Food History: The Cookbook

Who was Eliza Acton? Who invented the modern cookbook? Acton was a struggling poet who went to revolutionize cookbooks. Her recipes aimed at the average home cook helped the culinary arts become more accessible, and allowed the cookbook to grow into what we know it as today. So why don't we know her name anymore?

Food History is a show all about... well, the history of food. Join host Justin Dodd as he brings you the stories of how your favorite meals ended up on your plate. Today, we're talking Eliza Acton, a poet-turned culinary writer who changed the world of written recipes. Let's dig in.

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[MsLazyllama]

I wrote a thesis in college about American cookbooks and how they've changed over time. It was really interesting to see what knowledge the authors expected the cooks to have and how that changed.

[firstcynic]

I've noticed that a lot of online "recipies" are not listing amounts of ingredients and some don't even list the ingredients, only having the directions. It makes cooking those dishes quite difficult.

[ellenjampole]

"Dishes missing from the average household."🤣
Your sarcasm is delicious. Peacocks & flamingos...
This presentation was terrific.

[katherinelynch]

I can't wait for the Spam episode. Please be sure to include their legal scuffles with the Muppets in the 1990s!

[gryphonshire]

"On Food & Cooking" isn't a cookbook, but a fascinating book about the science of cooking food.
Sure opened my mind about how temperature changes the properties of various food items.
It's certainly more dog-eared than my copy of "Joy of Cooking"! 🤣

[ericreativecuts]

You guys have got to do a crossover with Tasting History

[Apophis]

The editor in charge of images was having a lot of fun with this one, didn't they? :P

[irishsailor]

Enjoyable, but. . .No mention of 'Murican contributions to the genre. Fanny Farmer, The Boston Cooking School, etc. Who wrote the script for this edition of Food History?

[AaMk]

American Cookery, by Amelia Simmons, came out 50 years earlier than Modern Cookery. With the two side by side, they are quite similar. I’m thinking Acton’s cookbook might have been the first modern British cookbook, but not the first overall.

[grahamrankin]

I had a biology professor who hated spam abd pork & beans as it was about the only thing he could afford to eat in grad school supporting his wife and two kids on his meager teaching stipend.

[cwirthless]

On Spam: why does Spam seem particularly popular on the west coast of the US and parts of East Asia?

[ambergreen]

Spam: wash off the jelly, slice it and fry it. Great sub in for bacon if you're out of it. There's my recipe 😃

[jovanweismiller]

Both chutney and curry were known in Britain in the 1600s. By the time Atkins published her cookbook, they were hardly 'exotic'.

[cody]

yikes, i remember when mental floss was actually getting views, probably doesn't help that there videos are confused with weird history's videos

[JoRiver]

I was probably way too late to comment by the time that I saw this video... but Spam: growing up my mom would mash it up (so that it was still chunky), mix it with mayonnaise and relish, and make "Spam salad sandwiches". So. Gross.

[curiousuranus]

Oh dear, are you all confused because they haven't mentioned cheeseburger?