Happy Valentine’s Day from AntiquityNOW! Check out the links below to put an ancient spin on this day of love.
Posted in Blog, Holidays, Public Life
Tagged ancient history, ancient holidays, AntiquityNOW, valentine's day
Are you having a difficult time deciding what to cook for the historian in your life? Do you have a dinner party coming up and you don’t know how to wow your guests? Do you want to spice up meal times at your house? AntiquityNOW to the rescue! Download our latest free e-cookbook, Recipes With a Past 2015, and you’ll have recipes for everything from soup to nuts. And you won’t just be serving up delicious and unique dishes, you’ll also be helping to preserve cultural heritage by passing on the history behind these ancient foods.
Posted in Blog, Culinary, Culture, Recipes With a Past
Tagged ancient food, ancient history, ancient recipes, AntiquityNOW, Recipes with a Past
In preparation for Valentine’s Day, today we are celebrating the rose. You may not think of the rose as a food, but we assure you it is an ancient culinary treat. In fact, the rose has been cultivated since ancient times as a source of food, medicine and for perfume. In some cultures, rose gardens were considered important croplands, much like orchards.[1] Read our post, The Rose in History: Power, Beauty and the Sweet Smell of Success, for a fascinating history of this beautiful, fragrant and delicious flower. And once you’ve learned all about the rose’s past, you’re going to want to indulge in some rose cuisine. Look no further! We’re bringing you an exotic and delightful recipe for an ancient Thai Rose Salad. This Valentine’s Day, don’t just shower your love with a bouquet of roses. Serve up this dish redolent with flavor and flair! Continue reading
Posted in Blog, Bon Appetit Wednesday, Culinary, Culture, Holidays, Public Life
Tagged ancient food, ancient history, ancient recipes, ancient Thai food, AntiquityNOW, rose history, rose salad, roses
It’s Mardi Gras time! Break out the beads and get ready to party. But first, enrich your festival experience by learning about the history of the holiday in our blog post, Music, Color, Costumes and Beads—It’s Mardi Gras Time!
And take a walk down memory line in this slideshow of vintage Mardi Gras photos: A Brief History of Mardi Gras. Laissez les bons temps rouler!
Posted in Blog, Holidays, Public Life
Tagged ancient history, AntiquityNOW, Fat Tuesday, Mardi Gras, Shrove Tuesday
Last week we told you a bit about the prehistoric history of the fig and how it spread to Greece and Rome, where it became a major dietary staple. This week we’re exploring more about the fig itself and as well bringing you a recipe for Greek fig cakes, called Sykomaitha. Just as figs have some unexpected palate-tickling qualities, these sweet little cakes up the deliciousness factor with a delightful surprise ingredient. Continue reading
Posted in Blog, Bon Appetit Wednesday, Culinary, Culture
Tagged ancient fig, ancient food, ancient history, ancient recipes, AntiquityNOW, Bon Appetit Wednesday, fig, fig cakes, figs, Sykomaitha\
We are so excited about today’s Bon Appetit Wednesday. It marks the beginning of a series on the succulent fig. As we all know, there is nothing more exciting than a good fig recipe! Okay, now that may be a bit of an overstatement, but in all seriousness, these little ancient fruits are amazing. There are so many ways to use the fig, which have been filling the bellies of our ancestors for thousands of years. Because the fig has been around for so long and has had such an impact on history, we’re devoting more than one post to its story. So whet that appetite and enjoy the glorious tale of the fig. Continue reading
Posted in Blog, Bon Appetit Wednesday, Culinary, Culture, Uncategorized
Tagged ancient figs, ancient food, ancient history, ancient recipes, AntiquityNOW, Bon Appetit Wednesday, fig, figs, pork ragout
Tonight is the Punjabi Lohri festival. A celebration with ancient roots, it boasts numerous special foods. Today we’re bringing you a recipe for sarson da saag, a popular vegetable dish featuring mustard leaves and spices that is often eaten during the festivities.
No one is entirely sure when or why the Lohri festival began. As with many holidays celebrated today, it has ancient origins of a mysterious nature. The one unifying feature is that it is meant to recognize the winter solstice. It is thought that the ancient celebration of Lohri originally took place on the day of the winter solstice when the night is the longest of the year. The very next day began a trend of longer days and shorter nights, each slowly shortening by “the grain of one sesame seed.”[1] Continue reading
Each year the Middle East Outreach Council (MEOC) selects children’s and young adult books that best promote understanding of the Middle East. Shirley K. Gazsi, president of AntiquityNOW, serves on the selection committee. According to Gazsi, research is revealing how storytelling has an enormous effect on children’s world views and attitudes.
“Studies are continuing to show how reading fiction enables us to put ourselves in others’ shoes, and actually shapes the way we see individuals and the diversity of their cultures and times. This is particularly influential during childhood,” she said. “MEOC’s book selections are powerful tools in bringing the rich expanse of cultural heritage in the Middle East to children and young adults, and in seeding a commitment to multiculturalism for generations to come.” Continue reading
Today’s recipe is for a Black Garlic Bruschetta. It is a fairly simple recipe, but its star ingredient is anything but. This week’s Bon Appetit Wednesday is bringing you not only a delicious dish, but an intriguing mystery as well.
Several years ago, around 2008, black garlic, a strange little food with an unusual color and consistency but incredible flavor, experienced a moment in the sun. Suddenly, it was in all of the finest restaurants in the world and chefs were clamoring to make the next best black garlic dish. But where did it come from? The two main origin stories—one ancient, one modern–couldn’t have been more different. We’re going to present you with these two tales and let you decide which seems more credible. Continue reading
Only two more days until we ring in a brand new year! At AntiquityNOW we like to bring together traditions from all over the world, so this year we’re featuring a recipe for an ancient Dutch treat. Oliebollen are delicious dutch doughnuts with an unusual meaning and a dark history. Traditionally eaten on New Year’s Eve, oliebollen is translated as “oily balls.” While this may not sound like the most appetizing name for a food, these deep fried sweets will make you forget their strange name at first bite.
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