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. See photos of these foods on page 8.

Next year is the 20th Anniversary of CHoW. Francine The meeting adjourned at 4:30 p.m. Thank you to the Berkowitz and Dianne Hennessy King will be talking to members who volunteered to reset the meeting room. members seeking historical notes and ideas on how to cel- ebrate throughout 2016. If you have an idea please contact Respectfully submitted, Dianne at [email protected]. Claire Cassidy, Recording Secretary

CHoW Line 3 Book Review To Live and Dine in L.A., Menus and The Making of the Modern City by Josh Kun, 2015, Angel City Press, hardback, $45.00, 224 pages

By Claudia Kousoulas profits, and their design is a bit of storytelling that sets a restaurant apart enus have been ephemeral from its competitors. They are, Kun things—living perhaps as a posits, an early form of social media, Msouvenir tucked into a dresser designed as souvenirs and mediating drawer. But they are also history, recog- between the public and private of din- nized by the Culinary Historians of ing out. As SydneyMintz has noted— Southern California who have cared eating is about survival, pleasure but for and cultivated a collection of nine also power—as reflected in the menu’s thousand holdings dating back to 1875. prices and gender norms—whether As the collection is mined for histo- it’s a businessman’s lunch or free baby ry, in this book and in an exhibit at the food for the moms. L.A. Central Library’s Getty Gallery, Amid the nostalgia for elegant hotel their power becomes clear. As USC dining rooms, the exuberant archi- professor, Josh Kun, writes, “…nearly tecture of Google-style coffee shops, every phase of L.A.’s growth has had and see-and-be-seen restaurants, the a menu to go with it: the arrival of the book and the exhibit highlight L.A.’s transcontinental railroad, the zeal of contemporary food challenges. The booster tourism, the automobile craze, “USDA has declared Los Angeles the the tag team of Prohibition and the nation’s ‘epicenter of hunger,’ where Great Depression, the economic boom the phrase ‘food insecurity’—lacking of World War II, the social movements reliable access to nutritious and safe and rebellions of the 1960s, the eco- food—has become as much a part nomic chasms of the 1980s.” of the local culture as sunshine and He goes on to note that what we may traffic.” The exhibit offers fallen fruit save as a memento can become a maps of L.A. neighborhoods—high- mirror that “tells us about just about lighting the streets and seasons to find everything that food touches: eco- guavas, avocados, nectarines, figs, and nomics, culture, taste, race, politics, grapes—and the etiquette of harvest- architecture, class, design, industry, ing. gender.…” And while the collection may be In the book, the essays exploring L.A., the observations are universal, these topics are studded with pic- made most clear in the book’s essays tures of the menus—meant to convey by the city’s food community, and beach fantasies, international exoti- in the exhibit’s films of noted restau- cism, or celebrity style—all unique to rateurs. Restaurant critic Jonathan Los Angeles. Designs display fantasy Gold recalls a seminal 1980s fusion and bombast from the earliest days. menu and LACMA curator Staci The first chapter traces the historical Steinberger mulls menu design. Bricia development of L.A.’s food culture. Lopez recalls her father’s determina- Food has always been a draw—in the tion to serve authentic Oaxacan food 18th century Father Juan Crespi noted at Guelaguetza and chef Roy Choi of that the area “has good land for plant- Pot notes that “Menus were never that ing all kinds of grains and seeds.” In important—they just belonged to the the 19th century Japanese farmers Kun notes that menus are demograph- moment.” But as he writes his own, he grew daikon and kobo, while Chinese ic media—tracing change in neighbor- realizes that they are visceral history, immigrants worked in the abalone hoods and foodways. Tak’s Coffee connections to people and communi- trade. Development boosters touted Shop, which opened in 1996 includes ties of the past. fresh and abundant food, and exotic a revealing range of breakfast choices: Mexican and Southwestern dishes, donburi, Denver omelette, grits, steak “from chili sauce to stewed jackrab- ranchero, or a cha-shu pork sandwich. bits.” In the 1920s, tourists could enjoy The book also explores the menus Claudia Kousoulas is an is an editor, a ranch dinner or tour orange groves. themselves as communication, funda- writer, and educator whose topics include It was a bounty that would attract mentally what you can eat and what it architecture, urbanism, and culinary immigrants from the midwest, as well will cost, but also as what sociologists history. as from Greece, Armenia, Japan, and call “instrumental texts”: good read- Her blog is Korea, establishing the city’s varied ing that leads to a good meal. They are appetiteforbooks.wordpress.com foodways. key business assets meant to maximize

4 CHoW Line

The Election Day

Pie law is talked about in the Sioux Falls, SD ArgusUpcoming Leader newspaper and Events in a 2002 book by Pascale LeDraoulec, "Ame The Election United States Botanic Garden (USBG) Fall Lectures Food Fridays Smithsonian National Museum of The USBG Conservatory is located on the National Mall at the intersection of American History Maryland Avenue and First Street SW, adjacent to the U.S. Capitol. The address 14th St. and Constitution Ave. is 100 Maryland Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20001. www.usbg.gov Washington, D.C. Demonstration Kitchen 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Fridays each week Lecture: Lecture: “Grocery Store Botany” “The History of Spices” Free Friday, October 2 Monday, October 12 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. This is a new series of weekly food Location: Conservatory Classroom Location: Conservatory Classroom demonstrations that showcases Ameri- FREE: Pre-registration required FREE: Pre-registration required can foodways. From American His- tory Museum’s website: “Every week, Todd Brethauer, USBG Science Educa- the Food Fridays team answers this tion Volunteer question: What’s the history behind the food we eat?” Each week, we’ll fire up the gas range on our movable kitchen island, bring out our shiny new pots and pans, and invite a guest chef, home cook, or food innovator Cooking Demonstration: to join us as we cook and talk about “Fifty Shades of Grain” food—and American history.” Thursday, October 8 12:00 OR 12:45 p.m. (same program) “The questions that we’re exploring The botany, geography, ecology, Location: Conservatory Garden Court here aren’t just about what to eat— and economics of spice production FREE: No pre-registration required they’re about where the food comes combined with human lust for spice from, how it becomes part of the consumption have conspired over the Adrienne Cook, Gardening and Cook- American diet, and why what we eat centuries to make fortunes for a few ing Writer and Danielle Cook, MS, today reflects shared memory and his- and launched the great voyages of dis- Nutritionist and Cooking Instructor. tory.” You can check the topics, guest covery that changed the lives of many. chefs and recipes at Learn how pepper, allspice, cinnamon, What other nutrient-rich and deeply http://americanhistory.si.edu/blog/ cloves, and nutmeg, once affordable satisfying grains are out there, and demonstration-kitchen-food-history how do you cook them? Two recipes only for the very rich, have become part of our daily lives. Todd Brethauer from the Cook Sisters will feature the October is Harvest Season in America; will cover the production, processing, panoply of grains now easily acces- November: Thanksgiving Celebra- and history of spices with plants from sible at supermarkets and online. Deli- tions and Native-American Heritage; the USBG collection. cious, comforting dishes for fall dining December: Food Celebrations. and beyond.

“Adapting Japanese cuisine from Taste of Bethesda a Traditionally Chinese Cuisine Background” A Luncheon & Lecture at Kizuna DATE: Saturday, October 10 Christiana PLACE: Kizuna Sushi & Ramen Chiang, Owner 8221 Leesburg Pike, of Kizuna, and Vienna, VA 22182 Rock Fu, Pro- October 3, 11: a.m. 4 p.m. TIME: 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. prietor, will talk This annual event is held along Nor- PRICE: $40 (includes a $10.00 tax ex- about the fasci- folk, St. Elmo, Cordell, Del Ray and empt donation for Les Dames scholarships). nating history and Auburn Avenues in Bethesda’s Wood- The extensive luncheon includes four creation of the mont Triangle. Taste of Bethesda is a appetizers, four types of sushi, three dishes served. food and music festival featuring more main dishes, and dessert. than 50 Bethesda area restaurants and four stages of musical and cultural RESERVATIONS and MENU at: Price includes all food, tax, and gratu- entertainment. www.bethesda.org/ www.lesdamesdc.org ities. Soft drinks and alcoholic bever- bethesda/special-events ages Compiled by Dianne Hennessy King

CHoW Line 5 THE DANIEL BOONE HOME & HERITAGE CENTER

Culinary Byways By Ann Chandonnet

he Daniel Boone Home & Heritage Center in Defi- ance, Missouri, is a site on the National Historic TRegister—the place where Daniel Boone (with the help of slaves and relatives) built a gorgeous three-storey, stone house. In the cellar flows a spring—a source of water in times of Indian attack. Boone began building in 1799 after receiving a Spanish land grant. (Earlier grants were confused and often re- voked after the Louisiana Purchase.) Boone (1734-1820) had been all over the East, and picked a rolling landscape on a river, a place of unspoiled beauty known as the Femme Osage Valley. Both Osage and Ozark Indians historically lived here. The site offered plenty of limestone, water, grazing land (with a little clearing) and mature timber. A nearby salt lick, discovered by one of Boone’s sons, proved Baked Beans, Chicken Stew with Leeks, Whole Wheat a valuable asset. Biscuits and Violet Tea. The tea was steeped with fresh This beautiful area, just west of St. Louis proper, is still flowers and leaves from the yard. largely unspoiled wilderness with opportunities for hiking, Of course, ours is hardly a “licensed kitchen.” That canoeing, bird-watching, fishing and canoeing. Four winer- would require electricity, running water and a dearth of ies are located near the Boone site, and many weddings are mice. So the food we produce is consumed entirely by held here. volunteers. I am happy to report that no one ever gets sick Today the Boone site is officially located in Defiance, from eating our concoctions. Missouri. However, the hamlet of Defiance (pop. 3,000) was The Boone site is located at 1868 Highway F, Defiance, not organized during Boone’s lifetime but some decades MO 63341. Drop on by if you’re in the neighborhood. later when a railroad to Texas was laying out its right-of-way. NOTE: You cannot buy food at the Daniel Boone Home & After a long time in private hands, the Boone site is now Heritage Center. a Lindenwood University Campus with the goal of dem- onstrating life in Territorial Missouri c. 1820. Volunteers Ann Chandonnet is a include Lindenwood students, many of whom assume food historian, poet pioneer personas and dress in 1820s costumes. There is and journalist. She no millionaire behind the place, so don’t expect Colonial is a member of the Williamsburg. But the peace of the valley can’t be beat for a Culinary Historians day trip and perhaps a picnic. of Washington, D.C., The Boone site demonstrates skills like hatchet throw- and is the author ing, quilting, weaving, storekeeping, chicken-raising, sew- of Colonial Food,the ing, gardening, cabin-building, and period trades including award-winning Gold blacksmithing, woodworking and surveying with links of Rush Grub, and The Pi- chain. oneerVillage Cookbook In January, my husband and I moved into our retire- in addition to several ment home 20 miles from the site. We soon signed up as books of poetry. Boone volunteers. I sewed the appropriate garb, and my husband of 49 years, Fernand, is now learning surveying while I attempt to master open hearth cooking. At a recent event, my cooking partner and I produced 12 dishes in five hours, sometimes having six pots over the fire simultane- ously: Steamed Pudding, Colcannon, Hasty Pudding,

6 CHoW Line The ElectionMovie Day Review: Chef (2014) Cubanos, Tweets, and a Truck By Beverly Firme hef takes us back to the early All this and more unfolds as you days of the gourmet food truck watch Chef. In the movie’s open- explosion, now a fixture of any ing, chef Carl Casper’s (Jon Favreau) C glory days as the hottest young chef urban food scene, and captures the freedom, enthusiasm, and creativ- in Miami have waned. He’s Chef de ity talented chefs brought from the Cuisine for a popular Los Angeles kitchen to the food truck window as restaurant but the owner (Dustin they first took their best dishes mobile. Hoffman) is stifling his creativity. The movie also showcases the influ- He’s divorced from his wife (Sofia Ver- ence of social media, exploding at the gara), self-absorbed when he’s with same time, to spread the word about his admiring son Percy (Emjay An- chefs, food, and locations as fans sent thony), and distant from his girlfriend the first tweets, reviews, photos, and (Scarlett Johansen). Things come to geotags of food truck favorites. a head when a popular food blogger Food trucks are not new in America (Oliver Platt) criticizes Casper’s cook- from the chuck wagon and lunch ing and wonders “what happened to wagons of the 1800s to the present day you?” Casper quits the restaurant in “roach coaches” omnipresent at U.S. a dramatic scene that goes viral on construction sites. But a combination YouTube. appearance. Casper’s son—more of events during the “Great Recession” Convinced he’s ruined his reputa- savvy with social media than Casper of 2007-2009 gave rise to gourmet tion, Casper joins his ex-wife and their and Martin—tweets, posts photos, food trucks serving a more food savvy son on vacation to Miami. He’s given and geotags each place they stop, and clientele. advice and a dilapidated food truck by the lines grow as they head toward At the beginning of the recession, his ex-wife’s successful first husband Los Angeles. The trip gives Casper a the decline in construction created (Robert Downey Jr.) and decides to fix chance to reconnect with his love of a surplus of food trucks. Snapped up the truck to sell Cuban favorites cooking and also with his son, and up by local chefs as an inexpensive back in Los Angeles. back in Los Angeles, Casper and Mar- alternative to a restaurant during risky His friend and former sous chef tin happily serve the food they love times, chefs found eager customers Martin (John Leguizamo) joins him in to cook. In the end Casper remarries who were cutting back on eating out Miami and along with Casper’s son his ex-wife, works alongside his son but still hungry for restaurant-style they drive the food truck from Miami on weekends and after school, and the food. Offering a small menu of unique to Los Angeles. The trip includes stops food blogger who wondered “what dishes easy to eat “on the go,” a new in major food cities along the way as happened” now wants to back Casper venue for eating seemed to appear out the group serves Cubanos and yucca in his own restaurant. of nowhere within a matter of months. fries to an enthusiastic crowd in New With chefs and fans using new media Orleans and also visits Franklin Bar- Beverly Firme is a ChoW Director and like Twitter, Facebook, and blogging, becue in Austin, buying a brisket from formerly ChoW’s Recording Secretary. word spread like wildfire. owner Aaron Franklin in a cameo

Annual Cooperative Supper The Great Can Opener Hunt

April 10 and spring may seem far in the future, but now is the time to begin thinking about a theme for our Katherine Livingston, a CHoW past president, recounted annual potluck. the travails of replacing her U.S.-made Swing-Away can- opener, which is now being sold in a reportedly inferior Let’s avoid the March scramble and version made in Mexico. From an Internet exchange among start gathering a list of suggested disappointed users, she found that templates for the culinary topics and research sources original can opener were bought by the John Jay Steuby for our great dinner. Send ideas to the Company of St. Louis, which manufactures it under the ChoW Line editor at brand name EZ-Duz-It and markets it with the slogan “Be [email protected]. True to the Red White and Blue and Buy U.S.A.” Katherine purchased one from Amazon.com, and it is working well. They can also be purchased at Williams-Sonoma.com.

CHoW Line 7 The Election Day “The History and Hows of the 20th Century’s Most Influential Cooking Appliance” The Election Day By CiCi Williamson Foods that Microwave Well Microwaves penetrate the food to Summary of September 13 a depth of 1 to 1½ inches. In thick- ZAP! CHoW Talk er pieces of food, the microwaves don’t reach the center. That area ike many of today’s great inventions, the mi- would cook by conduction of heat crowave oven was a by-product of another from the outer areas of the food technology, in this case—radar. into the middle. A Bundt pan is L the ideal shape for microwaving The history of radar starts with experiments by a German, Heinrich Hertz, in the late 19th century because waves can enter the uten- showing that radio waves were reflected by metal- sil from all sides and the center. lic objects. You might recognize the term “Hertz” In a microwave oven, the air since his name was used as a measurement to in the oven is at room tempera- mean “cycles per second or wave frequencies.” ture so the temperature of the These things are among functions measured in food surface is cooler than food Hertz: sound, light, radio, TV, A.C. power, micro- in a conventional oven where the waves, x-rays, sonar, and radar. food is heated by hot air. There- Physicists in the U.K. in 1940 invented the fore, food cooked in a microwave “magnetron,” a specialized microwave-generating oven doesn’t normally become electron tube that improved the capability of radar brown and crispy. Using chopped to detect enemy aircraft. The waves generated by pecans, crushed chips, and other the tube would be sent out, and if they encoun- coatings make the food “look” tered metal, they would be reflected back to the brown. radar unit. The British asked the U.S. to manufacture these Microwaving Vegetables tubes, and Ratheon, an electronics manufacturing According to Harvard Medi- company in Massachusetts, received the contract. cal School, “Because microwave Dr. Percy Spencer, an engineer with Raytheon, cooking times are shorter and use was testing a magnetron tube when he discovered less liquid, cooking with a micro- that the candy bar in his pocket had melted. Pop- wave does a better job of preserv- corn and eggs cooked when placed near the tube. ing vitamin C and other nutrients Dr. Spencer constructed a metal box and fed that break down when heated.” microwave power into it. When food was placed in the box and microwave energy fed in, the food Ground Meats got hot very rapidly. On the electromagnetic spec- Before freezing a package of trum, 2450 MHz was chosen for microwave cook- raw ground meat, push the meat ing because that’s the most efficient wave length away from the center to create a (4 .7 inches) to be absorbed by food molecules. He donut. This helps the food thaw had invented what was to revolutionize cooking faster. Cook the ground meat in and form the basis of a billion dollar industry, the a hard-plastic colander so the fat microwave oven. drains. By late 1946, Raytheon had filed a patent pro- posing that microwaves be used to cook food. The FrequentlyAsked Questions first microwave ovens were gigantic--nearly 6-feet tall and 750 Pounds --and cost about $5000. The What is “standing time”? After the oven is off or food is removed magnetron tube had to be water-cooled, so plumb- from the oven, the molecules continue to generate heat as they come ing installations were also required. to a standstill. This additional cooking after microwaving stops is In the 1970s, the size of the microwave was called “carryover cooking time,” “resting time,” or “standing time.” made smaller and cost less. For better or worse, What is “arcing”? Arcing (pronounced “AR-king”) is sparks inside microwave sales took off faster than any other the microwave oven caused when microwaves react to gold paint appliance in history and changed how families on dishes, twist ties, other metallic materials, and sometimes, carrots prepare their meals. and hot dogs. Whatever the cause, turn off the oven immediately to end the sparks. The Perfect Storm How does wattage affect microwave cooking? The higher the watt- During World War II, women joined the work age of a microwave oven, the faster it will cook food. So it’s impor- force, and they kept working in increasing num- tant for food safety to know the wattage of your oven when using bers after the war. That along with the invention cooking directions from various sources. of TV dinners by Swanson in 1953 and the micro- How do you know if a utensil is safe to microwave ? Put one cup wave oven caused a decrease in families dining of tap water in a glass measure in the microwave along side the together. In the past 20 years, the frequency of utensil to be tested. Microwave on high 1 minute. If the utensil feels family dinners has declined 33%. Sales of micro- warm or hot, it is not safe to microwave because it contains metal in wavable foods will reach $91 billion by late 2015. the material or glaze.

8 CHoW Line DIRECTIONS TO THE MEETING CHoW/DC usually meets on the second Sunday of each month, September through May, from 2:30-4:30 p.m. at the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Services Center, 4805 Edgemoor Lane, Bethesda, Maryland 20814.

DIRECTIONS: Bethesda-Chevy Chase Services Center is located at 4805 Edgemoor Lane in downtown Bethesda, Maryland, in the two-story County office building on the plaza level of the Metropolitan complex, above a County parking garage. The building is across the street from the Bethesda Metro station.

From the Metro Station, take the escalator from the bus bay to the plaza level, turn left, walk past the clock tower and across to the Metropolitan plaza using the pedestrian bridge. The Center’s street entrance at 4805 Edgemoor Lane (corner of Old Georgetown and Edgemoor) is marked with American and Montgomery County flags. Take the elevator to Level Two for meeting rooms.

If you are coming south on Old Georgetown Road (from the Beltway use exit 36) turn right on Woodmont Avenue - the entrance is the second driveway on the left.

If you are coming south on Wisconsin Avenue/Rockville Pike, turn right onto Woodmont Avenue, go south for approximately one mile, cross over Old Georgetown Road, and the parking garage entrance is the second driveway on your left.

Coming north on Wisconsin or west on Rt. 410, take Old Georgetown Road north, turn left at the second traffic light (Woodmont Ave.) and the garage entrance will be on your left. Take the elevators from the parking garage to the plaza level (P). The building is located at the center of the plaza. The American flag, Montgomery County flag, and the County seal mark the entrance to the building.

PARKING: Parking is free on weekends in the county parking garage. The entrance to the parking garage is marked with a large blue Bethesda Center parking sign.

CHoW Line 9