Articles by Derek Workman from Smithsonian Magazine

The History of Foosball

How did the tabletop game get from parlor halls in 19th century Europe to the basements of American homes?

January 8, 2013

A group of young Parisians playing foosball at a cafe in 1958.

The Murky History of Foosball

How did the tabletop game get from parlor halls in 19th-century Europe to the basements of American homes?

January 4, 2013

Don’t Wait til Mardi Gras for Your King Cake, Celebrate Tres Reyes This Weekend

The New Orleans classic has its roots in the roscon de reyes, a Spanish treat for the 12th day of Christmas

January 3, 2013

The Canary Islands are known for their potatoes.

The Best and Worst of Canarian Food

There are two delicacies unique to the Canary Islands that every visitor should try at least once—and in the case of one of them, once is quite enough

February 16, 2012

Andrea Ludden's collection of over 40,000 pairs of salt and pepper shakers started completely by chance when Ludden bought a pepper mill at a garage sale in the mid-1980s.

Would You Like Some Salt and Pepper? How About 80,000 Shakers' Worth?

Over the course of just a couple of decades, the Ludden family has amassed enough novelty shakers to fill two museums

January 23, 2012

The Wonderful English Pudding

Pour flaming brandy over the hot pudding - the blue flames dance and sparkle around the traditional sprig of holly stuck into the top of the pudding

December 22, 2011

The craze for collecting toy soldiers began with the French in the 18th century. In this scene, British foot soldiers attack a French officer.

The Great Battles of History, in Miniature

At a museum in Valencia, Spain, over one million toy soldiers stand at attention, prepared to reenact the wars that shaped the world

December 7, 2011

Paella: Rice With Everything

The subtleties of preparation, the exact timing of when to add water and for how long it should lie before being served are the subject of fierce debate

November 15, 2011