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Digestible Bits and Bites #29 - September 2015
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Digestible Bits and Bites
The monthly newsletter of the
Culinary Historians of Canada
Number 29, September 2015
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Some of the lovely items in the Crawford family collection of heritage kitchen tools and ephemera, on display at the CHC farm visit last August 1. Photo by Sarah Hood
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CHC News and Upcoming Events
A Busy Season Ahead!
Saturday, September 12
CHC Annual General Meeting
All members are invited to attend the 2015 Annual General Meeting from 9:15 a.m. to noon at Spadina Museum (285 Spadina Road, near the Dupont Subway Station). A tour of Spadina House and gardens, "Toronto’s Downton Abbey", will be held from 9:30 to 11 a.m., followed by a short business meeting (11:15 a.m.to noon), including briefings on great upcoming programs and introducing a CHC blog.
Four executive positions on the board are open (President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer), as well as the positions of Electronic Resources Committee Chair and Refreshments Co-ordinator of Refreshments. New board members are always welcome; please contact President Fiona Lucas at fiona@culinaryhistorians.ca or (416) 781-8153 to register your interest in a position.
Memberships can be renewed at the AGM ($30 for one year or $55 for two years). To verify your current membership status, please contact Membership Chair Shirley Lum at shirley@culinaryhistorians.ca or 416-923-6813. If you wish to vote, but are unable to attend in person, you may obtain a proxy form from Fiona Lucas. Admission: $12
Monday, September 21
2015 Taste Canada Hall of Fame Awards
Sponsored by the CHC, to be presented at the Taste Canada Awards Gala (see further information below).
Monday, September 28
Deadline: Royal Agricultural Winter Fair Preserving Competition
This year, for the second year in a row, CHC is sponsoring two categories: Heritage Jams and Heritage Pickles. Exhibitors must submit two jars of their preserve for each entry in proper, sealed canning jars. For Heritage Jam and Pickles classes, complete recipes must accompany entries. They must date from 1967 or earlier, but modern health and safety guidelines apply. Entry fee: $5 per entry. Download the competition booklet for complete regulations.
Sunday, October 4
CHC Day of Beer
A visit to BEER! The Exhibit at the Waterloo Regional Museum followed at 1 p.m. by a three-course lunch at DH Food & Lodging (formerly Benjamin’s Inn, 1430 King St N), a refurbished 1852 inn in the village of St. Jacob and a 2:30 tour of Block Three Brewing Co. (1430 King St N), a new craft microbrewery in Waterloo region. Admission: $40 (members) $45 (non-members). Pre-registration required by September 30.
Sunday, November 11
CHC at Royal Agricultural Winter Fair
CHC will once again be an official part of the Royal, with a cooking demo and a presentation on historic foods, times and table settings. Last year we looked back at WWI; this year, our theme is "Entertaining in the 1920s". (Don't forget to have a look at the Heritage Jam and Pickle competition winners, whose entries will be displayed prominently at the fair.)
Tuesday November 24
Historical Holidays at the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library
From 6 to 8 p.m., a talk, tour and tasting focusing on traditonal and historical holiday foods represented in rare cookbooks in the Thomas Fisher collection.
Saturday & Sunday, December 5 & 6
CHC at Fort York Frost Fair
CHC president Fiona Lucas will offer a talk on sugar-plums, and CHC will present a cookbook sale and information table. (Volunteers welcome!)
Saturday, February 20, 2016
Mad for Marmalade, Crazy for Citrus!
CHC's 9th annual celebration of all things citrus, held in association with Fort York Historic Site. This year, the theme is Persian; highlights include workshops, talks, tastings, a citrus-themed lunch and a marmalade preserving and baking competition.
Welcome, New CHC Board Members!
We're delighted to welcome two new additions to the CHC board: Samantha George, Curator of Parkwood National Historic Site in Oshawa, who will take on the role of Publicity Coordinator, and Mackenzie Bodnar, our new Volunteer Coordinator, who is the author of A Bluestocking Blog.
Farm Visit and Cidery Tour
About 25 people enjoyed sunny skies and an informative outing last August 1 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. when CHC visited member Carolyn Crawford's dairy and beef farms, with lunch at Spirit Tree Estate Cidery. (Photo by Sarah Hood)
CHC at Wychwood Barns
On August 8 and 22, CHC went to market: The Stop's Farmers' Market at Artscape Wychwood Barns, that is! Showing off our brand new display materials, we sold old and recent cookbooks and discussed food history with many interested marketgoers who stopped by to find oout more. (Photo by Shirley Lum)
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Join the Culinary Historians of Canada!
CHC members are part of a network of people dedicated to exploring Canada’s culinary history. Benefits include discounts on special events and access to members-only activities like the Picnic in Prince Edward County. In addition, members are listed in the CHC directory and receive their own copy. The membership year runs from September to August. Join us today!
- Regular Membership: $30 (1 year) $55 (2 years)
- Supporting Membership: $55 (1 year) $75 (2 years)
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News and Opportunities
Taste Canada–The Food Writing Awards
Taste Canada—The Food Writing Awards Gala Fundraiser and Reception, hosted by Ricardo and Vikram Vij, will be held on Monday, September 21 at Oliver & Bonacini's Arcadian Court in Toronto. Registration and the Welcome Reception start at 5:30, with the Awards Presentation at 6:30, followed by the Gala Reception that will feature delectable offerings from the chefs of such notable institutions as EPIC, Rock Lobster, Ted's World Famous BBQ and Dufflet.
The weekend before the Gala Fundraiser, Taste Canada and The Canola Alberta Commission will once again partner in Taste Canada Cooks the Books, a two-day competition in which culinary students from colleges across Canada are invited to cook a selected recipe from a 2015 submitted book, with the author on stage as a mentor. The teams will perform at a live cooking stage at the Toronto Food & Wine Festival at Evergreen Brickworks on September 19 and 20; winners will be announced at the Gala.
CuiZine 6.1 Launches
The new issue of CuiZine, The Journal of Canadian Food Cultures, is now available online. It questions what is "good" food, and how might it contribute to what we might think of as a "good" life? Issue 6.1 is posted online.
Learn Wood-Oven Baking!
The Montgomery's INNovators seek aspiring historic bakers who are interested in learning how to use the outdoor wood-fired bake oven at Montgomery's Inn (4709 Dundas St W in Etobicoke, near Islington TTC) so as to be able to join the volunteer group that meets weekly to bake artisanal breads for sale at the Wednesday afternoon farmers' market. To find out more, contact Montgomery's Inn at 416-394-8113.
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Events of Interest
September 2015
- Sunday, September 6: Toronto's Lost 1st Chinatown Food Tour & Harvest Moon Festival, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. (Toronto). CHC member Shirley Lum of A Taste of the World tour company traces where seeds of Toronto's first Chinatown were planted and uprooted. Meet at Old City Hall, front steps (60 Queen St W). Admission: $50 (adults). $45 (students, seniors, CHC members). Pre-register at 416-923-6813.
- Thursday, September 10: Corn Roast, Market & Heritage Fair, 5 to 8 p.m. (Etobicoke). Montgomery's Inn celebrates its 40th anniversary as a museum with a corn roast, a grand bake sale, displays from heritage organizations and special activities. Inside the Inn, the historic barroom will be open, tended by Thomas Montgomery himself, serving his own special 40th-anniversary beer, custom-made for the Inn by Great Lakes Brewery. Admission: Free
- Saturday, September 12: CHC AGM (Toronto). See details above.
- Saturday, September 12: Baconpalooza (Ottawa). Canada Agriculture and Food Museum presents a sizzling bacon festival with something for everyone!
- Sunday, September 13: Harvest Food Festival, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Edmonton, Alberta) Ukrainian Heritage Cultural Village invites visitors to witness traditional harvest activities from the period of 1892-1930, including an old-fashioned threshing bee complete with vintage farm equipment and grain deliveries to a historic elevator, making kapusta (sour cabbage), grinding wheat and canning of produce from the museum's garden. The event offers a unique culinary experience, with traditional Ukrainian food and treats from local food trucks and chefs.
- Sunday September 13: Toronto's 2nd Chinatown Food Tour & Harvest Moon Festival (Toronto). CHC member Shirley Lum of A Taste of the World tour company leads a tour that includes tutored tastings of dim sum, Chinese baking and more. Meet at Lucky Moose Mart steps (393 Dundas St W). Admission: $50 (adults). $45 (students, seniors, CHC members). Pre-register at 416-923-6813.
- Monday, September 14: Traditional Retail Public Markets in Context, 12:30 p.m. (Montreal). The Centre Urbanisation Culture Société presents a talk by Professor Alan Hallsworth, Professor Emeritus in Geography at the University of Portsmouth, UK. Admission: Free. RSVP to Maude.CournoyerGendron@ucs.inrs.ca
- Thursday, September 17: Beer Talks Series: Jim Brickman, 7 to 9 p.m. (Waterloo) Waterloo Regional Museum presents a lecture as part of BEER! The Exhibit. Admission: $15+HST. Pre-register at 519-748-1914.
- Saturday & Sunday, September 19 & 20: Pioneer Harvest Festival, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (Toronto). Black Creek Pioneer Village presents a two-day event. On Saturday, this Mennonite and Pennsylvania-German festival is full of delicious foods such as home-made pies, cheese curds, sausages, apple butter, hand-made ice cream and many international foods. Event highlights include historic ale sampling in the brewery, a cider mill demonstration, sausage making, apple schnitzing and grain threshing.
- Saturday & Sunday, September 19 & 20: 1860s Fall Fair Weekend (Morrisburg, Ontario). Upper Canada Village presents a weekend of activities recreating harvest time in Victorian Canada.
- Sunday, September 20: Food Styling & Photography Workshop, 9 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. (Carrying Place, Ontario). Food Stylist Ruth Gangbar and photographer Laura Berman of Green Fuze Photography share tips and techniques with a maximum of eight participants (foods and props provided) at Thyme Again Gardens B & and Down to Earth Health and Wellness. Admission: $375+HST including full breakfast, lunch and afternoon refreshments. {Accommodations are additional.} For registration and further details, contact Ruth Gangbar at ruth@foodographypec.com or 416-779-6513.
- Monday, September 21: Taste Canada Gala, 5:30 to 10 p.m. (Toronto). See details above.
- Thursday, September 24: Thirsty Thursday, 7 to 10 p.m. (Etobicoke, Ontario). Montgomery's Inn welcomes visitors to Thirsty Thursday tavern night at the Inn, where they can enjoy a glass of beer, cider, wine, or a Thomas Montgomery speciality in the restored 1847 barroom with Irish stew, fresh baked-bread and live traditional music. Free admission, cash bar, $5 for a bowl of stew while supplies last.
LOOKING AHEAD (October 2015)
- Saturday, October 3: A Spirited Affair, 7 p.m (Toronto) Black Creek Pioneer Village welcomes guests to be whisked into the late 1940s to listen and dance to boogie-woogie swing music while sipping on refreshments and enjoying fine foods. Admission: $80
- Sunday, October 4: CHC Day of Beer (St. Jacob). See details above.
- Friday to Sunday, October 16 to 18: Master & Commander: An Aubrey & Maturin Weekend (Toronto). Montgomery's Inn is the site of a three-day celebration of Patrick O'Brian's beloved seafaring characters Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin, featuring guest speaker Victor Suthren, plus workshops, demonstrations, music, dancing, Georgian food and more. Admission: Prices vary; the complete weekend is $190 including some meals. Discounts apply for students and those in Regency costume. For further details, contact JaneAustenDancing@gmail.com or 416-578-1031.
- Thursday, October 22: Beer Talks Series: Women Enjoying Beer, 7 to 9 p.m. (Waterloo) Waterloo Regional Museum presents a lecture as part of BEER! The Exhibit. Admission: $15+HST. Pre-register at 519-748-1914.
- Saturday, October 24: Bread Baking Workshop, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Picton, Ontario) The Friends of Macaulay Heritage Park welcome Tammy Lloyd of Lady Victorian Historical Presentations, who will teach participants how to bake bread, 1800s style. Admission: $65 613–476-2148, ext. 258.
- Sunday, October 25: Loaf & Ladle Pioneer Supper (Brampton) Bovaird House presents a traditional meal. Admission: $20
- Thursday, October 29: Thirsty Thursday, 7 to 10 p.m. (Etobicoke, Ontario). Montgomery's Inn welcomes visitors to Thirsty Thursday tavern night at the Inn, where they can enjoy a glass of beer, cider, wine, or a Thomas Montgomery speciality in the restored 1847 barroom with Irish stew, fresh baked-bread and live traditional music. Free admission, cash bar, $5 for a bowl of stew while supplies last.
CONTINUING
- To September 13: Delicious? (Goderich, Ontario) Are the favourite foods of our ancestors still our favourites today? Visitors can explore recipes, cookbooks and kitchen items from the Huron County Museum & Archives collection. 519-524-2686
- To January 3, 2016: BEER! The Exhibit (Kitchener, Ontario). Waterloo Region Museum presents an exhibit on the history of brewing and the selling and consuming of beer in Canada, with a focus on over 175 years of brewing tradition in Waterloo Region
- Sundays: Gibson House Tea & Tour, 1 to 4:30 p.m. (Toronto). There's tea, cookies and a seat for you at the harvest table in the 1850s historic kitchen every Sunday. Free with regular admission.
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Academic Conferences
September 7 to 9 (Brussels)
TRUSTING THE HAND THAT FEEDS YOU: UNDERSTANDING THE HISTORICAL EVOLUTION OF TRUST IN FOOD
Vrije Universiteit, Brussels
September 18 to 19 (Blacksburg, Virginia)
A CROSS ROADS IN FOOD STUDIES: ALTERNATIVE VS TRADITIONAL FOOD SYSTEMS AND MOVEMENTS
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.
September 25 to 26 (Wabash, Indiana)
FEAST AND FAMINE IN WORLD HISTORY
Midwest World History Association at Wabash College
October 14 to 16, 2015 (Paris)
FOOD HERITAGE AND CULINARY PRACTICES
The French National Museum of Natural History
October 17 to 18, 2015 (Guelph, Ontario)
ARTIFACTS IN AGRARIA
The University of Guelph hosts a conference dedicated to the exploration of artifacts of the agrarian past, which will be explored as a valid historical source that gathers meaning when understood in the context of surviving written records, family history, fashion trends and international commerce.
October 17 (New York City)
EATING THROUGH TIME FESTIVAL
New York Academy of Medicine Library
October 22 to 24 (Washington, D.C.)
FOOD HISTORY WEEKEND
National Museum of American History
October 23 to 25, 2015 (Boston)
THE FUTURE OF FOOD STUDIES
The first biennial conference of the Graduate Association for Food Studies (GAFS) at Harvard University
October 30 to 31 (London, Ontario)
EAST MEETS WEST: FOOD AND CULTURAL EXCHANGE IN THE MIDDLE AGES
Mens et Mensa: Society for the Study of Food in the Middle Ages conference at Brescia University College. Featured speaker: Mark Essig, author of Lesser Beasts: A Snout-to-Tail History of the Humble Pig, speaking on "Clean and Unclean: Jews, Christians, and Pigs from the Near East to Northern Europe".
November 6 to 8, 2015 (Mumford, New York)
DOMESTIC SKILLS SYMPOSIUM
Genesee Country Village and Museum presents its second annual exploration of traditional cooking, sewing and other home craft techniques. Presentations include a historic pastry workshop by Toronto culinary historians Mya Sangster, Rosemary Kovac, Amy Scott, and Kathryn Tanaka.
November 18 to 22 (Denver)
CONTEMPORARY CHEFS & CULINARY TRANSFORMATIONS
Panel discussion at the American Anthropological Association 2015 Annual Meeting
January 15 & 16, 2016 (Amsterdam, Netherlands)
FIRE, KNIVES AND FRIDGES
Special Collections of the University of Amsterdam hosts the third Amsterdam Symposium on the History of Food
May 31 to June 1, 2016 (Dublin)
FOOD AND REVOLUTION
Deadline for proposals: January 15, 2016
The biennial Dublin Gastronomy Symposium. To suggest a paper, send a 250-word proposal to Mairtin MacConiomaire (mairtin.macconiomaire@dit.ie) by January 15, 2016. An authors' style sheet is available online.
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Food for Thought
  
A Taste of Power: Food and American Identities
by Katharina Vester (California Studies in Food and Culture 59, University of California Press (October 2015)
Since the founding of the United States, culinary texts and practices have played a crucial role in the making of cultural identities and social hierarchies. A Taste of Power examines culinary writing and practices as forces for the production of social order and, at the same time, points of cultural resistance. Culinary writing has helped shape dominant ideas of nationalism, gender, and sexuality, suggesting that eating right is a gateway to becoming an American, a good citizen, an ideal man, or a perfect wife and mother. Vester examines how cookbooks became a way for women to participate in nation-building before they had access to the vote or public office, for Americans to distinguish themselves from Europeans, for middle-class authors to assert their class privileges, for men to claim superiority over women in the kitchen, and for lesbian authors to insert themselves into the heteronormative economy of culinary culture. A Taste of Power engages in close reading of a wide variety of sources and genres to uncover the intersections of food, politics, and privilege in American culture.
The Language of Food: A Linguist Reads the Menu
by Dan Jurafsky (W. W. Norton & Company, October, 2015)
Why do we eat toast for breakfast, and then toast to good health at dinner? What does the turkey we eat on Thanksgiving have to do with the country on the eastern Mediterranean? Can you figure out how much your dinner will cost by counting the words on the menu? Stanford University professor and MacArthur Fellow Dan Jurafsky peels away the mysteries from the foods we think we know, pointing out the subtle meanings hidden in filler words like "rich" and "crispy," zeroing in on the metaphors and storytelling tropes we rely on in restaurant reviews, and charting a microuniverse of marketing language on the back of a bag of potato chips.
Bread, Wine, Chocolate: The Slow Loss of Foods We Love
by Simran Sethi (HarperOne, November, 2015)
Award-winning journalist Simran Sethi explores the history and cultural importance of our most beloved tastes, paying homage to the ingredients that give us daily pleasure, while providing a thoughtful wake-up call to the homogenization that is threatening the diversity of our food supply. Sethi draws on interviews with scientists, farmers, chefs, vintners, beer brewers, coffee roasters and others with firsthand knowledge of our food to reveal the multiple and interconnected reasons for this loss, and its consequences for our health, traditions, and culture. She travels to Ethiopian coffee forests, British yeast culture labs, and Ecuadoran cocoa plantations collecting fascinating stories that will inspire readers to eat more consciously and purposefully, better understand familiar and new foods, and learn what it takes to save the tastes that connect us with the world around us.
(Descriptions based on information provided by the publishers)
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Across the far-flung regions of Canada, a lot is happening in the fields of food and history. This monthly digest is a forum for Canadian culinary historians and enthusiasts to tell each other about their many activities. This is a place for networking and conversation about Canadian culinary history happenings. Each month, Digestible Bits and Bites is shared with members of the Culinary Historians of Canada and other interested persons who request to be on the distribution list. Everyone is welcome to submit items for publication, as long as the information arrives in the editor’s inbox at cadmus@interlog.com by the 25th of the previous month.
The Culinary Historians of Canada would like to share this digest with a wide audience. You are encouraged to post or forward this information.
Administrivia
- To receive their free monthly edition of Digestible Bits and Bites, interested readers need only send a request with their email address to the editor.
- Submissions to Digestible Bits and Bites are welcome at cadmus@interlog.com, although inclusion is at the editor’s discretion. Links to relevant websites are appreciated but not essential.
- Past issues of Digestible Bits and Bites are posted onthe Culinary Historians of Canada website.
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