The Old Foodie

This day, as my American friends are aware, is celebrated as the birthday of George Washington, first President of the United States. Washin...

It will be here on Monday, folks – that day of romance, sweethearts, kisses and gifts, or, if you are not a true believer, of crass commerci...

It is a while since I gave you a cruise ship menu, so here is one from New Year’s Eve, 1941. It is from a ship of the Aberdeen and Commonwea...

Herewith the menu, prepared by Escoffier himself, for Christmas Eve, 1899 at the Savoy Hotel in London. Caviar frais      Bouquet de cre...

Food emergencies, which we considered yesterday, are not always due to large-scale meteorological, geological, or military events. A less ne...

Mr. J. Skeat, the eighteenth century author of our inspiration for the week appears to have been an important member of the catering communi...

When did being “time-poor” in the kitchen become an issue (or an explanation, or an excuse, or a justification ….) ? We are used to exhorta...

Most of us don’t do formal dinner parties anymore, do we? A shortage of time, money, and domestic help, I suppose. It used to be the way t...

Summer is well under way here in Queensland , in all its hot and humid glory. Not a time of year to use the oven any more than is necessary ...

I haven’t given you a menu for some time, so purely at random I have selected this gem – which I am sure will help you all solve the What Sh...

We are eating in Enland during the Regency period today, which will be nice for a change. John Simpson gives a suggested menu for each d...

I have something for you just for fun today, while your system recovers from yesterday’s idea of Tomato Marshmallow. It is from a fascin...

December 10 … The Melbourne Punch gave a menu for an “All Australian Meal” on this day in 1925, by way of some sort of patriotic stat...

Today, July 23 rd It is some time since we had a historic menu to enjoy, and if 20 years counts as historic, the menu of the wedding breakf...

Today, June 22 nd ... Once upon a time, Harrods of London ran a series of newspaper advertisements in which they gave suggested menus...

Today, January 22nd … Queen Victoria died on this day in 1901, a few months short of her 82nd birthday, after 63 years and 7 months on the t...

Today, January 18th … The legendary chef Antonin Carême (1784-1833) is generally acknowledged as the founder of classic French cookery. Duri...

Today, December 26th … Yes, I know I promised you a fruitcake story for today, but in retrospect it seemed a heavy topic for the day after a...

Today, December 25th … Queen Victoria’s Christmas Dinner at Windsor in 1899. Potages. Consommé à la Monaco. Du Berry Poissons. Filet de Sole...

Today, December 14th … It goes without saying that hospital stays should be avoided at all costs. One especially good reason is that the foo...