{"id":9495,"date":"2024-03-20T01:45:52","date_gmt":"2024-03-20T01:45:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.rutgers.edu\/books-we-read\/?p=9495"},"modified":"2024-03-20T15:47:13","modified_gmt":"2024-03-20T15:47:13","slug":"history-through-food","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.rutgers.edu\/books-we-read\/history-through-food\/","title":{"rendered":"History through food"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"One of my favorite mantras is \u201cthere\u2019s so much history we can learn through food.\u201d Pick any era, and you can delve into a variety of culinary-related subjects that aid in our understanding of history. For example: what people ate (and what they didn\u2019t eat), what was trendy, what food was available (and what wasn\u2019t), what were acceptable (and accessible) cooking methods, who was doing the cooking, what types of cooking utensils were used, etc. The list goes on.<\/p>\n

As I have written about previously, one of the best ways to do this is to go through both historical<\/a> and manuscript<\/a> cookbooks. Not only can you see what was popular at the time, but you can get a sense of food and cooking evolution, as techniques and ingredients change over time. As a food writer, it is fun to do this hands-on research and make my own inferences and observations.<\/p>\n

But it is also imperative and important to see what other culinary experts and historians have written on various topics. It provides a point of reference and validity to my assumptions. As a result, I have several ear-worn books that I have referred to over and over, such as Food in the United States: 1820s-1890<\/em> <\/a>and Savory Suppers and Fashionable Feasts<\/a><\/em>, (Library Journal review here<\/a>) both by Susan Williams. Both contain a treasure-trove of recipes, foods, cooking utensils and methods, serving dishes and exactly what was \u201cin vogue\u201d in the nineteenth century. The Oxford Companion to American Food and Drink<\/a>, <\/em>edited by renowned food historian Andrew F. Smith<\/a>, is another of my food \u201cbibles.\u201d You don\u2019t even want to see the condition of my copy at this point!<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

I am also always on the lookout for new books on related topics. As with any research, new discoveries are made, and viewpoints and philosophies change. One of\u00a0my favorite books of late is The Ark of Taste: Delicious and Distinctive Foods That Define the United States<\/a><\/em> by David Shields (Library Journal review here<\/a>). This delightful book has beautifully illustrated pages chronicling heritage foods and what the Slow Food USA movement is doing to help preserve them. I am thrilled that Dr. Shields will be presenting to The Historic Foodways Society of the<\/a>\u00a0Delaware Valley<\/a> (of which I am a member) tomorrow, March 21. I can\u2019t wait to hear what he has to say! Other recent \u201cfinds\u201d include The Secret History of Food<\/em> by Matt Siegel and Eating to Extinction<\/em> by Dan Saladino, both chronicled in my previous post, Food Behind the Scenes<\/a>.<\/p>\n

There are several books on culinary history at Rutgers<\/a>, including a few that go back to the nineteenth century, such as:<\/p>\n