Even if Marie Antoinette did not in fact say, “Let them eat cake,” the infamous phrase has long gripped the imaginations of both historians and eaters alike, representing both the delusion and decadence of the elite. 

On November 29 diners will turn to the rich and delicious history of the fall of empires across the globe. Beginning in the first century CE, the notorious gourmand Apicius will be our guide through the fall of the Roman Republic and the rise of the Roman Empire. Kitab al-Tabiq, the oldest surviving Arabic cookbook, will help us explore the fall of the Umayyad Caliphate through the palates of the eighth century empire. We will join Marie Antoinette on the Flight to Varennes, with an appropriately conspicuous pièce de résistance from classical haute cuisine. Finally, the Romanov’s will bring us into the twentieth century, as we discuss the lasting impact of the Russian Revolution over dessert. 

Join us for our final Dinners of the Past in 2018 as we examine how both empire and revolution affect not only our politics but the way we eat.

We cannot accommodate dietary restrictions and allergies. Tickets will go on sale 11/13 at 10 AM.

VICTORIA FLEXNER

Victoria is the founder and resident historian of Edible History. She is a former museum educator who has worked at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The New York Public Library, and The Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum. Victoria holds a degree in History from the University of Edinburgh in the United Kingdom and is currently enrolled in the MA Historical Studies program at The New School in New York City. She has led more than 30 Edible History dinners around New York City—in restaurants, urban farms, historical homes, and even a pottery studio.

JAY REIFEL

Jay is Edible History’s Executive Chef, who takes on the challenge of recreating recipes from period manuscripts, quite literally bringing the past to life through dishes that are hundreds of years old. Jay studied Pastry at the French Culinary Institute and has worked at the Michelin 2-star Corton and New York’s legendary WD-50. A veteran of the New York City underground supper club scene, he has had a long interest in historical cuisine. He specializes in a hybrid of modern techniques with classically inspired French cuisine, as well as strong Asian flavor influences. 

JOHN HUTT

MOFAD Executive Chef John Hutt is a lifelong chef with a passion and interest in theory, history, science and culture of food. He has opened restaurants, written papers, cooked a lot of food for a lot of people, and travelled the world eating and drinking delicious things. He came to MOFAD from the El Bulli institute in Barcelona, where he was working on the theory and practice of food and cooking.