Dining and Opining

My good friend and colleague Kellen Backer has a fascinating new pictorial essay up on Refinery29 about the History of Brunch ! Check it out! You'll see examples of brunch menus and photographs from across the century, along with historical commentary about the social place of women in each of these eras. And even a glimpse of the [bleak] future: 1930s Menu: Tomato & Clam Juice Mocktail, Anchovy & Chutney Rolls, Black Bean Soup, Sautéed Kidneys, Indian Rice & Minced Celery, Fresh Fruits With Kirsch, Egg & Mayo Aspic*, Coffee 1960s Menu: Bloody Mary, Eggs In Ham Cups, Fried Apples, Jell-O Mold.      1980s Menu: Creamy Scrambled Eggs In Baked-Potato Boats, Pineapple Shell, Champagne, Coffee. 2115 Menu: Nutrient-Rich Sludge, Petri-Dish Protein, Freeze-Dried Fruits, Water. 

A recipe from a recent class I taught for the  Cowboy Cooking School  at Oklahoma State University ( see blog post here ):

A recipe from a recent class I taught for the  Cowboy Cooking School  at Oklahoma State University ( see blog post here ):

A recipe from a recent class I taught for the Cowboy Cooking School at Oklahoma State University ( see blog post here ):

I recently had the opportunity to teach a cooking class at Oklahoma State University's Department of Wellness, to staff and faculty members from across campus. On my birthday, no less! Despite the fact that there were some early morning childcare hiccups, and other stresses, the class went really well, with the support of OSU nutritionist Elizabeth Lohrman  and her graduate student aides, along with a receptive and inquisitive audience. I will share the recipes for the three dishes I made in subsequent posts, so that you can all make them at home!

I've just returned home from the always-fantastic American Society for Environmental History  annual conference. This year, it was held in Washington, D. C., and I had the opportunity to present some of my research, from my book-in-progress. My title slide: My session was devoted to environmental law in the 1970s, and the various papers came together really well, looking at environmental law from the perspectives of government, business, and citizens. It was a pleasure. But I also had the chance to catch up with old friends, and to listen to a lot of fascinating papers, some from my favorite scholars, some from those who are up-and-coming. There were a lot of great food-themed papers and panels. Just a selection, including mine: Anna Zeide , Oklahoma State University, Regulating Processed Food: The Canning Industry's Responses to Environmental Law in the 1970s Laura Ann Twagira , Wesleyan University, ‘ We Farmed Money’: Landscape Change, Women’s Food Production, and