Culinary Historians of Washington, D.C. October 2016 Volume XXI, Number 2 CELEBRATING CHoW ‘s As American as Shoofly Pie: The Foodlore and 20th Anniversary! Fakelore of Pennsylvania Dutch Cuisine NOTE: Change in Speaker: Dr. William Woys Weaver Time of Meeting: Sunday, October 9 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. NOTE! NEW MEETING TIME 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. Save These Dates: Bethesda-Chevy Chase Services Center November 13 4805 Edgemoor Lane, Bethesda, MD 20814 December 11 elebrated food historian and January 8, 2017 Dr. William Woys Ccookbook writer William February 12, 2017 Weaver is the author of 16 Woys Weaver delves deeply into books and is a rare four- March 12, 2017 the history of Pennsylvania Dutch time winner of the pres- cuisine to sort fact from fiction in April 9, 2017 tigious IACP/Julia Child May 7, 2017 the foodlore of this culture. When Cookbook Awards. His visitors travel to Pennsylvania most recent gold medal Dutch Country, they are encour- went to Culinary Ephemera aged to consume the local culture (2010). His 2013 book, As by way of “regional specialties” Renew Your American as Shoofly Pie, such as cream-filled whoopie pies Membership in was published by the and deep-fried fritters of every University of Pennsylva- variety. Yet many of the dishes CHoW NOW nia Press, and his 1993 and confections visitors have come to expect from the region for 2016-17! award-winning cook- did not emerge from Pennsylvania Dutch culture but from book, Pennsylvania Dutch expectations fabricated by local-color novels or the tourist Country Cooking, will be The membership year industry. At the same time, other less celebrated (and rather included in the forthcom- more delicious) dishes, such as sauerkraut and stuffed pork runs from September 1 ing anthology: 100 Great to August 31. Annual stomach, have been enjoyed in Pennsylvania Dutch homes American Cookbooks of the across various localities and economic strata for decades. dues are $25 for 20th Century. His most individuals, households, His book, As American as Shoofly recent book, Dutch Treats: Pie, offers a comprehensive and or organizations. Dues Heirloom Recipes from counterintuitive cultural history include email delivery of Farmhouse Kitchens, was of Pennsylvania Dutch cuisine, its the newsletter CHoW Line. published in September. roots and regional characteristics, Dr. Weaver is also the its communities and class divi- Dues are $35 for members founder and director of sions, and, above all, its evolution who also wish to receive a the Keystone Center for into a uniquely American style of mailed, paper copy of the the Study of Regional cookery. Weaver traces the origins Foods, near Philadelphia. newsletter. of Pennsylvania Dutch cuisine as He maintains the Rough- far back as the first German settle- wood Seed Collection of Other Benefits: ments in America and follows them heirloom food plants at forward as New Dutch Cuisine • Priority registration for the historic Lamb Tavern field trips continues to evolve and respond to in Devon. contemporary food concerns. • GoogleGroups notices • Membership roster Hockt eich hie mit uns, un esst eich satt—Sit down with us and eat yourselves full! 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. What Happened at the September 11 CHoW Meeting? President Bruce Reynolds called the meeting to order at 2:15 p.m. We had 32 attendees, and 2 new members. CHoW Programs 2016-2017 ANNOUNCEMENTS 1. Bruce informed the attendees that at the earlier Board September 11 Johanna Mendelson Forman. “Is the meeting, it had been agreed to expand the Board by 2 ad- Kitchen the New Venue of Foreign Policy? Food, ditional at-large members in order to prepare more people Diasporas and Building Community” to hold office on the Board. In order to prepare for this, a Nominating Committee was selected to begin the process October 9 Dr. William Woys Weaver. “As American as early. Francine Berkowitz and Katy Hayes volunteered for Shoofly Pie: The Foodlore and Fakelore of Pennsylvania this. Dutch Cuisine” 2. Claudia Kousoulas announced that the new CHoW website is up and live, and that we would be adding the November 13 Bill Schindler, Ph.D. “Dietary Past: The capacity to pay for memberships online in the near future. Ancestral Quest for Nutrient Dense Foods” She added that we would be adding recipes relating to the speakers’ topics, along with other new topics, on a monthly December 11 Libby O’Connell. “From Caviar to Leek Pie: basis. Food and Society in America’s Gilded Age” 3. Bruce asked members to consider becoming a backup person for the variety of tasks that keep the group and the meetings working. He will be collecting a list of tasks January 8, 2017 Joel Denker. “The Carrot Purple and needing backup, giving examples, if the primary person Other Food Passages” involved would be absent or need assistance. 4. Outreach activities, namely the recent farmers’ market February 12, 2017 Philip Greene. “How the Manhattan activities, were described by Beverly Firme, Barbara Karth, Changed the Course of American Cocktails” and Mark Collins, who recently held two cooking demos at the Olney Farmers’ Market. The next one will be on Sep- March 12, 2017 Laura Shapiro. “Women, Food, and tember 18 at the FreshFarm market at Dupont Circle. Biography” 5. CiCi Williamson announced she had acquired a copy of Dianne Hennessy King’s first cookbook, Pillsbury’s April 9, 2017 Cooperative Supper, Alexandria House Creative Cooking in Minutes, along with Dianne’s newest endeavor, Memoir Your Way, and passed copies around the room. May 7, 2017 CHoW Anniversary Panel WHATZITS Two items were passed around for examination and Amy Snyder – Mediterranean Olives amusement. Judy Newton brought a long-handled spatula Clara Raju – Sour Cream & Chocolate Chip Cake; Peach that included a fishing reel on it, and holes in the body Bread shaped like fish.CiCi Williamson passed around a spaetzli maker that resembled a grater with a box on top. The meeting adjourned at 3:40 p.m. Respectfully submitted, PROGRAM Katy Hayes for Claire Cassidy, Recording Secretary Vice President Audrey Hong began the speaker introduc- tion by announcing the list of upcoming speakers for the coming year. CiCi Williamson then introduced speaker CHoW 20th Anniversary Johanna Mendelson Forman, who gave a presentation titled “Is the Kitchen the New Venue of Foreign Policy? Food, Diasporas and Building Community.” (See talk sum- 2016 is CHoW’s 20th Anniversary. mary on page 3.) Put on your thinking caps and come up with some unique ways REFRESHMENTS to promote CHoW and celebrate Thank you to Anne Whitaker for generously providing this accomplishment. beverages and supplies for the meeting, and to our mem- If you have ideas, please contact bers who brought the following: Dianne at [email protected]. Francine Berkowitz – Cinnamon donuts (cinnamon comes from Sri Lanka and Vietnam) Claudia Kousoulas – Dorie Greenspan’s French Yogurt Cake, made with almonds and filled with apple butter CHoW Goes to Market (see page 5) Dianne Hennessy King – Turkish Borek pastry, stuffed CHoW member Judith Newton wrote a blog post about with cheese and dill CHoW’s culinary demonstration at Dupont Circle Farm Jane Olmsted – Hummus with Pita Chips (hummus origi- Market. http://catillation.com nates in the Middle East) 2 CHoW Line Is the Kitchen the New Venue of Foreign Policy? Food, Diasporas and Building Community CHoW Talk on September 11, 2016 that arrived in the mid 1980s, to the Central American refugees who start- By Johanna Mendelson Forman ing coming in 1980s and continue to arrive today. Whether we live in Washington, She emphasized that food is also D.C. or in any urban center, our lives intertwined with ongoing conflicts in intersect with immigrant communities Syria and South Sudan. Food short- who help prepare meals and use their ages and deliberate blockades create own foods to integrate into their new conditions that have created the worse homeland. The dynamic ways in which humanitarian crisis since World War II. different cuisines enter our community Moreover, there are 1.5 billion people provides an important lens to view our still affected by instability that impacts relationships with the rest of the world. their access to food and their liveli- They also form the basis of “conflict hoods. cuisines.” She concluded that conflict cuisines will remain a fea- To understand conflict cuisine Mendelson Forman dis- ture of the American culinary scene for decades to come, cussed why food is used as a form of soft power: culinary despite a more limited migration to the U.S. because of our diplomacy, nation-branding, and promoting tourism. She more restrictive immigration laws. We have not seen the discussed the more recent rise of gastrodiplomacy, people end of tragic conflicts. But the prospect of more individuals to people engagement that occurs when sampling cuisines coming to new lands bringing with them a culinary heri- of another culture. (Think food trucks.) tage that is new and untested remains the one silver lining In Washington global conflicts were often reflected in in an otherwise tragic set of events. As immigrants use the rise of new cuisines, starting with the Vietnamese in their food to integrate in their new homes we all become 1975, the Afghans after 1979, the large Ethiopian diaspora the beneficiaries of this cultural transition. (Photo by CiCi) During CHoW’s 20th Anniversary Year, we occasionally will look back at CHoW’s Recipe Reconnaissance history, to remind us of the amazing speakers, field trips, and discussions we have been a part of as culinary historians.