Researching Food History

Some early cakes, such as "Queen's Cakes" [ more info here ] were baked in small containers such as cups or small pans .   The...

What's Cooking Uncle Sam?   was an exhibit at the National Archives in Washington DC.  The Archives just hired a "Wikipedian in R...

4 events...

Cracking eggs competition in 1836 New York, a White House Egg Roll of 1874, and English Monday egg games in early 1800 are detailed.  Eggs h...

Wheatley's picture of a street seller carrying strawberries in pottles is actually on the fore-edge of a book of poems by William Cowp...

4 symposiums

Queen's Cakes are little pound cakes with currants baked in small fluted pans. So how did they get the name  - was there a particular Q...

While writing my research on Beaten Biscuits, I came across a recipe for Beaten Corn Bread, from WW1.  I have made beaten biscuits, but hav...

3 food symposiums

Now is the time of year that Ramps begin to appear, and ramp festivals abound in West Virginia and surrounding mountain areas.  For a list o...

Sugar Maple trees were tapped in several ways over the centuries as seen the the following excerpts.  the 17th cen gash, the spout and troug...

Sugar was heated to "the crack" stage, then from a fork or spoon "rapidly throw it to and fro..." into some elaborate s...

After Abraham Lincoln's first inauguration on March 4, 1861, he may have dined on Mock Turtle Soup, Corned Beef and Cabbage, Parsley Pot...

Numerous recipes have been named to honor the Presidents including Washington Cakes, which were discussed in a previous posting HERE . Perio...

There were at least three types of Washington Cakes in cookbooks - with raisins and currants, with soda and brandy, and with yeast. In 1838,...

The following is an excerpt from Dr. Rush's fascinating pamphlet An Account of the Sugar Maple-tree, of the United States, and of the ...

A series of period images show the cutting of the sugar cane, various types of sugar mills on the plantations  (powered by oxen and others b...

Many period pictures and modern photographs show original and reproduction tools to make chocolate - roaster, metate, and chocolate pots.  Q...

For bulk sugar storage, some beautiful pieces of furniture were made, particularly in the south.  Links to some detailed online articles [se...

After 1720, the processing of the mustard seeds in a mill resulted in a fine flour - the flower of mustard - known commercially as Durham M...