Food History Articles and Links

[Carrot Top]

Today I ran across one of the most interesting food history sites I've seen online:

Food History News

Lots of fascinating tidbits. . .

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In this issue: A call to pumpkin. Kentucky's Moon pies, tomatoes and wild food. A guide and catalog for historic ingredients. What happens when you google images. Part-time job for a hearth cook.

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White House menus came up during a quick whiz around the internet in response to a query I had from a research librarian friend of mine. While it would be wonderful if a complete set of all menus from the White House from the earliest to the present, could be found in one place, well, that isn't the case. However, a very peachy selection is to be found here at the Culinary Archives site. Chef Heinz Benders collection is visible with each menu photographed so you can see what they ate on what date. Bender was the Executive Pastry Chef at the White House. Fun and darn interesting, too. Another place to dig in is this website maintained by the White House Historical Society.

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Andy also has out The Encyclopedia of Junk Food and Fast Food. This is another Greenwood Book, Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 2006, and I hope every foodwriter and newspaper food reporter all across the country will buy this so that they will have at their fingertips the scoop on everything from chips to Twinkies. Those "who invented the Devil Dog" questions drive me up the wall even as I am aware that these are the foods that we all have in common no matter where in the country we live, or what our ethnic background is, or what social class we belong to.

With a mention also of "The Old Foodie":

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The Old Foodie, Janet Clarkson, has been delighting me with her blog now for several months. I am almost afraid to tell you about her because I fear you'll spend your on-line time with her rather than here. She digs up the most interesting stuff, and presents food history in a entertaining and respectful way, something Americans seem to have such a hard time doing. Janet is Australian, and obviously very disciplined. Take a look.

This site is a virtual banquet of riches.

What online food history sites do you peruse?

[Gifted Gourmet]

a collection of food history sites within a larger site ... including just some of these items (and many more ..):

Stuffing History

What is the proper term? Is it dressing, stuffing, or forcemeat? Learn more about dressings and stuffings.

Cornish Hen History

Cornish hens were created to appeal to foodies. Learn more about Cornish game hens.

Sweet Potato History

Sweet potatoes were brought to America by Columbus. They are often mistakenly called yams. Learn more about the history of sweet potatoes.

Ginger History

Ginger nearly disappeared in Europe after the fall of the Roman Empire. Learn more about the history of ginger.

Salmon History ....

and then, of course, there is that treasured site: The Food Timeline

Edited November 1, 2006 by Gifted Gourmet (log)

[Carrot Top]

That would sure make for a project to just take one single one of those links each day to read, wouldn't it!

I like the Food Timeline. Easy to use and full of surprises and some unexpected humor here and there. . .

Nuts

"Nuts have been used for magic since Roman times. Some Scottish and northern English people believed nuts were such powerful sorcerers that they called their October 31st celebration "Nut Crack Night"...Chestnuts and walnuts, both plentiful at harvesttime, were popular in early divination games. The most well-known game goest as follows: two nuts are named, each for a potential lover, and put on a grate in the fire. She who wants to know the future watches and waits. If a nut burns true and steady, it indicates the lover will have a faithful nature; if it pops in the heat, it indicates the man is not to be trusted."

---Halloween: An American Holiday, an American History, Lesley Pratt Bannantyne [Pelican Publishing:Gretna LA] 1998 (p. 56-7)

Yes. Definitely. That is how I spent my Halloween eve.

[JasonZ]

Janet Clarkson (screen name "The Old Foodie") is also an eGulleteer ... and a very informative poster!

Regards,

JasonZ

[srhcb]

It's all too easy to get lost clicking on links to more food history sites!

One of my favorites is Medieval Recipe Translations.

SB (never knows when he might want to dihyte a swan?)

Edited November 1, 2006 by srhcb (log)

[The Old Foodie]

Hello everyone. I am honoured to have had my blog mentioned by Sandy Oliver in her newsletter!

Here are some really good food history sites, with historic cookbooks and recipes:

Gode Cookery at http://www.godecookery.com

Online Culinary History Networkan ongoing project to transcribe and make old culinary history texts available online at http://culinaryhistory.org

Thomas Gloning’s Culinary and Dietetic Texts - a hugely scholarly site, cookbook and food book transcriptions in German, Italian (and other languages I think) as well as English at http://staff-www.uni-marburg.de/~gloning/kobu.htm

Feeding America Project - fanatastic project to digitise historic American cookbooks at http://digital.lib.msu.edu/projects/cookbooks

Edited to fix the links - I cannot make them work any other way today!

Edited November 2, 2006 by The Old Foodie (log)

[Carrot Top]

Those sites look fantastic, Janet!

I don't know if it is "just me" though, but the links are not working.

If it is just my computer, I'll hunt them up separately. . .lovely stuff.

[Carrot Top]

One of my favorites is Medieval Recipe Translations.

SB (never knows when he might want to dihyte a swan?)

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If you do date a swan, please be sure to bring along plenty of crispels, Steve.

[Carrot Top]

The The Food Museum Online also has some good resources.

The FOOD Museum, a non profit 501c3, has long been dedicated to explaining the history and social influence of food. Now we have created The Global Food Heritage Project to honor not only the foods that sustain us, but also the ancestors who nurtured, domesticated, developed, grew, transported, processed and cooked these foods. The project explores the places where food history has been made, and spotlights the people who continue to preserve these traditions today.

[Gifted Gourmet]

This website contains a bazillion links to ...

500 Years of American Food History

Antique Roman Dishes

Chocolate History and Fun Facts

Chocolate

Colonial America Food and Agriculture

Food in the Ancient World

Food Museum 

Food Timeline - Culinary History 

History of Chocolate 

History of Craft Brewing

History of Early American Taverns

History of Eating Utensils

History of Peanut Butter

History of Salt

Medieval Foods

Not by Bread Alone - America's Culinary Heritage

Spice History & Guide

Wine History

You never know when you'll need to know about the history of peanut butter, you realize ...

[Maison Rustique]

Those sites look fantastic, Janet!

I don't know if it is "just me" though, but the links are not working. 

If it is just my computer, I'll hunt them up separately. . .lovely stuff. 

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The links don't work for me either. (Using Firefox.)

[Carrot Top]

You never know when you'll need to know about the history of peanut butter, you realize ...

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Bazillion links is right!

And I *always* need to know more about peanut butter. It is my secondary subject, right after hot dogs.

Edited November 2, 2006 by Carrot Top (log)

[The Old Foodie]

Sorry about the non-linking links in the earlier post, folks - Usually I check them before I post but was obviously in too much of a hurry today.

I still cant make them look good, but I have edited the previous post, and they do all work now.

Thanks to Carrot Top for alerting me via PM

Janet

[Carrot Top]

Online Culinary History Networkan ongoing project to transcribe and make old culinary history texts available online at http://culinaryhistory.org

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This is quite an impressive project, isn't it. Amazing.

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The popularity of the Medieval sites is well won, I think. They are interesting, amusing, and often well designed. It does lead me to wonder what initially drew people to focus on this period over others as that period of time is so well-loved by those who immerse themselves in historic cookery.

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It looks like Rogov is working on a book:

I am currently working on a book of culinary history and mythology, that to be entitled "Rogues, Writers and Whores" and that is scheduled for release in Fall of 2007.

(From his site Rogov's Ramblings).

Hmmm. If I were to imagine myself into taking on the role of a character in that book, which one would I want to be I wonder.

[Maison Rustique]

Thanks for fixing the links, Foodie!

[srhcb]

The popularity of the Medieval sites is well won, I think. They are interesting, amusing, and often well designed. It does lead me to wonder what initially drew people to focus on this period over others as that period of time is so well-loved by those who immerse themselves in historic cookery.

I think the European Medieval Period is attractive because the food they ate closely resembles what we, at least in Western cultures, eat today?

Of course, because of physical and technological limitations, their basic fare is crude compared to ours, but at least amongst the wealthy this was at least partly offset by imaginative cooking and elaborate presentations.

Without too much trouble, I think we could dine with our Medieval ancestors in either their time period or ours. In fact, food might turn out to be what we have the most in common with them.

It looks like Rogov is working on a book:

"I am currently working on a book of culinary history and mythology, that to be entitled "Rogues, Writers and Whores" and that is scheduled for release in Fall of 2007."

Hmmm. If I were to imagine myself into taking on the role of a character in that book, which one would I want to be I wonder. 

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I'll be a "Rogue", as in "a mischievous person".

S "Scamp" B

[The Old Foodie]

I have been working on a list of historic cookbooks that are available free online - so far there are over 250, but there are more to add yet.

I am culling them from my own database of resources by removing actual books, and pdf files which I have downloaded from such sites as Early English Books Online (and to which I do not have copyright)

I have it on an Excel spreadsheet, and so far have date of publication, title and author, country of origin, and url or name of the site where each can be found. I have only included English language ones, apart from a couple of instances, but there are many more available in other European languages.

It would make a great online community project - there will be many I dont know about, and there are books being added online all the time (just found a little cache on Google Books) - everyone could add others that they find in whatever language. Books about food (not primarily recipe books) could be included too - there are a couple of version of Physiologie du Gout available online for example. I have no idea how to make the data available in this way - but I am sure someone out there does!

I am not technically inclined (understatement of the century), I have no idea how to make the data available in this way (as a community effort) - but I am sure someone out there does! I will happily make this first draft available to anyone who is interested when it is finished (this weekend if I put my mind to it).

I am guessing that there will be 300 or so books. Unless I add other languages and the general food books in which it will take longer.

What do you think? Is it of interest to anyone other than my own food-history-nerdy self?

[Carrot Top]

It sounds absolutely wonderful to me, Janet. I know someone who might be interested - she is a part of this group here in my town: http://culinarycollection.org/

I'll talk to her about it. She loves food history.

I like it too, but merely to wander around in sometimes. I don't have the stick-to-it-ive-ness of the true historian. It's books that I love, and books that carry history (no matter how one can argue it) are lovely things.

[Carrot Top]

Here's a listing from the American Library Association (Association of College and Research Libraries) of cookery and culinary history websites.

It looks as if it were published in 2003, so likely could use an update, but then again, this may not be something they focus upon. It *would* be a boon for any site to be on this list, though, I imagine - it implies a stamp of approval given by a group that actively measures publications worths based on reliability of information. Or so I have been told.

[Carrot Top]

I am guessing that there will be 300 or so books.  Unless I add other languages and the general food books in which it will take longer.

What do you think? Is it of interest to anyone other than my own food-history-nerdy self?

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I think so, Janet. I've found one already. And she is that wonderful thing, a librarian. Sigh. I'll PM you her e-mail.

[Carrot Top]

I think the European Medieval Period is attractive because the food they ate closely resembles what we, at least in Western cultures, eat today?

Of course, because of physical and technological limitations, their basic fare is crude compared to ours, but at least amongst the wealthy this was at least partly offset by imaginative cooking and elaborate presentations.

Without too much trouble, I think we could dine with our Medieval ancestors in either their time period or ours.  In fact, food might turn out to be what we have the most in common with them.

I'll be a "Rogue", as in "a mischievous person".

S "Scamp" B 

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Your last statement goes without question.

As far as the Medieval Period goes, my thought was that it was that King Arthur thing, the age of chivalry and all that that attracted people. That, plus one could throw the bones from the food nonchalantly over your shoulder directly onto the floor and have some servant or even your dog clean it up. What fun! The combination of chivalry and boorishness, combined with lots of ale. What's not to like?!

[The Old Foodie]

.... that wonderful thing, a librarian. Sigh.  I'll PM you her e-mail.

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Librarians are my favourite people in the world, next to good cooks who invite me for a meal. Thanks Karen, I am going to contact your friend today.

..... have some servant  ... clean it up. What fun!  What's not to like?!

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Servants ... Agreed, what's not to like? As long as you weren't one yourself of course.

Back to the topic of foodbooks: if you go to Google Book Search and enter search terms such as "cookery" or "recipes" and tick the "full view books" you get some good stuff. You get some good stuff whatever your interests are. I do love the Internet.

Janet

[Carrot Top]

Servants ... Agreed, what's not to like?  As long as you weren't one yourself of course.

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Mmm hmmm. Then *or* now.

I love the internet too. I can not imagine otherwise learning so much about the history of the potato, through the auspices of The Potato Museum.

Ahhh. Potatoes.

[Carrot Top]

Here's the last ones on my list of faves (so far ):

From Cindy Renfrow's site: Thousand Eggs

"I need information on food and eating habits of the Elizabethan time period."

One of the biggest differences between Elizabethan times and earlier times is the expanded use of sugar. The Elizabethans seemed to be addicted to the stuff. New World foods and citrus fruits were also popular (most likely because they were novelty items and conspicuous consumption -- showing off to one's friends-- was very important), although the methods of preparation were frequently quite different than what you would expect today.

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From Ivan Day's site (and I most particularly like clicking on the bouncing cakes and gleaming swans to enter site areas! )

Historic Food

"At the table, it was Heaven. During that night's dinner, the suckling pig fell into my mouth in soft layers, with rich melting fat. This was the real roast meat of England, cooked in front of the fierce, dry heat of an open fire."

Hattie Ellis Eating England Mitchell Beazley, 2001

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And the Culinary Historians of New York:Culinary Historians of New York

[The Old Foodie]

There are two great online collections of historic menus:

<a href = "http://www.lapl.org/resources/en/menu_collection.html">Los Angeles Public Library</a>

<a href = "http://digitalgallery.nypl.org/nypldigital/explore/dgexplore.cfm?topic=all&collection=MissFrankEButtolphAm&col_id=159">New York Public Library</a>