Culinary History Enthusiasts of Wisconsin (CHEW)

press release: “Apples in the Midwestern Imagination,” presented by Lucy Long.

Like many Americans, Midwesterners have fond memories of apples: family apple orchards are commonplace; cider mills used to be and are returning; apple butter is a traditional way of preserving the fruit; apple pies and pastries frequent many homemade and commercial tables; Johnny Appleseed is embraced as a hometown hero; and festivals frequently celebrate the fruit. These memories make the fruit a significant part of personal histories and local food cultures.

Are apples special in the Midwest? They are thought of as a national, even patriotic, though somewhat unexciting, fruit, and other regions are actually better known as producers of the fruit. This talk looks at how apples have contributed to a sense of place in the Midwest and to a collective memory that characterizes this region.

Lucy M. Long directs the non-profit Center for Food and Culture (www.foodandculture.org) and teaches adjunct in American studies, ethnic studies, folklore, nutrition, and tourism at Bowling Green State University in Ohio. With a PhD in Folklore and Folklife (University of Pennsylvania), she has been involved in humanities-based research on food as a medium for creating meaning, identity, and community since the 1980s. Her publications include Culinary Tourism, Regional American Food Culture, The Food and Folklore Reader, Ethnic American Food Today: A Cultural Encyclopedia, Honey: A Global History and Comfort Food Meals and Meanings and has produced numerous documentaries and community programs on a variety of food-related subjects and issues.

Please join us at 7:15 pm at the Goodman Community Center, 149 Waubesa St., Madison, WI 53704; 608-241-1574 . For more information, visit the CHEW website at http://www.chewwisconsin.com/ or visit our Facebook page. To get on the mailing list, or for additional information, email Joan Peterson at info@eatsmartguides.com or Terese Allen at tallen@gdinet.com