By Ginny A. Roth ~ Today is Valentines Day, a day associated with hearts. In fact, the entire month of February is American Heart Month.
Tag: food
Spice of History: A Gingerbread Recipe
Recipe books from the 18th century hold a combination of food recipes, herbal remedies, and other such household creations thought to improve health. Powell’s “ginger bread” recipe includes ingredients easily found in today’s grocery store and provides measures still in use today.
The Tomatoes of August
By Susan L. Speaker ~ August, as every gardener knows, is tomato time. Suddenly all the plants are full of ripe fruit (yes, tomatoes are
A Book of Receipts of All Sorts (1693–1730s)
By Mary E. Fissell ~ Originally published in Hidden Treasure: The National Library of Medicine, 2011. In 1693 Elizabeth Strachey (ca. 1670–1722) wrote her name on
Digitizing Material Culture: Handwritten Recipe Books, 1600–1900
By John Rees Cookbooks and recipe books have always been popular with students of history and family genealogy. They are tangible artifacts of past lives
Sitting by the Fireside: African American History, Women’s History, and Food
Circulating Now welcomes guest blogger, Psyche Williams-Forson, PhD. Dr. Williams-Forson is an associate professor and chair, Department of American Studies, University of Maryland-College Park and
Sup on a Syllabub
By Anne Rothfeld Want an intriguing dessert from the past to satisfy your present day holiday palate? Serve the syllabub: a cream-based treat, mixed with
Scrub Away the Thanksgiving Troublemakers
By Sarah Eilers ~ Pine-cone crafts, cranberry sauce, and…poultry handling. As Thanksgiving and other winter holidays approach, many of us find ourselves thinking about these
Fire and Freedom: Food and Enslavement in Early America
Psyche Williams-Forson, PhD, will speak at 2 PM on November 3 at the National Library of Medicine on “Fire and Freedom: Food and Enslavement in
The Dandelion
By Anne Rothfeld The dandelion—a quaint, yellow-flowered, perennial herb loathed by homeowners and gardeners—was once praised for its many useful properties: its roots for medicinal
Images and Texts in Medical History—Miriam Posner
On April 11-13, 2016, the National Library of Medicine will host the workshop “Images and Texts in Medical History: An Introduction to Methods, Tools, and
Sip on a Shrub
By Anne Rothfeld Looking for a festive drink with historical origins? Prepare a pitcher of shrub to serve when guests arrive. A shrub is a
NLM’s Unique Early English Books Now Online
By Krista Stracka Earlier this summer, the National Library of Medicine announced the release of Unique English Imprints, pre-1800, a new collection available now through
A History of the FDA Notices of Judgment—Suzanne Junod
On May 7, 2015, the National Library of Medicine will host a special program, “A History of the Food and Drugs Act Notices of Judgment–From
Pure Food: FDA Notices of Judgment
Circulating Now welcomes guest blogger Dr. Suzanne Junod, a historian in the FDA History Office. In celebration of the completion of NLM’s digital archive of
How To… Kill Animals Humanely
By Michael Sappol Is empathy innate? Are we all born with the ability to identify with the emotions of others, to feel someone else’s pain?
Losing the Miracle?
Maryn McKenna spoke today at the National Library of Medicine on “Losing the Miracle? Agriculture, the FDA, and the Controversy over Farm Antibiotics.” Ms. McKenna
Famine Ships
By Stephen J. Greenberg Ireland is a beautiful country, but it is a haunted one as well. Invasions, civil wars, massacres, religious and political repression,
A Chocolate Valentine
By Michael J. North ~ Giving chocolate to a loved one on Valentine’s Day to show affection is ingrained in modern culture, but there was
Combating Childhood Obesity
By Laura McNulty and Ginny A. Roth September is National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month. Childhood obesity can lead to diseases we normally associate with adults
