Visitors to Monticello recorded memories of late afternoon dinners at Monticello “served in half Virginian, half French style in good taste and abundance,” but the records rarely mention the enslaved cooks and their families who made these meals possible.
Jefferson was most likely not the first to introduce macaroni and cheese to America, nor did he invent the recipe. But he did write out a recipe for a 'macaroni' pasta dough, and he likely helped popularize the dish by serving what one guest to the President's House described as "a pie called...
On this day 195 years ago, 11 July 1824, Thomas Jefferson wrote to Richmond merchant Bernard Peyton asking him to procure 20 pounds of tin. He explained that “We have been a year or two without the use of such of our kitchen utensils as, being of copper, need tinning.” [i] Jefferson was rightly...
The Heritage Harvest Festival at Monticello on Saturday, September 22. Celebrating the little gems -- the farming, the culinary arts and the craftsmanship -- of Virginia and beyond. * Name * Contact Email * Type of Event -- Type of Event -- Wedding Conference/Retreat Corporate Meeting Social Guest...
While Jefferson often gets the credit, it was enslaved chefs like James Hemings, who created Monticello's famed "half Virginian, half French" cuisine. Food Historian Leni Sorensen explains how Hemings's training in France and the installation of stew stoves changed cooking here.
Apples of many varieties were cultivated in Jefferson’s Virginia. The fruit was used to make pies, preserves, and other foodstuffs, of course, but in Jefferson’s time apples were especially valued for the making of cider.
Winemaking in Virginia was first attempted by our country’s first settlers over 400 years ago. Today, you can experience the fruits of their labors when you visit one of the almost 300 wineries around the Commonwealth. Video produced by Virginia is for Lovers.
With "a greater eye to convenience," Jefferson employed a number of mechanical gadgets at Monticello, including several different types of dumbwaiters.
Thomas Jefferson was a man of many faces. Other than his obvious influence on American politics, he was intrigued by diverse cultures in the New World and embraced them in every way he was able.
