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Historical Recipes

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Packed with sweet ricotta, candied fruit, and sponge cake, the treat is indulgently intense.
festivals

How a Breast-Shaped Cake Became the Symbol of a Sicilian City

History and legend collide in the story of one seriously suggestive sweet.
Sam O'Brien February 5, 2021
An ancient Pompeiian may have enjoyed this meal of braised duck.
ancient

Reconstructing the Menu of a Pub in Ancient Pompeii

Eat like a first-century Roman, using recent archaeological discoveries as your guide.
Farrell Monaco June 9, 2025
The cocktail is warm, hearty, and festive.
holidays

This 19th-Century Cocktail Still Fights Cold Nights in the Midwest

The Tom and Jerry is a Christmas staple.
Rohini Chaki December 10, 2020
Moose Milk is smooth, creamy, and potent.
holidays

Meet 'Moose Milk,' the Wintry Cocktail of the Canadian Military

Knock out the year with an elixir that can pacify an army.
Rachel Rummel December 15, 2021
Early McDonald's fries came in a package featuring "Speedee," a mascot named after the restaurant's "speedee" service system.
food

My Hunt for the Original McDonald's French-Fry Recipe

Veteran line-cooks, experts, and die-hard fans tell the story of the fries that birthed an empire, then disappeared—until now.
Luke Fater November 23, 2020
It's a pie. It's a pudding. It's a forgotten holiday classic.
food

Bake Luxurious 19th-Century Marlborough Pie

This apple custard pie is a forgotten New England classic.
Rohini Chaki November 18, 2020
Election cake was meant to be dense, rich, and filling.
politics

Reviving America's Forgotten Boozy, Fruity Election Cake

These cakes helped elections feel like a party.
Anne Ewbank October 30, 2020
The 2014 blue-ribbon cherry pie recipe from the Iowa State Fair.
farms

Inside the Midwest's State Fair Historical Recipe Contest

From biscuits to cherry pie, these award-winning dishes tell family stories dating back to the 1800s.
Sam O'Brien September 11, 2020
There are no known images of Hemings and only a few recipes attributed to the skilled chef, including one for poached meringue.
food

A Rare Recipe From a Talented Chef Enslaved by a Founding Father

Despite James Hemings’s leading role in Jefferson’s kitchen, he’s credited with only a handful of recipes.
Natasha Frost August 6, 2020
At the Oregon Historical Society, chocolate cake provided a new topic of conversation.
food

How Historical Societies Are Bringing Their Recipes to Pandemic Cooks

Food has become an important tool for connection.
Anne Ewbank July 17, 2020
The cookies' two signature ingredients, rum and molasses, demonstrate the deep relationship between New England economy and cuisine, and slavery.
food

How a Black-Owned 19th-Century Tavern Became the Birthplace of a Beloved Cookie

Joe Froggers tell a story of Black business ownership, slavery, and seafaring in Massachusetts.
Reina Gattuso June 18, 2020
Mesopotamian recipes often called for lots of alliums.
food

Cook Like an Ancient Mesopotamian With the World’s Oldest Recipes

Age-old cuisine, from soup to sweets.
Jess Eng June 17, 2020
The secret ingredient in this 1920's "Mystery Cake" may be best left unknown.
food

6 Comfort Foods Born of Historic Times of Discomfort

When the going got tough, the tough left recipes.
Luke Fater June 9, 2020
Just three ingredients go into the filling of this humble pie.
food

Eat Like a 19th-Century Shaker With This Simple Lemon Pie

There’s never been a better time for this forgotten frugal classic.
Sam O'Brien May 15, 2020
A touch of fire helped colonial Americans through many winters.
colonial america

Make a Colonial American Cocktail With Ale, Rum, and Fire

The smoky, creamy Hot Ale Flip is a testament to crude ingenuity.
Luke Fater May 13, 2020
These patties were once the core of what historian George Colpitts calls a "high-calorie energy regime."
recipe

How to Make a 5,000-Year-Old Energy Bar

Eat like ancient Great Plains hunters with this simple recipe.
Sam O'Brien April 30, 2020
Kitchen hacks from tough times past.
food

Even More Historic Dishes Born From Tough Times to Make at Home

For every crisis, a recipe.
Luke Fater April 27, 2020
You probably have the ingredients for sugar cream pie in your kitchen.
food

7 Historic Dishes Born From Tough Times That You Can Make at Home

Use every last crumb with these feats of culinary creativity.
Sam O'Brien March 30, 2020