Episodes
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This week’s bonus episode is an interview I did with Rich Napolitano of the delightfully dark and decidedly educational podcast highlighting the Age of Sail - Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs - Tales of Mishaps, Misfortune, and Misadventures
Bring along all the Cabin Girls & Boys - this one is for everyone.
Rich does me the favor of quoting vivid primary sources to back up all these things I’ve been saying about food at sea. In a word: Terrible.
Check out Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs (https://shipwrecksandseadogs.com/blog/) to discover many more engaging episodes about tales of mishaps, misfortune, and misadventures.
For images and sources, please visit https://shipwrecksandseadogs.com/blog/2024/11/12/danderfunk-salt-junk-and-scurvy-cuisine-aboard-ships/ For ad-free listening to Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs and many other fantastic history podcasts, subscribe to Into History at IntoHistory.com/shipwreckspod. -
Can I just be a black cat now?
Anyway - what are Baked Beans really, how did they come about, and why, in my opinion are they America's first influential fusion food? Also, why did America pass up the chance to become a poettery power house - and give it all up in favor of steel and glass (is it becasue we think art is secretly decadant and a waste of time?)
Come along for the journey, give pork a chance and don't give up on mustard. We all need it.
Music Credit: Fingerlympics by Doctor Turtle
Show Notes: https://thehistoryofamericanfood.blogspot.com/
Email: TheHistoryofAmericanFood at gmail dot com
Threads: @THoAFood
Instagram: @THoAFood
& some other socials... @THoAFood -
Missing episodes?
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Look - I should really plan better when I take an unexpected trip to Romania. But I did not.
Enjoy all the same. #NSFW
Things just get more. More more.
Oh you were confused last week? Well it doesn't get any better this week. If anything it gets worse... more soupy, more sloppy, more salacious.
Greta badly speaks more Spanish - but mainly in the service of the 2! DOS! Zorros issue.
Jamie is baffled by the twins issue - not twin Zorros, just regular Telenovella twins.
Excitement as we are in New York. Consternation as a transit across the Panama Isthmus is proposed.
And as always we have fun dashing about the (not actually) old Los Angeles countryside as the Mexican sway over Las Californias is in the process of being lost. But not before we are teased with more bears.
When will we solve the mystery of the dang bears!?
As always - you can reach us on the internets.
Jamie Lewis (plagueofstrength.com & IG @plagueofstrength)
and his NEW YouTube Apprearances on Carved Outta Stone Wednesday AM or Friday PM
Schedule Details: instagram.com/carvedouttastone
&
Greta Hardin (The History of American Food podcast & @THoAFood all over) -
Have you ever thought about how there are so few North American foods that are globally available - or even regular foods for people living in North America?
Well wonder no more. Or at least slightly less - and explore some of the major items that are native to Norht America, and yet almost made it to "famous because they are yummy" but not quite. Also - what are the possible global superstars in waiting.
Music Credit: Fingerlympics by Doctor Turtle
Show Notes: https://thehistoryofamericanfood.blogspot.com/
Email: TheHistoryofAmericanFood at gmail dot com
Threads: @THoAFood
Instagram: @THoAFood
& some other socials... @THoAFood -
As long as you remember... this is the NSFW Bonus part, come on along.
We are back in Alta California when the wine was Spanish, and the churches were all adobe. Americans were eyeing the other side of the continent... but only in a desultory manner. Snd the richest people of the land - were giant jerks with no thought of the little people actaully doing all the labor, or the local tribes who had been there for a minute. Like a real long time.
Anyway - if you'd like to Telanovela up your history, let's Zorro!
What the Hell is going on? That's the entire sentiment of this episode.
And well, as viewers always trying to figure things out we may have brought it on ourselves.
One approach of course is to take one story line and then make it endlessly twisty - each twist more diabolical than the last and it's some of the these post Game of Thrones shows where eventually people just can't care anymore. The characters are so contradictory - nothing matters anymore.
The other, more fun approach is to just keep throwing in new characters (who's Guadalupe Montero?), sting out plot points (what is up with the bear pins?) and moving the story around to new locations (how are we in New York - err Nueva York?)
And that is what Zorro has chosen to do, because it is a fun show! So buckle those swashes and let's go! (That will get old, I know. But not yet)
As always - you can reach us on the internets.
Jamie Lewis (plagueofstrength.com & IG @plagueofstrength)
Greta Hardin (The History of American Food podcast & @THoAFood all over) -
This week - First a tribute to the forever changed Blue Ridge Parkway.
But mainly a look at how little American Diet Culture has changed in almost 200 years. We came up with some very sticky ideas about how diets should work - including general cluelessness about complex ideas, fuzzy recolections of a fantastic past and the fact that you need more money than you have to follow it correctly.
Sylvester Graham and his boring approach to vegetables is going to lead the way in how America is going to try to regain health and lose weight.
Follow along for America's first encounter with, "you are eating wrong."
Music Credit: Fingerlympics by Doctor Turtle
Show Notes: https://thehistoryofamericanfood.blogspot.com/
Email: TheHistoryofAmericanFood at gmail dot com
Threads: @THoAFood
Instagram: @THoAFood
& some other socials... @THoAFood -
In case you are new here - these are the NSFW Eps. Not serious food content, fit for sharing with everyone. Instead, we are being silly about media - mostly about the 19th Century. And there are swears. Sharing this becasue this Zorro series wonderful escapist nonsense.
Catch Season 1 of Zorro on Amazon Prime Video to watch along
This episode is where this show goes mask off and shows it’s Telenovela True Colors.
Go watch this episode first on Amazon Prime. Twists, Turns, Escándalo! & we just sorted out that Dani Rojas from Ted Lasso is Zorro 1. This series is SO MUCH FUN.
Jamie and Greta are here to absolutely enjoy every last minute of the escapist nonsense. Ok Ok - not just for the fun of it, but how it shows so much of what was up in 19th century California that was not concerned with America. Which, actually, for along time was most of it.
So come along for the wild ride that is Zorro - in Spanish.
You can go the Subtitles route... or English Dub. We are #Team Subtitles, but enjoy it your way.
As always - you can reach us on the internets.
Jamie Lewis (plagueofstrength.com & IG @plagueofstrength)
and his NEW YouTube Apprearances on Carved Outta Stone Wednesday AM or Friday PM
Schedule Details: instagram.com/carvedouttastone
&
Greta Hardin (The History of American Food podcast & @THoAFood all over) -
Women's Work - The Untold Story of America’s Female Farmers
has its PBS Premier on September 26 on KSPS serving the Spokane, WA area!
And heads up Western Washington - it will be out on KBTC (Broadcast Channel 28) in November
How long has America been following diets to improve our health and gain ever more vitality and possibly super-human powers? Almost since the beginning of the country.
While we seem to always beleive that the past was somehow a food golden age, the goals and targets of diets have changed over the years.
So check out the reasons why we seem to fall for the wildest diets, and seemingly why we got started.
And don't forget about my contribution to HotDish discovery on TodayFood.com
Music Credit: Fingerlympics by Doctor Turtle
Show Notes: https://thehistoryofamericanfood.blogspot.com/
Email: TheHistoryofAmericanFood at gmail dot com
Threads: @THoAFood
Instagram: @THoAFood
& some other socials... @THoAFood -
May 8, 1886. American pharmacist John S. Pemberton sells the first glass of Coca-Cola at a pharmacy in downtown Atlanta, a drink he originally bills as a cure-all tonic.
This week - here's a cross post from History Daily, presented by (not that) Lindsay Graham.
In this episode we jump ahead a very little bit to when soda fountains and health elixirs are both starting to travel across the country to change America's beverage landscape forever.
Listen in to hear where and why Coca Cola got its start.
On History Daily, we do history, daily. Every weekday, host Lindsay Graham (American Scandal, American History Tellers) takes you back in time to explore a momentous event that happened ‘on this day’ in history.
Whether it’s to remember the tragedy of December 7th, 1941, the day “that will live in infamy,” or to celebrate that 20th day in July, 1969, when mankind reached the moon, History Daily is there to tell you the true stories of the people and events that shaped our world—one day at a time.
So if you’re stuck in traffic, bored at work—wherever you are, listen to History Daily to remind yourself that something incredible happened to make that day historic.A co-production from award-winning podcasters Airship and Noiser.
I'll be back next week with more about fish! -
A BUSY WEEK!
1st hooray - Women's Work - The Untold Story of America’s Female Farmers
has its PBS Premier on September 26 on KSPS serving the Spokane, WA area!
But seriously - let's talk about jelly. Yeah - I definitey learned great disdain for Jell-O as I grew up - cheap and ceerful, and it seemed like tawdry empty calories. The research for this episode showed me it has a long and proud history as an exclusive food that us moderns poorly understand.
As an American I am incredibly suspicious of savory jellies. I have been fooled into missing some good stuff. How did it all go wrong? This episode holds a few clues.
Also - finally all those references to Blancmange in British English media will make sense to all us American English types.
But in the meantime - check out my appearance on TodayFood.com
And - keep your ears out for the crossover episode about the 1st Glass of Coca-Cola from History Daily and Wondery
Music Credit: Fingerlympics by Doctor Turtle
Show Notes: https://thehistoryofamericanfood.blogspot.com/
Email: TheHistoryofAmericanFood at gmail dot com
Threads: @THoAFood
Instagram: @THoAFood
& some other socials... @THoAFood -
In case you are new here - these are the NSFW Eps. Not serious food content, fit for sharing with everyone. Instead, we are being silly about media - mostly about the 19th Century. And there are swears. Sharing this becasue this Zorro series is very joyously fun.
Catch Season 1 of Zorro on Amazon Prime Video to watch along
After watching the movie Zorro - it became clear, we need more of Zorro. We also need more of the 19th Century Americas... from something other than the USA America perspective. Because, during the 19th century, the Americnan America was a very different shape than the USA we live in now. There were lots of other nations in those spaces we conveniently forget about.
Also - the 21st century adventure and super hero stories have gotten a little... dark. We need a little light. Not to mention, some way better clothes.
So get out the cape, saddle up and let's ride for better adventures with Zorro in Alta California. A different way to pursue fashion, fighting and hey, let's have some fun.
As always - you can reach us on the internets.
Jamie Lewis (plagueofstrength.com & IG @plagueofstrength)
and his NEW YouTube Apprearances on Carved Outta Stone Wednesday AM or Friday PM
Schedule Details: instagram.com/carvedouttastone
&
Greta Hardin (The History of American Food podcast & @THoAFood all over) -
Join me for a journey through the end of old world cake to find what the first true American cake would really be.
Find out what is at the root of American cake mixes - and why it is essentially an American idea. Just older than you think - much older than I thought for sure.
And a nice assortment of cakes you can try out to taste the early 19th century scene.
Bavarian Zwetschgendatschi (fresh plum sheet cake)
Yeasted Lincolnshire Plum Cake
Poundcake - note, No Vanilla!
King Cake - it's New Orleans, they could have Vanilla
Gingerbread Cake
Music Credit: Fingerlympics by Doctor Turtle
Show Notes: https://thehistoryofamericanfood.blogspot.com/
Email: TheHistoryofAmericanFood at gmail dot com
Threads: @THoAFood
Instagram: @THoAFood
& some other socials... @THoAFood -
In case you are new here - these are the NSFW Eps. Not serious food content, fit for sharing. Instead, we are being silly about media - mostly about the 19th Century. Though here, about the new SHOGUN becasue - so VERY COOL!
So we've come to the end of Shogun - a story that both haunted and informed us in our younger years.
Racist, Orientalist - as a book, YES! But this version. as far as I'm concerned redeems the Entire Venture.
And as a 1970's work written by a former prisoner of war during the Japanese Occupation during WW2, writing a book trying to get into the somewhat legendary history of Japan - it did what James Clavell wanted, it introduced Japan as a complex society to America and Britain and it's still sprawling empire at the time.
Writing is hard, editing is much much easier. Clavell's 1st try - needed some work, but somebody had to bust open the doors. And Shogun did that.
Now - how did the Blackthorne/Anjin-san story actually end? Unclear. But that's fine with me.
Now let's all cheer for whatever H. Sanada has up his sleeve and hope it comes with All The Costumes.
As always - you can reach us on the internets.
Jamie Lewis (plagueofstrength.com & IG @plagueofstrength)
and his NEW YouTube Apprearances on Carved Outta Stone Wednesday AM or Friday PM
Schedule Details: instagram.com/carvedouttastone
&
Greta Hardin (The History of American Food podcast & @THoAFood all over) -
We still have all the puddings - we just came up with more awsome names for them.
Popover is way more awesome than "drippings pudding" and nobody ever turns down a proper coconut cream pie. And it's nice to not get confused over whether that pudding on the table is a sweet one or is it actually sausage.
That's right - America became the disambuigation machine for puddings. You are Welcome.
Now for some Recipes -
Popovers:
thoroughly grease a muffin tin (12 small or 6 jumbo)
4 large eggs
1 ½ Cups of milk
½ teaspoon of salt.
mix well with beaters or in a blender
1 ½ cups of flour
mix in thoroughly
Melt 3 tbs of fat and cool slightly - add it in
mix or blend until frothy.
Take top racks out of the oven so the puffs can rise.
Let batter sit 15 mins while heating the oven to 450F/230C
Bake for 20 minutes at 450F/230C.
Turn the oven down to 350F/180C and bake another 10 minutes. Adjust the time up for a single pan pudding, Adjust the times down for a 12 muffin tin version. Thank goodness for oven windows and lights. Bake 'til puffy and browned is still the goal. If you want to retain the puff – pierce puffs with a knife to stop deflation.
Try Cornbread Bread Bread Pudding with Pineapple, Pecans & a sauce of Butter, Brown Sugar & Rum
- follow this link to a good basic pudding with a boozy sauce, but sub in the right stuff! I cut the sugar in 1/2 and sub in brown sugar.
Breadpudding with Whiskey Sauce & Fruit
Music Credit: Fingerlympics by Doctor Turtle
Show Notes: https://thehistoryofamericanfood.blogspot.com/
Email: TheHistoryofAmericanFood at gmail dot com
Threads: @THoAFood
Instagram: @THoAFood
& some other socials... @THoAFood -
In case you are new here - these are the NSFW Eps. Not serious food content, fit for sharing. Instead, we are being silly about media - mostly about the 19th Century. Though here, about the new SHOGUN becasue - so VERY COOL!
With that out of the way - Are Jamie & Greta fighting? Is Mariko sad about her son no longer being hers - or did she just eat some bad fish, and never really cared?
But at least everyone can agree that Yabushige is the master of the expressive grunt, even if Fuji is the queen of eye-acting. And we all know what's going to happen to Yabu next ep.
Oh yeah... and we will be laughing at Ishido's expense as he steps on all the rakes. Dames - can't talke to 'em, can't listen to 'em.
Listen and find out all the ways Anjin looks ridiculous (and yet somehow compelling?) this week
As always - you can reach us on the internets.
Jamie Lewis (plagueofstrength.com & IG @plagueofstrength)
and his NEW YouTube Apprearances on Carved Outta Stone Wednesday AM or Friday PM
Schedule Details: instagram.com/carvedouttastone
&
Greta Hardin (The History of American Food podcast & @THoAFood all over) -
Why is American bread like that? Why did we swoon of "Old Fashioned Bread" during the pandemic? What happened so that our bread is these nice neat rectangular loaves with close textured middles and soft crust perfect for sandwiches - while so much of the rest of bread world is more interesting?
The answers - surprisingly enought lie in the start of the 19th century when the New Americans got itchy feet and started to head Out West. Not that it's surprising - but such activities were not conducive to cultivating yeast and baking the slow rise, freeform breads of the community bake oven. That took time, and skill and babued yeast.
Instead, on the move, in a hurry, and going it alone, the quick bread, the Johhny cake, the pancake and the biscuit were all more practical (if not basically the same darn thing.)
This isn't the entire reason American Bread is like "that", but it's about half of it. Come along, and hear the roots of some American habits and lore.
Music Credit: Fingerlympics by Doctor Turtle
Show Notes: https://thehistoryofamericanfood.blogspot.com/
Email: TheHistoryofAmericanFood at gmail dot com
Threads: @THoAFood
Instagram: @THoAFood
& some other socials... @THoAFood -
This is NSFW or small children. You know the drill.
If you want to get to the end - and to more fun stuff - go check out the regular feed at Prizefighters, Circus Freaks & Gangsters.
I dunno what is up with this episode, but the comparrisons are flying fast and thick. But what really matters is Greta's synopsis of Romeo & Juliet along with the implication that Toronaga is actually a bit of a Drama Queen and the analysis of Japanese house construction technology.
There's the problem with what happens when you do try to go home again, and what happens when going into the trap is actually the best option. Lots goes down in this Episode of Shogun... and we are here to tell you all about it.
As always - you can reach us on the internets.
Jamie Lewis (plagueofstrength.com & IG @plagueofstrength)
&
Greta Hardin (The History of American Food podcast & @THoAFood all over) -
So there are a few fish we eat... and a few ways we eat them. Breaded and fried of course, but as sushi, and then baked in the oven or fried on the stove - with this spice mix or that. And that's... that's about it.
But what if I told you that for a time there we at lots of fish in lots of ways. So many that it starts to sound ridiculous.
If you want to hear about all the different ways and the many different fish you could have encountered at the high point of America's fish period, this is the episode for you. Likely far more butter sauces than you thought possible - and far more kinds of fish.
But to peek at America's fishy past, this is where you want to be.
Music Credit: Fingerlympics by Doctor Turtle
Show Notes: https://thehistoryofamericanfood.blogspot.com/
Email: TheHistoryofAmericanFood at gmail dot com
Threads: @THoAFood
Instagram: @THoAFood
& some other socials... @THoAFood -
This is NSFW or small children. You know the drill.
If you want to get to the end - and to more fun stuff - go check out the regular feed at Prizefighters, Circus Freaks & Gangsters.
Curious George should have taught us - be wary of the man in the unusual hat. But we just won't learn.
Good stories, expert kneeling and why does everyone feel the need to share their relationship woes in the midst of the most tenuous moments?
Kilingon revelations & more Zombie Buntaro for all of us to enjoy,
As always - you can reach us on the internets.
Jamie Lewis (plagueofstrength.com & IG @plagueofstrength)
&
Greta Hardin (The History of American Food podcast & @THoAFood all over) -
If we are ever going to cryogeneically preserve humans, we have got to learn a lot more about Oyster Liquor. Sci-Fi aside, come along and discover how much 19th cenurty America - not just American food is built upon the oyster harvest. Everybody everywhere was eating them - by the barrel and bucket full. It was common to find recipes that blithely started with a gallon of oysters or a hundred oysters. Can you imagine?
I can't.
But follow along with Thomas G Downing as he builds his fortune and America starts to grow up with the sale of oysters for lunch and as an export food.
If you're exporting to New Jersey, you might as well head out into the world.
It's oyster time in America.
Music Credit: Fingerlympics by Doctor Turtle
Show Notes: https://thehistoryofamericanfood.blogspot.com/
Email: TheHistoryofAmericanFood at gmail dot com
Threads: @THoAFood
Instagram: @THoAFood
& some other socials... @THoAFood - Show more
