Benjamin Franklin’s changing views on food throughout his life, and a recipe for anchovy and parmesan toasts from 1759

The stories claiming to tell of the origins of mayonnaise, and a French recipe from 1828

The demanding job of medieval butchers, and a dish of stewed meat and onions with a spiced sauce from 1430

The abysmal conditions and food of the steerage class of steamboat passengers in the 19th and early 20th century, and an extremely bland meal made from their rations

The history of shepherd’s pie, and a recipe from 1894 when it didn’t matter if you used beef or lamb

The almost-forgotten reign of Hatshepsut, a woman who was pharaoh, and a recipe for the ancient sweet zalabiya using ingredients available in ancient Egypt

The eccentric eating habits of Nikola Tesla, and a recipe based on a dish that, like so many other things, he invented

What we know (and are still learning) about Stonehenge, and a recipe based on archaeological findings for what they might have eaten there

A boiled down version of the complex origins and history of gumbo, and a recipe for shrimp and crab gumbo from 1885

Food production and rationing on the Australian homefront during WWII, and a recipe from a wartime cookbook for which I use kangaroo, which was hunted as a supplement to the meat ration

The mystery surrounding the death of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and an 18th century Viennese pork dish that could have been the cause

The history and food of the Victorian workhouse, and a recipe for stew from a 1901 workhouse cookbook

The Pastry War between Mexico and France, and a 19th century French pastry that could have been the cause

The evolution of boeuf bourguignon from a peasant dish to use up leftovers to French haute cuisine, and a recipe from 1885 for the early sauce version

The role of meat in the Roman soldier’s diet, and a recipe for a farro and pork dish that a Roman centurion might have eaten in Vindolanda

The empire and massive party of Ashurnasirpal II, and an ancient recipe for pomegranate beer that may have been served at his banquet

The hidden chocolate kitchen at Hampton Court Palace, the people who worked there, and a recipe from 1723 that they might have made

A tiny Christmas truce in the midst of the Battle of the Bulge, and a recipe for mincemeat pie from the US army in 1946

The origins and history of Turkish delight, and a recipe from the Ottoman Empire in 1844

The possible origins and evolution of toffee, and a recipe for the original Everton toffee from 1881