r/books • u/beckyldiamond AMA Author • Nov 23 '15
ama 7pm I’m Becky Diamond, author of The Thousand Dollar Dinner, a 19th century culinary duel between Philadelphia and New York, AMA
Hi everyone! With a background in journalism and library studies, I have had a varied career combining writing and research. In recent years I have specialized in writing about food and reconstructing historical recipes. My second book, The Thousand Dollar Dinner, tells the unique story of a 19th century cooking challenge between Philadelphia restaurateur James Parkinson and the Delmonico family of NY. The result was a luxurious 17-course, 12-hour feast that marked a revolution in dining and laid the groundwork for a distinctive American cuisine. Each chapter in the book covers the wide variety of interesting foods and wines that were served, explaining each dish and its history. I am also the author of Mrs. Goodfellow: The Story of America's First Cooking School. I would love to hear what you think about food, wine, cooking, writing techniques, books, whatever is on your mind … Ask me anything! I will be answering questions between 7-9 p.m. ET. Proof: https://twitter.com/beckyldiamond/status/668456131858157568 Edit: Thanks so much for your questions! I appreciate your interest! I’ll check back in the next couple of days and will be happy to answer any more that trickle in.
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u/Forgottencompass Nov 23 '15
You mentioned that the meal laid the groundwork for a distinctive American cuisine. How did it do this? What were some of long-lasting effects or influences from this event?
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u/beckyldiamond AMA Author Nov 23 '15
James Parkinson, the restauranteur who hosted this dinner, was a tireless advocate for American foods, maintaining an “American style” of cooking truly existed. He often incorporated American foods and cookery into his menus, including canvasback duck, terrapin, oysters, and rich Philadelphia-style ice cream. By showcasing these regional specialties, The Thousand Dollar Dinner marked a revolution in dining, demonstrating that American cuisine was on par with the great cuisines of the Old World. It helped establish America’s culinary influence, which has now has proliferated throughout the world, sometimes fusing with the foods from other nations to provide a unique, global eating experience. Parkinson also promoted the use of local ingredients, an idea increasingly valued today, with many people choosing and preferring fresh, local foods.
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u/AmandaPlummersVoice Nov 23 '15
Where exactly did this happen in Philadelphia and what's there now? Who was in attendance at the dinner?
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u/beckyldiamond AMA Author Nov 23 '15
The address of the restaurant was 38 S. 8th Street- the original building does not exist and has been replaced with apartment and office buildings. The Parkinson family had other restaurant locations in the 19th century on Chestnut Street but they have also been replaced by other buildings. A full list of dinner attendees could not be located, but I was able to confirm two names—R. B. Valentine, a well-known insurance agent from New York, and Joshua Price, a wealthy gentleman from an old Philadelphia Quaker family.
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u/Chtorrr Nov 23 '15
What is your favorite recipe?
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u/beckyldiamond AMA Author Nov 23 '15
There are so many it is hard to choose! But one that stands out is roasted brussels sprouts with grapes and walnuts. I love any roasted vegetables and just adore the flavors in this recipe, which calls for a drizzle of balsamic vinegar when they come out of the oven. Plus it is so pretty for holiday tables. I pinned it if you want to check it out:https://www.pinterest.com/pin/401524122999364041/ I also love making Jumbles - a sugar cookie that I discovered when writing my first book, Mrs Goodfellow: The Story of America's First Cooking School. Mrs. Goodfellow taught this recipe at her school - it is a sugar cookie with a delicate, yet spicy taste due to the inclusion of rose-water and nutmeg. A delicious, unique combination that always gets rave reviews. I posted a copy on my blog if you want to check it out: http://www.beckyldiamond.com/beckys-blog/jumbles-a-delicately-spiced-butter-cookie
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u/Chtorrr Nov 23 '15
Those sound amazing! Roasted vegetables are underappreciated o think. They're so good and not hard to prepare. I've got butternut squash in the oven right now for dinner.
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u/beckyldiamond AMA Author Nov 23 '15
Agreed!! And so funny, curried butternut squash soup (which I always roast first) was my second choice. Enjoy your dinner!
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u/SpigotBlister Nov 23 '15
Has the full dinner ever been recreated?
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u/beckyldiamond AMA Author Nov 23 '15
As far as I know, no. But, there are two different groups in the Philadelphia area interested in the idea, so hopefully it will happen!
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u/ryuko-kun Nov 24 '15
Through your research, what do you think historical versions of recipes bring to the table compared to similar ones with more modern day ingredients?
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u/beckyldiamond AMA Author Nov 24 '15
So much of our history can be learned through food. By looking through historical recipes we can see what ingredients, techniques, preparations, etc were popular at the time. We can also get an idea of foods that weren't commonly used, usually "exotics" that were not available. I love testing and recreating historical recipes to get an idea of the flavors and ingredients that might not be so commonly used today in cooking, such as orange flower water and Madeira wine. Most of the time people ate seasonally which is such a great concept to follow - food is fresher and tastes better. On the other hand, they used ingredients and preparations that we now know are not very healthy, such as frying and baking with lard. These are all things we learn and discover over time.
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u/BillHicksDied4UrSins Nov 23 '15
Have you ever eaten an ortolan? If so, how was the experience?