Podcast Picks: Food Wine & Good Ol' Times

Hosted by: Courtney Baran

If you enjoy local history, it's likely you already know the name Courtney Baran. While she isn't an Erie native, she's brought her perspective and impressive skills to the local history scene since moving here with her husband six years ago. She was the digital collection librarian for the Erie County Public Library for over three years, where she organized the weeklong HistErie Week in May 2022 that included over 30 programs and events. She is the founder of Courtney Baran Historical Consulting, a business specializing in historical research, education, documentation, and digitization, along with history-related project planning. Then, as of this past summer, she was hired by the Erie County Historical Society's Hagen History Center as their digital archives technician (her new Fireside Chats have been an exciting recent addition to their programming).

Now, she's putting her master's degree in public history to good use once again as the creator and host of Food Wine & Good Ol' Times. Her first episode dropped just before the Super Bowl aired, so perhaps it was natural that the topics of discussion were football and chicken wings — and the history behind their intersection. It also serves as an introductory episode, with Baran providing autobiographical anecdotes including her love of food history and her own personal journey from being indifferent to football to becoming a dedicated fan.

Upcoming episodes will include a Q&A with a local history author as well as histories of the Erie Pontiacs, the Finger Lakes wine region, historic hunting records in Pennsylvania, and holiday lights.