Nathan Crook

Nathan C. Crook, Ph.D. author of, A Culinary History of the Great Black Swamp: Buckeye Candy, Bratwurst and Apple Butter, is a cultural anthropologist and Assistant Professor of English and ACEL (Agricultural Communication, Education, and Leadership) at The Ohio State University's agricultural campus, Ohio State ATI, located on the northern end of Ohio's Amish Country in Wooster.

His book, "A Culinary History of the Great Black Swamp," was recently featured on WOSU-TV's arts and entertainment program, Broad and High. In this segment, he discusses the cultural significance of regional and local foods. You can check it out here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sn3VSYqSWxc.

A native to the western United States, Crook is an intrepid traveler and researcher who has been engaged in researching and writing about culinary history and traditions in the Midwest and Ohio for the past decade. Crook's research is interdisciplinary and his primary area of focus is on the use of the ephemeral as a communicative device in everyday life. Specifically, he researches and writes about the myriad uses of food as community and communication. Dr. Crook has published numerous short articles on local and regional foods, food traditions, practices, and patterns of behavior with the Culinary Historians of Ann Arbor, The Ohio Humanities Council, The Oxford University Press, SAGE, and The History Press.

He and his family reside in Bowling Green, Ohio and are active members of their community. He can frequently be found collaborating with the Wood County Historical Museum, attending local art events, and supporting his daughters as they attend Bowling Green State University and The Ohio State University.