Thanksgiving foods and reflections. 2023.
The White House Cook Book, published in 1887 by Fanny Lemira Gillette, had the following menu: oysters on half shell, cream of chicken soup, fried smelts, sauce tartare, roast turkey, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, baked squash, boiled onions, parsnip fritters, olives, chicken salad, venison pastry, pumpkin pie, mince pie, Charlotte russe, almond ice cream, lemon jelly, hickory nut cake, cheese, fruits, and coffee.
In 1889, Jane G. Austin published a fictional account of the Pilgrims, Standish of Standish. Austin described the Pilgrims, a year after their arrival, as feasting on turkey stuffed with beechnuts, oysters, clam chowder, plum-porridge, hasty pudding, sea biscuit, ale, and root beer. Austin’s lavish description did not mention the deaths due to starvation and malnutrition that the Pilgrims endured that winter. However, her account was so popular. It was adapted by others for plays and public events and adopted as school curricula.
The writings of Austin and others helped to establish the inaccurate image of the Pilgrim Thanksgiving feast in popular culture and make it a part of the national identity of the United States.[
Cookbooks you might want to read or gift.
