User:MackDano/Christina Ward

Christina Ward (born April 4, 1969, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin) is a Wisconsin-based writer specializing in food preservation, recipe, and culinary history books.

Career
Ward is a self-taught, multi-disciplinary creator and writer. Early works include transgressive poetry and short stories published in zines under multiple pseudonyms. In 2000, Ward began publishing small-run art books under the imprint of Back Pocket Press and Odaliske Press and co-publishing poetry broadsides and chapbook under the name Accurate Key.

During this time, Ward also pursued learning 19th and early 20th century cooking and food preservation techniques and was certified as a Master Food Preserver by the State of Wisconsin. From the years 2012 to 2019, she taught food preservation classes throughout the Milwaukee area.

Between 2012-2016, Ward wrote a monthly column for Edible Milwaukee Magazine named DIY-MKE: that focused on the history, personal stories, and recipes that reflect Milwaukee city's culture.

In 2011, Ward—an avid book collector—began assisting touring authors published by Feral House with events in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In January 2015, Feral House founder Adam Parfrey recruited Ward to work full-time for Feral House in marketing and publicity.

Ward published her first book, Preservation: The Art and Science of Canning, Fermentation, and Dehydration (2017), with the Feral House imprint, Process.

Feral House founder Parfrey unexpectedly died on May 5, 2018. Parfrey’s sister managing director and head of operations, asked Ward to assist her in continuing Feral House Publishing. Ward was promoted to Vice President and expanded her duties to include every aspect of publishing.

Ward’s second book, American Advertising Cookbooks: How Corporations Taught Us to Love Spam, Bananas, and Jell-O (2019), was met with critical and press recognition from the New York Times , Milk Street Radio , and more.

In July 2019, Ward provided research about Milwaukee food culture for the producers of the Hulu broadcast episodic program Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi.” She was invited to appear on camera with host and executive producer Padma Lakshmi for Episode 2 of Season 1, where they discussed Milwaukee’s early immigrant food culture, while riding around in the Oscar Meyer Wienermobile.

Ward continues to acquire and edit non-fiction books and, as of September 2023, has been involved in producing seventy-five titles. As the Vice President of Feral House Publishing, she is also the public spokesperson for Feral House.

Her most recent book is Holy Food: How Cults, Communes, and Religious Movements Influenced What We Eat—An American History (Process), released on September 26, 2023. She remains the Master Food Preserver, serving residents and answering food preservation questions throughout southeast Wisconsin and beyond.

Books

 * Preservation-The Art and Science of Canning, Fermentation, and Dehydration, Process Media (2017)
 * American Advertising Cook Books: How Corporations Taught Us to Love Bananas, Spam, and Jell-O, Process Media (November 27, 2018)
 * Holy Food: Recipes and Foodways from Cults, Communes, and New Religious Movements, Feral House Publishing (2023)
 * Happy Days: The Official Cookbook, Insight Editions (April 9, 2024)

Articles

 * Snack Attack! (Edible Milwaukee, March 1, 2014)
 * What is This Pie? (Edible Milwaukee, June 1, 2014)
 * DIY-MKE: In a Pickle! (Edible Milwaukee, September 1, 2013)
 * DIY-MKE: Pro Tips from the Cookie Masters (Edible Milwaukee, November 2, 2013)
 * Get Your Hands Into the Stuff of Life (Edible Milwaukee, September 1, 2014)
 * Roast Dinner, Not Yourself (Edible Milwaukee, December 1, 2014)
 * Vienna Strudel by Way of East Prussia, Denmark, Baden-Wurttemberg, Berlin, and Milwaukee (Remedy Quarterly Magazine, Issue 18, Fall 2014)
 * The Internet Will Kill You (The Runcible Spoon, Issue 5, Fall 2014)
 * Leftoverture: Make Your Leftovers Sing A New Tune (Edible Milwaukee, March 1, 2015)
 * Quick Pickle Techniques (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, July 22, 2015)
 * Our German Soldiers (Edible Milwaukee, September 1, 2015)
 * The Easy Elegance of a Trifle (Edible Milwaukee, December 1, 2015)
 * Exploring Milwaukee's Bakeries (Edible Milwaukee, March 1, 2017)
 * How to Make Pot Pickles. The Ultimate Bloody Mary Garnish (Mary Jane, June 14, 2017)
 * Philip Kerr Interview (Crimespree Magazine, June 29, 2017)
 * Pickle Science: How to Master the Preserving Power of Acids (Serious Eats, November 1, 2019)
 * From Jam to Jerky: Water Activity and the Science of Preservation (Serious Eats, August 4, 2023)
 * How to Can Tomatoes (Serious Eats, updated September 5, 2023)

Contributions

 * Pizza Quest: A Cross-Country Guide to America's Best Pies, By Eleanore Park (Wall Street Journal, July 25, 2019)
 * Bawdy Tales & Trifles of Devilries for Ladies and Gentlemen of Experience by Eugène Lepoittevin (2021), afterword by Fannie Woodcock (aka-Christina Ward)

Television

 * Canning expert shares some of her food preservation expertise (Fox 6 Now Milwaukee, June 12, 2017)
 * Growing cucumbers in your garden? Get a lesson in making pickles (Fox 6 Now Milwaukee, June 29, 2107)
 * Forget the fake sugary stuff, learn how to make real fruit roll-ups (Fox 6 Now Milwaukee, July 10, 2017)
 * When you have too many tomatoes…make some sauce! (Fox 6 Now Milwaukee, July 24, 2017)
 * Things are about to get spicy: Learn the basics of making hot sauces and salsa (Fox 6 Now Milwaukee, August 7, 2017)
 * Homemade applesauce and apple butter: The secrets to preserving apples for months to come (Fox 6 Now Milwaukee, September 4, 2017)
 * From fresh picked to pickled: Put your leftover produce to good use in a relish (Fox 6 Now Milwaukee, September 25, 2017)
 * Why buy bread from the store when you can bake it yourself? A lesson in making the perfect loaf (Fox 6 Now Milwaukee, October 9, 2017)
 * Make delicious jerky this hunting season with these delicious recipes (Fox 6 Now Milwaukee, Oct 30, 2017)
 * Cooking for Thanksgiving? Tips, tricks to perfect your pie baking skills (Fox 6 Now Milwaukee, November 13, 2017)
 * Simple dough recipe: Step up your Christmas cookie game without a lot of extra work (Fox 6 Now Milwaukee, December 4, 2017)
 * Jars full of joy: The creative ways you can gift your homemade canned goods this Christmas (Fox 6 Now Milwaukee, December 11, 2017)
 * Casserole crazy: The history of the dish, a traditional recipe and a modern take (Fox 6 Now Milwaukee, Feb 16, 2018)
 * A healthier, easier and faster way to fry food: Is an air fryer worth buying? (Fox 6 Now Milwaukee, March 15, 2018)
 * Recipes to Try: Increase the number of meals you eat at home with a slow cooker (Fox 6 Now Milwaukee, January 23, 2020)
 * "The All American Wiener", Episode 2, Season 1, Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi, June 18, 2020

Radio

 * Lake Effect (WUWM, September 29, 2014)
 * Central Time (Wisconsin Public Radio (WPR), August 10, 2015)
 * Lake Effect (WUWM, June 22, 2017)
 * The Wisconsin Vegetable Gardener (WNOV, July 10, 2017)
 * The Joy Cardin Show (WPR, July 12, 2017)
 * Ferment About It! (Heritage Radio Network, September 10, 2017)
 * The Northern Gardener (WTIP, November 12, 2017)
 * The Morning Show (WPR, February 12, 2019)
 * L'historienne Christina Ward s'intéresse aux origines de la malbouffe, son interview (Radio Télévision Suisse, February 25, 2019)
 * Lake Effect (WUWM, March 12, 2019)
 * Milk Street Radio w/ Christopher Kimball (NPR, June 28, 2019 )
 * The Morning Show w/ Kate Archer Kent (WPR, October 16, 2019)
 * After Hours w/ Rick Kogan (WGN (AM), November 26, 2019)
 * Spectrum West (WPR, January 9, 2020)