The author joins us for a ticketed event at Morven Museum and Gardens to discuss "The Gilded Age Christmas Cookbook." Cookies, tea and cider will be served. Registration required.
About the Book (from the publisher):
Although most Americans have heard of sugar plums thanks to the famous holiday poem "A Visit from St. Nicholas" by Clement Clarke Moore, many have likely never have had the pleasure of tasting one of these luxuries or even know what they really are (hint: they are not sugar-dusted plums).
With origins that date back to the nineteenth century and even earlier, the recipes featured in "The Gilded Age Christmas Cookbook" have been adapted for today’s ingredients and appliances, allowing cooks to recreate them in their own modern kitchens. Each recipe provides a colorful glimpse into the era, featuring the fascinating history behind every confection, its ingredients and baking methods. There are also sidebars throughout, offering tidbits of Christmas lore of the era.
With all the opulence and enchanting allure of the Victorian period, this nostalgic book is chock-full of delicious holiday treats and a unique way to revitalize any baker’s holiday repertoire while looking to past foodways for inspiration.
About the Author:
A food writer, librarian and historian, Becky Libourel Diamond has had a varied career combining writing and research. Her previous book, "The Gilded Age Cookbook", was published in 2023 and transports the reader back in time to elegant dinner tables set with snow-white linen tablecloths, delicate china, and sparkling crystal glasses. Gilded Age details and entertaining stories of celebrities from the era—the Vanderbilts, Astors, Goelets, and Goulds—are melded with historic menus and recipes updated for modern kitchens.
She is also the author of "The Thousand Dollar Dinner," the unique story of a nineteenth century “Top Chef”-style competition between Philadelphia restauranteur James Parkinson and the Delmonico family of New York. Her first book was "Mrs. Goodfellow: The Story of America’s Cooking School," a successful nineteenth century pastry chef who also ran an innovative cooking school for young women - a Philadelphia first.
She is currently working on a history of the City Tavern restaurant, to be published in the summer of 2026.
