RUL Scholarly and Professional Activity Committee

Presenter: Becky Diamond

Title: How to Write a Cookbook: Researching and Reconstructing the Historic Flavors of the Gilded Age

Abstract: Writing The Gilded Age Cookbook (Globe Pequot, 2023) required a great deal of historical research. However, the structure and process were quite different from what I experienced researching and writing my previous two books of food history [Mrs. Goodfellow (Westholme, 2012) and The Thousand Dollar Dinner (Westholme, 2015)]. Since it was a cookbook, I wanted to recreate menus and recipes from authentic nineteenth century cookery and make sure they were updated for modern cooks and palates. And I needed to make sure they aligned with Gilded Age details, events and public figures. To do this, I studied cookbooks, articles, books and other materials to see how and why certain foods, cooking methods and recipes have changed over time and get a handle on the correct ingredients and measurements. I used newspaper articles and books from the period to provide details about stories and personalities. Images, photographs and other ephemera were helpful touchstones to correctly describe and set the scene for the book’s photography. Most of my research material was stored in various “virtual” file folders. I used Google folders and subfolders to organize and share documents and images which was helpful since I was working with a food stylist and photographer. This talk will highlight the framework required to write a cookbook, specifically reconstructing and testing historic recipes and making sure details are historically accurate.