An old kitchen can still have its charms.

Inviting Writing: A Humble Kitchen

The cabinets squeak every time you shut them, the sink needs reglazing and the backsplash is made of cracking tile

A delicious and gooey practice.

S’mores: More American Than Apple Pie

Marshmallows are from Egypt; chocolate is Mesoamerican. But Graham crackers were invented—or at least inspired—by a Connecticut Presbyterian minister

Bananas have been cultivated for thousands of years. But are the days of the familiar Cavendish numbered?

Taming the Wild Banana

When and where did people learn to cultivate one of our favorite snacks?

The Champ has been used in experiments to see if depressed people are more likely to cry than non-depressed people.

The Saddest Movie in the World

How do you make someone cry for the sake of science? The answer lies in a young Ricky Schroder

The increasingly popular SodaStream

DIY Carbonation: The Fizz Biz Lifts Off

The gadget’s entry into the U.S. market comes as economic, environmental and health concerns have converged with an interest in do-it-yourself everything

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The Rickey Declared D.C.’s Native Cocktail

Lobbyist and Confederate army veteran Colonel Joseph Rickey—or possibly his bartender, George Williamson—invented the concoction in 1883

Born in 1940, Levon Helm showed an early gift on the drums. Growing up on a cotton farm, music became his way out of a hard-labor life.

Levon Helm’s Rocking Rambles

The ‘60s rock great died today. Last July, our writer visited Helm for one of his famous Saturday night music throwdowns

Making pigs in a blanket was a "true test of patience and stealth" for the author.

Inviting Writing: A Mad Dash from the Dorm Kitchen

I never realized how much patience and stealth it took to cook this tasty treat until I had to carry it down a long, “The Shining”-esque hallway

The author's vegetable garden

Sweet Garden Success

Meal planning has become like triage; we eat whatever is most urgently ripe

You are never too old to play with your food.

Play With Your Food

Some playthings veer off into sheer ridiculousness when it comes to interacting with what’s on a plate

Since 1999, Richard and Judith Lang have found countless ways to turn their huge collection of beach debris into extraordinary art.

Making Beautiful Art out of Beach Plastic

Artists Judith and Richard Lang comb the California beaches, looking for trash for their captivating, yet unsettling work

The Skipper got a bite!

Castaway Cuisine, Fictional and Real

How would you survive if stranded on a desert island with only your wits and the resources at hand?

Rhubarb is delicious.

Five Ways to Eat Rhubarb

Summer and rhubarb go hand in hand. So do strawberries and rhubarb—in pie. But what else can you cook up with the vegetable?

Foodies have a special relationship with their kitchen.

Inviting Writing: What’s Your Relationship to Your Kitchen?

Tell us a true, original story. Is your kitchen your laboratory, your sanctuary, your prison, your playroom?

Visitors and artists interact under the guadua (bamboo) tents in the Colombia program area.

Cooking With Colombian Beans

There are endless variations on frijoles, and each family has its own distinctive recipe

Cafe Mai's cup of ca phe cut chon.

Weasel Coffee: You’re Going to Drink What?

I was looking forward to another great-tasting coffee experience—until I found out that “cut chon” is Vietnamese for “civet cat dung”

Irresistible pesto

Gourmand Syndrome

First identified by neuroscientists in the 1990s, the disorder is marked by “a preoccupation with food and a preference for fine eating”

Cannons at Valley Forge

The Food that Fueled the American Revolution

A steady supply of preserved meats and flavorless flour cakes played a vital role in American patriots defeating the British during the American Revolution

A delicious tray of chocolate.

Inviting Writing: Sick of Chocolate?

Bayonne, the capital of France’s Basque country, is known for its ham, Espelette peppers and chocolate

What do you do with galangal?

What the Heck Do I Do With Galangal?

Galangal is a rhizome in the same family as ginger, which it resembles in appearance and, to some degree, flavor

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