The Recipes Project is a collaborative international research community that brings together and showcases interdisciplinary research on recipes across broad temporal and geographic spans, from the ancient Mesoamerica to twentieth-century Belgium, and from postwar Japan to medieval Egypt. We cover a range of thematic areas, including the history of medicine and science, food history, studies of magic, art and making, and digital technologies and literacies. We also provide resources for anyone interested in searching for and studying historic recipes, and we highlight the wonderful ways in which community members use recipes in teaching and learning. Founded by Elaine Leong and Lisa Smith in 2012, the Recipes Project now features the work of hundreds of international contributors from many different career pathways and stages. We publish quarterly issues on set themes and are always interested in welcoming more contributors to our community.
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My Canadian cookbook research took me recently to a 1741 handwritten manuscript containing various medicinal receipts and miracle cures (cancer, insanity etc). We’re preparing an online critical edition. So your blog and twitter feed came as a very welcome discovery. Looking forward to further dialogue, nc
To whom it may concern,
I am a student from Bangor University in my third year studying History with Journalism and I am currently completing my dissertation.
For my dissertation I am looking at how recipes can be used as a valuable historical sources beyond simply food history, and how they are being put to use or vice versa, not being used to their full potential by historians. I am looking to gain views from historians currently using recipes in their research and I was recommended I try out this blog which I have to say is very interesting!
It is great to hear you are utilising recipes and I wanted to enquire about your thoughts the usefulness of using recipes in historical research? I am interested in how they can fit with wider cultural studies , and indeed how other sources that some historians may see of little importance can be used to paint a more accurate historical picture.
Any information you can provide me with or if you have any top tips on how to use recipes in history, would be greatly appreciated.
I look forward to hearing from you,
Best wishes,
Harriet
I have tried leaving comments on articles but it just says “no data received” then tells me I have already submitted my comment. I would like to raise points about some aspects of the articles. For example, purple of Cassius is a precipitated purple product of gold, perhaps the Dutch recipe for gold powder does result in a purple powder.
I have over twenty years experience in cooking medieval and modern food for a wide variety of recipes, including the Leeds IMC. I am currently working on an MA by Research based at Durham University, on medieval recipes.
Fascinating site and I’m particularly interested in the idea that the rolls were practical tools. I’ve been interested in the role of the clerk of the kitchen as a literate contributor to the process of food production in major houses.