by B.L. Unkel | Oct 31, 2021 | Holidays
Are you superstitious? At least 25% of Americans are. They avoid black cats, breaking mirrors, and walking under ladders. Even if you’re not superstitious, you do things that originated from superstitions. For example, today we consider it polite to say “bless you”...
by B.L. Unkel | Oct 30, 2021 | History
Throughout history, one mineral has been prized above all others. Salt. Animals and people alike want it. Today we think of it as a seasoning, but in the past, it was much more. Many societies bartered with it, using it like money. The salary paid to a Roman soldier...
by B.L. Unkel | Oct 23, 2021 | Baking
As we approach Halloween, I thought I’d share historical myths and superstitions involving blackberries. There are more than you might imagine. Blackberries and the Devil The most well-known superstition is: Don’t eat fresh blackberries after “Michaelmas day.”...
by B.L. Unkel | Oct 16, 2021 | Baking
What, you ask, was chocolate cake if it wasn’t chocolate cake? Answer: In the late 1800s, the first chocolate cakes were usually yellow cakes with chocolate frosting. Cooks didn’t have smooth-melting chocolate like we have today. Until 1890-1900, the extent of...
by B.L. Unkel | Oct 9, 2021 | Baking
Tomorrow, October 10, is National Angel Food Cake Day. I discovered this nugget of information when I began researching how the cake got its name. I never learned exactly where the name came from, other than what else would you call such a tasty, cloudlike treat? This...
