Rebecca Earle Reveals History Through Cookbooks

Talk to be hosted by the Ealing Branch of the Historical Association

Professor Rebecca Earle

March 31, 2026

The Ealing Branch of the Historical Association is preparing to welcome one of the country’s leading historians of food for its April talk, with Professor Rebecca Earle set to explore how cookbooks can illuminate far more than culinary technique.

The event takes place on Tuesday 14 April at Ealing Green Church, with doors opening at 7.15pm and the lecture beginning at 7.30pm.

Professor Earle, from the University of Warwick, is widely recognised for her work on the cultural history of food and its role in shaping how societies understand themselves. Her research ranges from early modern Europe to colonial Latin America, and she has written extensively on how ordinary habits—what people eat, how they dress, the routines they take for granted—reveal deeper truths about identity, power and social change.

Her award ‑winning book *The Body of the Conquistador* examined how food shaped the experience of colonialism in Spanish America, while her more recent *Feeding the People: The Politics of the Potato* traced how a humble crop became entangled with statecraft, nutrition science and national identity. Her work consistently shows how the most familiar objects can become powerful historical sources.

The upcoming lecture, titled *What can you learn from a cookbook (other than how to cook)?*, promises to open up the surprising historical richness of recipe collections. Professor Earle argues that cookbooks can shed light on a vast range of subjects, from the domestic realities of women’s lives to the pressures of wartime rationing, the rise of consumer culture and the influence of colonialism on British kitchens. They also offer insight into scientific change, shifting attitudes to health, and even the social revolutions of the 1960s.

The talk will also encourage attendees to look closer to home. Family recipe books and handwritten notes—often tucked away on shelves or passed down through generations—can reveal personal histories, migration stories, and the evolution of taste within a single household.

In Professor Earle’s view, these everyday artefacts are “remarkable and powerful windows into the past,” capable of connecting intimate memory with broader historical forces.

The Historical Association’s Ealing Branch regularly attracts strong audiences for its talks, and this event is likely to appeal not only to historians but to anyone interested in food, culture or the hidden stories behind ordinary objects. With cookbooks now enjoying renewed interest as both practical guides and cultural documents, the evening offers a timely exploration of how the past survives in the most unexpected places.

The event takes place at Ealing Green Church, The Green, W5 5QT. Doors open at 7.15pm for a 7.30pm start. It could be interesting to explore how local residents’ own recipe collections reflect the area’s changing cultural landscape over time.

The event is open to members and visitors. Membership costs £15 per year, while visitors can attend individual talks for £5.

Meetings are usually held on the second Tuesday of each month at Ealing Green Church at 7.30pm, with the exception of the November meeting which takes place at Twyford School at 6.30pm. Talks are live events but with the speaker’s permission the association aims to make a recording available afterwards to those registering on Eventbrite (the booking link will be available on the society's website one month in advance of each talk).