Lisa McDonald is the co-author of Tea for Dummies, a guide to enjoying the delicate flavors and health benefits of the world’s second most popular beverage. She will discuss research on tea’s benefits, where it’s grown, how it’s processed and how it’s enjoyed around the world. Lisa is the proprietor of TeaHaus, a tea store, tea room and café in downtown Ann Arbor.

This event is in partnership with the Culinary Historians of Ann Arbor.

Italian beef and hot dogs get the headlines. Cutting-edge cuisine and big-name chefs get Michelin stars. But Chicago food shows its true depth in classic dishes conceived in the kitchens of immigrant innovators, neighborhood entrepreneurs, and mom-and-pop visionaries.

Culinary journalists Monica Eng and David Hammond will discuss their new book, Made in Chicago: Stories Behind 30 Great Hometown Bites, in which they draw on decades of exploring the city’s food landscape to serve up 30 can’t-miss eats found in all corners of Chicago.

Rolf Achilles is an independent art and architecture historian who collects and researches German mass-produced airbrushed ceramics, textiles, and wallpapers created between 1928-1938. In 1936, they were classified by German law, along with paintings, sculpture, books, and music as degenerate and illegal. His presentation is part of the IMoDD Unforgettable Dinnerware lecture series.

This event is in partnership with the International Museum of Dinnerware Design.

https://www.facebook.com/rolf.achilles/

In her book Bound to the Fire: How Virginia’s Enslaved Cooks Helped Invent American Cuisine, Kelley Fanto Deetz draws upon archaeological evidence, cookbooks, plantation records, and folklore to present a study of the lives of enslaved plantation cooks from colonial times through emancipation and beyond. She reveals how these men and women were literally "bound to the fire" as they lived and worked in the sweltering and often fetid conditions of plantation house kitchens.

The 1950s brought us the Mickey Mouse Club, Elvis Presley, and Mr. Potato Head. The cool cats liked Ike, hula hooped around the yard, and saw the first movie in 3D. And then there was the food, daddy-o! From Jello to chiffon cakes to Baked Alaskas, there was food for everyone from the flutter bums to the wet rags. Learn about some hep recipes from the 1950s with Lakehouse owner/baker Keegan Rodgers and hear about national and local history from historian/writer Patti Smith. Get your rag tops out of the garage and burn rubber to get there early—this event is sure to be full of hip folks!

Ring-necked Pheasants, typically known as a rural farmland species, are thriving in the open spaces of Detroit. A little human-pheasant subculture has developed in the city—pheasants are neighbors to human residents and muses to local artists—and pheasants have become the unofficial city bird of Detroit! Join everyday Detroiters in a walk around the city as we celebrate these funky birds at home in their urban element.

This event features a Q&A with co-director Diane Cheklich.

This 16-minute documentary is unrated.

Collector Scott Vermillion will take us on a curated tour of his extensive collection of Art Deco and Mid-Century dinnerware, sharing how he started collecting and how design and history motivates his passion to collect.

This event is in partnership with the International Museum of Dinnerware Design.

From ants and beetles to termites and true bugs—such is the vast range of insects that people collected and farmed for food. In this talk, Dr. Hunter discusses the role of insects in human foodways past and present using examples from across the globe. She also assesses the potential of insects for sustainable food and feed into the future.

This event is in partnership with the International Museum of Dinnerware Design.

Looking for a Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm for 2023? Visit local farmers at their information table to find out more about their CSA offerings for this year and sign up for one for yourself or your family!

Movie attendance plummeted during the Hard Times of the 1930s. Savvy marketers at Salem China and other potteries sold theater managers on the idea of giving away free dishes to women to attract viewers. “Dish Night” promotions were wildly successful. Salem sold train cars full of their now-famous Tricorne pattern to theaters. “Free to each lady” offers brought colorful dinnerware into Depression era homes, controversy to the movie business, and even riots when too many gravy boats appeared.