War and Pest Control
Since World War I, the connections between pest control and war have been scientific, technological, institutional, and metaphorical.
The Nostalgic Pleasure of Preserves
Home canning was once a necessity, but even then the process was often defined by sensory pleasures and a deep sense of satisfaction.
Would You Like Some Germs with Your Wheaties?
To fulfill the increasing protein demand, scientists turn to microbes.
How America Got Sold on Low-Fat Food
In the 1990s, a "healthy choice" meant eating SnackWell's cookies and sugary reduced-calorie yogurt. Why did America love the low-fat food trend?
The Crucial Southern Blackberry
In the 19th century, blackberry picking was both hobby and money-making endeavor for many Americans. Increased regulation of land use changed all that.
Salmonella: The Good, the Bad, the Unexpected
A recent salmonella outbreak, connected with pre-cut melon, has put the bacteria back in the news. Is there any bright side to salmonella?
Baking Vs. Roasting
We cook bread, meat, and vegetables much the same way: in our ovens. So why do we say we "bake" bread, but we "roast" meat and veggies?
Baby Food for Baby Boomers
Modern baby food didn’t exist until 1928, when Daniel Gerber launched his first line of mass-produced canned strained peas for babies.
High Cuisine in Ancient France
An archaeologist explores how the division of upper- and lower-class cuisine may have developed in France more than 2,000 years ago.
When Salad Was Manly AF
Esquire, 1940: “Salads are really the man’s department... Only a man can make a perfect salad.”