Culinary Genealogy

When my better half, Kathy, and I started dating over a decade ago she opened my eyes to the world of genealogy. We came to realize that while she was looking for our long lost relatives, I was wondering what they were eating. 

Let me ask you a question; why would you go to Colonial Williamsburg when you could stay home and read about it or watch a video? A quick search on ‘Amazon’ shows 20 plus pages of items on the subject so why go thru the hassle? The reason is the experience, the opportunity to take part, get hands on, and feel like you were part of the 17th century. In short, participation.

Traditional genealogists can give you a wealth of information on the names, dates, and locations of your family. Sometimes there are stories, letters, and other historical documents that can help you imagine their life as well. Culinary Genealogy takes that information and moves you from the observation view to being a participant.

Did you find an ancestor that you now feel a connection to? Have you figured out where and when they lived? Maybe you are at the other end of the scale and only have a family story about a time and place that intrigues you. Whichever position you are in, you can be sure that they were eating and to be honest, they may have been eating better than you do on a daily basis. 

I remember a friends Grandmother saying that the depression wasn’t all that bad. They lived in the hill country of Tennessee and as farmers, using roughly an acre of the farm as a garden to feed the family. This was what they had always done. They were never short on food and often ate what is still considered hearty, tasty meals. The same is found in countries and cultures around the world and across time.

Are you looking to recapture or explain a family tradition? I can remember that we always had roast pork loin on Christmas Eve. It wasn’t until years later that I found out that it’s traditional for Swedes to have a roasted salt cured ham on Christmas day. With some basic information we can do the research of what your family was eating and supply you with menus and tested recipes so that you can create it as well. 

Maybe you’ve come across a family member’s recipe cards only to find that the measurements don’t make sense or maybe some of the ingredients don’t exist anymore? While some may just give up, we look at this as a challenge that is hard to pass up. We can take out dated recipes, update them, and publish them into a new family cookbook. Maybe you have the old cards and would like a cook book created, we can do that as well. Think how much fun would it be to pass these out during your next family reunion or maybe as a holiday gift? 

So if it’s continuing your adventure into history with participating in an ancestor’s meals, recapturing family traditions, updating recipes from the past, or creating cookbooks, we have the resources, experience, and knowledge to find the answers you are looking for.