I took this pic last night as the sun was setting over the East Deck Motel in Ditch Plains, Montauk, and we were grilling dinner. It summed up the calm and sated feeling that has been this spectacular Memorial Day weekend over here on the east coast. Below is another shot of the front hall of our friend's house during their lunch and pool party yesterday. The profusion of shoes sums up the happy chaos of that event, and you just have to imagine the shouts and yelps of over a dozen children jumping in and out of the pool in the backyard all afternoon.

From all of us here at The Kitchn and Apartment Therapy, we wish you all a happy Memorial Day. We now have one more day to rest up, recreate, remember and clean up the house. Below is our annual origin story of Memorial Day. Enjoy. More

We don't often think of celebrities being inventive, let alone coming up with the idea for a summertime staple like soft serve ice cream, but that's exactly what happened. Can you guess which political celebrity invented everyone's favorite hot weather treat? More

"One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well." So said Virginia Woolf, and we heartily concur. However, while Ms. Woolf might approve of these literary cocktails, I tend to think cold toast and stale coffee (ala Steinbeck) isn't what she had in mind for "fine dining." Ah well! To each his own. Enjoy a peek at 12 great writers and their go-to snacks, as illustrated by the wonderful Wendy MacNaughton. More

I recently came across a 2006 NPR article on famous fiction writers and their signature drinks, which sent me down a rabbit hole looking back at the history of this pairing. In celebration of Cocktail Week on The Kitchn, here are 10 writers and the boozy concoctions they drank and wrote about. More

In the New York Times garden section yesterday, they featured a fruit that has fallen so far out of style, it's practically a living antique. And while I appreciated the article, I also felt that they completely buried the lede, if not forgetting it entirely: This ancient fruit is one of the most delicious fruits you'll ever eat. More

In the old days, the greengrocer, the fishmonger, and baker could often be identified by what they wore — an apron, or smock, or jacket that was specific to that trade. More than just an uniform, these garments were often a badge of honor and reflected the pride people took in their work. They were also kind of cool, and they are having a comeback. More

As we wrap up Lunch Week here on The Kitchn, we thought some historical visual browsing would be fun. These photos come courtesy of the Library of Congress' photo archives on Flickr, and they show ordinary lunch hours—those midday breaks given for rest and sustenance, enjoyed alone or with other people. It's the same now as it was then. More

The Smithsonian's collection of Seed Nursery catalogs is a fascinating glimpse into the history of fruit and vegetable advertising. There are over 258 catalogs in the collection, the most precious or which date from 1830 to 1930. As the Smithsonian says, these catalogs, and particularly the covers, "are a window into the history of graphic arts in advertising, and a social history, through the text and illustrations, showing changing fashions in flowers and vegetables." More

What was the local New York food scene like in 1938? A collection of archived photographs in the Museum of the City of New York provide some clues. From lobsters at the Fulton Fish Market to a fruit pushcart on a street corner, it's a fascinating look at our shared food experiences. More

The founders of our country were brave. They were willing to give their lives for a cause they believed in deeply. They also liked to drink. A lot.

George Washington was especially fond of strong drink, and many of his favorite recipes survive today. Follow along with me, if you will, in the boozy steps of America's foremost patriot. More