Baylor’s Texas Collection Hosts 'Cooking in Texas' Panel Discussion Feb. 12 About Texas Food and Cuisine

Contact: Lori Fogleman, 254-710-6275
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WACO, Texas (Feb. 9, 2015) – In honor of the thousands of cookbooks in its archives, The Texas Collection at Baylor University will host “Cooking in Texas,” a panel discussion exploring Texas food and cuisine, at 3:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 12, in Bennett Auditorium.

Panelists include Lisa Fain, founder of the award-winning blog “Homesick Texan”; Marvin Bendele, Executive Director of Foodways Texas; Mary Margaret Pack, private chef, food historian and writer; Beth White, cookbook collector and author of “Sweets Meats: Early Texas Cook Books: 1855-1936”; and moderator Addie Broyles, blogger and food editor for the Austin American-Statesman. The panel will discuss the quality, bounty, preparation and uniqueness of Texas food and cuisine.

“This event is meant to draw attention to the rich library of recipes available for use in The Texas Collection,” said John Wilson, director of The Texas Collection. “I want people to know it is a great resource for all Texans.”

According to Wilson, with nearly 4,000 volumes of cookbooks, The Texas Collection serves as a culinary research library for anyone interested in Texas food and cooking.

“Cookbooks have long provided Texans with new ideas for what to prepare for dinner, but beyond that, they are historical documents that chronicle the origins and development of the state’s foodways,” Broyles said.

Like Broyles, Pack said she is excited to share her wisdom and knowledge with guests because the event combines her loves of both history and Texas food.

“I’m in love with Texas food history because it reveals so much about who we are, why we eat what we do, and how we think about food,” Pack said. “From its earliest days, the state has been a crossroads for culinary traditions from many directions.”

The program will educate guests on the culture and history surrounding Texas cooking.

“One of my goals is to generate the audience’s interest and excitement about their own family and community food history and to provide some ideas about how they might explore it,” Pack said.

Along with providing greater awareness about the library’s cookbook collection, the program goals include improving visibility of The Texas Collection as an academic resource and depository for Texas cooking and cuisine, examining and exploring local foodways, raising external funds and additional collections, and increasing awareness of local cuisine.

The panel discussion is free and open to the public. Bennett Auditorium is located at 1420 S. 7th St. on the Baylor campus. A reception will follow at The Texas Collection in Carroll Library, 1429 S. 5th St. The reception will feature regional cuisine prepared by students from the culinary school at Texas State Technical College.

For more information, contact John Wilson at 254-710-1268.

Contribute to the conversation or follow the discussion online using the hashtag: #cookingintx

About The Texas Collection

Established in 1923, The Texas Collection is special library, archival research center, and the Baylor University Archive that collects, preserves, and provides access to materials documenting the history, heritage and culture of Texas for the Baylor community and the public.

ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY

Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked research institution, characterized as having “high research activity” by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The University provides a vibrant campus community for approximately 16,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 80 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions. Baylor sponsors 19 varsity athletic teams and is a founding member of the Big 12 Conference.