Stirring Up The Past

Stirring Up The Past was created to commemorate
 the Smithsonian Institute’s traveling exhibit.

Day in and day out, most people eat their meals without giving a second thought to the wealth of history and culture that shapes our dining habits and taste preferences. Our recipes, menus, ceremonies and etiquette are directly shaped by our country’s rich immigrant experience, the history and innovations of food preparation technology, and the ever-changing availability of key ingredients.  

Stirring Up The Past, a cookbook created by the Butts County Historical Society, commemorates the Smithsonian Institute’s traveling exhibit, Key Ingredients: America by Food, which was on display at the Indian Springs Hotel Museum.  I am honored to have contributed to the monumental project. Five of my family’s favorite recipes were included in the cookbook. 

Fond memories of good food are common bonds that unite the people.  Old family recipes, many with stories and memories, were submitted by citizens and compiled into a one-of-a-kind cookbook aptly named, Stirring Up The Past. This is a unique collection of historical recipes that have been handed down from one generation to the next. 

In addition, vintage recipes from the Native Americans who lived in the area long before the white man settled in Indian Springs, along with memories of the grand hotels - such as the Elder Hotel, (1879-1984) - that once flourished in this middle Georgia resort community during the first half of the twentieth century were also remembered in this cookbook. 

Key Ingredients:America by Food traveled to more than 200 rural communities across the US in 2013.