John Ota & the Kitchen of Thomas Jefferson

Join author John Ota for a glimpse into Monticello and the design rationale for Jefferson's complex kitchen addition. As John cooks, he'll share the history and preparation of macaroni and cheese, tennis ball lettuce and tomato salad, and an early 19^th century Mary Rudolph salad dressing recipe. Hear about Jefferson's love of French food, the vegetables from his "Thousand Foot Garden", and the recipes that were cooked in his kitchen by his enslaved chefs. Enjoy peaches and ice cream - one of his favorite fruits - to finish out the presentation. Copies of John's book, The Kitchen, will be available for sale by Rudolph Girls. 

This program is supported by the American Rescue Plan: Humanities Grants for Libraries an initiative of the American Library Association (ALA) made possible with funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.