Jeffersonian Cuisine Gets Ready for Its Close-up, and Blogger Bids You Adieu

At the risk of coming across as someone who loves food and PBS a little too much, I’ll chance my reputation as a foodie-public-televison purist and tell you all about the wonderful article that Jane McGrath sent me. Chef Walter Staib, of Philadelphia’s City Tavern Restaurant, made history when he prepared a Jeffersonian meal in Monticello’s kitchen. The kitchen hadn’t seen any action since the 1860s (save a bit of casual use, here and there), and, in fact, it had been damaged by fire and not repaired until 2005.

Staib didn’t just sneak away from a house tour and set up shop, though. The renowned chef was filming a segment for the upcoming PBS series “A Taste of History” (which I am, perhaps, inordinately excited about). As reported by the Charlottesville, Va., Daily Progress, Staib knows history like he knows cuisine. He remarked that the former president’s teeth “were kind of on the soft side,” so “[e]verything Mr. Jefferson liked to eat was easy to eat.” Staib chose to prepare a few of Jefferson’s choice selections: meat-stuffed cabbage dressed with parsley and butter, fried asparagus and mashed potatoes. Jefferson might have complemented the meal with some wine, and doubtlessly, the vegetables would have been fresh from the Monticello gardens.

My appetite is piqued! Sadly, lunch is still a few hours off. And even more disappointing, I can’t find any solid information about the PBS series. If you have the inside scoop, please share.

If you’ve heard the latest podcast (about historical pooches), then you know I’m bidding Stuff You Missed in History Class adieu. It’s fitting to wrap up my affairs with a final post about Jefferson. I hope you’ve enjoyed reading and listening to all the history as much as I’ve enjoyed being a historical yarn-weaver. May your interest in the past and in the history unfolding around us every day never wane. Happy learning!

A few parting recommendations:
Did the Great Chicago Fire really start with Mrs. O’Leary’s cow?
What happened to the other two men on Paul Revere’s ride?
How the Audubon Society Works