Top of page

Category: Cookbooks and Food

Silver stylized owl with radiant circles around its head, surrounded by a gold frame

The Potato Transformed: Norwegian Lefse

Posted by: Angel Vu

This post was authored by Stephanie Marcus, Science Reference & Research Specialist, in the Science, Technology, and Business Division of the Library of Congress. She is also author of the blog post “Kebabs, Kabobs, Shish Kebabs, Shashlyk, and: Chislic.” I considered writing my December blog post about leeches and bloodletting, but decided that wouldn’t be …

Silver stylized owl with radiant circles around its head, surrounded by a gold frame

Featured Advertisement: Cracker Jack

Posted by: Yvonne Dooley

On this day in 1918 the featured Cracker Jack ad appeared in Washington, D.C.’s Evening Star suggesting folks ship the treat to troops overseas for Thanksgiving. The fine print in the middle of the ad states: Cracker Jack is a favorite with soldiers and sailors everywhere. They learned to love it before the war, and …

Silver stylized owl with radiant circles around its head, surrounded by a gold frame

Stranger than Fiction

Posted by: Ellen Terrell

This guest post was written by Constance Carter who recently retired as head of Science Reference after 50 years of service at the Library of Congress. But being the dedicated librarian that she is, she now volunteers her considerable talents. The Science Reference Section has an extraordinary collection of 19th-century community and commercial cookbooks—some of …

Silver stylized owl with radiant circles around its head, surrounded by a gold frame

How Community Gardens Can Save America: Book Talk and Lecture, May 19

Posted by: Jennifer Harbster

LaManda Joy wants to inspire everyone she meets to grow their own food. She is an author, national speaker, award winning master gardener, and considered the “Best Urban Farmer in Chicago.” Her rallying cry “We can grow it!” recognizes the influence of the past while invigorating the American can-do spirit to create a positive future. …

Silver stylized owl with radiant circles around its head, surrounded by a gold frame

Upcoming Book Talk on the Mediterranean Diet, May 13

Posted by: Jennifer Harbster

Author, chef, and television personality Amy Riolo has written the following guest post about the history and benefits Mediterranean cuisine for her upcoming book talk on May 13 – “The Mediterranean Diet: Delicious Food Prescriptions for Transforming Illness.” Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food (Hippocrates) Almost daily we are learning how …

Silver stylized owl with radiant circles around its head, surrounded by a gold frame

The President and the Parsnip: Thomas Jefferson’s Vegetable Market Chart (1801-1808)

Posted by: Jennifer Harbster

Today’s post is guest authored by Julie Miller, historian of early America in the Library’s Manuscript Division During most of his two terms as president of the United States, (1801-1809) Thomas Jefferson carefully compiled a chart recording the seasonal appearances of fruits and vegetables in Washington’s market. This seems like a funny way for a president …

Silver stylized owl with radiant circles around its head, surrounded by a gold frame

Presidential Food Book Display at Main Reading Room Open House

Posted by: Jennifer Harbster

Today’s post is authored by Constance Carter, head of the science reference section. Connie has written for Inside Adams before- see her posts on Presidential Wheels, Civil War Thanksgiving Foods,  Food Thrift, the Chocolate Chip Cookie, LC Science Tracer Bullets, and her mentor Ruth S. Freitag. On the 16th of February, in honor of George Washington’s birthday …