The Ancestors' Apron

Malinda Russell

Malinda Russell

In 1866, publishing a comprehensive culinary collection was an extraordinary feat for a woman of color. In Paw Paw, Michigan, a resilient free Black woman who had fled the war-torn...

Malinda Russell

In 1866, publishing a comprehensive culinary collection was an extraordinary feat for a woman of color. In Paw Paw, Michigan, a resilient free Black woman who had fled the war-torn...

Tom Paschal

Tom Paschal

In the 18th century, elite civic gatherings and high-society banquets required a true master of sophisticated fine dining. In Charleston, South Carolina, that master was Tom Paschal, a widely celebrated...

Tom Paschal

In the 18th century, elite civic gatherings and high-society banquets required a true master of sophisticated fine dining. In Charleston, South Carolina, that master was Tom Paschal, a widely celebrated...

Columbus B. Hill

Columbus B. Hill

In the late 19th century, large civic celebrations required a master of fire and flavor. In Denver, Colorado, that master was Columbus B. Hill, an iconic African American pitmaster originally...

Columbus B. Hill

In the late 19th century, large civic celebrations required a master of fire and flavor. In Denver, Colorado, that master was Columbus B. Hill, an iconic African American pitmaster originally...

George Spec (Crum)

George Spec (Crum)

In 1853, crispiness was a distant dream for potato lovers. At Moon's Lake House in Saratoga Springs, New York, wealthy patrons routinely complained about thick, soggy French fries. It took...

George Spec (Crum)

In 1853, crispiness was a distant dream for potato lovers. At Moon's Lake House in Saratoga Springs, New York, wealthy patrons routinely complained about thick, soggy French fries. It took...

Hercules Posey

Hercules Posey

In the late 18th century, the sophisticated standards of elite presidential hospitality were completely disconnected from the standard American colonial diet. It took an enslaved man, brought to Philadelphia by...

Hercules Posey

In the late 18th century, the sophisticated standards of elite presidential hospitality were completely disconnected from the standard American colonial diet. It took an enslaved man, brought to Philadelphia by...

Helen Turner

Helen Turner

In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, while industrial modernization increasingly replaced traditional live-fire methods with commercial gas and electric automation, a fierce preservationist held her ground in West...

Helen Turner

In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, while industrial modernization increasingly replaced traditional live-fire methods with commercial gas and electric automation, a fierce preservationist held her ground in West...