To understand the history of a region, you’ve got to follow the food. That’s particularly true in Wisconsin, whose culinary traditions reflect the richness of an ethnically and agriculturally diverse region. In this talk regional food expert Terese Allen shares the stories behind such varied foodways as cream puffs, Hmong egg rolls and the Friday night fish fry. From Ojibwe wild rice to arugula pesto pasta, she tracks the amazing cornucopia of what Wisconsinites have gathered, grown, produced, cooked, and eaten.

Come hungry for books; Terese will have her books for sale at this fun, free event!

Terese Allen has written scores of books and articles about the pleasures and benefits of regional foods, sustainable cooking, and culinary folklore. She is co-author of the prize-winning expanded edition of The Flavor of Wisconsin, an extensive history of food and cooking in the Badger State, with more than 450 recipes. Among her other titles are: The Flavor of Wisconsin for Kids, Wisconsin Local Foods Journal, Fresh Market Wisconsin, Wisconsin Hometown Flavor and The Ovens of Brittany Cookbook.

Terese pens the “Cook It Forward” food column in Edible Madison magazine, and is co-founder and long-time leader of the Culinary History Enthusiasts of Wisconsin (CHEW).  She served for a decade as food editor for Organic Valley Family of Farms, and for fifteen years was a key leader of REAP Food Group, a cutting edge organization that fosters a sustainable food system in southern Wisconsin.

A former chef who trained at the Restaurant School of Philadelphia, Terese has taught culinary and food-writing classes for many years, and is a frequent presenter on foodways topics. Her favorite pastimes include morel-hunting, maple syruping, and cooking community meals at the her neighborhood center. She lives in Madison and on Washington Island.