The history of the Mai Tai, and the man who had never been to the tropics who created it.

The history of that most perfect of sandwiches and its main components

Texas chili from 1910, the history of chili, and the Chili Queens who sold all kinds of chili-flavored foods in the plazas of San Antonio

Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation and the chicken dish that was created for it

The great lengths that the U.S. Navy went to to provide its men with morale-boosting ice cream, and its recipe for a delicious banana nut flavor

The history and evolution of carrot cake and how WWII British propaganda popularized it

Menus and first class breakfast on the Titanic, as well as more stories of the people on board

The history of school lunches and the lunch lady, along with recipes from a Depression Era school cafeteria cookbook

The Great Molasses Flood of 1919 and Boston brown bread

Al Capone’s soup kitchen and an Italian soup that could have been served there

The history of latkes and a recipe based on 20th century versions

Christmas dinners during WWI and a ration-friendly Christmas pudding recipe from 1915

An overview of American WWII field kitchens and rations and a recipe for a classic dish straight from a manual written in 1944

The murky origins of the Caesar salad and a recipe that might be the original

The history and possible origins of Brazilian feijoada and a recipe from 1928

The history of the Volga Germans and a stuffed bread roll recipe made from many 20th century sources

Why absinthe was banned, and a recipe for an absinthe cocktail in the traditional French style

The history of ovens and stoves, and a retro recipe for fish pudding that I can’t, in good conscience, recommend

The Australian and New Zealand Army Corps at Gallipoli and two recipes for different versions of Anzac biscuits

The first class experience aboard the RMS Titanic, and a recipe for dessert that would’ve been a real showstopper for the passengers