Before baking powder became a kitchen staple, there was a state-level showdown over the rights to produce and sell it, and food historian Linda Civitello says Connecticut played a central role. This hour, she joins us to dig into her book, Baking Powder Wars: The Cutthroat Food Fight that Revolutionized Cooking.
Plus, Darien First Selectman Monica McNally previews the town’s $85 million purchase of Great Island, a 63-acre property linked to baking powder tycoon William Ziegler.
Read an excerpt from chapter 2 of Baking Powder Wars, titled "The Liberation of Cake":
From Baking Powder Wars: The Cutthroat Food Fight that Revolutionized Cooking by Linda Civitello. © 2017 by Linda Civitello. Used with permission of the University of Illinois Press.
GUESTS:
- Linda Civitello: Food Historian; Author, Baking Powder Wars: The Cutthroat Food Fight that Revolutionized Cooking
- Monica McNally: First Selectman of Darien
Cat Pastor contributed to this episode which originally aired September 14, 2023.
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