Where did the whisk come from? In the US, the whisk's debut and resulting popularity can be traced to Julia Child's 1963 television appearance (her first ever) when she brandished a whisk and furiously whipped egg whites into a fluffy frenzy. But naturally, the tool had been around long before Julia. More

Did you know that if you leave your home-brewed kombucha to ferment for several weeks longer than usual, it can be used as a household cleaner and vinegar substitute? Have you ever wanted to build a wood-fired oven in your backyard or braid a rug for your kitchen floor? How about making your own cheese or soap or taking on the Sephardic dish called huevos haminados which begins by hard boiling eggs for 12 hours until they become tender, nutty, and taste like a roasted fowl? If any of these basic yet fascinating household tasks intrigues you, read on for my review of the new book, The Lost Arts of Hearth and Home. More

Today Beatrix Potter's very rare personal recipe book will go on sale in London. The children's author is most famously known for creating the Peter Rabbit stories (although there are no recipes for rabbit in the book!). The 161-year-old book recipe book is full of what were most likely family recipes, probably handed down over generations, with recipes for sponge cake, roast turkey, curry, and gingerbread. And thanks to an official release by the book's handlers, we have the actual gingerbread recipe here! More

Here's a question to ponder: when considering the long history of food and the many ways we now cultivate, cook, and control it, what are the top innovations that come to mind? An eminent group of Fellows from the UK's Royal Society recently named the Top 20 most significant inventions in food and drink. Can you guess what they are? More

The sandwich is a universally loved item, with variations on the theme found throughout the world. What's also different are the nicknames people have for two slices of bread and a filling. Do you call your sandwich by a special name?

Remember the favorite snacks of these 12 writers? Literature and food have long been entwined and a source of fascination for us today. Awl writer Jane Hu adds to the history by exploring an A-Z guide to the snacks, foods, and food-themed living that accompanied various writers throughout their lives. More

Are you fighting those last-week-of-summer blues? Take a few minutes to browse the iconic images included in The Candy Wrapper Archive, a collection of hundreds of candy packages dating back to the early 1900s. More

It's that time of year. Already some kids are back in the classroom and many of us will be sending our children off on Monday or perhaps the following week. Whatever are we going to do with all that extra time? (Just kidding!!) But perhaps you'll have a few extra hours to go back to school and get an edible education. More

While I was thumbing through my Twitter feed one day last week, I noticed that it was National Smore's Day. I'm always up for a culinary celebration, so I swung by the store to pick up some marshmallows and a chocolate bar. (I made the graham crackers from scratch using this Marta Stewart recipe - perfection!) As I was rolling out the cookies I realized if I hadn't been on Twitter that evening I would have let a perfect smore-making opportunity slip by. So I wondered what other food holidays there may be thoughout the year. Turns out there is an American food holiday every day! More

While smorgasbord has come to mean any old buffet offering a choice of foods here in the United States, the term originated in Sweden. Its roots are found in the upper class of 14th century Sweden where a small spread of bread, butter, and cheese was offered before mealtime. More