Jan 15, 2026
PRESS RELEASE – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 8, 2025
Contact: Tiffany Wilson
Community Engagement Coordinator
Chattahoochee Valley Libraries
706-243-2673 or 706-593-3535
Keynote Speaker pictures and book covers are available. Please call 706.593.3535 or email twilson@cvlga.org for more information.
THE CHATTAHOOCHEE VALLEY LIBRARIES PRESENT FOOD & THE SOUL OF AMERICA, AN AMERICAN 250TH CELEBRATION
(Columbus, GA) - In honor of the 250th Anniversary of our nation’s Declaration of Independence, the Chattahoochee Valley Libraries and it’s presenting partners invite you to OUR table to honor and celebrate our history, our heritage, and our culture via the power of cuisine.
FOOD AND THE SOUL OF AMERICA will offer one and all a chance to re-connect to the traditions and collected legacies brought to us by our food and drink (and the folks with whom we share it).
Featuring nationally-known experts, authors and television personalities, the keynote speaker series will be supplemented with dozens of movies, genealogy classes, recipe digitization events, exhibits and more at all branches of the Chattahoochee Valley Libraries.
And did we mention food? Yes! Each of the keynote and Georgia History series will feature edible samples of foods being discussed in that particular program. In addition, each author’s books will be for sale at their events, with opportunities to meet and get autographs from the speakers after each program.
The Keynote series, Food and Scarcity in the Time of War series, Georgia History series and Exhibitions will be held at the Columbus Public Library, 3000 Macon Road, Columbus GA, 31906.
All events are free and open to the public. No tickets or reservations are needed.
A complete list of programs is available at www.cvlga.org/Food2026. The full program guide can be accessed here.
FOOD AND THE SOUL OF AMERICA is presented by the Chattahoochee Valley Libraries. Primary support for the series is provided by the Muscogee County Library Foundation.
This project is supported by Georgia Humanities, in partnership with the Georgia Department of Economic Development, through funding from the Georgia General Assembly.
The “Food and Scarcity in the Time of War” series is offered as part of the Col. Richard M. Hallock Public Lecture series funded by the Col. Richard R. Hallock Endowment for Military History at Columbus State University.
Food samples for programs are provided in cooperation with The Food Mill Food Farmacy and the Jordan Vocational High School College & Career Academy. The series media partner is WTVM News Leader 9.
KEYNOTE SERIES:
THE HISTORY OF BARBECUE
Every region in our country claims the best Barbecue, but how did it become one of the staples of our cuisine? Join us for this entertaining luncheon with two-times James Beard Award-winning author (and Kansas City Barbeque Society-certified barbecue judge) Adrian Miller. He’ll trace the legacy of Barbecue’s origins in the South from the nation’s founding through to the regional styles of today.
Fri. January 23 | 11:30am
W.C. Bradley Reading Room
PRESERVING FAMILY RECIPES
Georgia Author and Archivist Valerie J. Frey leads this lecture/workshop on how you can save and explore your family history through recipes. She’ll offer tips on preservation of old/heirloom materials and will offer guidelines on developing your personal “toolkit” to work with your own family recipes. After the lecture, she and staff from the Chattahoochee Valley Libraries will lead a workshop to introduce you to library resources and to answer your questions.
Sat. January 31 | 1:00pm – 4:00pm
Synovus Meeting Rooms A+B
AUTHOR/TELEVISION HOST JOHN T. EDGE
The beloved host and writer of the ESPN/SEC Network hit TrueSouth brings us his legendary expertise on the history and power of food in the American South. This multiple award-winning writer and storyteller was the longtime director of the Southern Foodways Alliance and one of the important voices who raised the nation’s consciousness on the glory of grits, collards, and cornbread.
Thurs. February 5 | 6:00pm
W.C. Bradley Reading Room
CLASSIC COUNTRY COOKING: A TALK WITH MELINDA NEWTON, “THE CHICKEN LADY” OF MINNIE’S UPTOWN RESTAURANT
Join us for an evening of local history and cuisine as Melinda Newton, aka “The Chicken Lady,” shares her story. Growing up surrounded by good southern cookin’ and local restaurateurs, the inheritor of Minnie’s Uptown Restaurant has learned more than a thing or two about bringing a classic recipe to life, being a local business owner, and sharing the joy of a warm plate of comfort food.
Tues. February 10 | 6:00pm
Auditorium
VERY VERA!
Vera “Very Vera” Stewart, the Augusta entrepreneur who turned her catering business into a social media empire, will give this delightful address about present day Southern Food and Culture. Known for her many food-oriented businesses as well as for defeating Bobby Flay during one of his “Throwdown with Bobby Flay” episodes, she’ll bring her unique perspective and captivating personality
Tues. February 17 | 6:00pm
W.C. Bradley Reading Room
HISTORIC GEORGIA RECIPES
Georgia Author and Archivist Valerie J. Frey returns to explore sources of recipes in Georgia and the South before World War II. She will highlight various cookbooks and recipes, including Verstille’s Southern Cookery, the 1866 cookbook by (occasional) Columbus resident Ellen Jane Verstille. At the end of her presentation, she’ll offer samples of some of the food items discussed, all to be washed down with Temperance Punch from a 1909 recipe.
Thurs. February 26 | 6:00pm
Synovus Meeting Rooms A+B
MICHAEL TWITTY: RECIPES FROM THE AMERICAN SOUTH (Teens and Adults)
Where did Southern food come from? Why are there so many myths around it and why does it have so many controversies and variations and possibilities? What is its future and how do we preserve Southern food culture knowing it has to be dynamic to survive? Come on down for a lively discussion with James Beard Award-winning author Michael W. Twitty on Southern food in story, practice and legacy.
Thurs. March 12 | 6:00pm
W.C. Bradley Reading Room
FOOD AND SCARCITY IN THE TIME OF WAR SERIES
This lecture series “within a series” will examine how the availability of food for soldiers (and citizens) impacted strategic decision-making during the course of the two wars held on American soil – the American Revolution and the Civil War.
FOOD AND FAMINE IN THE CIVIL WAR ERA SOUTH
Dr. Anne Sarah Rubin, the renowned Organization of American Historians Distinguished Lecturer and the award-winning author of A Shattered Nation: The Rise and Fall of the Confederacy, will talk about the complications of keeping soldiers, citizens and slave fed as the Civil War reached its concluding years.
Wed. February 11 | 6:00pm
Auditorium
FEEDING WASHINGTON’S ARMY: SURVIVING THE VALLEY FORGE WINTER OF 1778
Award-winning Army War College military historian Ricardo A. Herrera uncovers what daily life was like for soldiers during the darkest and coldest days of the American Revolution: the Valley Forge winter. Here, the army launched its largest and riskiest operation—not a bloody battle against British forces but a campaign to feed itself and prevent starvation or dispersal during the long encampment. Herrera brings to light the army’s herculean efforts to feed itself, support local and Continental governments, and challenge the British Army.
Wed. March 4 | 6:00pm
Auditorium
EXHIBITIONS
These exhibitions will focus on national and regional cuisine and its interaction with history and culture. Featuring stories, anecdotes, and quite a few recipes, they will enlighten and entertain all ages. You might be surprised to find out how political decisions made thousands of miles away impacted what you’re having for dinner tonight!
THE COOKBOOKS THAT MADE AMERICA
This historic look at American cookbooks traces back to the first edition made specifically for the United States (American Cookery 1796) and then follow the development of the American palette through a look at the recipes and writing of its various eras. Titles as familiar as Julia Child’s “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” will exist side by side with titles not as familiar to the American Public but still important to food writing and food history (M.F.K. Fisher’s “How to Cook a Wolf” as an example). Viewers will be able to trace large scale food movements such as the focus on regionalism in the late 1800s that saw the creation of the “City” cookbook or will learn with Italian and Mexican cooking started becoming popular additions to our country’s growing palette. Reproductions of included titles will be available for perusal.
February - April
W.C. Bradley Reading Room
PÂTÉ DU SUD: A BRIEF HISTORY OF PIMIENTO CHEESE
Ah, the Pate of the South as it’s been called. This humorous exhibit will look at this mystical concoction that Southerners will serve with anything. Essentially just a combination of shredded cheddar cheese, mayonnaise and chopped pimiento peppers, the culturally legacy and the controversy over what is or isn’t allowed in the dish, or even what’s the correct spelling of the pepper – pimiento or pimento – fuels arguments and amusement to this day. Indeed, Southern Living magazine has 12 distinct recipes for the delicacy. What is true is that Georgia was one of the leading producers of the pepper in the mid-20th century and is ground zero for the dish becoming a regional staple. The exhibit will trace the history back to the Northeast in the late 1800s and will cover some of the most interesting stories including the lawsuits about the cheese served at the Masters Golf tournament. We’ll also display recipes from the famous Georgians and from library staff.
February - April
Rotunda, 2nd Floor