About

Hi, I'm Abby. I love history, cooking, and books.

In college, I spent a summer interning at a living history museum in Ohio, where I learned to cook over a fire and baked my first pie. Since then, I've been incorporating history into my life on a regular basis. I started this blog in 2011 to chronicle my adventures in the kitchen, where I cooked from 19th and 20th century recipes.

While I loved learning more about the past through the tastes and ingredients of these recipes, I quickly discovered that what brought me the most joy was finding a connection to the present. Perhaps this fried fish reminded me of my dad teaching me how to gut a fish, or maybe I made this mint julep recipe because my sister asked for it (no, demanded). Now I look for the blending of past and present in other everyday activities, too, and I write about them here.

In costume at the museum
You'll find plenty of history on this blog, as well as stories, memories, and some unabashed obsessions. Like the rest of America, I fell in love with the acclaimed TV series Downton Abbey, and my occasional series Dining at Downton explores recipes that the characters might have eaten.


Contact

Questions? Comments? I would love to hear from you. You can email me at afmurphy26{at}gmail.com.