Civil war era cookbooks

The typical daily allotment for a confederate soldier was twelve ounces of back and a pound of cornmeal also called indian meal or hardtack. When the country was catapulted into depression following the war, cooks had to get creative with what few ingredients they had on hand. Veit specializes in american history in the 19th and 20th centuries, focusing on the. Sep 20, 2014 from cookbooks, a glimpse of culinary history. The staple ration for union soldiers was hardtack, a rockhard biscuit. Dice pork into 1inch pieces and boil in water about 1 hour, until tender. If you want to try your hand at civil war cooking, there are recipes for items like beef jerky and confederate biscuits here, which smith helped adapt from civil war era cookbooks. Lees silverware those were just coincidences at a tasting of dishes from the civil war era, prepared according to recipes adapted from cookbooks. Services at the historical society of pennsylvania, recently made a startling discovery. In this fascinating historical compilation, excerpts from five civil warera cookbooks present a compelling portrait of cooking and eating in the urban north of the 1860s united states.

Recipes adapted from cookbooks of the civil war era the. The salt from recipes for apple pie without apples to advice on how to treat servants, the eras cookbooks hint at the. Known as lemonade powder, dry lemonade, or portable lemonade, these powders were originally made and sold by chemists at apothecaries as a treatment for fevers, digestion. Civil war soldiers needed bravery to face the foe, and. Civil war food what food did civil war soldiers eat. Direct references to the war were rare in cookbooks, even in those published right in the middle of it. I have learned a lot about traditional foods through the weston a.

This fascinating book presents a variety of civil war era recipes from the south, accompanied by eyeopening essays describing this tumultuous period in the way people lived and ate. Jun 02, 2015 slavery, famine and the politics of pie. Mix soy sauce, worcestershire sauce, salt, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder and chili flakes. While its true that the union soldiers were generally better fed than the confederate soldiers were, neither side was. The civil wars division of north and south is reflected in. The book features more than 200 recipes from the civil war era.

The south, she drew on volumes from the decades before and after the war, from mary. The task could fall to the respective national governments or on the individual states that recruited, raised, and equipped the regiments and batteries. Food prices rose in the south starting in the summer of 1861, and there were food shortages from 1862 onward, especially in towns and near the front lines. The civil wars division of north and south is reflected in cookbooks. Naval blockades kept the south starving for salt and other foods, a fact. In this fascinating historical compilation, excerpts from five civil warera cookbooks present a compelling portrait of cooking and eating in the urban north of the 1860s.

In a soup pot, add bacon fat,onions, garlic and leek. In part, this is a reminder that lives went on and that. Civil war, they typically consider it a purely american affair that pitted the geographic regions of the north versus the south. Smith and by the roger smiths executive chef, daniel. According to hardees rifle and light infantry tactics, written by a u. Consequently, the food they ate was meant to keep people alive. If youve seen the free state of jones, even the first fifteen minutes of the movie bring home some of the atrocities that men on both sides had to endure. Mary todds white cake was abraham lincolns favorite cake. Civil war macaroni and cheese easy mac cheese recipe based on an authentic american civil war era recipe for maccaroni cheese.

Helen zoe veit, msu department of history, discusses her two books on civil war food in the north and in the south. Daniel mowles preparing roasted rabbits for a tasting of civil warera food at the roger smith hotel on monday. She first made it for him while they were courting. Recipes civil foods a unique cookbook full of civil war era recipes from families and individuals who gained. The civil war required complex logistics in order to feed the massive numbers of soldiers in the union and confederate armies. I hardly ever read nonfiction, but veits engaging commentary made this one a surprisingly quick read. Cookbooks offer a unique and valuable way to examine american life in the era of the civil war. Army officer from the south before the war, the rations for a soldier during this time usually included. Jun 04, 2015 cookbooks can be an overlooked source of history. Elsewhere, the seach will be visibly opened after this button is selected.

History and recipe of hardtack, a dense civil war era cracker that. Civil war era lemonade powder recipe drink powders seems like such a modern convenience that its hard to image that they have been around since at least the early 1800s. History and recipe of hardtack, a dense civil warera cracker that. During the civil war, food shortages were common and soldiers needed to be able to carry food for days. Recipes from the confederacy our united daughters of the confederacy chapter put together a small recipe book to share with other chapters in our state. Flavors of the civil war south lansing state journal. Cookbooks offer a unique and valuable way to examine american life. Food in the civil war era was some of the original farmtotable cuisine, made from seasonal, small batch ingredients found in the immediate vicinity. But other simple civil war recipes, like soups, stews and hash, could be made with whatever ingredients. Yet, this socalled war between the states was hardly limited to the continue reading words as powerful as bullets. Mar 21, 2017 msus special collections has a wide range of material documenting the political climate and social history of the american civil war era, defined here as 18501870. Civil war recipes and civil war food visit gettysburg. Navigate to the global search form search landmark. Cornmeal, rye, potatoes, rice, hominy, buckwheat and other variant ingredients were used to make different kinds of bread.

This book provides us with a glimpse at both food habits and the evolution of the genre of cookery books during the american civil war period, and hence should be of interest to both food historians as well as american studies scholars. Two civil war era recipes that are good to eat and of historic value are mary todds white cake and general robert e. Like today, there were many different types of bread and bread mixtures. Celebrate the 150th anniversary of the civil war with recipes from the era. Recipes from the confederacy american civil war forum. Jul 03, 20 if you want to try your hand at civil war cooking, there are recipes for items like beef jerky and confederate biscuits here, which smith helped adapt from civil war era cookbooks.

In part, this is a reminder that lives went on and that dinner still appeared on most tables most nights, no matter how much the world was changing outside. Aug 16, 2015 and so, when helen veit went to gather the cookbooks that would be excerpted in food in the civil war era. The recipes found in cookbooks published in the civil war era and adapted by mr. The north examines food habits and how cookbooks evolved during the civil war era, and will appeal to any with an interest in american culinary history. Mary hooker cornelius, the young housekeepers friend boston. Cream shortening, sugar, eggs and recipes civil war foods a unique cookbook full of civil war era recipes from families and individuals who gained a measure of fame.

Consequently, the food they ate was meant to keep people alive, with a rare delight mixed in here and there. The cookbooks excerpted here teem with the kinds of recipes we expect. And so, when helen veit went to gather the cookbooks that would be excerpted in food in the civil war era. I thought a collection of civil war era recipes would be a nice addition. This fascinating book presents a variety of civil warera recipes from the south, accompanied by eyeopening essays describing this tumultuous period in the way people lived and ate. The first volume, on food in the civil war era in the north, came out in may. With potatoes and pastrami, this ones easy to make at home. Smith and by the roger smiths executive chef, daniel mowles. Knight, titbits, or, how to prepare a nice dish at a moderate expense boston. Illustrated with wonderful period photographs, it intertwines history and food for a fascinating look at the lives of civil war soldiers and their families.

Msus special collections has a wide range of material documenting the political climate and social history of the american civil war era, defined here as 18501870. This approach uses vintage cookbooks for its exploration. Simmer for 30 minutes and then add pork back to pot. They reflect not only the culinary values of an era but even the political. Listen to the interview wkar radio at msu, east lansing.

But other simple civil war recipes, like soups, stews and hash, could be made with whatever ingredients the soldiers had on hand. Yet, this socalled war between the states was hardly limited to the continue reading words as powerful as. Historical society of pennsylvania reprints civil warera. Thats exactly what the new book food in the civil war era. The civil wars division of north and south is reflected in cookbooks description.

This cookbook is a remarkable anthology of actual civil war recipes taken from 19th century womens magazines. Resources the civil wars division of north and south. Union soldiers also received a hard, unsavory crackerlike biscuit that the soldiers dubbed hardtack while confederate soldiers were lucky if they received a good supply of cornmeal during battles and when food was scarce a union soldiers. Direct references to the american civil war were rare in cookbooks, even in those published right in the middle of it. See more ideas about food recipes, war recipe and vintage recipes. The types of food that were popular during the civil war was very different from the food we eat today due to wartime food shortages and a lack of both refrigeration and largescale food processing, most meals were simple, easy to prepare. The south, edited by food historian helen zoe veit explores, reports nina martyris for npr. A new book from the msu press looks at the cookbooks and foodways of americans in the 1860s. Recipes adapted from cookbooks of the civil war era the new. Fugitive slaves and the struggle for americas soul from the revolution to the civil war. In the beginning, sugar, beans and coffee were part of the allotment, but faded out as food supplies dwindled. While its true that the union soldiers were generally.

Every civil war buff will want to own this unique cookbook, which takes you right into the kitchens of 19thcentury america. This resource guide identifies 10 genres from that period which are wellrepresented in our collection. Historical food fortnightly challange world turned upside down. The cookbooks excerpted here teem with the kinds of recipes we expect to find when we go looking for southern food.

The civil wars division of north and south is reflected. Sep 21, 2011 the event was organized by a historian, andrew f. With a historical introduction and contextualizing annotations, this fascinating historical compilation of excerpts from five civil warera cookbooks presents a compelling portrait of cooking and eating in the urban north of the 1860s united states. I will enclose several recipes for those of you who like to cook recipes from this period.

In this fascinating historical compilation, excerpts from five civil warera cookbooks present a compelling portrait of cooking and eating in the urban north of the. Resources the civil wars division of north and south is. The north, editor helen zoe veit provides a bit of background so you can understand the trends behind recipes compiled from five civil warera cookbooks. She continued to serve the cake during all their married life including their white house years. Civil war recipes and food i have a passion for traditional food preparation, so i love to study civil war recipes and ingredients. From other posts, i see that a lot of you are interested in cook books and recipes. Civil war era foods you can still make today in 2019. It became increasingly harder for farmers to find enough laborers to plant and harvest the crops, and harder to transport food in the civil war to where it was.