E47S4  Fine Dining with Authentic Foodie, Buffalo Bill Cody

Who better to explore the culinary legacy of William F. “Buffalo Bill” Cody than Steve Friesen, the Director of the Buffalo Bill Museum and Grave for over 25 years? Friesen joins us to introduce his newest book, “Galloping Gourmet: Eating and Drinking with Buffalo Bill.” Buffalo Bill’s culinary roots began on the American Plains with simple foods such as cornbread, fried “yellow-legged” chicken, and hardtack. While leading buffalo-hunting expeditions and scouting, he discovered gourmet dining. As his fame increased, so did his desire and opportunities for fine dining; his early show business career allowed him to dine at some of the best restaurants in the country. He then took it upon himself to introduce his diverse cast of employees, which sometimes exceeded 1500 people, to the same fine dining. As one newspaper reporter observed, “Colonel Cody displays no more care about anything than the proper feeding of horse and man.” The “Galloping Gourmet” includes 250 artifacts and historic photos and over 30 annotated period recipes. This week’s podcast song is “Stories That the Rocks Tell” by singer-songwriter Micki Fuhrman.