When Suzanne Cope was growing up, she never canned with her grandmother, who insisted, “You won’t have to.”

Her grandmother saw canning only as an economic necessity.

“She had to can,” Ms. Cope said. “That’s how she fed her five kids.”

Little did her grandmother know that once she was an adult, she would actually want to can.

Ms. Cope will read a selection about her grandmother, who grew up on a farm near Clarion, at the “Acquired Taste Reading Series: Happy Hour!” event at 6 p.m. next Thursday, Oct. 23, at Wigle Whiskey Garden on the North Side.

The selection is taken from her book, due out on the market today: “Small Batch: Pickles, Cheese, Chocolate, Spirits and the Return of Artisanal Foods” (Rowman & Littlefield, $35). And while the book does include recipes (see one for Mediterranean Greens), it’s more of a cultural history, including interviews with more than 50 artisanal-food entrepreneurs from around the country.

Ms. Cope, who teaches writing at Manhattan College, believes her grandmother’s reason for canning still holds true today: She cited frugality as one reason people want to preserve foods, along with tradition and culture.

Canning fell out of favor, she said, when grocery stores began to replace local cheesemakers and charcuterie markets, as well as when food-safety laws began to expose the varying safety of preserved foods in the early 1900s.

In her research, she discovered that artisanal foods started making a comeback around the time the recession began in 2007. Some people wanted to save money, but others wanted to be countercultural and “get back to the land,” she said.

She chose to focus her book on chocolate, cheese, pickles and spirits because those items seemed to move from artisanal to mass production at around the same times in history.

Modern makers of these foods try to meld modernity and tradition, she said. For instance, artisanal chocolate today is marketed as “going back to the Mayans,” but as she notes, the Mayans and Aztecs didn’t really eat tempered, shiny chocolate bars.

Modern artisanal chocolatiers simply strip away additives to simplify commercial chocolate rather than truly revisiting the Mayans. Another example: American artisanal cheesemakers are using processes similar to those used for centuries,but they’re not trying to recreate the brie that the French already have perfected.

Instead, they’re using a modern twist, perhaps by covering cheeses in cocoa powder or coffee grounds.

Along with Ms. Cope, the “Happy Hour!” event will feature live music by Steve Mayone (Ms. Cope’s husband) and local musicians, as well as food-related readings by several local writers:

• Alicia Salvadeo, who studied poetry at the University of Pittsburgh, has written two chapbooks, “Memory Milk” and “Err to Narrow.”

• John Wells, a former Ohioan now living in North Carolina, studied poetry at West Virginia University and now teaches at the college level and has published poetry in several journals.

• Jessica Vozel, a Pittsburgh native who studied at Bowling Green University in Ohio, works as a freelance copywriter and journalist focusing on travel, food and Pittsburgh.

The event is free, but Wigle cocktails and merchandise will be sold. For information, visit marissalandrigan.com (click “Events”).

Demo/discussion dinners

Gazan Dinner and Discussion: Enjoy cuisine from Gaza and a talk by Laila El-Haddad, co-author of “The Gaza Kitchen: A Palestinian Culinary Journey.” 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 17, at Conflict Kitchen, Oakland. $40. Reservations required: conflictkitchen.org (click “Events”).

Kitchen Tips & Techniques: Master the fundamentals of food prep including knife handling, kitchen setup, plating dishes and other skills; also enjoy a four-course dinner. 6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 21, at Notion in East Liberty. $125 per person.

Reservations required: 412-361-1188.

Classes

All About the Kraut: Jill Ciciarelli, author of “Fermented,” teaches fundamentals of fermentation at this Pittsburgh Canning Exchange canning party. Make two quart jars of sauerkraut to take home. 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 19, at Wilkins School Community Center, Swissvale. $20. Tickets: eventbrite.com (search on “All About the Kraut”).

History and Heritage of American Whiskey: Meredith Grelli, co-owner of Wigle Whiskey, discusses the Whiskey Rebellion and the important ties that whiskey had to the lives of industry giants Frick, Carnegie and Mellon. 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 30, at Peters Township Public Library. To register: 724-941-9430.

Conference

Celebrating a Gluten-Free Lifestyle Conference: Speakers on celiac research and dealing with gluten-free kids; vendors providing gluten-free products and samples. 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 25, at Sheraton Four Points in Mars. facebook.com/CelebratingAGlutenFreeLifestyle.

Tastings

Bitters Pack Release Party: Cocktail samples, paired hors d’oeuvres, demos of bitters-making and cooking with bitters. 6 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 21, at Wigle Whiskey Barrelhouse and Whiskey Garden, North Side. $25; a portion of sales goes to Slow Food Pittsburgh. To register: wiglewhiskey.com/bitters-pack-release.

Miniature Golf & Wine & Beer Tasting Tournament: Snacks, local wine, craft brews, coffee bar and mini golf. 6 to 8 p.m. Monday, Oct. 27, at Meadows Casino in Washington. $45 for adults 21 and over; $25 for all under 21; children welcome. Contact Washington Winery to register: 724-222-WINE.

Charitable dinners

PHLC Cabaret Dinner: Homemade pasta dinner, dessert, cabaret show and silent and Chinese auctions. 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 18, at Perry Highway Lutheran Church, Pine. $15 adults; $10 seniors; $8 kids ages 10 and under. 724-935-1226.

Just Harvest Celebration Dinner: British-born author and poverty expert Sasha Abramsky speaks; Grow Pittsburgh receives Just Harvest’s Seeds of Justice Award. 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 22, at the Omni William Penn Hotel, Downtown. $50; $75 VIP (includes wine and cheese reception). 412-431-8960 ext. 601.

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Mediterranean Greens

1 bunch kale, chard or other hearty greens

1⁄2 onion, thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1⁄2 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon Dijon or grainy mustard

2 tablespoons chopped pickles with 1 tablespoon or so of pickle brine (flavor and product of your choice)

Wash and chop greens and drain lightly; it’s great if they are still a bit wet. Set aside. Meanwhile, saute the onion and garlic in the olive oil on medium or medium low until mostly soft. Add the damp greens and toss with tongs for a minute or so, depending on how hearty the greens are (longer for kale, for example). When greens are just starting to wilt, add mustard, chopped pickles and brine and mix while the pickle juice steams the greens and creates a sauce. Add salt, pepper or red chile flakes to taste if desired. Makes a hearty side dish for 2.

-- “Small Batch” by Suzanne Cope (Rowman & Littlefield, Oct. 2014, $35)

First Published: October 16, 2014, 4:00 a.m.