In this book Patricia B. Mitchell documents food in the American colonies, from the difficult and sometimes desperate early beginnings to the much more favorable conditions of the late 1600's.
In the beginning, travel-minded Europeans were attracted to the new American colonies by lyrical descriptions such as this by Captain John Smith in 1614: “Of all the foure parts of the world that I have yet seene not inhabited, could I have but means to transport a Colonie, I would rather live here than any where. . . .” Alas! The New World was not Eden, after all, but the colonists coped and cooked in their new environment.
Numerous "read-out-loud" passages make this book an asset to education and conversation. Food instructions from the period include Pumpkin (“The ancient New England standing Dish”), “Beavers' Tails,” and “Raccoon.” Commemorative recipes helpful in showing the tastes of the period include “Ash Cake,” “Whigs,” and “Modern Day Gooseberry Fool.” 24 recipes; 113 research notes; 11,893 words.
This and other books by Patricia B. Mitchell were first written for museums and their patrons, and are now available as Kindle editions. Each of her books summarizes a food history topic, using quotations and anecdotes from early sources to both entertain and inform. She includes original, adapted, and commemorative recipes. She carefully lists her references to make it easy for others to launch their own research.
Since the 1980's Patricia Mitchell's work is a proven staple of American museum culture. Her readers love to share her ever-present sense of discovery. Her sales are approaching a million copies, and she is widely known by her web identity FoodHistory.com.
In the beginning, travel-minded Europeans were attracted to the new American colonies by lyrical descriptions such as this by Captain John Smith in 1614: “Of all the foure parts of the world that I have yet seene not inhabited, could I have but means to transport a Colonie, I would rather live here than any where. . . .” Alas! The New World was not Eden, after all, but the colonists coped and cooked in their new environment.
Numerous "read-out-loud" passages make this book an asset to education and conversation. Food instructions from the period include Pumpkin (“The ancient New England standing Dish”), “Beavers' Tails,” and “Raccoon.” Commemorative recipes helpful in showing the tastes of the period include “Ash Cake,” “Whigs,” and “Modern Day Gooseberry Fool.” 24 recipes; 113 research notes; 11,893 words.
This and other books by Patricia B. Mitchell were first written for museums and their patrons, and are now available as Kindle editions. Each of her books summarizes a food history topic, using quotations and anecdotes from early sources to both entertain and inform. She includes original, adapted, and commemorative recipes. She carefully lists her references to make it easy for others to launch their own research.
Since the 1980's Patricia Mitchell's work is a proven staple of American museum culture. Her readers love to share her ever-present sense of discovery. Her sales are approaching a million copies, and she is widely known by her web identity FoodHistory.com.
