WASHINGTON 鈥� New Orleans is a city marked by its muffalettas and made famous for its beignets. But labneh and shakshuka? They define the Big Easy鈥檚 culinary culture, too.
鈥淥ften, we think of New Orleans as Creole cuisine 鈥� as something marked by gumbo and jambalaya 鈥� but there鈥檚 this very rich, very global food scene that鈥檚 happening and developing in New Orleans right now,鈥� said Ashley Young, historian of the American Food History Project at the Smithsonian鈥檚 National Museum of American History.
The evolution of the Crescent City鈥檚 culinary identity is just one of the topics Young will explore during this year鈥檚 Cooking Up History series at the museum. Alongside a visiting chef, she鈥檒l dive deep into Chesapeake watershed traditions, Southern cooking and even Midwestern menus during a monthly, hourlong live cooking demonstration.
March鈥檚 event features chef Alon Shaya, of the James Beard Award-winning restaurant Shaya, who will speak on modern Israeli cuisine. April鈥檚 guest chef is Lindsay Leopold, who will shine a spotlight on mid-Atlantic ingredients.
鈥淭he stage is not only a place to share food history and recipes, but also the amazing stories of the chefs that we bring in,鈥� Young said.
Plus, it highlights the exhibits and research already on display throughout the museum.
鈥淔ood is such a dynamic lens to explore our past because everyone eats. Everyone has an experience with food, and so, it鈥檚 shaping our sense of self, our sense of community, but it also influences our economy,鈥� Young said.
鈥淚t influences everything from transportation, to restaurant culture, to food systems and dealing with issues of hunger 鈥� And really, everyone can relate to it. That鈥檚 one of the beautiful things.鈥�
Cooking Up History is free and open to the public. Information on upcoming dates is available on the museum鈥檚 .
