The holiday started as a solemn tribute. By the 1890s, the picnic basket had taken over. Memorial Day did not start with barbecues and beer. It started with flowers and grief. The roots of the holiday go back to May 1865, just weeks after the Civil War ended. In Charleston, … [Read more...] about What Did Americans Eat on Memorial Day in the Gilded Age?
Gilded Age
The Drink in Every Gilded Age Picnic Basket (And Why It Deserves a Comeback)
Before iced tea ruled the summer table, there was raspberry vinegar. If you've ever wondered what Gilded Age Americans sipped at their Decoration Day picnics, the answer is not lemonade. Well, not only lemonade. The drink that showed up on respectable middle-class picnic menus … [Read more...] about The Drink in Every Gilded Age Picnic Basket (And Why It Deserves a Comeback)
The Humble Raisin Pie: A History That Spans Continents and Centuries
Raisin pie doesn't get the credit it deserves. It has no glamorous origin story, no famous patron who made it fashionable. What it has is staying power. This pie shows up in medieval English kitchens, in the servants' hall at grand Edwardian country houses, and in the farmhouses … [Read more...] about The Humble Raisin Pie: A History That Spans Continents and Centuries
Champagne Cup: The Drink That Kept Edwardian Parties Going All Afternoon
Before the cocktail hour, there was the cup. A jug of champagne, cupped on a warm afternoon, was as essential to Edwardian entertaining as the guest list. If you have ever wondered what the guests at a Downton Abbey garden party were drinking while they stood on the lawn making … [Read more...] about Champagne Cup: The Drink That Kept Edwardian Parties Going All Afternoon
Beaten Biscuits: The Southern Staple That Almost Disappeared
Before baking powder, there was muscle. Beaten biscuits are what Southern cooks made when they needed a biscuit that lasted for days, and they are worth every minute of effort. Beaten biscuits are not like any biscuit you have made before. They are dense, pale, and crisp. They … [Read more...] about Beaten Biscuits: The Southern Staple That Almost Disappeared
