Focus On Cooking
Blog Posts
- Call for Papers — “The Local and the Global in New England”
This one-day symposium aims to gather scholars and researchers who explore the nature of local, regional, and global networks in New England from the seventeenth to the twenty-first centuries. - Call for Papers — 2026 Dublin Seminar for New England Folklife
In June 2026, the Dublin Seminar for New England Folklife will mark its 50th anniversary by looking both backwards and ahead. As this year’s seminar looks forward to its own future, we will contemplate ways residents of the region have envisioned, foretold, and worked to shape various futures over the region’s long history. - Restoring the Sheldon Shed, 2024–2025
Last year, a major restoration project at Historic Deerfield ensured the continued preservation of an important agricultural building on our campus. The Sheldon Shed is the sole surviving structure from a larger barn complex that was built over the course of a century behind the Sheldon House.
Cooking Events
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Open Hearth Cooking Workshop: Spring Cooking, Scraping the Bottom of the Barrel
In the past, the end of winter meant using up what was left of stored food like pumpkins, potatoes, apples, and salted meat and fish. A Deerfield diarist called them “savers.” The menu includes dried apple pie, fish chowder, pickled beets, and crookneck squash pudding.
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3-Day Wood Identification Workshop with Randy Wilkinson
We are pleased to share this exciting, intensive educational program designed to appeal to participants with an interest in American decorative arts—including collectors, appraisers, curators, furniture enthusiasts, or anyone seeking […]
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Free Winter Lecture Series: “Expansive Histories of the American Revolution”
In observance of the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, we invite you to tune in to our free, virtual Winter Lecture Series, featuring three distinguished scholars. This series will […]
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Candlelight Tavern Night
Step back in time for a candlelit evening of fun and frivolity in the historic 1786 Hall Tavern!
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Candlelight Tavern Night
Step back in time for a candlelit evening of fun and frivolity in the historic 1786 Hall Tavern!
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Fun in February: School Vacation Week at Historic Deerfield
Play historical tavern and schoolyard games. Pretend to cook a meal on a hearth in our play kitchen. Dress up, read a book, or weave on a loom. There will be lots of activities to explore!
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Wreath Walk
Take a walk, enjoy the wreaths! If you are visiting Historic Deerfield in December, we invite you to take the Deerfield Wreath Walk! For 25 years, volunteers have gathered at […]
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Open Hearth Cooking Workshop: Baking in the Beehive Oven
Learn how to fire and heat the oven for baking. Pie is on the menu! Prepare sweet and savory pies to bake when the oven is ready.
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Open Hearth Cooking Workshop: Basics From Hearth to Table
For the beginner, try a range of hearth cooking techniques, recipes, and equipment. Learn how to roast chicken in a reflector oven, boil and mash root vegetables, and bake soft gingerbread and bird’s nest pudding in bake kettles.
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Open Hearth Cooking Workshop: Supper at Hall Tavern (Special Evening Workshop)
Prepare hearty tavern fare including roast pork, winter vegetable soup, apple pie, and long rolls with butter. While the food is cooking, play some board games and nine pins in the tap room.