Melody Makes JFK's Fish Chowder

A favorite of a fan favorite president!

Although warmer weather has been periodically making a comeback in my neck of the woods all month, it's still been chilly enough to want a nice warm bowl of soup after work. Being from New England, the idea of a rich, creamy chowder is definitely a comforting thought on chilly days, and I've always been interested in trying to make one from scratch. 

This dish isn't the New England clam chowder my home region's famous for, but it was a favorite lunch snack of a certain mid century president! I've been wanting to spotlight this recipe for a while, but never could quite work out the best time to give it a shot. This year, I decided I wasn't going to let another winter go by without sharing it with all of you.

Julie's Pizza Fondue

A rediscovered family favorite straight out of the 1970's!

Family recipes are one of my favorite things to explore on my blog. So many of them are things I’ve grown up eating for so long, or hold such special places in our hearts that the idea of preserving them online, sharing them with everyone, and just plain learning how to bring them to life has a lot of appeal. Getting at the history behind them is a lot of fun too – I loved my maternal grandma’s story of how she realized her Lazy Jane Casserole is actually just an easier version of Julia Child’s famous beef bourguignon! 

This one is a little more enigmatic than most of the family recipes I’ve spotlighted in the past. Unlike the others, this recipe was actually lost for years, and many people figured they would never get to eat it again. Its history is still a little foggy, but at long last, I got to make and try my paternal grandma’s famous pizza fondue! And I’m very excited to share the recipe with all of you. Read on to see how you can make this 1970’s favorite of my dad and his four sisters!

Maryellen's Sweet Story Cake

A retro recipe due for some time in the spotlight!

Have you been wondering what to make for Valentine's Day this year? Look no further! This vintage cake is the perfect thing for a dessert that's just a little bit different, but in a way you're sure to love. 

At least, that was my experience with it. I know I'm often quick to say I have a new favorite dessert recipe after trying out a historical or historically inspired recipe, but this cherry and almond flavored cake had a really unique flavor that totally made it worth hand pearling the decoration. Read on to see how to make this vintage 1948 recipe yourself!

Samantha's Fudge

A treat made popular by students at women's colleges!

Anyone who's been around me over the last couple months has heard me talking about how excited I am to finally have time to work on my blog again. I've been managing about four posts per month since January, something I wasn't even close to hitting while I was in grad school. It's helped me feel so much more engaged with food history again too, and I've been inspired to start planning some really cool stuff for down the line posts. 

One of my favorite things I've been able to do with this blog is to really challenge myself with historical recipes that have limited instructions and require some know how and faith on the part of the modern cook. Five years into this blog, I've gotten good enough at baking that I can pretty confidently throw together cakes and cookies in this fashion. 

Candies... not so much, as it turns out! Read on to see my attempts at making fudge from a 1903 recipe.

Caroline and Lalie visit the National Museum of the Pacific War

A gem in the heart of Hill Country, Texas!

After Christmas, I successfully convinced my wife and dad to make a pilgrimage with me to Fredericksburg, Texas. Why? Because it's the home of the National Museum of the Pacific War, an institution I've been wanting to visit for literal years. 

Long time readers might remember that my other big historical passion besides food history is the Pacific Theater of World War II. This is usually specifically focused on either the Marines or the Allied POW experience, but extends to pretty much everything and anything. As common place as World War II history is - seriously, it's gotten to the point where it's hard telling fellow historians it's what I like to study and teach others about most because it's just so overdone - the Pacific still tends to be overlooked by textbooks, museums, and media. Visiting an whole museum that focuses on the topic promised to be really exciting and totally worth the three hour drive from Austin. 

Spoiler alert: it totally was. Read on to see pictures from our trip!