About
Welcome to History Reheated!
At some point in our lives, we’ve all rummaged through the refrigerator, looking for something to eat. If your refrigerators is anything like mine, it can hold some pleasant surprises. Leftovers make some of the best meals. It’s delightful to know that after a long day at work, all I have to do is reheat dinner.
The past is also full of unexpected surprises. The best stories are often those that are tucked out of sight. As a historian, I’ve always been fascinated with food stories, old cookbooks, and recipes. I’ve spent my career researching newspapers and archives to learn about the stories behind what we eat. I also draw on my own personal collection of historic cookbooks, stuffed into boxes, bookshelves, and an embarrassing number of piles. Historical leftovers, if you will. Join me and revisit these dishes from the past.
Amanda Van Lanen is Chair of the Humanities Division and professor of history at Lewis-Clark State College in Lewiston, Idaho. She holds a Ph.D. in U.S. and Public History from Washington State University. Her research focuses on food and agricultural history, and she is currently working on a project on the U.S. Food Administration during World War I. Amanda has published articles in journals such as Agricultural History and Journal of the West and has served as a speaker for Humanities Washington. She is the author of The Washington Apple: Orchards and the Development of Industrial Agriculture (University of Oklahoma Press, 2022), now available in paperback.
