Celebrates the season with traditional treats, as well as dishes from other countries

“Christmas is come, hang on the pot, Let spits turn round, and ovens be hot; Beef, pork, and poultry, now provide, To feast thy neighbours at this tide; Then wash all down with good wine and beer, And so with mirth conclude the YEAR.” So wrote an anonymous poet in the 1765 edition of the Virginia Almanack, published in Williamsburg. Drawing on eighteenth-century traditions, Colonial Williamsburg has become famous for its celebrations of the Christmas season. In Colonial Williamsburg’s Historic Area—and in the pages of this lavishly illustrated book—you’ll find wreaths and roping crafted from greenery, fruit, and other natural materials; boards groaning under the weight of holiday fare; cressets warming the streets and candles flickering in the windows of the town’s homes and taverns; fireworks lighting up such iconic buildings as the Capitol and the Governor’s Palace. In colonial times and today, Christmas in Williamsburg not a day but a season—and one this book lets you experience throughout the year.

A description of foodways in the late colonial period, with entertaining anecdotes. Published 1991, revised from the original 1988 edition. Contains 36 authentic, interpreted (redacted), and commemorative recipes; 64 research notes; and 125 numbered pages including index. Revolutionary Recipes has remained one of Patricia Mitchell's most consistent and very best sellers since it was first published in 1988. Full of detailed material about colonial cuisine, this "basic primer" is likely to set readers on a lifelong path of interest in historic foodways. Thinking about (and almost re-living) the meals and mindset of our forebears is addictive.First-person accounts by Revolutionary War soldiers who discuss their meager fare is contrasted to descriptions of bountiful dinner parties held back home in safety. The menus and recipes will be useful for anyone wanting to re-create a Colonial era event. Students and teachers will enjoy using this book, as they do so many of Patricia Mitchell's works. 36 recipes for both simple dishes (like "Corn Pone") and fancier foods (such as Martha Washington's chicken fricassee) enhance the text.This and other books by Patricia B. Mitchell were first written for museums and their patrons. Each of her books summarizes a food history topic, using quotations and anecdotes to both entertain and inform. She carefully lists her references to make it easy for others to launch their own research. Since the 1980s Patricia Mitchell's work is a proven staple of American museum culture. Her readers love to share her ever-present sense of discovery. Her sales are approaching a million copies, and she is widely known by her web identity FoodHistory.com.

Superb photography, descriptive text, and 27 charming color drawings present ideas and how-to's for creating wreaths, cones, swags, roping, and other holiday decorations for mantels, stairways, windows, and tables.

This cookbook will help you plan your Christmas festivities to the very last culinary detail, acting as an invaluable Christmas organiser from reminding you to make your Christmas pudding and chutneys in November to giving you a crucial countdown for the last 36 hours.