Eight Meals that Changed the World
Life Institute, Spring/Summer 2025
Join us for a mouth-watering journey through history over the course of eight lectures. During each lecture, I will share some historically inspired recipes for you to try at home! You’re invited to share your experience of “cooking in history” below and we’ll save time during each Friday course to chat about your creations.
Week 8: The Party at Camelot
In April 1962, President John F Kennedy hosted a cavalcade of internationally renown artists, scientists, and writers at a White House dinner. Called the greatest meeting of minds since Thomas Jefferson dined alone, the banquet and the guest list represented the idealism and activism of the 1960s. This week, we’ll focus not only on the guests who attended the meal but will also explore the White House as the backdrop for presidential dinners for over two hundred years. It will also touch on America’s changing culinary culture during the 1960s.
Historical Recipes of the Week: Sweet Jell-O Molded Salad
Previous Recipes:
Week 7 (Titanic): Consommé Olga & Asparagus Salad
Week 6 (Japan): Castella Cake
Week 5 (Parisian Potatoes): Potato Pudding & Hachis Parmentier
Week 4 (Tenochtitlán): Aztec Corn Salad and Guacamole
Week 3 (Baghdad): Al-Warraq’s Sikbaj
Week 2 (Pompeii): Virgil’s Moretum
Week 1 (Egypt): Rekhmire’s Tiger Nut Cakes & Bhousa: Ancient Egyptian Beer
Don’t forget to share your creations below using the form. With your permission, I will share some of these with the class during our weekly Friday sessions.