Wilton Library hosts colonial cooking demo, connects past to present

Historical reenactor Alyson Szabo brought the 1700s New Hampshire frontier to the Wilton Public & Gregg Free Library on Tuesday evening, demonstrating colonial cooking techniques for an audience of about 35 people gathered outside on one of the first springlike nights of the season.

Szabo, who spends weeks each summer living at the Fort at No. 4 in Charlestown, cooked chicken soup over an open flame and shared bread from her own recipe. She also discussed colonial clothing and the life of women in rural 18th-century New Hampshire, engaging the audience with stories of her reenacting experiences and of writing cookbooks.

The presentation touched on more than cooking. Szabo drew a pointed connection between colonial life and the present day, emphasizing the importance of community: “You had to rely on your neighbor to survive — we forget that. It didn’t matter what your neighbor believed or what religion they practiced; you needed to work together on the New Hampshire frontier to survive.”

The event was the first in a week of activities Wilton is hosting to mark America’s 250th anniversary. The celebration culminates Saturday, May 9, in a day of free, family-friendly events in downtown Wilton including Revolutionary War reenactors, a Liberty Tree dedication, music, barbecue, and children’s games.

The day will also feature a War Memorial ceremony, adding the name of Pomp Russell, an enslaved Black man who served in the Revolution and whose name was previously omitted from Wilton’s memorial.