Event Details

What are Ancient Grains and Why Are They Making a Comeback? Brunch

Join Cornell Alumni Affairs, The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and The Cornell Club – New York for a flavorful brunch!

Whether you are an enthusiastic home baker, a wheat lover always in search of new culinary trends, or someone who enjoys knowing what’s inside your favorite loaf of bread, pizza crust, or bagel, this event has something for you.

Consumers’ increasing interest in local and flavorful food products, farmers looking for value-added crops, and a food industry delving in this trend has created the perfect environment for ancient grains to resurface and make a comeback.

Mark Sorrells, Cornell Professor of Plant Breeding and Genetics, Fellow Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future, and Fellow Cornell Institute for Food Systems, is the principal investigator in Cornell’s Heritage and Ancient Grain Project, leading the efforts to feed the growing demand for these grains in the region.

Professor Sorrells will explain how ancient grains like emmer, einkorn, and spelt are increasingly being used in various kinds of foods, the differences between ancient and modern grains, their origin, where they are grown, and how they can be used in tasty dishes.



Event Details:

Date: Saturday, September 15, 2018
Time: 12:00 noon – 2:30 p.m.
12:00 noon – 12:30 p.m. Reception
12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. Program and Q&A
1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. Full buffet brunch
Location: The Cornell Club – New York, 6 E 44th Street, New York, NY 10017
Cost: $50.00 per person, including tax and gratuity**
**Cornell Club – New York members may register for a reduced price. Contact Kirsten Alman directly to sign up.
Register by: Thursday September 13, 2018, at which time all registrations are considered final sale.


Brunch Menu:
– Apple-Cranberry Parfait with Granola and Toasted Coconut
– Farmers Market Berry and Bran Muffins
– Moroccan Quinoa, Shredded Beet and Carrot Salad
– Curried Spelt Salad
– Roasted French Cut Chicken with Emmer, Smoked Bacon, Arugula, and Autumn Herbs
– Eggs Benedict with Canadian Bacon, Hollandaise and Einkorn Muffin
– Grilled Cheese on Mulled Barley and Dark Rye Flour Wheat Bread with Tomato Marmalade, Comte, Gruyere and Camembert
– Millet Trifle

Register Here | See Who’s Coming

About our Speaker

Mark Sorrells
Mark has a Bachelor of Science in Botany and a Master of Science in Plant and Soil Science from Southern Illinois University – Carbondale, and a Doctorate in Plant Breeding and Plant Genetics from University of Wisconsin – Madison. Among others, his areas of expertise include Ancient Grains, Heritage Wheat Varieties, Small Grains, Specialty Grains, and Wheat Varieties.

Mark leads the Cornell Small Grain Project, a partner in Grow NYC’s Greenmarket Regional Grains Project.

Mark is an Elected Board Representative of Crop Science Society of America and he has been named to a list of the world’s most influential scientific minds based on citations in the top 1% (2017) Reuters and Clarivate Analytics, among many other academic accomplishments.