Episode Details

Preserving the Family Meal is on the Table Today!

On the second episode of our Food and Connection Series, we are joined by Dr. Ken Albala. Ken Albala is a Tully Knoles Endowed Professor of History at the University of the Pacific, where he received the Distinguished Faculty Award for 2023. He has published 29 books on food including academic monographs, single subject food histories, cookbooks, encyclopedias, handbooks, anthologies, translations and is now working on an Atlas of Fermentation. 

He did three video/audio series for The Great Courses, Food: A Cultural Culinary History, Cooking Across the Ages and A History of Bourbon on Audible. 

He was coeditor of the journal Food, Culture and Society and series editor for several publishers, having edited over a hundred titles in the past two decades. 

His latest books are The Great Gelatin Revival, A Century in Stockton and a cookbook titled Opulent Nosh. 

Ken joins Ashley for a conversation about the importance of food and the role it plays in fostering connection. Together, they discuss their shared love of cooking and hosting, as well as Ken’s extensive research into the anthropological significance of sharing meals and gathering around the table.

In this conversation, Ken examines how the modern food industry has reinforced a culture of convenience over connection and explores how we can actively resist that trend. He shares stories from his annual 30+ person Thanksgiving gatherings and reflects on the ways food creates opportunities for experimentation and discovery, whether that means cooking opossum for a large dinner party or exploring the endless possibilities of gelatin.

Ultimately, Ken reminds us of the value of eating with intention, cooking what you love, and finding joy in the meals you share with others.

You can listen to the full episode, out now on your favorite podcast platform. 

Resources:

• Read Beans: A History by Ken Albala.
• Read The Great Gelatin Revival: Savory Aspics, Jiggly Shots, and Outrageous Desserts.
• Read Food Courses of the World Encyclopedia by Ken Albala.
• Read The Lost Art of Real Cooking: Rediscovering the Pleasures of Traditional Food. One Recipe at a Time: A Cookbook by Ken Albala and Rosana Nafziger Henderson.
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