The crucial role of coffee in a Civil War soldier’s life, and the alternatives they came up with for it

Victorian salmi de perdrix (partridge salmi) and the men who ate it inside an iguanodon

The history of the Hawaiian luau, and Kepanipa’a makes kalua pork in the ground at the Marriott and Chef Ippy Aiona of Ippy’s Hawaiian Barbeque in Waimea makes it in the kitchen

The history of chemical leavening agents in baking and a simple, hearty Irish soda bread

The history and evolution of Ukrainian borshch and a wonderful 19th century recipe for it

The history of Thai massaman curry and the kings who ate it

The Great Molasses Flood of 1919 and Boston brown bread

The history of wassail and its myriad forms, along with a recipe from 19th century Oxford

Coffee’s checkered past and a coffee-less coffee-looking cocktail that would have been safe to drink during one of the several times the brew was banned

The long relationship of macaroni and cheese, and how they were brought irrevocably together by a Scottish macaroni salesman, two Swiss food chemists, and a Canadian cheesemonger, along with a fancy 19th century recipe.

The curious tradition of sin eaters and gingerbread cookies that could have been used as funeral biscuits in Victorian England

The role of pemmican in the lives of indigenous North American tribes and the European exploration of the continent, and 19th century instructions on how to make it.

The origins of afternoon tea and a 19th century recipe for the classic afternoon tea treat: Victoria sandwich

The possible origins of tacos and a customizable recipe from 1831

The unfortunate tale of gruel’s bad PR, and a surprisingly tasty recipe for 19th century gruel

The incredible business acumen of Agnes Bertha Marshall, and a refreshing 19th century cucumber ice cream recipe from one of her books

The third class experience on the RMS Titanic and a recipe for a soup that was on the third class dinner menu of that last day

The history of doughnuts and a recipe from 1803, before the doughnut got its hole

What a Civil War soldier ate and a recipe for one of the many ways to prepare hardtack

The origins and evolution of panettone and an 1891 non-yeasted recipe that only takes a couple of hours to throw together