FAQs

What is this thing? The Historical Food Fortnightly is a fortnightly (meaning "two weeks") blog challenge. It's the brainchild of Betsy Connolly, run by Betsy and Melissa Alexander. We cook historical recipes based around themes that change every two weeks, and post our results!

Who's in charge around here? That would be Betsy and Melissa. You can find more about them in the About Us page.

How do I get involved? Fill out this form here. We will put your name up with the challengers. When January 1st starts around, start cooking! And follow this blog to stay current with everything that's happening!

What are the rules? There aren't many rules. Here are the main ones:

1. Make sure you use historical recipes, and document them. Primary sources are best, but well-researched secondary sources are allowed.
2. Make your dishes and post them within the given timeframe. You can post your results any time, but only those done within the given timeframe are eligible for marathon participation.
3. Treat all other participants with respect and support one another. We're all here to learn and grow. Unhelpful or unkind comments here, or on the Facebook group, are subject to deletion.

What do you consider "historical"? Anything prior to 1960 is fair game, for our purposes. We have people cooking from all eras, from the mid-20th century all the way to the Dark Ages.

What kinds of things do you cook? Anything! We have participants who cook very rustic, basic dishes, and those who make food fit for kings and queens. You will find anything from any kind of food being cooked here - we have very clever, creative and ambitious participants!

What are primary sources? Check out this post, where we talk about primary source documentation and why it's important in this project. To sum it up: we don't cook with Ye Olde recipes around here - we use the real deal, straight from the horse's mouth.

Where do you find your recipes? Our participants use lots of different sources for their recipes. Some even use family recipes passed down through generations. Just a couple sources to get people started: Google Books (use the advanced search feature to limit the time period being searched), Feeding America, Project Gutenberg, and Savoring The Past.

But wait! I just found out about you guys, and it's the middle of the year! Can I still join?!
You can start any time! There are no restrictions on when you can join. You won't be eligible for the marathon, but that's okay; around here, we're focused on the experience rather than the finish line.

I want to join, but I know I can't post for every single challenge. Can I still take part? Sure! We have lots of participants who join in as they are able. We have heard feedback that it works best to keep a schedule, even if you can't post every two weeks. Many people can do half-marathons, where they complete half of the challenges, but there are no obligations.

I want to join, but I don't have a blog. Is that okay? Definitely. Most people who participate have a blog where they can feature their work and accomplishments. We've linked those in the "Challengers" page. There's nothing saying that you have to keep a blog or link it here. Some people participate via Facebook as well.

I want to feature you guys on my website/blog. Can I do that? Sure thing! We love free advertising! If you'd like to contact us to discuss articles or features, use the contact form in the left sidebar.

How do I contact you? There's a handy form at the bottom of the left sidebar. Scroll down to where it says "Contact Us" and send us a message!