HISTORIC GASTRONOMY classes complete with hints of political undertones and a sprinkling of vintage cookbook porn at Brooklyn Braniery start May 3rd. Read below for more info and CLICK HERE  to sign up.

Instructor: Sarah L.
Cost: $50
Meeting Schedule: Three Tuesdays, May 3, 10, and 17, 8:30-10:30pm
Semester: May 2011

In this course, we will explore the day-to-day cooking of the past 200 years: tasting; talking; and extracting inspiration from the past to inspire contemporary cooking. In this three-part course, you’ll become familiar with the popular flavors and recipes of different eras, then learn how to interpret historic and vintage recipes for a modern day kitchen.

Part 1: A Timeline of Taste

A Timeline of Taste will explore the history of American food through flavor: we’ll travel from 1796-1950, making a pit stop every 50 years to explore the tastes of a particular time. You’ll be allowed to smell and sample the spices, fruits, extracts, and other ingredients that defined the flavors of different time periods. From rosewater to vanilla; nutmeg to cinnamon; citron to reddi-whip, we’ll discuss why each of these flavors were popular and how they were used in day to day cooking.

Part 2: Iconic Dishes

What was being cooked in the kitchens of American can reflect the politics and popular culture of an era. Looking at the past 200 years, we’ll explore iconic recipes from each time and discuss why each was popular: including the legends behind them and the technology that made them possible. We’ll taste each of these recipes and talk about what they represented to families, communities and culture.

Part 3: Re-writing Recipes

In our final session, participants are invited to bring in their own vintage cookbooks and handwritten recipe cards from the past as we learn how to interpret historic recipes. We’ll unveil tricks to modernize these recipes for today’s kitchen: how to interpret amounts, flesh out directions, find comparable ingredients and most importantly, learn how to pull inspiration from these recipes to create unique contemporary dishes.

http://brooklynbrainery.com/courses/84-historic-gastronomy