On March 20-22 a conference treating the rich parallel traditions of cookery in the Lowcountry and the West Indies will be held at the Lightsey Center at the College of Charleston and at the demonstration kitchens at Johnson & Wales University, Charleston. Treating both the history and the current practice of food preparation and consumption, the meeting will include cooking demonstrations, discussions of food history, and public lectures. It will feature keynote addresses by four of the top authorities on the foods of the Lowcountry and the Atlantic World.

Jessica B. Harris, the author of more than ten books, including Iron Pots and Wooden Spoons: Africa’s Gift to New World Cooking (1999), will begin by locating the foods of the Carolinas within the African Diaspora. John Martin Taylor, author of Hoppin’ John’s Lowcountry Cooking (2000), will then focus in on the rich traditions of Charleston cooking. A view from Savannah will be provided by Damon Lee Fowler, author of Damon Lee Fowler’s New Southern Kitchen (2000). Finally, the world renowned historian of sugar and the West Indies’ role in the world of food, Sidney Mintz, will give a historic overview of Caribbean cuisine on Friday evening.

Scholarly panels will consider such topics as the technology of milling, the Madeira trade, and nutrition, as well as the place of food in ethnicity, literature, and religion. Multimedia presentations will include segments from the Southern Stews documentary produced by Stan Woodward. Top regional chefs will give cooking demonstrations at the professional kitchens of conference co-host Johnson & Wales University in Charleston. Banquets, field trips, and tastings will round out a truly memorable program on Carolina and Caribbean cooking.

We suggest you reserve early by registering to attend as soon as possible (registration forms & details are available on-line). Participation is limited because of space and seating restrictions. For conference program and information about local accommodations and registration, please see our web site or contact Jane Aldrich via email.