CULINARY HISTORIANS OF NY AWARDS 2010 GRANT FOR THE STUDY OF NINETHEENTH CENTURY NEW YORK CAKE BOARDS AND NEW YEAR’S CAKE
The Culinary Historians of New York are pleased to announce that the 2010 Scholar’s Award will go to Kimberly L. Sorensen for continuing research on the carved mahogany cake boards used to raise designs on New Year’s Cakes in early nineteenth century New York. Ms. Sorensen is an M.A. candidate at Bard Graduate Center for Studies in the Decorative Arts, Design and Material Culture.
New Years Cake, a fragrant, caraway-flecked regional specialty, holds a prominent place in descriptions of nineteenth-century New Year’s Day visiting, while the beautifully carved cake boards survive, seldom seen, in museums and private collections. Ms. Sorensen’s study will provide new insight into their makers, sellers, and function, offering a lens through which to view the social customs and celebrations of nineteenth-century New York City.
The Culinary Historians of New York Scholar's Grant of $1,000 is designed to promote research and scholarship in the field of culinary history and is awarded each year to a student or scholar who demonstrates commitment to the field of culinary history and a current, well-developed project.
Previous CHNY Scholar's Grant Winners:
2009: Ellen Schnepel, "The Cooking of History: Early Travelogues as Gastronomic Adventure"
2008: Willa Zhen, "The Transmission of Knowledge in Cantonese Cooking Schools”
2007: Megan J. Elias, "Cooking the Books: Nationalism, Regionalism, and American Cookbooks, 1865-1917"
2006: Elizabeth M. Simms, "Tuskegee Experiment Station / Papers of George Washington Carver" Project
2005: Elizabeth Alsop, "America Eats" Project
For further information on the Culinary Historians of New York, please visit:
www.culinaryhistoriansny.org.