You don’t leave Maine but your stomach’s gone global due to the inflow of immigrants who bring their familiar ingredients and dishes with them. Southern Italians long ago brought us their “red sauce” restaurants and today we have Ethiopian and Colombian and Indian restaurants. Do immigrant restaurants serve authentic recipes or ones doctored to our taste? We have an explosion of “foreign” food markets and exotic food sections in traditional supermarkets: where they are, and why all this is so predictable.

The Geography of Groceries is a tasteful series of talks about what food really means, served by The Savvy Plates.

This program is presented in person and on Zoom.  Registration is required for Zoom only.

The Savvy Plates:

Our content creator:

Sandy Garson, former caterer, food entrepreneur and food historian, has published many articles and two cookbooks, one award winning. After an orthopedic emergency made her close her successful Maine bakery and catering business, she helped establish a restaurant in Ulan Bator, Mongolia; taught cooking in Kathmandu, Nepal; cooked at a Buddhist monastery in Vancouver, Canada, lectured at New York’s Rubin Museum and was a panelist for MOFAD (Museum of Food And Drink). As Nana Chef, she taught American children to cook. Lately she teaches Maine seniors how food is the secret ingredient of history.  

Our props and plans coordinator:

Gael May McKibben spent most of her life in the art world in Maine, both fine art and fine crafts. She has more recently spent many years volunteering at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at USM (OLLI) taking classes, planning events, working on committees and producing food history programs with the Savvy Palates.

Our tech genie:

Star Pelsue, a retired special education/behavioral therapist, finds joy in reading, cooking, and traveling. Passionate about supporting those on the Spectrum, she has dedicated her career to helping children. Beyond her professional life, Star is an avid reader and traveler.  Her commitment to community is evident in volunteering for AARP Maine, Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, Ronald McDonald House, Victoria Mansion, and more. With a strong belief in giving back, Star Pelsue exemplifies the spirit of volunteerism, making a positive impact in her community.