"Fitting out" a Midshipman's sea chest 1820

Memorial Day
Never forget that many gave their lives over the last 250 years for us to live in a free democracy.

Cruikshank's 1820 image showed what was needed to outfit a very young midshipman (in blue), including food and drinks.

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.

Civil War wood chimney using a barrel

John Davis Billings (1842-1933) from Massachusetts, was a soldier during the Civil War. Later he wrote a book about Army life, first published in 1887.

For another Veteran's Day. Thank you all who served or are serving. My father fought all the way up Italy in the mountains against fascists, so that is why I try to compile a post for Memorial Day and Veteran's Day.

Army chef used umbrella to protect fried croquettes - 1854

Memorial Day... never forget.

During the Crimean War, the chef for Prince George (Lt. Gen. & cousin of Queen Victoria) was preparing a dish of fried croquettes in the rain before the Battle of Alma (Sept. 1854)

Army bake oven with a barrel

Memorial Day - To remember all who sacrificed their lives to preserve our democracy.

The Manual for Army Cooks 1896 image of an above ground dirt oven and an iron dutch oven.

Memorial Day - Remember their sacrifice

Civil War soldiers cooking and dining "in the field."

Memorial Day - Never forget

Remember those who served... and those still serving to protect us.


John Billings’ Hardtack and Coffee. Boston: 1887

World War I trenches - dining & baking

Memorial Day - never forget.

Soldiers had a rough time in the trenches, and civilians at home were asked to...
"FEED A FIGHTER Eat only what you need – Waste nothing – That he and his family may have enough" 1918.

Click to enlarge images.

Civil War soldiers' hard tack - 4 sketches and a song

Corporal Si Klegg and his "pard"... was written by Wilbur F. Hinman from Ohio, who enlisted in 1861 as a sergeant. He wrote about the common life of recruits.

So this Memorial Day we remember those who put up with incredible hardships, poor food, and the many who lost their lives so we can be free.

Ice harvesting in 19th and 20th century America

Early 1900s films, recent tapes and zoom talk tapes 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.

A Rice Dish with Peaches & Maryland food history taped talks

Rice pudding with peaches on the bottom from Elizabeth Ellicott Lea's Domestic Cookery, 1845... the first Maryland cookbook. Rice was boiled in milk, sweetened, put over peach slices, then baked for two hours. When warm it was like other rice puddings, but it compacted as it cooled.
Many Md. taped talks, below.

Flour / Grist Mills tapes, Oliver Evans vs the Ellicotts

Sharpening millstones (photo on left and in blog post). Wye Mills in Maryland is having three talks on mills and grains. Orrell’s Beaten Biscuits at Wye. Oliver Evans' patent fight with the Ellicotts. Many taped talks.

Flour mills taped talks - Tidal, Floating, Water, Wind

Tidal mills cleverly run by tides, mills built on boats (famed Alexis Soyer used naval ships as a mill and bakery), windmills, mills in many states and countries are all described in tapes of talks or written excerts, below. Removing mill dams for river restoration.

Drink up! Talks: Taverns, Prohibition, Temperance, Beer, Wine, Cocktails, Whiskey...

There is no denying it... there are more and more virtual talks about drinks as our Covid lockdown continues. Grog (yes, grog by a Naval museum), beer, whiskey/whisky, gin, cocktails, teas and chocolate. Many talks include recommended  samples - either mailed or picked up locally. And even beer games done museum style (Penn Museum of UPenn). Tapes, then the October talks.

Dr. Clarissa F. Dillon - One Cool Colonial series

Clarissa F. Dillon, the authority (she wrote the book!) on 18th century kitchen gardens, is introducing us to unusual plants and their uses in true quarantine fashion - virtually. We get to follow along as she tends her period correct garden at the 1696 Thomas Massey House, see the end results (medicinal, cosmetic, and yes, as food) and delight in Clarissa’s vast knowledge, sharp wit and great sense of fun. She is One Cool Colonial... in 10 minute episodes.

Archive 2 - listing of past virtual food history talks Jan-Feb 2021

The first archive of links is filling up since several months had over 200 talks. The original calendar post will maintain the current month of virtual talks listing Calendar of virtual talks. This post is to "archive" all (including not taped) virtual talks on the events list from the past months.  Many talks are not taped (only a fourth of the talks are) and marked in red as Tape Those which are taped will be placed in the various categories when I have time.