Virtual Lectures via Zoom Webinar

Suggested Readings on Food History and Culture: https://lifelonglearningmississauga.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Suggested-Readings-on-Food-History-and-Culture.pdf

April 13: King Tut’s Final Feast (1325 BC)

A great opportunity to open the series through an examination of ancient foodways through Egypt’s most famous pharaoh. This lecture will look at how culinary culture developed in ancient Egypt: its complexity and “global” nature that relied on an expansive trade route stretching from modern-day France to India.

April 20: The Last Meal of Pompeii (79 AD)

An exploration of the dining culture of the Roman Empire, preserved through one of the most famous natural disasters of history. We will explore the complexity of Roman food across the classes, from aristocratic dining rooms to the prevalence of “fast food” in the classical world.

April 27: Caliphate Cooking in Medieval Baghdad (10^th century AD)

Dig into one of the oldest cuisines in the world by travelling to medieval Baghdad, capital city of the Abbasid caliphate. Using an encyclopedic cookbook written by a palace chef, we will look at the culinary scene at the caliphal palace in the tenth century. We will examine Baghdad’s banqueting traditions that drew on ancient Persian recipes and a spice network stretching thousands of miles.

May 4: Montezuma’s Last Meal (1520)

Upon arriving in North America with a fleet of ships and soldiers, Hernando Cortes began sending a series of letters to the Spanish Crown to describe his exploration of the Aztec Empire. He and his men visited Tenochtitlan, capital city and home of Emperor Montezuma, and Cortes’ letters are filled with the sights and sounds of the metropolis, noting in detail the rich variety of Aztec cuisine. We will explore Aztec cuisine and foodways before the arrival of the Spanish. We will also see how these foodways were drastically altered after European contact, ushering in what has traditionally been called the “Columbian Exchange.”

May 11: The Last Potatoes of Paris (1783)

This lecture examines the turbulent political culture of Paris during the late 18^th century by looking at the humble potato. Although the French had been aware of potatoes since they were introduced to western Europe following contact with the Americas, many in Europe believed the plant to be toxic, even a potential cause of leprosy. But, eventually, the humble potato became a royally sponsored plant, with Queen Marie Antoinette even wearing potato blossoms in her hair to show her support for the tuber that was feeding the nation.

May 18: Commodore Perry Visits Japan (1850s)

Home to millennia-old culinary traditions, Japan’s food and cultural scene was upended in the mid-19^th century by the arrival of Commodore Matthew Perry. On a mission to end Japan’s isolationist foreign policy, Commodore Perry sailed from the U.S. to Tokyo Bay in the early 1850s. As part of negotiations, the American and Japanese delegates hosted banquets for each other, each representing the unique culinary traditions of their lands. We will explore the food served at each of these banquets, what was served and how it was received. We will examine how these seemingly minor culinary events marked a turning point in Japanese politics in both the end of Japan’s feudal shogunate and the forced opening of the Japanese economy to the Western world.

May 25: Last Dinner on the Titanic (1912)

With her sinking arguably the most famous maritime disaster of all time, the Titanic represented a microcosm of Edwardian society. Using surviving menus from the first-, second- and third-class dining rooms from the night the Titanic sank, we can take a peek into what life was like on board the most luxurious steamship in the world at the time. We will learn stories of immigrant families making their way to the New World as well as the epic multi-course feasts served to the Astors, Vanderbilts and other titans of industry from the period.

June 1: The Party at Kennedy’s Camelot (1962)

In August of 1962, President John F. Kennedy hosted a cavalcade of internationally renowned artists, scientists and writers at a White House dinner, the largest held during his administration. Called the greatest meeting of minds since Thomas Jefferson dined alone, the banquet and the guest list represented the idealism and activism of the 1960s. This lecture will not only focus on the guests who attended the meal but will also explore the White House as the backdrop for presidential dinners for more than two hundred years. It will also touch on America’s changing culinary culture during the 1960s.

Dr. Laura Carlson is a historian, writer and media producer. Holding a DPhil in history from Oxford University, she has taught history, classics and food studies at the University of Oxford, Queen’s University and Centennial College. As a producer, lecturer and writer, she has been featured on the CBC, CBS Sunday Morning and in Atlas Obscura. She has hosted several Hot Docs Curious Minds series and has presented lectures for Thornhill Lifelong Learning and Toronto’s Arts & Letters Club. Laura is also host and producer of the award-winning culinary history podcast, The Feast. She has worked with national and international media organizations and charities, including Bloomberg News and Heritage Toronto.