold groceries, ran truck farms, operated bars and restaurants, and manufactured pasta. Citing these cultural confluences, Nystrom posits that the significance of Sic...
Nov 08, 2018•45 min•Ep. 312
Graham Kerr , aka The Galloping Gourmet, wrote a very modern and revolutionary cookbook in 1969, which was overshadowed by his huge success as one of the early TV cooking personalities. Matt and Ted Lee have resurrected the book and added Kerr's own handwritten commentary. Graham and Matt join Linda to revisit the newly republished book and early stardom of TV food. A Taste of the Past is powered by Simplecast See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https...
Nov 01, 2018•44 min•Ep. 311
In the 1980s, Montgomery County, Maryland set aside one-third of the county—93,000 acres—for agricultural uses. It was a remarkable act of stewardship, especially in the Washington, DC metropolitan area, where land is at a premium. Since then more than 500 farm operations produce food for local residents and for people around the world. The Reserve has become a national model for land preservation and has created space for food production, but also for clean air and water, recreation, and histor...
Oct 25, 2018•38 min•Ep. 310
Food is a many layered topic in most cultures and none more so than in Sicily, where the bitterness found in the flavors of almonds and wild greens are also present in the emotions of Sicily's past. Fabrizia Lanza, born and raised in Palermo, left to study and live in northern Italy as an art historian for many years. She returned to carry on her mother's work at pre-eminent Anna Tasca Lanza Cooking School on the family property and winery, and realized the roots of so many of those bitter feeli...
Oct 18, 2018•47 min•Ep. 309
America has long had a love affair with cookies which led big business to get in the game and the choices of commercially made sweets seem endless. Several years ago Oreos, the iconic, #1 American cookie, celebrated their 100th birthday. Food writer and culinary historian Michael Krondl talks with Linda about their history and Nabisco - world's largest cookie factory that transformed cookie and cracker manufacturing. *A Taste of the Past* is powered by [Simplecast][1] See Privacy Policy at https...
Sep 27, 2018•39 min•Ep. 308
The Kanz al-fawāʾid fī tanwīʿ al-mawāʾid, a fourteenth-century cookbook, is unique for its variety and comprehensive coverage of contemporary Egyptian cuisine. It is the only surviving cookbook from a period when Cairo was a flourishing metropolis and a cultural haven for people of diverse ethnicities and nationalities. Now available for the first time in English, it has been meticulously translated and supplemented with a comprehensive introduction by scholar Nawal Nasrallah. She joins Linda on...
Sep 13, 2018•55 min•Ep. 306
Mary Randolph wrote The Virginia Housewife Cookbook, first published in 1824. But who was she and who was in the kitchen doing the cooking? Dr. Leni Sorensen, a writer, chef, and Jefferson's Monticello resident culinary historian, joins Linda to talk about the kitchens, cooking methods, and enslaved cooks who influenced the recipes and methods of cooking in one of America's oldest printed cookbooks. A Taste of the Past is powered by Simplecast See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and ...
Sep 06, 2018•54 min•Ep. 305
Trying to pinpoint origins of cuisines from the Caribbean is not an easy task. The many traders, invaders, colonists, and travelers left bits and pieces of their cuisines that became incorporated in the island food cultures. And Like most Caribbean islands, Jamaican foods are derived from many different settlement cultures, including British, Dutch, French, Spanish, East Indian, Portuguese, Chinese, and importantly, West African. Writer Rochelle Oliver takes us back to the 1500’s to learn about ...
Aug 02, 2018•34 min•Ep. 304
Profoundly intertwined with human civilization, milk has a compelling and a surprisingly global story to tell, and historian Mark Kurlansky, author of the new book "Milk! A 10,000 Year Food Fracas" is the perfect person to tell it. HRN's Kat Johnson interviewed Mark last month at MOFAD, (Museum of Food and Drink) and shares it here with us. In this diverse history from antiquity to the present, he details milk's curious and crucial role in cultural evolution, religion, nutrition, politics, and e...
Jul 26, 2018•56 min•Ep. 303
From the 1920s through the 1940s "Aunt Sammy's Housekeeper's Chat" was a hit food radio program created by the USDA Bureau of Home Economics. Aunt Sammy doled out recipes, kitchen tips, and other household advice. She was so popular that the spin-off recipe book stayed in print for 50 years. But who was she? Justin Nordstrom, editor of the newly annotated version of Aunt Sammy's Radio Recipes, joins Linda to introduce and explain the phenomenon of Aunt Sammy. A Taste of the Past is powered by Si...
Jul 12, 2018•51 min•Ep. 302
America's agriculture has undergone many changes in the past century. One of the major changes is the growth of soy bean farming and how the little-known Chinese transplant became the nation's largest cash crop. Matthew Roth joins Linda to share the history and stories from his book, Magic Bean: Rise of Soy in America. A Taste of the Past is powered by Simplecast See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info ....
Jun 28, 2018•43 min•Ep. 301
The adage "Power of the Press" is never truer than when it comes to restaurant reviews. A review can make or break a business, and more than that, it serves as a reliable guide to diners' experiences. Longtime restaurant critic and food writer Mimi Sheraton shares her insights and experience and sheds some light on the history of restaurant reviews. A Taste of the Past is powered by Simplecast See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/priv...
Jun 07, 2018•41 min•Ep. 300
Arabs have always been great traders, collecting spices and ingredients from the early Silk Road routes right through the expansion of Islam from North Africa to South Asia. With the ingredients came the development of recipes and dishes unique to the various locations. Anissa Helou has lived and traveled widely in these regions and has become an authority on the cuisines. In her new book she presents her research and recipes that are evidence of the great culinary traditions of the Islamic worl...
May 31, 2018•40 min•Ep. 299
Food trucks announcing "halal" proliferate in many urban areas but how many non-Muslims know what this means, other than cheap lunch? Middle Eastern historians Febe Armanios and Boğaç Ergene provide an accessible introduction to halal (permissible) food in the Islamic tradition, exploring what halal food means to Muslims and how its legal and cultural interpretations have changed in different geographies up to the present day. A Taste of the Past is powered by Simplecast See Privacy Policy at ht...
May 17, 2018•42 min•Ep. 298
Many Ancient Roman dishes included the use of fish sauce—garum or liquamen—made from fermented fish parts. Sally Grainger, one of the foremost authorities on Roman fish sauce and foods of the Roman era, joins Linda to explain the nuances, differences, and uses of the sauces, as well as other herbs, spices, and recipes she has written about in her book, Cooking Apicius. A Taste of the Past is powered by Simplecast See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at ht...
May 10, 2018•49 min•Ep. 297
Until the mid-19th Century, it was not acceptable--and in some cases not allowed--for women to out and about unescorted. They would not be served even at elite restaurants. But in 1868, a journalist named Jane Cunningham Croly pushed open the doors of restaurants to women with an historic luncheon at Delmonico's in New York City, and the rest is...history. this luncheon was recreated at the famed Delmonico's with guest chef/restaurateur Gabrielle Hamilton cooking some classic dishes for an all w...
Apr 20, 2018•39 min•Ep. 296
On this episode, historian and regular voice on BBC Radio 4's Kitchen Cabinet , Annie Gray, joins Linda to talk about the enormous culinary changes during the Victorian era and the birth of modern food culture. In her recent book, The Greedy Queen , Annie considers Britain's most iconic monarch from a new perspective, telling the story of British food along the way. Voracious and adventurous in her tastes, Queen Victoria was head of state during a revolution in how the British ate--from the high...
Apr 12, 2018•44 min•Ep. 295
Few ingredients have had greater influence on the cuisines and foodways of the world than peppers. Their diaspora spans millenia and has shaped the way generations of cooks create flavor. On this episode historian and three-time James Beard award winning author Maricel Presilla joins Linda and shares her work from her new book, Peppers of the Americas, in which she retraces the fascinating history of how Capsicum spread across the globe and found their way into cuisines of the world. A Taste of ...
Apr 05, 2018•45 min•Ep. 294
On this episode, Linda welcomes Kat Johnson, HRN's Communications Director, to share an panel she moderated at the 2018 Charleston Wine + Food festival. Kat welcomed Jerome Dixon and Doc Bill Thomas from Georgia Coastal Gourmet Farms, Chef Sean Brock of Husk, and Glenn Roberts of Anson Mills to talk about the repatriation of Purple Ribbon Sugar Cane to Sapelo Island, home of the Gullah-Gechee community Hog Hammock. A Taste of the Past is powered by Simplecast See Privacy Policy at https://art19....
Mar 22, 2018•44 min•Ep. 293
Marvin Taylor, Director and Archivist of NYU Fales Library and Special Collections, has been instrumental in building one of the top culinary collections in the nations. He and Linda discuss the meaning of classic cookbooks and other archival materials that can help us piece together the past. A Taste of the Past is powered by Simplecast See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info ....
Mar 15, 2018•49 min•Ep. 292
In his book Chefs, Drugs and Rock & Roll , Andrew Friedman takes us back in time to witness the remarkable changes in the American dining scene and evolution of the American restaurant chef in the 1970s and '80s. Using oral histories told primarily in the words of the people who lived it Friedman writes about the pioneers behind Chez Panisse, Spago, River Cafe and other landmarks as well as many of the the young cooks like Jonathan Waxman, Tom Colicchio, and Mario Batali who went on to becom...
Mar 08, 2018•51 min•Ep. 291
African Americans have worked in presidential food service as chefs, personal cooks, butlers, stewards, and servers for every First Family since George and Martha Washington. Award-winning author and food historian Adrian Miller explores the lives of these men and women in his book, The President’s Kitchen Cabinet: The Story of the African Americans Who Have Fed Our First Families from the Washingtons to the Obamas (UNC Press, 2017). Miller gives us a glimpse of what life was like for these culi...
Mar 01, 2018•39 min•Ep. 290
