Political Appetites: How a new nation cooked up politics—one recipe at a time by Dr. Nancy Siegel

November 21st, 2026 - 2:00pm–3:00pm

Free with museum admission.
The lecture will be followed by a book signing.

Food has long carried political meaning, and revolutionary America was no exception. Join art and culinary historian Nancy Siegel for a lecture which uncovers a richly layered story in which meals, ingredients, and even kitchenware helped Americans define what democracy should look—and taste—like. From tea boycotts and homemade “Liberty Tea” to Washington Pie, Election Cake, and Mammoth Cheese, learn how ordinary foods became vehicles for protest, persuasion, and celebration during the years surrounding the Revolution and the Early Republic.

Nancy Siegel is Assistant Dean and Professor of Art History & Culinary History at Towson University where she specializes in American landscape studies, underrepresented women artists of the 19^th century, print culture, and culinary history of the 18^th and 19^th centuries. She provides historical cooking demonstrations, tastings, and lectures widely on landscape and food histories in addition to serving as an art and culinary consultant for museums and non-profit institutions. This lecture is based upon her book, Political Appetites: The Power of Food in Revolutionary America (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2026) and the documentary Feeding the American Revolution (WMHT/PBS).