Apples, a common New England crop and the fruit that gave New York its iconic nick name, have been called the United States' "most endangered food."
In Endangered Eating: America's Vanishing Foods, culinary historian Sarah Lohman draws inspiration from the Ark of Taste, a list compiled by Slow Food International that catalogues important regional foods. Lohman travels the country learning about the distinct ingredients at risk of being lost, focusing on the apples of New England and New York state for this program with MOFAD. Lohman learns from those who love these rare ingredients: shepherds, fishers, and farmers; scientists, historians, and activists. And she tries her hand at raising these crops and preparing these dishes. Each chapter includes two recipes, so readers can be a part of saving these ingredients by purchasing and preparing them.
In celebration of Lohman’s new book, MOFAD is excited to welcome Sarah Lohman and a distinguished panel of apple and cider experts from across New York for a conversation on how to preserve and celebrate local culinary traditions and rare, cherished foods―before it’s too late.
This event includes a tasting of local New York regular and hard ciders. Ticket also includes a glass of wine from the collection of the TOM's Wine Cave.
Tickets include the option to purchase Endangered Eating by Sarah Lohman from our bookseller partner Kitchen Arts & Letters in New York City.
SARAH LOHMAN
Sarah Lohman is a culinary historian and the author of the bestselling book Eight Flavors: The Untold Story of American Cuisine. She focuses on the history of food as a way to access the stories of diverse Americans. Her work has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and NPR. Lohman has lectured across the country, from the Smithsonian Museum of American History in Washington, DC to The Culinary Historians of Southern California. Lohman is currently based out of Las Vegas, Nevada.
FRAN MCMANUS
Fran McManus is a freelance writer and educator focused on the web of culinary, social, ecological, and economic relationships that deepen our experience—and love—of place. In 2009, apple historian Tom Burford encouraged her to research the history of the Harrison apple—a frustrating and gratifying search that she continues to this day.
CHARLES ROSEN
Charles Rosen has been committed to social and environmental justice throughout his careers in law, film production, and advertising. In 2012, he started Ironbound Farm — a unique social enterprise pursuing the interconnected goals of fostering human, environmental, and economic repair. Rather than building a national brand, Charles is testing the idea that a business is better able to accelerate positive — and inclusive — social and economic change by embedding itself deeply in a web of reciprocal relationships within a local community.
The network of interdependent businesses at Ironbound Farm include Ironbound Hard Cider, a venture committed to the revival of Newark's lost legacy of hard cider production, and New Ark Farms, the agricultural team that provides apples and botanical infusions to the cider company as well as produce and proteins for the on-farm Tasting Room and Farm Market.
Through regenerative agricultural practices, New Ark Farms' team builds a biologically rich community of plants and soil-dwelling life that, together, foster resiliency and viability in the farm's heritage cider orchard, organic produce operation, and pastured livestock business. Ironbound Farm is located in Asbury, NJ, in northern Hunterdon County.
JOE GAYNOR
Born and raised in the Hudson Valley, Joe has always had a deep-rooted passion for fermentation. A member of the team that helped open Angry Orchard’s Cider House in 2015, Joe started as a tour guide and worked his way into the cellar, where he is currently the Head Cidermaker. In his role, Joe runs the daily production and Orchard operations, aides as an educational resource for new and current team members, and works closely with a variety of cider and agricultural organizations near and far. Playing an integral part in new product development and Orchard innovation, Joe draws inspiration from the rich and diverse history and community cider has to offer.
RYAN BURK
From growing up in the epicenter of New York State apple production to driving some of the US’s most ambitious and industry leading cider programs, Ryan Burk has spent his life around apples and cider. He helped establish and lead Virtue Cider in Michigan and elevate America’s largest cider maker, Angry Orchard, taking the brand to new successes on both the national and local stage with the Innovation Cider House in Walden NY, where he focused on terrior driven ciders that have won awards around the world. As dedicated industry professional, Ryan has served on the board of The American Cider Association and is a founding board member and current President of The Cider Institute of North America, the US’s premier science-based education platform. He has been recognized for his advocacy, innovation and collaboration by Imbibe 75 People to Watch, Wine Enthusiast’s 40 Under 40 and The Buena Cofradía de los Siceratores de Asturias. Ryan is now making cider under his own label Occam as well as co-founding Feel Goods Company, a full definition innovation pipeline development studio bringing beverage brands to life across categories
KITCHEN ARTS & LETTERS
Kitchen Arts & Letters is a bookstore devoted to food and drink, with titles imported from around the world. They emphasize works on food culture and innovation.