Press

ALBANY, N.Y. – The New York State Museum’s annual “Cooking the Tree of Life” evolution program on February 8 will focus this year on the evolution of milk and offer samples of the popular foods that have resulted.

The program, at 7 p.m. in the Clark Auditorium, celebrates the 203rd anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin, who laid the foundations of the theory of evolution. It will explore the evolutionary origins of the foods we consume, and the ways that human cultures have taken species from the wild and modified them through selective breeding over thousands of generations to suit our nutritional needs and epicurean desires. Audience members will be able to taste samples prepared by local food experts and learn about the natural history of some of America’s favorite foods.

Dr. Jeremy Kirchman, the State Museum’s evolutionary biologist, will lead the presentation, and Dr. Reid Ivy, creamery manager for the award-winning Old Chatham Sheepherding Co, will explain how cheese is made. Together they will consider the evolution of mammals, milk production, and the ingenious ways that humans (with help from bacteria) have used this mammalian adaptation to create some of our richest culinary pleasures. Dr. Ivy and Drue Spallholz from Albany’s Honest Weight Food Co-op, will lead the audience in a cheese tasting.

Lynn Beaumont from Albany’s Cheesecake Machismo will be on hand to describe how to make cheesecake, and will offer the audience samples of cheesecake made at her shop. Fresh local milk from Clarksville’s Meadowbrook Farms Dairy will also be available for sampling.

There will be a $5 admission fee. Beer and wine will be available for purchase.

Established in 1836, the State Museum is a program of the New York State Education Department’s Office of Cultural Education. Located on Madison Avenue in Albany, the Museum is open Monday through Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. except on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. Further information can be obtained by calling (518) 474-5877 or visiting the Museum website at http://www.nysm.nysed.gov/.

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