By Anne Rothfeld ~ Culinary historians have traced the origins of egg-nog to the medieval British punch called “posset,” warm milk curdled with alcohol such
Tag: recipes
A Pocket Full of Soup
By Kenneth M. Koyle ~ January is National Soup Month, and for obvious reasons. This is the middle of winter for those of us in
An Articella in Catalan, 1475
By Margaret Kaiser ~ The National Library of Medicine recently acquired a rare manuscript related to the Ancient Greek physician Galen. It is an Articella—a
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
Palermo Book of Antidotes, 1670
By Margaret Kaiser ~ The Library has recently acquired a very rare pharmacopeia. Nicolò Gervasi’s Antidotarium Panormitanum (Palermo book of antidotes) published in Palermo, Italy
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
Treatise of Artificial Waters
By Margaret Kaiser ~ Herbs have been grown and used as medicine for thousands of years. Le Traicte des eaues artificielles les vertus & propriétés
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
A Piece of Pi: Historical Perspectives from NLM
Pi Day is the internationally-recognized event when various disciplines come together to celebrate the significance of the Greek letter π.