Bog Butter Barrels and Ireland’s 3000-Year-Old Refrigerators
Wooden Bog Butter Barrels are possibly the most beautiful things you can find in a bog. But why did people throw their butter into bogs?
Duncan Hines, Cake Mix Maker Extraordinaire
Duncan Hines was not created by a marketing department. Born in Bowling Green, Kentucky, in 1880, he became an amateur restaurant critic.
How Delicious Meat Pies Put Natchitoches on the Map
The Natchitoches meat pie, a crimped half moon hiding a pocket of spiced meat, exemplifies “culinary place making."
When Margarine Was Contraband
Protectionist laws favoring producers of butter meant that getting margarine in Wisconsin was no easy feat.
Why Clean Eating Can’t Save Your Soul
If hunger is moral purity, self-care a purchasable commodity, and wellness a stand-in for thinness, what does health really mean?
West Coast Infernos, Midday Mudslides, and the Little Cool Beans that Might Save the World
Wildfires and public health, predicting floods, and substituting beans for beef were top stories in environmental news this week.
When You Eat Matters As Much As What You Eat
Trying to lose weight? A new study suggests that our bodies may react just as much to when we eat, as to what food we are consuming.
The Wartime Origins of Farmers Markets
In 1943, the idea of a farmers market at which produce was sold directly to the customer was nearly unheard of, a relic of the distant past.
Pioneers Were America’s Original Artisanal Bakers
Why were cowboys and pioneers so obsessed with their baked goods? A look at the birth of sourdough culture (har har) in the United States.