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History

Where the classics came from.

Best Mashed PotatoesHow mashed potatoes got this rich: An Andean crop, an English cookbook of 1747, a Paris chef famous for his butter, and a Canadian potato named for a gold rush.
Candied Pork Belly Burnt EndsWhere burnt ends come from: Burnt ends began as brisket trimmings given away at a Kansas City counter, and a 1972 magazine piece made them famous.
Corn on the CobNine thousand years on the cob: Corn was domesticated in southern Mexico about 9,000 years ago, and the sweet corn that goes on the grill is a small, sugary corner of the crop.
Crab LegsOld Bay’s Baltimore story: The seasoning on these crab legs was blended by a refugee spice merchant across the street from Baltimore’s wholesale fish market.
Smoked Pork Belly Burnt EndsCan burnt ends be pork?: The original is beef brisket, and pork belly is a stand-in that some barbecue people refuse to call burnt ends at all.
Smoked Prime Rib RoastThe prime in prime rib: Prime rib is a cut, not a grade, with roots in English roast beef and a Beverly Hills dining room built around one entrée.
Zuppa ToscanaA Tuscan name on an American soup: The name means Tuscan soup, but the sausage, potato, and cream version is Olive Garden’s, and it is not what Tuscany eats.