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Culinary Experimentation
The meals of the 1960s and 1970s had a wide variety of influences. The environmental movement increased the amount of granola and other whole foods consumed, says Lynne Olver, creator of the Food Timeline. Meanwhile, the Kennedys and Julia Childs popularized French cuisine. Even with the culinary experimentation, mainstay sandwiches like peanut butter or tuna were common in lunch boxes.

1960s

Iceberg wedge salad, courtesy Flickr user SauceSupreme.

The Times: The 1960s exploded with cultural changes. The Civil Rights Movement, women’s liberation and Vietnam War protests all flourished in this decade. Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first men to walk on the moon. Acid rock, psychedelic drugs and folk music were popular.

Lunch:
Iceberg wedge salad
Carrot sticks
Nutmeg date bars
Tang

Why it was popular: The wedge salad could be as simple as a chunk of iceberg lettuce with a dollop of mayonnaise and would have been easy to pack, Olver says. The orange-flavored drink Tang didn’t become popular until NASA used it on Gemini flights in 1965 and since then it has been associated with the space program.

1970s

Quiche Lorraine, courtesy Flickr user foéÖþoooey.

The Times: The 1970s were a continuation of the changes in the 1960s. Vice President Spiro Agnew resigned from office because of charges of corruption in 1973 and the next year President Richard Nixon resigned, rather than face impeachment for his involvement in Watergate. The Supreme Court ruled on Roe v. Wade and the first Gay Pride march was held in New York City, honoring the first anniversary of the Stonewall riots.

Lunch:
Quiche Lorraine
Grasshopper pie (mint filling in an Oreo crust)

Why it was popular: Quiche was easily packaged in a lunch. Americans were intrigued by different flavors and textures; They weren’t satisfied with the same food that they had had since the 1950s, Olver says.

Don’t miss the last lunch box blog post coming Thursday!

As I wrote last week, hot weather often makes people reach for chilly white wines. But there’s no reason to reject reds!

Although most people think red wines taste best at “room temperature,” that’s not as warm as you might think, especially in summer. Between 60-65 degrees Fahrenheit is ideal for most red wines, and some taste good even colder. Put the bottle in the fridge for a few minutes before serving, or for a fun touch, use frozen red grapes as ice cubes that won’t water down your wine.

Here are some types I like (based partly on a recent Smithsonian Resident Associates tasting with wine educator Kelly Magyarics):

Type: Pinot Noir
One to try: Domaine Chandon Pinot Noir, from the Carneros region of California
Average retail price: $30
Tastes like: Plums, blueberries and pepper
Pairs with: Cedar-planked grilled salmon, orange-glazed seared duck breast, BBQ chicken, lentil salad.

Type: Malbec
One to try: Trivento Select Malbec, from the Mendoza region of Argentina
Average retail price: $12
Tastes like: Dark berries, pepper and cocoa
Pairs with: Peppercorn-crusted beef, BBQ ribs, pizza with spicy toppings, Caprese salad.

Type: Cabernet Sauvignon
One to try: Solaire Cabernet Sauvignon Central Coast, made with Cabernet Sauvignon grapes from three of Robert Mondavi’s vineyards in California
Average retail price: $15
Tastes like: Blackberries, plums and vanilla
Pairs with: Grilled ribeye steak, lamb kebabs, hard cheeses.

Type: Beaujolais
One to try: Louis Jadot Beaujolais Villages, made with Gamay grapes from the Beaujolais region of France
Average retail price: $11
Tastes like: Strawberries, licorice and pepper
Pairs with: Hamburgers, grilled fish or chicken with Cajun spice rub, mild to medium cheeses.

Type: Rosé
One to try: Toad Hollow Eye of the Toad Rosé, made with Pinot Noir grapes from California’s Sonoma Valley
Average retail price: $10 (2007 vintage)
Tastes like: Strawberries, watermelon with a slight zing of citrus
Pairs with: Fried chicken, hot dogs, sushi, melon balls…pretty much anything!

Employing food tasters to test for poison may seem like an anachronism in the 21st century, but the profession has enjoyed a recent resurgence. Earlier this month, President Obama made headlines when a food taster tested his food in France, and last summer, Olympic officials fed milk, salad and rice (among other things) to white mice to test food for safety and thus prevent food poisoning in athletes.

Bottle of poison, courtesy of Flickr user -Cаvin-.

Testing food for poison goes back to the ancient Egyptians and the Roman Empire, wrote John Emsley, a professor of chemistry at the University of Cambridge, in an email.

For example, Halotus was the official taster for Roman Emperor Claudius. He’s famous because he failed at his job. Claudius was killed by poison in A.D. 54 (and Halotus was a suspect in the murder). But in all fairness, what chance did Halotus, or any taster, have to warn their employers?

Chemicals like arsenic trioxide, cyanide, strychnine and atropine have traditionally been used to poison people. Of those, only cyanide can kill within minutes, thus giving the tester enough time to fulfill his job description by notifying others of the tainted meal, Emsley said. If given in large doses, alkaloid poisons like strychnine and atropine can kill within 24 hours, while arsenic would make the victim vomit within a few hours and possibly die within a day.

Because noticing the effects of poison can take so long—I doubt royals, presidents or other dignitaries would wait an entire day to eat their food—I tend to think that the taster was like a placebo. The taster made the royal eater feel safer, but didn’t really protect him or her. Then again, if I were royal, I would take as many precautions as possible to avoid death and feel safe about enjoying my food.

Victory Garden poster, courtesy Smithsonian Photographic Services.

In these two decades, America bounced back from the Great Depression and solidified its position as a world leader. One particularly popular food item was a grilled cheese sandwich, says Lynne Olver, creator of the Food Timeline. For people today, it seems like a lunch staple, but in the 1940s and earlier, it was considered a “hardship meal” — eaten when meat wasn’t available.

1940s

The Times: On Dec. 7, 1941, Japan attacked the U.S. naval based at Pearl Harbor. Shortly after this, the U.S. joined the Allied forces in WWII. Germany surrendered in May of 1945, and the war in the Pacific theater came to a close in August of the same year after the U.S. detonated two atomic bombs in Japan.

Lunch:
Spamwich
Tomato soup and club crackers
Victory Garden Salad
Coffee

Why it was popular: During WWII, many goods were rationed. About 20 million Americans planted Victory Gardens, growing their own food to save war supplies for the troops. People cooked sauces, made salads or canned produce. Spam was introduced in 1937, but become very popular in the 1940s because it was an inexpensive meat product.

1950s

Meatloaf sandwich, courtesy of Flickr user rick.

The Times: Alaska and Hawaii became the forty-ninth and fiftieth states. The Civil Rights movement progressed with the ruling of Brown v. Board of Education and Rosa Parks refusing to give up her seat on a public bus in Alabama. During this Baby Boom decade, many Americans moved from the city to the suburbs. With the extra yard space and the international tastes of returning GIs, the backyard BBQ became a staple of cooks around the country, Olver says.

Lunch:
Meatloaf sandwich
Potato salad
Cheez Whiz and crackers
Milk

Why it was popular: In the 1950s, Cheez Whiz and other new products filled shelves at local grocery stores. Household cooks did some “interesting things” in the 1950s, Olver says, including making personal pizzas with Kraft American cheese.

Be sure to check back for the last two lunch box blog posts!

A glass of white wine on a sunny day, courtesy of Flickr user iansand

Wondering which wines to pack for picnics or bring to barbecues this summer?

White wines tend to be more popular in hot weather, since they’re served chilled. Look for types described as light and crisp, rather than rich or full-bodied. As a general rule, wines aged in stainless steel tanks rather than oak barrels will keep more of their crisp, fruity taste—oak can add a buttery quality because of malolactic fermentation.

Here are a few suggestions, gleaned in part from a recent Smithsonian Resident Associates event with wine educator Kelly Magyarics.

Type: Sauvignon Blanc
One to try: Emiliana Natura, made with 100 percent organic Sauvignon Blanc grapes from Chile’s Casablanca Valley
Average retail price: $11
Tastes like: Limes, green apples, lemongrass
Pairs well with: Salad of mixed greens and herbed goat cheese, steamed clams with lemon butter, sushi, chips and salsa.

Type: Prosecco
One to try: Cantine Maschio Prosecco Brut, made from 100 percent Prosecco grapes in Italy’s Veneto region
Average retail price: $12
Tastes like: Fizzy, with peach-almond flavor. Like champagne, but less yeasty because it’s fermented in the tank instead of the bottle.
Pairs well with: Oysters, shrimp, fried chicken, avocado salad, prosciutto-wrapped melon balls. Mix with orange juice to make mimosas!

Type: Gavi
One to try: Vigne Regali Principessa Gavia, made from Cortese di Gavi grapes in Italy’s Piedmont region
Average retail price: $13
Tastes like: Apples and grapefruit with a whiff of pineapple
Pairs well with: Pasta salad, grilled lemon pepper shrimp or chicken, pesto dip.

Type: Torrontes
One to try: Crios de Susana Balbo Torrontes, from the high-altitude Cafayete region of Argentina
Average retail price: $15
Tastes like:  A tropical garden full of fruits and flowers; smells sweet but tastes dry
Pairs well with: Peanut satay skewers, grilled mango shrimp, fruit salad, salami, Gouda and most cheeses.

Type: Gruner Veltliner
One to try: Meinhard Forstreiter Grooner, made from Gruner Veltliner grapes in Austria’s Kremstal region
Average retail price: $9
Tastes like: Green apples and lime with a hint of mineral
Pairs well with: Fish tacos, grilled asparagus, pineapple chicken skewers, artichoke dip.