Thanksgiving Is a Feast of Things Forgotten
Thanksgiving is a feast so complex and semiotically dense that things are very often forgotten and rarely go according to plan.
What the Folk? The Charming Yet Totally Malappropriate Story of Folk Etymology
Etymology is a funny thing. Even if you're not a word nerd, you might have wondered why so many English idioms we use are Just. So. Weird.
Vacationing with Julia Child
Want to get away this summer? Come daydream with us to the kitchen of Julia Child, in the south of France...
Putting Words in Your Mouth: The Whimsical Language of Food
Many whimsically named regional foods focus instead on telling a story that often sounds neither delicious nor sophisticated. How do such odd names stick?
Tasty! The Story of MSG
MSG, the Japanese flavor enhancer, has grown into an international sensation. But its history is also fraught with tension.
Hot Dogs: America’s Fast, Cheap Meat
With all due respect to hamburgers and apple pie, hot dogs are arguably the most American of foods.