Determining who “invented” the hard-shell taco is more complicated than it appears, largely because the answer depends on what is being asked. Are we asking who first fried a corn tortilla into a crisp, folded shape? Are we asking who first mass-produced pre-fried shells for fast-food assembly? Or are we asking who first packaged and … Read more
“Southern food is Black food.” For anyone who has spent time studying the agricultural and social history of the American South, this statement is not controversial, but foundational. With enslaved West Africans came staples like okra, black-eyed peas, benne seeds, and sorghum. With these and regional ingredients, the generational labor of enslaved women who ran … Read more
In the 1988 comedy classic Coming to America, Cleo McDowell delivers what might be the most confident defense of blatant trademark infringement in cinematic history: “Look, me and the McDonald’s people got this little misunderstanding. See, they’re McDonald’s… I’m McDowell’s. They got the Golden Arches, mine is the Golden Arcs. They got the Big Mac, … Read more
Frozen entrées and other frozen microwaveable food products always instruct us to “Cook thoroughly to an internal temperature of 165°F as measured by a food thermometer.” To most people, this instruction feels unintuitive if not absurd on its face. The meal is said to be “fully cooked,” and has spent weeks frozen at zero degrees. … Read more
Most home cooks assume that “from scratch” is always the gold standard, but when it comes to pumpkin pie, the opposite is almost always true. Attempting to roast and puree a fresh pumpkin in a domestic kitchen usually produces a watery and stringy custard that fails to set properly. While food media often treats canned … Read more
If there is one thing that is consistent on the internet, it’s that people hate “paying for water.” Few things inspire as much quiet resentment as opening a can of beans and pouring half the contents down the kitchen sink. This is the same consumer grievance that constantly crops up in other other products. Shoppers … Read more