A Taste of the Past

Sichuan food has long been known for its heat and spice, but the fragrant flavors and sophistication that it holds throughout China was little known abroad. The award-winning food writer Fuchsia Dunlop has done much to introduce the finer flavors of Sichuan cuisine. She has revised her 2001 book, Land of Plenty, to create a more encompassing book of the culture and recipes of Sichuan Food. Join He...

What is American cuisine? Is there an American cuisine? It’s probably one of the most debated questions in food circles, certainly by food writers. Historian Paul Freedman, author of the recent best-selling book, Ten Restaurants that Changed America , explores the question in his newest book, AMERICAN CUISINE, and How It Got This Way. Join Heritage Radio Network on Monday, November 11th, for a rau...

What do football games, concerts, NASCAR, and similar outdoor gatherings have in common? Tailgate parties, or "tailgating" as it's commonly called. It's an American cultural phenomenon, and my guest today, Lynne Weems Ryan, whose moniker is Tailgage Buzz , is well-versed in the art and history of these social gatherings. Join Heritage Radio Network on Monday, November 11th, for a raucous feast to...

“There’s no genre of American cuisine as storied as Southern,” according to Rob Newton, Southern born chef/restaurateur, and now cookbook author. In his book, Seeking the South: Finding Inspired Regional Cuisines , Rob describes how the clash of cultures and ever-shifting mix of people who have moved through Southern regions have influenced the cuisine, making it culturally rich with distinct regi...

Fans of the TV series " Downton Abbey " are excitedly awaiting the premiere of the movie on Friday of this week. And coinciding with the movie's release is the publication of " The Official Downtown Abbey Cookbook ," by Annie Gray , one of Britain's leading food historians who joins Linda on today's episode. Dr. Gray researched recipes from historical sources for the meals seen on the show and inc...

In 2005, Slow Food USA declared the 17th century Gravenstein apple a heritage food. But despite the efforts of several organizations to preserve this historically important apple, it is now listed on the Slow Food’s Ark of Taste as an endangered American food. Why has such a flavorful fruit fallen out of favor? The attributing factors are several and, fortunately,so are it's supporters. Joining me...

Pickling is an ancient method of preserving foods, and even though the preservation need is no longer the major importance in today’s gastronomic world, pickled foods are valued more as a food that excites and delivers those desired, assertive flavors. Fermentationist Jori Jayne Emde of Lady Jaynes Alchemy talk about the process and Zach Meyer from Claussen (Kraft-Heinz,) one of America's top choi...

Today, we are rerunning Episode #52 of A Taste of the Past, in which we spoke with Molly O'Neill . Molly passed away this week, and she will be sorely missed. It's HRN's annual summer fund drive, this is when we turn to our listeners and ask that you make a donation to help ensure a bright future for food radio. Help us keep broadcasting the most thought provoking, entertaining, and educational co...

William Dickinson first drilled for brine in 1817, in western Virginia, using a hollowed-out tree trunk for piping, The town soon became the "salt capial of the east." Today, two 7th generation descendants of Dickinson, siblings Nancy Bruns and Lewis Payne , have reinvented this storied tradition, transforming the process by using natural and environmentally friendly concepts to produce small-batc...

Community cookbooks—you know, those spiral bound collections with each contributor credited--began as a way for women to come together and share recipes and to support a common cause be it a local church, school, club, or other fundraising goal. The concept became so popular and spread rapidly throughout the nation that more than 3,000 charity cookbooks were published between 1864 and 1922, accord...

Have you ever marveled at the delicately complex beauty of a plate of Japanese food? A dish is considered well-harmonized in Japanese when it is peaceful to look at. This arrangement of food on the plates in Japan or at Japanese restaurants is largely dictated by the rules of moritsuké, or serving arrangement. These are a set of styles that draw on the ideas of balance and contrast established cen...

The prosperity of the 1950's kicked off the revolution in technology and design that transformed the American kitchen from scullery to the central great room of the modern home. Modern pastel colored appliances and kitchen products made by companies whose names became household synonyms for convenience were representative of the era. Writer and design curator Sarah Archer has documented this movem...

New York City-based Senegalese chef Pierre Thiam has heightened the profile of West African cuisine in the United States with his restaurants and award-winning cookbooks Yolélé and Senegal. His new mission is to popularize the ancient supergrain FONIO in the U.S. and help farmers across the drought-prone Sahel region. A Taste of the Past is powered by Simplecast . See Privacy Policy at https://art...

The cuisine of the Italian south has been called the soul of Italian cuisine and bedrock in the history of Italian cooking. In her new book, Food of the Italian South , food journalist and historian Katie Parla explores the cuisine, region by region, and discovers that many of the dishes are disappearing or are lost and remain as vague memories by later generations. Katie shares her insights into...

The Basque region of Spain is a food lover's mecca. From the endless variety of pintxos--the small bites offered at hundreds of bars--to rustic ciderhouse dinners; and from over 20 Michelin-starred restaurants to private gastronomic clubs, there is clearly a strong culture of food and dining. San Sebastián, once a humble fishing village, is at the center of all this gastronomy. San Sebastian nativ...

For centuries, in the small town of Cetara on the Amalfi Coast of Italy, anchovies have been gathered and fermented into the piquant sauce " colatura di alici ," a local specialty. Until the 1990s, colatura di alici had never been bottled or sold. People clamored for the artisanal product and asked for more. Now the town is embroiled in a "be careful what you wish for" scenario. Culinary history s...

It's been 30 years since Irish cooking personality Darina Allen started SIMPLY DELICIOUS , her original television program and cookbook series. Today she looks back over that period of time and talks about the tried and true Irish dishes that she has gathered for her newest book, Simply Delicious: The Classic Collection . She reflects on how the cuisine has evolved over the years and descibes the...

Author Crystal King’s newest historical novel, “ The Chef’s Secret ,” is a fictional story based on a true character, Bartolomeo Scappi , who served as the Vatican chef during the 16th century Italian Renaissance. From Scappi’s original cookbooks and her extensive research on the popes and cardinals for whom he worked, King recreates and fabricates the missing pieces of the first ""celebrity chef'...

When Sukey and John Jamison purchased an old farmhouse over 40 years ago they had no idea they would they would become game-changing farmers, let alone being named Conservaton Farmers of the Year for 2017. As sheep farmers they learned techniques that harked back to historic methods which have roots in pre-industrial and European farming. Their lamb gained traction and was declared the best in the...

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 co...

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 G...

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 ot...

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...

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 th...

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...