With the table overflowing from the bounty of the just-picked produce, the newly restored Kitchen Dependency was abuzz with the official inauguration of the restored hearth, all fired up with hardwood charcoal and retrofitted with cast iron pots. This was a celebration of life at Monticello with star chef Walter Staib, proprietor and chef of the historic City Tavern Restaurant in Philadelphia and Culinary Ambassador for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. He journeyed to Thomas Jefferson’s home for four days of immersion into Jefferson’s life for an upcoming PBS series, “A Taste of History” which will air this Fall.

Staib loved the power of the hearth and the opportunity to recreate the dishes that were so integral to life at the House. His major guidebook was the popular Dining at Monticello, the beautiful 2005 collection of recipes and essays produced by the Thomas Jefferson Foundation detailing the world of food and wine during Thomas Jefferson’s life at Monticello.

On this particular day, the last day of the shoot, I was fortunate to watch Staib and Dr. Leni Sorensen, African-American Research Historian at Monticello, cook together and discuss how events unfolded in this space so many years ago. They took coals from the hearth and transported them to the stew burners to make Mary Randolph’s stewed mushroom recipe which accompanied the curried lamb and vegetable rice pilaf that Staib so skillfully prepared earlier in the morning.

Thomas Jefferson and the slaves who actually cooked in this kitchen, Mary Randolph and Edith Fossett, would beam seeing Staib at the 850 degree hearth recreating dishes they prepared in this very space. Staib brought life back into the kitchen and championed Jefferson as “a man who had pure enthusiasm for gardens and grapes.”

This is just a little preview of an exciting program. Stay tuned for additional information as we near the series premiere. You will not want to miss this taste of history unfold at Monticello.