An essay written by Instructional Support Coordinator Tom Hudgens titled, "The Possibility of an Authentic American Cuisine: Catherine's Corn Pasta" was published in the book Food and Architecture: At the Table by Samantha L. Martin McAuliffe. The book is a collection of essays exploring the relationship between architecture and culinary arts.
His piece begins with an exquisitely detailed, step-by-step account of his job as pasta-maker while working at Chez Panisse in Berkeley, California. The essay also presents a variety of perspectives on the meaning of culinary authenticity and the importance placed on learning about and emulating culinary traditions that originated outside of the United States. Hudgens artfully details the process of seeking to create an authentic American dish that reverently pays homage to culinary influences from countries and regions with long-standing traditions, while at the same time questioning the relevance of culinary labels.
Tom Hudgens is the author of The Commonsense Kitchen: 500 Recipes + Lessons for a Handcrafted Life, which was published in 2010. The book is filled with pages of essential kitchen practices, inspiration for those pursuing the craft of cooking, and recipes that he served while chef at Deep Springs College in California.
The book's editor, Samantha L. Martin-McAuliffe, is the daughter of retired Psychology Professor Dikran Martin. As a faculty member in the School of Architecture, Planning and Environmental Policy at University College Dublin, she directs a post-graduate seminar course on the intersection of food and architecture. Since 2012 she has also been an architectural historian on the Methone Archaeological Project in Greece.