This weekend on July 4th, the United States celebrates its independence. There are pool parties, picnics, concerts in the park, fireworks and most importantly, food! Perhaps the most ubiquitous food on the fourth is the hotdog. Chicago-style, New York-style or just backyard cookout style, the hotdog takes the spotlight. And we aren’t content with eating just one hotdog, we have entire eating contests. Today, we’re bringing you a delicious recipe for a hotdog dish that you can serve for Independence Day breakfast, lunch or dinner. First, let’s learn a bit about the history of the hotdog and the eating contests that bring us together during this celebration. Continue reading
Category Archives: Bon Appetit Wednesday
Bon Appetit Wednesday! A Roman Pig, Hot Dogs, Eating Contests and Four Patriots: Happy July 4th
Bon Appetit Wednesday! National Dairy Month
It’s National Dairy Month in the United States and since the use of dairy in food has a long and rich history throughout antiquity, we thought we’d bring you a recap of some delicious and nutritious ways that ancient civilizations got things cookin’ with dairy! Continue reading
Bon Appetit Wednesday! The Magic of Ancient Turmeric
If you love curry, you’ve undoubtedly tasted turmeric and loved its unique, taste-infused flavor. However, you may not know much about this amazing spice. Well it’s time to change that and become familiar with an ancient ingredient that possesses incredible healing properties. Today’s recipe is for Turmeric “Golden Milk,” an extremely simple but fantastically powerful drink. Also, it’s National Dairy Month in the United States, so you can celebrate the goodness of dairy while enjoying the health benefits of turmeric. Continue reading
Bon Appetit Wednesday! National Herbs and Spices Day
Today is National Herbs and Spices Day! We thought it would be the perfect time to remind you of some ingenious and delicious ways the ancients made use of herbs and spices. Not only did they season their food, they also used these ingredients medicinally. Explore below the recipes along with their fascinating histories that have tickled the palate and nurtured the species through the millennia: Continue reading
Bon Appetit Wednesday! Roast Chicken With Ancient Grappa
Here’s a recipe that will whisk you away to Old World Italy. Its star ingredient is an underappreciated spirit that is making a comeback in modern society, grappa. The recipe, Roast Chicken with Grappa, is warm, rich and full of Italian goodness, but first we need to learn a bit about the grappa that makes it unique. Continue reading
Posted in Bon Appetit Wednesday, Culinary, Culture
Tagged ancient food, ancient recipes, ancient spirits, AntiquityNOW, Bon Appetit Wednesday, grappa, pomace
Bon Appetit Wednesday! Ancient Ricotta and a Simply Delicious Tart
Ricotta. Image credit: Fugzu on Flickr
Did you know that soft, delicious ricotta cheese isn’t really a cheese at all? It’s actually a by-product of cheese-making. We’ve assembled some facts about the history of this extremely versatile “cheese,” along with a simple recipe for a ricotta tart that combined with any seasonal fruit makes for a treat of sweet perfection.
So, ricotta isn’t a cheese. It’s actually a creamy curd that has been cooked twice. The excess whey leftover when making cheese is skimmed off and then recooked, at which point the albumin in the whey solidifies and becomes the ricotta cheese we know and love. Of course, something this delicious has many potential origins, but it almost certainly evolved, as so many ancient foods did, out of necessity. It came from “peasant thrift, dairy farmyard recycling and domestic frugality.”[1] There are a few things we know for certain about ricotta’s past. Continue reading
Bon Appetit Wednesday! Native American Wojapi
Wojapi is a traditional Native American dish that has been enjoyed for centuries. We give you fair warning that once you’ve had your first taste of wojapi, you won’t be able to put down the spoon.
Wojapi has been made by Native American tribes for centuries, with each generation passing the recipe down through the family. It is created with a combination of wild berries that can be found growing on the Great Plains, corn flour and honey. One of the favored berries for the recipe is the chokecherry. Used extensively by the North American Native tribes, the chokeberries were ground up, including the stones, and used in soups, stews, pemmican and even with salmon or salmon eggs.[1] (Speaking of pemmican, check out our blog post and recipe for this ancient dried meat jerky.) The bark and even the roots of the chokecherry trees were used in medicines to treat a host of illnesses.[2] Continue reading
Bon Appetit Wednesday! Lemon Buttermilk Pie with Ancient Saffron
Saffron. Exotic, expensive, ancient. Have you ever considered the origin of this delightfully complex spice with its rich color and flavor? Today we’re bringing you a spectacular springtime recipe for Lemon Buttermilk Pie with Saffron, along with a brief history of the brilliant golden spice it features.
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Bon Appetit Wednesday! Ancient Celtic Woodruff Spiced Wine
May Day was last Friday, but it’s not too late to celebrate the fresh and breezy month of May and the ushering in of a warm and beautiful spring! The Celts loved the change in seasons and they celebrated with the Beltane festival. There was plenty of food and drink, of course. But like other ancient cultures, the seasonal festival reflected the Celts’ deep spiritual intertwining with the natural world around them. Continue reading
Bon Appetit Wednesday! Mung Bean Quinoa Soup
The mung bean. The name doesn’t inspire thoughts of deliciousness, the tongue doesn’t begin to water with anticipation of scrumptiousness, but maybe it should. Perhaps the rest of the world needs to get on board with a fact that India and China have known for centuries: Mung beans are fabulous. Today we’re bringing you a recipe for Mung Bean and Quinoa Soup (learn about the ancient grain quinoa in our post here). It is packed with healthy goodness and is a perfect comfort food. Continue reading
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