Dillard delves into Creole culinary history
23rd March 2015 · 0 Comments
By Charmaine Jackson
Contributing Writer
All are welcome to attend a day of lectures and panel discussions by some of the most well-versed individuals in the world of Creole culinary history, at Dillard University’s inaugural Ray Charles in African American Material Culture Conference.
The two-day event, titled “The Story of New Orleans Creole Cooking: The Black Hand in the Pot,” will take place April 16-17 in the Georges Auditorium. This year’s conference is purported to focus on the history and contributions of African Americans to the world famous New Orleans Cuisine from its origins to the Civil Rights Movement.
The first day, which is free to the public, will begin at 9:00 a.m. on April 16.
“We start the conference by uncovering the culinary history of Dillard University from 1935-2014, a pillar in the New Orleans Creole and African-American community,” said Executive Director, Zella Palmer, who will be presenting this particular talk. “Our morning panel will discuss the influences of West African and Central African influences on New Orleans Creole cuisine, trade and foodways from Africa to Louisiana and the role religion played in New Orleans Creole cuisine,” Palmer continued.
Culinary historian and blogger, Michael Twitty, who has actively demonstrated an insatiable appetite for preserving African-American foodways, has been selected to give the keynote address, Reading the West and Central African Presence in the Creole Culinary Repertoire. Based in Washington, D.C., Twitty’s passion is exhibited in two blogs, including Afroculinaria, of which he shares editorials and historical culinary facts based on extensive research, and stories from journeying to historical sites throughout the South. This year, Twitty was recognized by Southern Living as one of the people who are changing the South in 2015.
Palmer said that each speaker was chosen based on their research and expertise. Along with Twitty, the speakers listed to present, and their lectures during the morning panel are: Dr. Ibrahima Seck, Whitney Plantation Academic Director, “Memory Dishes from Gritland and Riceland” and Austin Sonnier, master gardener and caterer, “From Palm Fronds to Crawfish Bisque.”
An hour-long lunch will take place in Kearny Dining Hall, between both panels. “For lunch, Dillard Dining Services will prepare some lost New Orleans Creole recipes on campus for $8, per person,” Palmer stated.
Before the afternoon panel begins, the Ray Charles program lecture series will be named in honor of civil rights and culinary activist, Dr. Rudy Lombard, who made great strides to boost African-American notoriety in the New Orleans culinary scene. His youngest brother, 4th Circuit Court of Appeal Judge Edwin Lombard, is expected to make a cameo appearance.
Afternoon panel activities are planned to continue with more lectures and consist of: Barbara Trevigne, New Orleans Creole Historian, “The Ingenuity of the New Orleans Street Vendor;” Liz Williams, Director of the Southern Food & Beverage Museum, “Before Martha Stewart There Was Lena Richard;” and Dr. Mona Lisa Saloy, Dillard University Professor and Creole Historian, “Creole Cuisine in Literature.”
Civil rights activist A.P. Tureaud, Jr. will give a talk called, “Feeding the Body and Soul: Louisiana Cuisine and its Relations to Civil Rights Activism.” Known for being the first African American to integrate Louisiana State University, Tureaud intends to give a personal account “about the impact of food and the ambiance of sharing a meal with friends and sometimes foes during the turbulent Civil Rights Movement in New Orleans.”
“As a teenager and a college student, I frequently transported Thurgood Marshall and members of his legal staff when they came to town. They had to be housed, fed and transported as they planned their legal battles to end segregation. The community of Black supporters was there for them and they enjoyed the cuisine and camaraderie of restaurant owners, family cooks and hundreds of civil rights supporters,” Tureaud stated.
On Friday, Twitty will perform a cooking demonstration at the oldest detached kitchen, at the Whitney Plantation in Wallace, Louisiana. Tickets are $30, and cover the plantation tour and workshop. Space is limited to 40 people. Anyone interested should call Zella Palmer, at (504) 816-4091, or e-mail her, at zpalmer@dillard.edu. For those who need transportation, a shuttle bus will depart the Cook building, promptly at 8:30 a.m.
For a copy of the program schedule, including lecture times, please visit the Dillard University Ray Charles Program Facebook page.
This article originally published in the March 23, 2015 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.
