Ken Magos Hosting With History

One of my favorite PBS shows is "Drive by History" in which host and historian Ken Magos finds out about the history behind those blue plaque signs that dot the  New Jersey landscape.Now he has come up with a spin off  "Drive by History Eats"in which he,  with the help of Dr. Libby O'Connell and chefs Melissa Fairchild Clark and Anthony Murgola, create dishes eaten by some of New Jersey's most prominent historical figures along  with recipes culled from historical events and ethnic and indigenous group. He has graciously given Foodie Pantry an interesting and insightful interview.

• 1.    How did you come up with the idea for “Drive by History Eats’?

  This idea has been percolating for a while, actually.  It came from past Drive By History investigations where food – either dinner parties with incredibly influential figures, or various immigrant groups bringing new flavors to our region – played a key role in those narratives.

  2.    You cover several different eras in the show, from the indigenous Lenni Lenape  Three Sisters to the meatless dinners of World War One. How did the recipes reflect the times?

  To paraphrase our Food and Culture Historian Dr. Libby O’Connell, “Recipes provide a window into the past.”  By looking at historic recipes, we’re able to discern when new ingredients were introduced to our region (or became more widely available), and also when certain trends in cooking techniques and equipment or gadgets became popular.

   

  In addition, recipes often reflect social and industrial movements through the generations, such as breakthroughs in refrigeration and food preservation and shipment in the late 19^th century, and Meatless Mondays and Wheatless Tuesdays during World War I.

  3.    Have you noticed any similarities between what New Jerseyians ate then and what we eat now?

  Well, New Jersey is called the Garden State for good reason, and has always boasted a wealth of indigenous fresh produce, fruit, berries, fish and game that have kept our ancestors well-fed for literally centuries.  And we’re still enjoying the bounty today.

  4.    What would you say are the most noticeable culinary differences between then and now?

  From pre-colonial through the 20^th century, the most striking culinary trends are probably the addition of new ingredients and flavors brought over by immigrant groups – keeping in mind that even honey bees (not indigenous to North America) were introduced by 17^th century European settlers.

  5.    I see there’s an upcoming program featuring indigenous dishes starring the Three Sisters and grape dumplings. Will there be more episodes featuring indigenous recipes?

  That is certainly a possibility for future seasons.

  6.    Asking that, we can’t forget New Jersey has had a strong immigrant influence too. Will you be featuring dishes from Newark’s Ironbound section along with Union City’s Cuban neighborhood as well as culinary contributions from the first wave of immigrants to the state?

  We’re planning two separate episodes for Season 2 of DBH: Eats focused on Newark stories. 

   

  The first, based on an upcoming episode of Drive By History featuring legendary entrepreneur and community philanthropist Louise Scott, will examine the culinary influence of Newark’s African American community during the Second Great Migration following World War 2. 

   

  The second, tied to our past investigation at the Newark Museum’s Ballantine House and 19^th century Christmas traditions, will examine holiday culinary contributions from the city’s German, Dutch and English communities.

  7.    You can’t mention New Jersey without a reference to our famed boardwalks. Will you be delving into the history of our most beloved dish - the pork roll sandwich along with other classic boardwalk foods?

  I see you’re trying to draw us into the Taylor Ham vs. Pork Roll debate!  Well, let’s just say we’re neutral on that subject, but have definitely toyed with doing an episode on favorite boardwalk dishes.

  8.    Will “Drive by History Eats” be visiting the state’s oldest restaurants such as Mendham’s Black Horse Tavern?

  Restaurants aren’t our focus.

  9.    New Jersey has seen its’ fair share of battles. Will you be exploring what the Colonial and British armies ate and comparing them?

  That’s a great topic idea – thank you for sharing it!  We’ll definitely throw it into the mix for a future episode!

  10.  And the famous I have to ask question - what was your favorite dish from all the recipes that you’ve sampled and why did you like it so much?

  Honestly, all of the dishes were really tasty this season, but if I had to pick I’d say that I had 2 favorite dishes this season.

   

  First was the pork chop from the Whitman episode.  The pork chop itself was delicious, but the braising liquid with all of the vegetables made a fantastic soup for days after the shoot (I chose to take this one home with me, though dishes are always shared with the entire crew at wrap).

   

  Second were the grape dumplings.  So simple to make, but incredibly delicious, and surprisingly not heavy at all.  The crew all loved them, too.

   

  I hope the audience tries the recipes at home – They won’t be disappointed!  They’re all available on our show website, DriveByHistoryEats.tv.