Poughkeepsie Partnership
These issues and more formed the basis of Culinary Institute of America food historian Beth Forrest and Chef/Professor Robert Perillo‘s presentations at the Town of Poughkeepsie’s Senior Center Wednesday night, July 17th. This first in a series of lectures, tours, and film screenings is partnered by the Poughkeepsie Public Library District and the Town of Poughkeepsie Historic Preservation Commission. It kicked off monthly celebrations of our country’s 250th anniversary with a free, full-course dinner that typified the standard cuisine Americans ate during the formative years (18th century) of our nation.
Colonial Foodways Dinner
If you expect (as I did) such a meal would be monotonous and bland, think again. Chef Perrillo and his cadre of CIA student volunteers/aspiring chefs set before each of the hundred-plus attendees platters filled with samples from a variety of food stuffs. These included items as varied as smoked fish, collard greens, and apple-pickled asparagus. In addition, almond pudding and election cakes served as dessert washed down with ginger beer, raspberry-rose drink, or water.
Power Dynamics of Colonial Foodways
Prof. Forrest’s pre-dinner presentation provided an overview of the food items available to the average american’s palette. Sugar and salt were scare commodities at this time, so cooks emphasized the savory side through local herbs and animal fat. Sorghum, nuts, and berries formed the basis of most desserts.
A hierarchy of cuisines formed early iin our history. Indigenous dishes including local game such as turkey ranked at the apex with European and African food sources such as okra falling below that. This hierarchy reflected greater cultural themes of environment, heritage, and identity that shaped colonial America well into its future. One example: Americans originally disdained corn and potatoes as foodstuffs meant only for the poorer classes. Meanwhile, apples came to be prized for their sweetness and their trees prized as property markers.
Colonial Foodstuffs and the Columbian Exchange
As a result, food preferences then and now reflect the evolving power dynamics implicit in food availablity, selection, and preparation. The cultural interchanges among nations of also occurred in the food stuffs they consumed. This Columbian Exchange, a term coined by Prof. Alfred W. Crosby, introduced new plants and animals to both hemispheres. For example, European explorers introduced horses to Native Americans. And indigenous Americans introduced Europeans to the tomato.
More Colonial-Related Events to Come
As mentioned above, this dinner introduces a variety of similarly entertaining and thought-provoking events associated with our Colonial Heritage. To learn more, grab a copy of t the Poughkeepsie Public Library District’s newsletter, The Rotunda. Or you can go to their website and look under the “History & Current Events” section for their list of current related presentations.
Let me know what events you attended and why. If none of these events suit your taste (Get it?), let me know that, too. As always, leave your comments in the Leave a Reply section below. Thanks.