Culinary Historians: 21st Century Southern Cook, Dec 3 2011

Culinary Historians of Chicago presents:

On being a cook in the 21st century South

Presented by
Virginia Willis
chef, author, producer

Saturday, Dec. 3, 2011
10 a.m. to Noon
Chicago History Museum
1601 N. Clark St., Chicago

According to Chef Virginia Willis, one of the South’s grandest culinary belles, Southern "exceptionalism" is the notion that the South is a place unique and distinct from the rest of the world. Is this an invention of the New South, Chef Willis asks, or is the notion based upon a history of economic, social, and moral differences? As a poor, agrarian society, the early American South differed from its urban, industrial Northern counterpart.

In the 19th century, as the upper and lower souths united in secession, the idea of Southern distinctiveness was born. Much of modern Southern culture, particularly relative to foodways, grabs onto and perpetuates this distinction. Southern is not only a geographical marker, that can be exported as seen in the migration of Southern blacks into the North in the 60's -- but also and more poetically - a frame of mind.

Through personal stories and recollections of her own Southern heritage, Chef Willis will explain what means to be a cook in the 21st century South. A sampling of Chef Willis’ recipes from her new book, Basic to Brilliant, Y’all, will be served by Chef Gabriella Verbovsky.

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Virginia Willis has cooked Lapin Normandie with Julia Child, prepared lunch for President Clinton, and catered a bowling party for Jane Fonda. She began her culinary career tossing pizzas in college, has since foraged for wild herbs in the Alps, made mustard in Dijon, crushed olives in California, and harvested capers in the shadow of a smoldering volcano in Sicily. Her first job in a professional kitchen was as an apprentice for Nathalie Dupree’s TV cooking show on PBS. Willis has subsequently produced over 1000 TV episodes, working for Martha Stewart, Bobby Flay, and Epicurious on The Discovery Channel.

She was an editor for The All-New Joy of Cooking; author of Pasta Dinners 1,2,3; and an editorial assistant to Anne Willan for Cook It Right. Her articles have appeared in Country Living, Family Fun, and Eating Well. Her critically acclaimed cookbook Bon Appétit, Y'all: Recipes and Stories from Three Generations of Southern Cooking was rated the #1 comfort food book of 2008 by the Chicago Tribune. Her latest book, Basic to Brilliant Y’all: 150 Refined Southern Recipes and Ways to Dress Them Up for Company, is the lead book Ten Speed Press for fall of 2011. She is also the founder and owner of My Southern Pantry™, a specialty artisan food line featuring heirloom organic cornmeal, grits, salts, and spices.

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Cost of the lecture program is $5, $3 for students
and no charge for CHC members.
To reserve, please call David Farris at 312/286-8781.
Or e-mail your reservation to: Culinary.Historians@gmail.com.
PLEASE NOTE: RSVP REQUIRED--SEATING IS  LIMITED AND CHC MEMBERS
 WILL RECEIVE PRIORITY CONSIDERATION.
(If you have RSVP’d and cannot make it, please call and let us know.)

WBEZ’s Chicago Amplified partners with Culinary Historians by recording our programs and making them available for broadcast on demand at their website or downloadable to an iPod. Our most recent program:

On Being a Cook in the 21st Century South with Virginia Willis
http://culinaryhistorians.org/cook-21st-century-south/