At the museum, we present hearth/fireside cooking demonstrations. Food culture is a great pathway into the past and is
something that we love. Each time we plan a menu there are certain considerations
that we must make such as: what type of produce would have been used/available
during a particular time of year, which social class we want to present, which era
we want to present, and which recipes compliment the three previous decisions.
Historic
cooking methods have been a passion of mine for nearly 20 years; consequently,
I have racked up hundreds of cookbooks/ housewives and more than one hundred thousand
recipes that date between 1720 and 1970, which is in addition to the plethora
of online resources the pre/ post-date our materials. Creating
a historically accurate menu comes with an ease of accessibility at the museum.
Our cooking-era also determines our courses and service, which are carefully laid out alongside proper etiquette within these documents. Service à la française was popular in the 16th century to mid-19th century; all courses were served at once on the table, like a buffet, in an impressive display. Service à la russe gained popularity in beginning in the mid-19th century and is still used today; this involves courses being brought to the table sequentially and served in eight to fourteen tiny courses.
In preparation for an upcoming education day, I was speaking to someone regarding the use of herbs and spices in 18th and 19th century foods. We often assume that food did not taste good centuries ago, but that is simply untrue.
Common herbs/spices used in this area were: salt, pepper, peppercorns, thyme, parsley, tarragon, bay leaves, winter savory, marjoram, rosemary, sage, caraway, curry, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, mace, mint(s), mustard, coriander, horseradish, ginger, rose, and violet. Settlers may not have had indoor plumbing, but they could cook a delicious meal.
Our cooking-era also determines our courses and service, which are carefully laid out alongside proper etiquette within these documents. Service à la française was popular in the 16th century to mid-19th century; all courses were served at once on the table, like a buffet, in an impressive display. Service à la russe gained popularity in beginning in the mid-19th century and is still used today; this involves courses being brought to the table sequentially and served in eight to fourteen tiny courses.
In preparation for an upcoming education day, I was speaking to someone regarding the use of herbs and spices in 18th and 19th century foods. We often assume that food did not taste good centuries ago, but that is simply untrue.
Common herbs/spices used in this area were: salt, pepper, peppercorns, thyme, parsley, tarragon, bay leaves, winter savory, marjoram, rosemary, sage, caraway, curry, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, mace, mint(s), mustard, coriander, horseradish, ginger, rose, and violet. Settlers may not have had indoor plumbing, but they could cook a delicious meal.
Herbs that were not indigenous to the area were brought when
people migrated; this gave way to the discussion regarding honey. Honey has
been used for many millennia and is well documented, but that is not the case
in North America; honey bees and the concept of combing honey from hives was
brought to North America with the migration of colonists in the 17th
century. Native Americans were not familiar with honey, but they had a great
amount of experience with Maple Syrup.
Common sweeteners were maple syrup and sugar. After surveying 98 cookbooks published in the 18th and 19th centuries we found that honey was widely used in meads, beers and wines followed by a less common use in biscuits, cakes, preserves and vinegar (if mentioned at all); it was not used in main meat dishes. Honey, however, was used medicinally for sore throats, coughs, cleaning, and more. Today we still benefit from healthier side of honey when it’s coupled with modern medicine, but we’re more likely to see it partnered with toast, tea, mustard, a sticky meat recipe, or fried chicken and waffles.
Common sweeteners were maple syrup and sugar. After surveying 98 cookbooks published in the 18th and 19th centuries we found that honey was widely used in meads, beers and wines followed by a less common use in biscuits, cakes, preserves and vinegar (if mentioned at all); it was not used in main meat dishes. Honey, however, was used medicinally for sore throats, coughs, cleaning, and more. Today we still benefit from healthier side of honey when it’s coupled with modern medicine, but we’re more likely to see it partnered with toast, tea, mustard, a sticky meat recipe, or fried chicken and waffles.
Excerpts from The Cook’s Own Book published in 1832
Excerpts from Dr. Chase’s Recipes published in 1874
Excerpts from Cookery Reformed published in 1755
