Isole Dinner Club’s History of English Food and Literature Series: Jane Austen
Isole Dinner Club is a Burlington based dinner club exploring different cultures and different times through a fusion art and performance with food and libations. Curated by “food anthropologist” and chef, Richard Witting whose studies focus on the ethnohistory of food, this dinner will include a talk by a scholar that links the author with the food and cuisine of the time period. Guest speaker Adam Krakowski will curate the beverage menu (including alcohol) and give a brief talk about drinks of the time period. A costumed demonstration of English country dancing to live music by members of The Burlington Country Dancers will entertain you between courses. Speaking at the event will also be Jane Austen expert, Julienne Gehrer.
Julienne Gehrer is a Lifetime Member of the Jane Austen Society of North America (JASNA), and has served as a Board Member and Regional Coordinator. She worked as an Editorial Director for Hallmark Cards, Inc., and retired after a 31-year career. Julienne is the author of three books: In Season: Cooking Fresh From the Kansas City Farmers' Market and Love Lore: Symbols, Legends and Recipes for Romance, and the just published Dining with Jane Austen. She is the creator of three board games including Pride and Prejudice—the Game. Julienne has spoken at several JASNA conferences and regional events on topics including, “Did Jane Austen Prefer a Plain Dish to a Ragout?” and “Jane Austen and 18th Century Kitchen Wisdom.” Although she admits a preference for modern kitchens, Julienne has cooked period foods over the open hearth at the 1858 John Wornall House Museum in Kansas City, Missouri
This event is created and offered in partnership with the Vermont Region of JASNA, the Jane Austen Society of North America.
Richard Witting
Richard’s culinary experience spans the continent: he grew up in Vermont and has worked in the restaurant industry on the West Coast in Portland, OR and San Francisco, CA. You’ll know his work locally, too, as his resumé includes Opaline, Duino Duende, Arts Riot, Dish Catering, Blue Cat, El Cortijo, Magnolia, and Dobra Teahouse. Currently, Richard is the chef owner of Firefly Catering and the event manager for Chef Frank Pace's catering company. Additionally, he is power behind Isole Dinner Club, a Burlington-based dinner club exploring different cultures and eras through the fusion of art, performance, food, and libations. A self-described food anthropologist, Richard studies the ethnohistory of food and has been foraging, cooking, and selling wild edibles since 2001. Read more about Richard in Seven Days: September 2016 and November 2016.
Adam Krakowski
Adam Krakowski has worked at museums, historical societies, art galleries and restoration firms all over New York and New England. Adam co-authored Vermont Beer: History of A Brewing Revolution. He writes for Yankee Brewing News, a brewing industry newspaper. In 2010, he was the recipient of the Weston Cate Jr. Research Fellowship from the Vermont Historical Society for his project, “A Bitter Past: Hop Farming in Nineteenth-Century Vermont.”
Julianne Gehrer
Julienne Gehrer is a Lifetime Member of the Jane Austen Society of North America (JASNA) and worked as an Editorial Director for Hallmark Cards, Inc., retiring after a 31-year career. Julienne is the author of three books: In Season: Cooking Fresh From the Kansas City Farmers' Market and Love Lore: Symbols, Legends and Recipes for Romance, and the newly published Dining with Jane Austen. Gehrer is the creator of three board games, including Pride and Prejudice—the Game. Some of her recent JASNA conference presentation have been titled: “Did Jane Austen Prefer a Plain Dish to a Ragout?” and “Jane Austen and 18th Century Kitchen Wisdom.” Although she admits a preference for modern kitchens, Julienne has cooked period foods over the open hearth at the 1858 John Wornall House Museum in Kansas City, Missouri.