Nancy Nilgen
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nancynilgen.bsky.social
Nancy Nilgen
@nancynilgen.bsky.social
1K followers 280 following 62 posts
food historian and passionate cookbook collector with a far-too-small kitchen
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nancynilgen.bsky.social
My latest treasure. A 1920s german textbook for cooking and household lessons is coming home with me✨️
An old German book titled “Lehrbuch für den Koch- und Haushaltungs-Unterricht” (Textbook for Cooking and Household Lessons) by Ch. Friesner and K. Nake lies inside a woven straw bag lined with light fabric. The book has a worn brown cover with a small decorative illustration and visible signs of age.
August 23, 2025 at 8:13 PM
nancynilgen.bsky.social
Got any ideas for what to cook with these beauties (besides salad)? Let me know!
A variety of heirloom tomatoes in different colors and shapes like green, yellow, red, orange, and deep purple. They are arranged on a wooden cutting board. The tomatoes are fresh and glistening with water droplets
July 13, 2025 at 3:28 PM
nancynilgen.bsky.social
Example 178 of salads that are actually not salads 🥗
#WTF
olgaphoos.bsky.social Olga Prokopis @olgaphoos.bsky.social · Jun 7
Admittedly my interest in #foodhistory is usually of the medieval variety, but this recipe book from the Donut Corporation of America published in 1947 has donut salads. The Donut Prune Salad contains cottage cheese and should be served with mayo 🍩
June 9, 2025 at 9:48 PM
nancynilgen.bsky.social
Meticulous spreads from the 1964 West German Dr. Oetker "Kalte Küche" cookbook 🥨🥐
#foodhistory #cookbooks #foodphotography #vintagerecipes
A highly symmetrical arrangement of various small baked goods on a dark wooden surface. The pastries are sorted by type into rows, including mini tarts with cream and cherries, ring-shaped cookies, crescent rolls, puff pastry sticks, pretzel-shaped cookies, and piped cream biscuits with jelly centers. An assortment of savory and sweet canapés meticulously arranged on a wooden board. Cubes of cheese are topped with items like olives, cocktail sausages, grapes, and walnuts. On the right side are ball-shaped cheese spreads coated in herbs and coconut. In the top left, a halved grapefruit is studded with cocktail sticks.
June 4, 2025 at 5:01 AM
nancynilgen.bsky.social
When a #Kölsch and an #Altbier share the same table, you know someone's risking a diplomatic incident.
Cologne’s crisp Kölsch and Düsseldorf’s malty Altbier have been rivals for decades, much like the cities themselves. I prefer the latter, when I am visiting the region 🍻 #germanbeer #beerpolitics
Two glasses of beer stand side by side on a table: one filled with dark Altbier in a traditional straight glass, the other with pale Kölsch in a tall, narrow glass. The scene reflects the long-standing beer rivalry between Düsseldorf and Cologne, as both styles symbolize regional identity.
May 31, 2025 at 3:54 PM
nancynilgen.bsky.social
Ever seen a recipe leaflet shaped like a flatfish? I found this East German gem from the 1950s tucked inside an even older cookbook. Looks like it was hardly used, it's in really good condition
#foodhistory #DDR #Vintagerecipe
A vintage fish-shaped recipe booklet titled "Fisch Rezepte" (Fish Recipes) on a wooden surface. The booklet resembles a flatfish with a blue-green body and orange spots. Two open pages of the fish-shaped booklet. The text praises the achievements of East German fisheries and promotes fish as a healthy food. The layout is in a stylized oval format matching the fish shape. Another open spread of the fish-shaped booklet. It includes simple fish recipes and ends with a promotional slogan: "Buy fish at your local Konsum." The shape and layout remain consistent with the fish design.
May 26, 2025 at 5:59 AM
nancynilgen.bsky.social
Caught in the middle of a fountain-side drama. Any guesses what the fight’s about?
#Leipzig #FountainTales
A humorous bronze fountain sculpture featuring two life-sized figures, a man and a woman, standing on either side of a large water basin with mugs beneath small spouts. The man appears frustrated, holding his head in one hand, while the woman looks sternly at him. A sign on the fountain reads “Kein Trinkwasser” (No drinking water). The scene is set on a wet pavement in front of a building with green signage.
May 24, 2025 at 8:19 AM
nancynilgen.bsky.social
Drawn in by the cookbook’s backstory. But it’s the cookie cutters that stole my heart 😏
culinavetus.bsky.social culina vetus (Volker Bach) @culinavetus.bsky.social · May 18
Today, I am talking about a cookbook I found at the flea market, about cooking, identity, the Cold War, a lost multicultural world, and some rather dodgy liver paté. And #Hogswatch cookie cutters.

#foodhistory #culinaryhistory #Baltic #Coldwar #1950s

www.culina-vetus.de/2025/05/18/a...
The Baltic Cookbook, probably c. 1950. A photograph showing the front cover of the book against a red background. The book is a cheap mid-century paperback with a cover illustration drawing showing a festively set table in pale colours. A horse-drawn sled and fir trees can be seen though the window in the background. The title text identifies the author as Brigitte von Samson-Himmelstjerna, a member of a Baltic noble family of Dutch descent. Two vintage cookie cutters photographed against the green background of a cutting mat with a centimetre grid. They are made of rolled carbon steel, not stainless, and their general solidity suggests they predate the 1960s, most likely dating to before WWII. The left one is an eight-pointed star, a relativewly uncommon form, while the right one, stabilised with a crossbar, is a pig, though the distinction between the snout and ear is less clear than it should be. Pigs are a familar symbol of good luck and prosperity in Germany, and pig-shaped cookie cutters are relatively common.
May 23, 2025 at 4:49 AM
Reposted by Nancy Nilgen
lizetkruyff.bsky.social
Good morning all! Strawberries for breakfast today.

Sebastian Stosskopf - Bowl of Strawberries.

#art #food #fruit #foodhistory
May 22, 2025 at 4:37 AM
nancynilgen.bsky.social
Wise words
May 15, 2025 at 8:02 PM
Reposted by Nancy Nilgen
birgitschoenau.bsky.social
"Schon in der Antike, so sagt die Legende, gehörten Pasta, Pecorino und Pfeffer zu den Grundnahrungsmitteln der Schafhirten im Hinterland Roms."

In der Antike gab's zwar Pecorino, aber keine Pasta, nur Brot oder Brei. Und teuren Pfeffer nur für die Reichen, ganz sicher nicht für Schäfer.
Cacio e Pepe: Physiker kochen die perfekte Pasta
Cacio e Pepe wird seit Jahrhunderten geschätzt. Physiker erforschen nun die optimale Zubereitung.
www.sueddeutsche.de
May 6, 2025 at 6:19 PM
Reposted by Nancy Nilgen
ronensteinke.bsky.social
Das Bundesamt für Verfassungsschutz teilt mit: Regen ist nass.
May 2, 2025 at 8:32 AM
Reposted by Nancy Nilgen
dbellingradt.bsky.social
"And here we have a spring of blood, so be careful, better believe the wonder, and maybe publish a broadside about it" said, maybe, someone near Halle an der Saale in 1550.

Who knows more about #earlymodern spring of bloods, dear #skystorians?
Three men standing on an early modern street near Halle. A spring of blood, a wonder, is their focus. Weigel, Hans: Dis Jars Anno Daussent Fünff-Hundert. [Nürnberg] : Gedruckt durch Hanns weygel, [1550?]. Zentralbibliothek Zürich, PAS II 2/21, https://doi.org/10.7891/e-manuscripta-92204 / Public Domain Mark
May 1, 2025 at 1:55 PM
nancynilgen.bsky.social
Nom nom
Detail of a stone relief on a building façade. It shows a large fish swallowing a reclining human figure from the lower body, with only the upper torso and head still visible. The human seems calm or resigned. Grapes and vine motifs decorate the left side. Above this relief, other sculpted elements include a stylized eagle in an octagonal frame and decorative ornaments. Detail of a stone relief on a building façade. It shows a large fish swallowing a reclining human figure from the lower body, with only the upper torso and head still visible. The human seems calm or resigned. Grapes and vine motifs decorate the left side. Above this relief, other sculpted elements include a stylized eagle in an octagonal frame and decorative ornaments.
May 1, 2025 at 8:53 PM
Reposted by Nancy Nilgen
wannseekonferenz.bsky.social
"Geplante Kürzungen im sächsischen Haushalt bedrohen die gesamte Erinnerungslandschaft von etablierten Gedenkstätten über Archive bis zu jungen Aufarbeitungsinitiativen
[...]. Historisch-politische Bildung und gesellschaftliche Teilhabe in ganz Sachsen stehen auf dem Spiel"
slagausns.bsky.social sLAG @slagausns.bsky.social · Apr 30
📢 #mustread: NOTRUF DES BEIRATES DER #STSG

Der Beirat der Stiftung Sächsische Gedenkstätten warnt in seiner aktuellen PM vor Kürzungen bei der Förderung sächsischer Gedenkstätten und Aufarbeitungsinitiativen und fordert eine dringende Korrektur des aktuellen Haushaltsentwurfs!

👇👇
May 1, 2025 at 6:36 AM
Reposted by Nancy Nilgen
vhdonline.bsky.social
Auf der nächsten Mitgliederversammlung des VHD in Bonn wird über den künftigen Namen des Historikertags abgestimmt

Zur Meldung:
www.historikerverband.de/aktuelles/me...
April 29, 2025 at 11:01 AM
nancynilgen.bsky.social
"Are you camera shy?"
Me:
A postcard shows a dining scene: A person is being served a bowl of soup, with two hands holding the plate from opposite sides. In the background, a woman is seated at a table, but her face is mostly hidden behind the soup bowl. On the table are drinks with colorful straws, a lit candle, and condiment containers. The scene has a cozy, warm-toned atmosphere
April 27, 2025 at 11:41 AM
nancynilgen.bsky.social
Did anyone mention #PretzelDay yet?
Black-and-white artwork depicting a still life with a pretzel, a pair of glasses, fruit, and folded cloths arranged abstractly. Artist: David Petrowitsch Shterenberg
April 26, 2025 at 9:29 PM
nancynilgen.bsky.social
From my grandma’s handwritten recipe book

#Happymemories #Mohnkuchen #poppyseedcake #FoodHistory
A handwritten recipe on yellowed paper, written in blue ink in German cursive script. The recipe includes ingredients for dough and filling, with instructions to bake at 180°C. The paper shows signs of age and use, adding to its nostalgic charm.
April 25, 2025 at 7:18 PM
nancynilgen.bsky.social
Pretty much everything and everyone I needed at the end of the day – captured in one photo
A dessert – likely tiramisu – is served on a rectangular dark plate dusted with powdered sugar. Two people are seated at a wooden table; one hand reaches in with a fork to take a bite, while the other rests casually on the table. In the foreground, there is a glass with a clear liquid, possibly grappa, and behind it, another glass and an espresso cup labeled “Pisa.” The setting appears to be a cozy, rustic restaurant.
April 24, 2025 at 9:53 PM
Reposted by Nancy Nilgen
robertparzer.bsky.social
Help needed: I am looking for a historian who researches the polish contexts of World War II related video games. If you know, let me know!
April 24, 2025 at 4:34 PM
Reposted by Nancy Nilgen
andrealoew.bsky.social
Nächsten Montag in Leipzig:
andrealoew.bsky.social Andrea Löw @andrealoew.bsky.social · Apr 8
Ende April darf ich in Leipzig u.a. mit Michel Friedmann und Monty Ott auf Einladung des ZDF über Erinnerung an den Zweiten Weltkrieg und den Holocaust reden. Moderiert wird das Gespräch von Bettina Schausten, es wird danach in Phoenix ausgestrahlt, wer in Leipzig ist, kann auch live dabei sein:
Einladung und Informationen zu "Erinnern, was war. Filmvorführung und Gesprächsrunde, Montag, 28. April 2025, 19.00 Uhr, Loft das Theater. Mit längerem Infotext und Scan-Code zur Anmeldung
April 24, 2025 at 5:36 PM
Reposted by Nancy Nilgen
donauschwalbe.bsky.social
"But I was a girl" – sehr tolle Doku über Cellistin & Dirigentin Frieda Belinfante, die Lebenspartnerin u. a. von Komponistin Henriëtte Bosmans war, in der NS-Zeit als Mann verkleidet Nazis hinters Licht führte & die US-Orchesterlandschaft prägte 🌟
#Komponistinnen
www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpkN...
...But I Was a Girl: The Story of Frieda Belinfante (1999)
YouTube video by noochinator1
www.youtube.com
April 24, 2025 at 1:28 PM
Reposted by Nancy Nilgen
stevenseegel.bsky.social
Job available! This is a permanent position listed as "Lecturer in Central and East European History (including Russia/Soviet), Post-1800." It is in a fantastic department in London (UCL History). Applications are due May 9th. Please share and apply! www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DMT327/l...
Lecturer in Central and Eastern European History (including Russia/Soviet), Post-1800 at UCL
Apply for the Lecturer in Central and Eastern European History (including Russia/Soviet), Post-1800 role on jobs.ac.uk, the top job board for academic positions in higher education. View details and a...
www.jobs.ac.uk
April 23, 2025 at 8:58 PM