Dana Bala will discuss how cookbooks, recipes, Grandma’s recipe box, and the treasured community cookbook affected family life, the community, and American culture from the 1870’s-1960’s.
Cookbooks and recipes have been overlooked as resources for historical research. They provide information about a myriad of issues such as the role of women, politics, cultural issues, ingredients available, kitchen tools and utensils, fuel sources, literacy, and economic issues.
Dana Bala has been volunteering at historic sites for several years. She combines her love of history and baking through researching historic cooking related issues, particularly vintage cookbooks and recipes. Currently, a volunteer at the Red Mill Museum, she has also given presentations at historic sites such as the Abraham Staats House, Bouman-Stickney Farmstead, Washington Crossing Park, Kingsland Manor, the Miller-Corey Museum, and East Jersey Olde Towne; as well as libraries, senior citizen groups, and other interest groups. Her other areas of interest/expertise include quilting, embroidery, baking, and genealogy.
At the conclusion of the program please feel free to take a brief online survey here:
https://www.projectoutcome.org/en/63441