Chinese Food in America, January 18, 2020 @ 10 AM

Culinary Historians of Chicago Presents:

The Legitimacy and Legacy of Chinese Food in America

Presented by Louisa Chu and Monica Eng,
Co-hosts, "Chewing" Podcast


"Chewing" podcast hosts Monica Eng, left, and Louisa Chu. (Michael Tercha / Chicago Tribune)

Saturday, January 18, 2020
10 a.m. to noon
At Bethany Retirement Community

Auditorium, main floor
4950 N. Ashland Ave. (West of Clark St., North of Lawrence Ave.), Chicago

FREE PARKING on street and in Bethany’s lot.

PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION: Both CTA BUS #81, Lawrence, and #22 Clark, stop nearby.


Chicago Tribune food reporter Louisa Chu and WBEZ reporter Monica Eng talk about 150 years of Chinese food in America, how it was shaped by social, political, and legal circumstances plus how it shaped their own families and lives. The co-hosts of the Chewing podcast will document the Eng family restaurant dynasty in Chicago and how it reflected the food and culture of the times. They’ll explain how the Chinese restaurant business led to a West Side murder in Monica’s family and how the egg roll evolved over the years. Louisa will talk about what it’s actually like to work at a family Chinese restaurant—when you’re seven years old. And finally, they will discuss their differing views on the legitimacy and legacy of Chinese-American food.

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Louisa Chu is a Chicago Tribune Food & Dining reporter. Born in Hong Kong, raised in Chicago, she lived in Los Angeles, and Paris where she graduated from Le Cordon Bleu. She staged at El Bulli in Spain and cooked in Alaska. Previously she was a correspondent for Gourmet magazine and a fixer for Anthony Bourdain.

Monica Eng is a reporter and producer for WBEZ Public Radio. Before joining WBEZ, Monica was a food, culture and watchdog-investigative reporter at the Chicago Tribune

* * *

Cost of the lecture program is $5, $3 for students and no charge for CHC members or Bethany residents and staff. To reserve, please e-mail your reservation: [email protected]

http://www.culinaryHistorians.org

The show will go on despite rain, snow, sleet or ice!

I have to work, otherwise I'd be there. I'd met Louisa at Burt Katz's funeral and she's great.

Hope there'll be a podcast!

J

jnm123 wrote:I have to work, otherwise I'd be there. I'd met Louisa at Burt Katz's funeral and she's great.

Hope there'll be a podcast!

J

There will be two: Culinary Historians usual full presentation and Chewing with excerpts or however they craft it.

For those who looked out the window and went back to sleep. I might have done the same, if I could.

Due to snow drifts in our yard, I borrowed my sister's car to reach this meeting. I knew there were 68 reserved, though I fully expected less due to the weather. I brought extra ziploc bags for people to take food home.

I found parking near, but as I was getting out of the car I was hit with splatter from a passing car. Head to toe soaking wet with the car's interior taking a hit, too. I was sopped and just on the edge of crying. I reminded myself I was only compounding my own misery and just buck it up.

To my surprise, instead of 68 people showing (or a lot less), about 100 people showed up. This definitely made the effort to get there worthwhile.

Podcast to be edited and put up sometime soon.

Regards,
Cathy2

I am looking forward to listening to the podcast and wish I could have attended.

Podcast on:

The Legitimacy and Legacy of Chinese Food in America

Presented by Louisa Chu and Monica Eng

***

From 2008 until mid-2013, Culinary Historians programs were recorded by WBEZ via Chicago Amplified. Since then, we have recorded our programs hosted on soundcloud.

You can find a list here.

We are also on:
Google Play
iHeartRadio
Apple Podcast
rss feed
RadioPublic
SoundCloud
Spotify
Stitcher

These run the length of an introduction plus presentation with questions, but no food samples.

Listened to the podcast and loved it.

Thank you for posting these talks online. I listen to most of them.

Yes. Really enjoyed this. Thank you.