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

Is it time for your mid-day tea break? Then pour your self a cuppa and learn how to make authentic Cornish pasties in this short but entertaining video from The Guardian, a UK newspaper. Our cook today is Kay Bolitho and she's making her pasties as her mother and grandmother did before her in a delightfully eccentric manor house kitchen. More

You might have qualms about the health benefits of that third or fourth cup of coffee to boost your Monday morning, but feeling jittery would have been the least of your concerns if you were living in, say, the 17th century. Plain and simple coffee was outlawed in England, and drinking it was even punishable by death in Turkey! More

The second series of "Downton Abbey" premieres this weekend on PBS and if you're as obsessed as we are, you might be planning your very own viewing party complete with period-appropriate food and drink. Here's an Edwardian-era cake that we highly recommend. It includes several ingredients you probably have in your winter larder ... and don't worry, it's much better than Mrs. Patmore's salty pudding! More

Q: Where did the tradition of baking a zillion cookies at the holidays start?

I know it happens every year, and it seems to have spread far and wide, but I would love to know where it started, and why? What was its purpose or intent? Just to share, or...?

Sent by Aimee More

We've never had oyster stuffing. Have you? Whoa, it's a lot of work if you're talking about shucking dozens of fresh oysters to chop and bake with your bread cubes. But the payoff (we hear) is that the bread soaks up the oyster liquor, and you get a richness that's beyond what sausage or a little chicken broth can offer. As for the origins of oyster stuffing... it's complicated. More

If you've ever flown into or out of the San Francisco airport, you have probably looked out the window and wondered about those weird red ponds scattered along the edge of the Bay. Wonder no more: they're sea salt harvesting ponds!

I was recently invited along on Diamond Crystal Salt's annual sea salt harvest right here in the San Francisco Bay. Let me tell you, it was a fascinating trip from Bay to box. Oh, and why the startling red color in those ponds? You'll never guess. More

Take this as a public service announcement: pass on your family food traditions now. Don't wait. I say this because my mother was this close to giving away our family's long-held tradition of making apple butter, including my great-grandmother's battered enamel pans, my grandmother's trusty food mill, and the family recipe itself. Her response when I squawked in protest: "I didn't think you were interested!" More