Obituary for Janice B. Longone
Janice Bluestein Longone passed away peacefully on August 3, 2022, leaving behind a long and rich legacy in the culinary world as the foremost authority on the history and societal impact of American cooking. The wife of her teenage sweetheart and lifelong partner in epicurean adventures University of Michigan Professor Emeritus Daniel T. Longone, Jan founded The Wine and Food Library in Ann Arbor, Michigan in 1972. It is renowned as one of the most extensive collections of antiquarian culinary resources in existence. Amongst her most avid followers were Julia Child, James Beard and numerous distinguished chefs across the globe for whom she provided historical food information, access to rare and out of print culinary materials and guidance on cooking approaches from past times. The Longone’s collection of more than 20,000 pieces later became the Janice Bluestein Longone Culinary Archive housed at the University of Michigan.
Born on July 31, 1933, in Boston, Massachusetts to Alexander and Edith (Gropman) Bluestein, Jan credited the beginning of her love of food from her parents who instilled a sense of family around the dinner table, inquisitively discussing their traditional Jewish meals. Her interest intensified after she and Dan were married, and he gave her a copy of the first Gourmet magazine cookbook. This sparked a life-long passion for all things associated with the history of food and its cultural relevance that she enthusiastically shared with every new venture. Jan founded the Culinary Historians of Ann Arbor, was a founding member of the American Institute of Wine and Food, served on the editorial board of Gastronomica: The Journal of Food and Culture, was the author of entries for The Oxford Companion to Food, associate editor for the Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in America, and hosted an NPR show entitled Adventures in Gastronomy. She curated more than 15 exhibits and symposia including one ironic to her career start entitled The Life and Death of Gourmet--The Magazine of Good Living.
With a keen intellect and quizzical spirit, Jan loved serving as judge for numerous cookbook awards including ones for the International Association of Culinary Professionals, the James Beard Foundation, and the Tabasco Community Cookbook Awards. She was recognized with the Food Arts Silver Spoon, the Amelia Award for Lifetime Achievement in Culinary History from the Culinary Historians of New York, and the Carol DeMasters Service to Food Journalism Award. She also reveled in her and Dan’s numerous travels to Spain, France and other places where they could indulge in their love of food and meet many of their fans of The Wine and Food Library.
Jan received a bachelor’s degree in history from Bridgewater State University and completed coursework toward a Ph.D. in Chinese History at Cornell University. She was active in politics and worked on the congressional campaign of Michigan’s Wes Vivian; later working in his congressional office.
In addition to her husband Dan, Jan leaves her brother Bernard Bluestein and wife Annette of Florida, her beloved nephews, great nieces and nephews and great-great nephews. She is predeceased by her parents and her sister Louise.
A celebration of life will take place at a later date.
Credited: Lorraine Carli Bluestein
Please sign the Tribute Wall and share a memory of Janice.
Born on July 31, 1933, in Boston, Massachusetts to Alexander and Edith (Gropman) Bluestein, Jan credited the beginning of her love of food from her parents who instilled a sense of family around the dinner table, inquisitively discussing their traditional Jewish meals. Her interest intensified after she and Dan were married, and he gave her a copy of the first Gourmet magazine cookbook. This sparked a life-long passion for all things associated with the history of food and its cultural relevance that she enthusiastically shared with every new venture. Jan founded the Culinary Historians of Ann Arbor, was a founding member of the American Institute of Wine and Food, served on the editorial board of Gastronomica: The Journal of Food and Culture, was the author of entries for The Oxford Companion to Food, associate editor for the Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in America, and hosted an NPR show entitled Adventures in Gastronomy. She curated more than 15 exhibits and symposia including one ironic to her career start entitled The Life and Death of Gourmet--The Magazine of Good Living.
With a keen intellect and quizzical spirit, Jan loved serving as judge for numerous cookbook awards including ones for the International Association of Culinary Professionals, the James Beard Foundation, and the Tabasco Community Cookbook Awards. She was recognized with the Food Arts Silver Spoon, the Amelia Award for Lifetime Achievement in Culinary History from the Culinary Historians of New York, and the Carol DeMasters Service to Food Journalism Award. She also reveled in her and Dan’s numerous travels to Spain, France and other places where they could indulge in their love of food and meet many of their fans of The Wine and Food Library.
Jan received a bachelor’s degree in history from Bridgewater State University and completed coursework toward a Ph.D. in Chinese History at Cornell University. She was active in politics and worked on the congressional campaign of Michigan’s Wes Vivian; later working in his congressional office.
In addition to her husband Dan, Jan leaves her brother Bernard Bluestein and wife Annette of Florida, her beloved nephews, great nieces and nephews and great-great nephews. She is predeceased by her parents and her sister Louise.
A celebration of life will take place at a later date.
Credited: Lorraine Carli Bluestein
Please sign the Tribute Wall and share a memory of Janice.