This isn’t your average foodie episode. No hot takes on air fryers. No long-winded stories about a sourdough starter named Cassandra. Just a deep dive into the oldest kitchens on the continent...lined with stone, clay, and memory. From 48-hour agave roasts to hand-ground cornmeal tortillas cooked next to a creek, this episode blends archaeology, experimental cooking, and storytelling into one long, delicious simmer. If you’ve ever wondered what it feels like to eat history, or burn your fingers trying, this one’s for you.

Further Reading & Listener Resources:

• 
  
  Adair, M. J. (1988). Prehistoric Diet in the Central Plains. University
  of Kansas.
  
  Black, Stephen L. (n.d.). "Earth Ovens." Texas Beyond History.
  https://www.texasbeyondhistory.net/earthovens
  
  Doolittle, W. E. (2000). Cultivated Landscapes of Native North America.
  Oxford University Press.
  
  Peacock, S. L., & Turner, N. J. (2000). “Just Like a Garden.” In
  Biodiversity and Native America, pp. 133–179. University of Oklahoma
  Press.
  
  Wells, M. (2023). Earth Ovens and Desert Lifeways. A readable, engaging
  deep dive into the archaeological and cultural significance of earth
  oven cooking traditions in the U.S. Southwest.
  
  Texas Beyond History – Earth Ovens:
  https://www.texasbeyondhistory.net/earthovens
  
  Moerman, D. E. (1998). Native American Ethnobotany. An indispensable
  resource for understanding the breadth of Indigenous plant use across
  the continent.
  
  
  Zedeño, M. N. (2000). “On What People Make of Places.” In The
  Archaeology of Landscapes, pp. 97–111. Blackwell Publishers.