By Laura Lyon

Over the course of my life, my family’s Thanksgiving meals have been an ode to culinary staples of turkey, deviled eggs, cranberry sauce and many styles of casseroles and pies. It’s always felt safe to assume that this is the way the holiday has always been, but it was not until I dug into the Gwinnett Historical Society archives that I discovered what Gwinnettians of the past ate, and how they are both similar and varied in ways that may surprise you. 

The News-Herald in Lawrenceville printed a roasting turkey recipe in their “Woman’s Column” in 1908 featuring dressing made of “bread cut in small blocks, browned in butter and moistened; a little celery a small bit of onion if desired; seasoned to taste,” which sounds familiar until one sees “add large oysters” and “I also add oysters to the gravy.” 

Fast forward to a time when recipes are standardized and almost every ingredient is shipped to the local grocery store, the Gwinnett County Homemakers Council published “What’s Cookin’ in Gwinnett?” in 1980. Pat Ward’s sweet potato soufflé practically leapt off the page into my nostrils, despite being nowhere near a kitchen in my perch at the Historical Society.

Although there are many variations of this recipe all over the internet, I personally enjoy when food tells a story and I look forward to sharing and tasting my finds around the table this year. 

For more recipes, comb through hundreds of years of history via the Georgia Historic Newspapers page at https://gahistoricnewspapers.galileo.usg.edu/

Sweet Potato Soufflé (1980)

• 2 c. cooked sweet potatoes, mashed
• ½ tsp salt
•  2 tbsp butter, melted
• 1 tsp. nutmeg
• 1c. hot milk
• 2 tbsp. sugar
• 2 eggs
•  1 tsp. vanilla

Beat eggs; add sugar, salt, nutmeg, butter and vanilla. Mix well; then add hot milk; mix well again. Add sweet potatoes. Pour into a greased baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees until set, about 30 to 40 minutes.

Roasting Turkey (1908)

After the turkey is thoroughly cleaned put in a boiler; parboil slowly for an hour and a half; then have your dressing ready, which is bread cut in small blocks browned in butter and moistened; a little celery, a small bit of onion if desired, season to taste and add large oysters, fill the turkey; put it in the pan, using the same water it was boiled in; turn it and baste it very often after it has begun to bake.