• EP 80 Poisonous Passions and the Dark Kitchen of La Voisin

    Unveiling the Dark Side of Love: Food & Crime

    In the lavish courts of 17th century France, where opulence danced hand in hand with intrigue, one woman held sway over the hearts of the elite. Her name was Catherine Monvoisin, but history remembers her as La Voisin, a figure shrouded in mystery and infamy. Join us as we peel back the layers of deception and delve into the dark kitchen of La Voisin, where love potions mingled with poison, and scandal brewed like a potent elixir.

    Love Potions Through the Ages: From Myth to Reality

    Love potions have long been the stuff of legend, weaving their way through the tapestry of human history from ancient civilizations to modern times. In cultures across the globe, tales of magical elixirs and enchanted foods have captured the imagination, from Shakespearean comedies to Greek myths of Aphrodite's charms. But in 17th century France, the line between myth and reality blurred as nobles sought to manipulate love and desire through clandestine means.

    The Affair of the Poisons: A Scandal Unveiled

    The Affair of the Poisons cast a shadow over the glittering court of Louis XIV, revealing a web of intrigue that ensnared the highest echelons of society. It began with whispers of conspiracy and culminated in a series of sensational trials that shocked the nation. At its heart was La Voisin, a woman accused of selling not only love potions but also deadly concoctions meant to secure power and influence. As the truth emerged, the very foundations of the monarchy trembled, and the boundaries between magic and reality blurred.

    The Legacy of Love Magic: Then and Now

    As we peer into the annals of history, we glimpse a world where love and power collided in a deadly dance. Yet even as the echoes of the past fade into memory, the allure of love magic persists. From ancient rituals to modern-day spells, humanity's quest for agency over matters of the heart endures. In an age where pheromones mingle with perfumes and love potions grace the pages of Teen Vogue, the legacy of La Voisin lives on, a testament to the enduring power of desire.

    Sources We Found Helpful for this Episode


    Books We Think You’ll Enjoy Reading

    • The Affair of the Poisons: Murder, Infanticide, and Satanism at the Court of Louis XIV by Anne Sommerset
    • Purchase: Amazon 
    • Louis XIV and the Affair of the Poisons: A Play in Five Acts by Victorien Sardou
    • Purchase: Bookshop.org 
    • Strange Revelations: Magic, Poison, and Sacrilege in Louis XIV's France by Lynn Wood Mollenauer
    • Purchase: Bookshop.org OR Amazon 


    Transcript


    🎧 Click here for the full, interactive transcript of this episode 🎧


    How far would you go in the pursuit of love or personal gain?



    Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/as-we-eat8938/donations
    32m | Mar 26, 2024
  • EP 79 EP 79 The Deadly Art of Liberation: Aqua Tofana

    Come with us on a journey of deadly liberation as a popular apothecary brews a recipe for freedom, liberating over 600 women from abuse at the hands of those who should have protected them. 

    Sources We Found Helpful for this Episode

    A Woman to Know: Giulia Tofana

    Guilia Tofana: World’s Most Dangerous Apothecary 

    The Role of Women During the Italian Renaissance 

    Books We Think You’ll Enjoy Reading

    If you’re an enjoy reading Gregory Maguire or a historical fiction fan, I think that you will enjoy Deborah Swift’s trilogy about our heroine/devious serial killer, Giulia Tofana. This is historical fiction so much imagination was applied. 

    • The Poison Keeper by Deborah Swift
    • Purchase: Amazon 
    • The Silkworm Keeper by Deborah Swift
    • Purchase: Amazon 
    • The Fortune Keeper by Deborah Swift
    • Purchase: Amazon 

    Transcript

    🎧 Click here for the full, interactive transcript of this episode 🎧



    Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/as-we-eat8938/donations
    11m | Mar 12, 2024
  • EP 78 Love's Toxic Triangle: The Chocolate Cream Killer's Poisonous Obsession Love's Toxic Triangle: The Chocolate Cream Killer's Poisonous Obsession

    Indulge your senses and delve into the dark world of food and crime in our latest episode. Join us as we unravel the chilling tale of Christiana Edmunds, forever etched in history as the Chocolate Cream Killer of Brighton. From obsession to poisonings, this Victorian-era saga will keep you on the edge of your seat, questioning the thin line between love and madness. Tune in to explore the enduring question of what drives a person to such lengths in the pursuit of affection, and the unsettling legacy left behind.

    Sources We Found Helpful for this Episode

    Books We Think You’ll Enjoy Reading

    • The Case of the Chocolate Cream Killer: The Poisonous Passion of Christiana Edmunds by Kaye Jones
    • Purchase: Amazon 
    • The Poisoner's Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York by Deborah Blum
    • Purchase: Bookshop.org OR Amazon 

    Transcript

    🎧 Click here for the full, interactive transcript of this episode 🎧



    Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/as-we-eat8938/donations
    34m | Feb 27, 2024
  • EP 77 Layers of Deceit: A Recipe for Murder

    Welcome to Season 4 of the As We Eat podcast, where we'll be delving into the intersection of Food & Crime, unearthing fascinating stories from history. Today, we journey back to 19th century Paris, France, to uncover the enigmatic tale of Marie Lafarge, a young woman whose life took a dark turn amidst the backdrop of privilege and deception.

    In this episode, we explore Marie Lafarge's journey from a background of aristocratic privilege to a scandalous trial for the alleged poisoning of her husband, Charles Lafarge. We uncover the twists and turns of this captivating saga, shedding light on the complexities of justice and forensic science in the 1800s.



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    29m | Feb 13, 2024
  • Season 4 Trailer - Food & Crime

    This season we will be focusing on the intersection of Food & Crime. Come along with us as we investigate poisonings, discover adulterated food-stuffs, and infiltrate organized food crime circles. It should prove to be a decadently deadly, fraught with fraud, culinarily criminal journey!



    Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/as-we-eat8938/donations
    0m | Feb 12, 2024
  • EP 76 Put a Bow on It, Wrapping Season 3

    We’re wrapping Season 3 with some of our favorite things. Though it is always hard to pick a favorite episode - it’s like being asked to choose a favorite child, or cat - we each share a cookbook that has won an award from being the funniest read, to providing the newest perspective.



    Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/as-we-eat8938/donations
    23m | Dec 26, 2023
  • EP 75 Pie: Art of the Pie with Kate McDermott

    Can you believe that it’s time for our Annual Pie Episode. Neither can we. But we’re super excited to have had the opportunity to talk with Kate McDermott, author of Art of the Pie and as Kim calls her, Head Baker at Pie Cottage. Join us as Kate answers some listener questions and shares the experience of writing a cookbook.

    We started this season with a cookbook by Edna Lewis who recounted stories of her life and rich food traditions in Freetown, Virginia and we are ending with a cookbook that won a place in the heart of the publisher because of the stories Kate McDermott told on her first visit to their offices. 

    When we conceived of the idea to highlight some of our favorite cookbooks and the roles that they play in our understanding and expression of community, identity, and personal and communal foodways, I don’t think that either of us anticipated what an educational, informative, and fantastic journey it would bring to both us of. 

    We are very excited and honored that you decided to join us on this journey. For our final stop, we had the great fortune of having a conversation with an author who personifies baking from the heart. Kate McDermott is author of Art of the Pie, Home Cooking with Kate McDermott, and Pie Camp. But more than that, she is a dear friend, an extraordinary educator, and a fierce champion of being, doing, and living with intention.

    Books We Think You’ll  Enjoy Reading

    Art of the Pie by Kate McDermott

    Purchase: Bookshop.org OR Amazon.com

    Apples of Uncommon Character by Rowan Jacobsen

    Purchase: Bookshop.org OR Amazon.com

    Pie Camp by Kate McDermott

    Purchase: Bookshop.org OR Amazon.com

    Home Cooking by Kate McDermott

    Purchase: Bookshop.org OR Amazon.com

    The Apple Lover's Cookbook by Amy Traverso

    Purchase: Bookshop.org OR Amazon.com

    Transcript

    🎧 Click here for the full, interactive transcript of this episode 🎧

    We would love to connect with you

    Do you have a great idea 💡 for a show topic, a recipe 🥘 that you want to share, or just say “hi”👋🏻? Send us an email at connect@asweeat.co

    Review As We Eat on Podchaser or Apple Podcast. We would like to know what you think.


    As a member of affiliate programs, we earn from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you. This helps us to continue to bring you stories, history, and personal musings about food, cuisines, traditions, and recipes






    Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/as-we-eat8938/donations
    49m | Dec 12, 2023
  • EP 74 Finding “Joy” in My Pantry with Tex Mex Migas

    Join us on a journey of unexpected joy found right in Kim’s pantry, all thanks to the timeless culinary companion, "The Joy of Cooking" by Irma Rombauer. In today's episode, Leigh and Kim dive into the story of finding the inspiration to transform some stale tortilla chips and a forgotten can of green chiles into a delicious Tex Mex dish, and why Joy has earned its place as a culinary classic.

    Feeling a bit discouraged by a half-bare pantry after a long week, Kim turned to "The Joy of Cooking" in hopes of finding some cooking inspiration within its 6,000 recipes - after all, its original cover artwork depicts St. Barbara, the purported Patron Saint of Cooking, deftly defying the Dragon of Cooking Drudgery. Surely the Rombauer clan could help summon some kitchen inspiration.

    While thumbing through the extensive section on Egg cookery, Kim stumbled upon the perfect solution for several odd, leftover ingredients - Tex Mex Migas. Utilizing some stale tortilla chips, some eggs and cheese, a leftover can of green chiles, and some fresh chorizo - we had a tasty breakfast that, while perhaps not an original Joy recipe, made sensible use of ingredients, saved food from becoming waste, and became a joyful culinary experience. 

    Tracing the history of "Joy of Cooking" from its 1931 origin as Irma Rombauer's financial endeavor, we reflect on a poignant excerpt from Irma's preface before delving into the  drama surrounding the 1997 edition's revisions, with an irascible book editor shifting Joy’s warm, collegial tone into newer (and trendier) health-conscious territory.

    We wrap our episode debating whether a cookbook like "Joy" should be seen as a historical artifact or a practical kitchen tool. Drawing parallels with struggles in adapting recipes from older cookbooks, such as "The Women’s Suffrage Cookbook" and "The Settlement Cookbook," we ponder the role of a cookbook in reflecting its time versus being a timeless guide for preparing and serving food.

    FOOTNOTE:

    Kim did make the Pimento-Cheese Bread, and while she struggled with some of the chemistry of baking, the loaf was delivered and served to her colleagues. One said, “oh, I thought it was store-bought!” which had her wondering whether that was a compliment or whether she needed more practice.

    Sources We Found Helpful for this Episode 

    A Heaping Cupful of Conflict - Los Angeles Times

    Does the World Need Another ‘Joy’? Do You? - The New York Times


    Episodes that we Recommend

    Episode 20: Grain Empires: The Wheat Belt, American Innovation, and A Kitchen Confidante

    Episode 35: What’s in Your Pantry? Food Label Dates and Major Grey’s Chutney

    Episode 55: Refinding Home: Edna Lewis, The Taste of Country Cooking, and Me

    Episode 56: Beef A Là Mode: A recipe to bring you home

    Episode 59: Bon Appétit! How Julia Child Made America Fall in Love with French Food

    Episode 60: Coq au Whatever: Mastering an Iconic French Provincial Dish

    Episode 61: How to Cook and Eat in Chinese: Dishing up Culture

    Episode 62: Unveiling the Rich Tapestry of Chinese Cuisine with Red and White Cooking


    Recipes You Really Need to Try

    Migas With Scrambled Eggs, Tortilla Chips, & Chiles - Serious Eats


    Transcript

    🎧 Click here for the full, interactive transcript of this episode 🎧



    Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/as-we-eat8938/donations
    31m | Nov 28, 2023
  • Thanksgiving Bonus: Revisiting Episode 32 Pies

    While we take a holiday break, we wanted to share a past episode that we hope will inspire your pie making endeavors for the Thanksgiving holiday.

    We return to the origins of pie specialties as Leigh surveys the ingenuity of pie bakers and cooks who built empires on fairly basic pie recipes originating in Western Europe.

    Next, Kim speaks on how the thrifty utilization of excess egg white plus a fictional culinary character led to one of the most favorite pies in American history - lemon meringue - and how a massive hurricane shifted Florida’s production of pineapple to its globally-known key lime, inspiration for the key lime meringue pie.



    Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/as-we-eat8938/donations
    28m | Nov 21, 2023
  • EP 73 From Grief to Joy: A Cookbook that became A Family Affair

    Some of the books on our cookbook shelves wander in because they are or were all the rage, some are there because we’re interested in a particular cuisine. But some of there as part of our legacy of cooking and have become iconic. Join us as we discuss one of America’s iconic cookbooks. A cookbook that’s in its ninth edition and spans over nine decades of guiding home cooks from the oven to the table.

    Transcript

    🎧 Click here for the full, interactive transcript of this episode 🎧



    Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/as-we-eat8938/donations
    35m | Nov 8, 2023
  • EP 72 Dine Like a Hero: Crafting Smoked Sausages and Kraut with Dwarven Mustard

    In this episode, we dive into the world of Dwarven cuisine with the 'Smoked Sausages and Kraut with Dwarven Mustard' recipe from 'Heroes' Feast.' Discover how this hearty dish comes to life, and follow our culinary journey bridging the gap between imagination and reality. Join us in celebrating the magic of food and the connections it weaves in our lives.

    Transcript

    🎧 Click here for the full, interactive transcript of this episode 🎧



    Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/as-we-eat8938/donations
    17m | Oct 24, 2023
  • EP 71 Eat Like a Hero: Game-Based Cookbooks Feed More than Appetites

    Cookbooks take many approaches to inspiring readers to try new foods or to revisit familiar ones as a way to find common ground, especially amongst people with a shared fandom. In this episode, Kim and Leigh discuss “Heroes’ Feast,” the official cookbook for the popular Dungeons & Dragons game as an example of how fandom-based cookbooks blend food and immersive storytelling to unite communities and strengthen family bonds.

    Transcript

    🎧 Click here for the full, interactive transcript of this episode 🎧





    Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/as-we-eat8938/donations
    27m | Oct 10, 2023
  • EP 70 EP 70 Creating American Culture in a Casserole: The Settlement Cookbook

    It would be ridiculous to suggest that one dish can represent all the mystery and majesty of human civilization, but inspiration can be a powerful force. In this episode, a single dish from the 1903 edition of The Settlement Cookbook sparked a deep conversation about the transformative power of food and its role in shaping civilizations, from the bustling immigrant communities of the late 19th century to modern-day.

    Exploring the Foundation of Civilization

    Inspired by her experience cooking up “Steak in Casserole” from the 1903 edition of The Settlement Cookbook, Kim finds a whole recipe as a lens through which to examine the foundations of civilizations. 

    We begin with a snapshot of early 20th-century America, marked by post-Civil War reconstruction, industrialization, and a wave of immigration that transformed cities into diverse, bustling hubs. To address the challenges of rapid urbanization, a progressive movement centered on settlement houses aims to help immigrants navigate life in their new world. These houses not only provided better living conditions but also nurtured a sense of community by sharing knowledge, culture, and domestic skills.

    Food and Identity

    The Settlement Cookbook, also known as "The Way to a Man's Heart," was originally published in 1901 from the Settlement House in Milwaukee. Organized as a series of lessons in cooking, nutrition, and food service, the cookbook aimed to modernize traditional Jewish recipes with American ingredients and techniques, promoting assimilation without forsaking cultural heritage.

    Kim takes a novel approach to recipe selection by asking her partner to pick out a dish they wanted to eat. Confronted with a recipe and a dish with which she is largely unfamiliar, she realizes that food is not just sustenance; by selecting, cooking, and sharing food, we form both an individual and collective concept of who we are.

    The Cultural Significance of Cooking and Dining

    From here we reflect on the idea that food and its preparation are deeply cultural, and that the act of cooking and the rituals surrounding meals are essential components of civilization, and that by embracing the culture of the host country while preserving one's own traditions contributes to the evolution of a dynamic society.

    Episode Transcript

    🎧 Click here for the full, interactive transcript of this episode 🎧 



    Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/as-we-eat8938/donations
    22m | Sep 26, 2023
  • EP 69 Cooking Up Integration: The Settlement Cook Book

    From a culinary guide with the goal of assimilation to a symbol of cultural recognition, we’ll dive into a cookbook that bridged cultures and funded social programs. This cookbook taught immigrant women to cook American dishes and became a cultural talisman passed down generations. It’s a story that showcases how one cookbook became a powerful tool for integration and resilience.

    The changing of the seasons sets the stage for our discussion of the third wave of immigration in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. As a massive wave of European immigrants hit the shores of the United States, personal, economic and social challenges crashed into established communities.

    We focus on one Mid-Western community, a social service agency, and a cookbook that was much, much more than a collection of recipes.

    Listen in as we discuss share the history, the impact, and our thoughts on Mrs. Simon Kandor’s The Settlement Cook Book, the way to a man’s heart.

    Sources We Found Helpful for this Episode 

    The Settlement Cookbook: 116 Years and 40 Editions Later

    This 20th Century Jewish Immigrant Cookbook Inspired the Ultimate Dinner Party, Hey Alma

    Taste Makers: Seven Immigrant Women Who Revolutionized Food in America, by Mayukh Sen

    Books We Think You’ll Enjoy Reading

    Taste Makers: Seven Immigrant Women Who Revolutionized Food in America, by Mayukh Sen

    The Settlement Cookbook, by Mrs. Simon Kander

    Transcript

    🎧 Click here for the full, interactive transcript of this episode 🎧

    We would love to connect with you

    AsWeEat.com, on Instagram @asweeat, join our new As We Eat community on Facebook, or subscribe to the As We Eat Journal.

    Do you have a great idea 💡 for a show topic, a recipe 🥘 that you want to share, or just say “hi”👋🏻?  Send us an email at connect@asweeat.com

    Review As We Eat on Podchaser or Apple Podcast. We would like to know what you think.

    As a member of affiliate programs, we earn from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you. This helps us to continue to bring you stories, history, and personal musings about food, cuisines, traditions, and recipes



    Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/as-we-eat8938/donations
    25m | Sep 12, 2023
  • EP 68 Sowing Traditions with Three Sisters Mash

    Food uniquely bridges our history and culture, bearing stories of resilience, connection, and sustenance across generations. Today, we dive into the flavors and heritage of The Sioux Chef's Indigenous Kitchen through a recipe that spotlights three indigenous ingredients woven into a rich tapestry of ancestral foodways.

    Hey there, it's Leigh, and I'm excited to dive into a really remarkable culinary journey with you. You know, food is so much more than sustenance; it's a vessel for stories, culture, and history. Today, my amazing co-host, Kim Baker, and I are exploring the recipe that I chose to create from "The Sioux Chef's Indigenous Kitchen" cookbook. This recipe isn't just about cooking; it's about embracing the flavors and heritage of three indigenous ingredients, and we're about to share how it deeply touched us.

    Rediscovering Indigenous Foods: 

    As I flipped through the pages of "The Sioux Chef's Indigenous Kitchen," one recipe leaped out—the Three Sisters Mash. It struck a chord because I'd learned about companion planting in school, and these sisters were familiar to me. This led me to ponder the remarkable awareness of Native Americans who recognized this planting synergy centuries ago. It's almost like they knew the secrets of nature's harmony.

    The Three Sisters: A Sacred Story

    The Three Sisters, corn, squash, and beans, which work together symbiotically in the garden to support and protect each other. This story serves as a beautiful parable, emphasizing the power of collaboration and the creation of something greater than ourselves.

    Chef Sean Sherman's Three Sisters Mash brings this ancient planting wisdom to life. This isn't just gardening; it's a dance of support and collaboration that echoes through the ages.

    The Journey of One Bean

    I stumbled on the unique story of one of the sisters while in Arizona, the tepary bean.These beans were vital to the Tohono O'odham culture, but their story remained a mystery to me. Curiosity got the best of me, and I dug deeper, uncovering a tale of resilience, loss, and reclamation.

    The Power of Intentionality

    Alright, let's get cooking! Armed with intention, I embarked on the Three Sisters Mash recipe. Harvesting cedar for braising and selecting ingredients thoughtfully, I crafted a dish that felt like a tribute. The textures, flavors, and the surprising combination of sage and mint created a delicious dish that truly pays homage to indigenous food traditions.

    Kim's Insights on Authenticity 

    Enter Kim, my co-host, and a discussion on authenticity unfolds. We muse about the blurred lines between authenticity and intentionality. How do we respect traditions while embracing modern adaptations?

    Embracing Indigenous Foodways 

    Our conversation takes us deeper into the movement of reclaiming indigenous foodways. We uncover businesses like Indigenous Eats and All All Cafe, champions of preserving indigenous cuisines. It's a reminder that curiosity unveils treasures beyond our imaginations.


    Sources We Found Helpful for this Episode 

    Books We Think You’ll Enjoy Reading

    Recipes You Really Need to Try

    Transcript

    🎧 Click here for the full, interactive transcript of this episode 🎧

    We would love to connect with you

    AsWeEat.com, on Instagram @asweeat, join our new As We Eat community on Facebook, or subscribe to the As We Eat Journal.

    Do you have a great idea 💡 for a show topic, a recipe 🥘 that you want to share, or just say “hi”👋🏻? Send us an email at connect@asweeat.com

    Review As We Eat on Podchaser or Apple Podcast. We would like to know what you think.

    As a member of affiliate programs, we earn from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you. This helps us to continue to bring you stories, history, and personal musings about food, cuisines, traditions, and recipes



    Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/as-we-eat8938/donations
    25m | Aug 29, 2023
  • EP 67 Much Ado about Sioux: (Re)discovering America’s indigenous foods with Chef Sean Sherman

    It seems that the faster and more urban our lives grow, the more we seek ways and means to “return” to our roots - including the foods we eat. Realizing that he knew very little about the foodways of the Oglala Sioux community where he was raised, Chef Sean Sherman began the task of researching and sharing the ways and means of food indigenous to North America. In this episode, Kim and Leigh reflect on how his 2018 award-winning cookbook The Sioux Chef’s Indigenous Kitchen directs our focus to the foods and foodways that have been long overlooked.

    Time spent with the Huichol people near Jalisco, Mexico inspired Chef Sean to examine his own Native heritage and curiosity about the foodways of his familial heritage of the Oglala Lakota of the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. After nearly two decades in the food industry, Chef Sean felt he knew more about the popular cuisines of Europe, but none of what and how indigenous people ate before European culture spanned the continent. 

    His research, and subsequent cookbook, mark a turning point - even a starting point - in a long overdue conversation about the actual indigenous foodstuffs of North America - the flora and fauna that sustained people before the introduction and dietary inculcation of wheat, sugar, and beef.

    Sources We Found Helpful for this Episode 

    About The Sioux Chef

    Full Moon Ceremony & Teachings | Ontario Native Women’s Association

    Books We Think You’ll Enjoy Reading

    The Sioux Chef’s Indigenous Kitchen by Sean Sherman and Beth Dooley

    New Native Kitchen: Celebrating Modern Recipes of the American Indian by Freddie Bitsoie and James O. Fraioli

    tawâw: Progressive Indigenous Cuisine by Shane M. Chartrand

    Recovering Our Ancestors' Gardens: Indigenous Recipes and Guide to Diet and Fitness (At Table) by Devon Abbott Mihesuah

    Recipes You Really Need to Try

    Corn Husk Bread from The Sioux Chef

    Sean Sherman’s 10 Essential Native American Recipes from The New York Times

    Owamni Sweet Potatoes with Maple-Chile Crisp from Food & Wine

    Transcript

    🎧 Click here for the full, interactive transcript of this episode 🎧

    We would love to connect with you

    AsWeEat.com, on Instagram @asweeat, join our new As We Eat community on Facebook, or subscribe to the As We Eat Journal.

    Do you have a great idea 💡 for a show topic, a recipe 🥘 that you want to share, or just say “hi”👋🏻? Send us an email at connect@asweeat.com

    Review As We Eat on Podchaser or Apple Podcast. We would like to know what you think.

    As a member of affiliate programs, we earn from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you. This helps us to continue to bring you stories, history, and personal musings about food, cuisines, traditions, and recipes



    Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/as-we-eat8938/donations
    23m | Aug 15, 2023
  • EP 66 United Tastes of America: A Treasury of Regional Recipes in “How American Eats”

    As We Eat continues its exploration of seminal cookbooks with tried and true attempts at some of the recipes from Clemtine Paddleford’s “How America Eats.” This monumental volume (Kim’s revised edition weighs in at 500 recipes and nearly 900 pages!) chronicles Clementine’s journey around the United States to gather stories of real people and the recipes of what they love to eat, making it a unique and fascinating cookbook worth discussing.

    Published in 1960, How America Eats draws what is perhaps the first culinary roadmap of its kind, capturing the diverse flavors and traditions of American cuisine from coast to coast, from city to country. The cookbook emerged during a significant moment for food in post-World War II America when prosperity and hunger for new culinary experiences were abundant. Unlike many contemporary cookbooks, "How America Eats" focused on whole ingredients in a proto-farm-to-table manner, reflecting a prevailing attitude about food that primarily featured ingredients largely available within the communities where they were collected.

    For her recipe trials, Kim selected dishes reflecting the unique food cultures from her former home state of Ohio. With rich immigrant and settlement stories of people coming from Western and Eastern Europe as the Northwest Territory takes shape and Ohio achieves its statehood and African-American and Black “Great Migration” from the southern United States, Ohio becomes a veritable “melting pot” of food traditions.

    It was Clementine's visit with the Dorcas Women’s Guild of the Magyar Evangelical and Reformed Church in Elyria, where she encountered Hungarian immigrants who preserved their culinary traditions while blending them with the new American influences, that inspired Kim to attempt Stuffed Cabbage, Chicken Paprikas, and Nokedli, which was met with certain challenges and some wild success!

    We conclude this episode with a vivid discussion about how Clemtine’s efforts with "How America Eats" not only showcased the vast array of American dishes but also celebrated the people and communities eating this food. The cookbook offered a glimpse into the mid-century American culinary landscape, which we conjecture may someday inspire a scholarly interest in mid-century menus.

    Sources & Books We Found Helpful for this Episode 

    How America Eats by Clemetine Paddleford, first edition


    The Great American Cookbook: 500 Time-Tested Recipes; Favorite Foods from Every State by Clementine Paddleford, revised by Kelly Alexander


    Recipes You Really Need to Try

    Chicken Paprikash with Nokedli - my nokedli looked NOTHING like this!

    Transcript

    🎧 Click here for the full, interactive transcript of this episode 🎧

    We would love to connect with you

    AsWeEat.com, on Instagram @asweeat, join our new As We Eat community on Facebook, or subscribe to the As We Eat Journal.

    Do you have a great idea 💡 for a show topic, a recipe 🥘 that you want to share, or just say “hi”👋🏻?  Send us an email at connect@asweeat.com

    Review As We Eat on Podchaser or Apple Podcast. We would like to know what you think.



    Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/as-we-eat8938/donations
    28m | Aug 2, 2023
  • EP 65 How America Eats: Voices of the People who Satisfy our Hometown Appetites

    Giving voice, using our voice, and listening are key to community building. Leigh and Kim explore how the art of sharing recipes can give voice to a nation, as they discuss how Clementine Paddleford documented the voices that satisfy hometown appetites in her seminal cookbook, How America Eats.

    All Who Wander…

    Join us on a journey with Clementine Paddleford and her seminal cookbook, How America Eats. Kim and Leigh discuss how sharing recipes can give voice to a nation, by highlighting Clem’s remarkable achievement of collecting regional recipes through her extensive travels -  800,000 miles of travel! 

    To both of us, How America Eats is a culinary masterpiece that deserves a place on every American cookbook shelf. Though sadly, due unfortunate events and dare we say poor timing she has been overshadowed by other prominent food writers like Julia Child, M.F.K. Fisher, and James Beard. 

    From a small town, teenage journalist to Paddleford's successful career as the food editor of the New York Herald Tribune where her weekly column reached an estimated readership of 12 million people, we discuss her accomplishments, codification of regional cuisine, and impact on food writing.

    Authenticity v Accuracy - yep, that topic again

    If you’ve listened to any of our podcasts, you know that this is a food touchstone topic for both of us. And this episode is no different. Clementine gives us some great fodder to engage in a thought-provoking discussion about the concept of authenticity versus accuracy in cooking. We explore how cooking at home and experimenting with different cuisines may not always prioritize strict authenticity. Instead, we believe that home cooks are more concerned with satisfaction, enjoyment and maybe a bit of entertainment as well as exploring new flavors and relishing the cooking process.

    To that end, we ask a thought provoking question about authenticity and accuracy when it comes to cooking. 

    In the End

    What we would really love for you to do after listening to the podcast is go out and get this cookbook. Let’s all celebrate the accomplishments of Clementine Paddleford by listening to the voices that she so thoughtfully recorded as she documented How America Eats. 

    Sources We Found Helpful for this Episode 

    Hometown Appetites by Kelly Alexander and Cynthia Harris

    Clementine Paddleford: The Badass Lady Pilot Who Revolutionized the Art of Food Writing

    Clementine Paddleford’s ‘How America Eats’ Chronicled the Tastes of a Nation

    Books We Think You’ll  Enjoy Reading

    How America Eats by Clementine Paddleford

    A Flower for my Mother by Clementine Paddleford

    Hometown Appetites by Kelly Alexander and Cynthia Harris

    Recipes You Really Need to Try


    Episodes We Think You’ll Like

    EP 43 Food Pioneers: Life and Career Highlights of People Who Make Food Great

    EP 55 Refinding Home: Edna Lewis, The Taste of Country Cooking, and Me

    EP 64 Recipes for Cookouts and Culture Identity

    Transcript

    🎧 Click here for the full, interactive transcript of this episode 🎧



    Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/as-we-eat8938/donations
    27m | Jul 18, 2023
  • EP 64 Recipes for Cookouts and Culture Identity

    Kim and Leigh explore two recipes from Nicole Taylor’s cookbook Watermelon & Red Birds that not only give a glimpse into a culture’s culinary history, but look into future culinary explorations of black culture and influence.

    Episode Transcript

    🎧 Click here for the full, interactive transcript of this episode 🎧

    We would love to connect with you

    AsWeEat.com, on Instagram @asweeat, join our new As We Eat community on Facebook, or subscribe to the As We Eat Journal.

    Do you have a great idea 💡 for a show topic, a recipe 🥘 that you want to share, or just say “hi”👋🏻? Send us an email at connect@asweeat.com

    Review As We Eat on Podchaser or Apple Podcast. We would like to know what you think.

    As a member of affiliate programs, we earn from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you. This helps us to continue to bring you stories, history, and personal musings about food, cuisines, traditions, and recipes




    Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/as-we-eat8938/donations
    26m | Jul 4, 2023
  • EP 63 Time to Eat: Food Traditions, Summer Celebrations, and Rethinking Red

    Summer is full of reasons to celebrate - either for our personal victories of graduation or fatherhood but also on a more profound scale with federal holidays like Independence Day. In this new episode of As We Eat, Kim and Leigh explore how one author is not only bringing attention to the food traditions of Black celebrations like Juneteenth, but also challenging readers to look again at tradition.

    Food & Celebration

    For the month of June, we decided to focus on food and celebration, and to us there was no better choice than a relatively new title - "Watermelon & Red Birds: A Cookbook for Juneteenth and Black Celebrations” by James Beard-nominated food writer Nicole A. Taylor. It was the premise of this book that really caught Kim’s interest as it is the first broadly published cookbook to focus on the foods of Juneteenth. What we found is not only a collection of recipes, but a sincere effort to explore culinary traditions that connect food-centric celebrations to a rich heritage while also making room for those traditions to bend and accommodate change.

    A Bridge Between Tradition and Culinary Evolution

    In this space, Taylor aims to bridge the gap between traditional African American dishes and the evolving culinary landscape of the twenty-first century, encouraging readers to engage in conversations about Black American contributions to the country while celebrating their own cultural heritage.

    While Taylor's own culinary journey began at a young age, she came into her celebration of Juneteenth as a young adult and it fueled her interest in documenting the DIY and urban food scene around her home in New York. Her debut book, "The Up South Cookbook," aimed to help home cooks recreate Southern cuisine in the North.

    A critical element in Taylor’s approach is her theory that food belongs to everyone, not just professionals, and by capturing the cadence and culture of Black celebrations in her cookbook, we are offered a gateway to American history and Black American traditions. What we perceive as traditional may have evolved over time, and she invites readers to explore flavors, food, and techniques that may be either familiar or unknown, and in doing so foster discussions about how culinary traditions - especially Black food traditions - might evolve while remaining rooted in their origins.

    Episode Transcript

    🎧 Click here for the full, interactive transcript of this episode 🎧 


    Sources We Found Helpful for this Episode 

    Books We Think You’ll Enjoy Reading

    Recipes You Really Need to Try

    We would love to connect with you

    AsWeEat.com, on Instagram @asweeat, join our new As We Eat community on Facebook, or subscribe to the As We Eat Journal.

    Do you have a great idea 💡 for a show topic, a recipe 🥘 that you want to share, or just say “hi”👋🏻? Send us an email at connect@asweeat.com

    Review As We Eat on Podchaser or Apple Podcast. We would like to know what you think.

    s a member of affiliate programs, we earn from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you. This helps us to continue to bring you stories, history, and personal musings about food, cuisines, traditions, and recipes


    Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/as-we-eat8938/donations
    25m | Jun 13, 2023
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