How many times have you smelled a cake baking and felt instantly transported to your grandmother’s kitchen? Perhaps nothing ties us more to our past than food. It can conjure up an instant memory or connect us to those who lived long ago. Recipes are passed down generation through generation, often becoming beloved family heirlooms. Recipes also offer us a glimpse into how our ancestors once lived and can help us understand how the foods we eat today evolved.

This spring, history comes alive in the Center for Health & Wellbeing Nutrition Theatre under the guidance of Rachel Simmons, the archivist at the Winter Park Library. Rachel will teach you how to make two types of buttermilk biscuits, while sharing the history of how these beloved baked goods came to be one of the fundamental dishes of the American South.

In this program, you’ll learn about the history of the development of the buttermilk biscuit; the differences between a biscuit, a cathead biscuit and a scone, and basic nutritional information about the buttermilk biscuit. As Rachel bakes, this natural storyteller will fascinate you with stories of our area’s culinary past.

You have two ways to attend this program: for just $10, you can book your seat in the Nutrition Theatre, where you’ll get to sample Rachel’s biscuits, or register for our free online webinar and watch the program live or later on-demand.

This program is presented by the Winter Park Library and is hosted by the Winter Park Health Foundation.

  About the Presenter:  

Rachel Simmons is a native of southeast Alabama, moving to Florida in 2016 with her husband Josh. She was educated at the University of Alabama with degrees in history and library and information sciences. Currently, she is the archivist at the Winter Park Library.