Feeding the poor and needy

Soyer's Soup Kitchens during Irish Famine (image) more HERE, Americans sending aid to Ireland in 1847 and Europe after WWI, workhouses, almshouses and other ways to help the poor.

Ice cream cone molds in the 1910s

An ice cream cone factory in 1917 Oklahoma depicts making the cones, and other images show various US patents. The metal molds were heated, thick batter poured in, then the top mold was lowered into the bottom.
This is a test email since the blog email server was switched. Click images to enlarge.

Change in delivery of blog posts

The service to send out emails for each new blog post is being discontinued. This came at a busy time for me, so I just picked a service that is supposed to be popular. Hopefully there will not be too much of a difference in emails when I switch over this week. Let me know if you don't get the emails. My blog, and the Calendar of food history talks (first on links list, right side), will stay at researchingfoodhistory.blogspot.com.

Beaten Biscuit Brake demo

This Friday there is a demo making Beaten Biscuits on an 1877 biscuit brake (not this pic), Cold Water Biscuits from Malinda Russell's cookbook. Just heard about it today... thanks Foodways Pilgrim for posting on Facebook!

Chinese foodways, restaurants

Several interesting upcoming talks - one on Chinese workers in early Napa Valley wineries, evolution of restaurants in Southern Cal, and China's eight regional cuisines. There have been many tapes on restaurants, tea, even chili peppers.

Whipped ice cream - Iced Froths or Mousses Glacees in 1869

Jules Gouffe (1807-1877) was born to a Parisian patisserie (pastry shop) owner and spent seven years with the great Careme.  In his 1869 cookbook he tried to popularize the lighter Iced Froths served in jelly glasses.  They were "superior to either Ices or Sorbets" during "this transition period" and thus "improve the indifferent quality of the refreshments now served at evening parties." The frothing stick and sieve were needed to make his 5 flavors: Chocolate, Coffee, Strawberry, Maraschino and Almond Milk.

Fishing, River restoration, Seafood, Roman Fish Sauce talks

World Ocean Day is June 8. As some may have noticed, a few of my monthly search terms involve fish, oysters and river restoration measures like old mill dam removal and removing weirs. This month there are 12 talks, including a virtual international Fish Passage Conference, archival films of Scottish fishing communities, environmental, and women herring packers travel around Scotland. Past taped talks include shrimpers, oysters, shad, and salmon.

Rations and Rationing

Memorial Day ... when we honor those who gave their lives so we can live free.

There have been many talks on rationing over the past year.

Virtual talks... a year ago

When I started gathering together a list of virtual talks, classes, readings last April, I never thought I would still be at it, and how much time it would take. This post will be on some of the Zooming pioneers who got us through the first few months with talks, tours, and cook/or bake-alongs.

Italian foodways in Italy and America

From Michelangelo to Scappi (image), from pasta to pizza to olive oil to many more subjects. And so many interesting talks were taped. Also Greek foodways talks.

Peat in Ireland for cooking, heating

Much manual labor was involved to get peat from a bog to the hearth, as seen in the picture An Irish farm kitchen with its open grate for peat. [1906] Slabs (like long bricks) were/are sliced off the bank by a special tool, then dried, turned, and dried until all surfaces were hardened and able to burn.

Women cookbook authors

Hannah Glasse vs Ann Cook, Margaret Dods was Christian Isobel Johnstone. Glasse (1708-1770), the most well known, published her first book The Art of Cookery in 1747. Cook's The Professed Cook came out in 1754 with her critique of Glasse. Johnstone (1781-1857) wrote The Cook and Housewife's Manual 1826, using the name of a character created by Sir Walter Scott in 1823. All will be explained in two upcoming talks, one by Ivan Day.

Scotland

Scotch Whisky and Haggis (ofcourse), sowans, peat - harvested and used for cooking and now to flavor Whisky - are in upcoming and taped talks. One intriguing talk is on the potato famine in Scotland, when there was a revolt... over oatmeal. Another talk is on the Margaret Dods cookbook (which I have used and enjoyed) and its Sir Walter Scott connection. Future taped talks will be added to this post.

Victory Gardens, Plants, Farms and Barns talks

May and June 20 talks UPDATE. There were over 25 talks in April on Victory Gardens WWII (War Gardens WW1), Medieval & Colonial gardens, 2 on White House gardens, Indeginous food & plants and more. There are also many taped talks from the past year on gardens, seeds, sugar beets, Manoomin (Wild Rice), farms and a few on livestock and stone walls.

Hot Cross Buns and Easter Eggs

100,000 buns were sold on one day - Good Friday - in London by 500 sellars in 1850. But already in 1825 "demand has decreased, and so has the quality of the buns."

Easter Eggs were colored, scratched, left by a hare for some unknown reason, hunted, rolled, thrown and struck against another egg to see which cracked.

Cooking on a barrel by a Venetian doughnut seller

A street seller is using part of a wooden barrel like a raised hearth. So. How did that work?

Jan van Grevenbroeck (1731-1807) lived in Venice, Italy and did this intriguing watercolor and ink drawing.

Irish food, famine, and drinks talks

St. Patrick's Day - March 17 - means lots of talks on Irish food, drinks and the Irish Potato Famine or the Great Hunger (1845-1852). An American ship brought relief. A new journal. And a new project - FoodCult.

Jewish foodways talks

The British Library has an exhibit Hebrew Manuscripts and The Great Big Jewish Food Fest really was great, with many taped talks. YIVO's terrific course A Seat at the Table will be free until Aug. There are two talks this Sunday, so I am putting this post up early.

Ice harvesting in 19th and 20th century America & Maple Sugar harvest

Early 1900s films, recent tapes and zoom talks show the various processes of ice harvesting on lakes and rivers: horse teams to plow the snow, score then saw the ice, then send the 'cakes' of ice up a conveyor into huge ice houses. It was done by small farmers to large scale operators, such as Bostonian Frederic Tudor the "Ice King" who shipped the New England ice to India.
And Maple Sugaring talks.

Washington Cakes or Pies, Fat Tuesday donuts or pancakes

On Shrove Tuesday, it was a tradition for many Christians to use the last of the fat before Lent. In England it became Pancake Day and in some places the pancakes were tossed (1837 sketch). Germanic areas in Europe and the US made doughnuts, fachnachts, or kinklings - the last only in Frederick MD.
And for Washington's Birthday ... when Washington Pies were cakes. Three cakes named after our first president were: a cake with raisins & currants (1830 recipe), Pearl ash with brandy & spices (1837), and a yeast pancake (1842).