The Culinary Historians of Southern California presents a lecture:

“Constructing a Gastronomy of Italy: Cuisine and Change” with Clifford Wright on Saturday,

FREE

 A prolific, award-winning author and expert asks the question: What is Italian cuisine?

The answers are complicated.

What is Italian cuisine? That seems like an easy question; however, a deeper look shows it's not so easy. Things change. Traditional cuisine is both an abstract and concrete cultural artifact, a reflection of a people and their customs, which themselves change along with their food and cooking as changes occur in their agriculture, commerce, trade, and economy. Traditional cuisine is also a part of collective memory that forges the part of material culture that can be produced and consumed. A culture's culture is not immutable; it changes along with cultural and economic changes over time. Italy is complicated: is it a multitude of regional and provincial cuisines, or is there a "national" Italian cuisine?

The program is live, in person, and open to the public. 

A themed reception follows. For more information, go to chsocal.org or info@chsocal.org.

Register:   

Clifford A. Wright won the James Beard Cookbook of the Year award and the James Beard Award for Best Writing on Food in 2000 for A Mediterranean Feast. His most recent book, An Italian Feast, is a sequel to that book. He is the author of 18 other books on cooking, food, politics, and history.

Central Library parking: 524 South Flower Street Garage. Saturday $1 flat rate with validation (9:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.). Take your parking ticket with you. Parking validation is available at the library's Information Desk (first floor) by presenting a valid library card.

 Credit card or debit card payments can be made at the exit gates. 

Cash payments can only be made in machines at the P-1 level of the parking garage before returning to your car.