It's been pointed out to me since last week's post that my memory is playing tricks. We didn't sing "Summertime" in high school, we sang it in middle school...with my friends, not my sister.Maybe it's because I'm too busy thinking about my tomatoes. And that little guy above. He's taken up residence between two tomato… Continue reading Kitchen garden (IV)
Author: Abby Murphy
I'm a writer and a history teacher, and I blog about (no surprise here) history, books, and writing.
Lemonade
High summer in Rhode Island. The days are long and sticky and oppressive (but not as humid as Ohio, where summer can feel like you're swimming through tar). Although the mornings are cool and breezy, they burn off quickly once the blazing sun gets going. If you're out for a walk, you probably spend it… Continue reading Lemonade
Nutrition, 1903 style (II)
Yesterday I posted some of my fan-girl thoughts on Michael Pollan's In Defense of Food and presented a nutritional table from The "Settlement" Cook Book. Now I'd like to think about what this 1903 table has to do with our eating habits today.The interesting thing about The "Settlement" Cook Book is that it's just the beginning of nutritionism,… Continue reading Nutrition, 1903 style (II)
Nutrition, 1903 style (I)
Now that we've gotten comfortable with the sorts of recipes available in The "Settlement" Cook Book, I'd like to take a look at the book's attitude towards food. Before this project (and before I did some serious thinking about food and health), I hadn't thought much about the different ways a person could view food.… Continue reading Nutrition, 1903 style (I)
Berliner Pfann kuchen
We're fast-forwarding here (briefly) to the 1960s. After East Germany built the Berlin Wall in 1963, dividing Berlin into two parts, President John F. Kennedy paid a visit to West Berlin to demonstrate America's support for the divided country. During this visit, he gave a memorable speech in which he proclaimed,"Ich bin ein Berliner!"There's a… Continue reading Berliner Pfann kuchen
Flaxseed tea
There can be hidden gems in old cookbooks. Like last week's kuchen tarts, or the Little House apple turnovers, or the Old Virginia pancakes. Come to think of it, those hidden gems all have to do with baking or flour-based deliciousness.Anyway. Sometimes there are successes. And sometimes there are failures. And sometimes there are just plain… Continue reading Flaxseed tea
Mint julep
Now that summer (with all its heat and humidity) is in full swing, my sister Lissa has been contemplating what would make the weather more bearable. There's swimming, long afternoons in Starbucks, evenings at the air-conditioned movie theater.* There's also the tried-and-true tradition of iced mixed drinks. Every few days, she sighs wistfully, "Wouldn't it… Continue reading Mint julep
Fourth of July Kuchen tarts
Right now I'm in Cleveland, enjoying a week with family and quiet mornings of blazing heat. While I love Providence, it's wonderful to escape from a city (even a small one) for a time. I get to remember what it's like to walk down the street hearing only the cooing of birds and the rustle… Continue reading Fourth of July Kuchen tarts
Frontier House (II)
A few days ago I gave an overview of PBS' miniseries Frontier House, where three modern families live for five months on Montana homesteads as though it were 1883. Here are just a few things that were fascinating about the series:the historically accurate division of labor. The men build the houses, sheds, and fences, while… Continue reading Frontier House (II)
Frontier House
It's 1883. You've arrived in a desolate part of Montana with your family and all your worldly belongings, ready to create a homestead and start your new life as a farmer. You have only the woods and the tools you brought with you to build your house. You have only the animals you brought with… Continue reading Frontier House
Abby Murphy 