A White House Thanksgiving

This is what President Harry Truman had for Thanksgiving in 1947. (Click to enlarge.) What dishes are going on your table this year? My favorite holiday is Thankgiving. No dispute. After all, it's a holiday that basically crafted entirely around the consumption of turkey. I'm not entirely sure that this is what Lincoln had in … Continue reading A White House Thanksgiving

What’s Cooking Wednesday: What’s That Smell?

    Leave a comment on the bottom of this post telling us your favorite food smell. and you'll be entered into a random drawing to win a copy of Eating with Uncle Sam from the Foundation for the National Archives! Smells are everywhere. Realtors bake cookies and make coffee to help sell houses. Proud … Continue reading What’s Cooking Wednesday: What’s That Smell?

What’s Cooking Wednesday: Halloween BBQ

If you really want to be scared by food, don't miss "Food Frights" on Thursday night at 7 p.m. at the National Archives Building! David Gregory of NPR will moderate this discussion about how America's government became involved in food safety and how food safety will look in the future. One of our panelists is Chef José Andrés … Continue reading What’s Cooking Wednesday: Halloween BBQ

What’s Cooking Wednesday: Whale Surprise!

Today's guest post comes from Jennifer Audsley Moore, who is an archives technician and volunteer coordinator at the National Archives at Kansas City. Whale: It’s what’s for dinner. At least, that is how the U.S. Food Administration and U.S Bureau of Fisheries would have it. During World War I, the U.S. Food Administration was established … Continue reading What’s Cooking Wednesday: Whale Surprise!

World War I food conservation: “Pan de la libertad”

“What’s Cooking, Uncle Sam?,” our current special exhibition in Washington, DC, examines the Government’s effect on what Americans eat. Government influence was especially visible during wartime, when many food products were reserved for feeding the troops and our Allies. During World War I, the U.S. Food Administration, headed by Herbert Hoover, urged the American people … Continue reading World War I food conservation: “Pan de la libertad”

What’s Cooking Wednesdays: Eat your peas in NYC

  To celebrate our new exhibit "What's Cooking, Uncle Sam?" we are featuring a food-related blog post every Wednesday. Today's post comes from Christopher Zarr at the National Archives in New York City. The National Archives maintains the primary source documents of the U.S. Food Administration (USFA). Thousands of documents illustrate the local sacrifices and quality … Continue reading What’s Cooking Wednesdays: Eat your peas in NYC

Kuchem-Buchem just like Grandma used to make

Today on "What's Cooking Wednesday," we are excited to share a special guest post and recipe from food writer Joan Nathan, who will be speaking at the National Archives on May 25 with Chef Spike Mendelsohn about Jewish holiday traditions and cooking.  In all the years I have been writing about food, I thought that … Continue reading Kuchem-Buchem just like Grandma used to make

The Archivist and the Chef

Our new exhibit "What's Cooking, Uncle Sam?" opens on June 10 and has over 100 original records about food. But what if you could do more than just look at the records? What if you could taste them—and taste history? Chef Jose Andres—the 2011 Outstanding Chef at the James Beard Foundation Awards, host and executive producer … Continue reading The Archivist and the Chef

The Queen’s Scones for a Wedding Breakfast

Welcome to our first "What's Cooking Wednesday" here at Pieces of History! We're excited to make this first post in a series celebrating our new exhibit "What's Cooking, Uncle Sam?" which looks at the role that the Federal Government has taken in Americans’ lives regarding food production, safety, advertising, and nutrition. It opens June 10, … Continue reading The Queen’s Scones for a Wedding Breakfast