thisweek

A chowder and a cream sauce

Sep 27 – Oct 3, 2026

The week opens with the New England chowder at full size — a four-pound cod or haddock, potatoes, salt pork, and milk — and works through the Boston book's other habits: a braised fowl, creamed oysters, fried croquettes, two cold salads dressed at the table, and a raised election cake on Saturday.

This is a present-day menu assembled from historical cookbook records spanning 1796–1896, from Amelia Simmons's *American Cookery* through Fannie Farmer's *Boston Cooking-School Cook Book*, and a source-led sampler rather than a claim that this exact week is traditional or representative of how every American household ate. The recipes are adapted, with quantities restated in modern units, and the shelf's centre of gravity is the Northeast.

Early American dinner week

Early American dinner week

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Each dinner is adapted from a public domain record in the Open Recipe Archive collection; the card’s source link carries its original cookbook and record. These dishes reflect authentic period techniques and ingredients, organized into a practical weekly dinner plan.

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