Audio files from 'Adventures
in Gastronomy'
Interviews with Jan Longone
Every Friday from 1975-1981 "Adventures in Gastronomy," perhaps
the first national radio program on culinary history, was broadcast on
WUOM-National Public Radio, Ann Arbor, Michigan. The program was part
of the WUOM Noon show and was co-hosted by Shirley Smith (hostess) and
Jan Longone (guest).
Although the program ran only between 5 and 10 minutes, the response
of the listening audience was dramatic. Phones frequently rang "off
the hook." More >
Audio files:
Gertrude
Stein Alice Toklas (1976) - 6 min. 
Robin Howe/Spaghetti
Museum, Italy - 6 min.
Jessie
Conrad (Mrs. Joseph C.) - 6 min.
Durgin
Park Restaurant, Boston (founded 1729) - 7 min.
Luchow
Rest., NYC - 6 min.
An
Irish "At Home" - 5.5 min.
Yesteryears,
Kankalee Ill. (Frank Lloyd Wright) - 6.5 min.
Most of the programs were recorded
at the WUOM studio in Ann Arbor, but, when Jan was travelling, she made
and sent tapes back to Shirley for broadcast. These latter were not always
equal in sound quality to the former, but were deemd good enough to be
heard.
The range of culinary history topics covered was quite astonishing thirty years
ago, and would be so even today.
About 150 tapes were saved from destruction and stored in various basements and
garages for about 30 years until technology caught up with our desire to preserve
this archive for posterity. Several wonderful culinary docents at the Clements
library found a way to digitize the 30-year old tapes. When we heard them, we
felt they should be shared.
Following are a handful of the tapes already digitized. From time to time, we
will add and/or change the tapes available. Eventually we will present an index
to all the tapes. These now form part of the Janice Bluestein Longone Culinary
Archive at the Clements Library, University of Michigan.
A personal footnote: Although I have not made regular radio tapes for more than
a quarter of a century, I still have people stop me at the farmer's market or
on the street, to tell me how much they miss the program, and to ask if we couldn't
please do something to make them available again.
Thanks to the Clements Culinary Volunteers, this has been done. Thank you to
all who have made it possible.
Jan Longone Curator of American Culinary History Clements Library |
