Vermont Humanities

Soup to Nuts: An Eccentric History of Food

Man giving a talk in a bike shop
Speakers Bureau
Image of painting of medieval kitchen helpers
Image Credit: Pieter Cornelisz van Rijck, Kitchen Scene with the Parable of the Rich Man and Poor Lazarus, ca. 1610–1620. Courtesy of the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.

The history of what and how we eat encompasses everything from the prehistoric mammoth luau to the medieval banquet to the modern three squares a day.

Find out about the rocky evolution of table manners, the not-so-welcome invention of the fork, the awful advent of portable soup, and the surprising benefits of family dinners – plus some catchy info on seasonal foods. What’s the story of chocolate? Why do the Irish eat corned beef and cabbage on St. Patrick’s Day? Who invented lemonade? Why are turkeys called turkeys? And what are sugarplums anyway?

Additional Costs

Mileage

Special Arrangements

Podium and microphone (depending on venue)

Available in correctional facilities.

Questions?

Contact Jacob Pelletier at jpelletier@vermonthumanities.org.

About the Presenter

Talks by Rebecca Rupp

Image of painting of medieval kitchen helpers

Soup to Nuts: An Eccentric History of Food

Rebecca Rupp reveals the rocky evolution of table manners, the not-so-welcome invention of the fork, the awful advent of portable soup, and the surprising benefits of family dinners.

Wolf Peaches, Poisoned Peas, and Madame Pompadour’s Underwear: The Surprising History of Common Garden Vegetables

Rebecca Rupp discusses the stories behind many of our favorite garden vegetables, among them the much-maligned tomato and potato, the (mostly) popular pumpkin, and Vermont’s Gilfeather turnip.

Vermont Humanities*** December 22, 2017