The history of Election Day as a major holiday in Hartford, Connecticut, and a scaled down 18th century recipe of any Election Day table: election cake

The history of clotted (or clouted) cream, and a 17th century recipe for it, an 18th century recipe for serving it, and a 20th century recipe for scones

The history of waffles and a recipe for waffles with butter and wine sauce from 1714

Chocolate’s development after its arrival in Europe, and an 18th century recipe for a delicious spiced hot chocolate

What you could tell about someone from their breakfast in Jane Austen’s England, and a recipe for bath buns as she might have eaten them for her first meal of the day

Special guest culinary historian Michael W. Twitty joins me to cook hoppin’ john, a dish that is said to bring good luck in the new year, and he shares the history of hoppin’ john and its roots in Africa and the enslaved population of early America

Special guest culinary historian Michael W. Twitty joins me for a special Q&A where he answers your questions and mine about the foods of Africa and of the enslaved population in early America

The history of pumpkins and the first recipe for a custard-style pumpkin pie

An early fad diet created by 18th century Dr. George Cheyne, and a delicious soup that would technically follow the diet’s rules (but is a dessert if we’re being honest)

What Marie Antoinette ate (the lady loved chocolate), and 18th century French recipes for an intense chocolate creme and meringue-like chocolate cookies.

The history of ketchup from Southeast Asian fermented fish sauce to Heinz marketing marvel, and an 18th century English recipe for white ketchup

The uphill battle for the potato to become legal again in France, and a fried potato ball recipe from the French Revolution

The institution that was English coffee houses and a method of making coffee from the 18th century

The history of shortbread and an 18th century recipe that includes yeast

The history of wedding cakes and an elaborate 18th century recipe for a fruitcake with two kinds of icing

The history of iced foods and ice cream, and an 18th century recipe for parmesan ice cream

The food of sailors and pirates, and recipes for seafaring staples: hardtack and grog