English novelist Charles Dickens once compared eating cornbread to eating a pincushion. In that disdainful sentiment, I see generations of English and other European people trying to adapt to this New World grain when their favorite grain – wheat – failed to thrive. Corn, or maize/Indian corn as it was called by the early settlers, originated – … More Day 4: Corn – Celebrate American Food History
Every year during the holiday season, many media sources provide lists of cookbooks, primarily to jump-start the gift-giving proclivities of their readers. This year I’m getting a head start. Only thing is, my list is different. Most of the books I’m suggesting are free – they’re all vintage. And not as “vintage” seems to be defined nowadays, as … More A Reality Checklist about Romanticizing Kitchens Past
(The following comments stem from a talk I gave to a group interested in the Peacock-Harper Culinary History collection at Virginia Tech.) A long time ago, while standing on the corner on a dusty street in Puebla, Mexico, I experienced an epiphany. As I watched the housewives in rebozos (shawls) and young secretaries teetering on … More American Cookbooks: History 101 (I)
CYNTHIA D. BERTELSEN 
You must be logged in to post a comment.