I am a digital archivist, historian, and musician with a Master’s degree in Public History. I started this blog to present history in an accurate, accessible and interesting way. In bite-sized and/or easily digestible pieces. Let’s call them dollops?

I’ll write about pretty much anything that interests me, but my special areas of expertise are food history and medieval music! My professional background is in international studies, so I have a soft spot for learning more about the world’s fascinating array of cultures, languages, and religions.

What originally started as a hobby to stay sane as a new mother became a full-fledged career! Over the years, my passion for history has taken me on some interesting adventures, from recreating my grandmother’s horrific midcentury jello salads to teaching a community medieval cooking class. I am excited to see what the future brings, and I am beyond grateful for the years of engagement and support not only from family and friends, but also from you, my wonderful readers who have given me a reason to keep exploring our collective past.

Take a look at the menus to see if any of the topics pique your interest. If there is something that you’d like me to explore and research in more depth, feel free to send requests.

Contact Information

If you would like to contact me, feel free to comment anywhere on my blog or send an e-mail to sanniebhistorian@gmail.com. I would love to hear from you!

About the Recipes

All of the recipes featured in this blog come directly from manuscripts, old cookbooks and authentic recipe clippings. I follow them exactly and fill in any gaps of knowledge with what I know about history. I do not modernize or change the recipe unless it is absolutely necessary (like using an ingredient substitute), though I will use modern tools and basic appliances. I usually make them solo but on occasion I am joined by my very supportive husband or my younger brothers.

Interpreting and understanding the context of the recipes is only half of the fun.  Food is the closest thing we have to time travel! There’s nothing quite like experiencing ancient dishes and flavors, and food really does teach us a lot about the past and provides just a small snapshot of what daily life was like.

These recipes have been preserved for centuries and thanks to technology and digitization of manuscripts they are now available to everyone, not just historians. You don’t have to be a professional chef or a food historian to make a decent ancient meal, and you don’t even have to do the research because I’ve done it for you!

A Note on the Photography and Copyright

Most of the food photography is done by me or by my husband. Please give credit where credit is due, should you choose to use any of my content.