This week on A Taste of the Past Linda tackles Thanksgiving, and journeys back to discover some of the original recipes used when the Plymouth Crew and the locals got together to celebrate the harvest. Joining Linda on this trip through the past is Sarah Lohman, an artist, author, and “historic gastronomist”: one who re-creates recipes from days of yore exactly as they were, essentially engaging in taste-time-travel. Tune in for some surprising revelations about the history of Turkey Day and what people enjoyed eating long, long ago. This episode was sponsored by Acme Smoked Fish: a culinary mainstay in NYC for over 55 years.

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This week on A Taste of the Past Linda speaks to master forager Connie Green. Recommended by Martha Stewart Living and co-author of “The Wild Table: Seasonal Foraged Food and Recipes”, Connie knows a thing or two about foraging. Learn how Connie is spreading the word about why foraging is not the scary undertaking some think it is. Learn why chanterelles are simultaneously universally sought and yet, in a way, not hard to find. Also learn about TheWildTable.net, your source for mycological and foraging info on the internet. This episode was sponsored by S. Wallace Edwards & Sons.

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This week on A Taste of the Past Linda talks all things apple with Erik Baard a writer and an advocate for Newton Pippin apples, long considered the Cadillac of apples. Baard explains how the Pippin–fairly gross when eaten off the tree–sugars after a month or two, making it perfect for today’s exporters or yesterday’s original US colonists. Lauren Soutiere, a pastry chef at the Northern Spy Food Co., calls in to talk apple pie, including how to choose the best pie-worthy apples. This episode was sponsored by Acme Smoked Fish: a culinary mainstay in NYC for over 55 years.

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This week on A Taste of the Past Linda delves into the luxurious world of the truffle, and speaks to Vincent Jeanseaume of Sabatino Tartufi. Vincent and Linda take a look at the many varieties of truffle available (or not-so-available), why truffle oil is only a half-accurate moniker, and the many delicious things Vincent and others can do with this versatile fungus. Linda also relates a personal experience involving a hundred dollar stinky Italian truffle. This episode was sponsored by White Oak Pastures.

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This week on A Taste of the Past Linda speaks to Susan Yager, author of “The Hundred Year Diet”, an examination of America’s obsession with dieting, going back over a hundred years. Susan took a look at “fad” diets from the past and present; everything from an old timey obsession with extreme mastication to the recent Atkins, South Beach, and other diets that briefly made headlines only to fade into obscurity. This episode was sponsored by Edwards of Surry Virginia.

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This week on A Taste of the Past Linda talks salt, pepper, and spice: currency, commodity, and culinary aid. Author and culinary historian Michael Krondl breaks down the roles that specific spices played in their respective empires; the English and Dutch colonies that were built to trade it, Venice as a spice-stuffed world financial hub, and how many peppercorns made a nickel. Plus Krondl reveals that the cinnamon in your cupboard is an impostor. This episode was sponsored by Fairway: like no other market.

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This week on A Taste of the Past Linda speaks to Joe Bastianich & his sainted mother Lidia Bastianich for a discussion about Eataly. The largest artisanal Italian food and wine marketplace in the world, Eataly is the brainchild of Mario Batali, the Bastianichs, and Oscar Farinetti, founder of the original Eataly in Turin. Tune in to find out how the project came together and for a break down of the immense scope of this wildly successful undertaking. Find out how Joe is handling selling everything from cookware to crudo to beer from a brewery on the roof, all in one place. This episode was sponsored by Heritage Foods USA.

Photo 1: The B&B Family, Photo 2: Eataly layout

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This week on A Taste of the Past Linda explores the very American tradition of tailgating. Follow tailgating from the chuck wagon to the station wagon as Linda looks back as far as the Civil War to find the roots of the tailgate. Joining her is Dave Joachim, author of “A Man, A Can & a Plan” and “Mastering the Grill”, a tailgate enthusiast and expert who revels in the ingenuity and community of tailgaters and their technology (eg. parking lots with outlets for each space). This episode was sponsored by Hearst Ranch: purveyors of fine grass-fed beef from the coast of CA.

Photo: an example of mass-tailgating

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This week on A Taste of the Past Linda spoke to “Hoppin John” Taylor, master of “low-country” cooking. The low country is the coastal area of the Carolinas originally settled by wealthy plantation owners from Barbados. After French Huguenots and Mediterranean Jews settled along with an influx of West African slaves, a cultural and culinary melting pot resulted, giving the US its first taste of a huge range of foods and dishes. This episode was sponsored by Fairway: like no other market.

Photo 1: John Hoppin Taylor, Photo 2: South Carolina “Low Country”

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This week on A Taste of the Past Linda sat down with Holley Bishop. Bishop wrote “Robbing the Bees”, a book about the history of beekeeping and her own experience helping bee-keepers “rob” hives of honey. For some further bee-keepery Linda and Holley were joined by Roberta’s own Eddie Diaz and Brandon Hoy, who have been keeping bees in Williamsburg and Bushwick for well over a year now (and well before its current status as a legal hobby kicked in). Tune in for an engrossing look at the surprisingly complex world of bees, honey, their rich past and their uncertain future. This episode was sponsored by Fairway: like no other market.

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