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Digestible Bits and Bites #75, July 2019

Digestible Bits and Bites

The monthly newsletter of the
Culinary Historians of Canada
Number 75, July 2019
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Preparing ode'min (strawberries) at an Indigenous Food Hearth Cooking workshop at Gibson House Museum in Toronto. Photo by Stephanie Thomas.

Index

  1. CHC News and Upcoming Events

  2. News and Opportunities

  3. Events of Interest

  4. Upcoming Conferences

  5. Food for Thought (book reviews)


1. CHC News and Upcoming Events

 
Call for 25th-anniversary Memories
This is CHC's 25th anniversary year. As we prepare to observe it at our AGM in the fall, we would like to call upon members to share your fondest memories and, for those who have served on the board, your greatest accomplishments. Please share stories and photos to our Facebook page, our Twitter or Instagram accounts or via email to info@culinaryhistorians.ca, with the hashtag #CHC25.

ALFHAM Conference Report
by Fiona Lucas, Julia Armstrong, Carolyn Crawford & Sherry Murphy, edited by Sylvia Lovegren

The Association for Living History, Farm and Agricultural Museums (ALHFAM), with regions throughout the United States and Canada, comprises individuals and organizations involved in preserving traditional skills and processes (historic food, apparel, trades) and farming practices, as well as Indigenous interpretation. The annual conference is usually held in the States, but this year it was hosted at Sainte-Marie Among the Hurons, near Midland, Ontario, from June 8 to 12, and CHC members had a strong presence.

Former CHC president Bob Wildfong  co-presented a session on June 9 on once-popular produce such as citron melons, quinces, salsify and Jerusalem artichokes, and ways to grow, preserve and prepare them.

On June 10, lifetime CHC Member Mya Sangster talked about how "There’s More to Jam than Tarts." CHC co-founder Fiona Lucas, who attended the conference, reported: “Displaying her usual peerless skill at thoroughly researching historical cookbooks, in this case between 1770 and 1860, Mya discussed historic food products that used jam, who made them and for what occasions, and where they appeared in bills of fare. Marchpane, Banbury Cakes, Cream Cakes, Trifle, Victoria Sandwich, the inevitable Jam Tart, and the surprising Snail House are but seven of the recipes she explored. A Snail House is a jam-filled tube of pastry wound up into a pyramid! She offered several tastes too—her raspberry Victoria Sponge was delectably light and moist.”

On June 11, Amy Scott, who served many years on the CHC board, explained her ongoing Market Garden Project at Black Creek Pioneer Village in Toronto, where she works as an interpreter in the foodways program. According to Fiona, “Amy spoke extemporaneously to her images and impressed us all with her research to date. Analyzing the 1861 and 1871 Canadian censuses in conjunction with contemporary maps, county directories, agricultural journals, market gardening books and nursery catalogues, she has been able to start answering questions asked by the Village’s gardeners, cooks and visitors. The ultimate plan is a comprehensive manual about the local mid-19th-century market gardeners of the Toronto area, the many vegetable varieties they grew, and how they were used as food and medicine.”

On June 12 CHC vice-presidents Sherry Murphy and Samantha George and CHC president Carolyn Crawford presented "War Has Ended! The Spanish Flu Arrives in 1918.” As they noted, more than 2 million of Canada’s 8 million people were affected; 50,000 died. The well-researched talk examined how important home remedies were in the fight against the influenza outbreak and of course demonstrated some of the recipes used by many women to make food for not only themselves but also for sick neighbours. Examples included Junket and Beef Tea, and session attendees sampled Linseed Tea and Pineapple Ice. The team also discussed related topics of food science from 1918 to the 1920s, and how it shaped Canada’s first food guide and influenced Canadian kitchens in home life post-WWI.

Reflecting on the conference, Sherry Murphy reported, "There were historic presentations to see, special lunches and dinners, a silent auction and costume fashion show, and a boat cruise with a great dinner, plus a night of entertainment—historically correct!. Then there was our own presentation to prep for in between all this! For me, my three days were packed, but I was happy to see lots of people preserving history from all of North America."
From left: CHC vice-presidents Sherry Murphy and Samantha George with president Carolyn Crawford after their session at the ALFHAM conference in Midland, Ontario. Right: Sherry shows her pineapple ice, which everyone sampled. It was one of the soothing dishes served to ill patients in Toronto during the Spanish flu epidemic.
Victorian Cake-Decorating Workshop
On Saturday, September 21, CHC will present a Victorian cake decorating workshop from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. at Montgomery's Inn. The instructor will be CHC member Monika Paradi, who is also a member of the Canadian Society of Sugar Artistry and whose cake decorating skill is renowned. Monika will be assisted by CHC's own Victorian cake mistress, Sherry Murphy. This will be a sweet and fun afternoon for serious, creative cake decorators and a perfect way to prepare for the fall baking season. Class size is limited to 15, so get your tickets before they're all gone. Admission is $50 (general) and $45 (CHC members), which includes a $15 decorating kit to take home. Tickets are available on Eventbrite.
Upcoming CHC Events
Please note: Details are subject to change
  • Saturday, September 21: Victorian Cake Decorating, 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. (Montgomery's Inn, Etobicoke). CHC members Monika Paradi and Sherry Murphy present a workshop for just 15 people. Admission is $50 (general) and $45 (CHC members), including a $15 decorating kit to take home. Tickets are available on Eventbrite.
  • Saturday, October 5: CHC Annual General Meeting.
  • Saturday, October 19: Schmecks Appeal, the Culinary Legacy of Edna Staebler (Waterloo, Ontario). Rose Murray, CHC Lifetime Member and Edna's friend, will reflect on the life and food writing of this illustrious Canadian culinary icon, with lunch cooked from Staebler's books, such as Food That Really Schmecks. Details to follow. Tickets will be available on Eventbrite.
  • Sunday, October 27: Taste Canada Awards Gala (Fairmont Royal York, Toronto).
  • November: Royal Agricultural Winter Fair (Exhibition Place, Toronto).
  • Saturday, November 16: Baking for the Victorian Christmas Table (Montgomery's Inn, Etobicoke, Ontario): The fourth edition of our popular historic baking workshop.
  • December: Frost Fair (Fort York National Historic Site, Toronto).
Join the Culinary Historians of Canada!



The membership year runs from one annual general meeting (usually in October) to the next. Download a membership form here and join us today! 

2. News and Opportunities

Compiled by Lori Jamieson, Julia Armstrong & Sarah Hood


Taste Canada Shortlist
Now in its 22nd year, Taste Canada Awards / Les Lauréats des Saveurs du Canada has announced the titles of shortlisted cookbooks competing for the coveted culinary writing award. The winners will be announced at the Awards Gala on October 27, 2019 at the Fairmont Royal York in Toronto. Our special congratulations go to CHC member nominees Lindy Mechefske (Out of Old Ontario Kitchens) and Pat Crocker (The Herbalist's Kitchen).
 
Food Network Canada Casting Call
Food Network Canada has issued a casting call to home bakers and dessert experts for a new cooking competition series, in which North America's best home bakers will indulge in the wonderful world of chocolate as they reimagine traditional chocolate desserts while competing for a delicious grand prize. The competition will be judged by world-renowned chocolatiers who will deliver sinfully sweet challenges week after week until only one baker is left standing as chocolate champion. Offset spatulas at the ready? Apply online.
 
Kids' Cooking Camps
Montgomery’s Inn, a mid 19th-century inn in Etobicoke, Ontario, is offering children's cooking camps this summer. The camps make the most of the Inn’s fascinating history as a tavern, farm and community hub, and use all its unique resources and programming, including a weekly farmers’ market, outdoor bake oven and working open hearths. To register, visit efun.toronto.ca, register and search by barcode.
  • July 8 to 12: Junior Baker (ages 6-9, barcode 3198228). Admission: $272 for five days .
  • July 15 to 19: Junior Chef (ages 6-9, barcode 3198256 – WAITLIST). Admission: $272 for five days.
  • July 22 to 26: Master Baker (ages 8-12, barcode 3198265). Admission: $272 for five days.
  • August 12 to 16: Master Chef (ages 8-12, barcode 3178528 – WAITLIST). Admission: $272 for five days.
  • August 19 to 23: Junior Chef (ages 6-9, barcode 3250477). Admission: $272 for five days.
  • August 26 to 30: Junior Chef (ages 6-9, barcode 3198276). Admission: $272 for five days.
 
Toronto's Table
The City of Toronto's museums and historic houses are presenting a program of historic food events called Toronto's Table running between July 7 and August 28. Many are free, but some have an admission charge. Highlights include:
  • St. Lawrence Market Archaeology Walking Tour & Taste (July 9)
  • Cool Tastings: Heritage Ice Cream (Fort York, July 11)
  • Farmhouse Supper: Hearth Cooking Workshop and Dinner (Gibson House, July 12 & 13).
  • The Edible History of Toronto (Mackenzie House, July 21 & St. Lawrence Market, August 10)
  • From Pollinators to Produce: Exploring a Heritage Kitchen Garden (Fort York, July 28 & August 18)
 
Dundurn Recipe Challenge
On Tuesday, July 9,  Dundurn Castle in Hamilton, Ontario will begin a monthly social-media Victorian Recipe Challenge. Each month, Dundurn’s Cooks will select a different recipe from the early to mid 19th century that has never been prepared in Dundurn’s Historic Kitchen and post a new challenge on the second Tuesday of the month on Instagram (@dundurn_castle) and Facebook (Dundurn National Historic Site). Individuals and museums who accept the Dundurn Recipe Challenge will have two weeks to prepare the recipe, post a picture and tell everyone what their experience was like, using the hashtag #dundurnrecipechallenge.
 
Call for Papers on Literary Cookbooks
The literary cookbook genre includes cookbooks based on authors and their writing (The Bloomsbury Cookbook, Alice Eats: A Wonderland Cookbook), as well as novels or memoirs laden with recipes (Like Water for Chocolate). Consumption and the Literary Cookbook is an edited collection that aims to examine how consumption is represented, constructed, explained or manipulated in the literary cookbook. The deadline for proposals is September 5. For more information, contact Roxanne Harde (rharde@ualberta.ca) and Janet Wesselius (jcw3@ualberta.ca).
 
Summer Reading
Sophie Hicks of the blog Active History is publishing a summer series exploring societal, community and familial connections to food and food history.

The Historical Cooking Project showcases new scholarship on the study of food throughout history, with over 225 posts since 2013 that "challenge the division between the academic and public history." You can also find them on Twitter as @historical_cook.
 
What's Cooking? (Member News)
CHC MEMBERS: Please let us know what you're up to! We'll publish all suitable news items received at cadmus@interlog.com by the 25th of each month. (Please write your announcement directly into your email window, with no attachments except a photo. Be sure to include a web link for further information!)

CHC lifetime member Pat Crocker is travelling this summer to promote her two newest books, The Herbalist's Kitchen and Healing Cannabis Edibles. She'll be at the Heartwood Herbal Gathering in Peterborough, Ontario, from July 19 to 21. September will be especially busy, with appearances at Back to Your Roots in Cannington, Ontario (September 7); the Toronto Herb Association (September 17); the International Herb Association in Rutland, Ohio (September 21 and 22); and Weedstock in Toronto (September 28 and 29).

Sarah Hood will be presenting an illustrated lecture on Canadian foodways since Confederation to the Elgin and Area Heritage Society in Elgin, Ontario, at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 17, 2019.

Gary Gillman has posted a number of new articles about Canadian brewing history to his blog Beer et seq. Also, his 20-page piece on butter tarts article has been published, in Petits Propos Culinaires (PPC) #114. Copies of the issue can be purchased online.

Stephanie Thomas attended an Indigenous Food Hearth Cooking Workshop at Gibson House Museum  in Toronto presented by CHC member Mackenzie Bodnar (see photo at the top). The participants helped prepare and taste ode'min (strawberry) drink; ode'min miin mnoomon (strawberries with wild rice) and rousseau (AKA rubaboo or rechaud), which, she writes, "is pemmican cooked in a pot with whatever veggies you have around, and some water to make a stew. It is a much more palatable way of eating pemmican." Other dishes included fry bread, bannock and "Indian tacos".

3. Events of Interest

Compiled by Jane Black, Lori Jamieson & Sarah Hood
 
THIS MONTH  (July 2019)

Toronto
  • Tuesday, July 9: St. Lawrence Market Archaeology Tour & Taste + Beer Pairing Dinner  6 to 9 p.m.  The Market Gallery invites guests to follow curator Neil Brochu on a walking tour of the St. Lawrence Market neighbourhood and hear historical anecdotes of its 215-year history and future development, followed by a tutored beer dinner in the Market Kitchen led by museum manager and certified beer judge Wayne Reeves as he sketches the rise, fall and resurgence of local craft beer through a tasting of modern-day local brews. Dinner includes a flight of five beers and curated courses from our St. Lawrence Market vendors. Admission: $100 + HST  Pre-registration is required.
  • Sunday, July 14: The Big Picnic. Toronto museums and historic houses present picnic events. Scarborough Museum, Todmorden Mills, Spadina Museum, Mackenzie House, Montgomery's Inn, Fort York and Gibson House will present themed picnics focusing on topics ranging from wartime food to homemade ice cream and a Mad Hatter's tea. Admission: Free.
  • Saturday, July 20: Historical Craft Beer Tour - west end, 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. Rolling Hops Beer Tours presents a journey through the streets of west-end Toronto to experience the finest craft beer, commencing outside Lansdowne TTC station and proceeding to breweries in the Junction—Brockton Village area, sharing some rich history of Toronto and how the city is connected with beer. At each stop, participants will sample local beers. The tour will finish near College and Dufferin streets. Admission: $80.73, including visits, more than 60 ounces of samples and a light snack.
  • Sunday, July, 21: The Edible History of Toronto, 9 to 11 a.m. Mackenzie House presents an immersive tasting tour that explores how Toronto's diverse cultural traditions shaped the City's culinary landscape, from the 19th to the 20th centuries. Participants will explore historic sites with stops at local restaurants to sample foods and learn how food connected immigrant families to home and how Canada has adapted these traditions to form its own culinary identity. Admission: $60. Pre-registration is required.
  • Sunday, July 21: Historical Craft Beer Tour - east end, noon to 4 p.m. Rolling Hops Beer Tours presents a journey through the streets of the west-end Toronto to experience the finest craft beer, commencing outside Greenwood TTC station and proceeding to breweries in the growing Greenwood-Coxwell neighbourhood, sharing some rich history of Toronto and how the city is connected with beer. At each stop, participants will sample local beers. The tour will finish near Leslie Street and Eastern Avenue. Admission: $80.73, including visits, more than 60 ounces of samples and a light snack.
  • Saturday, July 27: Historical Craft Beer Tour - west end.  (See Saturday, July 20.)
  • Sunday, July 28: Historical Craft Beer Tour - east end. (See Sunday, July 21.)
Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA)
  • Sunday, July 21: Historic Cooking Workshop: Plant Bake Hunt Eat, 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. (Hamilton, Ontario). Dundurn Castle invites participants to join costumed interpreters for a hands-on workshop packed with family-friendly fun. The visit includes a tour of the historic kitchen garden, planting historic seeds to take home and grow, a scavenger hunt, the chance to prepare a historic recipe in the kitchen and an outdoor tasting. Admission: $55 (adult + 1 child), $20 (each additional child). Pre-registration is required.
  • Thursday, July 25: Thirsty Thursday, 7 to 10 p.m. (Etobicoke, Ontario). Montgomery’s Inn presents Thirsty Thursday tavern night with beer, wine or a Thomas Montgomery specialty in the restored 1847 barroom, along with Irish stew, fresh-baked bread and live traditional music. Admission: Free. Cash bar; $5 for a bowl of stew while supplies last. 416-394-8113. No reservations required.
  • Saturday, July 27: MacNab’s Kitchen, 10 a.m to 12:30 p.m. (Hamilton, Ontario). Dundurn National Historic Site invites visitors to discover the history of the MacNab family and the servants who lived and worked below stairs, led by costumed staff. Assisted by Dundurn’s cook demonstrators, guests will then work together to make a traditional recipe in the historic kitchen. Admission: $35, including a historic recipe souvenir book and family admission pass valid at any one of the Hamilton Civic Museums. Pre-registration is required.
  • Saturday, July 27: Wood-Burning Oven Baking at Montgomery’s Inn, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Etobicoke, Ontario). The Centre for Hospitality and Culinary Arts at George Brown College invites participants to discover bread-baking as it once was, in the historic wood-burning oven at Montgomery’s Inn. Participants will bake a full menu, including pizza, focaccia and sourdough, with an expert instructor. They will learn the fundamentals essential to successfully cooking and baking in a wood-fired oven in this one-of-a-kind experience. Admission: $195.
Other Regions
  • Sunday, July 7: Foraging Food, Medicine and Folklore, 1 to 4 p.m. (Prince William, New Brunswick). Kings Landing presents a day for learning to identify everyday plants with Adam Weaver. After a walk through the beautiful Kings Landing Settlement, guests will sip a "wild tea" made from collected plants. Admission: $35.
  • Saturday, July 13: Ukranian Heritage Foods Workshop, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. (Edmonton). Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village invites guests to learn how to prepare pyrohy from start to finish, and then sample their efforts. Admission: $25 (adults & seniors), $15 (7 to 17). Youth must be accompanied by an adult. Pre-registration is required at uchvbookings@gov.ab.ca or 780-662-3640.
  • Sunday, July 28: Open Hearth Cooking Classes, two sessions: 1 & 5 p.m. (Grimsby, Ontario). Nelles Manor Museum offers participants the opportunity to prepare a light summertime meal using fresh fruits and vegetables with recipes written in the 1880s & 1890s, when the Nelles family was living in their newly-built home. They will try out a variety of hearth-cooking techniques using the museum’s original 230-year-old open hearth and taste the recipes together in the historic house. Attendees will also have the opportunity to tour the museum. Admission: $40, including a museum tour. Pre-registration is required.
    Sunday, July 28: Berries Dessert Tea, noon to 3 p.m. (Ameliasburgh, Ontario). This popular annual tea takes place in Amelia’s Tea Room in the historic village. Admission: $8. 613-476-2148, ext. 2522.
  • Tuesday, July 30: Open Hearth Cooking Classes, 6:30 p.m. (Grimsby, Ontario). (See Sunday, July 28.)

LOOKING AHEAD (August 2019)

Toronto
  • Sunday, August 11: Appetizing August, noon to 1 p.m. Todmorden Mills invites visitors to tour the grounds and nature preserve to see a delicious display of flowers and learn which flowers and herbs have been used in the past as part of a wholesome harvest. Admission: $5 o $8. Pre-registration is required.
  • Saturday, August, 21: The Edible History of Toronto. 9 to 11 a.m. Mackenzie House presents an immersive tasting tour that explores how Toronto's diverse cultural traditions shaped the City's culinary landscape, from the 19th to the 20th centuries. Participants will explore historic sites with stops at local restaurants to sample foods and learn how food connected immigrant families to home and how Canada has adapted these traditions to form its own culinary identity. Admission: $60. Pre-registration is required.
  • Sunday, August 25: Campaign Cooking, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. It’s often said that an army marches on its stomach, and food was a central part of the life of soldiers who fought in the War of 1812. In this unique program, visitors to Fort York National Historic Site can watch ongoing demonstrations of campaign cooking and sample recipes made using historic cookbooks. Admission: Free with regular admission ($6 to $14). 416-392-690.
Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA)
  • Saturday, August 24: MacNab’s Kitchen, 10 a.m. to noon (Hamilton, Ontario). At Dundurn Castle, costumed staff will lead a tour of more than 40 rooms to explore the history of the MacNab family and the servants who lived and worked below stairs to support their affluent lifestyle. Assisted by Dundurn’s Cook Demonstrators, guests will work together to make a traditional recipe in the historic kitchen. For all ages. Admission: $35. Pre-registration is required.
  • Thursday, August 29: Thirsty Thursday, 7 to 10 p.m. (Etobicoke, Ontario). Montgomery’s Inn presents Thirsty Thursday tavern night with beer, wine or a Thomas Montgomery specialty in the restored 1847 barroom, along with Irish stew, fresh-baked bread and live traditional music. Admission: Free. Cash bar; $5 for a bowl of stew while supplies last. 416-394-8113. No reservations required.
Other Regions
  • Friday to Sunday, August 3 to 5: Summer Culinary Weekend. (Prince William, New Brunswick). King’s Landing presents common 19th-century summer culinary practices and recipes. Visitors will learn about food origins and production, mealtime etiquette and cooking techniques, and will be able to try their hand at various activities related to summer culinary. Admission: Included with regular admission.
  • Saturday, August 4: Foraging Food, Medicine & Folklore, 1 to 4 p.m. (Prince William, New Brunswick). King’s Landing offers a session on plant identification, finishing with "wild tea" from the collected plants. Admission $35.
  • Saturday, August 10: Ukranian Heritage Foods Workshop, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. (Edmonton). Ukranian Cultural Heritage Village offers a class on preparing pyrohy from start to finish. Participants will be able to sample their efforts and will leave with a recipe. Admission: $25 (adults & seniors). $15 (7 to 17, accompanied by an adult). Pre-registration is required at uchvbookings@gov.ab.ca or 780-662-3640.
  • Sunday, August 25: Harvest Tartan Tea, 2 to 4 p.m. (Cambridge, Ontario). McDougall House serves up cucumber sandwiches and scones with jam and cream with live music. Admission: $15. Pre-registration is required at 519-575-4608.
CONTINUING
  • July 6 to August 24: Summer Sodas 11:00 am - 4:00 pm at (Toronto). On Sundays, Spadina Museum teaches visitors about harvesting ice and how summer ice delivery made cool drinks possible in the 1920s. Visitors can mix up a fruity summer soda and enjoy it on the grounds, or design a soda flavor and bottle label. Admission: Free
  • July 7 to  August 25: Staycation Sundays,11 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Toronto). Every Sunday, Gibson House offers indoor and outdoor 19th-century preserving demonstrations using seasonal produce from the garden. Visitors can taste traditional summer drinks or ice creams and play games on the great lawn. Admission: $5 to $8.
  • July 2 to September 2: Scottish Tea, 1 to 4 p.m. (Peterborough, Ontario). Daily except Monday, Scottish Tea, served on the terrace in the period garden at Hutchison House, includes fresh-baked scones, preserves, whipped cream, oatcakes, and tea, lemonade or iced tea. \Admission: $10 (adults), $5 (9 and under), including tour of the 1840s restored stone house. 705-743-9710.
  • July 13 to December 28: Toronto Brews (Toronto). The Market Gallery invites visitors to explore Toronto's rich beer legacy through artifacts, artworks, archival images and videos at the exhibition Toronto Brews! The exhibit tells of the tiny breweries established in the early 1800s, the scaling-up of the industry in Victorian times, the impact of Prohibition and more! Tickets will be on sale starting July 13.
  • Daily: Historic Afternoon Tea & Tour at Fort Langley National Historic Site, tea 1 to 2:45 p.m.; tour 3 to 4:30 p.m. (Fort Langley, British Columbia). An elegant afternoon tea at the Little White House Salon Café in the coach house of the historic Marr House. Fort Langley, a Hudson’s Bay Company trading post, was first established in 1827. On the tour, visitors will hear about local historical characters and explore the homes and workshops of the people of the trade. Admission: $15.68 per person (plus admission fee for groups of 15–30), including tea, tour and HST. 604-513-4799 or fort.langley@pc.gc.ca.
  • Daily: Fishing the West Coast and the Canning Line, 10 a.m. to  5 p.m. (Steveston, British Columbia). The Gulf of Georgia Cannery National Historic Site offers exhibits on the development of fishing on Canada’s West Coast and modern fishing practices, too. Admission: Free.
  • Sundays, Tea and Tour of Roedde House 1 to 3:15 p.m. (Vancouver). A tea tasting of Roedde House blend by Metropolitan Tea Co., along with a tour of the museum. Admission: $8. No reservations required.
  • Saturdays & Sundays: Tour & Taste Weekends 1 to 4:30 p.m. (Toronto). Gibson House offers tea, cookies and a seat at the harvest table in the 1850s historic kitchen. Admission: Free with regular admission.
  • Indefinite run: Ongoing exhibits at Canada Agriculture & Food Museum (Ottawa). Admission: Free with regular admission. 613-991-3044 or 1-866-442-4416.
  • Indefinite run: Beggar’s Banquet (Louisbourg, Nova Scotia). Participants enjoy an 18th-century maritime meal while dressed in period clothing.
  • Thursdays to Sundays, May 18 to September 1: Dairy Heritage Museum, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Aylmer, Ontario). The museum offers a permanent display of over 19,000 artifacts from the dairy industry. Admission: $5 (adults), $3 (children). 
  • Sundays, Tea Time at the Inn, 1 to 4 p.m. (Etobicoke, Ontario). Montgomery’s Inn offers a spot of tea and a taste of history in the Tea Room, including in-house baking and unlimited tea service. Tea served and goods baked by the dedicated Montgomery's Inn volunteers. Admission: $8.
  • Wednesdays, Guided Garden Tour & Tea, 11 a.m. (Oshawa, Ontario). Parkwood Estates welcomes visitors to explore the Parkwood gardens on this 90-minute guided tour, which will conclude with tea in the Gardener’s Lodge. Admission: $20. Pre-registration is required at 905-433-4311 or info@parkwoodestate.com.

4. Conferences

Compiled by Julia Armstrong

2019

July 12 to 14 (Oxford, England)
OXFORD SYMPOSIUM ON FOOD & COOKERY
Theme: Food and Power.
Venue: St. Catherine's College, Oxford.

Throughout Academic Year 2019-2020 (Virtual)
FOOD HISTORY SEMINAR
Based in London, U.K., the Institute of Historical Research launched the Food History Seminar in 2017 to provide an inclusive setting in which food historians, academics and other experts could come together to discuss research.
More info: See the call for papers to present during the academic year 2019-2020.
Of note: The institute will be live streaming the seminars, which will run every other Thursday, 5:30-7:30 p.m., during the term.

October 14 to 15 (New York, N.Y.)
FOOD FOR THOUGHT: NOURISHMENT, CULTURE, MEANING
Organizers: Food Studies Program, New York University (NYU), the Centre for Interdisciplinary Research on Communication (CIRCe) and the Department of Philosophy and Educational Sciences, University of Turin, in collaboration with the EU Program Marie Skłodowska-Curie.

October 18 to 19 (New Brunswick, N.J.)
AT THE MEDIEVAL TABLE: COOKING, CULTURES & CUSTOMS
Organizers: Mens et Mensa: Society for the Study of Food in the Middle Ages and Rutgers University.
Venue: The State University of New Jersey.
Deadline for call for papers: August 1.

November 15 to 16 (Amsterdam, Netherlands)
AMSTERDAM SYMPOSIUM ON THE HISTORY OF FOOD
Theme: (Post)Colonial Foodways.

2020

May 26 to 27 (Dublin, Ireland)
DUBLIN GASTRONOMY SYMPOSIUM
Theme: Food and Disruption: What Shall We Eat Tomorrow?
Of note: Disruptors in food history can include people, movements, technological advancements and disasters.

June 21 to 25 (Old Sturbridge Village, Sturbridge, Massachusetts)
ANNUAL CONFERENCE OF THE ASSOCIATION FOR LIVING HISTORY, FARM AND AGRICULTURAL MUSEUMS

5. Food for Thought

Have you missed a book review? You can read reviews from all our past issues online. If you are a CHC member who would like to contribute, please contact Elka Weinstein at elka.weinstein@utoronto.ca or Sarah Hood at cadmus@interlog.com.

   
A Hastiness of Cooks, A Practical Handbook for Use in Deciphering the Mysteries of Historic Recipes and Cookbooks, for Living-History Reenactors, Historians, Writers, Chefs, Archaeologists, and, of Course, Cooks by Cynthia D. Bertelsen (Turquoise Moon Press, 2019), reviewed by Elka Weinstein (pictured above).
 
Cynthia Bertelsen’s new book is an archaeological guide to cooking with fire, an historical treatise on cookbooks and a step-by-step analysis of recipes in various seminal Spanish and English cookbooks. Most of all, it is an attempt at entering the minds of those historical cooks, through their written recipes.
 
Culinary historians may find this book useful for many reasons, particularly the clear introductions to “what is a cookbook” and the section on using cookbooks in historical research. Experienced living-history cooks will recognize the steps in recipe reconstruction, but Bertelsen lays it all out here with a practiced ease. Tools for background research and the appendices are also helpful, citing all of the sources that Bertelsen clearly uses in her own research.
 
Recreating historic recipes, “The Practical” section (Part IV) makes its way through all of the best-known Spanish and English cookbooks by recreating historic recipes. This section is irritating, interesting and enlightening all at the same time—I did not personally like the conceit of Bertelsen’s introductions in the “voice” of the author of the original cookboo—but the method of inquiry is sound. The Notes regarding the final dish, for further investigation or better execution of the dish the next time, are welcome additions and the modern recipes are, as always, a great addition to a book about cooking and food.

Review Contributors
  • Luisa Giacometti (Toronto)
  • Gary Gillman (Toronto)
  • Sher Hackwell (Vancouver)
  • Sarah Hood (Toronto)
  • Fiona Lucas (Toronto)
  • Susan Peters (Morrisburg, Ontario)
  • Sonja Pushchak (Toronto)
  • Laura Reilly (Comox, British Columbia)
  • Elka Weinstein (Toronto)
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 ask to be on the distribution list. 
 
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.
  • Past issues of Digestible Bits and Bites are posted on the Culinary Historians of Canada website.
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