You're right, so many of the things we ate growing up, because they were easy to afford are now considered delicacies (those crabcakes sound yummy!). Greens and beans in a restaurant can run a small fortune. My Mom would get a pork hock; a few cans of beans; and greens my aunts would pick in a field- then put the whole thing in a12 quart kettle; share it, and freeze the rest. I never cared for it, and it wasn't a Friday food, but everybody went nuts over it!
I'm just learning to read about history- it's so important to know. It sounds like your study must be fascinating! A world where people's lives centered around the local church; each person knew one another... There's a lot of that we could use in our communities today!
I'm participating in a genealogy project in our local library system. I even found a cousin, 5 minutes away! The library has access to ancestry dot com. It's fun! Touching history, whether it's direct family or part of our human family is a wonderful thing! God guide you in your studies, and may His Peace be with you!
Grateful 😀