Half Respect, Half Theater. Restaurant etiquette has turned into one of those topics where everyone has a strong opinion and half of them are made up. Somewhere along the way, a bunch of arbitrary rules…
Every Country Has One Fight It Refuses To Settle. Ask someone where a dish really comes from and watch the mood in the room change. Food nationalism runs deep, and it rarely has anything to…
Some Foods Are Hard to Give Up. When that wicker basket of bread comes around to your table, you're probably secretly hoping that no one else wants it so you can have it all to…
Forgotten Staples and Returning Favorites. Ingredients move in and out of everyday kitchens for all kinds of reasons, including changing agriculture, convenience foods, shifting tastes, and the disappearance of older regional recipes. Some foods that…
What The Greats Actually Craved. History books love to talk about wars and treaties and speeches, but they rarely mention what someone ate before signing a peace agreement or storming a beach. Food has a…
Knowing When Food Is Actually Finished. Ever thrown out a banana just because it looked too bruised and brown? Or tossed out bread because it was stale or was past the "best before" date? You've…
Reading The Table Like A Menu. You've been there. The server leans in a little longer than the order actually requires, laughs at a joke that wasn't really that funny, and suddenly the whole dinner…
What You Eat Can Boost Your Longevity. You've probably heard the saying, "You are what you eat." That means if you tend to binge on junk food, you're not going to get the strong, healthy…
Familiar Names, Very Different Plates. Immigration has shaped American food for generations, and many dishes changed substantially as cooks adapted recipes to local ingredients, restaurant expectations, regional tastes, and new customers. Those changes often produced…
