A Taste of the Past

Andrea Nguyen, an author, food writer, culinary teacher and expert in Vietnamese cooking, learned to love the iconic noodle soup of Vietnam long before it became a cult food item in the US. She traveled back to her birthplace to research and learn about the birth of PHO which she recounts in her newest book, The Pho Cookbook, and shares with us in this episode.

What is Midwestern cuisine? We may not ever know, but we get closer to understanding the food of the Midwest on a new episode of A Taste of the Past. Host Linda Pelaccio is joined by Peggy Wolff, author of Fried Walleye and Cherry Pie. With its corn by the acre, beef on the hoof, Quaker Oats, and Kraft Mac n’ Cheese, the Midwest eats pretty well and feeds the nation on the side. But there’s more to the midwestern kitchen and palate than the farm food and sizable portions the region is best known for beyond its borders. It is to these heartland specialties, from the heartwarming to the downright weird, that Fried Walleye and Cherry Pie invites the reader. Tune in and get some brilliant insight into an often overlooked region and its impact on the way we eat in America. This program was brought to you by The Greenhouse Tavern.

“When you criss cross the midwest and hit the farmers markets you see, what I call, real food. You’re gonna see a nod to the housewives back in the 50’s with homemade pickles and preserves.” [23:00]

“I think the Midwest can claim the roots of fast food. Where we would be without the whole notion of fast food?” [25:00]

–Peggy Wolff on A Taste of the Past

This week on A Taste of the Past, host Linda Pelaccio kicks off the new radio season welcoming Lionel Vatinet, master baker of La Farm Bakery in Cary, North Carolina and author of the book A Passion for Bread: Lessons from a Master Baker. Lionel shares with Linda that his passion for bread was first nurtured when he joined France’s prestigious artisans’ guild Les Compagnons du Devoir as an apprentice at age 16. Emerging 7 years later with the distinguished and hard-earned title of Maitre Boulanger (Master Baker), Vatinet pledged to devote his life to teaching, sharing and preserving the ancient art and science of bread baking. Rather than propagate secrets, Lionel’s mission through the years has been to demystify baking and enable more bakers to produce high quality, handcrafted breads. This mission can without a doubt be seen demonstrated throughout his book’s recipes as well. Tune in for a master lesson in bread and to hear what Lionel’s plans are for the future! This program has been brought to you by Cain Vineyard and Winery.

—Lionel Vatinet on A Taste of the Past

It's been 30 years since Irish cooking personality Darina Allen started SIMPLY DELICIOUS, her original television program and cookbook series. Today she looks back over that period of time and talks about the tried and true Irish dishes that she has gathered for her newest book, Simply Delicious: The Classic Collection. She reflects on how the cuisine has evolved over the years and descibes the traditional Irish recipes that have endured.

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The Kanz al-fawāʾid fī tanwīʿ al-mawāʾid, a fourteenth-century cookbook, is unique for its variety and comprehensive coverage of contemporary Egyptian cuisine. It is the only surviving cookbook from a period when Cairo was a flourishing metropolis and a cultural haven for people of diverse ethnicities and nationalities. Now available for the first time in English, it has been meticulously translated and supplemented with a comprehensive introduction by scholar Nawal Nasrallah. She joins Linda on this episode to discuss the discoveries, delights, and difficulties of the task of making this important work accessible.

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