Eat Your Way Through History!

Have you ever wondered just how thin gruel is? Or what exactly is pottage? How about frumenty or Hotch Potch? Well if your culinary question has to do with items that might have been eaten any time in British history, you might find your answers at the Cook-It History Cookbook website.  I ran across this fascinating site while looking for a gingered bread recipe. (Originally the dessert was made from old bread that was doctored up.)

The History Cookbook offer recipes by era, including Romano-Brisith, Saxons and Vikings, Normans-Medieval, Tudor, WW I – Edwardian, and seven other periods, complete with photographs. You can try Lavender Sugar (Stuart Era), Salamongundy (Georgian/Regency), Fire of London Cake (Stuart), or even Brown Bread Ice Cream (Victorian). You'll also find some food trivia for each time period and a few "Recipes to Avoid" like the "Plague Drink", an herbal-grape juice concoction. Most measurements are in metric units, but you can use a handy conversion calculator like this one to change quantities into more familiar units.

 My family loves to eat our way through history. We eat our way across the globe, too. Whenever we study a new time or place, we try to whip up some approximation of the cuisine. Last year we celebrated the end of units with Egyptian, Greek, and Roman Feasts. Next year we're moving on in time, so our first festivity  will be a Christmas Medieval feast. Preparing and eating different cuisines is a great way to help your children store memories of different eras and places. So, why not plan some exciting gastronomic adventures for your coming year?