Researching Food History

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

 "Whisking with all your might and main ... is good exercise for young ladies" and, the author quipped, might be added to gym c...

As late as 1878, a book by Doctor Delamere, Wholesome Fare , used milk straight from a cow, or as a substitute for a cow: one could use a ...

Pink and white syllabubs, just in time for Mother's Day.  Mrs. Raffald, 1769 pours some extra wine in the glass and topped with sweeten...

Made with beaten egg whites and no butter, Angel Food Cake is a sponge cake NOT a white butter cake (like Silver Cake, Lady Cake, Snow Cak...

Layer cakes became very popular in the 1870s and continued for a century. They featured different colors, flavors, and even a variety of f...

The New York Academy of Medicine Library in NYC has been collecting since it opened in 1847 and has over 10,000 food/health related items...

Get out the grill!  An 1815 encounter with the dish was described by an American cookbook author who pondered "does he mean that the ...

Reaching across 3 or 4 people for a dish " is not only vulgar, but inconvenient."  FOUR persons - what a loooong boarding hous...

Get out the Paas dyes or go natural.  Here are some 1830 decorating ideas for eggs to give, roll or throw. Past posts on Easter Monday Rol...

7 conferences and exhibits in the US and Portugal, with 9 other 2015 food history conferences on a previous post.

Peat was cut into blocks and burned on kitchen hearths for centuries in Ireland, Scotland and other countries.  But in the mid 1800's ...

Racahaut, blanc mange, snow-balls, flummery, breads, cakes, cookies, puddings, custard, waffles, journey cakes, slap jacks, fried bread an...

By 1845 there were several 'mixes' to prepare hot chocolate.  Fry's Broma and Soluble Chocolate required no boiling or milling...

Freezing temperatures and heavy snows are nothing new (and we've had enough for this year!!).  One idea for 19th century home owners t...

As a commanding and respected figure in the kitchen and "on the town,"  Hercules (Uncle Harkless) made such an impression that yea...

A pan was placed under meat roasting on a spit to catch the drippings. Some, such as the one at Windsor Castle, were quite large.  Below a...

Coal balls or an early 'charcoal briquette' were made by pounding seacoal into a powder, combining with loam and then forming the ...

Superbowl Sunday means chicken wings and snacks. This year try some tasty tidbits from the past: Wine-devils (broiled gizzards and chicken...

"Sand O!" cried the street vendors in 1804.  Sand was used to clean kitchen utensils, store root vegetables and fruit, to clean ...