About the Website

New England is a diverse place with different regions: coastal, mountain, and river valleys. It borders New York on the west, Canada on the north and the Atlantic Ocean on the east.  Each region contributes its own regional foods, while some foods are found throughout the whole of New England.

Massachusetts is known for its cod fish and clams.  Boston has the distinction of being known for its Boston Baked Beans, Boston Brown Bread, Boston Cream Pie and Parker House rolls. Vermont is known for its maple sugar. Maine has its potatoes, blueberries and lobsters.  New Hampshire is best known for its White Mountain Inns.

Foods and recipes with documented histories can be traced to their place of origins. What about recipes such as pumpkin and squash pie? Seem simple, the answer is no. It seems Squash pie and Pumpkin pie recipes are widespread and are claimed by states beyond New England as their heritage recipes, too.

Where to start?  Clues sometimes come from a recipe’s name. Boston Baked Beans were developed in Boston, and Parker House Rolls come to us from the Parker House Hotel in Boston. Other times a clue can come from the ingredients, New England fish chowder is made with milk. Manhattan (New York) fish chowder is made with tomatoes, a distinct taste difference. How about this one, German Toast over time becomes known as French Toast. We New Englanders like our French Toast or do we? (More to come on this recipe.)  Reading recipes can be a fun and curious pastime.

For New England Recipes only recipes from New England cooks, New England older cookbooks, and New England companies will be showcased. When regional varieties are available several recipes will be listed. A short history will accompany most recipes by looking at cookbooks from the 1700’s up to the late 1900’s.