I thought we’d take things back into the 20th century this week. Among the “treasures” acquired in 1960 by the Maryland Department of the Enoch Pratt Free Library (”Maryland Room Acquires ‘Treasures’”, Baltimore Sun, November 1960) is a copy of a cookbook put out in 1948 by the Maryland Home Economics Association. Much like the…
“All that is necessary for the enjoyment of sausages at breakfast, is confidence.” – Baltimore Sun, 1847 Historically, sausage-making has been a winter thing, but the sage in my backyard was out of control so I figured I’d make a go of it. With dozens of recipes at my disposal, choosing one seemed daunting until…
“If the Tomato be as highly medicinal as it has been represented, it may be anticipated that this wine will find favor with the public.” – Milwaukee Sentinal, June 1840 Interspersed with the shrubs, the cherry bounce, eggnog and Fish House Punch in 19th-century Maryland cookbooks are some of the most intriguing and intimidating recipes:…
Aside from the delicious and intoxicating experiment with Cherry Bounce, I’ve neglected to incorporate cherry desserts into this blog. The reason is pretty obvious – cherries rarely outlast the snacking phase. The 1921 “Report of the Maryland Agricultural Society” made note that “Cherries have never been considered as one of the money makers for Maryland,” and…
Before there were ethical questions about organic vegetables, GMOs or factory farming, American consumers were faced with the ultimate ethical consumption conflict: slavery. As we have seen with the issue of baking powder, regional and cultural adoption of foods was sometimes influenced by commitment to the abolitionist movement. While this can mean an aversion to…