Review: Perfection Salad: Women and Cooking at the Turn of the Century, by Laura Shapiro (New York: North Point Press, 1986) Perfection Salad is a classic food history book that looks at a major shift in ideas about food that … Continue reading →

Last Monday I took a look at the two versions of the creation of Coca-Cola: the version the Coke company has on their web page, and the much longer version presented in the book A History of the World in … Continue reading →

This is a two-part article that looks at the story of the creation of Coca-Cola. Today I’m looking at the two versions of the story, and Wednesday I’ll look at why there are two different stories out there. As befits … Continue reading →

Eating History: 30 Turning Points in the Making of American Cuisine, by Andrew F. Smith (New York: Columbia University Press, 2009) Andrew Smith starts Eating History with the observation that there’s a vast gulf between what Americans say they’d like to … Continue reading →

Consider the humble avocado.  Green and tough on the outside, somewhat slimy on the inside, it’s high in fat (but, as supporters tell us, the good kind of fat) and difficult to use in cooking.  In short, it’s a strange … Continue reading →