Every year at the beginning of September, the Art Deco Society of California hosts the Gatsby Summer Afternoon, a 1920s and 1930s themed garden party and picnic. I went for the second time this year with my mother, and once again planned out an entire spread for us using recipes from 1920s cookbooks.
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Every year at the beginning of September, the Art Deco Society of California hosts the Gatsby Summer Afternoon, a 1920s and 1930s themed garden party and picnic. I went for the first time last year and of course made a whole picnic spread of recipes from 1920s and 1930s cookbooks. I had a blast, but was very tired afterwards and completely forgot to finish writing my post about it…until I started preparing for the picnic this year. So here it is, nearly a year late, but just in time if you happen to be planning your own picnic.
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This recipe comes from Martin Luther Holbrook’s 1888 book Eating for Strength, a book designed to promote what the author considered healthy eating and drinking habits. A physician and health reformer, Holbrook believed that avoiding meat and stimulants such as alcohol and tobacco was essential to good health. His book provides a variety of vegetarian and alcohol-free recipes such as this one, alongside the latest “scientific” nutrition advice of the day.
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Fruit vinegars, also known as shrubs, were a popular way to conserve fruit in the 19th century. This version comes from Catharine Beecher, an educator, writer, and social activist, and older sister of Harriet Beecher Stowe.
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History in the Making 