Feeding the Yanks: MSU historian explores Civil War era cookbooks

A new book from the MSU Press looks at the cookbooks and foodways of Americans in the 1860s. “Food in the Civil War Era: The North” is officially out this week. It’s  part of a planned food history series from the MSU Press. Current State’s Melissa Benmark speaks with author Helen Zoe Veit of the MSU History Department. Veit says there are all sorts of surprises in the cookbooks, including how English the recipes seemed, including puddings and custards. She also mentions that it is rare to see cheese, ground beef, or chocolate.