Paul Freedman on the history of celebrity Chefs Play Paul Freedman traces the history of celebrity chefs, as well as of cooking and restaurants, from the Middle Ages to the […]
Category: videos
Joshua Specht on how beef changed America
An animated history of beef in America Play An animated history of the violent conflict over who would reap the benefits of the beef industry and who would bear its […]
David Gentilcore tells the history of the world through the tomato
History of the tomato in Italy Play How the tomato gradually and slowly came to dominate Italian cookery and food exports, after inauspicious beginnings in the 1500s, by following the […]
Deborah Blum tells story of fight for food safety in early 20th century
Harvey Wiley Washington and the fight for food safety Play Deborah Blum tells the true David and Goliath tale of how food was made safe in the United States and […]
Mark Essig on the history of pork
Pork from ancient times until today Play Mark Essig, author of “Lesser Beasts, A Snout-to-Tail History of the Humble Pig,” recounts the history of pigs and the pork industry from […]
Rebecca Spang describes the origin of restaurants
Invention of restaurant in Paris Play Rebecca Spang, author of “The Invention of the Restaurant, Paris and Modern Gastronomic Culture,” discusses the origin of the restaurant in Paris (5 minutes, […]
David Shields talks about restoring basic ingredients Southern cuisine is built on
Restoring Southern cuisine Play David Shields, author of “Southern Provisions, The Creation and Revival of a Cuisine,” describes a time when a food’s flavor determined its popularity. Then late in […]
Fabio Parasecoli recounts how he changed his professional focus
Fabio Parasecoli transitions from international affairs Play Fabio Parasecoli, author of Al Dente, A History of Food in Italy,” talks about how he moved his focus from international affairs to […]
Libby O’Connell talks about the history of American foods
History of American foods Play Libby O’Connell, author of “The American Plate,” talks about her book and the history of American foods at the Chevy Chase, Maryland, Historical Society (27 […]
Maryn McKenna describes her life as a writer
Meet Maryn McKenna Play Maryn McKenna discusses when she knew she was going to be a writer, the first book she fell in love with, and how to handle writer’s […]