If you've ever wanted to know why American barbecue matters, Robert Moss' new book on the subject is nothing short of essential. Documenting its subject from pre-Republic times to the present day, Barbecue: The History of an American Institution is an accessible foray into culinary evolution. In the process, Moss shatters several myths of barbecue—myths so dominant that they've come to define the food in American culture. More

A late Stuart dessert table. Photograph from historicfood.com Normally, if someone were to say that they've cooked for Marie Antoinette and Jane Austen, you would think they were crazy. But Ivan Day can make that claim and simply be describing his normal activities. By using authentic equipment and historic recipes, he examines history through what people ate. According to an interview with Day in The Age, history is the next big thing in food. Director Martin Scorsese recently phoned Day out of the blue, asking him to cook an authentic period banquet for a film Scorsese is producing about the young Queen Victoria. Related 'The Birth of the Croissant & the Bagel' Comic The History of the PBJ Sandwich... More

Illustration by R. O. Blechman from the New York Times Get a quick overview of the origins of the croissant and the bagel in this fun comic from the New York Times by illustrator R. O. Blechman. Related: A Short History of the Bagel... More

Learn about the origins of your favorite ring of boiled and baked wheat in this short history of the bagel by Joan Nathan of Slate. For a longer history of the bagel, check out Maria Balinska's recently published book, The Bagel: A Cultural History.... More

Although chocolate cake with white cream filling is the most iconic whoopie pie flavor, you can find a variety of flavors at bakeries in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Erin Zimmer investigates the growing diversity of whoopie pies; will they become as popular as cupcakes? More

The New Yorker's story behind the everything bagel hits a snag when someone else claims to have invented it earlier. More

Photographs by Robyn Lee In these modern times of high rises on New York City's Lower East Side, health fad diets, and increasingly hard-to-find high-quality ingredients (Where can you get a good rye bread these days? Does anyone dry-age pastrami anymore?), can the New York delicatessen survive? These questions were tackled Tuesday night at the Museum of the City of New York at a panel discussion titled "Jewish Cuisine and the Evolution of the Jewish Deli." The talk was moderated by food writer Matthew Goodman (Jewish Food: The World at Table), and the panel included food historian Joel Denker (The World on a Plate: A Tour through History of America’s Ethnic Cuisine); former New York Times restaurant critic Mimi... More