Bread, Sugar, Coffee

Citizens: A Chronicle of the French Revolution by Simon Schama is an enormous book. I read it during the past week because I wanted to know more about the French Revolution than "Let them eat cake." Well, I did know more, but I wanted a lot more. The old cliche about Marie Antoinette does reflect ac…
Happy Cupcake Day

Louise's Cupcakes Made for Cupcake DayI've read about several cupcake celebrations today for National Cupcake Day. Some pundits or food celebrators celebrate alternate Cupcake Days in October, August, or February, but my go-to food blogger Louise is celebrating cupcakes today, and uncharacteristical…
Great Events of Fifty Years Ago

As 2013 draws to a close, I'm thinking about various anniversaries that have taken place during the past nearly 12 months.SNCC Sit-in, Atlanta, Georgia, ca. 1963The year 1963 saw a major effort in favor of civil rights for Americans of all races. In the spring of 1963, the sit-in above took place at…
Great Events of 1913

It's almost the end of 2013. Time for an illustrated but not totally reverent retrospective of events of 1913, events whose 100th anniversary was in the past year. Especially, I want to celebrate one anniversary that takes place today.First let's commemorate the most significant food anniversary tha…
The Garden of Beasts

Elaine's Table: Stollen, Lebkuchen, German Cheese, etc.Center: Kichel, a very light traditional Jewish cookieLast night my book club discussed In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin by Erik Larson , a story of 1933-1934 Berlin and the rise of Hitler and the …