TheMenu Format: ClothOverBoards

Fascinating and entertaining, the menu, as a record of the food we eat, tells us much about who we were and how we lived. From the historically significant to the unexpected, discover what was eaten at the first Nobel Prize dinner; what Barack Obama chose for his inauguration meal; what the Tsar and Tsarina ate at their infamous society balls; why the first pre-made sandwich was so significant; and what sort of inflight grub was served up at supersonic speeds on Concorde. Step in time to dinner dances at the Blackpool Tower Ballroom; delight in Elvis and Priscilla's wedding breakfast; marvel at the Titanic's last sitting and raise a glass to El Bulli's closing service.

Eve Marleau is a food writer and editor. She has written for the Guardian and is the author of The Kitchen Shelf and Bake in Black. Polly Russell is a Back in Time for Tea food historian.