As Marie Antoinette definitely once said: Let them serve 💅🏼 cake. In our first standalone episode in literal months, Julia and Nicole talk about what this episode is NOT about, the historical layers of cake, and the popcorn crimes of Mary Hamilton Talbott. Join us from our flying kitchen as we answer two of life's greatest questions: what is cake, and is it gay?

Our theme song is "Red Onions" by Louie Zong, off of his album Vegetable Soul: https://louiezong.bandcamp.com/album/vegetable-soul

We're on Instagram @girlslunchpod. Nicole's website is nicolehylton.com. Have an episode suggestion or question? You can email us at girlslunchpodcast@gmail.com and we will add it to our chaotic list of future episode subjects.

Sources:

• On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen, by Harold McGee

• Cake: A Global History, by Nicola Humble

• "History of bread and cakes," The History of Food, by Maguelonne Toussaint-Samat (p. 223-246)

• Nectar and Ambrosia: An Encyclopedia of Food in World Mythology, by Tamra Andrews (p. 52-54)

• Lynne Olver, foodtimeline.org

• "Cake Mixes: CU's consultants tasted and examined ready-mix cakes to find which brands were best," Consumer Reports, September 1953 (p. 385-7)

• What is Queer Food? How we Served a Revolution, by John Birdsall

• "News of Food," New York Times, November 17, 1949 (p. 39)

• Popped Culture: A Social History of Popcorn in America, by Andrew F. Smith