This modern dish is a delightful savory and sweet combination that uses two popular ingredients: leeks and apples. It can be served as a side dish to any entrée.
The leek and apple have nourished people for thousands of years. Both have been cultivated across the world and enriched our mythology and literature with symbolism. Continue reading
Posted in Blog, Bon Appetit Wednesday, Culinary, Culture, Holidays, Public Life, Religion
Tagged Agatha Christie, ancient history, AntiquityNOW, apples, Bon Appetit Wednesday, leeks, Nero, recipe, Rosh Hashanah, Thanksgiving
Tonight’s sundown marks the start of one of the most confusing holidays to spell – Hanukkah! Or Chanukah. Or Chanukkah. But that’s not all. For the first time since 1888, and not to be repeated for 79,043 years, Hanukkah and Thanksgiving, which is celebrated on the fourth Thursday each November in the United States, occur on the same day. Some verbal wits on social media have dubbed this very rare occurrence as …drum roll…”Hanu-giving.” Others are calling it “Thanksgivukkah.” Whatever the favorite, at least it has 79,043 years to catch on. Continue reading
Posted in Blog, Culinary, Culture, Holidays, Public Life, Religion
Tagged ancient history, AntiquityNOW, Hanukkah, holidays, Judaism, latkes, Maccabees, Seleucids, Thanksgiving, Thanksgivukkah
The holiday season is upon us and sweets are everywhere. Whether it’s cookies, cupcakes or candy, everyone enjoys indulging his or her sweet tooth. This season, celebrate the past and stand out from the crowd with a delicious ancient recipe.
Baklava is a popular dish originally made in the former Ottoman Empire that can also be found in Central and Southwest Asia. While you may have enjoyed a slice of this sweet, rich pastry in a local Greek or Turkish restaurant, you probably haven’t tasted baklava made the ancient Greek way. This recipe is a version of baklava called gastrin, or γάστριν in Greek. It contains the mix of ingredients that distinguishes its layered flavor. Continue reading
Posted in Blog, Bon Appetit Wednesday, Culinary, Culture, Holidays, Public Life, Religion
Tagged ancient history, ancient recipes, AntiquityNOW, baklava, Bon Appetit Wednesday, Gastrin, Greek, Ottoman Empire, petimezi
Is cinnamon your secret ingredient? Made from bark stripped from the laurel tree, it has been in the pantries, larders and spice racks of cooks from China to Rome to Sri Lanka for nearly 5,000 years. Are you a cheesecake aficionado? Your love carries back to the first Olympics in ancient Greece where the Olympian superstars were served a winner’s portion of the delight.
AntiquityNOW is pleased to announce Bon Appetit Wednesday! Each Wednesday we’ll post a new “recipe with a past” that has tickled taste buds for thousands of years. Give your weekend parties a distinctive flair with a repast that has a story to tell. Dazzle at potluck dinners with a chocolate concoction courtesy of the Maya. Connect to our ancient ancestors through dishes that can still nurture and satisfy today. By the way, send us your own recipes. We’ll research the origins and give you a shout out in our blog. And just to remind you of how ancient tastes and ingenuity have created today’s culinary fare, here’s a list of some recipes we’ve posted about in the past!
Posted in Blog, Bon Appetit Wednesday, Culinary, Culture
Tagged ancient food, ancient history, AntiquityNOW, Bon Appetit Wednesday, cheesecake, cinnamon, culinary, Greece, recipes
We at AntiquityNOW love our food! Whether an ancient recipe or using ancient ingredients, these dishes continue to delight the palate and bring ancient times to life. Here’s one example of how we at AntiquityNOW indulge.
Stretching from the Yucatán Peninsula southward into Central America in a series of city-states (c 2500-1900 BCE to BCE-900 CE), the Maya civilization had a profound influence on civilization and its advancement. Continue reading
The Shofar is blown in a synagogue during Rosh Hashana. Image courtesy of How Stuff Works.
L’Shanah Tovah![1] It is the first full day of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, and Jews around the world are celebrating with introspection, prayers for renewal and food having meaning and symbolism for the holiday. Continue reading
Posted in Blog, Culinary, Culture, Holidays, Public Life, Religion
Tagged ancient history, AntiquityNOW, honey, Jewish New Year, Judaism, pomegranate, Rosh Hashanah
Have you ever planted a seed and watched it grow into a plant? It’s an incredible feeling to see a tiny little seed turn into a fruit or a vegetable. Did you know that some of the seeds we use to grow our food today come from seeds harvested by cultures that existed thousands of years ago? These ancient seeds are called heirloom seeds and they’ve been passed down from generation to generation. They produce some of the most delicious fresh fruits and vegetables of all varieties. Continue reading
Children perform in Jerusalem’s Old City during celebrations to mark the breaking of the fast on the seventh day of the holy month of Ramadan, on July 26, 2012. (Photo credit: AHMAD GHARABLI/AFP/GettyImages)
As Ramadan comes to a close, Muslims around the world are breaking their fasts and marking celebrations with family and friends. Ramadan is the 9th month of the Islamic calendar, although the dates change each year because the lunar and solar calendars are not exactly the same. The end of Ramadan occurs either 29 or 30 days from the beginning of the month, and is celebrated by the holiday of Eid ul-Fitr, where after morning prayers people exchange gifts, put up lights and decorations and feast on their favorite foods. The word Ramadan means scorching in Arabic and was designated as a Holy Month in honor of the Quran being revealed to the Prophet Muhammad in 610 CE. During Ramadan Muslims seek to purify themselves by forgoing material needs and focusing on spiritual devotion. They pray, read the Quran and carry out works of charity. Their self-denial of food and water helps them empathize with the less fortunate. Continue reading
Posted in Blog, Culinary, Culture, Public Life, Religion
Tagged ancient history, AntiquityNOW, Islam, Palestine, Ramadan
So how much do you like ice cream? Ice cream with hot fudge…ice cream with sprinkles…ice cream with gumdrops…there really are many varieties and toppings. Let’s see how these ice cream treats were invented, beginning 5,000 years ago in China! Continue reading
Posted in Culinary, Culture, Kids Blog, Kids: Culinary, Kids: Culture
Tagged ancient history, AntiquityNOW, candy China, gumdrops, hot fudge, ice cream, sprinkles, whipped cream
Ever been shopping in the produce section and seen a flashy display for “HEIRLOOM TOMATOES!” Wonder what’s so special about these tomatoes? The answer might surprise you. Heirloom fruits and vegetables are grown from seeds that reach all the way back to ancient times. Over the millennia, these seeds have taken on enormous value. Continue reading
Posted in Blog, Culinary, Culture, Public Life, Recreation
Tagged agriculture, ancient history, AntiquityNOW, domestication, gardening, heirloom seeds, Mesopotamia, Neolithic Revolution
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