A Wartime Journal and Heirloom Recipes from Occupied France

The Culinary Historians of San Diego will present “A Bitter Sweet Discovery,” featuring author Kitty Morse, at 10:30 am on Saturday, April 20, 2024, in the Neil Morgan Auditorium of the San Diego Central Library, 330 Park Blvd., San Diego, CA 92101. The event is free and open to the public. A tasting will follow the presentation.

When Kitty Morse came upon an unfamiliar suitcase hidden in her late mother’s closet, she quickly realized she had a treasure in her hands. Beside a journal of wartime France written by her great grandfather was a notebook containing 160 heirloom recipes by her great-grandmother. Join us as Kitty unpacks the history behind this amazing discovery.

“I’d never come across another suitcase quite like it. But what was the tattered black leather valise doing there, hidden behind a crocheted comforter on the top shelf of my late mother’s closet? The tarnished brass locking mechanism had already been sprung. I held my breath and lifted the lid…”

10:30am
Saturday, April 20, 2024

Neil Morgan Auditorium
San Diego Central Library
330 Park Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92101

About Kitty Morse

Kitty Morse wrote Bitter Sweet: A Wartime Journal and Heirloom Recipes from Occupied France, which was published in 2022. The award-winning author was born in Casablanca, Morocco, of a French mother and British father. She emigrated to the United States at the age of seventeen. While studying for her Master’s Degree at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Kitty catered Moroccan differs, or banquets, and went on to teach the intricacies of Moroccan cuisine in cooking schools and department stores nationwide. In June 2002, she conducted a Culinary Concert on Moroccan culture and cuisine hosted by Julia Child, as a benefit for the Harry Bell Foundation of the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP). Kitty’s 2 memoirs and 9 cookbooks have been translated into French, German, Polish and Czech. Over 25 years, Kitty initiated and led annual gastronomic tours to Morocco that included culinary demonstrations in her family home, a Moorish riad south of Casablanca. Her monthly newsletter, The Kasbah Chronicles, written in French and English, is in its 12th year of circulation. Kitty also holds a board position on LIFE (Learning is for Everyone), a non-profit organization based at Mira Costa College, Oceanside, CA.

About the Culinary Historians of San Diego
Culinary Historians of San Diego (CHSD) is a nonprofit organization that provides the public with a history of food and drink and their roles in society, both locally and worldwide. Membership in this non-profit organization supports both CHSD activities and the culinary collection of the San Diego Public Library.

About the Culinary Historians of San Diego

Culinary Historians of San Diego (CHSD) is a nonprofit charitable organization that provides free lectures at the San Diego Public Library. Topics about food and how it relates to history and culture are presented by speakers from around the nation.