These letters sent back home to the family in England give a vivid, detailed account of the ups and downs of setting up and running a farm on the Kansas prairie in the 1880s and 1890s. Due to a setback in the family fortunes in the Manchester cotton trade, John and Marian Whitworth made the enterprising decision to take their family of five children and emigrate to the Mid West of America. Although they were not at all experienced in farming they enjoyed the freedom and less stressed country life. Despite many difficulties including the destruction of their house by fire, they were determined to make a success of this venture, and it was personal tragedies, not external circumstances, which brought it to an abrupt end.

A Kansas Adventure: Whitworth Family Letters From The Prairie 1884 -1896

Biographies & Memoirs

Renfrew, Jane

Community & Culture

Grosvenor House Publishing Limited

Food and Cooking in Prehistoric Britain: History and Recipes, by Jane M. Renfrew. Published by The Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission for England, 1985 [Paperback]

Food and Cooking in Prehistoric Britain: History and Recipes

History

Europe

English Heritage Publications

A short study describing the change in tastes that the Roman brought, Roman banquets, the evidence for foods eaten in Roman Britain, techniques for food preparation, cooking equipment, serving the food and some recipes, adapted for the modern kitchen.

Food and Cooking in Roman Britain: History and Recipes

When the Romans invaded Britain in AD43 they introduced many items into the nation's diet which are still in common use today. As a result, it is possible to reproduce some of the popular dishes they enjoyed and this book includes over 30 such recipes including Meat Pieces a la Apicus, Sweet Wine Cakes, Milk-fed Snails and Patina of Elderberries. Perhaps the main difference in diet between then and now is the Romans great fondness for a strong-smelling sauce made from the entrails of fish which was used extensively in both sweet and savoury dishes! As well as the many interesting recipes, the book also explains the history of the Roman occupation of Britain and is beautifully illustrated with full colour and black &amp; white photographs. It also reveals how the Romans cooked and served their food and just what a Roman banquet was like.

Roman Cookery

Cookbooks, Food & Wine

Cooking Education & Reference

English Heritage

Many people might imagine that the task of reconstructing the diet of our prehistoric ancestors would be completely impossible. In some ways they are right, but when archaeologists recover the remains of our distant forebears and their tools they also look for clues about their food. The evidence may survive in a variety of different forms: mounds of discarded seashells, for example, or the bones of wild and domestic animals and the remains of plants. So whether the evidence concerns the hunters of the Palaeolithic or the first farmers of the Neolithic or the Celtic chieftains of the late Iron Age, we do have quite a number of clues to help us reconstruct their diet. This book provides a fascinating insight into the foods which were eaten by our prehistoric ancestors and attempts to recreate recipes which are authentic and palatable. There are practical restraints of course - some of the ingredients, like mammoth steaks or rhinoceros joints, are difficult to find in the modern supermarket. There are also other staples that we take for granted today which were not available to our prehistoric forebears - sugar, yeast, spices, vinegar, onions, sugar, yeast, spices, vinegar, onions, tomatoes, potatoes, oranges and lemons to name a few. They did, however, use much more of our wild vegetation than we do now and this is reflected in recipes such as Nettle Puree, Easter Ledge Pudding (using dandelion leaves) and boiled Sea Urchins. Beautifully illustrated with full colour photography throughout, the book provides a unique insight into our culinary prehistory.

Prehistoric Cookery (English Heritage)

Historic England