Nova Scotia Archives
What's Cooking?
Food, Drink and the Pleasures of Eating in Old-Time Nova Scotia
Collected Recipes
The recipes presented in this section have all been selected from original material held at the Nova Scotia Archives, mostly within several collections of family papers rich in household content. There are over 600 digitized pages here, since many, if not most of them contain several recipes each, we estimate that the collection easily totals over 1000 separate items from the 1780s and continuing to the 1920s.
Cooking seems to have been largely intuitive in times past. Women (men too — look for James Roue's recipes for cider, ale and soft drinks) understood the basics of time, temperature, method, and cooking over the fire or on an early wood or coal stove. Written recipes offered standardized and reliable combinations, perhaps suggested new ingredients or improvements to routine dishes, and certainly brought welcomed variety and flair to daily menus in ordinary households. (For an out-of-the-ordinary kitchen, be sure to explore the lengthy 'memorandum' for managing the Wentworth household in Halifax, 1786.)
Results 1 to 15 of 1096 from your search:
Almond Pudding, Roast Pig, Mangoes, Plum Cake, Cake, Pickled Beef, Mutton, to brew Alcohol, Nuns Cake
Reference: Almon Scrapbook Nova Scotia Archives MG 1 vol. 14 page 122
Topic: Manuscript Recipes
Cymballs, Hasty Pudding, Mutton, Plum Cake, Rice Pudding, Blackberry Jelly, Indian Pudding, Drop Cake, Boil Potatoes
Reference: Almon Scrapbook Nova Scotia Archives MG 1 vol. 14 page 120
Topic: Manuscript Recipes
Calf's Feet Jelly, Carrot Pudding
Date: ca. 1786
Reference: Commissioner of Public Records Nova Scotia Archives RG 1 vol. 411 no. 10
Topic: Manuscript Recipes
Pancakes, Wonders, Sauce for Boiled Cod, Catchup
Date: ca. 1786
Reference: Commissioner of Public Records Nova Scotia Archives RG 1 vol. 411 no. 10
Topic: Manuscript Recipes
Catchup, Carrot Pudding, Pork like Westphalia Ham, Butter Drops
Date: ca. 1786
Reference: Commissioner of Public Records Nova Scotia Archives RG 1 vol. 411 no. 10
Topic: Manuscript Recipes
Orange Pudding, Irish Potato Pudding
Date: ca. 1786
Reference: Commissioner of Public Records Nova Scotia Archives RG 1 vol. 411 no. 10
Topic: Manuscript Recipes
Expenses for Mrs. Wentworth's House page 1
Date: 1786
Reference: Commissioner of Public Records Nova Scotia Archives RG 1 vol. 411 no. 10
Topic: Manuscript Recipes
Expenses for Mrs. Wentworth's house page 2
Date: 1786
Reference: Commissioner of Public Records Nova Scotia Archives RG 1 vol. 411 no. 10
Topic: Manuscript Recipes
Expenses for Mrs. Wentworth's house page 3
Date: 1786
Reference: Commissioner of Public Records Nova Scotia Archives RG 1 vol. 411 no. 10
Topic: Manuscript Recipes
Expenses for Mrs. Wentworth's house page 4
Date: 1786
Reference: Commissioner of Public Records Nova Scotia Archives RG 1 vol. 411 no. 10
Topic: Manuscript Recipes
Expenses for Mrs. Wentworth's house page 5
Date: 1786
Reference: Commissioner of Public Records Nova Scotia Archives RG 1 vol. 411 no. 10
Topic: Manuscript Recipes
Expenses for Mrs. Wentworth's house page 6
Date: 1786
Reference: Commissioner of Public Records Nova Scotia Archives RG 1 vol. 411 no. 10
Topic: Manuscript Recipes
Expenses for Mrs. Wentworth's house page 7
Date: 1786
Reference: Commissioner of Public Records Nova Scotia Archives RG 1 vol. 411 no. 10
Topic: Manuscript Recipes
Expenses for Mrs. Wentworth's house page 8
Date: 1786
Reference: Commissioner of Public Records Nova Scotia Archives RG 1 vol. 411 no. 10
Topic: Manuscript Recipes
Expenses for Mrs. Wentworth's house page 9
Date: 1786
Reference: Commissioner of Public Records Nova Scotia Archives RG 1 vol. 411 no. 10
Topic: Manuscript Recipes