One of my characters in my work-in-progress is an excellent cook. She was taught by the daughter of a French Huguenot refugee whose grandfather had been a pastry chef in Lyons. My character’s cooking is a blend of French, British, and American cuisine, with a preference for anything involving pastry.

Of course, cooking has evolved over time. While I always do a quick internet search to check the history of any particular dish before including it in my story, it's often easier to pick dishes from period cookbooks. The two I find myself returning to again and again are American Cookery by Amelia Simmons and The Modern Cook by Vincent La Chapelle.

And thanks to the wonders of Google Books, facsimiles of these books are not only available online for free, but also searchable. If historical cooking interests you, check them out!