Food at Williamsburg

Today was a walking day. I started at the Governor’s Palace as soon as it opened and spent the majority of my time in the kitchen talking to the cooks. Go figure…

Here’s the dessert course – candied ginger, syllabub, and pistachio cream. Ice cream was also very popular among the gentry, but not necessarily as a sweet. Oyster ice cream, anyone?

Then there are a marvelous outdoor demonstration of how to make chocolate from the cocoa beans.


Here are the roasted, chopped beans.


The beans are then ground repeatedly on a heated metal slab.


Finally the ground beans are reduced to a lovely paste.

Here’s another sign of spring.

Today was unseasonably cool and overcast, the temperature was in the mid 60s for much of the day (snicker). It was wonderful walking weather, though my feet are definitely sore tonight. I think tomorrow will be a driving day with a walking break mid-day, I may try to get to Monticello early in the day.

Other events today – a reading of the Declaration of Independence at the Williamsburg Capitol, a long chat with the apothecary, and dinner at Christiana Campbell’s Tavern.