The Food Historian

Sarah Wassberg Johnson, M.A.

Studying the intersecting histories of food, agriculture,
women, ethnicity, and rural communities in America.

Upcoming Programs & Events

The Food Historian is currently accepting requests for speaking engagements for 2020, including for virtual talks. Make a request.

Friday, July 10, 2020 | 8:00 PM EST | Livestream on Facebook: "Food History Happy Hour"

Friday, July 17, 2020 | 8:00 PM EST | Livestream on Facebook: "Food History Happy Hour"

Friday, July 24, 2020 | 8:00 PM EST | Livestream on Facebook: "Food History Happy Hour"

Friday, July 31, 2020 | 8:00 PM EST | Livestream on Facebook: "Food History Happy Hour"

Friday, August 7, 2020 | 8:00 PM EST | Livestream on Facebook: "Food History Happy Hour"

Saturday, August 8, 2020 | 1:00 PM | Field Library, Peekskill, NY - VIRTUAL TALK - "Mr. & Mrs. Novice: Victory Garden Propaganda During WWII" Admission is free, but regstiration required. Register HERE

Thursday, August 13, 2020 | 6:30 PM | Tuxedo Public Library, Tuxedo, NY - VIRTUAL TALK - "Cooking by the Book: Celebrity Chefs, Cookbookery, and the Changing Landscape of American Cuisine"

Friday, August 14, 2020 | 8:00 PM EST | Livestream on Facebook: "Food History Happy Hour"

Friday, August 21, 2020 | 8:00 PM EST | Livestream on Facebook: "Food History Happy Hour"

Wednesday, August 26, 2020 | 2:00 PM | New City Library, New City, NY - VIRTUAL TALK - "Mr. & Mrs. Novice: Victory Garden Propaganda During WWII"

Friday, August 28, 2020 | 8:00 PM EST | Livestream on Facebook: "Food History Happy Hour"

Wednesday, November 4, 2020 | 7:00 PM | Nyack Public Library, Nyack, NY - VIRTUAL TALK - "Cooking by the Book: Celebrity Chefs, Cookbookery, and the Changing Landscape of American Cuisine"

Wednesday, December 3, 2020 | 7:00 PM | New Paltz Historical Society, New Paltz, NY - "Cooking by the Book: Celebrity Chefs, Cookbookery, and the Changing Landscape of American Cuisine"

In the Media

Sarah Wassberg Johnson has been interviewed and featured on the following television shows:

"The Food That Built America" miniseries, The History Channel

In the following articles:

"22 Things You Didn't Know About Jell-O" Cheapism
"Just Cook From the Back of the Box" Eater
"In 1950, Americans Had Aspic. Now We Have Dalgona Coffee" The Atlantic
"How Banana Bread Became the Unofficial Baked Good of COVID-19" Well + Good
"Looking for Blood" Eater.com
"Why President Coolidge Never Ate His Thanksgiving Raccoon" Atlas Obscura
"After WWII, Mutton Fell Out Of Favor In The U.S. Can It Make A Comeback?" NPR
"American History as Told By 7 Vintage Pies" Matador Network
"Pass Along Traditions With a Family Cookbook" NextAvenue
"The New Definition of American Cuisine" Well+Good
"Why Bear Fat Makes for Better Baking" Atlas Obscura
"I tried vintage recipes from a '50s cookbook and I see why Jell-O salads aren't popular anymore" Insider.com
"Why Lunch Is Even More Important Than Dinner for Healthy Eaters" Well + Good
"How an Accidental Invention Changed What Americans Eat for Breakfast" History.com
"What the 'milkshaking' zeitgeist says about our relationship to politics" Abc.net.au
"It's 7/11 Day" CNN.com
"In Memoriam: The Trashy Mall Food Court Smoothie of the 90s" Vice
"Is Alt-Milk Still Milk? Inside the Food Lexicon Debate the FDA has Final Ruling On" Well+Good
"An Oral History of Iconic American Fast Food Chains" Fashionbeans.com
"Why We Love Avocado Toast: How a Healthy Food Trend Gets Made" Well+Good

On the following podcast/radio programs:

"What Makes Midwestern Food Unique?" - Eat Your Heartland Out, Heritage Radio Network
"Eggs vs. milkshakes - the history of protest foods" - Blueprint for Living, Radio National Australia

"The Pretty Big Problem of Ugly Food" - Proof, America's Test Kitchen

Latest Episode of History Bites

Book Reviews

Capitalist Pigs: Pigs, Pork, and Power in America by J.L. Anderson

Sowing the Seeds of Victory: American Gardening Programs of World War I by Rose Hayden-Smith

Mastering the Art of Soviet Cooking: A Memoir of Food & Longing by Anya von Bremzen

Thesis

Sarah Wassberg's Master's thesis: "Preserve or Perish: The Orange County Food Preservation Battalion and Food Conservation Efforts in New York State During the Great War, 1917-1919" is now available on Proquest.com for purchase or you may interlibrary loan a hard copy from the University at Albany library.