Super Snacks for the Super Game with the Library of Congress

This post was written by Dianne Choie, Educational Program Specialist at the Library of Congress.

Don’t you just love getting together to watch the big game? I’m not talking about the exciting game play between two American football teams performing at the highest level, and I don’t mean the camaraderie of cheering your favorite players on alongside fellow fans. I’m referring, of course, to the availability of seemingly endless, delicious snacks. I have no idea who will be facing off in this year’s big football game, but I do know that I’ll take advantage of the occasion to try making and eating some tasty savory treats with my friends. It turns out that the Library of Congress has lots of snack recipes and images that you can find online. Let’s get inspired by some fun examples!

Did you know that you can find scans of entire books on the Library’s website? Luckily for us, these include cookbooks! Here’s a recipe for potato cheese balls from a book published in 1922 called Hospitality: Recipes and Entertainment Hints for All Occasions. It’s over a century old, but it sounds pretty good!

This recipe is from the book’s “Catering for Weddings” section. This serves our purposes well because weddings and football watch parties are both events where you want snacks that are bite-sized and not too messy. Would you try making these potato cheese balls? Would you taste these if you saw them at a party?

A more familiar snack you might find at a party is “pigs in a blanket,” which are usually small hot dogs or sausages wrapped in savory pastry dough. Check out this recipe for “Little Pigs in Blankets” from the 1892 book The Universal Common Sense Cookery Book: Practical Recipes for Household Use.

What do you notice about the recipe? It has the same idea we have today, but different ingredients. When I saw the title of the recipe, I thought I knew what to expect. It was a surprise to learn what went into this snack! Oysters aren’t a common ingredient for most home cooks in the United States today. It’s interesting how recipes (and expectations about recipes) can change over time.

A snack that has stayed pretty consistent over time is potato chips. The Library of Congress has digitized the entirety of Methods of Manufacturing Potato Chips, published by the United States Department of Agriculture in 1922. Here are a few of the photos that appear in the book:

We have automated machines in potato chip factories today, but the process is the same: thinly slice potatoes, fry, and flavor. What kind of potato chips would you reach for at a party?

Maybe you’re looking for something that will be a real showstopper at your next gathering. Well, look no further because Party Eats for Luncheons and Dinners, for Parties and Teas from 1923 has you covered:

These directions from just over a hundred years ago aren’t exactly a recipe, since the first step is to make “any” cake, but they do describe how to shape and decorate a cake to look like a turtle. If someone were to publish these instructions today, what do you think they might look like? The directions might be separated and numbered with photos accompanying each step. Or maybe someone would make a video of themselves creating this cake, showing their decorations to the camera. What other changes to the ways we share information have happened over time? Would you use these instructions as inspiration to make a cake in the shape of your favorite team’s mascot?

Maybe you don’t need a recipe for your party prep. If that’s the case, then the Library is here to give you visual inspiration, too! Below are some photos that might give you ideas for your party time eats.

Who doesn’t love a classic array of crudité (platter of raw vegetables) with dip? Do you have a preferred veggie and dip flavor combo?

Chili is another popular football party offering. You can make a vegetarian version using chili beans like the ones in the photo below along with some of the vegetables featured on the platter above.

Another online resource for food inspiration is the Library’s Chronicling America collection, which provides digital access to historic American newspapers. What kind of party snack ideas can be found in previous editions of the Washington, D.C. newspaper the Evening Star?

Do you agree that this dish from 1936 would “whet the most jaded of appetites?” As we saw earlier, people’s tastes change over time. While we may think that chicken livers, mushrooms, pickle, rice, and peas are all delicious on their own or in other dishes, putting them all together as in this image might not appeal to people today! This article also highlights changes in language. Have you heard the phrase “whet the most jaded of appetites” before? To “whet the appetite” means to increase someone’s desire for something. In this case, this appetizer-style dish is meant to make people eager to eat a meal afterward. Do you agree that this dish would make people excited to eat more?

For some people, the commercials that run during football games are as big a draw as the game itself. Advertising can give us insight into the historical context and cultural preferences of a society. For example, we can tell a lot from these newspaper ads for different snacks. If you like eating nuts, this 1952 ad, and even the canister packaging, might look familiar.

Like potato chips, peanuts and other nuts have been eaten pretty much the same way for as long as they’ve been available in stores. This ad has the additional interest of a list for what seems to be party snacks. Do you agree with the items they included? What would you add or take away?

Frozen foods were another relatively new item in the mid-twentieth century. Instead of having to prep and cook meals from scratch, it became possible for Americans to purchase pre-made frozen foods that just had to be heated up. Here’s one example from 1961:

Look at how the anchor illustrations underscore that this product makes seafood easy and accessible for you to eat at home. I’m feeling pretty convinced.

These are just a few examples of snacks you can find on the Library of Congress website. You can do your own search of our digital collections to see even more. Whether you attend a big football party or you’re interested in trying a new recipe or food combination, I hope you enjoyed exploring these snacks at the Library of Congress!