CHAA Meetings
The Culinary Historians of Ann Arbor generally meet on the third Sunday of the month at 4 p.m. Eastern, September through May. Meeting invitations are sent to members and other interested individuals, but all are welcome to attend. Our monthly talks are hybrid: an in-person audience gathers at the Ann Arbor District Library, and a virtual audience gathers online via the library’s YouTube channel. Please check this website for the date and location and format of each meeting, as these will vary.
Members receive emailed information regarding meetings in advance and a reminder on the day of each meeting.
Next program
Sunday, February 16, 2025, 4 p.m.
Ann Arbor District Library
315 S. Fifth St., Ann Arbor MI
Fourth Floor Meeting Room and Online here.
Register to receive a reminder a few days before the event.
Henry Orr, a Black Caterer in Early Federal Washington, DC
In 1837 the best-known Black caterer in Washington, D.C., was hired to create a supper in honor of the visiting Englishwoman Harriet Martineau. That man, Henry Orr, the dinner he prepared, and the extraordinary life he lived, form a fascinating episode in U.S. and culinary history. Using his skills to supply fine food and dining service for elite white families in the nation’s capital between 1816 and 1846, Mr. Orr earned enough money to buy himself, his wife, and his children out of slavery. His story offers an impressive but sobering view of one man’s culinary skills playing a life-affirming role— in ways not often seen in history textbooks or in culinary investigations.
About the speaker
Dr. Leni A. Sorensen teaches culinary history and cookery, currently at her five-acre farmstead in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. She earned her MA and PhD in American Studies at the College of William and Mary. She has worked for over 40 years as a university lecturer, museum consultant, hands-on presenter, and researcher focusing on African American slavery, American agriculture, and women’s work in colonial and post-colonial America. Most recently, Dr. Sorensen was featured in the television series High on the Hog (Netflix, 2021) and in Finding Edna Lewis (PBS, 2025).
Upcoming programs and links to past programs.
Join Us!
Our membership year runs from September to September. The annual membership is $25. You can print out the membership form here. We also accept membership dues via credit card (with or without PayPal). Click on the membership link at the top of this page for more information.
The Culinary Historians of Ann Arbor (CHAA), founded in 1983 by Jan Longone and friends, is an organization of scholars, cooks, food writers, nutritionists, collectors, students, and others interested in the study of culinary history and gastronomy.
The mission of the group is to promote the study of culinary history through regular programs open to members and guests, through the quarterly publication Repast, and through exchanges of information with other such organizations.
Monthly meetings of the CHAA are normally held in Ann Arbor, Michigan, from September through May on the third Sunday of the month at 4 p.m. (unless otherwise announced).
Membership in CHAA is open to anyone interested in culinary history. Dues are $25.00 for an individual or couple and include a subscription to Repast. The membership year is from September to September. For those who cannot attend meetings, a yearly subscription to Repast is $20.00.
Repast is the official quarterly publication of CHAA. Besides announcements of future meetings and reports of past meetings, it also contains feature articles, book reviews, a calendar of upcoming events of culinary interest, and special events. For information about contributing articles, placing information, announcements, or other regular features, contact the Editor.