Category Archives: Food

Old recipes, family history, stories about recipes, American history, vintage cookbooks

Spiffed Up Saltines

Think saltines are just for snack time at nursery school? This recipe, a favorite from the 1970s, adds a toffee topping and transforms an ordinary cracker into a holiday treat. I first tasted this kind of toffee at the annual … Continue reading

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The Best of the Clippings for Kugel Recipes

I don’t think my mother ever made a noodle kugel for the Jewish holidays, but that didn’t stop her from clipping recipes from a variety of sources and stuffing them into a Jewish cookbook that she kept on her shelf. … Continue reading

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Fruit Fit for a President

In the days before air freight, I impatiently waited for summer fruit season. First, green grapes, followed by berries, cherries, peaches, and melons. Most of the time, I simply ate the fruit plain, or enhanced it with a bit of … Continue reading

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Cornbread with Colonial Roots

There must be as many recipes for cornbread as there are cooks who have made it. The common ingredient is corn meal, but the shortening, the sweetener, and the type of corn meal itself varies from region to region, and … Continue reading

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A Sunny Dessert for Dreary Days

By this time of the year, I need something sunny-looking on my table because there’s no escaping the snow and day after day of below-freezing temperatures. Enter apricot pudding, a recipe I adapted from The New Thought in Cooking by … Continue reading

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Gingerbread Fit for a President

Inaugural ceremonies of the past week inspired me to read more about the inauguration of George Washington, America’s first President, in 1789. It took place at Federal Hall in New York City, as the U.S. Capitol and the White House … Continue reading

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Holiday Cake without Candied Fruit

Forget the glazed green cherries and other icky candied fruit. This cake relies on raisins and pecans – nothing artificial in either one. And you’ll likely have these ingredients, plus brown sugar, flour, and spices, in your pantry. You don’t … Continue reading

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Recreating a Tearoom Treat

Through the mid to late 20th century, department store tearooms gave shoppers a place to relax and regroup. Originally a clever marketing ploy to keep customers in the store, the tearooms became a beloved part of the community. Many were … Continue reading

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Cucumber Soup: A Summer Soother

As our garden yields a profusion of cucumbers, slices in salads quickly become monotonous. I’ve tried cutting spears for vegetable dips, tossing cubes into smoothies, and making batches of blender gazpacho. Too bad I don’t like pickles! Americans have grown … Continue reading

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Graduation Fare: Harvard Squares

How do you celebrate a Harvard graduation when coronavirus cancels the traditional ceremony? Turn on the livestream and bake a batch of Harvard Squares. I found this recipe, named for the crimson and white colors of the school, in The … Continue reading

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