My name is Stacy Booth, a Foodways Historian who loves keeping history alive through cooking demonstrations and workshops around New England. Welcome to my website where you can read about historical recipes and cooking techniques or — even better — hire me to do demonstrations, tutorials, talks, or presentations about food in the 17th through early 19th centuries.
About Stacy
I’m a Foodways Historian with a passion for food and cooking throughout history, specifically in the 17th to early 19th centuries. My special interest is open hearth and campfire cooking, and my experience working at Coggeshall Farm Museum and Plimoth Patuxet gave me many of the skills I still use today. I’ve set up several historical foodways displays at museums and events and done presenstations for various South Shore sites including Alden House in Duxbury, Stetson House in Hanover, and Parker Tavern in Reading.
Even in my free time, I love reenacting the Revolutionary War time period with Col. Bailey’s 2nd Massachusetts Regiment alongside my husband and son. Gardening and sewing (both modern and historical) are other favorite pastimes of mine.
Presentations & Topics
I offer the services listed below, with a focus on late Tudor to Early Republic (Georgian) time periods, including Colonial America and European foodways and recipes. I can present in Modern or Historical Dress
- Open Hearth cooking demonstrations/workshops
- Campfire cooking demonstrations
- Foodways displays for museums or talks at historical societies
- Modern displays of foodways techniques (i.e. making butter with girl scouts at Hanover House)
- Presentations and Talks on Foodways topics for historical societies, school groups and reenactments. Examples include “A Bille of Fare” talk I did for Parker Tavern (a powerpoint presentation), as well as modern discussions on Revolutionary War camp rations
UPCOMING EVENTS
Tuesday, October 1, 2024
“Colonial Books and Brews”
6 pm – 8:30 pm at the Acton Memorial Library, Acton, MA
PAST EVENTS
“Native Corn and the Importance of Bread in Plimoth Colony”
Alden House, Duxbury, MA.
“Puddings, 18th Century Puddings in the Hearth”
Lafayette Durfee House, Fall River, MA
“Baking Demonstration”
Fort at No 4, Charlestown, NH
“Making Butter”
Hanover House, Hanover, MA
Forgotten Recipes Blog
Brandied Peaches
It's peach season here in New England! And I'm so excited!!! There really is something about a freshly picked peach during the summer time. So juicy and sweet with an underlying sour note. A far cry from the ones that come at the end of spring from miles away, which...
HFF #17: Haymaker’s Switchel
“Ma had sent them ginger-water. She had sweetened the cool well water with sugar, flavored it with vinegar, and put in plenty of ginger to warm their stomachs so they could drink till they were not thirsty. Ginger-water would not make them sick, as plain cold water...
Green Corn Fritters
Here it is! The recipe I teased you all about a week ago! I decided to take a bit of a break from the preserves and do something fresh! One of my favorite things about summer is getting fresh corn on the cob from the farm stand. I still have very vivid memories...
HFF #16: Conserved Cherries
This Historical Food Fortnightly challenge fit right in with the theme for this month's recipes... PRESERVES!!! With summer dying down and fall just around the corner, the abundance from the gardens, fields and forests is being gathered, and needs to be preserved for...
HFF #15: Macaroni and Cheese, 18th Century Style
This Historical Food Fortnightly theme was "Revolutionary". Meaning not only a Revolutionary War receipt or reference to the Founding Fathers but also a type of food or cooking technique that was revolutionary for its time. I decided to use this receipt because it...
HFF #14 Frozen Coffee
As you've probably heard on the news (or experienced when you step out your door for more than 5 seconds) we are currently in the middle of a BAD heat wave in my neck of the woods, New England. So, this seems like a perfect time to do another Historical Food...