Cookbooks are everywhere. Many people own at least one. You find them in bookshops and thrift stores. They are frequently given as gifts and passed down through generations. Yet most of us think of them as just collections of recipes, unaware of what else they can reveal.
Drawing from the Rare Books & Manuscripts Library’s collection of nearly 10,000 volumes, this exhibit celebrates more than 200 years of American cookbooks and their unique ability to offer windows into cultures and histories. Essential Ingredients explores cookbooks as a lens for understanding many aspects of the past and present, including social movements, global foodways, local communities, international crises, technological advancements, and personal stories.
