Culinary Historians of Washington, D.C. October 2015 Volume XX, Number 2 Renew Your “The History of Beer and Brewing Membership in in the Nation’s Capital” CHoW NOW for 2015-16! Speaker: Garrett Peck The membership year Sunday, October 11 runs from September 1 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. to August 31. Annual Bethesda-Chevy Chase Services Center, dues are $25 for 4805 Edgemoor Lane, Bethesda, MD 20814 individuals, households, or organizations. Dues include email delivery of magine the jubilation of thirsty citizens in the newsletter CHoW Line. 1796 when the Washington Brewery—the Icity’s first brewery—opened. Yet the English- style ales produced by the early breweries in Other Benefits: the capital and in nearby Arlington and Alexan- • Membership roster dria sat heavy on the tongue in the oppressive • GoogleGroups notices Potomac summers. • Priority registration for By the 1850s, an influx of German immi- field trips grants gave a frosty reprieve to their new home in the form of light but flavorful lagers. Brewer For members who bars like Christian Heurich, Albert Carry, and also wish to receive a Garrett Peck is an six-time author, Robert Portner dominated the taps of city sa- mailed, paper copy of the historian, and tour guide. He leads loons until production ground to a halt with the newsletter, dues are $35. tours through the Smithsonian As- dry days of Prohibition. sociates, Politics & Prose, and other Only Heurich survived, and when the vener- organizations, including the Temper- able institution closed in 1956, Washington, ance Tour of Prohibition-related sites D.C. was without a brewery for fifty-five years. in the nation’s capital, which has Author and beer been featured on C-SPAN Book TV, scholar Garrett the Travel Channel, and the History Peck taps this Channel program, “Ten Things You high-gravity his- CHoW 20th Didn’t Know About,” with punk tory while intro- Anniversary rock legend Henry Rollins. Peck was ducing readers involved with the DC Craft Bartend- to the bold new brewers lead- 2016 will be CHoW’s 20th ers Guild in lobbying the D.C. City ing the capital’s Anniversary. Put on your Council to have the Rickey declared recent craft beer thinking caps and come Washington’s native cocktail in 2011. revival. up with some unique He researched and pinpointed the ways to promote CHoW historic Washington Brewery site at and celebrate this accom- Navy Yard and is particularly proud Copies of Peck’s plishment. that Green Hat Gin is named after a book, Capital If you have ideas, character Peck wrote about in Pro- Beer, will be please contact Dianne at hibition in Washington, D.C.: congres- available for [email protected]. sional bootlegger George Cassiday. He lives in Arlington, Virginia. purchase and www.garrettpeck.com signing. Culinary Historians of Washington, D.C. (CHoW/DC) www.chowdc.org founded in 1996, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, educational organization dedicated to the study of the history of foodstuffs, cuisines, and culi- nary customs, both historical and contemporary, from all parts of the world. Donations are tax deductible to the full extent of the law. A Sampling of Culinary History Organizations CHoW Programs 2015-2016 Compiled by Dianne Hennessy King September 13 CiCi Williamson. “ZAP! The History and Hows of the 20th Century’s Most Influential Association of Culinary Historians of the Philippines, Inc. Cooking Appliance” http://chopphilippines.blogspot.com October 11 Garrett Peck. “The History of Beer and Culinary Historians of Ann Arbor Brewing in the Nation’s Capital” www.culinaryhistoriansannarbor.org The Culinary Historians of Boston November 8 Domenica Marchetti. “The Food www.culinaryhistoriansboston.com History of the Abruzzo Region of Italy” Culinary Historians of Southern California December 13 Barbara Haber. “What Cookbooks Tell www.chscsite.org Us about Ourselves and Our Past” Culinary Historians of Chicago January 10, 2016 John Rees. “Revolutionary War www.culinaryhistorians.org Food History” The Culinary Historians of New York (CHNY) February 14 Pat Reber. “A History of the Rise and www.culinaryhistoriansny.org Fall of Cakes” Elisabetta Giacon (formerly Castleman) in Italy www.culinaryroots.com March 13 Dr. Ava Chin. “Foraging History: From Native Americans to Haute Cuisine” Historic Foodways Society of the Delaware Valley (HF- SDV) www.historicfoodways.org/index.htm April 10 Cooperative Supper, Alexandria House. Culinary Historians of Washington, D.C. May 1 Susan Pinkard. “The Relationship Between www.chowdc.org French Cooking and the Food of French-Speaking Southern Louisiana” Culinary Historians of Piedmont North Carolina www.chopnc.com The Culinary History Enthusiasts of Wisconsin (CHEW) www.wisconsinchews.com How to Post to the CHoW-DC Google Group Greater Midwest Foodways Alliance You have to be a member of CHoW. It’s important to www.GreaterMidwestFoodWays.com remember that if you change your email address, you need to inform the CHoW Membership Director so that it can The Southern Foodways Alliance (SFA) be updated and you will continue to receive messages and www.southernfoodways.org newsletters. The New Orleans Culinary History Group The easiest way to post a message to the Group is simply www.tulane.edu/~wclib/culinary.html through an email. Here’s how. • Open a new email The Center for the Study of Southern Culture • In the address line or “To” box, enter chow-dc@google www.olemiss.edu/depts/south/foodways/code/home.htm groups.com • Enter a subject in the subject box Association for the Study of Food and Society • Enter the text of your message www.food-culture.org o NOTE: If you are announcing an event, please make sure you Culinary Historians of Canada include all relevant information, plus a website or phone number www.culinaryhistorians.ca for additional information. • Please sign your message as a courtesy to everyone. • Add your email address for replies. • Send the message! DONE! 2 CHoW Line What Happened at the Sunday, September 13, CHoW Meeting? President Bruce Reynolds called the meeting to order at WHATZIT: Judy Newton brought a 2-part pink-raspberry 2:50 p.m., welcoming 32 attendees, including 3 guests, one plastic object with a pierced stainless ball on the end of of whom, Mark Collins, had just joined. a long-handled rod, which fit into a small stainless-lined pink-raspberry plastic bowl. It turned out to be a luxu- ANNOUNCEMENTS rious teaball. CiCi Williamson brought several objects 1. Bruce Reynolds requested someone with the requisite related to her presentation including skills to volunteer to control the computer/screen link so a magnetron tube (which produces talks can begin as planned. microwaves from electricity), a stir fan from an oven, He reminded everyone that we must return the room to the and microwave norm indicated on a posted drawing, and asked for volun- cookware. teers to stay afterwards to complete this task. Bruce noted that Claudia Kousoulas has agreed to work on a website update and is seeking volunteers with computer and web development skills. He also noted that Beverly Firme and Claudia Raju are forming an Outreach Committee with the aim of increasing new members. They are seeking volunteers to join them. Above: Magnetron tube, microwave Bundt pan, springform pan, and stirrer fan that reflects micro- 2. Anne Whitaker announced that on September 24 there waves from the magnetron into the oven cavity. would be a lecture by Stephen Spalding on shipboard cuisine and preservation, “Food at Sea, 1812,” at Maryland Archeological Conservation Laboratory at Jefferson Patter- PROGRAM: Vice president Audrey Hong introduced the son Park and Museum on the Patuxent River. speaker, CiCi Williamson, former president of CHoW. See page 8 for CiCi’s article about her presentation, “Zap! The On October 22, 7 p.m., there will be a program with John History and Hows of the 20th Century’s Most Influential Wennersten on the “Oyster Wars of the Chesapeake.” Cooking Appliance.” www.jefpat.org Maryland Archeological Conservation Laboratory at Jefferson Patterson Park and Museum. 10515 DOOR PRIZES: Members attending the monthly meetings Mackall Road, St. Leonard MD 20685. Phone: 410-586-8501. can enter a drawing for a door prize. Thank you to Claudia Kousoulas for donating cookbooks as door prizes. 3. Claudia Kousoulas announced that the Botanic Gardens Fall lecture series is beginning (see page 5). REFRESHMENTS: Thank you to Anne Whitaker for pro- viding beverages and supplies for the meeting, and to our 4. Judy Newton: There will be a hot pepper eating contest members who brought the following refreshments: at the Olney Farmers’ Market on Sunday September 20, at 11 a.m. All are invited. • Beverly Firme—Chocolate Chunk Pumpkin Seed Cook- ies, from the Sept 2015 Bon Appetit magazine 5. Katherine Livingston recounted the travails of replacing • Claudia Kousoulas—Jacques Torres Chocolate Chip her Swing-Away Can Opener (see expanded information Cookies, from Chocolate Chip Sweets, by Tracy Zabar Rizzoli on page 7) that apparently was out of U.S. production. • Clara Raju—Microwave Chocolate Haystacks • Jane Olmsted—Ginger Snaps with Ginger and Walnut 6. Sheila Crye announced that Montgomery County Food Spread Council www.mocofoodcouncil.org is the regional liaison • Roberta Yared—Nonni’s Biscotti with the United Nations Food Day. The Food Council co- • Anonymous—Skipjack’s Spicy Honey-roasted Virginia ordinates information about nearby events to celebrate the Peanuts October 16 Food Day. www.foodday.org. • CiCi Williamson, our speaker, brought a variety of foods she made in the microwave, including 7. Dianne Hennessy King: The D.C. State Fair yesterday “CHoW” Vegetables offered a marijuana plant judging contest. The idea of State Super Sombrero Supper Fairs is evidently continuing in diverse forms. Dianne also Rum Bundt Cake brought three microwave cookbooks to share from the late Chocolate Cheesecake 1960s and early 1970s.