Rebecca Lukens: A woman of iron
A sudden tragedy thrust Rebecca Lukens into the family business and into history, making her the nation’s first woman industrialist and the...
How one girl helped build a Latinx civil rights movement
As a little girl, Jessica Govea had become accustomed to rising early and making her way to the fields with her family. During the cotton...
Pennies and nickels add up to success: Maggie Lena Walker
Maggie Lena Walker was one of the most important Black businesswomen in the nation, and today too few people have heard of her.Maggie Lena...

Blog Posts in "Food History"

Memories of a photo shoot with Julia Child
Editor's Note: The Museum recently marked Julia Child’s Centennial with a special display of her kitchen. This limited engagement (...
Snapshots of Julia Child's 100th birthday bash
Yesterday our visitors joined us in celebrating Julia Child’s 100th birthday with cookies, cake, and a rousing rendition of “Happy Birthday...
Fond memories of Julia Child's Kitchen
Editor’s Note: Today’s guest blog is written by Philadelphia Cousins, who is Julia Child’s niece. On August 15th, the National Museum of...
Beauty and the beets
Once upon a time, around 2,000 B.C., there grew a magical plant in the Mediterranean region. Ancient civilizations heralded the plant as a...
A plate of General Tso's Chicken, with a side of broccoli
General Tso's Chicken: the most popular Hunanese dish in the USA
Curator’s Note: What started out as a simple research assignment for the Sweet & Sour Initiative turned into an interesting culinary...
Breaking ground: Gillette Family Garden
In January 2012 the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC), in partnership with the Thomas...
World War II cookie jar . . .
Sometimes an ordinary object becomes important primarily for the story it has to tell. A ceramic cookie jar, for instance, may have been...
Julia Child's Kitchen
7 ways to survive while Julia Child’s kitchen is closed for 7 months
On December 3, the museum announced the temporary closing of Bon Appetit! Julia Child’s Kitchen at the Smithsonian. The last day to see...
A large orange squash known as the "Cinderella pumpkin."
From the Victory Garden: American history told through squash
As a natively grown vegetable cultivated by the Wampanoag Indians, squash holds a special place in American history. Today, squash are most...
Different types of lettuce that are growing in front of the National Museum of American History
Lettuce delight you
Something chartreuse and wonderful caught my eye as I approached the museum’s Constitution Avenue entrance last week. I recognized it, but...
Food culture, supermarkets, and packaging: A researcher’s perspective
Why is there a tiger instead of a manatee on my cereal box? And why is cereal sold in a box at all? In what ways does packaging affect the...
Culture a la Carte: Would you like some Han Dynasty with your meal?
King Dragon menu, New York, NY, 1976.I recently delved into the museum’s newly acquired menu collection. My focus was a sub-set of the...
Cats with asparagus and "Forkery" in Julia Child's kitchen
Editor’s Note: Today's post is the last in a series about the museum's work in Julia Child’s kitchen. Caitlin Dichter is a Museum Studies...
Spatulas, used by Julia Child, in her kitchen exhibit
What do Julia Child's spatulas say about preservation?
Editor’s Note: Today’s post is the fifth in a series of six about the museum’s work in Julia Child’s kitchen. Lauren Anderson is a Museum...
Everyday discoveries in Julia Child's kitchen
Editor’s Note: Today’s post is the fourth in a series of six about the museum’s work in Julia Child’s kitchen. Anneliese Bustillo is a...
Julia Child's notes in a book
What’s on Julia Child's bookshelf?
Editor’s note: Today’s post is the third in a series of six about the museum’s work in Julia Child’s kitchen. Christine Klepper is a Museum...
Tracking the condition of objects in Julia Child’s kitchen
Editor’s Note: Today’s post is the second in a series of six about the museum’s work in Julia Child’s kitchen. Amanda Browe is a Museum...
Prep work in Julia Child’s kitchen
Recent visitors to the Bon Appétit! exhibition have observed the first steps of a major change planned for the display of Julia Child’s...
Dear Sir, Please send a menu. - Virginia Mericle
The museum recently received an exciting addition to its archival collections: 4,500 menus from restaurants across the United States and...
A victory for chard
Editor’s note: This post is the fourth in a series of monthly posts exploring the work of Smithsonian Gardens and...
Thanksgiving in a can
For early Thanksgiving meals, I bet someone went out and hunted a turkey, gathered some cranberries, and harvested some spinach and...
From the Victory Garden: If you like it hot
Editor’s note: This post is the second in a series of monthly posts exploring the work of Smithsonian Gardens and...
Chulitos, a recipe made with the vegetable yucca
Don’t say “yuk” to yucca
Much of what we do at the museum is for the visitors: exhibits, programs, lectures, and performances. We want our guests to enjoy...
Pu pu platters versus birthday cakes
In my previous posts I’ve mentioned how growing up in a Chinese restaurant was a fantastic experience. Let me tell you about one...
Back to our roots
Something wonderful is sprouting at the National Museum of American History. This past week I was introduced to the Victory Garden that is...
"Who Will Chop Your Suey When I'm Gone?"
Can you believe that chop suey was once the most famous Chinese dish in America? The dish’s popularity helped fuel the growth of Chinese...
Origins of a fortune cookie
Earlier this year we invited Jennifer 8 Lee, author of The Fortune Cookie Chronicles, to meet with our staff and share her insights into...
America’s Funniest…cocktail party
Los Angeles. The Entertainment Capital of the World. What better place could there be for a presentation on the Smithsonian’s comedy...
No chop suey here
How long is a long bean? And who was General Tsao? These are questions you might ask after you visit our Stars and Stripes Cafe during the...
Margarita machine
A frozen margarita tale for Cinco de Mayo
Why is this homely little brown box, with its sign that identifies it as the "World's First Margarita Machine," living at the Smithsonian?...
Sweet & Sour: Memories of a Chinese restaurant
Do you like Chinese food? What is your favorite dish? Me, I love za jiang mein, it’s an eastern version of spaghetti with meat sauce. For...
Food stamps
Why are food stamps in the National Numismatic Collection?
My first experience with Food Stamps was as a kid, growing up in Peekskill, NY. In the grocery store, my mother would give my sister and me...
The best thing since sliced bread
Bread-making technology spawned many inventions and patents, like the bread-slicer. While the earliest bread-cutting devices using parallel...
Recipe of the Week: Julia Child's French bread
“Like the sun in all its glory suddenly breaking through the shades of gloom.” So wrote Julia Child after finally succeeding in making real...
Eggplant and zucchini gratin with ratatouille, made with a recipe created by Julia Child
Recipe of the Week: Julia Child’s eggplant and zucchini gratin, ratatouille
Where to Find the Master Recipes Eggplant and zucchini gratin Julia and Jacques Cooking at Home, pp. 200-03 An online...
A flourless chocolate cake, "le glorieux," created with a recipe from Julia Child
Recipe of the Week: Julia Child’s Le Glorieux (flourless chocolate cake)
Where to Find the Master RecipeMastering the Art of French Cooking, Vol. Two, pp. 495-97An online version from the Shazam in the...
Julia Child's copper bowl
Recipe of the Week: Thanksgiving with Julia Child
With turkey day fast approaching, cooks around the country are whipping up grocery lists and getting ready for what is the equivalent of a...
A honey spice cake, "Pain d'Epices," created from a recipe made by Julia Child
Recipe of the week: Julia Child's Pain d’Épices (honey spice cake)
Today’s post is the thirteenth in a series of weekly Julia Child recipes. This week, curator Helena Wright gets a start on holiday baking...
A casserole dish used by Julia Child
Recipe of the week: Julia Child's chicken tarragon
Today’s post is the twelfth in a series of weekly Julia Child recipes. This week, public affairs associate Laura Duff embraces her...
A picture of boeuf bourguignon, created with a recipe made by Julia Child
Recipe of the Week: Julia Child's Boeuf Bourguignon
Today’s post is the eleventh in a series of weekly Julia Child recipes. This week’s contributor is Joe Criste, an exhibits specialist who...
Putting names with the faces of braceros
I was interning at the National Museum of American History when I first encountered the photographic images of Leonard Nadel, who spent...
A tarte tatin, created with a recipe by Julia Child, in the process of baking, before being flipped over
Recipe of the Week: Julia Child’s La Tarte Tatin
Today’s post is the tenth in a series of weekly Julia Child recipes. This week, Jan Lilja, Associate Director for Management and Museum...
A picture of stuffed duck, baked cucumbers, and blackberry flan, made with recipes created by Julia Child
Recipe of the Week: Julia Child’s stuffed duck, baked cucumbers, and blackberry flan
Today’s post is the ninth in a series of weekly Julia Child recipes. Kudos to this week’s contributors, project manager Ann Burrola and...
Vegetables and waterzooi, a dish made from a recipe created by Julia Child
Recipe of the Week: Julia Child’s waterzooi
Today’s post is the eighth in a series of weekly Julia Child recipes. This week, business program manager Kathy Sklar overcomes her...
Sole meuniere, made with a recipe created by Julia Child, served at a table with flowers and salad
Recipe of the Week: Julia Child’s Sole Meuniére
Today’s post is the seventh in a series of weekly Julia Child recipes. This week, new media project manager Dana Allen-Greil shares...
Mushrooms, sauteed in butter, sit on top of pasta
Recipe of the Week: Julia Child’s sautéed mushrooms in butter
Today’s post is the sixth in a series of weekly Julia Child recipes. This week, project management assistant Laura McClure shimmies...
Turkey Orloff, made using a recipe created by Julia Child, sits on a plate at a dinner table place setting, next to a Julia Child & Company cookbook
Recipe of the Week: Julia Child’s Turkey Orloff
Today’s post is the fifth in a series of weekly Julia Child recipes. This week, deputy registrar Tom Bower shares his experience with...
Collecting bracero history
In 2005 the museum started a multi-institution collecting initiative to document and preserve the experiences of braceros, Mexican...

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