Nancy Nilgen

@nancynilgen.bsky.social

1077 Followers 282 Following

food historian and passionate cookbook collector with a far-too-small kitchen

Four pieces of cake on a decorative porcelain plate in warm winter sunlight. Strong shadows fall across the plate.
A still life painting of a simple table setting with three yellowish fish on a white plate, an apple with a stem, a blue jug, and a bowl filled with potatoes on a muted grey blue surface. The scene is painted in soft, loose brushstrokes.
Snowy roadside landscape in Leipzig with bare trees and falling snow. A grey pole in the foreground is spray painted with the yellow word SNOW.
A white bowl filled with tomato based bean stew with large white beans sits on a light wooden surface. The bowl is placed on a patterned saucer with a small bread roll resting behind it. A gold colored spoon lies to the right. Soft daylight falls across the scene, creating gentle shadows.
A vintage New Year greeting card showing a young woman and a young man dressed in 1920s style. The woman wears a bright red dress with short sleeves and holds up a small glass with a yellow drink. The man stands behind her in a dark suit and also raises a glass. Both appear cheerful and celebratory. In front of them is a small round table with a lace cloth, several filled glasses, and a glass bowl. The German text “Prosit Neujahr” appears at the top of the image.
Vintage style illustration showing two walnuts with human like arms and legs standing close together under pine branches. One walnut holds the other as if dancing or greeting. The image uses soft muted colors and decorative framing that evokes an old Christmas card or seasonal print.
An old German book titled “Lehrbuch für den Koch- und Haushaltungs-Unterricht” (Textbook for Cooking and Household Lessons) by Ch. Friesner and K. Nake lies inside a woven straw bag lined with light fabric. The book has a worn brown cover with a small decorative illustration and visible signs of age.
A variety of heirloom tomatoes in different colors and shapes like green, yellow, red, orange, and deep purple. They are arranged on a wooden cutting board. The tomatoes are fresh and glistening with water droplets
A highly symmetrical arrangement of various small baked goods on a dark wooden surface. The pastries are sorted by type into rows, including mini tarts with cream and cherries, ring-shaped cookies, crescent rolls, puff pastry sticks, pretzel-shaped cookies, and piped cream biscuits with jelly centers.
Two glasses of beer stand side by side on a table: one filled with dark Altbier in a traditional straight glass, the other with pale Kölsch in a tall, narrow glass. The scene reflects the long-standing beer rivalry between Düsseldorf and Cologne, as both styles symbolize regional identity.
A vintage fish-shaped recipe booklet titled "Fisch Rezepte" (Fish Recipes) on a wooden surface. The booklet resembles a flatfish with a blue-green body and orange spots.
A humorous bronze fountain sculpture featuring two life-sized figures, a man and a woman, standing on either side of a large water basin with mugs beneath small spouts. The man appears frustrated, holding his head in one hand, while the woman looks sternly at him. A sign on the fountain reads “Kein Trinkwasser” (No drinking water). The scene is set on a wet pavement in front of a building with green signage.
Detail of a stone relief on a building façade. It shows a large fish swallowing a reclining human figure from the lower body, with only the upper torso and head still visible. The human seems calm or resigned. Grapes and vine motifs decorate the left side. Above this relief, other sculpted elements include a stylized eagle in an octagonal frame and decorative ornaments.
A postcard shows a dining scene: A person is being served a bowl of soup, with two hands holding the plate from opposite sides. In the background, a woman is seated at a table, but her face is mostly hidden behind the soup bowl. On the table are drinks with colorful straws, a lit candle, and condiment containers. The scene has a cozy, warm-toned atmosphere
Black-and-white artwork depicting a still life with a pretzel, a pair of glasses, fruit, and folded cloths arranged abstractly. Artist: David Petrowitsch Shterenberg
A handwritten recipe on yellowed paper, written in blue ink in German cursive script. The recipe includes ingredients for dough and filling, with instructions to bake at 180°C. The paper shows signs of age and use, adding to its nostalgic charm.
A dessert – likely tiramisu – is served on a rectangular dark plate dusted with powdered sugar. Two people are seated at a wooden table; one hand reaches in with a fork to take a bite, while the other rests casually on the table. In the foreground, there is a glass with a clear liquid, possibly grappa, and behind it, another glass and an espresso cup labeled “Pisa.” The setting appears to be a cozy, rustic restaurant.
A large stag beetle with dark brown, shiny body and prominent antler-like mandibles sits on a dusty work glove. The background shows dry soil and sparse grass.
Vintage Easter postcard from the early 1900s showing four children dressed in formal, old-fashioned clothing. Two of them are holding leashes attached to oversized yellow chicks. The children are walking together hand in hand through a grassy field. The scene is whimsical, surreal, and slightly absurd.
A homemade sourdough loaf on parchment paper. The crust looks uneven and pale in spots, with a dense, slightly cracked surface — not quite the airy, golden result you’d hope for.
An open pack of colorful, tiny, round candy-coated sweets spilling out of a shiny silver wrapper onto a wooden surface. Next to it, a packaged golden sponge cake labeled “Hostess.” The bright red packaging of the candy has cartoonish illustrations and the word “rainbow” written in blue.
On a wooden table lie two cookbooks and a gingerbread house. One book is 'The Sopranos Family Cookbook,' inspired by the series 'The Sopranos,' while the other is by Gennaro Contaldo, focusing on Italian baking. In the background, another book with cake illustrations can be seen.
A person peeling boiled potatoes at a table in front of a decorated Christmas tree. In the foreground, there is a bowl of peeled potatoes, a pot with unpeeled potatoes, and potato peels on a paper towel. In the background, spices and a bottle of gin are visible.
Close-up of Halloween-themed cookies shaped like ghosts and coffins. The ghost cookies feature a cheerful expression and the word 'Boo!' engraved, while the coffin-shaped cookies display a simple cross. The cookies are lightly golden, with a slight dusting of sugar, evoking a cozy, spooky atmosphere.
The image shows an wooden sign hanging on a stone wall. It features a drawing of a hand that appears to be severed. The sign is located at an old executioner's house and comes across as either a macabre warning or a humorous nod to the site's history
Brioche with colourful sprinkles
A still life by the artist Willem van Aelst from 1679 named The Breakfast. It depicts an opulent breakfast table with brioche bread, plums and a gutted fish carcass. Served on a silver plate
Four glas vases. Two of them filled with celery instead of flowers