The Hungry Historian

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“Canada emerged as a political entity with boundaries largely determined by the fur trade. … The present Dominion emerged not in spite of geography but because of it.” — Harold Innis 

From the fur-clad frontiers of Rupert’s Land to the corridors of British colonial power, the Hudson’s Bay Company stood as one of the most influential and controversial forces in North American history. In this episode, join The Hungry Historian as he paddles into the heart of Canada’s colonial past, where commerce and conquest went hand in hand, and explore the Company’s transformation from a remote trading enterprise into a sprawling commercial empire. 

Between 1750 and 1870, the HBC faced fierce competition from the North West Company, expanded deep into the continent’s interior, and forged alliances and rivalries with Indigenous nations. Follow along as The Hungry Historian traces the dramatic events that led to the merger of 1821, the Company’s growing role in politics and settlement, and its eventual sale of vast territories to the new Dominion of Canada. 

This is a story of profit and power, survival and sovereignty—played out against the backdrop of the wilderness, and written in beaver pelts, treaties, and the tides of empire. 

Cheers!

Featured Recipe

Beaver Tails

Ingredients:

•  ¾ Cup whole milk warm
• 2 ¼ Teaspoons active dry yeast
• 3 Tablespoons light brown sugar
• 2 Tablespoons canola oil
• 2 Tablespoons butter melted
• 1 Teaspoon salt
• 1 Teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 2 ¼ Cups all-purpose flour
• 2 Tablespoons ground cinnamon
• 2 Cups granulated sugar
• Canola or vegetable oil as needed, for deep frying

**Featured Recipe directions and Chef Tips are available within the episode or on the official Instagram of The Hungry Historian (@hungry_historian) or The Hungry Historian YouTube channel**

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“The Beaver does everything perfectly well: it makes kettles, hatchets, swords, knives, bread; in short, it makes everything.” - Unknown Innu Hunter 

On this episode of The Hungry Historian, our historical hero ventures deep into the northern Canadian wilderness to trace the origins and rise of one of the oldest and most influential commercial enterprises in North America — the Hudson’s Bay Company. 

Founded in 1670, but rooted in the explorations of the 1660s, the HBC was more than just a fur trading outfit; it was a geopolitical force that shaped the continent.

Join him as he explores the bold expedition of Radisson and Groseilliers, learn about the royal charter, and the Company’s dominance over Rupert’s Land — a vast swath of territory that would come to define the future of Canada. 

From rivalries with the French and the Compagnie du Nord, to Indigenous partnerships, brutal winters, and fierce competition during the height of the fur trade, this period from the mid seventeenth century to the late eighteenth lays the groundwork for centuries of economic, cultural, and political change.

But before you grab your snowshoes, and head out into the heart of the Canadian wilderness, you'll want to make sure to whip up a batch of Chef Money's featured recipe to take along with you.

This time, the Chef brings to you a modern Canadian delicacy and one that fits perfectly with this series - Beaver Tails.

Cheers!

Beaver Tails

Ingredients:

• ¾ Cup whole milk warm
• 2 ¼ Teaspoons active dry yeast
• 3 Tablespoons light brown sugar
• 2 Tablespoons canola oil
• 2 Tablespoons butter melted
• 1 Teaspoon salt
• 1 Teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 2 ¼ Cups all-purpose flour
• 2 Tablespoons ground cinnamon
• 2 Cups granulated sugar
• Vegetable or canola oil as needed, for deep frying

** FEATURED RECIPE DIRECTIONS WILL BE AVAILABLE ON PART II

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"From Paints to Saints and the beachs between, visit the Normandie region through the eyes of the Hungry Historian."

On this second episode of a two part look back at his travels through France and Belgium, the Hungry Historian is once again joined by his Mrs (The Hungry Herstorian) as he leaves the beaches of Normandy in the rear view and heads for his next adventure. 

Follow along as he walks the beach at Dieppe, the trenches of Beaumont-Hamel and Vimy Ridge, and the foxholes of the 101st Airborne at Bastogne.

If that's not your cup of tea, don't fret, because the Hungry Historian also reflects on his visits to the cathedrals of Rouen and Dieppe, the sites and sounds of Paris, and all the culinary an  cocktail stop in between.

Meanwhile, Chef Money is LITERALLY saucing up a Featured Recipe based on arguably the best dish that the Hungry Historian had on his trek through western Europe. A sauce so delicious that it doesn't even have a known name, so the Chef has taken to calling it "Money Sauce."

Cheers!

Money Sauce 

Ingredients:

1 cup of butter (divided) 
1 medium shallot or half a yellow onion 
1 package of tarragon
1 package of parsley (or a big handful if it's from your garden - equal parts to the tarragon)
4 sage leaves
4 Basil leaves
1 TBSP creamy Dijon
1 egg yolk 
1 tsp worcestshire 
1 tsp nutmeg 
5 walnuts 
1 TBSP anchovy paste 
5-10 capers 
1/4 of a small lemon 
Pepper to taste

** Featured Recipe directions and Chef Money tip available within the episode**

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"From Paints to Saints and the beachs between, visit the Normandie region through the eyes of the Hungry Historian."

On this first episode of a two part look back at his travels through France and Belgium, the Hungry Historian lands in Paris and heads for his base of operations, the Normandie capital city of Caen.

Follow along as he walks the beaches and bunkers that saw the D-Day invasions over 80 years ago. If that's not your cup of tea, don't fret, because the Hungry Historian also reflects on his visits to Claude Monet's house on Giverny, and the historic abbey at Mont Saint-Michel.

Meanwhile, Chef Money is LITERALLY saucing up a Featured Recipe based on arguably the best dish that the Hungry Historian had on his trek through western Europe. A sauce so delicious that it doesn't even have a known name, so the Chef has taken to calling it "Money Sauce."

Cheers!

Money Sauce 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of butter (divided) 
• 1 medium shallot or half a yellow onion 
• 1 package of tarragon
• 1 package of parsley (or a big handful if it's from your garden - equal parts to the tarragon)
• 4 sage leaves
• 4 Basil leaves
• 1 TBSP creamy Dijon
• 1 egg yolk 
• 1 tsp worcestshire 
• 1 tsp nutmeg 
• 5 walnuts 
• 1 TBSP anchovy paste 
• 5-10 capers 
• 1/4 of a small lemon 
• Pepper to taste

** Featured Recipe directions and Chef Money tip available within the episode**

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"Yeah-yeah, some folks inherit star-spangled eyes.
Hoo, they send you down to war, Lord
And when you ask 'em, "How much should we give?"
Hoo, they only answer, "More, more, more, more" - "Fortunate Son" by Creedence Clearwater Revival

On this last episode of his series that focused on The Vietnam War, The Hungry Historian is going to go through the most important and longest lasting legacy from the conflict.

No, it's not the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial or the areas of Vietnam that are still scarred and bare from years of war and chemical defoliation. 

Nope. What we're focusing on is the war's impact on Popular Culture. Most notably, it's influence on music and movies. 

Follow along as The Hungry Historian covers a wide selection of songs, and discovers that some of them may or may not actually be about that whole War in Vietnam. Once that's done, he'll discuss The War's portrayal on the big screen.

Meanwhile, Chef Money has prepared a Feature Recipe inspired by one of the most well known songs about the Vietnam War, and one that is fun, easy, and ideal as we move toward the summer months.

You won't want to miss out on Country Joe and The Fish Fry!

Cheers!

Country Joe and The Fish Fry

Ingredients:

• Perch fillets
• Butter
• All Purpose Flour
• Cayenne Pepper 
• Salt and Pepper
• Lemon Wedges

** Featured Recipe directions and chef tips available within the show 

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"The United States... will not turn from our obligation to help the remaining refugees... The situation in Vietnam is tragic, but America can’t fix every problem." - President Gerald Ford 

By 1974, the Vietnam War had entered its twilight. In this penultimate episode of his series on the conflict, The Hungry Historian, explores the war’s dramatic final years, beginning with the profound shifts in American politics and public sentiment that followed the Watergate scandal and the resignation of President Richard Nixon. 

Meanwhile, with U.S. military and financial support for South Vietnam sharply declining, the North Vietnamese Army seized the moment, launching a massive and relentless offensive that would culminate in the fall of Saigon on April 30th, 1975.

Listen as The Hungry Historian walks you through the unraveling of South Vietnam’s fragile government, the desperate evacuations of American personnel and Vietnamese allies, and the heartbreaking images that defined the war’s chaotic end. 

The story doesn’t stop with the ceasefire!  

Dive deep into the long shadow the war cast—on the American psyche, on U.S. foreign policy, and on Vietnam itself. From the struggles of returning veterans and the rise of the “Vietnam Syndrome,” to the staggering human and environmental cost borne by the Vietnamese people, examine the conflict’s aftermath with clarity and compassion.

As a culinary reward, Chef Money is stopping by with a Featured Recipe that is once again inspired by the events of the episode. You won't want to miss out on his Spring Roll Offensive!

Cheers!

The Spring Roll Offensive

Ingredients:

• 2 tsp vegetable oil
• 1 pack vermicelli noodles
• 2 clove garlic, minced
• 1 cup of carrot, shredded
• 2 tbsp spring onion, chopped
• 2 cups of cabbage, shredded
• ¼ tsp sugar
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp pepper, crushed
• 7 spring roll sheets
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• 2 tbsp water
• vegetable or canola oil for deep frying

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"Tin soldiers and Nixon's comin'
We're finally on our own
This summer I hear the drummin'
Four dead in Ohio." - Neil Young, "Ohio"

On this seventh episode of his series on the Vietnam War, join the Hungry Historian as he journeys through the tumultuous years of 1970 to 1973—a pivotal period for both the Vietnam War and the United States. 

As the conflict in Southeast Asia dragged on, US involvement took a sharp turn with President Nixon’s controversial “Vietnamization” strategy. American troops began withdrawing, but the war was far from over. 

From the deadly US invasion of Cambodia to the devastating bombings of Hanoi, the Hungry Historian will examine how these final years pushed both the war effort and anti-war sentiment to their breaking points.

The echoes of Vietnam rippled loudly across America’s streets. Protests erupted nationwide, with the tragic Kent State and Jackson State shootings serving as a horrifying reminder of the country's internal divisions. 

By 1973, the signing of the Paris Peace Accords brought U.S. involvement in Vietnam to a close, but the scars of the war—both overseas and at home—would linger for years to come.

Featured recipe wise, Chef Money has prepared another quick and easy recipe based off of events during the three year period. You definitely won't want to miss out on the Chef's "Holiday in Hambodia."

Cheers!

(A) Holiday in Hambodia

Ingredients:

• Fresh baked croissant
• Shaved Black Forest Ham
• Swiss Cheese
• Arugula
• Tomatoes
• The Hungry Historians Honey Mustard**

** list of ingredients for The Hungry Historians Honey Mustard, as well as recipe directions, and Chef tips are available within the show. **

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“Let us understand: North Vietnam cannot defeat or humiliate the United States. Only Americans can do that.”—President Richard Nixon

As the 1960s drew to a close, 1969 became a pivotal year that marked the end of an era—a time when the dreams of peace, love, and unity that defined the decade began to unravel. 

It was a year steeped in blood, both in the jungles of Vietnam and in the streets of America. 

In this episode, the Hungry Historian will guide you through the chaotic and transformative year of 1969. From the escalating war in Vietnam to the rise of cultural and political upheaval in America, this was a year that saw conflict, rebellion, and a redefinition of societal values.

On the battlefields of Vietnam, the war raged on with no clear end in sight. US military strategies shifted as President Nixon began the process of "Vietnamization," aiming to reduce American troop presence while bolstering the South Vietnamese forces. 

However, the horrors of war were undeniable, as evidenced by the tragic My Lai Massacre, a watershed moment that shocked the world and intensified the anti-war sentiment back home. The American public’s faith in their government was further eroded as images of devastation filtered back to their living rooms, fueling protests that were impossible to ignore.

Meanwhile, the anti-war movement grew to new heights. Demonstrations turned violent. Universities became epicenters of activism, with students leading the charge in demanding an end to the war. This era of civil unrest saw Americans questioning not just the war, but the very ideals of democracy, freedom, and justice.

At the same time, American culture was undergoing its own revolution. The year 1969 also saw monumental events that would shape the cultural landscape for decades to come. Woodstock, a festival of music and counterculture, symbolized the zenith of the 1960s' countercultural movement. 

Yet, even in this celebration of unity, the undercurrents of a nation divided were present. The utopian ideals of the 1960s were beginning to fracture as the harsh realities of war, politics, and societal change took hold.

And what better way to represent the battle and grit of 1969 than with this episode's featured recipe? Chef Money is stepping into the kitchen with his take on a classic diner staple that reflects one of the year's most brutal and unforgettable events—Hamburger Hill. 

Inspired by the infamous battle in May 1969, Chef Money’s "Hot Hamburger Hill" serves as a culinary tribute to the courage and sacrifice of those who fought in Vietnam, while also reflecting the heat and intensity of a year that changed the course of history.

Cheers!

Hot Hamburger Hill

Ingredients:

Hamburgers:

• 1 pound 85% lean ground beef
• ½ cup plain bread crumbs
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste
• 2 tablespoons salted butter

Gravy:

• 2 tablespoons salted butter
• 12 large white mushrooms, sliced
• 1 cup diced onion
• salt to taste
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3 cups beef broth
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

** Featured Recipe directions and chef tips available within the show

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“You send the best of this country off to be shot and maimed. They rebel in the streets. They will take pot, and they will get high. They don't want to go to school, 'cause they're going to be snatched off from their mothers to be shot in Vietnam." - Eartha Kitt

In Vietnam, 1968 marked the Tet Offensive—a massive, coordinated assault by North Vietnamese and Viet Cong forces that shocked the world and exposed the brutal reality of the war. 

It shattered any lingering illusion of US dominance and turned public opinion sharply against the conflict.

Half a world away, the American people were watching, questioning, and protesting. The anti-war movement gained momentum, and the country was further shaken by a series of tragic assassinations.

As much as this whole series is about the Vietnam War, it's important to explore all facets of the year that weren't just about the war. It was about civil rights, political unrest, and a new generation demanding change.

From college campuses to the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, where police and protesters clashed, the US was in a state of upheaval. 

Meanwhile, the war dragged on, and the draft sent thousands more young Americans to fight in a conflict that many no longer believed in.

Join The Hungry Historian as he dishes  up a serving on one of the most important years in both American history and the history of the 20th century—1968. 

A year that changed the course of the Vietnam War, and a year that saw American society torn apart and transformed in ways that still resonate today.

As a featured recipe, Chef Money is stopping by to bring you a dish inspired by an item that is synonymous with the war in Southeast Asia - Agent Orange Chicken. 

Cheers!

Agent Orange Chicken

Ingredients:

•4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
•3 Eggs 
•⅓ cup Cornstarch
•⅓ cup Flour
•Salt, to taste 
•Oil, for frying
•1 cup Orange Juice
•½ cup Sugar
•2 Tablespoons Rice Vinegar or White Vinegar
•2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce use tamari for a gluten-free dish
•¼ teaspoon Ginger
•2 garlic cloves
•½ teaspoon Red Chili Flakes
•Orange Zest from 1 orange
•1 Tablespoon Cornstarch

*featured recipe directions and chef tips available within the show

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“You could never tell who was the enemy and who was not. Therefore you treated everybody with suspicion and distrust. The enemy was everywhere and everybody at all times, and we were the foreigners in their country…" - Thomas Giltner, U.S. Soldier

The two year run from 1965-66, was a period of intense escalation in Vietnam, as the U.S. became deeply entrenched in a war that became increasingly unpopular. 

At home, America was undergoing significant social change, with the civil rights movement, anti-war protests, and the counterculture movement challenging the political and cultural status quo.

On this episode, the Hungry Historian investigates 1967. A critical year in the Vietnam War, as the conflict reached new levels of intensity and the situation became more divisive both in Vietnam and the United States. 

By this time, the war was becoming a deadly stalemate. The US military continued its "search-and-destroy" missions and increased its bombing campaigns, but North Vietnam and the Viet Cong were proving incredibly resilient.

In the U.S., public opinion was sharply turning against the war. Despite reassurances from military and government leaders that victory was near, Americans were increasingly skeptical as the costs of the war — in both lives and money — mounted. 

President Lyndon B. Johnson's Great Society programs were increasingly overshadowed by the war, as the conflict consumed more and more resources; leaving domestic issues like poverty and education underfunded. 

As a featured recipe, Chef Money is offering you his take on Vietnamese-Mexican fusion with a dish inspired by one of the years memorable events - Khe Sanh Dillas.

Cheers!

Khe Sanh Dillas

Ingredients:

Marinade:

•1½ tablespoon lime juice 
•1½ tablespoon neutral or vegetable oil
•2 tablespoon soy sauce 
•½ tablespoon Fish sauce (Worcestershire or Soy as substitute)
•2 tablespoon brown sugar
•2 teaspoon minced garlic 
•1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger, or a pinch of ground ginger
•¼ teaspoon red chili flakes
•(optional) 1 tablespoon cilantro (and more for garnish)

* Featured Recipe Instructions, Chef tips, and the rest of the recipe are available within the episode or on the official Instagram page of the @hungry_historian